"Hello! You've reached Takeda Hikaru, co-Guardian of Everglade. If this is an urgent matter, please call the Everglade Guardian office at [XXX-XXXX]. If this is a personal matter, please leave your name, your number, and a short message. I'll reply as soon as I can. Thank you and have a good day!"
[ There's a long sigh, followed by some rustling in the background. Selfishly, she hoped that he didn't see what she replied with, but knew that was always a chance that he'd inevitably see her reply. ]
I felt like they needed my expertise with this however possible, so I at least offered. If they don't want to take me up on my offer, that's fine. I just--I couldn't sit back and not do anything, you know?
[ A pause came next, only pierced by the squeak of her office chair while she tried to think of what to say next. ]
I'm sorry. I-- I know you care about me, so if push comes to shove, for once I'll think about my own life so that I can survive another day or so.
[ Somehow her words deflated the anger in his voice. She was so much like Steve in that moment. Led by selflessness, honor, duty -- the person who would lay on the barbed wire so someone else could get across. ]
If you do this... if you do this -- [ He forced back a wave of panic. That had to wait until later. ] -- then I'm going to be there. I am not about to let the only person close to family I have left go and put her life on the line without me at her side. If you're going to be stubborn and reckless then so will I.
[ Tony felt like he was going to be sick, honestly. There were still nights where he saw the carnage of New York when he slept. What that had done to him was never going to go away. But if Hikaru was involved... he had to be as well. There was no choice. If a sacrifice play had to be made in a bizarre deja vu of the past, so be it. He'd rather it be him than her.
... had he just admitted he thought of her as family? ]
[ Yet again, those words were used with her. She's heard it so many times at this point that she's more or less accustomed to them being said. In fact, were this video, she'd be almost smiling. ]
...You know, it's funny. I've always been told for the good of the people--no, the world--that the burden I had was mine and mine alone. Yeah, I have the support of my coworkers and higher ups back home to tell me when to get out so that I can fight another day, but I've always fought alone. I guess there really is strength in numbers.
[ Of course, she didn't have the benefit of anyone else possessing the magnitude of power that she did, but that was beside the point. Despite the ordinary soldiers, it was always just her fighting off wave after wave as they invaded the planet. And she grew used to it always being her there and no one else.
She couldn't ask for anything more, anyway. Friends and family members... God, she might start to tear up here. ]
...You're family to me too and always will be, all right? I'm-- Thank you, big brother.
[ A sigh followed later with her closing her eyes, trying to blink the tears away. There was no need to get emotional, after all. ]
I'm guessing you want to see what all I'm capable of, huh?
The people who told you that are full of it. I insisted on fighting alone for a long time, but eventually I had no choice and had to learn to play with others. I've seen both sides of the coin, Hikaru, and one side is a lot brighter than the other.
[ Even if Bruce had been right and the time bomb had finally went off, Tony didn't think he could ever let go of the Avengers. He didn't know if they were his family like Steve thought they were, but they were still important. More important than he knew how to convey.
It was the same with Hikaru, really.
Tony couldn't imagine himself as anything but a horrible sibling, but the affectionate term she'd used filled him with an emotion that he could only describe as feeling like warmth. The unusual gentleness to his tone probably gave away that he was getting just as emotional as she was. ]
Same here, sis. I've got your back.
[ There was silence for a moment, but it was a comfortable one. ]
If we're gonna be a team that wouldn't be a bad start.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
aceparagon) wrote2016-07-18 08:28 pm
[voice]
I felt like they needed my expertise with this however possible, so I at least offered. If they don't want to take me up on my offer, that's fine. I just--I couldn't sit back and not do anything, you know?
[ A pause came next, only pierced by the squeak of her office chair while she tried to think of what to say next. ]
I'm sorry. I-- I know you care about me, so if push comes to shove, for once I'll think about my own life so that I can survive another day or so.
[voice]
[ Somehow her words deflated the anger in his voice. She was so much like Steve in that moment. Led by selflessness, honor, duty -- the person who would lay on the barbed wire so someone else could get across. ]
If you do this... if you do this -- [ He forced back a wave of panic. That had to wait until later. ] -- then I'm going to be there. I am not about to let the only person close to family I have left go and put her life on the line without me at her side. If you're going to be stubborn and reckless then so will I.
[ Tony felt like he was going to be sick, honestly. There were still nights where he saw the carnage of New York when he slept. What that had done to him was never going to go away. But if Hikaru was involved... he had to be as well. There was no choice. If a sacrifice play had to be made in a bizarre deja vu of the past, so be it. He'd rather it be him than her.
... had he just admitted he thought of her as family? ]
[voice]
...You know, it's funny. I've always been told for the good of the people--no, the world--that the burden I had was mine and mine alone. Yeah, I have the support of my coworkers and higher ups back home to tell me when to get out so that I can fight another day, but I've always fought alone. I guess there really is strength in numbers.
[ Of course, she didn't have the benefit of anyone else possessing the magnitude of power that she did, but that was beside the point. Despite the ordinary soldiers, it was always just her fighting off wave after wave as they invaded the planet. And she grew used to it always being her there and no one else.
She couldn't ask for anything more, anyway. Friends and family members... God, she might start to tear up here. ]
...You're family to me too and always will be, all right? I'm-- Thank you, big brother.
[ A sigh followed later with her closing her eyes, trying to blink the tears away. There was no need to get emotional, after all. ]
I'm guessing you want to see what all I'm capable of, huh?
[voice]
[ Even if Bruce had been right and the time bomb had finally went off, Tony didn't think he could ever let go of the Avengers. He didn't know if they were his family like Steve thought they were, but they were still important. More important than he knew how to convey.
It was the same with Hikaru, really.
Tony couldn't imagine himself as anything but a horrible sibling, but the affectionate term she'd used filled him with an emotion that he could only describe as feeling like warmth. The unusual gentleness to his tone probably gave away that he was getting just as emotional as she was. ]
Same here, sis. I've got your back.
[ There was silence for a moment, but it was a comfortable one. ]
If we're gonna be a team that wouldn't be a bad start.