It had been some time since Brian had returned home –– to the family manner in England –– and to a life that he had no longer fit into. It was rather strange to think that the last time that Brian had been inside his family home he had been completely at ease, excited and enthusiastic about his life, despite the war that was waging over the world. Upon his return, however, Brian found that he no longer saw comfort in any of the rooms or items in the building. The pressure of his sense of detachment and the feeling of being estranged weighed down on him from the moment he had returned home, only for it to grow worse the moment he had learnt of his father's death.
It had taken a great effort at the hands of his mother, sister and lover but eventually Brian learnt to live with the feelings, though they never really left at all. He would never again be the same man he had been before Germany but he would learn to adapt to his life once more –– and more importantly, he would learn to deal with the loss of his father. Though that in itself had set him back a great deal.
Jack Falsworth had died a hero in the war –– that was what he and his family had been told. He had fought honourably and though people were sorry for the family's loss, they were not to cry over him but to think fondly of him and preserve his memory as he lived on through his family and friends. They had learnt to hold the burden of that news and live around it.
Until there was news to the contrary.
The first news that had reached Brian's ears had been maddening –– so much so that his jaw had clenched, his fingers curling into a fist and his eyes blazing with a fury that was every bit connected to the Destroyer. He hadn't yelled like he might have before the war, instead he stood silently and stalked out of the room to find out exactly where this murdering Union Jack imitator was and take them out personally. How dare they tarnish his father's memory!
It was a month or so later, after tracking dedicatedly and following the trail of death and blood that Brian actually saw the imposter face to face. He had engaged in attacking the man but found that even with all of the extensive training and knowledge that he had acquired from the German's he still was only just able to walk away with his life –– though only after he had ripped the mask from the man's face and stared at the ghost that lurked beneath.
It was an ugly truth that had Brian's head spinning, his thoughts working at a mile a minute and his heart racing –– something that was pretty hard to do these days. And yet, he had held no choice but to call in the cavalry. He had never needed more than himself to complete a mission, or a small team at the best. However, knowing what he did, Brian thought that the best tactical manoeuvre was to call for back up and proceed with caution. His father was, after all, alive and no doubt under the influence of a group much like the Nazi's themselves, though perhaps a little more ambitious having collected the Union Jack himself to do their dirty work.
What had his father already done and endured to come this far?
It was with the aid of Captain America, his lover –– Roger Aubrey, and a carefully selected tactical team that they had finally caught up to Jack once more and taken him down. Only then to move him to a secure facility to spend time in a cell until he could be brought to his senses. After all, Brian would not allow any harm to come to his father. He would pay the S.S.R. money to continue to detain his father until he himself could break through the programming that had changed Jack so thoroughly.
After all, he was not beyond saving.
And so Brian returned, keeping the barred cell door between him and his father, though he stood still on his side, hands clasped behind his back in a soldier's stance, studying the man that was no longer a father or husband. He was something completely different –– and Brian believed that he could get through to him.
“This must be terribly infuriating –– to know that these people have so many expectations of you. The S.S.R. want you to return to the man you once were –– the Union Jack. But you're not him anymore. So why don't you tell me who you are now?”