The Rooftop of Stark Tower, Friday Morning
The official memorial for President Steven Rogers - Captain America - was being held in Washington, DC, as it should be. But atop Stark Tower, Tony Stark held a memorial for the people who knew Cap best. His friends. His allies. The Ultimates. Top SHIELD Agents. Nick Fury, not in disguise for once in his life.
Jessica Drew - Spider-Woman - was there with several younger heroes, all of whom were in costume. Spider-Man. Bombshell. Cloak. Dagger. Kitty Pryde, the woman who saved the world from Galactus. And all together, they listened to Stark ramble through an emotional eulogy with a rapidly emptying drink in his hand.
"I thought long and hard about how to do this. Because there was the Captain America thew knew, the man they needed. And then there was the man we knew. The man who inspired the hell out of us, just… just by walking. That was my favorite thing about him. He'd walk in the room, all humble, right? Not doing or saying anything… But just by being there, whatever I was doing I'd suddenly feel… 'Oh no, I'm… I'm not doing enough.' Oh, God! Right?
"I was going to say, I was going to miss that the most, but I'm really not. (That's a little joke…) I know, a bad one.
"I want Steve Rogers to walk right through that rooftop entrance and bark at us to GET BACK TO WORK! But I know he's not. I want time and space, impossibly, to bring Steve Rogers back one more time. Guess that's asking for one impossibility too many. The thing is, if anyone could do it, it would be Cap. The man out of time.
"Maybe he'll, I don't know, re-form himself somehow and show up in the year 3020 or something. Start it up all over again. Maybe he's like King Arthur. Maybe he'll come back when we need him the most.
"What that something is, I don't know. But without Cap… Or Thor… There is no Ultimates. Certainly not like it was." Tony sighed and put his drink down. "I know it sounds defeatist. I know. But I can't do it. I can't do it without them.
"The Ultimates are no more. Maybe I'll find my feet in a few weeks. Maybe the hurt is just too raw and I'm not thinking straight… But I cannot imagine walking into the Ultimates HQ and not seeing them. I cannot. Maybe… maybe some of you younger heroes will rise to the occasion. Maybe you'll find a way to make it work. I hope you do. Cap… Cap would hop you do.
"So what does this mean? What am I talking about? I'm talking about the legend of Captain America living on through you." Tony lifted his drink again and started gesturing. "You, and you, and you. Hell, everyone. But I know asking for everyone to act like the best version of themselves is asking a lot. So I'm just going to put it upon all of you. Th world is saved, but it is hardly fixed. And if you study your history, you know that after every disaster, crime rates actually skyrocket. You'd think the opposite would happen. You would think that almost dying would sober people up and they'd stop acting like idiots… But the opposite happens. Crime will be up, people will need you to be your best more than ever. That might mean some of you making big choices. Some of you deciding what kind of hero you'll want to be. How far you're willing to go in the name of what you believe in…"
"I don't mean to interrupt," Spider-Woman said, walking up onto the stage. "Sorry, Tony, but you're talking about Cap's legacy. And you're talking about the next generation stepping up."
"Who interrupts a eulogy?" Tony asked.
"Well, I was going to tell you later, but I se the look on your face and here we are and I can't help but think I should tell you now," Spider-Woman said. Other heroes started to join her on stage, filing in behind her. "We've been talking amongst ourselves and we are going to keep it going. Spider-Man, Kitty, Bombshell, Cloak and Dagger. We're going to do what we can to honor Cap and Thor and you, and we're going to take the new day head-on. And that's just the beginning."
Spider-Woman gestured to the people behind her. "You're looking at the beginning of the new Ultimates."
Tears fell down his face as Tony broke into a chuckle. "Well, ain't that exactly what he would have wanted. Well, then…" he said, raising his glass. "To the new day!"
[OOC: From SURVIVE! by Brian Michael Bendis and Joe Quinones. And now watch me spin my wheels for a couple months until I get to the anniversary of Peter Parker's death.]
Jessica Drew - Spider-Woman - was there with several younger heroes, all of whom were in costume. Spider-Man. Bombshell. Cloak. Dagger. Kitty Pryde, the woman who saved the world from Galactus. And all together, they listened to Stark ramble through an emotional eulogy with a rapidly emptying drink in his hand.
"I thought long and hard about how to do this. Because there was the Captain America thew knew, the man they needed. And then there was the man we knew. The man who inspired the hell out of us, just… just by walking. That was my favorite thing about him. He'd walk in the room, all humble, right? Not doing or saying anything… But just by being there, whatever I was doing I'd suddenly feel… 'Oh no, I'm… I'm not doing enough.' Oh, God! Right?
"I was going to say, I was going to miss that the most, but I'm really not. (That's a little joke…) I know, a bad one.
"I want Steve Rogers to walk right through that rooftop entrance and bark at us to GET BACK TO WORK! But I know he's not. I want time and space, impossibly, to bring Steve Rogers back one more time. Guess that's asking for one impossibility too many. The thing is, if anyone could do it, it would be Cap. The man out of time.
"Maybe he'll, I don't know, re-form himself somehow and show up in the year 3020 or something. Start it up all over again. Maybe he's like King Arthur. Maybe he'll come back when we need him the most.
"What that something is, I don't know. But without Cap… Or Thor… There is no Ultimates. Certainly not like it was." Tony sighed and put his drink down. "I know it sounds defeatist. I know. But I can't do it. I can't do it without them.
"The Ultimates are no more. Maybe I'll find my feet in a few weeks. Maybe the hurt is just too raw and I'm not thinking straight… But I cannot imagine walking into the Ultimates HQ and not seeing them. I cannot. Maybe… maybe some of you younger heroes will rise to the occasion. Maybe you'll find a way to make it work. I hope you do. Cap… Cap would hop you do.
"So what does this mean? What am I talking about? I'm talking about the legend of Captain America living on through you." Tony lifted his drink again and started gesturing. "You, and you, and you. Hell, everyone. But I know asking for everyone to act like the best version of themselves is asking a lot. So I'm just going to put it upon all of you. Th world is saved, but it is hardly fixed. And if you study your history, you know that after every disaster, crime rates actually skyrocket. You'd think the opposite would happen. You would think that almost dying would sober people up and they'd stop acting like idiots… But the opposite happens. Crime will be up, people will need you to be your best more than ever. That might mean some of you making big choices. Some of you deciding what kind of hero you'll want to be. How far you're willing to go in the name of what you believe in…"
"I don't mean to interrupt," Spider-Woman said, walking up onto the stage. "Sorry, Tony, but you're talking about Cap's legacy. And you're talking about the next generation stepping up."
"Who interrupts a eulogy?" Tony asked.
"Well, I was going to tell you later, but I se the look on your face and here we are and I can't help but think I should tell you now," Spider-Woman said. Other heroes started to join her on stage, filing in behind her. "We've been talking amongst ourselves and we are going to keep it going. Spider-Man, Kitty, Bombshell, Cloak and Dagger. We're going to do what we can to honor Cap and Thor and you, and we're going to take the new day head-on. And that's just the beginning."
Spider-Woman gestured to the people behind her. "You're looking at the beginning of the new Ultimates."
Tears fell down his face as Tony broke into a chuckle. "Well, ain't that exactly what he would have wanted. Well, then…" he said, raising his glass. "To the new day!"
[OOC: From SURVIVE! by Brian Michael Bendis and Joe Quinones. And now watch me spin my wheels for a couple months until I get to the anniversary of Peter Parker's death.]