imfollowinghim | nine ✪ spam & voice

[Spam for Helena and Dillon, Day One]

[It's the fact that he starts feeling like he's going to fall asleep, or maybe pass out, not the sudden darkness that sets him the most on edge. It's a good thing, too, because it means he lunges for his pack once he realizes what's happening and grabs for Steve with his other hand, knowing that he doesn't want to go in to whatever this is without either one.

Later, he's not sure if he managed it or not, if the reason he wakes up and thinks he's alone is because he'd been too slow, too thrown off by whatever was happening to them before the crash. But either way, it's still dark when Bucky wakes up, and he's still got his pack with him - which has been crammed full with extra supplies without being overloaded because he's not an idiot, he knows how to be smart about this - but he's definitely missing something else.

Or, you know, someone else.]

Steve?

[He keeps his voice quiet at first, because he has no idea where he is or who might overhear it, but when a response doesn't come, he carefully moves to get his feet under him, his pack on his back, and his hand on a weapon.]

Steve?

[Spam for Helena & Dillon, Day Two]

[It's almost impossible to tell time down here, and considering he'd started off this adventure feeling a little shittier than he probably should have been when he'd known they were heading into something bad - he hasn't been a good sleeper in over a year, nothing's changed - it's not like he can even really judge it based on how worn out he feels.

But what is clear is that they've been on the move for a while, and they really need to stop for a break, even if it means the mole people might catch up with them. They're already totally aware of how bad it'll be if they get caught off guard by them, but it'll be worse if they're hungry and miserable and tired, too.

The next cavern they enter has running water and some strange looking mushrooms or something growing on the walls, and seems like as good a place as any to stop for a couple minutes. Bucky sweeps the area quickly before carefully setting down his pack and crouching next to it, already digging around for something to eat, even if he doesn't feel as hungry as he usually does this long after a decent meal. Nerves, probably.]

We should stop for a while. Dillon, you got food? [He'd passed some of the chocolate and Power Bars to Helena before they'd left, but he doesn't know how much food the other warden's got on him.]

[Spam for Helena, Day Three]

[Bucky has the last of their most recent attackers laid up in his sights, and squeezes the trigger once once he's sure he's got him. The gunshot sounds like an explosion in the cramped tunnel, and the echo almost muffles the sound of the body hitting the floor. Almost.

There's always a sort of numbness that comes along after a firefight like this, and he definitely can't shake it off, now. Bucky feels like his nerves are unraveling, and it probably has something to do with the fact that he still feels like he's got the flu and hasn't slept and still doesn't know where the hell Steve is, but whatever the real root of the problem is, he's just. Tired.

He turns back to Helena and squints, feeling that flush of irritation that his vision almost seems worse than it should be right now.

Maybe he's just tired.]

You still with me?

[Public, Voice]

[This was supposed to be filtered, but either Bucky forgot (unlikely) or the network is fritzing out badly enough to mess up locks (more likely). He's still keeping his voice down, and there's sort of a tense urgency to his voice that's somewhere between calm and not panicked, but definitely not centered.]

-eve, if you can hear me, I'm fine. I'm [zzzzzztt] - Dillon and- [zzzzzztt] -ena. Where are you?

[And a while later, there's another message, which was originally intended to reach Ben, Stiles, Scott, and pretty much anyone else Bucky's become chummy with, but again, is public.]

Everyone okay? [zzzzzzzzzzzzzztt] - we're dealing with?

[ooc: Bucky also asked the Admiral for D-ration chocolate bars, feel free to assume he passed one to your character if they're friendly at all.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I said we can't both move or [fzzzzzt -

There's a crackle, a pop, and silence for a long moment.

Then, finally:] -ou there, buddy?

[Even with the static that's still crackling along the connection, you don't have to have super hearing to hear the relief in Bucky's voice when Steve gets through again.]

Yeah, yeah, I'm here.

[Which is good, because... he doesn't.]

There. Okay. Look, I'm gonna m[kkkkkkt] a map. So let me come to you. You're [fkkkkksht] at art.

[He wants to laugh at the joke - well, it's not a joke when it's true, right? - but he can't. The connection's too bad, and they're not alone down here, and Bucky's not planning on sitting around waiting for whatever it is down here to find them. He's keeping his little group alive, and he's going to try to find Steve. He can't just sit here for hours hoping they catch up to each other.

Then again, if Steve has a more coherent plan than stumbling around in the dark, he's all ears because that's sort of what he's got, right now.]

We're already m- [zzzzzttt] -not safe to just wait, how are you planning on- [zzzzzzzzzzttttt] anyway?

[Bucky, your art is always a joke, and Steve would very much like to make you laugh. But he knows it's not likely, down here. Still, he had to try.

Unfortunately, his plan mostly is to stumble around in the dark, because the alternative is just to sit around in the dark, and that's not appealing either, no.

Maybe he should realize that's why Bucky doesn't want to do it. Oh, well.]

How am I planning on what?

[Man, they're both such idiots. Someone should really sit them down and make them realize things would go a lot smoother if they stopped bickering over this sort of thing.

Although really, that would probably just be a giant waste of everyone's time, and result in more bickering.]

How are you planning on- shit!

[The signal doesn't exactly drop this time, but the comm gets shoved in Bucky's jacket when he goes for a weapon, and at some point, the feed clicks off.

It'll stay off for a couple minutes, but if you can manage to be patient, he'll be back, in one piece. Hopefully.]

[Things would definitely go smoother, but there's that problem where they're not only both idiots, they're both stubborn idiots who never actually seem to learn.

None of that is important the moment Bucky stops talking to go for a weapon, though.] Buck? Bucky?

[Steve is running at this point - as fast as he can with only a flashlight to warn him of where he's going. He's got his comm on, but he's trying to listen for sounds of gunfire, or a scuffle, or anything to tell him he's heading in the right direction, rather than just skidding around in the dark. Of course, every once in a while, there'll be a,] Bucky, you had better be alive, [over the line.

He's going to keep running until you either respond or he wears himself out. Which is... actually going to be a bit sooner than he thinks, but at least he's in Very Good Shape, even minus the serum. He just can't keep going practically forever, like he would have otherwise.]

[The connection's still static-y and fragmented, but Bucky's voice is there, and he doesn't sound hurt so much as worried, maybe a little desperate, like maybe he'll have lost Steve and not be able to get the signal back.]

Steve? Steve, are you there?

[At that point, you can hear him skidding to a stop - and panting more than he should be.

But hey, it still beats having asthma.] Bucky? There you are - what happened? Are [fssssssht] okay?

[Yeah, he's trying to sound calm. And probably failing.]

We're fine. I'm fine, we ran into some- [ffzzzzztt] - mole people, tried to- [ffzzzzztt]

Are you?

[Because he can hear that heavy breathing, and he honestly can't remember the last time he heard Steve genuinely out of breath. It's probably nothing, but it makes him think of nights where Steve's breathing had been so shallow and rough that he'd honestly thought this was it, Steve wasn't gonna make it this time.

What if whatever happened to his strength affected his lungs, too? Bucky doubts he has an inhaler on him, and he knows he doesn't have one, which (absurdly) makes him feel like an asshole.]

[Thankfully, though neither of them knows it, he's just been dialed back. Quite a bit. But Steve does know what an asthma attack feels like, and this isn't it.

So don't feel like an idiot, because neither of you expected this.

Bucky sounds concerned enough, though, that Steve makes a real effort to get his breathing under control.]

Yeah. Yeah, I just [kkkkkt]it a little.

[He's not used to this body without all the perks that normally come with it. It's sort of been all or nothing with him, up until this point, so he's a little thrown.

What's more concerning, though, is,] Mole people?

[Bucky's not entirely convinced that he's fine - "over doing it a little" has in the past meant anything as stupid as dragging himself out of bed to get to school when he probably should've been in the hospital to throwing himself in front of a grenade to rescue a stranger.

But he wants to warn him about this new threat before he chews him out for being an idiot about that kind of thing. Again.]

Yeah, I don't- [fffzzzzztt] really friggin' weird, Steve-

[fffzzzzzzzzzztttttt]

Be careful, got it? Keep- [ffzzzzz] me.

[Okay, yeah, so his track record isn't that great. But really, he's fine. He'll just keep the panicked sprinting to a minimum.]

This whole place is giving me a [kzzzzzzsh] vibe.

What? When am I not [fzzzzsht] [It's a joke, Bucky.] You, too. I'm still [ksssssssht] for you. Don't get too lost.

[Good. x( He'll likewise do his best not to fall off any cliff faces this time.]

Who says I'm- [fssshh] who's [fssshh] -st?

[That was an attempt at a joke. It feels a little forced, though, and the static probably doesn't help.

Steve will be fine. It's not like this is the first time they've been separated while doing something stupidly dangerous before. He just honestly wishes they were back on their home turf or something, even if there's a weird amount of guilt that comes along with that thought.]

[Yes, please don't do that. Steve is not okay with you doing that. Ever.]

The artist with the good sense of direction and th[kkkkkksht] -detic memory.

[Never mind that it's not exactly eidetic at the moment. He was never bad at visual things. Or directions.]

-tay in touch, you got it?

[Look, let's just both stay alive, how's that?]

Yeah, yeah, k- [ffffsssssh] -ing.

[Don't actually stop bragging, Bucky would miss it. :c And also worry until he got an ulcer, considering present circumstances.]

Got it. You-

[You know what, that sounds like a good plan. Let's do that.]

Uh-huh.

[Oh, not a chance. He's fine, Bucky. and working his way toward you. He hopes.]

Will do. I'll check in [kssssssssh]irty minutes?

nine ✪ spam & voice

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