Disclaimer: Not mine, not sure whose they are actually. So, guess who's just gotten series one Silverhawks on DVD from the US?? Anyway, was watching an episode today called The Renegade Hero and this came to me as I was driving to the airport to pick up a friend. Yes, I know, no idea where the two are related on a quantum level but hey, when the muse strikes, you must obey. Anything in Italics is thoughts between the two. Once again, I'm Australian, we use Australian English here. Enjoy! AM June 2009.


Brotherly Concerns

By Angel Mouse

"Well I don't know about you boys, but I'm beat. I'll see you all in the morning. Night little brother, boys." With a jaunty wave Steelheart turned and headed for her quarters, not seeing the frown of worry that her brother threw at her retreating back.

Bluegrass and Quicksilver exchanged glances, frowning. They had never seen the bigger of the steel twins show any emotion other than a smile on his face.

He wasn't the more vocal of the twins, but he was always there in the background. He had his own opinions and wasn't shy about saying them. But Steelheart seemed to be the voice of the twins most of the time.

SteelWill watched as his sister turned the corner and sighed in worry. He could feel her exhaustion, her fear and her relief at surviving one more day. He turned to see Quicksilver and Bluegrass looking at him in worry.

"Will, what's wrong?" Will sighed and began walking slowly, heading for the men's quarters, the other two men falling into step with him. They didn't speak for a long moment and then SteelWill finally spoke.

"I'm worried about sis. She never, ever, admits when she's tired or exhausted." Will turned to face Quicksilver, pausing a moment. "Today, when she called me for help to get free, what happened after that? She didn't tell me. Just said that Bluegrass got you out and that was that."

Quicksilver frowned, thinking at what had happened afterwards they had been stuck in that tar like substance. He had actually asked her was she okay, and she said she was fine. But now Will was saying he was worried because she was saying she was tired, something didn't seem right.

"She broke free and leapt to the top of the building, shot down Buzz saw and Mumbo Jumbo. She leapt back down and helped Bluegrass free us. But when she landed, she did go down to her knees. When I asked was she alright, she said she was fine, just her telepathic link with you had taken a bit of a beating." Quicksilver put his hand on Will's arm. "Will, is something wrong with her?"

"She's just tired Lieutenant. That's all." Quicksilver immediately saw the protective brother stepping to the fore and raised an eyebrow at the larger twin. Will returned his stare and then finally he sighed.

Will was always a worrier when it came to his sister's health. But something in Quicksilver's eyes made him relent and he finally sighed, giving in. "She's more than tired sir, she's exhausted."

Will reached his room and leaned against the door, frowning. Finally he spoke and his voice was quiet, strained.

"She's been pushing herself too hard, always has, always does." He ran a hand over his metal hair. "In a way, it's my fault she's here. She's always looked out for me, always looked after me, always been with me." Bluegrass frowned.

"What do you mean it's your fault she's here?" Will sighed and opened the door to his quarters. He walked in and the others followed him, sitting on the lounge. Will walked over to the side board and picked up a photo. He looked at it a long moment and then handed it to the two men.

"This is us before we became Silverhawks. William and Emily Heart." The photo was of the two of them standing together, Emily was on his back, her arms around his neck and her blonde hair streaming in the wind. They were both laughing and looked carefree, nothing like they'd been looking lately, especially Steelheart.

Quicksilver privately admitted to himself that Emily was a real looker before their transformation. If she wasn't a sergeant, and a fellow Silverhawk, he may have been tempted to ask her out on a date. "You see, I wanted to come here and make a difference, Em…. Emily wasn't so sure."

Sensing a story, the two men looked at him, waiting for the rest of it. That had been the first time they'd ever heard Will refer to his sister as anything other than sis. Finally, Bluegrass asked the question the two men were dying to ask.

"So, what changed her mind? Why did the two of you end up volunteering?" Will sighed and sat down in his chair and took the photo back from them, staring at it for a long time.

"I did. I said I was going to volunteer for this mission no matter what and well, she ended up having no choice but to agree as well." Will sighed once again, his voice sombre; he closed his eyes in remembrance. "Sometimes being twins, as close as we two are, can be an advantage but can also be a burden as well."

"What one feels, the other does right?" Will nodded in answer to Quicksilver's question. "But that's helped us many a time Will, why would it be a burden?"

"Because we can't bear to be apart for long periods of time and you must admit, this assignment is a long period of time." Will sighed. "Because I was determined to go, she agreed to go as well."

He paused, his mind recalling that fateful day.

~*~

She sat on the lounge in their shared apartment, staring at the piece of paper in her hand. It represented so much. So much for such a little piece of paper with so few words on it, yet those words were so powerful.

She felt lost. Confused. Scared. Alone.

Ironically though she wasn't alone, she was never alone. In the back of her mind she could feel her brother's presence, feel him giving his support from where he was right at the moment. She could tell he was worried about her, so she sent back reassurance she was okay, not wanting to disturb him.

But deep down, where she kept her innermost self, she was afraid.

Afraid that this was going to split her and her brother apart forever and they'd both end up alone. She knew her brother, and knew that this offer of this particular mission was what he had been training for all his life. She knew that no matter what was going to happen, he would take this offer, he would go.

And that left her in a quandary.

Did she really want to become part metal, partly real? Did she want to give up the chance of having a normal life? Of having a husband, a partner, perhaps even children one day? Did she really want to live for hundreds of years?

But did she also want to loose her brother? Her younger twin, the other half of her soul?

I don't want to stop being Emily. But if I agree to do this, what happens to Emily and Will?

Suddenly she felt Will's presence in her mind and then realised his physical presence was literally right next to her. She looked up and saw him standing in front of her. He knelt down in front of her and took the paper out of her hands and then took her hand in his, his voice in her mind.

You'll never stop being Emily to me sis, just as I'll never stop being Will. But this, this is what we've been training for all our lives. With this chance, we can change the universe, make history!

Emily clutched at Will's hands, drawing strength from his larger than life presence in her mind and in her soul. She could feel his resolve, his determination and his strength of purpose with this chance to make such a huge difference in the universe. This was a chance he wasn't going to let pass by.

But Will don't you see we'll never have a real life, we'll never be normal; we'll never be us again. We'll be these metal machines that will practically live forever! I don't know if I can do that.

Will moved to sit next to her and wrapped his arms around her, drawing her close, enfolding her in his arms.

Emily, no matter what, we'll always be together. But this, this is important, probably the most important thing we've ever had the chance to do in our lives. Don't you think that we deserve the chance to make such a huge difference like this? I know right now that your thinking that you may want those things in the future, but that's the future, this is now.

Will, don't you see that if we do that, we won't be human any more?

Emily, what is more human than wanting to give up your humanity to save everyone? Don't you see, this is the most human thing we could ever do.

And that stopped her short, she sighed, knowing a loosing argument when she heard one. She rested her head against his chest. She could never say no to her brother, not for anything.

Alright Will, you win. We'll do this. But if we do it, we do it on our terms.

Wouldn't expect anything else sis.

~*~

"So, I talked her into it. But lately she's been working harder and harder than ever. Then this today….. I feel… I think she's regretting the decision to come here. I think she's regretting giving up her humanity to do this for me."

Quicksilver looked at Bluegrass who just shrugged. He'd never picked either of the steel twins for being quitters, at anything. If anything, they were so gung ho, so confident, and so intelligent in everything they did; nothing seemed to get them down.

"I don't regret giving up anything Will. Never have and never will." The three men surged to their feet and turned to find Steelheart standing in the door. Will blushed as he realised he'd been so worried about his sister he didn't even feel her coming towards his room.

"Sis… I…." Steelheart walked into the room and over to her brother, putting her hands on his chest and giving him a tired smile.

"Will, you're my little brother and I love you to bits. I have no regrets about deciding to come here and fight for what's right. I did at first, but not now. As long as we're together, I don't care." Will wrapped his hands around his sisters and leaned down to rest his forehead against hers. Unnoticed by either of them Bluegrass and Quicksilver slipped out of the larger twins room, leaving the pair to talk.

"Emily, you gave up so much because I wanted to come here. And I know that it plays on your mind sometimes. I just wish there was something more I could say or do to ease your mind lately." Emily just smiled at her brothers words, enjoying the close physical contact.

"Will, just being with you is all I need. The rest is all just fantasy, fancy trimmings and pipe dreams. When I'm with you, which is all that matters to me in the entire universe, Monstar and fellow Silverhawks included, none of that other stuff matters any more." Will laughed then, his fears and worries fading.

"Emily, have I told you lately how much I love you."

"Not lately little brother but you keep telling me every so often and everything will be okay Will. Today… today was just hard okay?" Will wrapped his arms around his big sister.

"Okay. But I want your solemn promise Emily that from now on, you'll always tell me when something's up. I don't want to have to drag it from you okay?" Emily laughed, feeling a bit lighter in spirit than she had in a little while as she returned his hug. She been trying to hide so much from her brother she'd forgotten how to share so much with him. It was if a burden had been lifted from her.

"I promise little brother. Now, how about we get some rest okay? I reckon it wasn't easy for you to have to wait up here either while I was off getting covered in glop." Will just smiled at her.

"No it wasn't. But it helped knowing that I could help you. Now, how about I take you back to your room, tuck you in like a good little silver hawk and we both get some rest."

"You're on little brother." The two steel twins, once again whole in spirit, headed towards her room hand in hand so Will could make good on his promise. Bluegrass and Quicksilver, who had been listening outside but out of sight, looked at each other and then Bluegrass grinned, tipping his hat to the other man.

"I reckon the little lady is going to be fine now Lieutenant. You have good nights sleep now you here?" With that he was gone and Quicksilver looked down the hallway where the twins had disappeared. Suddenly he was glad that those two were on their side, but he also now realised he understood them both a little better. Will was right, being such a close twin as those two were was both a blessing and a curse. But as for right now, he was glad that they had decided to come on this mission. It just wouldn't be the same without them.