voice

[glassbox]

Hey.

Hey.

[ The bang of a door slamming open, then traffic, people. ]

Y'know what? A girl gets sick an' tired a'being hauled around like garbage t'do the dirty work of a stupid machine. I ain't answerin' t'that scrap heap a'metal, and there's nothin' anybody can do t'change my mind.

I'm Diamond Lil. Mechanical cow can kiss my diamond --

[ A taxi horn blares. There's a clattering sound, like something metal -- a trashcan, maybe, or a bench -- just got kicked over. Surprised murmurs in the background. ]

At least you coulda teleported me t'the right damn country!

Comments

[ex_engineers208]

[ he shrugs, head facing away. ]

I'm not too sure that I could've.

[glassbox]

[ a disdainful exhale. ]

Then maybe it's too little, too late.

[ex_engineers208]

Y'ain't one for givin' up early, Lil. We can tough it out.

[glassbox]

[ in an abrupt outburst: ]

Where was all this when I wanted t'fight for us? I loved you, and you betrayed me. You -- left me, your wife.

Y'think just 'cause we're in some kinda alternate universe that everythin' is gonna be jim-dandy now?

[ex_engineers208]

[ defensively: ]

It ain't that cut n' dry! Some a' the things I've seen, Lil. The things I've done, I couldn't. I still can't sleep at night that great 'cuz a' that a-and some a' that stuff I just couldn't stop, not even for you. I'm not sayin' I couldn't do nothin', I'm sayin'...

...It ain't that easy. Don't it matter that I wanna try?

[glassbox]

[ her face scrunches up, angry and hurt. but something else too. she purses her lips together for a long second.

finally: ]

Y'don't know how lonely it was.

[ex_engineers208]

[ watching her just brings the pain and the guilt back in a rush. it's just so, so agonizing. ]

I thought it'd be better that way. I thought wrong.

[glassbox]

Promise it'll be different this time.

[ex_engineers208]

I promise.

We're gonna make it this time, a-and nothin'll go rotten again.

[glassbox]

[ just gonna turn her head slightly away, 'cause she's just -- got something in her eye, okay! ]

Fine. Y'promised. And if you go on and break it, I swear I'll beat y'within an inch of your life.

[ less bite now, maybe none at all: ]

Can y'come and get me now?

[ex_engineers208]

Fair's fair, I guess. [ he gives something close to a smile, indiscreetly sniffing. ]

Subway's faster'n traffic for it, just... stay right there and try not to punch that many people through a wall, yeah?

[ disconnecting. (for action...) ]

[glassbox]

[ yes, good. your wife will just be hanging out, towering a good head over most of the crowd and probably looking like a weirdo canadian in her costume. she's not intimidating with her frowny face and impatiently crossed arms, nope. ]

[ex_engineers208]

[ when he sees her peeking over most of the crowd, his heart skips a beat. it's felt like an eternity and a half after she died, and the apprehension and uncertainly makes him shake, just a little.

but he waves, shouts out an obligatory "lil!" and meanders over there, peering up a little at his looming wife. no hugs, his gloved hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans. struggling for words: ]

Y'aah. Y'look great, Lil.

[glassbox]

[ she almost half moves to meet him -- but decides better of it, waits for him to come to her so she can give him a really scrutinizing look. the way her face is, it's hard to say if she still feels like punching him or not.

but at length, with only a mild touch of sass to her tone: ]

I should be mad that y'sound surprised.

[ and casual as you please, she loosely loops her arm with his. ]

[ex_engineers208]

[ he leans slightly into the gesture. sheepishly: ]

Sorry. It's just been a while.

[ how arm-in-arm, he begins to walk them both briskly down the sidwalk. really, the sooner they're out of the crowds, the better.

oh, god. the realization: they can't just walk in silence. ]

Uuh, so. The City, eh? Mostly pretty trash-like.

[glassbox]

[ it's a little uncomfortable, sure. even the small physical contact is only distantly familiar -- it's been such a long time, and back then, they were always fighting so much. even now, it's a conscious effort not to bring up the things she's still a bit angry about. a part of it is how jarring it is to suddenly be here.

she tries to hold on to how nice it was, to hear him make such earnest promises to her, even if she still doesn't buy it quite all the way yet. ]

I've seen worse. Ain't home though. [ not by a long shot. ] Whaddya stay here for, Maddie? They've got a Canada here, don't they?

[ex_engineers208]

[ as they move, he can't help strike the feeling that this id just some vain attempt at peace between them, the calm before the storm. he's bound to screw up eventually, and he avoids her gaze at the swell of the uncertainty and the guilt in his chest. ]

There ain't no Alpha Flight here. No Department H.

[ not that he would want to join alpha flight again after they left him behind. ]

Y'know how I hafta keep busy. They gotta a Xavier Institute here and it might not be Utopia, but I've been flyin' for the X-Men for a while, anyhoo.

[ quietly: ]

Y'really wanna go up north, Lil?

[glassbox]

[ a half-beat before she replies. ]

Maybe.

[ she debates not elaborating. for the sake of not arguing. but it's not like she's ever been much for not saying what's on her mind. anyway, she hates leaving things unresolved, unspoken. ]

I was thinkin' it's been a long time, s'all. Between what happened, with M-Day an' Weapon X. [ there's something hard, briefly, in her voice. like just thinking about it, saying that name requires extra toughness. she has to steel herself. ] Then again, what'd I ever do up there anyway? 'Sides goin' to prison, gettin' kidnapped, and marryin' you.

[ex_engineers208]

[ he bites his lip, hard. he doesn't want to remember weapon-x or the travesty of thousands dead that was neverland―much less from his wife's mouth. and he takes a long breath when she does mention it, eyes cast down at his stepping feet. ]

Can't say that. Y'did good, back then. [ slowly: ] It just didn't end that great.

[glassbox]

[ she, on the other hand, looks at him a moment before responding plainly: ]

That's just life, ain't it. Almost never turns out as nice as it's supposed to.

[ex_engineers208]

Yeah. Least neither a' us're naive twenty-somethin's.

[ he tries to go for comfort, falling way short. ]

Whatever happens, we're not gonna suffer as bad.

[glassbox]

[ with a scoffing exhale. ]

Hon, now you're just temptin' fate. If there's one thing Alphans were ever good at it, it's sufferin'. And I think I've had enough bad luck for one lifetime, thanks very much.

[ex_engineers208]

What d'you wanna do, then? Agony's inescapable for us, even when we were apart.

[ especially when they were apart. ]

We're not gonna be happy either way.

[glassbox]

[ she doesn't reply right away. ]

If I were still a naive twenty somethin', I might expect to be happy. Right now, I'd settle for bein' less miserable an' less lonely.

[ex_engineers208]

I can guarentee anythin' on the former, but I think I can help with the latter. Maybe.

[ he gives a nudge. ]

When I say I'm not gonna leave you, I mean it.

[ he said the exact same thing to danger. self-loathing flicks across his features, gone in an instant. ]