I scowled at the fast retreating purple form. Slowing him down? Alright, so I wasn't in peak condition, but that hardly meant he needed to stash me up a tree. I was the genius after all. I cast my eyes upwards and knew at once that me plus that tree would not equal anything good, so I repositioned the grip on my case and started to head upstream where, hopefully, there would be an easier place to cross the river and maybe somewhere to bunk down for the night.

Sadly, after less than ten feet I realized that just wasn't going to happen. I still couldn't seem to draw in enough air, so walking was the opposite of helpful when it came to that. I couldn't just sit here and do nothing though! My eyes scanned the area again for anything of use, and landed back on the bastards that had tried to throw me in the water. Clint's words rang in my head, there could be more. Hell he'd been right the first time suggesting someone would come after us.

It felt like honest torture, but I hauled myself back over to the four dead bodies by a combination of sheer will, fear, and a lot of tree clutching as I hopped along. Making it back, I ransacked their still warm persons and grabbed three hand guns, and one of them had a taser on them. I didn't want to know. I almost left the sniper strapped to the dead guys back, because it was just extra weight that I couldn't deal with at this point, but then reconsidered. That bow Clint made was useful obviously, but a sheer piece of crap and wouldn't last long. He might need a real weapon at some point. Pocketing all but one of the guns and throwing the largest one over my back I had to pause several times to catch myself from crawling back to my brief case. What should have taken me mere minutes to walk back and forth must have taken twenty minutes to accomplish from my slow pacing.

Maybe there was some truth in what Clint said. My mind wandered to the Cap and briefly wondered if he was okay, but I didn't lay on those thoughts long. He was Captain fucking America, a little water was hardly the least of his worries; and I was just going to keep thinking that until he came back holding onto Clint's shirt tails and whining about me as always.

After managing it back to my mostly damaged suit, I placed all I had in front of me to try and come up with a new plan. I was trapped, making us trapped. There was just no way I could make it across that river, and Clint must be exhausted physically by now. It had been what, almost three days of little to no nutrition and getting through this forest after jumping out of a moving vehicle and being on the receiving end of it blowing up. Hardly what I would call peak condition, so relying on him to get us both across was asinine. Even if Hawkeye was at top form, what would we do on the other side? Apparently the safe house was still fifteen miles out, no way was I going to make it that far. I was still reeling for oxygen after a fucking limp around in this tiny area.

No, what we needed was something else entirely, a new plan of action. I looked forlornly on my destroyed suit, wishing that more than just the one repulsor had survived. It wasn't even of use, because if I did pull the suit apart to use it, I would get minimal power at best. The taser would do more damage.

The stupid GPS system I had installed into it was long fried, but what if...an idea. Suddenly I had the suit in my hands and was attempting to pry it open with no success, until I glanced around and saw a rather thick branch a few feet away.

Using the extra force I managed to pry a large chunk of burned and twisted metal far enough apart that I could shove my arm through and try to identify one piece in particular...

AAA

Finding Steve was easier than I thought. I'd started to jog down river in hopes of catching up to him quickly, but only managed little under a mile before I found him flailing about in the water, consistently going up for air and then right back down. I had to admire his determination, he had to know that Tony would have been dead had he really been in the water this long, and he was still down there looking.

I couldn't help but watch for a minute to appreciate his determination, but then noticed something odd. Steve wasn't exactly calling out and yelling for Tony to answer him, yet he still couldn't see. Was he really just covering the water blind? After watching him for almost five minutes I gave myself a good shake, what was the point in questioning it? Just ask, "Hey Steve, if you're trying to develop gills I'd suggest a more effective method. There's this toxic waste plant that's lovely this time of year."

The reaction would have been funny at any other time. Steve came up gasping and whirling towards the sound of my voice, and unerringly focused right on me. I called out louder this time, "can you swim back over here? Tony's fine, get out of the water."

Steve continued to slip farther downstream, but was now attempting to make it back to shore with semi strong movements. I followed his path diligently, prepared to jump in should it seem he was getting over powered, but he made it to the edge and I quickly bent down to help pull him out. It took a little more effort than I would have liked, but Cap was hauled onto the shore soaking wet and gasping for breath none the less.

He lay there like a fish for several moments, just gasping at air. I started counting slowly in my head and grew a bit worried when I got to a hundred and he still hadn't moved. "Steve you all right?" I asked, crouching down by his head to get a proper look at him for the first time, and unable to stop a short gasp. The scabs that had previously covered up both of his eyes and most of his face were gone. The skin looked new and shiny in places, but when he opened his eyes I could finally see the blues that hadn't been there before. I noticed right away that his eyes were straining though, flowing in and out of focus as he continued to get his breath back. "Steve? Can you see me? Can you hear me? You all right?"

He ignored all of the above questions and instead gasped out his own "Tony, you said—" and he rolled over to start up another coughing fit. I leaned forward and helped to support his weight as he tried to get it all up. "Jeesh, between you and Mr. Philanthropist back there we could win an award." As his coughing finally eased out I helped him to sit up and looked him directly in the face, then decided to forestall what I knew was coming. "Tony is fine. He ran into some trouble, but I'll give you the full story later. Right now we need to get back to him and find a place to settle before dark."

I glanced up at the sky line and noticed it was well past noon, we'd have to deal with the river tomorrow. It had taken much longer then I'd thought to make it this far. Both of these boys needed rest.

Steve had yet to move, and he looked up at me wide eyed and asked, "trouble?"

I shook my head fiercely and declared, "I'll tell you on the way, but we really do need to get back." He must have sensed something in my voice, because he then tried to hurry to his feet, only to unbalance and nearly fall back into the water. I reached out and snagged his shirt, holding on until I was sure he'd gotten his balance back.

"Preferably without any more incidents," I finished with a stern look. He sighed, but clearly understood what I was implying, and so he roped his arm around my shoulders and walked at my pace until I was satisfied he wasn't going to fall over. Then I released him and he walked under his own steed more or less.

"Tell me what happened," he finally asked when I didn't start myself.

I quickly explained the situation, and then added on my reasoning for coming to get him. He took it all in silence.

We'd almost made it back to about where I left Tony when I finally asked, "So, can you see?"

He sighed deeply before answering, "Kind of, well mostlyish. Everything's blurry and I can barely make out more than a few feet away. At least it's something though."

"True that," I agreed as I started to slow my pace and began looking above me as the dead bodies came into sight. However, I knew right away that something was wrong. The body's had been ransacked, hastily looked through and all of their firearms were gone. Plus, there was no Tony anywhere in sight.

Steve could clearly tell something was wrong as well, so he sidled up close to my back and drew his shield from his back. I strung an arrow and proceeded forward with caution, my eyes taking in every minute detail. There were signs of a struggle, but I was inclined to believe that was the original tussle of them dragging Tony to the edge of the river the first time.

I could make out the details of something extremely heavy, like his suit, being hauled off farther upstream by someone who didn't quite have the strength to hold it. I frowned; had Tony merely ignored my advice and tried to go up his own? Plausible considering the person, but a bit unlikely. I did not put away my weapon, but did quicken my pace in the general direction of the path he had taken. Steve did not question any of this, but stayed on my tail to cover me.

He'd made it a lot farther than I would have given him credit for given his physical state, but we finally came across a noise that had me both rolling my eyes and lowering my weapon. The familiar sounds of Stark at work were easily identifiable in this neck of the woods.

"What's a matter Stark? The scenic route not holding to your five star standards?"

Tony let out a wild yelp and whirled around to face us, gun in hand, only to nearly collapse at the sight of us.

He doubled over coughing, letting the now shaking gun fall out of his slack grip. Both of us hustled over and I bent down to thump him hard on the back, it was the only thing I could think to do at this point.

When he was finally done and looked back up at us I was more startled then anything by the tear tracks on his soot covered face.

I turned my back, pretending I'd seen nothing as he ducked his head back down and whipped his face hastily on his shirt sleeves, and only spun back around with a water bottle in hand when he spoke in a semi clear voice, "You guys look like shit."

"You're one to talk," I noted, as he quickly snagged the bottle and chugged it down, too fast. He was gagging on it in seconds and most of it came right back up, almost onto my shoe.

"Watch it motor mouth," I hissed, snagging the bottle from his grasp as Steve reached over and took his turn to thump him on the back. Stark was now scowling at the both of us, but I couldn't help but return it with a grin. His personality hadn't faltered one bit.

He stuck his hand back out for the water, and I shook it just beyond his grasp and stated, "Slow sips. I am not going back to that stream unless I have to. Plus, these were my best shoes."

He scowled and I let him snatch the water back, but he heeded me this time and took the water at a much slower pace this time. Only when he'd completely finished did he set the bottle aside and turn his back to us before stating, "Guess you are going to have to go back to that river."

"Honestly, why did we come back for him?" I demanded of Steve, who'd sat down and was watching us both with an amused look on his face.

"For my mind, what else?" He declared without looking up. I leaned over his shoulder to try and get a peak, only for him to straighten up and remove my line of sight again. "Nosey birdie aren't we? I think we should try and get your beak clipped next."

"That doesn't even make sense," I pointed out as I stood up to stretch and just decided to leave it. Whatever he was working on, he'd have to show us in the morning anyway.

"Of course it did," he muttered, turning back to his project.

I made my way over to the thickest tree and easily climbed my way up it, scaling the branches until the ground below was almost lost. I scouted the immediate area and was positive there was no more life around but the three of us before only going half way back down and making a little perch for me in the branches. I heard a couple of crude jokes below about my birds nest, but thought nothing of them. If Stark still had the energy for lame jokes like those then he must be feeling a bit better.

At this vantage point I could make the two out easily, Tony still in his black Sabbath t-shirt, the slight glow of his arc reactor seemed to be growing brighter as the sun continued to dim. His pant legs were still torn to shreds and at this height I could still see the discoloration of his left leg he was holding off to the side. We had to get that checked out soon, or there was no telling what was going to happen to it.

Steve looked a bit more relaxed, leaning back against the tree I was in and watching Tony's hands fly through what I could now identify as his suit. Guess he had finally decided it wasn't worth toting around if he was the one who was going to have to do it. He was clearly taking it apart and rewiring something, though it was beyond me what exactly.

With every passing minute our little spot was growing steadily darker, but no one suggested we light a fire. The last one hadn't done too much good. I knew I should suggest going out to hunt, there was more than likely still animals in the area. Small game that I might be able to set traps for and catch something to eat. Those stupid granola bars were already gone, and none of us had eaten all day. It wasn't so bad for me. Often times on solo missions I would have to live off of low provisions and stay in one spot until my target became available. Those two down there however, had dealt with a relatively difficult hike with severe injuries. They needed substance.

Yet I couldn't just leave them here, so undefended. Cap still wasn't back to 100% and both boys were exhausted. If there were still more people looking for us, which most likely there were, then going off into the night and leaving them here would be suicide. I also couldn't push aside the guilt that was still gnawing at me. I'd so far come off with a bruised up side that was probably one of the most minor injuries I'd ever received. Steve had a point, if I'd stayed in the truck it would have been a lot worse, but I still felt responsible for what happened to them.

I closed my eyes and leaned my head back against the rough bark behind me, weighing all the pros and cons before finally deciding the con's won out. I would have to make a solo mission out to go and get some food. Tomorrow. We'd be forestalled another half a day, but it would be worth it. I would get up early in the morning, wake up the Captain, and go in search of food. I'd come back, we'd get a semi good meal, and then work our way across the river. Hopefully with some meat in their body it wouldn't be too difficult, right?