Log: Marcus Cole, William Cole and Open Who: Marcus Cole and William Cole and OPEN What: Haunting When: April 6 Where: A training room on Atlantis base. Warnings: Discussion of canon character death.
Marcus was sparring against a practice dummy when the voice interrupted him. “So what finally convinced you?” He whirled around, swinging his pike with him until it came to an abrupt stop. He dropped the hand holding it to his side.
The eyes laughed silently at him. “Is that the kind of welcome I get after four and a half years?” William asked. William had always taken after their mother, in looks as well as opinions. He’d thought Marcus should give up on the company years earlier, but then unlike Alice Cole, William had never stuck long with anything before the Rangers.
Not much could render Marcus Cole speechless. It took him a moment, but he choked out the words. “When did you get here?”
William tilted his head awkwardly, like he had when they were boys and he’d been caught out in mischief. “Just today. Not the way you did, I don't think, although, I suppose I could have. I didn't recruit you just for you to get yourself killed.”
Marcus finally remembered to press the button that retracted his denn-bok and clipped it to his belt. “I am a Ranger,” he quoted. William knew the rest. He’d been the one to try to drag his blind, stubborn older brother into the most important fight of the age. He’d died trying.
“I noticed,” said William, gesturing from the weapon to the pin with its two figures embracing the Isil’zha, mirror image to his own. “So what did change your mind?”
“I keep my promises,” said Marcus. “One of us ought to.” It was the most unfair accusation he’d ever leveled at the brother who had been true to death, but the regret eating its way through his chest would not emerge as anything but anger.
“You promised to help save the galaxy, not find a new reason to make a martyr of yourself,” retorted William.
Marcus scoffed. “I’m the martyr?”
“What is it, then? Revenge?” William paused. “Atonement?” Silence. “I only died once, remember?”
William had bled out in his older brother’s arms, days after Marcus had walked away from their last argument. Marcus remembered.