Now That Song's In My Head
Jul. 12th, 2007 10:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
thelostmaximoffNow that the wonderfully laborous process of Angel's Requiem is finished, I have the time to do some oneshot stuff. Enjoy if you love the kids.
Title: What's It Good For
Fandom: Runaways
Rating: K+
Genre: Angst
Pairing: VictorxNico
Warnings: Spoilers for Civil War and major spoilers for Captain America #25 if you didn't know he's dead
Summary: It's not just the people in the body bags that are casualties of war. Victor Mancha broods over the events of Civil War and its fallout.
What’s It Good For
If there was one good thing that came from this cross-country journey they had been forced into it was that it gave him time to catch up on things. They didn’t exactly keep themselves tuned into what was going on with the superhero civil war. Victor Mancha was still a little shocked that Spider-Man was really just some nerd from Queens. Really though, he should’ve suspected that. Victor had met the guy once. Hell, he had eaten sushi with him while they swapped talk about power and responsibility. Anyone who goes on about that has to be a nerd and Victor should know because he considers himself one.
It’s not this big revelation that has kept him up tonight though. Sure, Victor Mancha always wanted to be Spider-Man and even though finding out who the man is behind the mask killed some of that buzz it’s not why he finds himself staring out one of the Leapfrog’s windows tonight. No, there’s something bigger on his mind. He heard it on the radio earlier today. America was killed. It was shot once in the shoulder then three times in the chest while standing on the front steps of a courthouse.
The world is turning ugly. He’s seen it firsthand. The world is turning ugly and all he can do is run away with his friends. It’s not that he questions Nico’s judgment. She’s kept most of them alive so far and he knows you’re supposed to trust the person you’re in love with. Victor just feels like they can’t afford to run anymore. The world’s not as big as it used to be. They can’t keep running forever and Victor’s not even sure he wants to run at all. At times like this, when the chips are definitely down, he’d always ask himself what they would do. He’s watched them his whole life, watched with fascination and awe as they beat up crooks, stopped intergalactic wars, and foiled the schemes of mad despots. Now, he feels like the curtain has been ripped away. His love for them was a manufactured lie and now his trust in them seems so very misplaced. If they can’t save each other then how can they save the world? Victor wonders that about his own team as much as he now wonders that about the real superheroes.
“You still thinking about it?” Victor turns and sees Nico standing there in the darkness of the Leapfrog. The others are safely asleep but Victor can’t sleep tonight. He knows that if he ever has children he’ll have to tell them this story. Where were you the day Captain America died? It might as well be the tagline for his generation.
“A little,” lies Victor as Nico sits down next to him. He knows she doesn’t get it, doesn’t get why all of this is important. Maybe she’s too jaded or he’s just too naïve. Victor doesn’t really know which to think.
“You really suck at lying,” informs Nico.
“Must be the boy scout in me,” says Victor with a small smile that Nico returns. Victor thinks her smile is beautiful. He knows she doesn’t smile often enough. None of them do because they can’t afford to be kids anymore and laugh at the rest of the world. They can’t afford to be kids, not in a world full of war and death.
“What did you want to be when you grew up?” asks Nico after a moment of silence.
“Spider-Man,” admits Victor, “Well, maybe Captain America too. One of those.”
“You really are a boy scout,” says Nico with a tiny laugh and a sad shake of her head like she knows some hard truth about life that he’s not privy to.
“Guilty,” admits Victor, “C’mon though. You never once saw them on TV and got that feeling inside you like they would always be there no matter how bad things got?”
“I met Captain America,” reminds Nico, “He stuck us in foster care faster than you can say ‘Avengers Assemble’. They’re all just adults, Vic. They’re just adults who lie and fight with each other. I don’t get why they’re so special.”
“When you were a kid,” says Victor solemnly, “Who did you look up to?” He sees her face grow stern and cold. He knew the answer before he even asked the question.
“My parents,” admits Nico quietly with a slight hint of bitterness.
“Then you get it,” says Victor simply, “One more thing we have in common.”
“Always a plus,” assures Nico as she moves closer to him and rests a hand on his shoulder. He knows she cares about him even if she doesn’t fully understand what’s going on. They were his heroes. Now . . . now they’re just adults playing war while he and his friends are caught in the crossfire. Is this supposed to be the brighter future he and the others were meant to inherit?
“I just wish I knew what it was all about,” explains Victor with a defeated sort of sigh, “Everything’s changing for the worst and I don’t know why. I just wish I knew why things had to be this way.” Nico knows he wants her to believe in them the way he does but she can’t. She’s been too let down by those she’s trusted and she’s learned her lessons from it.
“Welcome to my world,” says Nico as she kisses him softly. They don’t think about anything else. It’s just gentle hands on soft skin and lips on lips as they kiss in the moonlight that streams through the windows of the Leapfrog’s cockpit.
“Seriously,” whispers Nico as they separate, “Spider-Man?”
“You’re hotter than Mary Jane,” assure Victor, “I think I ended up getting the better deal.”
“Very smooth, Mr. Mancha,” applauds Nico as she slips from his grasp and moves so silently to the back of the vehicle that Victor swears she glides instead of walks. She turns and gestures that he should come to bed. He lingers a few moments in the darkness, alone to wonder how long the war will go on and who else will pay the ultimate price. He knows the funny thing about war though. Wars stop. They have a beginning and they have an end. They may seem to go on forever but eventually all the fighting is over. Victor Mancha knows there are things that can outlast war, things like hope and love and justice. Wars don’t go on forever. That’s a job for bigger things.
Title: What's It Good For
Fandom: Runaways
Rating: K+
Genre: Angst
Pairing: VictorxNico
Warnings: Spoilers for Civil War and major spoilers for Captain America #25 if you didn't know he's dead
Summary: It's not just the people in the body bags that are casualties of war. Victor Mancha broods over the events of Civil War and its fallout.
What’s It Good For
If there was one good thing that came from this cross-country journey they had been forced into it was that it gave him time to catch up on things. They didn’t exactly keep themselves tuned into what was going on with the superhero civil war. Victor Mancha was still a little shocked that Spider-Man was really just some nerd from Queens. Really though, he should’ve suspected that. Victor had met the guy once. Hell, he had eaten sushi with him while they swapped talk about power and responsibility. Anyone who goes on about that has to be a nerd and Victor should know because he considers himself one.
It’s not this big revelation that has kept him up tonight though. Sure, Victor Mancha always wanted to be Spider-Man and even though finding out who the man is behind the mask killed some of that buzz it’s not why he finds himself staring out one of the Leapfrog’s windows tonight. No, there’s something bigger on his mind. He heard it on the radio earlier today. America was killed. It was shot once in the shoulder then three times in the chest while standing on the front steps of a courthouse.
The world is turning ugly. He’s seen it firsthand. The world is turning ugly and all he can do is run away with his friends. It’s not that he questions Nico’s judgment. She’s kept most of them alive so far and he knows you’re supposed to trust the person you’re in love with. Victor just feels like they can’t afford to run anymore. The world’s not as big as it used to be. They can’t keep running forever and Victor’s not even sure he wants to run at all. At times like this, when the chips are definitely down, he’d always ask himself what they would do. He’s watched them his whole life, watched with fascination and awe as they beat up crooks, stopped intergalactic wars, and foiled the schemes of mad despots. Now, he feels like the curtain has been ripped away. His love for them was a manufactured lie and now his trust in them seems so very misplaced. If they can’t save each other then how can they save the world? Victor wonders that about his own team as much as he now wonders that about the real superheroes.
“You still thinking about it?” Victor turns and sees Nico standing there in the darkness of the Leapfrog. The others are safely asleep but Victor can’t sleep tonight. He knows that if he ever has children he’ll have to tell them this story. Where were you the day Captain America died? It might as well be the tagline for his generation.
“A little,” lies Victor as Nico sits down next to him. He knows she doesn’t get it, doesn’t get why all of this is important. Maybe she’s too jaded or he’s just too naïve. Victor doesn’t really know which to think.
“You really suck at lying,” informs Nico.
“Must be the boy scout in me,” says Victor with a small smile that Nico returns. Victor thinks her smile is beautiful. He knows she doesn’t smile often enough. None of them do because they can’t afford to be kids anymore and laugh at the rest of the world. They can’t afford to be kids, not in a world full of war and death.
“What did you want to be when you grew up?” asks Nico after a moment of silence.
“Spider-Man,” admits Victor, “Well, maybe Captain America too. One of those.”
“You really are a boy scout,” says Nico with a tiny laugh and a sad shake of her head like she knows some hard truth about life that he’s not privy to.
“Guilty,” admits Victor, “C’mon though. You never once saw them on TV and got that feeling inside you like they would always be there no matter how bad things got?”
“I met Captain America,” reminds Nico, “He stuck us in foster care faster than you can say ‘Avengers Assemble’. They’re all just adults, Vic. They’re just adults who lie and fight with each other. I don’t get why they’re so special.”
“When you were a kid,” says Victor solemnly, “Who did you look up to?” He sees her face grow stern and cold. He knew the answer before he even asked the question.
“My parents,” admits Nico quietly with a slight hint of bitterness.
“Then you get it,” says Victor simply, “One more thing we have in common.”
“Always a plus,” assures Nico as she moves closer to him and rests a hand on his shoulder. He knows she cares about him even if she doesn’t fully understand what’s going on. They were his heroes. Now . . . now they’re just adults playing war while he and his friends are caught in the crossfire. Is this supposed to be the brighter future he and the others were meant to inherit?
“I just wish I knew what it was all about,” explains Victor with a defeated sort of sigh, “Everything’s changing for the worst and I don’t know why. I just wish I knew why things had to be this way.” Nico knows he wants her to believe in them the way he does but she can’t. She’s been too let down by those she’s trusted and she’s learned her lessons from it.
“Welcome to my world,” says Nico as she kisses him softly. They don’t think about anything else. It’s just gentle hands on soft skin and lips on lips as they kiss in the moonlight that streams through the windows of the Leapfrog’s cockpit.
“Seriously,” whispers Nico as they separate, “Spider-Man?”
“You’re hotter than Mary Jane,” assure Victor, “I think I ended up getting the better deal.”
“Very smooth, Mr. Mancha,” applauds Nico as she slips from his grasp and moves so silently to the back of the vehicle that Victor swears she glides instead of walks. She turns and gestures that he should come to bed. He lingers a few moments in the darkness, alone to wonder how long the war will go on and who else will pay the ultimate price. He knows the funny thing about war though. Wars stop. They have a beginning and they have an end. They may seem to go on forever but eventually all the fighting is over. Victor Mancha knows there are things that can outlast war, things like hope and love and justice. Wars don’t go on forever. That’s a job for bigger things.
