[network] @hawkguy, video; do you hear the people sing [open, day 162]

[awwnoun]

[ Cue a video of your resident Hawkeye coming on and wincing as he rubs at his bright purple hearing aids. His hair is a mess, he's got a hobo beard starting, and he looks tired as hell, but it's a video nonetheless. Or an approximation of a video, anyway. There's tearing and glitches and static, and Clint's voice skritches in and out as he asks his question, but it should mostly be easy to figure out: ]

Okay, I'm [static] only one who [static] all that screaming, right? Where is [static] from?

Comments

[advanced]

[He's a little more candid than he might normally be, a little more talkative, because what does it matter? Clint isn't real anyway.]

None of you are real, it's ins▒▒▒ head. They're programming me, I'm failing at ▒▒▒ng it.

[awwnoun]

Bucky, no. No, you're real. [ God, he doesn't want to do this again, he can't. ] Hey. Listen to me, buddy. We've all been h▒▒▒ the whole time, ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒an't let this ▒▒▒▒ into your ▒ead.

[advanced]

You're wrong.

[It's what makes the most sense.

Different worlds? Anomalies? Weird incorporeal screaming? It's nonsense, it's just a psychological reaction to his brain trying to fight the programming. This is all happening inside his head, and it's getting more chaotic and unreal because he's losing the fight.]

...I'm sorr▒

[awwnoun]

I'm not wrong! [ God, he's angry. He actually bangs his hands on the floor, on the wall, whatever is closest. ] I'm ▒▒▒. You need to st▒▒▒ around. I need y▒▒ to, okay? If you give u▒, then I have to al▒o, right?

[ He's trying to use the same tactic he did on Davesprite but he doesn't think it'll work. ]

[advanced]

I'm lo▒▒▒ ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ ▒▒▒.

[His fingers tighten on the tablet, fierce and desperate.]

You don't nee▒ me, you're not real!

[awwnoun]

The hell do y▒▒ think th▒▒ means, huh? [ Now there's yelling. ] If I'm not ▒▒▒▒, you're making me ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ up. So ▒▒ you give up, I disappear. ▒▒▒ get that?

[advanced]

I'm not giving up! I don't w▒▒▒ ▒▒ ▒▒▒▒ ▒n to the prog▒▒▒▒▒▒▒. I'm trying to ▒▒▒ht, but I can't pretend that I'▒ ▒▒▒ ▒▒▒▒▒▒.

[awwnoun]

Sounds l▒▒▒ you're giv▒▒▒ up. So don't. Keep fighting ▒▒.

[advanced]

▒▒▒ ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ ▒ ▒▒▒▒▒▒ ▒▒▒.

[Nope, there's just a long burst of static and then Bucky hangs up.]