hide and seek

[advanced]

who: Bucky and OPEN
what: Bucky is being a total hermit, and there's a burglar dog
when: Early January
where: Around Riverview
warnings: None yet, any that crop up will go in the subject lines

[One; Out in the ruins; Open]

[Pierce is here, and that means that Bucky is not.

He's abandoned literally every bolthole that he'd claimed as his own, he's erased his username from the network and dumped his phone - so that any attempt to contact him that way will result in the number not being found - and has gone into as deep a hiding as he can possibly manage. This isn't just paranoia, this is an actual handler in the city and the possibility of everything going very very wrong.

It's been a few weeks now, so anyone that leaves him food semi-regularly might notice that it's not being collected. Anyone that he sometimes stalks, or who stalks him, might notice that he's just not around. But he's definitely not gone back through the portals.

If anyone is truly determined enough to track him down, they might find him hiding out among the ruins.]

[Two; Around Riverview; Open]

[The last thing that Bucky did before he went into hiding was go to reclaim his dog, Sasha, after months of refusing to keep her. He needs her now, and not just for her usual skillset of assisting with traumatised veterans. No, he's got her trained to go and steal food for him.

Whether your character owns a store, is just shopping, or is even at home in their apartment; they might hear a scrabbling noise as a rather large golden retriever noses her way in and starts rooting for food. Or, if she manages to get food, then they could follow her as she runs off with her stolen treats.]

[ooc: I realise this isn't the most interactive of logs (which is why there's the option of chasing the dog), but unfortunately Bucky is in deep hiding at the moment. Anyone is welcome to tag in, though, not just existing CR!]

Comments

one

[anotheroldsoldier]

[The last thing Bucky wants to do is expose his other self's new hiding spots. He doesn't seek him out all that often, so he couldn't have been sure the other him went underground, but it makes sense. He has to be aware by this point in time. Has to know what has oozed into the quarantine like so much pollution.

He spends a couple of days searching for signs of where Bucky has been. Once he's figured out a general area, he leaves a note, quietly inconspicuous. It's coded, but a former Soldier would be able to figure it out easier than anyone else - it says "I saw him", and is followed by the name of a nearby, tucked-away landmark and a time of day, signed with JBB.

He leaves it for the other to come to him, if he will, and the next few days at the specified time of day, he spends a few hours at the landmark, in his Guard uniform, managing to look like any other patrolman taking a break on his route. The direction he comes from is different every day to discourage followers. He doesn't know if this will work, but he needs to talk to the other Barnes after everything that's happened recently, while not wanting to barge into his bolt-hole and startle him.

They're both on edge right now and the last thing they need is to fight each other.]

[advanced]

[He finds the message on the same day that it's left for him, he's quick to notice any changes or any signs that someone has entered the territory that he's using to hide out in. It's not a hard message to decipher; but, similarly, it might not have been a hard message to forge either. He has no proof that this isn't a trap designed to lure him out of hiding.

For two days he does nothing.

On the third and fourth day, he observes Barnes arrive, stand for a length of time, and the leave again when he doesn't show up. He makes sure to follow him from a safe distance to make sure that he isn't meeting up with anyone else when he leaves. It's only on the fifth day that he eventually steps into view while Barnes is stood there.

He looks a mess, filthy and haggard, and already losing a little too much weight. He can't hide like this indefinitely, he has far fewer options here than he did back home, where he could hop a plane and disappear to a whole different continent. His voice is raspy, too quiet.]

I got your note.

[anotheroldsoldier]

[He expects it to take time. Barnes will be even more wary than Bucky is right now, and will want to make sure it's a legitimate request. It's okay; Bucky has a sniper's patience when it comes down to something like this.

Bucky tenses the moment he hears Barnes move, but when he spots him, run ragged already, he blows out a breath and relaxes just a fraction, moving back to sit on the rotting stump of a tree, hands flexing on his knees.]

Thanks for coming. [His pack is sat on the ground a couple feet away. It's standard issue gear for a patrolman and not large; he couldn't bring much without it looking suspicious, but he nods toward it anyway.] Got a few MREs and water if you want 'em. It ain't much, I couldn't pack extra without it looking strange. [Discretion over convenience won out.]

[advanced]

[It's the same choice that he would have made and so that just gets a small approving nod before he's down by the pack digging out the water first, chugging it back as if he'd never drunk before in his life. He gets through a full bottle and a half before he actually speaks again.]

You said you saw him.

[Not a question, more an opening for Barnes to tell him everything. He assumes that's why the man is here, it's the courtesy that he'd pay if one of the handlers for his other self showed up.]

[wingedman]

[When Sam finds a dog rooting around his kitchen, he just looks at it for a second - possibly asks the dog if it's actually a person in disguise, because thank you Stephen, his life is now full of magical fuckery. The dog doesn't answer, of course, so he gives her a bowl of chopped chicken - and when she tries to run off with it, he realizes that she's getting food for someone (or something) else. Maybe she has a litter of puppies, or maybe it's something different.

Regardless, he gently takes the bowl away and packs her a small bag of food, making sure it's something she can easily carry in her mouth. And when she leaves, there's a crow ready to follow her.

Which is why, about fifteen minutes after Sasha returns to Bucky, Sam makes his way into the ruins where he's hiding.]

[advanced]

[Damn it.

He didn't notice the crow, he's too focused on watching for people following Sasha, and so it's too late for him to escape by the time Sam is converging on his position. What does he do? Sam probably doesn't know that he's here, right? He's probably just out here for something to do with one of those missions, or whatever job he's doing these days.

He should get out of here.

He ends up dropping what remains of the chicken on the ground and trying to bolt for it through the trees. Clearly this will work and is an excellent idea.]

[wingedman]

[Don't go through the trees. You know why?

Because a big white spooky-ass bird about the size of an eagle is going to dive down in front of him and look intimidating as fuck. Not that he stays there long enough to make himself a target; it's just enough of an appearance to startle him.]

Whoever you are, you just wasted some perfectly damn good chicken that your dog went to the trouble of stealing for you.

One!

[mysophobic]

[ For Shigeru traveling past the wall and to the ruins is something he does to train and to clear his head. He packs what he needs in terms of cleaning supplies and he heads out one day. Bucky will probably notice him first than the other way around.

His sigil that floats silently behind him is...strange and ominous looking now. Black veins of miasma stretch throughout it. Shigeru's own body is strange looking as well, his eyes are completely black with purple irises and with every exhale of breath black smoke will drift out from his mouth. Runes are seen along the side of his neck glowing in a fierce purplish light. He'll be training with his sword as he cuts through rubble and makeshift dummies that he's prepared on one of his many visits before. ]

[advanced]

[Well now... that's not what he's expecting to see, and it's a whole different persona to the shy and retiring doctor that he usually presents himself as. It sets Bucky's teeth on edge, fingers itching for a weapon that he refuses to draw.

He doesn't intend to be seen, just to observe and see where the hell this is going, but he doesn't count on his stupid dog. She runs out from cover, barking loudly to try and get Shigeru's attention.]

[mysophobic]

[ Shigeru is entirely focused on his training and...keeping himself in control. He doesn't use his powers for very long nowadays, the state of the sigil floating ominously behind him being the key reason for it. But he does turn when he hears that dog barking, his eyes blinking in surprise before his powers disappear in the blink of an eye. His eyes will revert back to their normal greenish hue and he'll place his sword in the ground as he bends down to greet the dog with a smile.

He's wondering where she came from, honestly, someone has to be around right? He'll look up in the direction of where she came from with some mild concern. ]

one;

[krasnaya_vdova]

[Her conversation with Pierce doesn't go particularly well. It had been useful, but it still left her feeling like her skin was crawling. The worse part was that he knew about her. The only good thing about that strange half hour spent talking in his kitchen was that she'd found her answer, or a piece of it, anyway.

But there are questions it leaves lingering. Things that eat under her skin. Because she doesn't know if she's safe. She thinks she is. But last time she made that call she set the residential building on fire, and there are reasons she cards through over and over for why she can't just talk about it with anyone else. James thinks she's better than she is. Natasha is good, but she's still an unknown quantity. No one else would really understand what's at stake.

So she leaves a note for Bucky, asking him to find her, when he can. It's coded this time, when her other hadn't been, something she knows he can break. She wanders the ruins for a couple hours every day after; has her duffel bag with her these days, and she scavenges for bits of metal, something to focus on as well as a believable cover as she waits to see.

She doesn't press, just waits to see.]

[advanced]

[She's one of the ones that he's the least suspicious to hear from; after all, he had contact with her just before he went into deep hiding and they did say that they'd try and look out for one another. But getting a note immediately has him tensing as he destroys it; she knows what's at stake here, there's no way she'd be contacting him for nothing.

It's only the day after she leaves the note that he shows up.

He follows her for about an hour, just making absolutely sure that she's alone, before he steps out from behind one of the ruins at a safe distance, half in shadow.]

What is it?

[krasnaya_vdova]

[The way that he slips out of nowhere had gotten almost comfortable, but she's on edge, so she flinches for half a moment this time. That tension in her body, it brightens her eyes, and she shakes her head and exhales.

She shrugs a little awkwardly, quiets for a moment. It takes her a breath, trying to work out how to explain. She's never explained everything that was done to her, although he knows some of it thanks to the memory share. She'd offered to tell him then, but he'd said she didn't have to and she'd appreciated that more than she could say. The lack of obligation.]

Pierce-- knows the program I was part of.

[She avoids saying that he knows what she is, though she suspects that too. She leaves out the quiet horror that is the fact that Pierce is the only person her life is real for. Where he said Ivan and a few sharp turns of conversations revealed that name meant the same thing to him that it did to her. She's not so sloppy these are things he could have found out, not here.

She thinks he's right with what they'd decided on before, but this is bad. She hadn't really considered it before, not seriously. No one knew who she was, it was a fact. That fact was less sharp in Bucky's case, but still a fact. And then there was Pierce in the kitchen with his glass of milk and that certainty had crumbled.]

two

[childofaxios]

[ Chyler is chasing the dog. Rather, she's following the dog, after paying for what it took from one of the stores. She doesn't like the idea of an animal being out on the streets and hungry. She saw too many animals made homeless on Mamore, and too many of them that were too aggressive to be helped. She's more used to packs of feral dogs than she is one tame-looking dog on its own. She's used to having to watch out for dogs, and to keep her distance from cats who might be sick or savage.

It's a novelty, the animals here. Like so many other things. Not all of them are friendly, and she's still cautious, but if this one can be helped... she's going to try.

She's also well-trained enough to keep up without getting out of breath. ]

[advanced]

[The dog is pretty friendly. She doesn't mind having a running companion, and even slows down a bit to try and allow her to catch up and run side by side. She would even go for a licking greeting, if she didn't have her mouth full with stolen food.

It's not ideal. Bucky's tried to teach her to be wary and hide from other people, but she's too friendly. It means that he's left scowling when he pops out of his hiding place in the ruins to see not just a dog, but a woman with her.]

...you make a habit of chasing other people's dogs?

[childofaxios]

[ Woman might be generous--she's sixteen. She's also 5'3'' and already on edge, having left the safety of the walls behind. She could have stopped following, she could have let the dog go, but...

Well. She got curious. A dog who steals food and then doesn't immediately find somewhere safe to eat it? At least she has the security of a firearm, thanks to the Perimeter Guard.

She was expecting puppies, something like that, something that would drive a dog to go that far for food. She was not expecting a hulking man with the bearing of a soldier. Hand goes to holster; she takes a step back. ]

Do you make a habit of sending them to steal?

two;

[neversurrender]

[It's not every day you come into your kitchen to find a large golden retriever ransacking your lower cabinets. For a split second Steve wonders if one of his roommates had gotten a dog, but the thought vanishes as she grabs up a small box of crackers in her teeth and takes off for the door. Reacting on instinct, he takes off after her. It's not that the box of crackers means that much to him, but if she's scrounging for food it must mean she's a stray. And, well, crackers aren't going to do much for her diet. Especially if she's protecting a litter. If he can at least track her back to where she's staying then he could leave some better food out for her.

His pace slows once they reach the ruins, but he's sure to keep the dog within sight. This is new territory for him and he can't help but want to take it all in.]

[advanced]

[She doesn't have a litter, she just has one giant dependent who smells a bit and looks much more ragged than he did before. It's hard to disappear in this place and still keep on top of things like hygiene and eating, so they've slipped.

Steve will probably see Bucky before Bucky sees him, sideways on as he emerges from behind some rubble to whistle and set the dog running towards him, tail wagging in excited greeting.]

[neversurrender]

[He stops in place as Bucky comes into view, uncertain. It had been easy to think, at first, that the other man had just been avoiding him when he could no longer get in contact. He had chosen to step back and let Bucky handle how they would proceed, not wanting to push for more then he could give. But now he knows there has to be more to it. He knows Pierce is here, but he doesn't know for how long he's been here. Long enough to be the cause for Bucky to go off the grid? It's highly likely.

Finally, he steps forward, following the dog's path.]

Cute dog. Extremely skilled in breaking and entering. I assume you taught her that?

One

[ragnarsson]

[It's been a while since Ivar has seen Bucky. That's not entirely out of the normal. The ex-assassin comes and goes like the wind. But when Ivar actively tries to seek him out and still can't find him, he starts to get a little worried. Bucky isn't the most stable individual at the best of times and Ivar wonders if something has happened to him. Maybe he got too badly hurt or sick to leave one of his hiding spots. Maybe something shattered his mind more than it already is.

Ivar goes on the hunt for his friend, but even with all his tracking skills, he's not able to find a trace of the man. Oh, he's good. Well, Ivar's got an ace up his sleeve now. He morphs into a husky and goes to one of Bucky's hideouts to pick up his scent. It's faint, but it's still there. He follows it around the regular city and then out to the abandoned section. Of course he'd go here to hide out. Ivar follows it to one of the most rundown buildings, one that looks like there's no sign of human life. But this is where the trail ends, so he must be around. Ivar begins to look through the building carefully for signs of his wayward friend.]

[advanced]

[He's not hidden as well as he'd like to be. If he were back on Earth then he'd be in the wind, he knows how to cross border lines and disappear into other continents, but his area here is severely limited. He can't just head to another country when threatened, he only has out here. Having Pierce here has nearly driven him to go back through the portal, but that wouldn't solve anything. Here there's only one HYDRA agent, back home there might be hundreds still active.

He's always alert, prepared to move if he sees anyone coming, but he doesn't see the need to for a dog because it never even occurs to him that this might be a person. So Ivar will find him on the second floor sitting on a broken section of wall.]

[ragnarsson]

[The advantage of this form is that Ivar can get to areas he normally can't access while he's a human. When he hears Bucky, ears pricked, he scrambles up to the second floor. Huskies are a very expressive breed of dog and there's a vague look of concern on his furry face.]

< So this is where you've been hiding out. >

[That voice suddenly in Bucky's head is definitely Ivar's, but don't worry, he's not going crazy...well, crazier. That husky dog, with his ice blue eyes, is staring expectantly at his friend.]

one

[buildsomething]

[When Barnes doesn't contact him right away, Tony isn't exactly surprised. It's a big thing and Tony sort of browbeat him into even agreeing in the first place, he can give the man time to come to terms with the idea.

But as things drag on longer and longer, Tony starts to suspect that this is more than just second thoughts. The fact that a cursory look seems to show that Barnes has vanished off the face of the planet just proves it. Any other time, Tony might have just left him to it, if he wanted to be hidden that badly. But this is...important. Especially with a certain new arrival in town.

So with a hint of exasperation, Tony settles in to do some serious digging for the Winter Soldier. Again. It takes some work, but it just isn't that big of a moon, and Tony's focused enough on this to put no inconsiderable effort into it.

Which just means he's frustrated enough that when he finally gets a hit, he announces himself by just turning up outside Barnes' current bolthole with his arms folded across his chest. (He's left the armor parked a good mile or so away and walked the rest of the way, he's not completely stupid.)]

You don't call, you don't write...

[advanced]

[He never appreciated before how easy it had been to disappear on Earth. There was always another country, always an abandoned apartment, always a public bathroom to keep appearances up to a certain level. Not here. He's forgone civilisation, and he's the worse for it. He doesn't have enough food, he's filthy, and he looks more like a hunted animal than a man.

He goes for his gun, having it up and levelled straight at Stark's head the second he starts speaking, only slightly relaxing when he sees who it is.]

How did you find me?

[That's more important to him than why, it means he isn't hidden well enough.]

[buildsomething]

[If Barnes keeps pointing guns at him, he's going to develop a complex. As it is, he just levels the man with a deeply unimpressed look.]

By being very good at what I do.

[Come on now, remember who you're talking to. But Barnes is clearly back to full-fledged paranoia, so Tony can only be so irritated with him. Not that he isn't going to try.]

You and I had an appointment, buddy.