02| Steve is an idiot

[brooklyn_boy]

WHO: Steve Rogers
WHERE: In a cave, in a storm, and Network. Kinda.
WHAT: Being stupid, mostly
WHEN: Once the storm starts moving
WARNINGS: Nope



Steve crouches in the cave, nursing a nasty wound he took to his side. The medical information he has from the data point is telling him how to fix it but he's lost a little bit of blood and there's no super-human healing factor that is making up for it. The wound is also in such an awkward spot that Steve can barely even look at it properly, let alone do sutures. He moves further into the cave, feeling marginally better as he does so. Maybe getting away from the storm will stop its effects on him? It is worth a chance until he can concentrate enough to stitch. Or, maybe, he will find someone there who can do it for him...



The storm is moving. Steve can barely see straight, he's so close to the center of the storm, but he can tell its moving. And, honestly, if it weren't moving toward Temba, he'd be glad to see the back of it. As it is, he knows there isn't much time. The city is still so fragile and barely back together enough for it to really take a storm like this. Not to mention the people waiting, back there. People who thought they'd be safely away from this madness and were going to be badly surprised.

Steve races back to his ship. He's not a pilot, though, so the controls are a mystery to him. He grumbles and scowls, feeling impotent before taking his comm up and hitting the network.

This is Steve Rogers of the Bishop. If there are any pilots out there, we need to get back to Temba. I'm looking for a ride and anyone else who wants to help prepare the city.



It's not the first person he's seen in the fog. Steve has been seeing these ghosts for the whole storm. People he knew. People he didn't know. People who had disappeared from here and people who had faces similar to the ones here. He'd managed mostly to ignore them all but this. This was different. This was out of his memories both from home and from before. It's enough to stop him in his tracks, storm be damned.

The Winter Soldier. Not Bucky. No. He'd refused that name. He'd refused any name at all. But there he was in his black armor, arm shining in a sun that wasn't here. He looks straight at Steve, face hard. For a second there is a moment when Steve forgets he is a ghost and almost braces for a fight. But the ghost turns and walks away. He turns, once, to glance back, and then continues walking.

And Steve, damn himself, follows.

Comments

cave;

[hulkintraining]

A little further inside the cave is where Steve will run into Teddy. The blond teen is seated on the floor, back pressed against the wall, and sporting several cuts and scrapes, but nothing as serious as the other man's injury. It's a strange sensation, the twinge of pain and discomfort he feels whenever he moves. If his abilities had been working, they would have all healed by now. He would barely have felt them.

The appearance of Steve causes him to startle and his head jerks upright. But he quickly settles once he realizes it isn't another group of teammates past coming to haunt him. And then he notices the blood and concern draws him to his feet.

"Hey, you alright there?"

[brooklyn_boy]

The voice strikes him as unfamiliar. Steve looks up and sees someone a bit younger than he was hoping to find. But then again, Tommy and Billy were more than capable and he seemed the same rough age. He manages to get closer before he flops onto the floor in his attempt to sit.

"No," he admits. "I took a pretty sharp rock to the side, here. Usually wouldn't be a problem, but right now?"

He lets out a humorless laugh and tilts his head against the wall.

"Don't suppose you've done stitches before, have you?"

[hulkintraining]

Teddy pushes up onto his knees and crawls closer to where the man settles down. He doesn't need medical knowledge to know that it looks bad. Of all the people he could have come across he ends up with a teenager who has never had to attend to his own wounds before.

Slowly, he shakes his head, feeling bad about his lack of experience.

"No, sorry. But maybe I can manage with some instruction?"

It's the best he can offer and at least he manages to sound certain about it.

[brooklyn_boy]

"We can certainly try..." Steve tries to smile but it comes out as a wince. His whole face contorts with it as he reaches to pull his ripped shirt up. The wound is slowly closing but it's bleeding a lot faster than his abbreviated powers can manage.

"Here," he hands over a small pack full of medical supplies. "I'm a medical specialization so I can walk you through it. There's a...a needle in there. And there's medical thread. Just. Put the thread through the end and...and there is a pink bottle you can squeeze onto your hand and the needle. It'll clean it."

[stillgotmyleftarm]

Bucky is a pilot, and he is out here, and he is Not Happy that he's lost track of his boyfriend.

Until Steve's message comes through, and Bucky fumbles his communicator so badly he drops it, then texts rapidly: I'll give you any ride you want if you tell me where you are right now.

Yep, he can do innuendo and demanding at the same time.

[brooklyn_boy]

God Steve loves his boyfriend.

I'm on the Bishop. It's near to the center of the storm, now.

Think you can get here fast?

[stillgotmyleftarm]

Fuck. Of course Steve is near the center of the storm. Nothing is ever easy, is it.

At least the thing seems to be dying out. Maybe. A little.

Bucky's already flipping switches with one hand as he types with the other: As long as you don't get any bright ideas about meeting me halfway, punk. Stay put.

[brooklyn_boy]

Oh yeah. He really, really loved his boyfriend.

I already got a rock to the side and some amateur stitches. I am not about to have you yell at me for more stuff, jerk.

He didn't know much about piloting but he knew enough that certain things getting turned on would light up the ship. At least make it easier to find.

Tell me if it's too dicey for you to get here. No big risks while your serum is offline.

Yeah, yeah. Call him a hypocrite.

network | @ polaris | sorry for this very internally salty mutant

[geomagnetically]

[ She's already met enough faces from home, or familiar names but different versions of them, that she can't be certain that this is the one from her world. And if it is the one from her world, which personality: Is it the who's like 'lol sucks to be mutants' whenever mutantkind is in a Situation, or is it one who's like 'lol sucks to be mutants' while hailing Hydra and cutting deals with Magneto over shit?

She is sighing deeply right now at her device. GREAT COOL WOW -- she loves playing Steve Rogers roulette; it's her favorite game. ]

Good. I'll fly and you can answer some questions, because I have a lot.

[ What she doesn't say is that her questions aren't about this world. She just wants to know how hard she has to restrain herself from punching him in the face; she can be nice on the outside, but is salty on the inside. ]

Omg I love her already

[brooklyn_boy]

[The name doesn't look familiar to him, but he needs a pilot. For all he knows a whole bunch of people have shuffled around during this mess. He decides not to worry too much about it; he can answer questions. That's no issue.]

Sure thing. I've been here for awhile so I can probably answer them all. I'm on the Bishop. It's getting close to the center of the storm since it's moving. Hopefully you can get here first?

[geomagnetically]

A-yup, I can be there in a bit. Try to not break anything :P

[ yep she sure did send a basic emoji ]

[brooklyn_boy]

Aside from what's already broken? Yeah. You got it.

Ghosts

[tiedonastring]

[He had already battled his own demons with this fog. And already had pulled Poe away from falling to his death. It seemed that these ghosts were trying their best to lure people away ending in their own death or an injury. Regardless it left people a wreck and it was hard to convince them that they were only seeing false images.

Hux spotted Steve in the storm. It looked as if he was preparing to fight a ghost, but instead continues to follow the ghost.]

Steve!--- Steven!

[Hux shouted as he proceeded to follow after him.]

[brooklyn_boy]

[Steve didn't hear Hux. In fact, he didn't hear anything as he focused more and more on that ghost in front of him. The Soldier. His friend who had lost so many times in so many ways.]

Bucky! Soldier!

[Steve took off a bit faster as he chased the image. Right off, apparently, toward the woods.]

[tiedonastring]

[Hux gave a wary sigh and took off running after Steve. So this was how things were going to go. Great. If he had to he was going to tackle the man and hold him down till he could get some sense into him or drag him back kicking and fighting. Either option wasn't promising.]

STEVEN!

[He proceed to shout his name, trying to get him to hear him.]

[brooklyn_boy]

[That did it. The combination of volume and his name being said in full made him finally turn his head. Steve blinked at Hux for a second and then realized who he was.]

Hux! It's... It's the soldier! From before!

[He turned and the ghost was still walking. Steve wanted so badly to follow it itched below his skin.]

Maybe the Agrii brought more people over?

[Video]

[thrawnsaide]

Sir, I've been working on preparing the city for the storm. I have my kitchen/inn set up to take in people if necessary and it's been boarded up and stocked with extra provisions. We also have people taking care of the hospital as well.

Is there anything I need to keep an eye on?

[brooklyn_boy]

[Steve visually relaxes.

Good. That's a good start. Has everyone been briefed about what to expect? The ghosts seem to really be driving people into injuries. If drops and anything else dangerous could be sectioned off, that would help.

[thrawnsaide]

Well I believe your announcement and a few others have made it clear of what's happening. But it's a good idea to try and section off the dangerous areas as best as possible.

cave

[seeingscarlet]

Eventually he'll come across a soaking wet figure curled up against a rock - she's fine, really, she just needs a moment. Pay no attention to the cut on her forehead or all the dirt and scrapes she's covered in from her fall. Nothing to see here.

"Vizh?" she calls weakly down the dark tunnel, but a few seconds later when Steve comes into view she realizes her mistake. It takes another second for her to process the bloodstains on his clothing and then she scrambles awkwardly to her feet. "What happened to you?"

[brooklyn_boy]

Steve knows the voice and goes towards it faster than before. "No," he answers with a small wince. "No, I haven't seen him. It's just me." Steve stops and flops onto the floor beside her. The pack of medical supplies he has gets tossed in front of him but he's just too winded and dizzy to focus on that, yet.

"A rock got me across the side. My fault. I was getting close to the center and...I guess the storm doesn't like that."

[seeingscarlet]

"He was in the storm..." Wanda says numbly while she kneels by his injured side. She's completely overwhelmed by the overall situation - at least with her powers she wouldn't be completely useless but right now she has no idea what to do.

"If we can get someone to take us out of here I can heal this. If my powers come back," she adds quietly as she reaches for the medical kit. It's not a pleasant thought, though it would be irresponsible not to at least consider the possibility. "But all I can do right now is try to stop the bleeding."

the ghost ;______;

[theladyofwinterfell]

Sansa has seen many people in the fog. She's seen her family, her beloved family, but she's seen Ramsay at every turn. He grins at her, threatens her, but they're all in her mind. This ghost says nothing. But another ghost appears, someone she truly loves and in her pursuit of him she brushes against Steve.

"He came to save me from Ramsay," Sansa says, shaken. "Is it him? Can I reach him? Please tell me it's him."

I no, ryt?

[brooklyn_boy]

Steve wants to follow him, too. He wants to tear after Bucky and grab him and to see if this is real--if the Agrii finally brought him over, too-- or if he was just another illusion. But Sansa, running past him breaks the spell as he realizes abruptly that he's the only one here to protect her.

Steve grabs her arm as the ghost of the Soldier walks onward.

"Sansa. Sansa...you know what we're seeing... It's the storm. It is probably just the storm. It's trying to lead us into danger..."

[theladyofwinterfell]

Sansa looks over at Steve, stricken, before looking back at the retreating figure before them. It must be him. He walks the same - there's a particular way his body moves to accommodate the weight of his arm - and he doesn't, he can't just be a memory. He can't.

"It has to be him, Steve. It has to be. No one else walks the way he does. You know that. You know that."