CAPTAIN AMERICA *

on a normal day, in a normal world, steve wouldn’t have thought twice before writing off the statement as a joke. yet, chaos and nonsensical proclamations were apparently the world they were in more. “didn’t he put out some sort of statement about that? saying something about the money having his face on it... which i guess shouldn’t be much of a surprise.” he mused, already tired of it all. of course the little things, like the type of currency use and colors allowed, they seemed harmless. but he knew how quickly that could escalate. “i’d also avoid the color red, if i were you.”

“honestly, I don’t know how much this guy is going to let me get creative.” he sighed, looking at the new captain latveria suit doctor doom had given him. it was unsettling, the hold the dictator had over this place went against everything steve believed in and fought for. he didn’t want to wear this, to play along in this whole sham. yet, they didn’t have anywhere else to go. their powers were suppressed and robotic versions of doom were everywhere. “i thought we lucked out when we were out of the jungle, but this - it doesn’t feel right.”

steve truly wished he had an argument for his friend, he wanted to say that the truth had to still matter – but things weren’t that simple right now. “in this place? maybe not.” he half-heartedly admitted. living under a dictator didn’t sit well with him. it went against everything he normally stood for, against freedom and the rights all people should have. but there was no war to fight, and for the safety of everyone, it seemed they had to go along with it until an opportunity arose. “we need to be careful where we say it but… you see what’s wrong around here, right?” there was no way everyone else could be okay with this. “you doing okay for yourself here, though?”

“It’s always something, I’m done trying to make sense of the world we live in.” Clint just knows that this was his new normal, and would be more surprised if there was a single day that goes by where nothing unusual occurred. Why not hallucinations? “You telling me there.’s someone or something in the jungle out there doing this? I’d go with you, but I should probably stay with my kids. They’re not handling the nightmares as well as I AM.” Which is expected, but doesn’t want them to be alone. He pauses for a moment, and his gaze looks back up to Steve. “Stay safe little there, alright?” He has lost enough friends in his lifetime. The archer can agree since it was a risk eating any of the fruit out there. “It’s moments like this that make me wish pizza grew on trees. I’ll take the meat over unknown fruit any day — would be our luck to eat something toxic.”

“you’re telling me. i don’t think the world has made a lot of sense to me since the day i came out of the ice. certain things, maybe – but hashtags and magic prehistoric jungles? i don’t know about all that.” his shoulders shrugged, a sigh on his lips. he didn’t know what was causing the nightmares and hallucinations, but he knew it wasn’t all just a coincidence. “something has to be doing it, right? i don’t know what or where but... something.” it wasn’t much of an answer, he knew, but it was all he had. steve offered an understanding nod, he couldn’t imagine what it must be like for the kids trying to get by here or how they were affected, but he knew clint’s family would be his first priority. he respected that. “of course, and if there’s anything you need here, just let me know, alright?” despite it all, they were still a team, after all. “no glory in getting sick or worse over the mystery berries. give me a bit, i’ll bring you in some meat, see if i can get some extra for the kids too.”

erik was still completely unwell after his encounter with his own demons in his mind. he didn’t want to call it a nightmare, finding that word was particularly used for children and parents who wished to scare them. he wanted to clear his mind nonetheless, and thus decided to take a walk. he came across a man who was vigorously exercising and watched him with a raised brow. “i have slept through worse noises, no you did not wake me.” he responded stepping over to greet him. “do you believe that there is something out there more than prehistoric creatures and flora that wishes to eat you?”

the controlled movements of his fists against the tree slowed, one hand dropping to his side while he swiped the other across his there to wipe away the barely-there drops of sweat. steve’s attention turned to the other man as he did so, his head already nodding in recognition. “i’d say hopefully but if we did find something, there’s no guarantee it’d be anything good.” he paused, his shoulders shrugging as he thought it over. “there’s a lot that’s not right about this place and i don’t think i’ll find any answers here. besides, if there is something out there, i can’t say i’m much of a fan of letting it find me first.”

It doesn’t help knowing everyone was suffering  from these nightmare like visions in their sleep.  He just grows more worried about his loved ones — friends and family. Clint does what’s best to push his own to the side, focusing on everyone else first. “It would seem that way. What’s going on?” He signs as his body leans back against the chair he had been sitting in. Clint observes his friend’s expressions trying to figure out what he was feeling. “Just my luck, but it’s alright. Now you’re talking — haven’t eaten in, well, AN ENTIRE DAY?”

“i wish i knew.” steve admitted honestly, unsure of what was really going on. he couldn’t fathom what this place was doing to them now, what the result would be, or what would come next. “all i can really figure is that it can’t be a coincidence, happening to everyone at once. i think they’re putting together a search party to track the source, i think i’ll join.” that was the one thing that made sense, something he could handle. but he didn’t want to dwell on it, or force his friend to remember the nightmares he was likely trying to lock away. “i get it. the dinosaur meat is a little tough but hey, i’ll take over anything over whatever mystery berried end up being found today.”

“I don’t want to talk about it. I’m fine.” Clint pinches the bridge of his nose, and decides to further ignore the nightmare from the previous night. His gaze turns to look at who was in the room with him. The worst imaginable already became a reality — something lived through for five long dreadful years. He didn’t need his brain to remind him of what it felt like, but going back to sleep wasn’t an option anymore. “I hope you’re having a better morning than me. I could really use a cup of coffee — an entire pot actually.”

he was restless – even a super soldier needed rest, but steve felt as though he hadn’t slept at all. the nightmares were too realistic, and he’d quickly deduced that he wasn’t the only one affected. rubbing the sleeplessness from his own eyes, he looked to clint. “from what i can tell, i don’t think anyone is having a good morning.” he admitted. he had no intention to pry information from the other, he could only imagine. “unfortunately, i think this place is running pretty low on coffee, so i can’t be much help there.” he sighed, “but i could get you some roast dinosaur.”

hearing the smashing of a trunk outside while she was resting in her room with kate, america was sure it was a dino on it’s way. she immediately walked out the room and made her way out towards the noise ready to fight, her guard immediately down when seeing it was a person. she was impressed. she wondered why she never thought to practice on a tree before. though she never really practiced anyway, she was strong. “me? no, i was already up. i’d be glad to come along.”

every hit he’d placed on the tree was calculated, a certain place, angle, force and restraint behind it. steve knew he could hit hard, that was never a problem, but there was more to strength than just having it, it was knowing how to use it. he turned at the voice, able to recognize her as one of the newer people brought in from another reality. he tried not to think too hard on that. “great – i’d appreciate the company, besides, you never know what you’ll find in this place. aside from dinosaurs.” he mused before offering his hand out to her. “steve rogers.”

what even was sleep at this point? wade wasn’t sure that he’d gotten a good night’s sleep in… well, years. his mind never stopped running a mile a minute. never gave him a break – a moment of peace. but hey, that was life. it was this or death, and for ellie, he’d always choose living. “nope,” wade replies, mask covering his face as he walks outside, already in his suit despite how early it was. “bit of an insomniac, personally. what are we searchin’ for, old man?” he asks, raising a brow. "i got my guns, so… if you want me to come with, i will. not like i got much better to do.” a brief pause for a moment before he shrugs his shoulders. “you’d be the first person to actually want me to accompany them somewhere.” he snorts.

he looked to wade, arms dropping slightly in front of him to unwrap the tape from around his fists. he knew of deadpool, admittedly, he didn’t understand him a whole lot but steve wasn’t one to judge. as long as he was there and trying to help in whatever way worked for him, that was what mattered. he gave a nod in acknowledgement before answering, “aside from the usual with food and resources? any sort of clues, i guess.” steve was a pretty bright guy, a soldier. he was strategic, he could work his way around a fight, no matter who it was with, but the rest of this, being thrown into new and unknown lands, he just had to try to keep up. “i don’t think we all ended up here in the first place by accident, and if someone’s pulling strings, there’s got to be trace of them somewhere.” he explained, a shrug on his shoulders as he looked to wade. “we’re all here, may as well work together.”

There was a soft yawn filling the air as the boy walked out of the compound — feet stepping toward the sounds he heard. RJ rubs at his eyes for a moment, pulling his hand back to his side looking up at Steve. It was much too early in his opinion, but he was HERE. “No, you didn’t. I woke up on my own. No need to worry, Uncle Steve.” His eyes look at the tree for a moment, but the idea of good on a little journey sounds FUN. “It sounds like an adventure! Do you think that it would be okay if I came with you? I’ll make sure to tell my DAD first. Who knows what we’ll find out there?“

his movements slowed as he recognized the voice that had approached him, eventually causing him to drop his fists and turn to face him a nod and small smile. he hadn’t known of rj for very long, but he had an idea of the situation now – and was grateful that his friends seemed happy. “early riser?” he asked with a raised brow. his lips twitched in a grin as his thoughts momentarily went to the trouble he and bucky would get into when they were younger – the thought of anyone asking his friend for permission for anything now was enough to make him chuckle. “it’s me, and you’re an adult, right? i don’t think buck will mind but if it makes you feel better, go ahead.” it was respectful, at least, something he’d noticed lacking in some of other young adults back in the modern world. “as for what we’ll find.. probably dinosaurs, but hopefully some food or answers about this place.”

crimson: how passionate is your muse about the things they love most?

steve can be quiet and reserved in nature, seemingly stoic – but when he cares for something or someone, he loves fully and deeply and without hesitation. he’s passionate about his beliefs, his morals, and the people around around him. once he’s made up his mind about something, what he feels is right, he’s difficult to sway and he’ll do whatever it takes to ensure that the right thing is done.

frost blue: does your muse enjoy the snow and cold? or are they the type to enjoy summer more?

as much as he enjoys a good summer day, he would have to choose the snow and cold – for the same reason he would choose the rain. there’s something peaceful about staying in and enjoying the sound of rain hitting the roof or the serene feeling that accompanies the sight of fresh fallen snow. well, at least at first and depending on where he is. growing up in brooklyn, snow could be a real pain, but he’s since grown an appreciation for it in the right setting.

raspberry: what food and/or drink can your muse not get enough of? do they indulge in it often, or is it something reserved for special occasions?

“he’s fine. i got him patched up. something about the rain shorting out his suit, i think.” burns were no joke, and christine had seen some severe ones while working in the ER. she had seen at all, and there was very little that she had yet to see. “well, i’m glad i can be of assistance.” she hoped that the rain was the only extreme weather they’d see out here, but there was the potential for so much worse. their current location was unpredictable, and no one knew what else could be lurking. “you’re right. i do worry about resources. it’s limited out here, and part of me is terrified we’ll run out.” christine nodded. “yes, of course. i ran the ER at metro general, and i assume that could be a similar idea. i think combining resources is a great way to tell what we have, and we can keep stock of everything. each time someone uses something, they have to mark it down so we can track what we use.”

he nodded in some sort of understanding – knowing it was best not to question the technicalities of scott’s suit. steve could be considered a pretty smart guy in many areas, but he knew it was best to leave and science and mechanics to stark and the other geniuses in the group. “as far as resources go, unfortunately, i think running out is inevitable. but in the meantime, we can figure out what this place provides that could replace them. maybe there’s something like aloe that’d be good for burn, or – honestly it’s not my area of expertise.” he rubbed the back of his neck, unsure about where to go from there. “but i trust you and the others to be able to do whats best.” and that was true, he may not have known christine well but he could tell she was intelligent and would make the right sort of calls. “that’s smart, tracking things like that. i would talk to reed and stark, they’re probably more help than i am with it.”

natasha pats his leg with a small laugh. “ well, i’m glad to know i’m still the scariest avenger. i’ll wear the honor proudly. “ she shakes her head. yeah, he’s probably right. fine is a relative term here. is anyone here actually fine? “ steve…if i had a peanut butter sandwich i’d throw it at you right now. don’t worry. “ of course she says that knowing it’s not going to help much. when it came to her friends and teammates she’ll always worry. they both have the quality of caring too much when it comes to the right people. “ you’re using my trick… how ‘bout you go rest first. “ she sighs, relaxing a bit more. “ or…how about you update me on everything that’s going on in the life of steve rogers—before all of this dinosaur crap. “ it’s her failed attempt at trying to catch up on what she’s missed in her friend’s lives after she left.

there was a twinge of warmth and nostalgia in the smile pulling at his lips as she threatened him with food. his gaze cast down for a minute, debating if he could find the right words to explain that these memories were exactly why he did what he did. she was too good of a friend and he wasn’t sure he could go through that sort of loss again. “i’ll always worry, you know. pretty sure that’s half the reason i’m here, that and the pep talks.” he chuckled quietly before shaking her head. “i was retired, i’m plenty rested, i promise.” it was at least half true, he’d had more time than anyone else between world saving, now he was just putting in overtime. “before all the dinosaur crap? kept my word – had a life, got old, retired. then the world was going to end and i let them de-age me. got to make sure everyone else gets to have a life too, because you deserve it.” he clarified, looking to natasha. “speaking of which, i think i heard something about you and bucky?”

“𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐲, but i don’t think punching dinosaurs is 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 a good idea. but if you’re serious about that, we better get ready to 𝙧𝙪𝙣 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙡,” bucky chuckled as he looked over at his friend, pausing for a moment to think about steve’s crossword reference. “carnivore,” he replied after, smiling. there had been many days during his visits with steve that they’d played scrabble or done crossword puzzles, at least to the point where he got pretty good at them. “yeah, yeah, i hear you – let’s get the hell out of here. i have a full clip but who knows if i’ll be able to do 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐞 to that thing.” he said, 𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 the room for a way to get out. “think we’ll fit through that window?” he raised a brow.

“can’t say we haven’t punched worse, though.” steve offered a half shrug with a laugh just under his voice. it was mostly true – they’d faced a lot over the years and while hitting a dinosaur wasn’t ideal, it wasn’t the worst situation they faced. “you’re lucky, i gave you an easy one.” as nice as retirement had been, he felt like a walking plethora of crossword puzzles and odd facts. his body turned, looking to the window that bucky was talking about and inspecting it with a slight grimace. “maybe, probably a good thing they don’t have pizza in this place. i’m not seeing another option though, so after you, buck.”

“you’re right. i’ve seen a few burns, but there’s weren’t any that were concerning. burns are painful either way. scott lang did somehow manage to catch himself on fire during this whole thing, though.” christine was surprised no one had been caught out in the rain. so far. the buildings, however, would always be open to the elements. christine smiled up at steve. she was good at taking care of people, and she planned on doing it for as long as she could. “you don’t need to thank me. i saw that there’s a place not to far from here that’s basically just a pile of ash, but i wasn’t quite sure if the storm did that.” it wasn’t good news that they had lost one shelter, but they still had enough standing to keep people safe if the rain happened again. “i can help you. i mean, i can’t lift much, but i’d like to help.”

“scott did what now? but he’s okay?” steve questioned in some surprise, he’d seen scott briefly during the ordeal, but it must have been prior to him being on fire. “as long as he’s not hurt, that’s kind of impressive.” he admitted with the shake of his head, a smile crossed his expression for a moment as he let his more mission orientated state of mind slip. “we appreciate all the help we can get around here.” he nodded, knowing which she was referring to. “side effect of the storm, i guess it was a big metal structure, hit by lightning, some fires broke out. from what i heard, still no casualties, which is damn lucky.” he had to admit, but he paused as he mulled over a thought. “we should figure out medical locations for people. the compound, baxter, and the new place – from xavier’s institute, all have medlabs. we should find a way to combine resources and make sure people know where to go if they’re injured. is that something you could help oversee?”

the russian almost relaxes upon seeing steve. it’s a welcomed face considering she hasn’t really seen him since. a deep sigh escapes her lips as she responds, “ don’t mean to make you feel offended, you’re just looking a little scary that’s all. you can’t be stealing my thunder. “ there’s a teasing smirk on her lips as she does so. she nudges him a bit with her shoulder when he sits down too. nat immediately shakes off his words. “ no, no. i’m fine. “ she can’t stop. and she certainly won’t at this rate. “ i could say the same thing to you, steve, “ 

“oh no, we couldn’t have that.” he chuckled quietly, hands raised in mock defense as he sat next to natasha, a light smile on his lips. “if it’s any consolation, i don’t think there’s any doubt that you’re the one to fear between the two of us. thunders all yours.” he promised, his attention turning to her with concern touching over his expression. “call it personal experience but i don’t think anyone that’s ever said they’re fine, has actually been fine.” he pointed out, voice edging between worry and stern – the type to say he won’t let it go because he just cares too much. “we could take turns. one stays up and watches out for everything, the other gets some rest and then switch. get the other if everyone is in peril again. you go rest first.”