**Enjoy**
Chapter Nine: History 101
She came down from a higher advantage point, driving her fist down into the metal shield he used to cover himself from her attack. The metal rang out with a low hum that seemed to race up the length of her arm, her elbow quivering against the tiniest amount of ricocheted vibration. She let out a hiss of annoyance between her teeth, bringing her feet down on the surface of the shield and launching herself backward off of it.
Kade landed a few feet away, instantly readying herself as Steve charged. Punch for punch, kick for kick she matched him, bending backward to avoid a left swing armed with his shield, feeling the sheer force of his swing dance across her face. She reached up, grabbing hold of the outer rim of the shield as it passed, using his own strength to yank her body up and spin around; driving her foot across his face before she brought her legs back down.
Steve stumbled backward, slowly straightening his body out and staring over at Kade; who stared right back as she turned to face him again. Both donning nothing more than simple exercise clothes, their skin glistening with sweat against the fluorescents that lined the ceiling of the training room. He brought his right hand up to his left cheek, testing the large red welt that was already forming a swollen bruise, seeming impressed that she didn't break the skin; the strike along dazing him for a moment.
"That's the hardest you can hit? I thought we agreed not to hold back" Steve mocked, taking stance.
Kadence smirked, striding up toward him. Steve braced himself, bringing his shield between them in defense. She stopped before him, raising her hand and flattening her palm against his shield. Kade felt the shift in her eyes, the tingling that raced down her spine and across her nerves, and just as quickly her fingers turned the color of brushed steel; slowly enveloping her entire hand.
She pulled away as her hand continued to change, bringing it to contact with her right and allowing the same shift in that one as well. Putting several feet between them, she lowered her hands to her sides, clenching them into fists.
"You know…next time I'll just keep quiet" Steve grumbled.
Bucky watched from the overhead ramp as Kade charged Steve, high ringing of metal against metal echoing out each time her fist struck his shield. It brought a smile to his face, watching her fight with such ferocity and concentration given the circumstances they all had landed in. It had been nearly a week since Simon, JB and Constance arrived at their doorstep, and since then Kadence had been increasingly distracted; seeming only to remove said distraction when she was sparring.
JB had shown only mild improvement to his attitude, still becoming defensive if questions became too probing, Simon would swear up and down they've said everything that was needed to know, and Constance would disappear into a wisp of black smoke the minute she felt cornered. After numerous failed attempts, both he and Kade decided to just let things be and focus on the task at hand, which at the current point in time was training.
"Why is she only using physical attacks?" JB asked.
Bucky cocked his head to watch the youth approach, a soured look on his face as he joined his father in the spectacle.
"She adjusts to the situation, it's how she fights" Bucky replied, turning back to watch the two below.
"She needs to be using her power…honing it" JB urged, sounding disappointed.
"She does use her power"
"Changing the density and material of her own flesh doesn't count, she's barely even using the stone to its full potential"
"And you would know, being the expert on the infinity stone" Bucky mused, allowing a mocking smirk to play at his lips.
"I know what the stone is capable of, I've seen it first-hand…or did you forget that part?"
Bucky sighed heavily, realizing that insulting his son's experience probably wasn't the best way to bond. Having to remind himself that this version was much older and had practically been through hell and back was dancing on a level of difficulty he didn't like dealing with.
"I know that, but there's still a lot you seem to leave out. For instance, how does Thanos get the stone from Kade? How is he able to remove it?"
JB stiffened, and Bucky saw the look in the youth's face twist as if he had a bitter taste in his mouth.
"He kills her…you'll forgive me if I don't want to relive the details of how my mother dies" JB replied, albeit stiffly.
It was Bucky's turn to swallow down bitterness, his mind still not wanting to fathom the idea of her death; nor how she met it.
"I'm sorry" the soldier muttered, casting his eyes to the floor.
Jamie leaned onto the railing, rubbing his hands over his face in some attempt to remove the stress before he cross his arms over one another, exhaling slowly.
"I should be the one apologizing…I don't mean to get short with everyone but it's hard not to when there's gonna be an alien invasion at our door step in five years that's gonna annihilate the human race. I just don't want this to be a wasted effort, coming all the way back and not being able to use what we have to change the future" JB explained.
"Giving us a head start didn't hurt I'm sure" Bucky remarked.
Silence fell between them for a brief moment, causing Bucky to look questionably at the youth beside him; the latter wide eyed as if an idea just dawned on him.
"Use the past…to change the future…that's it!" JB exclaimed, his face alight as he turned to face his father.
"What's it?" Bucky asked, mildly concerned; Kade got that same look from time to time and it never ended well.
"I think I know a way!" JB beamed, bolting off from their post.
"JB, what- shit" Bucky grumbled.
He turned toward the two fighting below and let out a shrill whistle to get their attention.
Steve, Sam and Natasha stood on one side of the projection table, while Kade and Bucky stood opposite of them, all gazing up at a holographic map of Europe.
"Alright, in order for you to understand my plan, we need a little history 101. Now I know at least two of you have a first hand count of this but just bear with me…" JB stated, slowly approaching the head of the table.
Natasha smirked and tossed an amused grin at Steve, who merely shrugged it off and ignored her as Jamie began to enter commands into the input keyboard.
"…In the 1940's, the Nazi science division known as HYDRA, discovered an ancient artifact that had limitless power and destructive capability. They used this artifact to practically cripple any and all opposition, allowing German occupation to cover almost ninety percent of Europe, and Nazi Germany taking at least fifty percent of that…"
As JB spoke, sections of the map faded red to signify German control; while a large center portion was highlighted with HYDRA's telltale symbol.
"…They achieved this by syphoning off the artifact's power into conduits, then placed these conduits into communication devices, weapons, vehicles, anything they could manufacture…giving them a turn of the century advantage that nobody could stop…"
Images of HYDRA's tanks and specialized guns replaced the map, and Steve gave a small nod of recognition toward the tank; recalling his team blowing a few of those machines up back in the day.
"…that was until the U.S sent in S.H.I.E.L.D and a special task force to turn the tide"
"Technically, S.H.I.E.L.D wasn't formed until after the war" Natasha chimed.
"Either way…they trumped HYDRA's wild card and put Nazi Germany in its place" JB grumbled.
"Are we getting to a point to all this?" Sam asked, sounding impatient.
JB went back to typing, and the holograph shifted to that of a small, blue ball that seemed to be radiating with energy.
"My point is that these conduits were loaded with energy from the infinity stone, and because of that, they give off the exact same radioactive signatures as the original. My plan? Retrieve one of these conduits, find a way to do the same with Vision's stone, and when Thanos arrives, we give him the fakes" JB explained.
"Only one problem Jamie, won't-"
"It's JB now" JB interrupted, cutting Kade off.
Kade smirked, arching an eyebrow at him as she folded her arms across her chest.
"I spent fourteen hours in labor, changed your diapers and taught you how to use a spoon…I can call you what I want" she remarked.
JB scoffed, a slight blush racing across his cheeks as his eyes fell on Bucky; somehow pleading for backup. Sam stifled a soft burst of laughter, snickering as quietly as possible while Steve elbowed him in the ribs.
"Don't look at me, I've learned a long time ago not to argue with your mother" Bucky stated, tucking his hands into his pockets.
"Thanks dad…real supportive" JB grumbled under his breath.
"As I was saying…if Thanos is this all powerful being like you claim he is, won't he realize they're fakes?" Kade asked, urging to get back on topic.
"He'll likely be across the universe by then, it still buys us more time" JB explained.
"What so…five years isn't enough time?" she asked.
"Not to assemble the army you'll need to fight him, especially in your condition"
Kade narrowed her eyes at JB questionably, and it didn't take super human senses to catch the sudden tenseness in the room. The Captain cleared his throat with some attempt to break the death glare Kade was giving her son.
"So hypothetically speaking, we go with this plan of yours…where do we find these conduits?" Steve asked.
Jamie turned his attention from Kade, and mimicked a cringe.
"Well, that's where it gets a bit tricky. With Germany defeated and the stone somewhere at the bottom of the north Atlantic, HYDRA took to destroying all evidence of their super weapons…including the conduits. Only a few that were confiscated by S.H.I.E.L.D managed to survive, and after Stark's data collection, they knew that if these conduits fell into the wrong hands it could start another world war, so they did what S.H.I.E.L.D does best…they locked them away in a vault somewhere" JB stated.
"So where's the vault?" Natasha asked.
"Nobody knows. The coordinates were destroyed a long time ago and everyone who knew the location, died before passing off the information" JB answered.
"So how are we supposed to get them?" Sam asked.
"We get it at the source…"
JB typed another set of commands, bringing up a map that focused in on an area in eastern Germany.
"…HYDRA had several processing plants located all over Europe, one of them is documented in Dresden, Germany. It was a smaller plant, so less personnel and less military influence. Get in, grab a conduit, get out…no problem" JB explained.
"Just one…Constance went back twenty years and almost died. You're looking to go back a little over a hundred years, she'll never make it" Bucky stated.
"That's because she's not the one going…" Kade remarked, gaining all eyes in an instant.
"…I am"
The room was dead silent for a mere minute before Bucky's dumbfounded look melted into defiance.
"No" he stated flatly.
"What was this about learning not to argue with me?" she mused with a smirk.
"This isn't funny Kade, and it's not even up for debate, you don't even know how to time jump!" he quipped.
"It's not that hard" JB stated.
"Says the kid with no X-gene" Bucky grumbled, turning a warning glare toward JB.
"I'm not a kid…besides, it was me and uncle Simon who taught Connie how to use her power in the first place so I think I'm qualified enough to teach my own mother" JB argued.
"If Simon knows all about time jumping, then why don't we ask him his opinion on this whole plan of yours?" Bucky asked, his low tone suggesting hostility.
"Because he and Connie are in upstate New York with no idea of when they're coming back, and to be honest, we don't exactly have time to negotiate statistics" JB growled.
"I still don't like it" Bucky retorted, exhaling slowly; his nostrils flaring.
"Bucky, unless you have another idea up your sleeve, this is the only plan we have…if we're lucky, it works and this Thanos won't come back at all" Kade stated.
"We don't have that kind of luck" he remarked, turning a concerned gaze toward her.
"We have to try" she urged.
The room fell silent, and given Bucky's expression, he looked ready to drill a hole in the floor with his bare hands if it meant relieving the stress that was suddenly bearing down on him. The soldier sighed heavily and looked up at his friend from across the table.
"Steve…your call" he remarked quietly.
Even Steve was silent for a moment, clearly weighing the options in his head as quickly as possible.
"Wheels up in thirty…we're going to Germany" he remarked.
"How far out are we?" Kade asked, resting her arm against the pilot's chair.
"Another ten minutes at most" Steve replied calmly, glancing at her from the corner of his eye.
She gave him a soft hum of acknowledgement, looking out at the frigid landscape on the other side of the front glass. Memories teased at her, reminding her of the last time she had been out in this part of the world hunting HYDRA. Between the snowy mountains in the distance and the ice pelted forest below, it seemed not much had changed.
"You're sure this is the right place?" JB asked, coming up on the other side of the chair; his tone seeming worried.
"I spent a fair bit of time out here destroying these bases, I'm sure" Steve remarked.
"I hope so…time is of the essence in this case, if she goes back to the wrong one it-"
"Take it easy kid, we won't miss…trust me" Steve assured, silencing JB.
Kade smirked and turned back toward the cabin, walking cautiously toward Bucky; who was otherwise occupied with a communication tablet.
"What's the status on Connie and Simon?" he asked.
"Sam and Wanda are in route with them now" Natasha replied from over the link.
"Sam went with her? So who's got Jamie and Constance?" he asked, concerned.
"Scott is handling that, he checked in shortly before you called"
"You sent Scott!?" he exclaimed.
"Hey, with me running coms here, he's all we could spare at the last minute…beggars can't be choosers Bucky" She quipped.
He sighed heavily, admitting momentary defeat. It was at that moment that he glanced up at Kade, and she saw a mix of frustration and hurt in his eyes before he turned his attention back down to the tablet.
"I know" he replied quietly.
Kade exhaled slowly as she walked over to the seat next to him; taking her place as quiet as she could.
"Stop worrying and keep your head in the game Barnes…we have this under control" Natasha remarked sternly.
"Over and out" he grumbled, cutting off the link.
Without saying a word he returned the tablet to the storage compartment underneath the seat and rested his elbows on his knees, propping his right forearm up to cradle his chin in his hand.
"So you're still mad at me huh?" Kade hinted, leaning back in the seat and crossing her arms over her chest.
"I'm not mad at you. I just wish you'd think things through a little more before making a decision like this" he replied.
"We don't exactly have time to bring everything to debate"
"Five years isn't enough time!?"
"Not if we sit on our thumbs for the duration of it" she argued.
Bucky growled softly in irritation, pushing his elbows off his knees and leaning back in the seat; lacing his fingers together in his lap.
"It's risky Kade, we don't even know if it's gonna work" he remarked.
"It might, it might not…we're just gonna have to find out" she chimed, trying to sound optimistic.
"And that doesn't scare you?" he asked, turning to look at her.
"It terrifies me…" Kade admitted, returning his gaze.
"…more so since I realize that we lost the war because I was too scared to use my power…scared of becoming the destroyer…when the destroyer is exactly what we needed" she finished.
"And that's what worries me" he remarked in a hushed tone.
Kade scoffed at him, feigning insult in some attempt to lighten the mood.
"You don't trust me anymore?" she asked, elbowing him softly in the arm.
"Kadence, I trust you with my life, always have, always will" he remarked, remaining stoic as ever; refusing to make light of their conversation.
"Then have a little faith" she insisted.
"Buckle up guys, I'm putting her down" Steve instructed, deploying the landing gear.
Within the snow laden forest clearing was the remnants of an old structure, clearly abandoned for a number of years as only a small portion of the rear wall remained erect. Twisted steel beams long since rusted over and planks of rotted wood blanketed with snow and ice, gave some indication this building had met a rather violent end.
"I thought you needed an electrical charge to do this" Steve remarked, continuing to inspect their surroundings.
"Only if the teleporter is incapable of creating enough kinetic energy on their own to break into the time vortex" JB replied casually, kicking the snow from a chunk of a support beam.
Steve sighed, turning his attention to JB with a mildly annoyed look on his face. JB, feeling the silent urge of an explanation, let out short huff through his nose.
"All X-gene humans have a specific amount of energy they use for their abilities, teleporters can shift this to kinetic energy and use it to tear open the space vortex, a realm that allows them to move from place to place in the mere blink of an eye...but the time vortex is harder to open.
It requires a significant amount of energy that most are incapable of producing. So when you use an electrical charge in conjunction with the kinetic energy, the teleporter doesn't have to use as much of their own power to get the door open and pass through it"
Silence echoed around them for a moment and Steve turned his eyes toward the deteriorating wall behind them.
"I'm sorry I asked" he mumbled.
"So Kade doesn't need the charge because of the stone, is that it?" Bucky asked.
"Limitless power has its perks" JB answered, flashing a confident smirk.
"So what, I just…teleport with all the energy I have?" Kade asked, pulling the zipper of her tactical jacket up to her neck.
"In a sense…yea. Being as we're already at the destination point, you can focus purely on just jumping rather than aiming" JB remarked, glancing around the clearing.
"That's providing Captain GPS over there is right about this place" Kade jabbed teasingly.
"Don't you worry about that. It's been a while yea, but I still recognize it" Steve stated.
"How?" Kade asked, raising an eyebrow questionably.
"Because the Commandos were responsible for blowing it up" he replied, flashing a humored grin.
"Oh that's real comforting. So there's a chance I might run into you two from the past?" she asked, glancing between Steve and Bucky.
"Unlikely, but if you do…try not to disrupt too much" Steve advised.
"It won't matter if she does, she'll be going to a different time plain entirely…whatever she does in that past won't effect this future" JB remarked.
Kade turned back to Bucky with a mischievous grin.
"Oh I could have so much fun with that" she purred.
"Keep your head in the game please" Bucky warned.
"Let's get this done" Steve remarked, walking over to where JB was standing; as if that was the predestined safe zone.
She turned toward the empty mass that was once the supposed HYDRA factory, taking a steadying breath to focus her energy when suddenly she was yanked back around, colliding chest to chest with Bucky. Before she had the ability to protest his lips were on hers and the heat of his mouth forced a satisfied whimper from her throat.
Even through the jacket she felt his arms snake around her waist and her heart fluttered with excitement, causing a reasonable flush of warmth through her veins. She was hesitant to pull away when he slowly became absent, breathing deep the scent of his skin; as if imprinting this moment into her mind.
"You get that conduit and get your ass back here" he instructed with a low tone.
A smile found its way across her lips, and she couldn't pass up another opportunity to be coy.
"Yes sir" she retorted.
"Technically that's Sergeant" he corrected with a grin.
"Don't get cocky" she warned.
"Let's go Buck!" Steve called.
He exhaled sharply, seeming reluctant as he separated himself from her and joined Steve. Kade took another deep breath, clearing her mind to keep his visage from distracting her as she turned back toward the open space. Another draw of breath, much slower than the first and she felt that tingle of energy in her nerves.
"On my mark" Steve instructed.
Ignoring him, she took into a bolting run, forcing every ounce of strength down her legs and into her feet as they pushed against the ground. Her vision sharpened abruptly, and she felt a jolt of raw energy snap around her head like a taut rubber band coming loose. It swirled around her, that blinding blue light as she leapt into the air.
A brief rush of nausea surfaced on her stomach, and it almost felt as if her entire body was being twisted apart. Her insides were like ice and her skin was burning. She couldn't see a damn thing and her ears were ringing so loud she thought she was going to go deaf. A loud bang echoed out and suddenly the pressure that surrounded her was gone, sending her clumsily to the ground.
Any attempt to correct her footing was a lost cause as she tumbled across what felt like a concrete floor, finally coming to a stop with her face down; mere inches from the floor. The cool air radiating against her heated skin was almost relieving had it not been for the sheer ache of exhaustion biting at every inch of her body.
Kade let out a low groan and forced herself up on her fours, hissing with pain as cramped up muscles stretched and pulled.
"I'm getting too old for this shit" she growled under her breath.
Finally managing to get her feet back under her, she brought her attention to her new surroundings. The lights mounted above her were un-naturally bright, reflecting off of every surface in the vicinity. The structure looked almost brand new, and the low hum of machinery suggested it was in current operation.
"Holy shit I think it worked" she breathed.
The sudden sound of approaching footfalls brought her the realization that this factory was now more occupied than it was a few minutes ago. Kade turned to face the welcoming committee only to be faced with several HYDRA enforcers, each bearing a weapon that looked far too advanced for this particular time period. She raised her hands to gesture her evident lack of arms, taking a ginger step back as they took aim.
"Yea…it worked" she remarked under her breath.
One of them shouted a clear warning in German, thrusting his weapon closer to her as if to drive his point home. Kade flinched against the hostile tone in his voice, still trying to recover from the jump. It was then that she noticed the bright blue glow emitting from one of the machines in the far end of the building, and the conveyer belt leading from it that was decorated with several small orbs; glowing as bright as the original source.
Sensing her momentary distraction, the supposed leader jammed the front of his gun into her shoulder, forcing her back another step as he continued to spew his native tongue. Kade snapped her attention back to him, allowing a humored laugh to creep past her lips; which she was sure did nothing to calm him or the others.
"Easy fellas…let's just take it easy" she advised.
It was their sudden rigid posture that gave warning she probably should have spoken in German rather than English, given their current status of feuding. The leader raised his weapon, indicating he was ready to fire at any minute while his shouts echoed out much louder than before. He was flustered now, given she could barely understand what he was saying anymore.
"I get it, I'm not supposed to be here…so how about I just take one of those conduits and get out of your hair, huh? Sound like a plan?" she asked.
Several of the weapons whirred to life as a bright blue light emitted from within the metal casing. A dissatisfied twist of her lips was followed by a soft sigh through her nose; she wasn't much of a negotiator. Kade clenched her fists and by forces unseen, they became engulfed in harsh yellow flames; clearly taking the enforcers by surprise…since every one of them looked on in horror.
"Didn't think so" she growled.
With a distinctly loud hiss, Kade's lunging form disappeared, leaving behind nothing but a fading puff of blue smoke that drifted into the wind.
"I'm assuming that means it worked" Steve remarked, hooking his fingers into his belt.
"How long do you think it will take?" Bucky asked, staring intently as the last wisp of smoke dwindled into nothing.
"Doesn't matter now" JB mumbled under his breath.
Bucky stiffened and glanced over to Steve, who bore the exact same expression of both confusion and fear. They had no chance to question JB's remark before a soft hiss echoed out a few feet away as Connie came stumbling out from her own cloud of black smoke, stopping short and resting her hands on her knees; wheezing and panting as if she had just finished a marathon run.
"Where…is she?" she asked between ragged breaths.
"You just missed her" Steve remarked.
Connie stiffened, and the color slowly drained from her face as she slowly straightened her back.
"Constance, what's wrong?" Bucky asked.
She looked ready to answer until her eyes fell on JB, and the color returned to her face, along with an angry furrow to her brows.
"Tell me you didn't" she growled, starting in his direction with haste to her stride.
JB was silent as she advanced, whilst both Bucky and Steve struggled to process what was unfolding in front of them.
"Tell me you didn't do it!" she spat.
"I had no other choice" JB growled.
"You bastard!" Connie barked in a rage, slamming her fisted hands into his shoulders with enough force to push him back.
Steve and Bucky snapped to attention, quick to intervene in order to stop the hash out before it got out of hand.
"You had no right!" she howled, continuing her assault before Bucky grabbed hold of her arm, yanking her away from JB and practically dragging her a presumably safe distance; Steve taking place between them as if to play referee.
"Had no right to do what? What the hell is going on?" Steve asked sternly, glancing back and forth between Connie and JB.
Silence fell between them save for the sound of Connie's mildly ragged breathing, coming out in short, aggravated huffs; disheveled hair blowing out with the tempo of her breaths. Her narrowed eyes focused on JB, and Bucky saw the corner of her lip curl in a snarl; clearly her mother's daughter.
"Go on…tell them" she seethed, not taking her eyes off her brother.
"I did what was necessary" JB finally remarked, his tone hushed.
"That's your excuse!? You asshole, you took their mother from them and you call it necessary!?" Connie hissed, briefly fighting Bucky's hold before she disappeared in a wisp of black smoke.
In an instant she appeared in front of JB, drawing her hand across his face as hard as she could. His head snapped to the side as the shrill sound of skin against skin echoed for a fraction of a second in the snow laden forest around them. Bucky stilled at her claim, realizing they had been conned by his own blood.
"They didn't even get to say goodbye!" she spat, fighting against Steve as he tried to restrain her.
"Compared to what we had to endure, this is a blessing! Or would you rather them remember her the way we did!?" JB retorted, hostility in his voice as he turned an angry set of eyes upon Connie.
"That still didn't give you the right!" she argued.
"I have every right to make sure that son of bitch never gets near her!"
"Alright, enough!" Bucky barked.
His booming voice echoed out, silencing the squabble in an instant as both children stiffened against his command. Aggravation was clearly seen in the brief stride he took to put himself between Connie and JB, and his eyes were practically glowing with patience that had long since left his body.
"I don't care who had reason for what, how do we get your mother back?" he asked with a deep husky threat in his voice.
"We don't" Connie replied quietly.
Steve looked concerned, finally releasing Connie and keeping an eye on Bucky as the soldier's body went rigid.
"What do you mean we don't?" Steve asked.
She drew in a ragged breath, exhaling slow enough for them to hear the fault in her breathing; she was trying not to cry.
"Time travel is a one way trip…once you leave your plane to enter another, you can't go back…not even the most powerful of teleporters have been able to. Breaking the fabric of time has its consequences…"
Connie turned her sullen eyes toward JB, her lip twitching in anger as tears began to fall.
"…and he knew…he knew the rules and he still…I hate you so much"
JB stood defiant while she stumbled back a step, sobbing and covering her face with her hands as she went to her knees. Bucky suddenly took to an advance, fists clenched with rage in his eyes before Steve grabbed his arm and thrust himself between them.
"Bucky hold it! Fighting about it out here isn't going to fix anything. We need to get back to the compound and re-evaluate the situation. We'll get her back Buck…if we don't figure out a way, she will" Steve assured.
The Captain wasn't sure if the words were really sinking in, as Bucky's eyes stayed trained on JB. It wasn't until he felt the slow relaxation in the soldier's metal arm that he felt it safe enough to let go of his friend and tend to the weeping girl in the snow; careful as he helped her up and led her back toward the jet.
Bucky glared daggers at JB, who returned the gaze in part confidence that he made the right choice.
"You wanna hit me now…don't you?" JB asked.
The soldier contemplated it for a moment, his fists clenching at the offer. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm the ever rigid nerves, taking into consideration that this was no enemy or stranger…this was his son, and while the action was in itself damnable, there had to be reason behind it.
"Wouldn't it hurt more if I didn't" Bucky remarked, turning to follow Steve and Constance.