2014-02-20 - Cutscene: The Death of a Dream - The Speech

The streets are closed from East 103rd Street to Times Square, but there isn’t a parade. This isn’t a day for mirth and merriment.

Captain America is dead.

The sidewalks, behind the cordons, are full of people-- all ages, races, creeds and colors. A virtual melting pot of men and women and children, all watching the procession as Captain America’s casket, preceded by men and women in military uniform, slowly moves down the streets of Manhattan.

So many in the crowd are weeping. Some wave old Captain America comics, some wave flags. Shouts of 'we love you!' and 'come back Cap!' can be heard here and there, but for once the city is mostly quiet.

The city... the country... perhaps even the world... mourn the passing of a great man. An icon.

The procession is slow, but steady, as it winds its way to Times Square. The screens across the square all focus on the casket-- save the main screen.

It focuses on the podium, and the chairs set up beside it, where several men and women... mostly superheroes, but not all. Some in costume. Some not. Some weeping. Some stoic.

A handful of the chairs are empty. Friends that were expected, friends that, for whatever reason, could not, would not, make it today.

The stage, small, truly only large enough for the podium and the microphone, and decorated in red, white, and blue. The podium itself has a replica of Captain America's shield, an emblem of justice, hanging from the front.

The casket comes to a ponderous stop directly before the stage. The top of the pure white casket is spread with a large American flag and a large, circular bouquet of red, white, and blue roses.

There is silence.

Finally, Tony Stark rises from his chair, making his way to the podium.

Perhaps it is only fitting that Iron Man, the best friend of Captain America, gives a speech. When he speaks at the podium, his voice sounds a little raw, "New York, America, the World," his voice trailing off. When it picks up again, it's a little bit stronger, "I tried to write a speech, I couldn't write a single word," having to remember to watch his language. "All that kept going through my head is that my best friend was dead and what I could have done to stop it, what I could have done different, how I could have been a better friend, a better hero, a better man. If I could have changed places with him, I would in a heartbeat," the words emotional.

"But as one of the survivors, I have to move forward as we all do, one step at a time," Tony says tensely. "Two days after his death, I got a holographic message from him." He makes an odd sound, almost like a chuckle and a sob mixed together as he raises a hand to run through his hair. "It was a timed message where he gave me his last dying wishes, and he didn't pull any punches. Cap never did, he told you what he thought and how he felt straight up if you liked it or not," and he smirks sadly at that.

"There was a reason he was my best friend even though we barely had anything in common," Tony states. "I think I was the only one that could get him to say the 'H-word' by getting him sooo steaming mad," he states with a bit of bitter humor. "When I was really stressed and wanted a friend, I'd pick up some pizza and something to drink and just knock on his door. He never once turned me away or said he was too busy. Actually, the day before," his voice breaking a bit before it picks back up, "We had pizza together during the day and were chatting, and it felt good. We both promised each other we would do it more often 'afterwards'."

There is a dramatic pause, "Afterwards didn't come for him though. All this bullah hell, pardon my language, all this /BULLCRAP/ Savage and Luthor says about heroes, well, screw them! I /need/ heroes! I'm not talking about even being one myself, /I/ personally need heroes. And Captain America was /my/ hero. He didn't start out that way; he actually annoyed me when we first met. But when I was in California, I missed him dreadfully and when I came back I swore to myself I wouldn't abandon my family again: The Avengers."

Tony takes a deep breath, "So I'm going to honor Cap's dying wishes that he gave me. I'm not going to stop being a hero, and I'm going to search for someone worthy of Cap's legacy like he wanted. I don't know how I'm going to find them, but for some reason he thought I would just /know/ who would fit the bill, who would understand and believe in his ideals. It's a tall order to fill though, being that icon for America, for the World, I don't envy whoever takes up his mantle truth be told," he states. "But I do know this, the icon will live on, his ideals will live on, but no one, absolutely no one can be the man beneath the mask, and it is that amazing man, that I grieve for today. Because the rest? It won't ever end, it won't ever stop. As long as there is evil in the world, Captain America will forever shine brightest."

He can say no more. He stands there, silent for a moment, grief evident on his face, before he finally moves to retake his seat while the others say their pieces...