[ there are three bodies on the ground, each in different questionable positions. none of them look particularly conscious, let alone comfortable; one, in fact, has a really nasty bloody gash on his face.
daisy, however, is perfectly clean. in fact, she mostly looks annoyed when steve's shadow casts a shadow down the alleyway. is that new? probably not. ]
Before you say anything: no, they're not dead.
[ and then, a beat: ] Also, I have an alibi. I was definitely playing Candy Crush on my phone.
[ Relief is not the most appropriate emotion to have when happening upon three unconscious bodies in a darkened alley, but that's exactly how Steve feels when he sees that Daisy is entirely unharmed. Knowing that she can take care of herself hasn't stopped him worrying yet. ]
You're lucky I'm not the cops. I doubt that Candy Crush makes a suitable alibi.
I did do a microtransaction, though, so there's a receipt for that.
[ she's being obstinate on purpose — mostly because it provides a lowkey distraction as she gingerly steps over limbs splayed out on the ground, boots kicking up small clouds of dust and gravel as she goes. better than blood, though.
as explanation: ] I bought some extra hearts. This mission with the blueberry bushels is killing me.
[ steve does not care about candy crush. she knows, but she's going to tell him anyway. ]
These guys are Watchdogs, though. They've been running a fake asylum site for Inhumans, sending assholes like Bobby here to scare them off. Found them tracking some poor kid who glows in the dark.
[ If Steve felt any guilt for stepping past the haphazardly piled bodies, it vanishes instantly. He can't spare much sympathy for Watchdogs; as they say, a fascist by any other name... ]
And the kid? [ He knows that she wouldn't be cracking wise about Candy Crush if anything had happened, but he has to ask. ]
[ thus, he is fine. a little terrified, probably, but he's not dead. shield is pretty good at making sure the new kids in their custody are alive these days. ]
Still trying to find the drop site. Feel like a slumber party?
Sure. Give me a second. [ Steve steps over to the group of unconscious Watchdogs and pats down the nearest one until he feels the hard rectangular outline of smartphone. It's an awkward angle but he fishes it out of the Watchdog's pocket and lifts a limp hand to press the fingerprint against the home button. Shoutout to Touch ID making it easier to infiltrate Watchdog communications.
Steve navigates to the encrypted chat application that militia groups are so fond of and sends a message requesting backup. He tucks the phone back where he found it and makes his way back to Daisy. ]
Their friends should be on their way. Shall we head to the roof?
[ there's something so endearing about the old-fashioned approach — but it works, doesn't it? sure, it's a little weird to pick up some unconscious guy's hand in order to brute force your way into his phone, but it is faster than trying to guess what four digit code might be important to an alt-right asshole. so rather than rib him for being hands-on, daisy opts to smother 95% of her grin and keep on with the program. ]
How romantic.
[ there's a ledge built for two and everything up there. ]
You think these guys are the "no body left behind" type?
Not at all. But as far as they know, the team they're coming back for hasn't failed spectacularly. They think they're coming to help finish the job.
[ That the job in question was to terrorize a civilian, and a minor at that, makes Steve's blood boil. The Watchdogs are lucky he isn't the type to kick a man while he's down. ]
Let's get moving. [ The backup team should already be on the way, and as much as Steve would like to be here to give them a piece of his mind, the strategic move is to watch from the rooftop and follow them back to their hiding place. They'll help many more Inhumans by hitting the Watchdogs where they live.
The outer entrance to the stairwell is locked, but it doesn't take much to force the handle. He pulls open the door and nods back at Daisy. ] After you.
[ one after the other, a private joke she keeps in her thoughts; instead of voicing that petty contradiction, daisy sprints through the now-open doorway and up the stairs, taking the landings two at a time on boots that thump and shake the rusted handrail as she goes. ]
Come on, Cap, you can't skip leg day.
[ from ground to roof is at least four stories. maybe more. daisy didn't exactly go looking for easy access when she was smashing skulls with yo-yo earlier.
and, if she's totally honest, it would be her luck to get the tall building with no elevator. ]
That they are. [ He won't soon forget the petrified faces of Inhumans who were just trying to go about their lives before the Watchdogs made that impossible. Daisy and her team of Secret Warriors are doing important work but they can't be everywhere, and targeting the base of Watchdog operations is the only way they can protect more than a few individuals at a time. It's about turning the tide of rising hate crimes against Inhumans, but Steve would be lying if he said he wasn't looking forward to showing the Watchdogs exactly what he thinks of their organization. Many of them fancy themselves the "true patriots" and Steve intends to disabuse them of that notion.
It turns out to be five stories, and Steve takes the last flight of stairs two at a time so he can sprint past Daisy and hold open the roof access door. He wants to be the first through the door just in case the Watchdogs had lookouts stationed up here. It's just a precaution; they're a dangerous group but they aren't that well-organized. Yet. Steve hopes to keep them from advancing. ]
Coast is clear. Come on, they shouldn't be long now.
the watchdogs are many things. motivated by hate and xenophobia, drawn to people like themselves in an attempt to bolster their own sense of power and position, reckless and a little stupid — but law-abiding really isn't one of them. she doesn't exactly think that whatever backup might be dispatched by their glorified whatsapp group will be planning on stopping for red lights. ]
Let's just hope we get lucky. I've started to see 'sovereign citizen' chatter on the web with these guys, but it's not too wide-spread yet. Hopefully these guys leave their license plates on.
[ she can track them, then. avoid having to get too close in the chase sequence. shield surveillance is a handy thing. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
⭐ shield me, bae.
daisy, however, is perfectly clean. in fact, she mostly looks annoyed when steve's shadow casts a shadow down the alleyway. is that new? probably not. ]
Before you say anything: no, they're not dead.
[ and then, a beat: ] Also, I have an alibi. I was definitely playing Candy Crush on my phone.
no subject
You're lucky I'm not the cops. I doubt that Candy Crush makes a suitable alibi.
What happened here?
no subject
[ she's being obstinate on purpose — mostly because it provides a lowkey distraction as she gingerly steps over limbs splayed out on the ground, boots kicking up small clouds of dust and gravel as she goes. better than blood, though.
as explanation: ] I bought some extra hearts. This mission with the blueberry bushels is killing me.
[ steve does not care about candy crush. she knows, but she's going to tell him anyway. ]
These guys are Watchdogs, though. They've been running a fake asylum site for Inhumans, sending assholes like Bobby here to scare them off. Found them tracking some poor kid who glows in the dark.
no subject
And the kid? [ He knows that she wouldn't be cracking wise about Candy Crush if anything had happened, but he has to ask. ]
no subject
[ thus, he is fine. a little terrified, probably, but he's not dead. shield is pretty good at making sure the new kids in their custody are alive these days. ]
Still trying to find the drop site. Feel like a slumber party?
[ aka it's stake out time ]
no subject
Steve navigates to the encrypted chat application that militia groups are so fond of and sends a message requesting backup. He tucks the phone back where he found it and makes his way back to Daisy. ]
Their friends should be on their way. Shall we head to the roof?
no subject
How romantic.
[ there's a ledge built for two and everything up there. ]
You think these guys are the "no body left behind" type?
no subject
[ That the job in question was to terrorize a civilian, and a minor at that, makes Steve's blood boil. The Watchdogs are lucky he isn't the type to kick a man while he's down. ]
Let's get moving. [ The backup team should already be on the way, and as much as Steve would like to be here to give them a piece of his mind, the strategic move is to watch from the rooftop and follow them back to their hiding place. They'll help many more Inhumans by hitting the Watchdogs where they live.
The outer entrance to the stairwell is locked, but it doesn't take much to force the handle. He pulls open the door and nods back at Daisy. ] After you.
no subject
[ one after the other, a private joke she keeps in her thoughts; instead of voicing that petty contradiction, daisy sprints through the now-open doorway and up the stairs, taking the landings two at a time on boots that thump and shake the rusted handrail as she goes. ]
Come on, Cap, you can't skip leg day.
[ from ground to roof is at least four stories. maybe more. daisy didn't exactly go looking for easy access when she was smashing skulls with yo-yo earlier.
and, if she's totally honest, it would be her luck to get the tall building with no elevator. ]
no subject
It turns out to be five stories, and Steve takes the last flight of stairs two at a time so he can sprint past Daisy and hold open the roof access door. He wants to be the first through the door just in case the Watchdogs had lookouts stationed up here. It's just a precaution; they're a dangerous group but they aren't that well-organized. Yet. Steve hopes to keep them from advancing. ]
Coast is clear. Come on, they shouldn't be long now.
no subject
the watchdogs are many things. motivated by hate and xenophobia, drawn to people like themselves in an attempt to bolster their own sense of power and position, reckless and a little stupid — but law-abiding really isn't one of them. she doesn't exactly think that whatever backup might be dispatched by their glorified whatsapp group will be planning on stopping for red lights. ]
Let's just hope we get lucky. I've started to see 'sovereign citizen' chatter on the web with these guys, but it's not too wide-spread yet. Hopefully these guys leave their license plates on.
[ she can track them, then. avoid having to get too close in the chase sequence. shield surveillance is a handy thing. ]