There'll be trouble when the kidz come out

[lucetimods]

Who: All remaining draftees
What: Zombies! Zombies! Zombies!
When: The 29th to 31st
Where: Vaskoth
Summary: Please read here for event information
Rating: B for BRRAAAIIIINSSSS

On the 29th, the Malnosso announce over the radios that the power cap will be lifted to a full 100%. Carol broadcasts a message.

On the 30th, the Malnosso declare Vaskoth completely lost. Those with radio access will discover that the enclosure is to be bombed.

On the 31st, survivors will have one last chance to evacuate or try to find the cure. 3PM is do or die.

Comments

[selfhelp]

[Whether it's meant to stop him or not, Billy does stop, his gaze drifting first to the hand on his shoulder, then up at Tony's face.

...God, they all look like hell this week.

Billy stares up at him blearily for a long moment, taking in his expression, his haggard features, the obvious wear and tear of emotion. What he sees there is very much what he feels is reflected in himself, and he has the benefit of knowing that Teddy is merely injured, not sick or dying. He's safe. Tony doesn't have that luxury now, only the pain of watching and waiting and praying for the best. This is the sort of pain he's never seen on Tony's face, what he could never in his dreams (or nightmares) imagined to be there back home. It feels... wrong. Like a reminder that in the end, when everything is taken away, they're just humans, just people- that heroes can fail and lose and die.

Like Cap.

Maybe Pepper.

The moment passes, and he makes his decision: he mumbles an apology for what he's about to do and then leans forward, bumping his forehead against Tony's chest - he can feel the cool metal against his skin beneath whatever he's wearing - and winding his arms around the man for a tight hug.

He needs this.

But more than that - and whether he wants it, whether he'd admit he needs it, or not - he's pretty sure Tony needs this.]

[alloys]

[There's a moment of surprise when Billy wraps his arms around him, because he certainly wasn't expecting it. Maybe a nod of acknowledgement, another hollow apology he'd heard from countless other people. But this was silent, and it was kind. And after that moment passes, he doesn't hesitate to pull his own arms around Billy's shoulders, lungs filling with a deep breath as heat pressed against his eyes again.

It's a simple gesture. But it speaks so much.

Maybe he would ruin Billy's entire image of Iron Man, of Tony Stark--such a great man, a superhero who would never hesitate to do what he needed do to save people. That same sarcastic, billionaire smart ass always seeking a new challenge, a new idea, a new way to change the world was now a simple, pliable human, broken down to his basest components and barely holding onto himself as the woman he loved slowly died in agony the next wall over.

Yes. He did need this. So much.]

[selfhelp]

[Maybe it's the Civil War, maybe it's this draft, maybe it's everything he's seen since becoming a Young Avenger, or even since his fascination with super heroes began. Maybe he's just tired of heroes right now and wants to focus on allies, friends, family. Maybe it's because he understands, deeply, painfully, that awful, gut-wrenching agony you feel, having to watch a loved one suffer, dying, while you're helpless to stop it. When the thought of losing them forever is first and foremost in your mind, eating away at every kind of strength you can possess.

iwanthimtostopiwanthimtostopiwanthimtostop

That pain follows you, haunts you. His hands tighten in the material of Tony's shirt, his breath shaky, his body tense. He can see the Cube when he closes his eyes, so he keeps them open, focused on this, on now, on Pepper and Tony and everyone else who's suffering in this. He stares at the light of the reactor like it'll guide him to what he should do, what he should say. He knows it won't, though; he knows that there are no words that will fix this, and he's already done the best he can think to do. Tony responded. He's not going anywhere. Small comforts still count.

The truth of the matter is that no one, not even the strongest hero in the world, can remain unmoved in this situation. Facing the loss of your dearest love. He gets it. He sees it. He understands. Tony can feel it, and seeing this means more to Billy than any stone-faced determination he might've shown otherwise.

No, not when it's Pepper.

This is proof that Tony Stark has a heart.]

[alloys]

[It's a heart that's bleeding, torn down and battered and raw, that's been through hell in the last day alone, not to mention what he was witness to during days previous. They'd been through hell, all of them, and every second of it weighed on him, made him ache. It would have been easy to give up, in the face of so much. And when he'd found out the true horror of what had happened to Pepper, what was going to happen to her, he almost did.

But.

But.

His heart is still beating. They're still alive, and there's still a chance.

It seemed so much easier, somehow, to reconcile with that fact when someone else is holding on to him.

But this wasn't over. He hadn't thrown in the towel, he hadn't taken Loki's hideous advice and put her out of her misery. And though she struggled, though she was experiencing unbearable things that devastated him, that would haunt them for god knows how long--this wasn't over.

There was still hope. He had to hold on to that with everything he had, as tightly as he could. Just like the person in his arms.

One hell of a fanboy.]

[selfhelp]

[Billy would have withdrawn sooner - he'd planned to, initially, if Tony hadn't responded in some way, good or bad - but with the grip Tony's got on him, he refrains from doing so, just holds on as long as Tony needs it. If he'd been an adult, maybe it would have been awkward or uncomfortable- hell, if they'd been in any kind of different situation, this embrace would probably never have happened. A physical a person as Billy tended to be, he just never pegged Tony as someone who'd be comfortable with this.

But he's still a kid, and kids are... kids are safe. If he needs to, after, Tony can just brush it off as Billy needing the comfort, since he'd been the one to initiate it. If his pride doesn't allow anything less. Billy doesn't mind. He kind of expects it, honestly.

But he won't let go until Tony's ready to move, either.]

[alloys]

[After a few more moments, Tony does start to ease away. But he leaves a hand on Billy's shoulder as it began, not ready to entirely give up that contact, searching his face as he lets out a shaky breath.

Damn, they've come a long way, haven't they.

Billy doesn't get the brush off he might be expecting. Tony is too far spent for even that. His pride wasn't even a concern anymore - hadn't been since his walls had been torn down so ruthlessly. It's a strange sensation to be so openly vulnerable and not give much of a damn about it. Not in Billy's presence, anyway.]

...Thanks.

[selfhelp]

[Billy doesn't say much as they withdraw; he lifts his hand to rest it briefly over Tony's, offering the slightest of sympathetic squeezes, and nods his head. He's surprised, but he doesn't let it show much. He's known for a while now that this world's Tony is much kinder than he's used to - or at least more human and not so much a robot about feelings - but he's acknowledged it for real, now, and making a big fuss about it would be unfair.

So he simply steps back, tilting his head in the direction of Pepper's room, and curves his lips into a smile, tiny and pained but genuine, nonetheless.]

It's okay. She's waiting for you.

[alloys]

[He'll have to look closely to see it, but Billy might catch the ghost of a smile on Tony's features. It's fleeing, and barely there, but there all the same.

He just had to keep moving forward. Putting one foot ahead of the other.

He offers Billy a nod before dropping his hand and heading towards the door. Maybe they won't ever mention it again. But that--

He needed that. And he owed Billy more than he knew how to say. Hoping his silent appreciation is enough, he heads back into the room.]