On The Run

Frivolous Actions

Listen to this song as you read

-GF22

Chapter 15: Frivolous Actions

Vision couldn't say for sure, but he almost thought Tony Stark was...upset with him for not going after Wanda. Of course, the genius-billionaire-playboy-philanthropist would never admit it outright but things had been frosty between them ever since he'd come to see him the previous week. They barely ever talked; it seemed like now, more than ever, they had nothing to talk about. In fact, Vision had taken to spending more and more time in Wanda's bedroom looking out the window and watching the hours pass slowly by. Every so often Ross or one of his aids to come to see Mr. Stark to talk about the breach at the Raft and what could be done about the escaped prisoners, but none of that required an android's input and he was often ignored. Not that he minded.

"This can't possibly be healthy."

He looked up in mild curiosity as Rhodey leaned on one side of the doorway, eyeing his metal leg distrustfully, "What do you mean, Colonel Rhodes?"

Rhodey rolled his eyes, "How many times have I asked you to call me Rhodey? Anyway, I'm starting to worry about you Vizh. You spend all of your time in here. Like I said, that's not healthy. You should be out and doing something-not dwelling on what you can't change."

He nodded, "Sometimes I feel as though..if I just stayed here and sat quietly for long enough...perhaps things will go back to normal. Even though that is highly illogical..."

"It doesn't hurt to hope-but not when hope gets in the way of living."

"I believe Mr. Stark is upset with me."

"No, that's not it. I mean, I can understand how you might think that-he's always been terrible about expressing his feelings-but he's not upset with you. I think that he just blames himself for everything that's happened-and that amount of guilt isn't an easy thing to live with, especially when it's unfounded. He just wants you to be happy-and we can both see you aren't happy here."

That was an interesting proposition. What really defined 'happy'? Was it the feeling you got when you were surrounded by people you cared about? The feeling he used to get when he helped Clint's daughter color a picture with her carefully sharpened colored pencils? The one he got watching television with Wanda after a particularly hard training session, when she was too tired to do much more than turn on Netflix and give him the remote so he could find something good to watch? The...feeling he got whenever he heard guitar strains drifting from her room at odd hours of the day and night, lonely and filled with emotion but quite possibly the most beautiful things he'd ever heard? Yes, that feeling had been noticeably absent ever since the others had been interned.

In fact, once or twice he'd even harbored the shocking revelation that he wouldn't mind being locked up too, if it meant he could see the others-especially Wanda. Even though it was a supermax underwater prison in the middle of the ocean, that didn't mean he still didn't feel a need to protect her. And even though it was illogical and he didn't regret the stand he'd taken on the Accords, he still entertained the notion a little more than he cared to admit.

But that was uncomfortable to think about, so he tastefully changed the subject,"I'm sorry for what happened at the airport. I became distracted-and you paid the price."

Rhodey shook his head, as if shrugging it off,"Don't worry about it. Yeah, it sucks not being able to walk without this...thing," He tapped his metal leg as though it had visibly offended him. "Tony did a great job with it and I'm happy that he did...but it makes me feel like a robot, not a person. Of course, it's preferable to the other alternative-which is that I'll never walk again. But I don't blame you. We'd just been fighting, emotions were running high...and you were obviously preoccupied. I should have seen what was going on and I shouldn't have told you to shoot Sam."