010 ☆ video/action

[assembles]

[ It's been a long, long while since Steve transmitted a message through the network, and that's been no accident. His last announcement was when he came back from his last trip home, over a year ago. It hadn't felt right to take the lead in the same way after that, and others had jumped in to take his place as needed. Hadn't they? He'd thought as much, but others have told him that he's still needed as a leader. Maybe not as Cap, but as Steve.

It's a work in progress.

But here he is all the same, sending out his message toward the end of the second day. He's indoors; the room he's in not well-lit but his face is still visible. It's quiet out, the calm before the storm. ]

Michonne and I took a trip past the gates today, and... there's something coming. Or, well, a lot of somethings. A whole horde of zombies headed right for us. She's already given you guys the rundown, but I wanted to get the word out. We're gonna have to fight, or barricade ourselves away from danger. [ His expression hardens then, something steely and determined. ] Whatever you can do to keep yourself and your loved ones safe, do it.

[ A pause as he gathers his thoughts, and then he's back to it. ] I know death isn't permanent here, but this isn't a way that anyone wants to go. [ Is he speaking from experience?? Who knows, he doesn't elaborate. ] And I'll do whatever I can to help. In case you didn't know, I've got super strength, super speed, and I can take a hit. I'm not even sure if this infection will affect me because of the way my metabolism is. So if you need help getting out a scrape, let me know, all right? Or even if you just need help barricading a house. [ He's perfect for all that heavy lifting. ] I'm here to do whatever I can.

[ It's never enough, but he's still going to try. If he's learned anything this past year, it's that. ]

Oh, it's Steve, by the way. Steve Rogers. Stay safe, everyone.

[ With a firm nod, he ends the broadcast. For someone who's rusty on the speeches, it could have been worse, right? ]

Comments

video;

[nascensibility]

[Normally Evelyn wouldn't be so concerned, as she can hold her own, but since she's down to one life left in Wonderland there is merit in wariness. Discretion is the better part of valour when death might actually become your permanent state in this world, as well as the next.]

It's good to see you over the network again.

[It's good to see you at all.

Evelyn can't recall with clarity the last time they spoke, and she wonders if that negligence can be attributed to her own lack of reaching out for old anchors. That they are buried too deep in the seabed, and she is drifting far away.]

I'm sure you'll be busy.

video;

[assembles]

[ Were Steve aware of the fact that Evelyn had one death left out of her five, he probably would have barricaded her up himself. In fact, he's been meaning to ask her about the five death limit in light of recent conversations, but that's the least of his concerns right now.

It's not really either one of their faults, that they haven't spoken in a while, or maybe it's both of their faults for being so withdrawn. Evelyn, at least, has had some presence on the network, so Steve will take the lion's share of the blame.

With all the long-time residents of Wonderland leaving, people like Philip and James, it had been hard not to wonder if Evelyn would be next. ]

Maybe. A lot of the newer people don't really know me.

[ They might trust someone else more readily, someone who hasn't been so insulted for the past year.

He smiles — it's tired, crooked, wry. ] Had to try, though.

text, private

[hypoxic]

[So zombies are kind of a NOPE button as of a few weeks ago, but it still feels like an organizational issue he should be part of. He's not the type to skip work without calling out.]

I'm sorry captain

I can't do it this time

I'm out

good luck

text, private

[assembles]

[ Steve appreciates hearing from Fitz, if nothing else. He likes to keep track of the people from his world, to know that they're safe and what their plans are, even if he isn't always the best at reaching out to them.

This isn't the reaction he'd expected, though. Steve has his own zombie-related traumas to deal with, but he's handling them the only way he knows how: by facing them head-on.

Fitz clearly has a different method of dealing with this kind of thing. ]

You don't need to apologize. Just stay safe, and contact me if you get into trouble.

voice.

[mucked]

Steve. Give us a shout if you'd like a hand.

[ -- polite, yes. and even with an edge of care. but there's no mistaking the old professional slant to her voice. she might as well be back in uniform for how officious she sounds. distant, for her sake as well as his.

even so, with stakes like these? no one can afford to alienate their best allies. so the offer is made in earnest, even as she trusts him to be delicate enough not to make too much of it. her heart is still tender and more than a little brittle.

luckily, she doesn't need her heart to make a headshot. ]

voice.

[assembles]

[ In all honesty, Steve had only been half-expecting to hear from Peggy. Their last conversation had gone as well as it could have, maybe, but there are open wounds that have led to her keeping her distance.

Seems to be a thing with him and Carters.

Still, it means the world to him that she reaches out to him, even if it's a courtesy more than anything else, even if she's only using her voice. He hasn't completely wrecked everything between them, and that has to count for something. There might still be space to rebuild, given enough time. ]

Kinda feel like I should be telling you that. There've been a few events like this one. I'm starting to feel like an expert on this undead stuff.

[ For Peggy, on the other hand, this is all brand new. ]

video;

[morework]

How large a horde, and how much time until they reach our walls?

video;

[assembles]

I couldn't get an exact count, but...

[ Steve pauses as he runs through his visual memory. He's got some experience with headcounts considering he used to run war tactics, so he can makes a good guess. ]

High hundreds, maybe even a thousand. [ It's not looking good. ] Michonne seemed to think they'd make it here by morning.

[video]

[punful]

[Steve. He hasn't talked to this guy in awhile, but he always seemed pretty trustworthy. Sans is utterly not having this entire event, and just hiding and waiting it out seems the best bet, but that doesn't always work. It didn't work for the last zombie event.]

[Especially not if there's a group of them coming.]

how...big is a horde? rough estimate.

[video]

[assembles]

[ Does a being that doesn't have any flesh even have to worry about zombies? It's not like they have anything to bite into, and Steve doubts that Sans could turn. What would a skeleton zombie even look like?

Besides the point. Sans still deserves to know what they're in for, and Steve refocuses his attention. ]

Close to a thousand, I'm thinking. I don't know if they'll all make it here, but they seem to have a hive mind mentality. They move as a group.

video; private

[divaricate]

[Since she obviously knows Steve, she feels comfortable making this a video reply. But she still locks it. Why? Because she's not sure she's ready to go that open on the network yet.]

If you get infected, I'm going to be really mad. [Her way of saying 'TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF TOO'.]

If you need me, I ... can help. Or try to. [It's the last thing she feels like doing -- more fighting, more trying to survive -- but shit is going to get real really fast, so it seems like a -- quite literally -- do or die situation.]

video; private

[assembles]

[ While the remark from Wanda seems a little tongue-in-cheek, it does help: the reminder that there are people he'd have to answer to if he does anything overly reckless. She still cares, after everything.

And she still wants to help, even if she seems reluctant about it. Given that she'd been locked up for what she can do, Steve doesn't blame her.

Lately, though, he's been thinking that they all need to push through their doubts and misgivings. ]

You sure about that? Fighting these things can get pretty messy.

voice, private.

[crisised]

You sure you still got your strength and everything? Because my powers aren't quite what they should be.

voice, private.

[assembles]

[ The response is delayed, if only because Steve decides to run a few tests to see if Kara is onto something. ]

You might be right. I'm still able to do things a normal human couldn't, I think, but my strength isn't what it should be. Same goes for speed.

[ Not that it changes his original offer to help. ]

video;

[noreason]

Are you sure your super stuff is working right? Mine's not.

[If it were they might not actually have to deal with the zombies at all...]

video;

[assembles]

Not completely right, no. Someone else brought up the same thing. They're not completely gone, just... dampened, I guess.

[ Which is annoying, but it could be worse. He could be tiny and barely able to run. So he'll take this without much complaint. ]

[video]

[normandysbest]

[Now there's a commander. Respect, Steve. Regardless of her admiration, she looks deadly serious when she starts the feed.]

You got any coordinated plan? If we have time, I can run front line support until we have to push back. Keep 'em out of town as long as possible. I'm ready for a long fight.

[N7 training ensured days and days of firefight with little water, food, or sleep. The Blitz was a one-woman mission for 16 straight hours. If she's got more people on her side, she can handle this.]

[video]

[assembles]

[ It does help to have someone like Shepard who cuts to the chase and treats him like someone who knows what he's doing while also having her own input. It reminds him a little of when he'd strategize with Tony, and further back, with the Commandos and Phillips. ]

If you're gonna try and hold them, you're gonna need help. People who can handle this kind of thing. Not anyone who's still learning, or who might make a clumsy mistake and compromise everything.

[ Normally he wouldn't be so harsh in his phrasing, but he's pretty sure that Shepard will know where he's coming from here. Just a single misstep and someone ends up bit, and with a whole horde coming, there won't be time to deal with that kind of error. ]

video;

[beatupgrass]

Don't get bit, Cap.

[yeah that's what he's got to say to that.]

video;

[assembles]

[ Good advice, Rocket. ]

I mean, I'm not going to go out of my way to get bitten. I just might be able to deal with it if it happens.

[ There's a distinction here! ]

Although it looks like people's powers have been scaled back some, so believe me, I know it's not worth testing fate.

video

[choosetruth]

And somehow I'm guessing the odds that someone's got enough grenades stashed away to take care of the problem before it gets to us is zero.

[Her expression twists slightly under her sunglasses.]

Well. This'll be fun.

video

[assembles]

[ Steve's seen her on the network, usually with long-winded messages, some of it "news reporting." She seems to have her heart in the right place; sharing information is never a bad thing, neither is looking for truth. But her execution might not always be the most careful.

He has no clue she's met his Mirror, though. ]

I mean, it's possible. There are a few people around here who are pretty paranoid about that kind of thing.

It's worth looking into, at least. Or seeing what the closets'll give us.

Video;

[actualwizard]

[ Its good to see Steve putting himself out there again, but some of that is overshadowed but the news he brings. Of course. Zombie horde. Wonderland can't just send them to a nice neighbor hood for a few days, it has to also actively try to kill them. ]

How many is a horde? [ He wants to be prepared. ]

I have Teddy with me and I can track down Peter. My magic isn't what it normally is but its still mostly working. If you need us let me know.

Video;

[assembles]

High hundreds, maybe a thousand. We're gonna have to get creative and outsmart them. [ With their limited powers, it's going to take some critical thinking.]

Everyone's suffering the same effects with powers. We'll make it work. [ They have no other choice, and it's not like a lack of ability has ever stopped Steve in the past. ] Fitz wanted me to keep an eye out for Peter, so I'm glad to hear he'll be with you.

[ As much as Steve might have once considered Peter for the Avengers, there's no denying that he and Billy are the more experienced ones here, so it's up to them to watch over him. ]

[Video]

[dangerouslyunhip]

[Teddy is thinking along the same lines. Normally, infection or disease aren't things he has to worry about, although he's not willing to bet that Wonderland has been kind enough to let that hold up during this particular event. Still, he's strong, he's durable, and he can fly to do reconnaissance. It would be wrong not to offer himself to help.]

If you need another body on the frontlines, Cap, I'm good for it.

[Even if Steve doesn't think of himself as a leader anymore, and even if he's never been Teddy's team leader, there's still respect there. Teddy has to give credit to the old guard where it's due, even though this particular Steve Rogers admitted that he and Billy are the old-timers by comparison.]

I don't know if the infection will affect me, either, although I'd rather not test that one. If you need wings to get where you're going, I've got those, too.

[Video]

[assembles]

[ Now that Steve's learned about how their powers are on the fritz, he's less willing to run with the theory that he wouldn't turn if he was bit. It's definitely not something he wants to experience, that loss of himself, that rapid change into something uncontrolled and dangerous. If it came to it, he'd ask someone to end it for him before it got that bad.

Teddy had been one of the people Steve had considered adding to the Wonderland Avengers team, back when he'd been here. He hadn't known him well enough to make it official before he'd gone home, but right now he's not in charge of anything, and it's up to Teddy what kind of danger he wants to put himself in. ]

There are some people tossing around the idea of cutting them off before they make it to the gates, as the first line of defense. If you're interested.

[ That final comment causes him to frown and tilt his head, curious. ] Wings? [ That's new. ]

( audio )

[chantes]

Not taking a hit may help more.

( audio )

[assembles]

[ It takes him a minute to place the voice, but a quick glance at the contact reminds him. ]

Yeah, I didn't realize I wasn't at full power when I said that. I'll be careful.

[ Leliana doesn't need to know that "careful" is very relative when it comes to Steve. ]