seeking a friend for the end of the world

[ostavil]

( The world is a shithole. Actually, that's putting it mildly, really, but Bucky's trying to be optimistic these days since there's nothing to be optimistic about anymore. As soon as the virus started spreading, he got his gear together and headed straight to the woods. Anything like this, you need to be as far from people as possible and he wasn't going to depend on his enhanced immune system to defend him from something like this. It changes people, rewrites them from the inside-out, and he's not sure that super serum can protect a person from that.

He tries to only go into populated areas for supplies and since he can hunt pretty well and survive on his own, supplies usually constitute bullets. On his last run, he'd gotten a compound bow out of a shelled-out sporting goods store and he's been looking for arrows ever since because what he can make in the woods isn't going to be strong enough for the draw on the thing. It's a white elephant right now but he's loathe to part with it. He does his runs at night when he can exploit the weaknesses of the totalitarian government that came into place after society disintegrated; dealing with scared soldiers with shoot-to-kill orders is not his idea of a good time.

It's a good run until he sees someone else and he touches his hand to the hilt of his knife just in case. Smaller person, doesn't move like one of the infected, clearly not military. An idiot. Fantastic. He tries to get the drop on them from behind. )

Either you've already gotten infected and aren't showing symptoms or you're a complete idiot. What are you doing out here? It's not safe.

( It's an understatement, really, the lack of safety and he almost laughs about it; two years ago, he might have been talking about a teenager sneaking out of their house at night and now it's not safe for anyone at any time of day. For this person to have survived this long, they're not completely stupid. He's closer now and he can see that it's a woman. )

I could have killed you or one of the patrols could have shot you without asking questions. What's worth those two outcomes?

Comments

[chuju]

[ So the world ended. Again. Or, rather, it's in the process of ending, and there doesn't seem to be a damn thing Daisy can do to stop it except lay down and die. Which she isn't willing to do. Yet.

More than once since the start of all this, she'd given as many blood and tissue samples as she could, first to SHIELD scientists and then to the government that took control of a quickly crumbling country. As soon as they'd discovered Inhumans were immune, she and the others had willingly done everything asked of them to try to help. Until they asked for too much. Maybe it went deeper, they said. Scans and samples weren't enough. It's for the greater good. They'd taken Charles against his will, Coulson had told her, and by the time he was found...

The only thing to do was run. Those scientists were no closer to finding a cure than they'd been at the start and they'd dissect each and every one of them if that's what it took. Coulson had given her weapons, a bag, and what might be the last hug she'd ever get from the only father she'd ever really known.

Getting out of the quarantine zones is easy enough for someone with her abilities. It's up and over the fence and right into a cluster of infected. Despite having a gun, she doesn't shoot them, not willing to risk drawing that sort of attention from the living or the dead. They're quaked away with just enough oomph to give her space and then she's running, boots pounding the pavement and pack cinched tight against her back.

Two hours out, she makes it to a quieter part of the city with few living or dead milling about. It might be a stupid move to stop and get her bearings, but if she wanders into an area with patrolling soldiers, she'll be in an even worse position. Fishing a flashlight out from her pack, she's trying to get a look at the nearest street sign when that voice comes out of nowhere.

Shit. How had he gotten this close without her noticing? He's not a soldier, at least, they've all got twitchy trigger fingers these days, but there are plenty of assholes leaving the quarantine zones to try to make their own way. She really doesn't need one of them figuring out who she is; the public may not know about Inhumans being immune, but who knows if the government will change that to use civilians to round up their missing lab rats.

Slowly turning around with her hands out at her sides, there's a biting remark on the tip of her tongue, ready to lash out at whoever this is because she is not in the mood, but as the flashlight beam swings over to him, the words catch in her throat. She doesn't point the light at his face, she can see well enough with it aimed at his feet, but— ]

Holy shit. Sergeant Barnes.

[ To say she's shocked at the sudden appearance of one of her personal heroes would be one hell of an understatement. ]

[ostavil]

( Getting called by his rank brings up a lot of memories, good and bad, and it's clear that whoever this is took a trip to the Smithsonian before the world fell apart. If she's expecting that Sergeant Barnes, he fell off a train in the 1940s and would probably have died early on in the pandemic anyway. Too trusting. Too willing to be a hero. Too willing to stay in the lines of wrong and right.

No, the Winter Soldier is much more equipped to survive these days no matter how complicated it is to reconcile that with who he is now and what he used to be. Bucky shakes his head. )

Never thought someone would be recognizing my face in this mess. Can't say I know yours, though. You got a name you're using?

( She's not military even if she has military grade gear and she's well trained to his eyes. Maybe former military before the fall? They're sure as hell not training them this well now. Now it's mostly just point and shoot because it's all conscripts and no careers. )

[chuju]

[ The relief at seeing a trusted familiar face is like a punch to the gut, nearly forcing the air from her lungs. She's been running on nothing but adrenaline for hours and it's catching up to her, though she'll use every bit of training she has to combat the effects. Bucky Barnes might not know her from anyone else in this dying world, but she'd trust him with her life, and that goes a long way these days. ]

My name's Daisy Johnson. I'm an agent of SHIELD. Or I was, until a few hours ago.

[ Not that it's meant much since the government took over and demanded they play ball or get out of the country. They've done their best to do good, their field agents out on the front lines while their techs and scientists worked around the clock for better defenses and steps toward a cure, but things have only gotten worse. The fences fall, the zones shrink, and more and more people die every day.

Given Sergeant Barnes' personal history with the organization, she fully realizes it might not be the best idea to divulge her affiliation, but it only takes a single moment of consideration for her to decide she's not going to lie to him. About anything. He's had enough of that in his life. ]

[ostavil]

( Bucky arches a brow at that. SHIELD. The great love of Peggy Carter's life diminished into a HYDRA recruiting corps and he guesses HYDRA doesn't really matter at the end of the world because there's hardly anything to exploit anymore and the government is where you want to be if you want something from someone. He doesn't think anyone would willingly identify themselves as SHIELD or HYDRA anymore because it doesn't matter. It'd be like saying you like the Dodgers or the Yankees.

She's saying it as if she recently broke free, though, and he has to wonder just how much agency SHIELD even has anymore. He should look into it, probably, but he's not looking for staging a coup, he's looking to survive. He's looking to get by on the day to day and not find solutions for the future. That's for other, hopeful people. He's not one of those people. )

SHIELD? You're just gonna announce you're HYDRA in front of the Fist of HYDRA? Pretty brave.

( There. Here's her chance to fess up to it. What does she have to lose? She knows who he is and she has to know her survival chances if she tries to make a move on him so it's going to be better to go with truth instead of fiction. As long as she doesn't have the words, he's golden, and he doubts that damn book even exists anymore and if it does, it's probably buried so deep even God couldn't find it. )

You expecting me to salute you and ask what my orders are? Probably not gonna get what you want.

[chuju]

[ He doesn't know. It's like a bucket of ice water dumped over her head, cold dread pooling in her gut. How long has he been living thinking they're still out there? There's no shortage of evil to take their place, especially in times like these, but HYDRA will always be the worst of the worst. After everything they did to the world, to her family, to him... ]

That's the furthest thing from what I want.

[ Her voice is strained, expression stricken as she takes a single step forward and then stops, thinking better of it. He won't understand if she doesn't try to explain, and he deserves an explanation. Anger threads through her next words, so cold it burns. ]

HYDRA doesn't exist anymore. We rebuilt SHIELD from the ground up and hunted those monsters down. We cut off every head, and if they try to regrow another one, I'll cut it off too. I don't care if the world's on fire, I won't let them hurt anyone else. And I know you have no reason to believe me, but it's the truth.

[ Even if he walks away and she never sees him again, she's suddenly desperate for him to believe this much. If nothing else, he needs to know they're gone. ]

[ostavil]

( Burning out all of HYDRA? Idealistic. Even if it's true and they're all out of SHIELD, they have to be skulking around somewhere even if their knowledge might not be the most useful unless it's the science side. He knows they'd be experimenting on him if they had the chance to get him. Still, she seems genuine, and he believes that she believes it and that's good enough for him. If she's duped, she's duped. )

You don't start barking at me in Russian and we're good. So you just got out? What the hell is happening? I know just enough to keep out of the way of the military because I don't want them jabbing needles into me. They did enough of that when I was the Winter Soldier.

( If she's got information, she's useful, and this isn't a wasteful use of his time. He could be looking for carbon arrows or having this conversation. This conversation is interesting enough to keep him engaged. )

[chuju]

[ Okay, so he probably doesn't believe her, but she gets it. It's not like she has proof of what she's saying. Honestly, she's lucky he didn't shoot her on the spot, throw a knife at her head, or any of the other hundred ways he probably knows how to kill her. Not that he would have succeeded, but still.

She shifts her stance, thinking for a moment, then clicks off the flashlight. Using it for too long is a risk they can't afford. Even though there doesn't seem to be anyone around, she lowers her voice as if worried they'll be overheard. ]

The government's getting desperate. It hasn't been announced publicly, but Inhumans are immune and they can't figure out how to use whatever we have to make a cure. We were cooperating, trying to help, but then they took one of us and— [ She can't say it. ] The rest of us ran.

[ostavil]

When you're not a willing guinea pig anymore you become a vivisection. I know the feeling. You probably never had clearance to anything on me other than the public stuff but if you did, you'd know HYDRA had their merry way with me when developing poisons and weapons. You got a place to stay?

( Her being Inhuman doesn't surprise him as much as it should. The world is fucking strange and he learned a long time ago that he wasn't the strangest thing in it. It makes sense that she'd be valuable real estate in a situation like this because she's not susceptible to all the shit that humans are. When desperate, humanity always turns tail to save itself. )

If not, you need to come with me. If I could find you, they can find you, and I'm not gonna have more blood on my hands if I can help it. You look like you can handle yourself if you managed to get out of there so you've got powers, I'm guessing? We didn't run into a lot of you back during my heyday with HYDRA.

[chuju]

[ It hurts to hear him talk even in broad terms about what was done to him by HYDRA. She hadn't been able to read all the reports she'd had access to, some of them hitting far too close to home. Even now, her stomach turns at the memories of what she does know of his experiences. ]

That's because HYDRA hunted us during the war. They nearly had my mom, and when she returned to our people, she made sure they stayed hidden and safe.

[ Speaking of Jiaying in any context is still like a knife twisting in her chest, grief aching within her like an open wound. Will it ever get easier? Will her mother's deaths ever stop haunting her? ]

But no, I don't have... anywhere. The plan was just to get out and then go from there.

[ostavil]

( He probably tried to kill her mother. It hurts, to think about, and then he pushes it to the side because the Winter Soldier never failed. There had never been an op he'd failed, a mission left undone. It's a small mercy that he hadn't been the one to go after her. He doesn't have time to crucify himself for things he hasn't done, though. He shifts a little, restless from being in the city so long, and shakes his head. )

You're lucky you ran into Bucky Barnes and not the Winter Soldier. Zimniy Soldat takes no risks for anyone. Bucky has a big bleeding heart and still believes in Santa Claus. It's a hike to get back to where I am and I've got too much shit to carry to carry you. If you can keep up, you can go.

( He's pretty sure he could sling her over his right arm along with his AK and still have room for more. He'd carry her if he had to but it's easier to pretend he doesn't care as much about another human being because if he's not invested, he loses nothing. )

[chuju]

[ If she can— Daisy bristles at the insinuation, having to remind herself that he has no idea who she is or what she's capable of. To him, she's just some random woman connected to the organization that ruined his life. He doesn't know she's SHIELD's top fighter, or that she's Quake, the freaking Destroyer of Worlds. But this isn't the time for that sort of introduction, so she'll let it slide this once. Her indignance does help her feel more like herself, though, and she finds herself able to treat him just like she would someone on her team. ]

Oh, I'll be just fine. But you let me know if you need me to slow down, old man. Wouldn't want you breaking a hip.

[ Is she poking fun at him? Maybe. Is it the smartest idea she's ever had? Probably not, but when has that ever stopped her. ]

[ostavil]

Breaking a hip? You know how much force it takes to break one of those? My bones are twice as dense as a human's. I'm not Mr. Fredericks at the nursing home that flirts with the pretty nurses. I'm designed to be a walking weapon.

( It does make him laugh though, a harsh bark of a laugh, and he wonders when the last time he laughed was. He hasn't had much to smile about since coming back to himself and certainly not with the state of the world as it is right now but this, this makes him laugh. )

You know about me because of SHIELD? Or is it that stupid museum exhibit they put together?

[chuju]

[ Maybe one day they'll compare walking weapon notes. He's designed for close combat and small range mass destruction and could withstand being hit by a truck, but she'd break every bone in her body tearing a continent apart. They were both made by scientists wanting weapons to fight their wars.

It's funny how much they have in common. And very, very sad. ]

Hey, that was a good exhibit. I knew about you before then, though. History class and internet searches. But then everything happened with HYDRA and... I learned the stuff most other people don't know.

[ She sounds apologetic as she says that last bit. It must be hard to live with that sort of thing hanging over you all the time. ]

[ostavil]

( Bucky sets a brisk pace so they can clear the hell out of what passes for civilization but he doesn't go so fast that they can't talk. It's probably a bad idea but he thinks that the military patrols are too stupid to be listening to them; the ones on the front lines aren't the smart ones most of the time. The infected can't understand them and their voices are low and soft in the dark. There's a flickering streetlamp, a relic of past civilization, and he skirts them carefully around it to avoid the weak light it puts off. )

Nice way to meet someone, really. You've got all the cards and I've got shit but a knife and a gun. I bet you know what grades I got on my report card in '33. I wanted to get all As but my tongue just couldn't get around French unless it was kissing so I got a B. Now you. You have to tell me something embarrassing about your private life.

( He doesn't know why he bothers except that he hasn't had human interaction for so long and he's missed it. In ways, it's been worse than being the soldier because at least he was brainwashed to only want the mission. Bucky wants more out of life and can't have it. )

[chuju]

[ Daisy keeps up with only a little effort, grateful he doesn't go full super soldier speed and leave her behind. She has a vague idea of where they are but she really hadn't thought through the next steps of where to go and what to do. Neither had Coulson, for once. The man who meant more to her than anyone else in the world had been so shaken at the thought of possibly losing her that his sole focus had been getting her out before they came for her too. He'd trusted she would be able to figure things out on her own, but she's pretty sure he'd be damned happy at who she lucked into helping her. ]

I didn't know that, actually. I had shitty grades in school because I spent my whole childhood bouncing between the orphanage and foster homes and school just never seemed very important when I was miserable and unwanted.

[ That's more sad than embarrassing, though, so she sighs and provides a more suitable addition. ]

Also, I cosplayed in front of Stark Tower once. [ And then, realizing he might not know what that meant: ] I dressed up as Iron Man.

[ostavil]

Tony Stark? Really? I should just leave you here. He tried to kill me, you know. Wasn't successful though because I'm still kicking it.

( The other piece is harder to address. He'd been poor but he had a good childhood with friends and family. To be alone in the world is something he only learned about as an adult, not a kid, and he's not sure he would have come out of something that vulnerable with his wits about him. Says something about strength. )

I don't think they'd put my grades on a history test so I don't think you missed anything. Sorry about...growing up. Sounds hard. But, you know what? People like us survive. You have it easy your whole life, you don't know what to do when everything falls to pieces.

[chuju]

[ She doesn't expect him to say anything about her childhood, so it's surprising when he does. There's the typical apology of not knowing what else to say in the face of something terrible but also awkward. But then he shifts it to something like a compliment and she isn't entirely sure what to do with that. ]

I think I would have rather not had HYDRA destroy my life and be less prepared for the world to go to shit, but I'm guessing you'd probably say the same thing.

[ There's no bitterness or anger there, though. She is angry about everything that was stolen from her, and she probably always will be, but if she hadn't gone through all she did, she wouldn't have ended up with SHIELD and the people who became closer than family. ]

[ostavil]

( There's a hole in the perimeter fence that he's been exploiting for a while now and he pulls the chain-link back enough that she can go through in front of him. He has the idea that if he's on her six, he can be more prepared to take on what assaults them than if he was running point. Or maybe he's a gentleman. Whatever. )

Stick to the shadows. Once we get out of here, it's safer, but we have to avoid the goons right now. And yeah, the people who have soft lives don't know how to make it work when the breaks get hard. Gotta worry more about infected out there, though.

( Infected are just target practice for him at this point and it's more to keep himself entertained. Now he has someone to protect so he's more worried about being attacked. Sure, they're probably both immune, but they can still get hurt. )

I was looking for arrows when I ran into you. You ever thought the great Bucky Barnes would be shooting a bow and arrow?

[chuju]

[ Daisy ducks through the gap in the chain-link, mindful of the size and weight of the bag on her back. It's not massively bulky but she'll still have to work to make sure it doesn't snag on anything while they're on the move. But so long as they don't get into any literally tight situations, it should be fine.

She gives him a sidelong glance, trying to picture the fierce Winter Soldier using a bow like freaking Legolas Greenleaf. The mental image alone is enough to have her biting her lip to hold back laughter. ]

Nope. [ There's no hiding the hint of a smile that sneaks through. ] But you know, it could be a good look for you.

[ostavil]

( Bucky huffs a quick laugh at that. It's not about the aesthetics at all but it does make a funny picture, him drawing a bow like he's Clint Barton, and there's a little tug at his conscience wondering whether or not Clint managed to get away from all this with his family or if they fell to it. He doesn't have time for reminiscing and guilt, though. If he starts it, the cycle will never end. )

It's for hunting. Bullets can only be used once but you can retrieve arrows. I thought it would be a worthwhile investment to get one. I've got the bow but wooden arrows would snap under the tension of a compound bow.

( They're clear of the perimeter now and it's just open fields which are both better and worse. No threat from humans but threat from infected. You're just trading your dangers. Still, she's immune so that's something. Bucky doesn't know if he is and he doesn't want to find out. )

All right. Just stick close out here and we should be fine. It's a bit of a hike to get back to the woods but I needed the cover and the ability to sleep off the ground.

[chuju]

[ Every laugh she manages to get out of him feels like a kind of major achievement like she's working toward earning a merit badge or something. It wouldn't surprise her if there are a lot of things like that with Bucky. After everything he's been through, turning into the human version of a feral cat is completely understandable.

Daisy checks to be sure her knife is still at her side as they reach open ground. If something comes at them, it'll be better to use the blade than her powers, given the state of... everything. She's staying close as instructed, trusting him without hesitation to know what he's doing out here, but she nearly stumbles at the mention of sleeping off the ground. In the woods.

Fuck. But she can't explain right now. And maybe it won't be a problem. Maybe, for once, her body won't betray her. It's not likely, but a girl can hope. Doing her best to push down the sudden spike of anxiety, she falls back on humor to get her through tough moments like this. ]

Wow, you really are trying to be Hawkeye. Using a bow and making a nest in a tree. You're lucky Barton's retired or he might be offended you're coming for his job.

[ostavil]

Trees are safe when your enemies can't climb. Infected are dumb, after all, which means you only have to worry about humans and let's be honest here. Do you think there's anyone out there that can kill me? I'm not being cocky, I'm being factual. It'd take someone with extensive training to even have a shot at it. It'd take Steve Rogers.

( God, he misses Steve with everything he has and he wishes he hadn't mentioned him because now he has to think about him. There's no time for it, though, so he rolls his neck a little to clear his head and he hears something so he holds up his fist and stops them. )

Wait here. It's probably an animal but I want to check it out. If I'm not back in three minutes, make for the woods.

[chuju]

Be careful.

[ Daisy wants desperately to argue, to point out she doesn't need to be taken care of this, that she can help, but she tamps down those instincts and forces herself to follow orders. Whether she likes it or not, her trips beyond the fences were with a team she trusted, and almost during the daylight. Now, she's literally in the dark and trying not to be noticed by either the living or the infected. It won't kill her to follow his lead for a while — but it might if she doesn't.

Still, she isn't completely helpless. As soon as he's on his way, she kneels to the ground, pressing a hand against the earth and stretching out her senses. Thanks to how empty the area is, it doesn't take much concentration to find the changes in vibration signaling something moving around out here. There's Bucky, but then there's something else. Something big, off in the distance. ]

[ostavil]

( It's infected, four, and that's less of a problem than people. Bucky doesn't like killing people even though they have shoot to kill orders on him because depopulating the human race is the last thing the world needs. There's no people out here, so he feels safe calling out to Daisy. )

Four. I can snipe them but it'll be loud. You wanna try to do it up close, walk around, or risk the noise of shooting them?

( He doesn't know what happens if he gets bitten and he doesn't want to know what a superpowered infected would look like so he's not about to risk it. Daisy, though, is a known immune. It makes it safe enough to get close since he doesn't have to worry as much about guarding her from every scratch. )

Ladies' choice.

[chuju]

[ Straightening up, Daisy beelines for him, following the sound of his voice and what she can make out in the darkness. With the city no longer creating so much light pollution, they have the night sky to see by, but clouds are less than helpful that evening. ]

We should do it close and quick. There's something big over there [ she gestures in the opposite direction ] and I don't think we want to draw its attention.

[ The group of four is moving closer, drawn by their voices, and she doesn't hesitate to pull out her knife and make for the nearest one. It's not the first infected she's killed. Far from it. The knife goes through the skull easily; she's had the practice to know how much force it needed to cut through bone. As she pulls the knife out again, she pushes back the thing that had once been a person so it falls away from her. ]