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[shapedthecentury]

[ Someone doesn't know they've been here before. This is all new, and more than a little unnerving, but being in another fight for survival isn't the part he doesn't understand. That, he can go along with.

There are other questions. ]

So the docs here fixed us all up when we arrived. Anyone happen to know how thorough they are?

[ Could be relevant later. Depends on where that damn book's gotten to, if it even exists in this world. Still a pretty significant risk to the team, if unaccounted for, so first thing's first.

And second things second. He straightens, pausing slightly like he's remembering how to go about this. ]

And, uh. My name's Bucky Barnes. Guessing some of you probably heard of me already.

[ Probably not in the best of lights, or that's what that suddenly grim look on his face seems to convey. He's seen the roster, after all. At least two people on there aren't likely to be his biggest fans. ]

Comments

[private]

[smarterthandad]

Contingency planning is fun.

[None of the danger feels real to Val. Despite her intelligence, she's too young to emotionally grasp that something bad and permanent might happen.]

Anyway, your best bet is a telepath, which is what I would have recommended back home, too. Synaptic editing is also a possibility, but telepathy will be a lot less of a production.

[private]

[shapedthecentury]

Sure it is.

[ It's sad, is what it is. Welcome to the future, he guesses. ]

Seems to be the general consensus. I guess these guys have experience with this sort of thing.

[private]

[smarterthandad]

[Val recognizes when she's being humored, but she also rarely cares unless it's stopping her from doing something. If people wanna be wrong, that's their business until they make it hers.]

Mind control is really common. It's the first thing to check on if one of your friends starts acting weird. Well, that and shapeshifting.

[She says this like it's normal.]

[private]

[shapedthecentury]

[ Oh, there's plenty wrong, in this whole conversation. ]

Common for who, exactly?

[ That's a lot of effort, work, and expense, just for your average Joe to suddenly not seem quite right.

Not that he's dismissing the idea out of hand. Paranoia is an ever-hungry beast. ]

[private]

[smarterthandad]

[The only average Joe Val knows is the Baxter Building mailman.]

Superheroes, mostly. Sometimes highly-placed politicians.

[private]

[shapedthecentury]

So...people here. Basically.

[ That's a comforting thought. ]

[private]

[smarterthandad]

I'm not too worried. They've upped the security here since last time a Trojan Horse got through. You can't rule out a novel attack vector, of course, but Chronoblivion's forces have gotten strong enough that they're more likely to use brute force at this point.

[See? Nothing to worry about. She's the best at comforting!]

[private]

[shapedthecentury]

[ It's more comforting than you might think. He'd rather take a fight he can see than one that slips inside his head, gets under his skin. One he can't stop.

Good to hear some people still prefer the old-fashioned way.

[private]

[smarterthandad]

[She squints at him for a second, not sure how much of that is a joke and how much is him being unprepared for what 31st century superhero combat looks like.]

Uh-huh. You should hit the armory.

[He seems like the kind of person who's happier with a gun under his pillow.]

By the way, if you need repairs on the prosthetic and Mr. Stark's busy, I can do it.

[She has no idea how Civil War went down where he's from.]