(no subject)

[adaptingly]

So. This is.. weird. That was a nasty way to die. It's pretty morbid that you have an icon of my death-scene, too.

Hopefully Alex didn't do anything stupid like blame himself.

Comments

[these_fish]

He did one up on that. He never spoke a word about it. So far.

Hello...

[adaptingly]

Remind me to slap him in the back of the head if he's bottling.

Hey, Sean. I hear you're a badass, now.

[these_fish]

Aye aye, cap'n!

Oh. It was... not good enough. I guess? Not nearly as much as you, though.

[adaptingly]

That's what I like to hear, man.

Please. I didn't help stop a nuclear war. You guys did an awesome thing out there.

[getback]

...Who the heck says I'm blaming myself?

How? How are you even here?

[adaptingly]

Just making sure, man. You're the type to bottle shit up.

Being dead doesn't mean I know the mysteries of the universe. All I know's I'm here.

[getback]

Well I'm not. [He totally is.]

Yeah I can see that. You uh, you missed a lot.

[these_fish]

It isn't that difficult to say it. And even mean it.

Who said you didn't help, though? At least in some way. Like... inspiring courage, for example.

[adaptingly]

Yeah, sure, macho guy.

.. That's what I hear. Averting nuclear disaster, taking out that Shaw creep-- Not what I'd call a bad day's work.

[adaptingly]

[ that earns a laugh. ] So, what, I was like your Joan of Arc? I guess there's worse things to be.

Because you know he has seen ALL THE SUPERHERO MOVIES

[warchangedme]

He might be. Hell I almost wanna blame myself because it was one of my buildings.

And I probably don't exist in your universe.

bawww alfred ;n;

[adaptingly]

Your buildings? [ a long stare, because this guy looks.. young. and the building in question was a cia facility, after all. ] Uh.. you an architect or something? 'Cause I've gotta' tell you, man, you can't be blaming yourself for your building practically caving in on itself after what Shaw put it through.

He's like, oh goddam first cap now this. ;-;

[warchangedme]

We should have been more prepared, if I had been... [Oh, wait, there goes the 'talking to a crazy person' look.] Okay. I am going to tell you something, and it's sort of up there with UFOs and Bigfoot secret and crazy.

I am the personification of the United States of America. Every nation, has someone like me. That compound was my compound, and it should have withstood a nuclear level attack a whole fuck of a lot better than it did.

[adaptingly]

[ wait, what?

sorry, al, it's gonna take him a few seconds to really.. absorb this. he stares, then stares a little more, then reaches up to rub his brow with the back of a hand.

you know what, this isn't even the craziest thing he's ever heard. why not. ]

So. You're.. the United States. As a person?

[warchangedme]

Pretty much. I'm pretty much everything, history, people, culture. You shape me, I shape you.

You can just call me Alfred, if you want. [He sort of...just gonna scuff his foot on the floor.]

[adaptingly]

[ a slightly.. overwhelmed laugh. ]

Jesus. I don't even know what to say. Not gonna' lie, I kind of always imagined, you know, Uncle Sam or-- I dunno', Lady Liberty or something. You don't look old enough to--

[ he trails off, brows drawing sharply together. ]

So wait. Wait, if you're everything that makes the U.S. the.. the U.S., then if you're around where I'm from, would that have hurt?

[warchangedme]

I'm not what we want to be seen, I am what there is. We are still very young, Darwin.

[The question leads to a somber pause, then Alfred sighs.] The attack would be painful, I only have a few other instances to compare it to. Probably the same as a sucker punch in the face. Maddening and disorienting.

For you yourself, I would've had to have been with you to come close to feeling it.

[getback]

Whatever.

We also made more enemies trying to save a bunch of dumb people. They shot the missiles at us instead.

[lehnsherr]

Your actions seemed to inspire both Havok and the rest of the team in to taking action.

[And there's the unaired "you'd be proud of them" hidden somewhere amongst that.]

[adaptingly]

I guess that's what happens when you become heroes. People start wanting to kill you, instead.

[adaptingly]

Small favours, I guess. If I had to die, at least it did a little good.

.. You and Charles went separate ways?

[adaptingly]

Huh. [ a long pause, but then he reaches up, ruffling al's hair as if he really is as young as he looks. ] Sounds like it can be rough. But hey-- no more long faces, okay? Not over me, anyway.

[warchangedme]

[He gives a dry laugh at his hair being ruffled, playfully swatting at Darwin.] Hey now!

My other option is anger with the whole thing. I don't care if those damn guys were nothing we expected, you should have been safe, and government agents do not puss-out in the face of death and give up US citizens and wards, regardless of genetic makeup.

So, I'm sorry for that. There, last I'll say on it man.

[getback]

Or maybe they're just stupid and ungrateful. Scared, I guess.