[Radio]

[highprofilerichkid]

((In response to all this nonsense.))


Yes. Milyn's alive. We faked her death so nobody would get it into their head to try again. Maybe it wasn't the best thing to do, but we didn't have much time to make a decision. I'm sorry we lied to all of you.

And before anyone asks, no, we're not handing her over to anyone for any of her proven or unproven crimes. Keeliai has the right to decide if she's guilty or not and what her punishment should be, but it'll be when there's a real representative government and a real judicial system in place, and when we've figured out what the hell is going on. Not before then. Because right now, the city is basically being run by the guy who probably tried to have her assassinated. I'm not handing her over to anything less than a fair trial. That's not up for negotiation. If you've got a problem with that, you can bring it to me.

[He may not have liked this plan, but he went along with it, and it's his responsibility to own it.]

Also, if anyone's thinking of going after her again...

[There's an odd emphasis on "anyone" - Tony knows the Foreigners probably aren't the only ones listening in.]

Don't bother.

[Cold, hard, final. The message is clear: Milyn is protected.]



[[Private, to Valdis]]

I'm sorry. [His voice is softer now. He sounds genuinely troubled.] I wanted to tell you. I didn't want you to think it was your fault for getting her killed.

I was outside when they were healing her, and everybody had already come up with the plan by the time I went back in - we all promised we wouldn't tell anyone who wasn't there. I... I don't know. I wish I'd handled it better. We should have told you.

Comments

[highprofilerichkid]

Yeah. It definitely is. [And things are already plenty hard enough to deal with. Tony sighs.]

How did I end up being the guy who's supposed to have a plan? [he asks grumpily.] I don't want to be the plan guy. Usually I'm the one winging it. I think the first thing I'm going to do when I get home is apologize to Rhodey. [Because holy fuck is it frustrating being on this side of the equation. He can't believe Rhodey puts up with it.]

[backwordscompatible]

[She couldn't even crack a quip at that. Because she didn't want to be the plan guy, either. She was more the think-on-her-feet, independent but willing to accept orders from a leader who'd proven their merit kind of girl.]

Better you than me.

[Or, in this case, somebody in the same position as her who wasn't her. Sorry, Tony; tag, you're it.]

Who's Rhodey?

[highprofilerichkid]

Oh, thanks. [He won't forget this. You are totally getting stuck with the plan-making next time, Zatanna.

His response to her question about Rhodey is less sarcastic. He even laughs, though there's a hint of sadness in it. He misses his friend.] Rhodey's my best friend. He's usually the one who comes up with 'Plan B.'

[backwordscompatible]

[She knows the feeling, Tony. All too well.]

Ah, I gotcha.

Funny. I would have pegged Pepper as the Plan girl. She seems the type.

[highprofilerichkid]

[Tony laughs again.] Oh, Pepper comes up with plans, alright. Loads of them. And they're all nuts. Sometimes they even work.

[It's why the three of them make such a good team: Pepper makes the crazy plans, Rhodey makes the realistic ones, and Tony wings it. For any given situation, one of them's bound to be right.]

[backwordscompatible]

[Does Pepper know you think her plans are all nuts, Tony?]

Well...better sometimes than never, right?

[highprofilerichkid]

Definitely. I know someone else whose plans never work, and he gets really grumpy about it.

[It's Gene. He means Gene. He is making fun of his boyfriend.]