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[ Steve's got some of his clothes from Concordia in place of the space pajamas provided by the Station. When Petre arrives he'll find Steve wrapping his knuckles with tape, he pauses for a second to lift his head, nodding in acknowledgement. ]
This is a friendly bout, right? [ Petre's still a kid, after all. ]
This is a friendly bout, right? [ Petre's still a kid, after all. ]
Rogers.
[A whisper at the back of his skull. Dark and eager and oh so familiar.]
[A whisper at the back of his skull. Dark and eager and oh so familiar.]
Works for me. Should lay a few more ground rules first - how you wanna call it? [ Each round. Are they going for hits, pins? ]
[ Oh. Hmm. His lips part as he thinks quickly - ]
First guy to lose their footing and fall flat loses. Best outta five. [ Cocking his head to the side. ] And we're keeping it clean.
[ No crotch shots.
How's that sound? ]
First guy to lose their footing and fall flat loses. Best outta five. [ Cocking his head to the side. ] And we're keeping it clean.
[ No crotch shots.
How's that sound? ]
Sure? Sounds kinda stupid, but I guess it's easy enough.
[ He takes off his jacket, tosses it aside, and assumes some kind of undisciplined fighting stance. Without fighting dirty, and holding himself back, Petre doesn't have the right technique to know what to do. ]
[ He takes off his jacket, tosses it aside, and assumes some kind of undisciplined fighting stance. Without fighting dirty, and holding himself back, Petre doesn't have the right technique to know what to do. ]
[ At first just angry. She has been angry for days, that much is not so surprising, but it raises an octave, becomes piercing and more difficult to ignore. Then she is fighting, obvious from the heartbeat of thud-thud-thud-thud-thud, her body buffeted, her swings in kind. Anger rising, painful to be in contact with, like touching a live wire.
But then something changes. An inhaled breath, a moment's tense silence-- until she is on fire. There are flames on her skin, the heat of it blossoms across her breastbone, and everything recognizable that is Ilde goes dark. Replaced with screaming, and the laughing murmurs of a deep masculine voice. Perhaps the screaming is hers? It doesn't sound like a human noise. ]
But then something changes. An inhaled breath, a moment's tense silence-- until she is on fire. There are flames on her skin, the heat of it blossoms across her breastbone, and everything recognizable that is Ilde goes dark. Replaced with screaming, and the laughing murmurs of a deep masculine voice. Perhaps the screaming is hers? It doesn't sound like a human noise. ]
[ Sam's mind doesn't so much as press at Steve's as just... rustle against it, a little, like a warm breeze tugging at Steve's hair. A very quiet I'm here if you need me and will you let me in? ]
It's not stupid. [ Steve takes on a defensive stance, weight centered and fists raised to block. ] What if you're somewhere you can't use your powers? Or if you've gotta take someone down without hurting them?
[ Not an unreasonable situation, given the missions they've had so far. ]
[ Not an unreasonable situation, given the missions they've had so far. ]
[ His mind goes tense, relaxing after a few seconds, but the attention that turns to Sam is murky, shrouded by a heavy curtain. ]
( I should talk to Ilde. ) [ He hasn't tried to yet. Doesn't know how. ]
( I should talk to Ilde. ) [ He hasn't tried to yet. Doesn't know how. ]
( I don't know if she's in a talking mood. But she might like your company, when she comes back out. ) [ From where ever she is, hiding from them all, a distant drumbeat of pain. Sam worries a little, what'll happen when she mingles among the rest of them again, but that's a concern for the future. ]
( What about you? )
( What about you? )
No, but - [ a pause, shaking his head ] - can't say it won't happen on the next mission.
[ They never know what's coming next, better to be prepared for anything. ]
[ They never know what's coming next, better to be prepared for anything. ]
[ He hovers on Sam's suggestion about Ilde, thoughtful, coming to a conclusion of wordless agreement. There's nothing he can offer her right now, but if it takes her too long to come out of this... ]
( I won't miss Ren more than this thing makes me. ) [ His thoughts taste bitter. ] ( Him and Hux were no better than the guys we're fighting back home. )
( I won't miss Ren more than this thing makes me. ) [ His thoughts taste bitter. ] ( Him and Hux were no better than the guys we're fighting back home. )
[ The agreement's met with a sense of acknowledgement of Sam's own. He'll be there when she emerges, too, though he's a hell of a lot less sure she'll want his company. Sam never quite knows where he stands with her - one minute they're sharing world experiences and the next she's scolding him about his role in the Nest.
He isn't surprised by that first comment, but there's a flicker of it at the second. Sam'd known Ren was... a lot, and he couldn't imagine having him for a broodmate, but as bad as Nazis and Hydra? ]
( I only ever saw Ren when he was angry and vulnerable. ) [ There's a brief hesitation, but because it's Steve, he goes for it. ] ( Is it better without him in there, even with the emptiness? )
He isn't surprised by that first comment, but there's a flicker of it at the second. Sam'd known Ren was... a lot, and he couldn't imagine having him for a broodmate, but as bad as Nazis and Hydra? ]
( I only ever saw Ren when he was angry and vulnerable. ) [ There's a brief hesitation, but because it's Steve, he goes for it. ] ( Is it better without him in there, even with the emptiness? )
[ Learning about Hux's past was a shock of cold water, and knowing that Ren was involved in the same outfit that murdered countless people - neither of them deserved sympathy. There wasn't any justification for those choices.
(the symbiote demands otherwise, and he reels against it, locking down)
A pause. Indecision, and the frustration with that. ]
( I don't have to fight him anymore. ) [ A flash of shame for the admission, there and gone. He's got more blood and sweat to lose, but there's more to lose than that within their broods, the entirety of the Nest. ]
(the symbiote demands otherwise, and he reels against it, locking down)
A pause. Indecision, and the frustration with that. ]
( I don't have to fight him anymore. ) [ A flash of shame for the admission, there and gone. He's got more blood and sweat to lose, but there's more to lose than that within their broods, the entirety of the Nest. ]
[ Steve's opinion makes there makes Sam reconsider a little. It's not like he's gotta dislike someone just because Steve does - hell, he'd known already that Steve hadn't gotten along with Ren - but this... there are very few people whose opinion Sam respects or whose judgement Sam trusts as much as Steve's.
He can feel Steve's indecision, his frustration, but it's the shame that pulls at him. ]
( It's okay to feel that way, you know? To not be upset that he's gone. It's... ) [ There's a pause, then he admits, ] ( I struggle with it, too. I've always chosen who I trust, and I don't want it to be because the symbiote makes me feel like I should, because it ties me to them. )
He can feel Steve's indecision, his frustration, but it's the shame that pulls at him. ]
( It's okay to feel that way, you know? To not be upset that he's gone. It's... ) [ There's a pause, then he admits, ] ( I struggle with it, too. I've always chosen who I trust, and I don't want it to be because the symbiote makes me feel like I should, because it ties me to them. )
[There's a hole in the back of Bucky's mind where Steve should be, the absence more apparent when he and Sam fight, when he runs, when the programming tries to burn him out of his own skin. He misses the gentle presence of Steve in his mind, a younger Steve with brighter eyes than Bucky can remember. The hole only grows the longer Steve is asleep and Bucky finds himself wondering if Steve will ever wake up.
The moment he feels that connection slide back into place, Bucky finds himself drawn to follow the glowing thread. Steve. Steve's awake. Steve isn't asleep on the nesting deck on the Station, trapped behind glass no one can break through. Steve, who is now almost alone in his brood, but he has Sam and Bucky and Bucky's pushing through the crowd as fast as he can, heart pummeling against his throat.
He spots the familiar silhouette of the blonde and reaches out mentally, though clumsy and too heavy-handed.]
( Steve. )
The moment he feels that connection slide back into place, Bucky finds himself drawn to follow the glowing thread. Steve. Steve's awake. Steve isn't asleep on the nesting deck on the Station, trapped behind glass no one can break through. Steve, who is now almost alone in his brood, but he has Sam and Bucky and Bucky's pushing through the crowd as fast as he can, heart pummeling against his throat.
He spots the familiar silhouette of the blonde and reaches out mentally, though clumsy and too heavy-handed.]
( Steve. )
[ There's a need to stretch his legs, one that's not well satisfied by the Waypoint given the intensity of the crowds. He'd have a better time back up at the Station if he wanted to go for a jog without having to stop every ten seconds, or veer out of the way of an eight foot lizardman that decided to stop in the middle of the walkway. But he's not really looking for exercise either, he still hasn't decided where he's headed next when -
his name hits him like whiplash, the familiar voice out of nowhere sends his heart jumping into his throat as he turns toward the sound, gaze scanning the crowd for the face of his friend. ]
( Buck - ) [ There's a grin in his tone, a warmth that permeates cool, metal shields and a rolling wave of sun-warmed skin, the first breeze after a heatwave - he squeezes his way through the crowd, offering apologies over his shoulder. ]
his name hits him like whiplash, the familiar voice out of nowhere sends his heart jumping into his throat as he turns toward the sound, gaze scanning the crowd for the face of his friend. ]
( Buck - ) [ There's a grin in his tone, a warmth that permeates cool, metal shields and a rolling wave of sun-warmed skin, the first breeze after a heatwave - he squeezes his way through the crowd, offering apologies over his shoulder. ]
[Bucky might apologize later, but right now he's focused on practically climbing through the crowd, holding tight to the mental connection tying them together. His shields drop to minimal, barely more than snowdrifts as Steve's warmth spreads into his mind. He doesn't realize their proximity until he's pushing past another tentacled creature and landing almost on top of the blonde.
Nothing can stop the grin that immediately brightens Bucky's face, even as he gets an elbow to the back. Maybe stopping in the middle of the walkway isn't a great idea.
Words don't come easy, haven't for a while, so Bucky pours emotion through the link instead, how much he's missed the bright presence of his friend, relief at his awakening, and a touch of fear that curls about his spine.]
Nothing can stop the grin that immediately brightens Bucky's face, even as he gets an elbow to the back. Maybe stopping in the middle of the walkway isn't a great idea.
Words don't come easy, haven't for a while, so Bucky pours emotion through the link instead, how much he's missed the bright presence of his friend, relief at his awakening, and a touch of fear that curls about his spine.]
[ Both hands land on Bucky's shoulders to steady him as the crowd jostles around them. Not an easy task keeping both feet planted on the ground when his friend's wordless greeting permeates his senses in that moment so that he can't tell up from down. There's a lot they hide from each other, or tried to hide from each other, but right now he lets his mind remain open, shields down, reverberating emotions humming along his skin. He lets out a short, breathless laugh, ignoring the crowd pushing at their sides to wrap his arms around Bucky, clapping his back and swallowing hard, riding the elation and letting the touch of fear echo in his chest - a quiet, wordless acknowledgment of the something similar if not shared. A century could have passed in the time that he slept, the same fate as the stranger in the glass coffin, sleeping deep in the Station's belly.
A huff. ]
- glad to be back. [ His voice is more rough than he'd like. ]
A huff. ]
- glad to be back. [ His voice is more rough than he'd like. ]
[Steve's disorientation isn't easily ignored over the link and Bucky tries to pull himself back mentally, but finds himself spilling more instead. A quiet kick in his gut for overloading Steve, for still not being good at this despite training with Sam. He's distracted as he remembers to return the hug, curling his one arm about Steve, so unabashedly relieved at his friend's return.
The depth to Steve's voice, the rough edges, reminds him of the 2016 Steve, but his arm reaches around too much of Steve for him to be bigger.]
Want a hotdog? [To get out of the crowd, to get something in Steve's stomach after his long sleep.]
The depth to Steve's voice, the rough edges, reminds him of the 2016 Steve, but his arm reaches around too much of Steve for him to be bigger.]
Want a hotdog? [To get out of the crowd, to get something in Steve's stomach after his long sleep.]
[ In this case, he doesn't mind being overwhelmed. A direct link to Bucky's mind hasn't always made connecting or understanding easier, sometimes the direct opposite. Right now, it feels like welcome relief. Bucky's presence is wanted, more than Steve's mouth could ever form the words around, and his grip on the connection only wavers once Bucky speaks, his attention returning to their surroundings again. ]
And a cold beer. [ He disentangles himself from Bucky, cocking his head with a half grin and a silent lead the way. Both hands shove into his pockets. ] You taking part in the dog and pony show? [ The competition. ]
And a cold beer. [ He disentangles himself from Bucky, cocking his head with a half grin and a silent lead the way. Both hands shove into his pockets. ] You taking part in the dog and pony show? [ The competition. ]
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