ostavil | seeking a friend for the end of the world

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daisy johnson

seeking a friend for the end of the world

( 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?

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( 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?

[ 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.

( 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.

[ 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.

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.

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. ]

( 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.

[ 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. ]

Edited 2023-01-21 22:25 (UTC)

( Bucky uses his arm as a shield against getting bitten and takes out two with his knife, leaving just the one that's moving toward Daisy. Fighting is something he's been bred and conditioned to all these years and he's glad it serves him now at the end of the world. He wishes he didn't have to fight anymore but he's glad he's alive. )

Heads up, last one's coming to you.

( She's efficient, at least, having already killed one, and it's better to let the immune person do cleanup than risk himself. He'd do it if Daisy wasn't capable - he's no coward - but she can more than handle killing a few infected. She broke out of containment, after all, and that says enough to him. )

[ Daisy turns to face the last one approaching, noting that Bucky's already taken out the others. It's good he's letting her help; things would get very tense if he suddenly decided she was a helpless damsel incapable of defending herself. Instead, she approaches the infected, meeting it halfway. A kick to the knee sends it sprawling to the ground, and its teeth click at her as she stabs her knife into its head. When she pulls it out, she wipes the gory blade onto the infected's dirty shirt before standing again. ]

We need to go. I couldn't tell what direction whatever it is was heading in.

[ A group of infected or people, most likely. Heavier than this. Bigger. And just because she's immune doesn't mean she can't be torn to pieces with teeth or bullets. ]

( It's clear she can sense something he can't and Bucky is willing to defer to the abilities of an Inhuman over his own (albeit amplified) human ones. He adjusts his pack and re-sheathes his knife before setting a faster pace than before. He doesn't want Daisy running after him, no, but they need to get a move on before whatever it is gets the drop on them and they're at a massive disadvantage. )

Should be all right once we hit the trees. We have about three miles, more or less, but they're in the complete opposite direction from whatever it is that you felt.

( Bucky hasn't ever let anyone or anything into his base but Daisy is reliable and he wants to protect her, especially if the government is gonna drain her dry looking for a cure that might not even be possible for a baseline human. He's had that done to him by HYDRA more than once and she's an Inhuman; her people have had plenty of run-ins with the worst of humanity. The wind shifts a little and it's cold against his skin. )

A few more weeks and you'd have been up shit creek because we'd start getting ice and snow. Makes it harder to get out. That's why I'm making so many runs right now because I know it'll be harder to make them once the weather turns. Never met Coulson but he seems like one of the good ones if he gave you a head start.

[ Three miles of hiking among the infected. Sounds like a real picnic after hiking through miles of city with roaming soldiers. Plus, it smells better out here with all the fresh air. It'll be the first time she's smelled an actual tree in... months.

That wind cuts through her clothes and she flinches at the sudden cold, hurrying to zip up her leather jacket. She hadn't thought of the fact that it's nearing winter and she's really not prepared for it. Just the thought of the impending weather shift is enough to make her anxious. ]

He's the best. But I'm biased — he's the closest thing I have to a father.

( Her bag is just one bag and Bucky knows that everything he needs to survive doesn't fit in one bag. Sure, he could pare it down, but living comfortably is something different than just surviving. He'd like to be comfortable if he has to live his life at the end of the world. )

Hard loss, then. Everyone I've ever loved has been dead for decades. I guess it makes it easier when you're used to being alone to be alone again. You're the first person I've talked to in about a year, I think.

( He doesn't hear anything but the crunch of leaves and grass along with their voices and that's good. Whatever she'd heard earlier isn't after them, hopefully. )

And the last one was one of those sniveling weasels they post on perimeter duty. Traded him drugs for bullets. He was not a beautiful woman. You're already better company.

[ His little compliment earns him a glance, though she doesn't say anything about it. Her thoughts are caught on something he'd said before, unable to escape until she untangles the snag. Crossing her arms, she hunches her shoulders against the chill and pretends it isn't also an attempt to hide from her own traumatic past. ]

Being used to being alone doesn't make it easier. You just convince yourself you don't feel the loneliness.

[ She speaks quietly and from experience. A whole lot of it. ]

( She has a point about not feeling the loneliness after a while but now isn't the time to discuss it. They've covered a good bit of distance, though, and once in the woods, Bucky points out a stream. )

Next time you come in and out of here, you'll need to remember the way. This stream leads straight to my camp. Just follow the water and you'll get there, all right? You don't look new at this, or anything, but we also don't have tech to help us.

( Mobile phones had been useful pieces of tech before the world went to shit and all the networks collapsed to just the one the military uses. If there were any towers left, it'd be worth finding one, but there's not. It's better to just use short-wave radio. )

I've got radio at my place. I'm dialed into the military's frequency so I can hear all their shit. I've got a pair of handhelds too. I picked them up on the off chance I had someone else show up. And hey, here you are.

[ No, she's not entirely new to this, but without technology to help her... Well, she's not sure how Coulson thought she would actually manage to survive out here on her own. He's always said she's capable of more than she imagined but this might be taking it to the extreme. ]

Here I am...

[ She murmurs the acknowledgment as she tries to commit their surroundings to memory. It isn't easy — for someone who has been good at recognizing patterns and differences her whole life, each tree and rock looks exactly the same as the last one. To mask her growing anxiety, she keeps the conversation focused on Bucky. ]

How long have you been out here?

Two years? Three? It's hard to keep count. I basically took my go bag and came out here the second it started spreading. I knew they'd be after me to poke needles and do tests. They always do.

( Daisy has done nothing but confirm that, too, because she'd run away because they were killing Inhumans to try and see if they could engineer a cure from their bodies. He doesn't want anyone trying to do that to him. There's a twinge of pain, too, because he wants to rescue them. Those people are innocent and they did nothing except be immune to this bullshit but this isn't the time to play a hero. He's not Steve and that's why he's alive. )

I try to keep away from people. Easier to stay away from infected if you're not in a populated area to begin with and I'm not tangling with the military. I can fight them, sure, but I'd rather not. It's messy and I don't like messy. You landed in my lap, though, and I'm a gentleman. I wasn't gonna leave you out there. ( He pauses for a moment and when he speaks again his voice is soft. )

I get soft when it comes to women and children. It's a weakness.

[ So he's been out here since the beginning. That's... She can't even fathom what it must have been like for him. After being kept from society for so long, he'd finally gotten close to real freedom, and now he's had to find it out here in the wild. Alone.

He doesn't deserve it. None of them do, but him least of all. ]

It's only a weakness if people use it against you. [ Her words are quiet, though she doesn't worry he won't hear them. ] I won't do that. If I become a risk to you, I won't take advantage. I'll leave.

[ Honestly, she might do leave anyway. Take just enough time to get her bearings and then go on her way. If she stays, she'll just end up a burden to him, and she's not willing to do that. ]

You won't risk me. You clearly have enough training to get out of a government facility undetected and I found you without you tripping any perimeter guards so you're not helpless. You've got powers, I'm assuming, so that puts you on more than an even playing field. I'm not worried about you holding me back.

( He shifts his pack and shows her a tree with a deep slash in it. The underbrush is clear here and this is the turnoff to his camp. It's just a little ways ahead and when he gets into view of it, he shines his flashlight. )

Home sweet home. Sleep off the ground and the infected can't get you because they're stupid and I can snipe the military. We'll get you settled in and get you better weapons. I've got plenty you can pick from. Having you here means I can get twice the supplies when I do runs. It's not a bad thing.

[ He says that now, but will he still say it if she loses control of her powers? Just the idea of sleeping off the ground has her anxious. One good nightmare and she could send the entire thing crashing to the ground if they're not careful. It's not as if she doesn't have a dozen on constant rotation. ]

I'll help however I can for as long as I can.

[ He's not wrong about her abilities, powered or otherwise. She's more than capable of defending herself against humans or infected. But the second she becomes more hindrance than help... Taking a deep breath, she lets it out in a heavy, tired sigh. ]

I don't think I've said it enough: Thank you.

Hey, you're doing me a favor. I'm used to talking to trees for company. A person is definitely an improvement over a tree and you're a pretty good person to keep company with. Besides, you're full of knowledge I don't have so you can give me intel.

( Bucky grins at her then and tries to see if she's bought it. It's hardly the whole reason he wants her to stick around. He is lonely and he thinks she's useful and resourceful. If you're going to have someone around for the end of the world, Daisy Johnson seems to be a pretty good person. He doesn't think his judgment's off on this. )

And I can teach you how to hunt and fish. Isn't that exciting? Did you ever go camping as a kid? Because now you get the full Bucky Barnes experience.

I guess I've been pretty spoiled living in the quarantine zone. We've lost people and the government's ruled with a pretty iron fist, but I still had my team. I wasn't alone.

[ Could she have survived alone for as long as he had? She wants to brush off the idea because of course she would, but deep down she knows it would be the worst thing for her. Being truly alone and fighting for her life would bring back every horrible thing she's ever experienced. She would lose herself in all that pain out here.

It's a wonder he's managed it after all he's been through. Forcing a small smile, she loops back to the question he'd asked. ]

But no, I never went camping as a kid. The grand total of what I know about the great outdoors is from SHIELD's basic survival training, which I mostly skimmed just to pass the test. I never thought I'd be in a position to need it.

[ The one time she hadn't learned the material forwards and backward, and it's come back supremely bite her in the ass. It figures. ]

( The Quarantine Zone does have more people in it, true, but there's rationing there and he can eat as much as he wants here. Even if they wouldn't lock him up to run test after test, Bucky's fairly certain he'd be starving to death on rations. His metabolism just sucks up too much for him to function on so little food. When she says she hasn't ever been camping and just has basic survival training, he shakes his head. )

It's fine. I can teach you what you need to know. I didn't even know they had SHIELD agents do survival training but I guess field operatives would need to know it even if the paper pushers never did. I'm still wrapping my head around the idea that SHIELD isn't HYDRA anymore and I can trust them. Well. Trust you. And that Coulson guy you mentioned.

( Anyone who would risk his ass to bust someone out of the QZ is good people and, besides, he'd heard about Coulson from Steve even if that feels like a thousand years ago. He's glad Steve's not here to see all this. He doesn't know if his optimism would have remained if the world got this bad and a broken Steve is something no one needs to see. )

[ The rationing had been hard, though she would never openly admit it. Her metabolism is nothing like Bucky's, though being active means she's a bit thinner than she used to be, but the real trouble was the memories. She hadn't starved at the orphanage, but there was never extra, and she'd survived in the years after she'd left it, though some times were harder than others. It all made her more frugal when she'd finally earned a steady income with SHIELD. She'd accumulated good savings before the world ended; it's too bad money doesn't mean all that much anymore. ]

You know, he would be so excited to meet you. Coulson's always been a big history buff, especially when it comes to SHIELD and the SSR. He used to talk about the Howling Commandos all the time.

[ Back before they'd had other things to occupy their every waking moment. HYDRA, aliens, the end of the world... They hadn't been able to catch a break. ]

( Bucky smirks a little, tossing his head. The idea of someone being excited to meet him is novel, considering most of the time when he meets people they end up dead. There was a little while when it wasn't the case, a time when he wasn't the machine, but now he's back to killing people. Never civilians though. He's not like the hunters who rove around and steal from those who don't have it to give to begin with. No, he'll never be like that. He's just a loner. )

My war stories from then were pretty good though I didn't have as many about the rest of the guys than you'd think. I was a sniper. I spent most of my time up in a nest shooting people from far away and not on the ground in the action. I knew those guys, though, and they were good people. All of them. I miss them.

( He gestures to the ladder he has set up. He'd do stairs but Infected can get up stairs so it's a ladder. He can't really get hurt so much that he can't walk so it's convenient enough for him and Daisy seems to be in good shape. )

Go on up. I've got some food up there if you're hungry.

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