[for Jessica]

[onlyapassenger]

The ITF's job was -- and remains -- to keep tabs on everyone who entered Rapture, the underground hellhole of a city that showed up on the island as suddenly and inexplicably as any of the people who walk its shores. The primary mission, poorly defined but executed to the best of our ability, was, by most accounts, an unmitigated failure... Well,

Comments

[notaparker]

I was only in that clinic bed for ten days, you'd think I wouldn't be so rusty. But then, that's as much to do with the fact that, in the absence of the ol' Rapture superheroin, I'm back at baseline human. A little under, in fact, what with the still-healing lung.

Which, frankly, isn't good enough. We've established, in the wake of that disaster, that I have to do better. I have to be better, and I have to be better prepared. Unfortunately, there's a limit on how well I can achieve that, given I'm keeping a secret identity under wraps. No public combat training. Runs, swimming, I can allow those, that's just a nerd who likes to keep fit

[onlyapassenger]

"You're pretty talkative for a corpse," replies Bucky on an exhale of disbelieving laughter, dropping down into an easy crouch beside her to help her up, and offering her his hand. He supposes he's one to talk, all things considered, but that isn't the sort of information he's about to offer without prompting.

Glancing up at the obstacle course, he frowns, slightly, in thought, then looks back to Jessica, assessing her for any injuries she might be unlikely to share.

"What happened?"

[notaparker]

I give him the hand belonging to the arm that isn't sore, stretching it out as I let him help me back to my feet.

"Cramp," I say. "Must be because this isn't really my thing, I was just, you know, messing around."

He could buy it. I'd buy it. Maybe. He only just got here, right? On the other hand... he is one of the people running the ITF. Not like I've done anything suspicious in their neck of the woods recently or anything...

[onlyapassenger]

"That's some impressive messing around for someone who suffered a collapsed lung last month," Bucky replies casually, taking a step back only once he's sure she won't be taking another dirt nap anytime soon. "Especially if this isn't your thing, and all."