New York, Definitely Not Thursday Afternoon... To Thursday Evening.

[apocalipped]

[OOC note: I didn't save a backup of this post, and LJ somehow managed to delete just the body of it, leaving only the comments. I have no idea how the hell that happened. But the contents of post itself were the last few issues of the Civil War era New Warriors run, and involved time travel, tying up loose ends with Night Thrasher's missing

Comments

[glacial_witch]

Karla had no idea that Jono was still in New York. She didn't know that he was mourning for Mira, or that she should be, too. She didn't realize he was currently teamless and heartbroken and exhausted.

All she knew was that the last time she'd seen him, he'd just kicked a bunch of Skrulls in the ass in time to see her graduate. So...sorry in advance for the text, Jono.

Photo message: view.jpg
Kiss kiss from Hawaii!

[apocalipped]

Jono had jumped a tiny bit at his phone beeping at him, nearly spilling his... his third? cup of coffee on himself. A few of the patrons of the coffee shop spared him a sideways glance, but he ignored it, reaching for a few napkins and sopping up the mess before checking his phone.

He smiled, a bit, at the message and the photo.

Looks like one hell of a vacation spot. Is that what graduated life is supposed to be like? I might be jealous.

[glacial_witch]

War's off, Karla sent. Forget Glacia. I'm gonna be Queen of Lanai. You can still be my Court, though.

Because, come ON. Hawaii was waaay better than Glacia.

[apocalipped]

Somehow, I doubt I'll be half as successful leading the mahi-mahi in glorious revolution, but I'll see what I can arrange.

Jono tapped his fingers against the top of the table for a moment after sending that text, and then, steeling himself a little, he added another.

Something happened. Don't want to drag down your vacation, but do you mind if I call you? Rough day, need a friendly voice.

[glacial_witch]

You can be burdened with glorious porpoise instead!

Karla's chuckling in that witty rejoinder was interrupted by Jono's second text. She got it, typed back, Always, darling. and then stood up.

"Going to make a call," she said, kissing Warren on the cheek before heading out back towards a hammock to wait for Jono's call.

[apocalipped]

Okay, Jono could do this. It wasn't as though making a phone call was something that was particularly difficult, these days. He still waited a minute or two after Karla's confirmation that a call would be fine before steeling himself to actually make the call, though.

He imagined she'd understand that when he asked for this sort of thing, it was because his bad day had been absolutely horrifying. He rarely actually admitted things weren't well otherwise. Still, he was sorry for interrupting her vacation...

Which, he supposed, he'd get smacked for if he were to admit it. So he just hit send on his phone after selecting her number, and then put it to his ear.

[glacial_witch]

It barely had time to ring before Karla was answering it. "Hey, Jono," she said, voice warm. "You okay?" She wasn't going to start with the anxious questions about what had happened, but she was hoping just her very tone could imply concern...and a willingness to let him go at his own pace. "Not on the island anymore, are you?"

[apocalipped]

"New York," Jono murmured, tapping his finger idly against the rim of his coffee cup. He could hear the concern in her voice, and he'd get to that, of course, but for now, it was just good to hear someone who cared. "New York, today. Been here for... for a couple of days now, I think. Looking to leave soon."

Silence.

A heavy exhale.

"Won't be back for a while."

[glacial_witch]

"But what about--" Karla bit off her question and shook her head. "Well, if you're looking for a place to hang out for awhile, Hawaii's got a lot to recommend it. And I'll be throwing myself a graduation party this weekend. And then off to Glacia. So looks like your schedule will work in your favor for that one."

[apocalipped]

"Seems like," Jono agreed, dipping his finger into the cooling coffee and giving it a little stir. "Wouldn't want to miss your last final hurrah over graduation, after all. I might not be the most enthusiastic company, though."

He watched the coffee swirl in his mug for a moment.

"Karla, I... I mean... It's Mira. And Vin, but you didn't know him. Mira, though... There was a..."

For someone who was usually so good at filling empty space with far more words than were generally necessary, Jonothon was having a hell of a time with these ones in particular.

[glacial_witch]

"Jono," Karla was doing an impressive job of keeping calm. "Jono, why aren't you asking me to get my ass over there to help Heal her up? Is it because you don't want to bother me? Because, Jono, I'm perfectly botherable. We'll be going to New York tomorrow to talk to Warren's dad. We can absolutely take a few minutes to Heal up Mira."

She was talking faster and faster now, doing her best to fill the air before Jono could. Before he could tell her something was wrong.

"Oooh! Or are you saying they've had a falling out with the rest of you? Is Mira leaving the team or something? Are they together and that makes you sad?"

Anything?

[apocalipped]

This wasn't helping the twisting feeling in his chest, any. And the more she spoke, the less inclined he was to try to step in to break the illusion she was trying to build.

He held off for as long as he could. But finally, she stopped speaking and he was forced to confront it again.

"After the explosion," he said, softly, "there wasn't anything left to heal. Not even enough to bury."

[glacial_witch]

"Motherfuck me," Karla breathed and there was a sharp intake of breath on her end of the line. "...Explosion?"

[apocalipped]

"Mission gone wrong," Jono recounted, his voice sounding a little too numb. "S.H.I.E.L.D. sent a hit squad after us. Mira went to take one of them down, but the pack on his back that fueled his weapon took damage... Instead of running to save herself, she tried to get it off of him. And Vin dove in to try to drag her out of there."

Two friends, gone in an instant. In a blink. And nothing could bring them back.

It wasn't even their place to go back to try.

[glacial_witch]

"Wait, what?" Karla asked, because it didn't compute. "Who was Mira trying to save?"

Because, for a second there, it had sounded like Jono had meant that she'd died trying to save one the people who had been trying to kill them. And that was ridiculous.

Right?

RIGHT?!

[apocalipped]

Jono sighed a little.

"One of Stark's goons," he explained, patiently, if tiredly. "He was just doing his job, and we... we fancied ourselves to be heroes. Here, that means nobody dies if nobody has to. It just... it backfired, this time."