[Video] [now LOCKED]
The camera comes on with a clang, showing the Northern Gate and catching the end of a word ("--ny!") as Squall runs past it. He skids to a halt beside a man curled up on the ground, dropping to one knee and grabbing the man's shoulders to turn him onto his back. There's a moment of silence, then:
"What did you do?"
Squall's back is to the camera, and the man's face is blocked by the SeeD. An odd light shimmers between them, and the man's fingers twitch on the ground as he speaks.
"You mean, what I'm doing?" Although the voice is slurred, it obviously belongs to Tony Stark. "I'm trying again." He pauses. "You shouldn't watch this. Didn't want you to."
"Trying again...? You already died. There was no reason to...." Squall's confusion is painfully obvious. "I don't...."
Tony laughs under his breath. "Wasn't enough," he murmurs. "Sorry you had to see."
There's movement, and one of Squall's gloves drops to the ground before the SeeD rests his fingers on the inside of one of Tony's wrists.
"It's okay," Tony continues, voice almost ... reassuring. "I want this."
Squall's shoulders tighten, hunching over. "I don't understand. This...." He's not checking Tony's pulse anymore; he's just holding onto the dying man's wrist. "I still have to pay you back...."
"Hey, it's okay." Tony's voice is just a whisper now. "Thank you for waiting."
Silence. No struggling breaths from Tony, no words from Squall. The SeeD's hands shake, then his body trembles as his leg gives out and he sits beside the man. A man who no longer twitches, or speaks, or breathes.
And Squall asks, "Why...?"
[OoC: This entry is now LOCKED. If you didn't see it before, sorry!]
"What did you do?"
Squall's back is to the camera, and the man's face is blocked by the SeeD. An odd light shimmers between them, and the man's fingers twitch on the ground as he speaks.
"You mean, what I'm doing?" Although the voice is slurred, it obviously belongs to Tony Stark. "I'm trying again." He pauses. "You shouldn't watch this. Didn't want you to."
"Trying again...? You already died. There was no reason to...." Squall's confusion is painfully obvious. "I don't...."
Tony laughs under his breath. "Wasn't enough," he murmurs. "Sorry you had to see."
There's movement, and one of Squall's gloves drops to the ground before the SeeD rests his fingers on the inside of one of Tony's wrists.
"It's okay," Tony continues, voice almost ... reassuring. "I want this."
Squall's shoulders tighten, hunching over. "I don't understand. This...." He's not checking Tony's pulse anymore; he's just holding onto the dying man's wrist. "I still have to pay you back...."
"Hey, it's okay." Tony's voice is just a whisper now. "Thank you for waiting."
Silence. No struggling breaths from Tony, no words from Squall. The SeeD's hands shake, then his body trembles as his leg gives out and he sits beside the man. A man who no longer twitches, or speaks, or breathes.
And Squall asks, "Why...?"
[OoC: This entry is now LOCKED. If you didn't see it before, sorry!]