6668/Winter Pays his Tab

Winter Pays his Tab
Date of Scene:	23 June 2021
Location:	Rural Pennsylvania
Synopsis:	No description
Cast of Characters:	James Barnes, Cael Becker, Sam Wilson, Morrigan MacIntyre, Steve Rogers

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James Barnes has posed:
    After a night of drinking, lots of drinking, the last thing Sam probably wanted was to be rudely awaken by an 'urgent, emergency' Bucky. "Sam, Sam, SAM wake up! We gotta go!" But that's exactly what happened. In the end, it was decided that Sam would stay behind in Pennsylvania while Bucky made the trip back to gather reinforcements and pick up equipment. He'd move faster on his own if he borrowed the right bike.

    That left Sam to hear the tale from Ruby, well, two tales actually. The first was how she and Horace met 'Winter' in the first place and the second was what had become of Horace while they all slept.

    Apparently the retired mercenary had been up by Milner's pond looking for a type of mushroom that doesn't grow anywhere but there. She might have hinted to that being one of the ingredients in the concoction Bucky was drinking the night before? When Horace didn't return, she went looking and found his truck, all four tires flat, about a mile from the pond. So, she assumed he'd been taken... by the Milners.

    So, the Milners must be some rival criminal element? Wrong... seems the Milners are an inbred family of physically enhanced mutants that live in the forest surrounding the Barn; an underground mercenary hangout the couple runs together.

    Bucky got all this information from Ruby before he even left Pennsylvania and related it to the few people he figured he could A: Trust and B: Convince to help him rescue someone that, well, ran an underground mercenary hangout.

    It was *painfully* clear to those he contacted how much this old man meant to him, seriously could any of them say 'no' to that desperate, 'please, I need help?' He probably left out the part about the dude likely being on the FBI most wanted list when he called Cael.

    Now he's back at the Barn, landing SHIELD's quinjet in the large field surrounding the establishment, with his enlistees on board. Sorry Sharon, he'll ask forgiveness later for not *asking* to take the jet this time.

Cael Becker has posed:
    Why does she let herself get into these things? That's what Cael's thinking as she follows Bucky - letting out a quiet whistle as they approach the quint jet.
    "You know how to fly that thing?" she asks. Then without a pause, "Can you teach me?" She follows him onboard, strapping in for the ride - dressed in her usual attire of jeans, a shirt, and a leather jacket. Of course, hidden under that jacket today was a bullet proof vest and a shoulder holster. She has a feeling that running around with this guy - a little extra caution might be the order of the day.

Sam Wilson has posed:
    There are a lot of thoughts swimming around Sam's brain when he wakes up. There's the initial adrenaline burst of danger-wake-up-gotta-go, and then: what small creature died in his mouth overnight? Followed by a lot of mental swearing aimed in Bucky's direction, but he's up, he's up. Sam stares blearily into the middle distance as they get the initial rundown from Ms. Ruby, and then when Bucky makes a plan to head back to NYC for backup (and Sam's wings, which he'd been in such a state that he hadn't even realized he'd left behind) and gets the keys to someone's bike, Sam looks... visibly nauseous.

    Just the idea of having to hold on to Bucky for dear life as he drives at probably 200 miles per hour makes Sam want to puke.

    So he waves Bucky off, and stays behind to get what info he can from Ruby.

    Also, definitely a spare toothbrush. Maybe some aspirin.

    He asks for details on the Milners' home camp, how many hostiles they can expect to encounter, if there's anything beyond physical enhancements they should expect (like guns; Sam expects guns, this is backwoods in the country), all while carefully sipping a sports drink. Which nearly results in a spit-take when Ruby drops the casual knowledge that "Some say the Milners can only eat human livers and that's why they kidnap people, but that's just a story we tell kids to keep them in line. Probably."

    Cool. Great. Fantastic. Sam pushes the heel of his palm into one eye and sighs.

James Barnes has posed:
    "No, I was gonna let the mouse in my pocket fly," Bucky deadpanned to Cael. For the flight, that doesn't take long considering the distance they're traveling, he was pretty quiet. "I'm guessing hereditary here..." are the first words he speaks since take off.

    "Well they're real strong and real fast, more than our Winter even," Ruby explained to Sam while the others were in route. "... they have a house 'bout five miles from the pond if that's what you wanna call it. Nobody knows how many of them there are really, been livin' out there havin' babies for long as I can remember. I hear tell there's booby traps all over those woods too, they don't like visitors. Y'all gotta bring my Horace back, Sam." Doh! She sounds like she's about to cry, hardened old merc that she is... her eyes well with tears, one of them it might be noted, is an actual Ruby, polished to smooth and shiny as a marble.

    Sam will hear the quinjet's landing outside, so will Ruby for that matter, but it's Sam that'll know it marks the arrival of Bucky and 'backup' and a suitcase full of wings.

Morrigan MacIntyre has posed:
Morrigan was most definitely not one who was going to tell Bucky no. Which might get her into trouble someday. But today was probably not that day. And she needed a break from the constant worrying of monitors and watching over the private ward. So here she was. Being quiet as people talked. She's dressed in black, but there's no armor to be seen. Or weapons. There's a look to Bucky, but there's nothing that she needs to ask right now. She figured they'd all get the rest of the briefing down on the ground. Or after they got done with things.

Cael Becker has posed:
    "That would be worth the cost of admission," Cael quips back, before falling silent for the length of the trip. She studies Morrigan - unfamiliar with the woman, and quite frankly wondering what her 'deal' is. Probably just another version of 'super'?
    Her gaze goes back to studying the controls as James flies them the short distance to Pennsylvania - it's a ridiculously short hop, but sometimes speed is all that matters.
    Unclipping the safety harness, she pushes herself up to her feet, gesturing for Bucky to proceed them. Always best to let the familiar face disebark first.

Sam Wilson has posed:
    Sam's feeling like death warmed over, but he still puts a comforting hand on Ruby's shoulder and says, "We're going to, don't worry. This isn't my first rescue op by a longshot." He manages to polish off the sports drink, but he's going to be kicking himself for a while, because damn, he's definitely not a 21 year old any more and his body is making him aware of that.

    He heads out to meet Bucky and his assembled team when he hears the quinjet, Bucky's borrowed sunglasses and the white Stetson that is apparently his now both on because ugh, oof, no, sunlight how very dare you.

    The first thing he says when the group disembarks the jet is: "I'm not saying they're going to eat our livers but they're gonna try." The whole getup he has on helps to obfuscate that he looks absolutely miserable, though the gravely tone of his voice makes some oblique suggestions as to how he's feeling anyway. "This is why I don't go camping. If I end up Blair Witched, I'm going to haunt you forever, Buck, I fucking swear." Language!

    That's the greeting Bucky gets. Everyone else gets a slightly more polite wave and nod in lieu of verbal hello.

Steve Rogers has posed:
"Sorry there's no in-flight meal today," Steve says with a faint grin when Cael hits the ramp. He's wearing old combat fatigues instead of his more recognizable attire; well-worn boots and a light armored vest in the same woodland camoflague patterns. His shield's been spraypainted with mud and moss colors as well. This isn't Captain America's op; this is a favor for a friend.

Steve picks up a large heavy-duty transport crate in each hand that must weigh well over a hundred pounds each and casually walks towards Sam and Morrigan. "Doc," Steve bids her with a pleasant nod. "Good to see you again. If we make this a regular thing, you're gonna have to start feeding us, y'know." There's a twinkle of amusement in his eyes and Steve hands one of the big crates to Sam, and the other to Bucky. Sam's says EXO-7 on it; Bucky's crate sounds like there's a fair amount of munitions stored inside.

"Hey I'm signed for all this, so don't lose any of these guns," Steve reminds Bucky, and wags a finger at him. "I think I'm still paying off that Jeep you wrecked in '45."

Morrigan MacIntyre has posed:
Morrigan's the last one off the boat. Or well, sort of. Steve gets a smile though, "Always good to see you, Cap. And sure, if I go on the next op with you guys I'll pack a lunch...or I'll just have everyone over for a BBQ after." she tells him. Then she spots Sam and there's a look over him, "That hangovers not a good look, Sam." she stage whispers and gives a bit of a laugh to that. "Sadly I can't fix that before we get going either." she adds. Wompwomp. Critical heals only.

The crates get a curious glance, but then she realizes what they are. "Armed for bears, Werewolves or a Chupacabra." she nods to this. There's a look to Cael and a dip of her head in greeting, "I'm Morrigan or Doc. Nice to meet you." she offers. Then she goes back to quietly observing the pre-shenanigans.

James Barnes has posed:
    "Afraid of a little family of cannibals and an old witch?" Bucky asks. "Witches aren't real either..." Apparently just sorcerers. "Jeep *I* wrecked, might not have hit that tree if you hadn't jerked the wheel," he corrects Steve. Hard to say who's on the right side of that story.

    Before he unpacks the crate, he heads to Ruby. She followed Sam out, but just stood by the side door to the old red barn that hides the entrance to the Barn in all it's Honky Tonk, neutral territory glory. He wraps the woman up in a hug and murmurs, "We'll get'm Ruby." When he steps back, her one real eye focuses intently on him and then back over to well, Steve. "You... brought Captain America?" she says, maybe a little too loudly when she was going for a whisper. "Winter, Boy, whoulda ever thunk it, you hanging around with the likes of him?" Hmmmm, is the 'likes of him' a compliment or not, hard to say.

    The sun is just beginning to set... great! Bucky pulls a good old fashioned map from his pocket and starts to unfold the thing. For his part, he looks right as rain, better than he has in days in fact... other than the crease of worry for Horace in his brow. He settles the map down on the crate-o-death and points. "Best I can figure, Milner's pond is here. Ruby found the truck here..." Point point... "...and their house is here..." Point.

Cael Becker has posed:
    "BBQ?" Cael repeats. "Memphis, or Texas?" she asks. This is an //important question//, apparently, from the way she puts one hand on her hip and watches the woman. You will be judged on your reponse. "Cael Becker," she offers in response - taking the woman's hand and giving it a firm squeeze.
    She turns her attention on Sam next - looking the man up and down - and wrinkling her nose slightly. The man was still dressed in the same clothes he'd drunk and slept in, after all - as was Bucky, truth be told. "Some of use still seem to be using those livers," she remarks. "Let's see what we can do to keep them, you know, internal." Perhaps thankfully, this kept her attention away from Ruby for the moment.
    She approaches as Bucky pulls out the map - watching as each location is pointed out. "How much do we know about these people, their abilities, their armaments? Why did they grab this guy?"

Sam Wilson has posed:
    The crate is heavy enough that Sam, in his current state, can't help but make a soft "oof" as he accepts it from Steve. The witch comment doesn't get the response Bucky's responding (AKA immediate and enthusiastic disagreement) just a grunt. And he immediately sets the crate down rather than trying to carry it, not particularly gracefully either so it makes a loud thunk as it hits the ground (which prompts Sam to say something disparaging to it under his breath). He pops it open and pulls out his tac gear--everything but the gauntlets, goggles, and the wingpack itself--and dips back inside long enough to get changed.

    He's sans cowboy hat and sunglasses when he reappears, and judging by the grimace and the hand that immediately flies up to shield his eyes, Sam regrets this decision. It's super obvious now how terrible he looks, but he starts suiting up with the rest of the gear as he listens. "Well if they get me at least they'll be knocked out with alcohol poisoning first," he grouses.

    If he's staring at the EXO-7 suit as he puts it on, well, maybe it's just that he's been hanging out with Bucky too long and that's just a thing he does now. Or he's doing his best not to puke. Given that he's about to be flying, well, let's all hope for the former.

Steve Rogers has posed:
"Sounds like a plan, Doc," Steve bids Morrigan. Ruby's clearly a little on edge; the Captain elects to give her a pleasant smile and a short nod of greeting. "Ma'am." He's not going to force civility on her. Captain America can sound all to much like 'cop' for people accustomed to operating on the wrong side of the law.

Steve's checking over his own gear with a soldier's long-practiced habit, and looking over Bucky's shoulder as the map is laid out. "They're pretty deep in the Hollow here," Steve notes, pronouncing it 'Holler'. "Not a lot of good approaches for a vehicle. We're probably going to have to move in on foot." Eyes flicker over the map and he hunkers down to point at the map with the blunt end of a writing pen.

"The road up the middle of that draw is probably monitored. I doubt they'd expect people coming over this hillside to the west. Thinking... swing out two full klicks, stay under the ridgeline, and then drop down this gully?" He taps the map and looks up at Sam and Buck. "It's the least likely approach to be monitored."

Morrigan MacIntyre has posed:
"I don't discriminate when it comes to BBQ really. If people want both, we can do both." Morrigan states. "I'm not a BBQ expert, so I leave it to those that are." the older woman adds with a look around. This place was...very B horror movie ready. Which made her wary. She doesn't really know what her angle is here, but she's guessing it's about the Witch. Or her sparkling personality.

She watches things as the map is brought out and she gives a thoughtful look, "Going in from the hills looks like the best idea. Unless you guys want a diversion." she tells them. "Do we know how many we're dealing with?" she asks.

James Barnes has posed:
    Bucky is actually not dressed in the same clothes he slept in. No, he's ... looking a little too much like the part of him he claims is gone tonight. ...and he's looking more and more so after he steps back from the map and starts 'gearing up'. By the time he's finished, he's even wearing a mask on the lower half of his face, black paint smudged around his eyes. It might be a little disconcerting for people that have gone toe to toe with him as the Winter Soldier. "No matter what direction we take in, gotta be careful. Ruby says rumor has it there's traps all over out there." He got the scoop from Ruby while SOMEONE was still sleeping it off.

    Speaking of someone, "Sam, you might be a little hindered out there flight-wise, those trees are tall and packed together like sardines."

    "Whatcha thinking, Miss McIntyre?" Despite how brash and rough around the edges he *can* be, he was still raised in a time when you didn't refer to a lady by her first name without being given permission.

    "Ruby don't know how many. Just that they've been, well, populating the area with their own bloodline for a long time. Seems they're mutants, or at least some of them. I don't think the whole family would have inherited the x-gene?" But he's no expert there. "Way she talks, enhanced physicals, way enhanced. Maybe stronger than me and Steve."

Cael Becker has posed:
    There it is - the judgement in Cael's eyes. How can you //not// have an opinion on //BBQ//? "We'll have to educate you on the subject later," she remarks, before letting the subject drop. There's more important matters to deal with.
    "Now seems a fair time to mention how little experience I have outside of urban environment," Cael remarks. Other than what training she went through, recently, to earn her status as an FBI agent. "But what you're suggesting makes tactical sense to me, Captain Rogers."
    She pays more attention to Bucky's preparations than Sam's - her gaze flicking briefly to some of the other's present to see how they're handling the transformation. Truth be told - this is the Bucky //she'd// met. But with all she's learned since... Well. Shit.
    And then there's the repeated mention of Ruby, and the FBI agent finally focuses her attention on their 'hostess.' //Really// focuses on her.
    Shit, shit, shit.
    She takes a moment to pinch the bridge of her nose. This is a problem for Future Cael. "Okay. They're strong, there's booby traps, and we're approaching through the woods. Just please tell me that bullets stop them as good as they stop, you know, other people."

Sam Wilson has posed:
    Getting into his tac gear means that Sam gets to change out of last night's clothes, at least, so he's not gonna walk-of-shame this mission. So, bonus. The only thing feeling shame is Sam's liver, right now.

    Oof, so much shame. He doesn't even remember how many drinks he had except that he lost count around seven.

    His goggles are the last thing that go on after the wing pack and the gauntlets, and then Sam's gone quiet, running through his pre-flight checklist. He only pauses long enough to offer, "I could run recon with thermals from overhead," and then a quiet, muttered, "Would be easier with Redwing though."

    Not that he blames Bucky for the temporary decommissioning of his metal bird son. Right now Sam just going to be blaming life in general for his woes.

    The jets on his pack fire with a mechanical hum, not enough to generate lift but enough to run a diagnostic. Sam's wings expand and then retract, and he nods. It's the first time he really looks up from his task, aside for an initial glance at the map (mostly so that his goggles record it for future reference, as needed) and when he does, his eyes immediately narrow at Bucky's outfit. Actually, no, he's just squinting at the sun, and he tips his head back down. "Fuck." Ow. How is it that eyeglasses can come with lenses that transition to shades automatically but his goggles don't have that tech? He's apparently unbothered by Bucky up in here looking like the Winter Soldier. Instead he just rubs his forehead.

Steve Rogers has posed:
Once Bucky's cracked open the weapons case, Steve roots around in it and pulls out a streamlined armored plate carrier and offers it to Cael. "Military-grade body armor," he tells her. He nudges the crate with his foot. "I know you FBI types are trained on some standard weapons. Find something you're comfortable with and load up." Inside the crate is everything from handguns and SMGs to tactical rifles, belt-fed machine machine guns, and precision long guns. And ammunition; lots and lots of ammunition.

"Operating in the woods isn't much different than urban environments. Stay low and stick to cover. Watch out for snares, pitfalls, and tripwires. Biggest thing is just not getting lost, so stay close to me or Bucky and let us know if we're moving too fast." He kneels down to grab a handful of dirt, moss, and loam, and rubs it on his face and clothing to break up his outline and appearance with no concern for dirtying his gear and clothing.

Morrigan MacIntyre has posed:
Morrigan looks at the map quietly, but looks up when Bucky calls her Miss MacIntyre, "Well, how many people do they have wander up their drive? I'm guessing zero. Or well...what I'm trying to say is if you need someone to go walk up to their front door that they might not expect, I'll go. Otherwise, I can probably help with traps." she states. Then there comes the news that they are possibly stronger than a Super Soldier. Too late to back out now! "I can't really move us in closer, I don't know the terrain and I don't want to run someone into a wall." she tells them. She quiets to watch Bucky gear up and there's a moment her hand raises, about to make a joke...but she doesn't. There's still some uncertainties there and she doesn't want to eat her foot before facing cannibals. They could do that for her.

There's a look to Cael and a nod, "That's fair." she chuckles about the BBQ. Then she's patting her pockets. Trying to look...not so normal in this group. "Ah well." she shrugs. Sam's lack of Redwing does draw a bit of a concerned look, but that was a question for later.

James Barnes has posed:
    "If by other people you mean me and Steve? Maybe," says the guy that just got shot twice in the back and fell eighty or so feet not even five days ago and is up walking around. Granted, the healing from Morrigan was a blessing but he was up walking around *before* then too. "I wouldn't go center mass with them, aim for the head." In the dark - since that sun that's ruining Sam's life will be set by the time they get where they're going - through the trees, because that's easy. He says that like he might just be telling her to have a cup of coffee.

     Ruby's gone quiet but she does meet Cael's gaze with a steady one of her own. She's pushing 70, but she was obviously an attractive woman in her youth and likely a strong woman her entire life. But right now, despite that unwavering return study, she looks small and scared. Horace is that woman's life, her ride or die... losing him would likely be the end of her.

    "I'd rather you stick with us, Miss McIntyre," Bucky says pretty quickly. No, he's not about to send a woman into a den full of inbred, liver eating, super strong mutants. Once he's had his go at the crate, he's *really* looking a little Winter. Seriously, does one man really need all that? The last thing he straps onto his person is a tactical rifle. Four handguns, an SMG, the rifle and enough ammunition to power them all for days, along with a belt of throwing knives, two wicked looking curved numbers tucked into sheaths behind the holsters for two of those side arms. Dude looks like a murder machine. Last he hands out SHIELD level comms and makes sure Cael and Morrigan know how they work. Man he's gonna be in deep shit if SHIELD finds out he's using all their crap for this.

    "Longer we stand here talking about it, more time they have to serve Horace up for dinner." He folds the map up after committing it to memory and starts for the nearby treeline in a direction that will allow him to cut west toward that hillside. "Steve, keep Cael with you!" he calls over his shoulder, because he's moving FAST. "I'll meet you under near that ridge!" Nope, sorry Sam... he may be trying, but not hard enough. Seems Bucky is still in 'lonewolf' mode. Or maybe he just knows he can get in under their radar, see what needs seeing, get back out and meet up with the others? That is provided he doesn't spring any traps...

Cael Becker has posed:
    Cael accepts the offered body armor - swapping it out for her FBI-issued vest. She's just going to assume that Captain America and friends get better toys than your average FBI issue. A nod of thanks is added, as she takes a heavy assault rifle to add to her more standard-issue pistol - and several extra clips, along with the harness to wear and access them easily.
    "Those all sound like things I can do," she confirms - giving Steve a nod. She also pulls off the leather jacket she has a tendency to wear, leaving it with the extra ammo and weapons - before further following Steve's lead with the soil. I mean - Captain America wouldn't do that sort of thing just to 'punk' an FBI noob, would he? ... Would he?
    Her attention shifts to Bucky as he speaks, and she lets out a quiet groan. "Bullets didn't seem to do all that much to slow you down, last time we got into a mess," she remarks. Granted, she only has the //one// experience to draw on - but it left quite an impression.
    Shoot for the head. For all the- "...okay. Let's to this," she mutters, heading into the woods with the others.

Sam Wilson has posed:
    The sun setting isn't just good for Sam's hangover; far up enough his silhouette against the sky is easily mistaken for a bird's, but that also reduces his ability to gather recon to some degree. Against a night sky, though, it's an entirely different ball game.

    He grimaces faintly at Bucky's mention of their target's potential fate if they delay any longer, and he shakes his head. It's the reason why he doesn't even snark at Bucky about the amount of heat he's packing, because they're potentially dealing with cannibals, and Sam is not willing to be an ensemble member of a horror movie cast right now. Nah. He even comes over to the crate to make his own selection, though he's limited by what he can carry without obstructing the wings. An extra handgun and some more ammo that he tucks into the pack's chassis, though, that's okay.

    "A bullet in the right place can put any one of us down," Sam tells Cael. "And I'm not going to take any bets about whether or not these people support the NRA; I'm going in expecting return gunfire just as much as souped up punches." He catches the look Morrigan favors him with, but he only replies with a sharp shake of his head, leaving that story for another time.

    He turns and takes a few steps. Then, with an extension of his arms, the wings are out and he's off the ground, soaring up into the air with only a little bit of a wobble to start out as his balance reorients. A bit slower than usual, but otherwise fine. <<We should keep our mics hot for this, in case they get the drop on one of us>> he says over comms, the whistle of the wind a faint backdrop to his voice.

Steve Rogers has posed:
"Better to play it safe," Steve advises Morrigan. "Stay about a hundred yards back. If you get into trouble, radio us. Once we engage them odds are good we won't be able to fall back to grab you, so watch for traps and snares.'

He nods once at Sam, gives Bucky's shoulder a clasp and a squeeze. "Heads down. I'll see you on the other side," Steve says to the other soldiers. "Agent, follow my footsteps. Don't wander off course; we don't know what kind of traps are out there."

Bucky breaks into a fast run to make a safe approach from the other vantage point, and Sam takes to the air. Steve beckons Cael along and starts jogging towards their destination.

As big as he is, even with the shield on his back, Steve moves almost soundlessly through the terrain. Even in the dense old brush he can move at a near-run that leaves little trail of his passing. It doesn't take him long to find the first snare, a rusty hunter's trap set in the middle of a pathway. Steve disarms it quietly and moves it out of the way, then moves onwards.

"Found a steel hunter's trap," he murmurs into the neck microphone. "Watch your step out here."

Morrigan MacIntyre has posed:
"I shall stay with you all then." Morrigan nods to this. Then there's a look into the crate of weapons and she digs quietly through it until she comes up with a knife, "Perfect." she states quietly and tucks it away for later use. The comm is tacked into place, figuring out quickly how to use it. She gives a nod to Cap's words, "I'll do that. Hopefully no one will get caught in any." she tells him. She turns in enough time to see Bucky start to lope off and she moves to follow after the heavily armored and weaponized super soldier. But she stays back the distance that she's supposed to.

Cardio. More cardio would be needed to survive these guys. Or she'd stop trying to keep up with the superheroes.

James Barnes has posed:
    If anyone has forgotten just how silently lethal The Winter Soldier can be, they might be reminded if they come across any of his handiwork along the way to the meeting point. Over the comms, his encounters are nothing more than a few soft grunts of effort, three times? Maybe four. Each time a lifeless body was left without a single gunshot.

    <<They're everywhere out here, but at least their necks snap. (Nice, Buck, Nice) Sam, what're you pickin' up from up there?>> he whispers over the comms.

    As if on cue, Steve and his little team of three will find themselves surrounded by six of the Milner clan. They just seem to appear out of the woods surrounding the group. Three of them are men, two are women and a third can't be any older than about sixteen... the thin body makes gender difficult to make out in the dark. All of them are dark skinned, but not in the same sense that... well, Sam is dark skinned. Their skin is ebony black, black black, not brown. It makes the whites of their red eyes startlingly bright in the dark. None of them have hair. They're dressed in all black as well, but their clothes are ratty and torn. None of them wear shoes. ...and at least one of them makes a sound that brings to mind a starving man just introduced to an all you can eat buffet.

Cael Becker has posed:
    Cael's comm is on - and is quietly tested as they track through the woods. She stays close on Steve's heels - at least as best as she can. She's in excellent physical condition, but- well. Captain America has something of an edge on her. It's probably a good thing he's had experience working with other humans who lack his 'gifts.'
    "There's another trap, here," she murmurs - after finding a trip-wire leading up a game path Steve had (wisely, it seems) eschewed. That one is quickly dismantled as well - rather than leaving that nasty blade ready to swing onto the path at chest height.
    How did the group of beings manage to surround them at the pace they were moving? They had to have planned for some sort of rescue and been prepared for it. It was the only thing that made sense to her. The first sign she had that they were there at all as one of them grabbing for her - a blade swinging towards her, as she twists out of the way and brings a weapon up - seemingly aiming it towards Morrigan.
    It's the shine of a pair of eyes behind her, however, that Shael fires on with three quick shots.

Sam Wilson has posed:
    As soon as he's airborne, Sam toggles thermal vision on in his goggles. Instantly at least a dozen hotspots light up in his vision, because heavily forested land equals land heavily populated by animals. Of course they're easily distinguished from human heat signatures given their sizes, but it's a lot of basically white noise for Sam to process. He climbs up, up, and then he's got a good swath of the area within his field of vision.

    What he finds once he does is not good. <<Shit. Hold on, there's too many>> and boy does that not sound good, but it's true, and Sam has to tap at the control panel on his gauntlet to start a subroutine for target monitoring. If Redwing were with him it'd be done automatically, but he's not useless without the onboard AI. <<Counting at least three dozen heat signatures; they're pretty distinctive.>>

    There's a pause over the comms, not even the quiet rush of air that had accompanied him previously because Sam has come to a hovering stop way up there. Impossible for him to do this kind of intensive analysis manually and fly at the same time, especially with a headache pounding away between his ears. <<Think I might have a location for Horace, let me-->> He pans to find one of the heat sigs he's pegged as "friendly", and Bucky's the first one he spots, but-- <<Buck, incoming target on your six!>>

    He doesn't start into a dive. On an instinctual level, he trusts both Steve and Bucky to handle trouble that comes their way, or at least call out for an assist if it's necessary. Maybe a little less with Bucky, but it's a single target. Instead he keeps scanning for Steve's group, and when he finds it-- shit, seriously?-- <<Six hostiles on you, Cap>> though even at this distance Sam can tell that they're close enough for his warning to come too late for it to do any good.

    He steps back mentally, takes in the big picture of what the spread of heat signatures on his thermal vision is telling him. <<They know we're here. I'm seeing flanking maneuvers, they might be trying to drive you into traps.>>