(So this Walker was in the works for a while, is the exact same conclusion Tony comes to. He's the last person who ought to throw stones at over-preparedness, as its undisputed king, but Ross was never as Big Picture as the man claimed. He prepared for Steve's replacement because it suited him to have, at last, a Star-Spangled Man who wouldn't defy him.
Motherfucker.
It's unfair to this Walker too, he knows. MoHs aren't passed out like Halloween candy; this guy had to be exceptional just to get one, much less three. Probably idolized Captain America, so much he couldn't imagine saying no, and clearly felt it was was his duty to chase after Sam and Bucky.
Tony doesn't ask how Sam felt, because he reads it in his face, in his eyes. Bucky and Steve went back farther than any of them, but Tony would have been blind to miss Sam and Steve's friendship. The regard both men had for one another, the trust. With Steve gone, Sam would be alone.
Did he tell you he was leaving? Tony wonders.
The five year gap wasn't all a world of vast, gleaming opportunity either– he remembers the emptiness of it, most of all, the silence that descended some places and never truly left. The shortages in manpower, in necessities as jobs were left empty, harvests were untended, manufacturing ground to a halt, and all supply chains stuttered and stilled. So many more died that first week alone, as parents, caretakers, doctors and emergency workers were simply gone. Everyone the world over knew someone who vanished, and eventually, that became what united them, forging new connections, driving migrations for work, for better lives than those they had left behind. The world was smaller, quieter, but they survived, they moved on.
Tony had mixed feelings about the mission, and he probably always will. He and Pepper had discussed outcomes before he left for the last time, plans in the event of success- or failure. Stark Relief was meant to assist the displaced, confused, and potential homeless who came back, an organized effort that would hopefully link with other organizations and governments across the globe. They couldn't just snap their fingers and leave people to flounder.
He's still turning that over when Sam wraps, and for a second there Tony thinks he misheard him. Tony straightens, his spine rigid, a cold block of ice settling in his gut. )
no subject
Motherfucker.
It's unfair to this Walker too, he knows. MoHs aren't passed out like Halloween candy; this guy had to be exceptional just to get one, much less three. Probably idolized Captain America, so much he couldn't imagine saying no, and clearly felt it was was his duty to chase after Sam and Bucky.
Tony doesn't ask how Sam felt, because he reads it in his face, in his eyes. Bucky and Steve went back farther than any of them, but Tony would have been blind to miss Sam and Steve's friendship. The regard both men had for one another, the trust. With Steve gone, Sam would be alone.
Did he tell you he was leaving? Tony wonders.
The five year gap wasn't all a world of vast, gleaming opportunity either– he remembers the emptiness of it, most of all, the silence that descended some places and never truly left. The shortages in manpower, in necessities as jobs were left empty, harvests were untended, manufacturing ground to a halt, and all supply chains stuttered and stilled. So many more died that first week alone, as parents, caretakers, doctors and emergency workers were simply gone. Everyone the world over knew someone who vanished, and eventually, that became what united them, forging new connections, driving migrations for work, for better lives than those they had left behind. The world was smaller, quieter, but they survived, they moved on.
Tony had mixed feelings about the mission, and he probably always will. He and Pepper had discussed outcomes before he left for the last time, plans in the event of success- or failure. Stark Relief was meant to assist the displaced, confused, and potential homeless who came back, an organized effort that would hopefully link with other organizations and governments across the globe. They couldn't just snap their fingers and leave people to flounder.
He's still turning that over when Sam wraps, and for a second there Tony thinks he misheard him. Tony straightens, his spine rigid, a cold block of ice settling in his gut. )
Where the Hell did they get that? Who made it?