Bucky, Clint, Steve and Pietro had decided to head into the woods together to try and find the black thing Wanda had been talking about; Pietro because he was curious, like a kitten, Clint had said, Clint because he was good with a bow and could protect everyone, Steve because he was the wisest and best at handling people, and Bucky because he refused to let Steve go anywhere dangerous alone. He and Steve had lived in the same house since childhood; it was unlikely you'd find them far apart now.

Steve chuckled as he remembered the time he and Bucky had wandered off in the garden and been so lost that they thought they'd have to eat ants and build a log cabin to survive - only for Steve to realise the house was in plain sight. He and Bucky had gone on the wildest adventures.

"Guys, there's some claw marks over here," Clint had revealed he was an expert tree climber (seriously, where did all these talents come from?) and had scaled the tree Wanda had described to Pietro. He had found the split chunk of wood, not far off - and damn, Wanda's powers were strong! He'd hate to be on the receiving end of one of these blows.

About four metres to the left, the other large piece of wood sat, innocently staring into the canopy. Pietro picked it up, strained to turn it over, and got an eyeful of where the claws had been. He whistled at the side of them.

When Wanda said they were big, she wasn't kidding, he thought. He could easily fit the length of his little finger into the claw marks, and this was into wood - what kind of damage could they do to human skin, muscles, tendons, bone?

Pietro certainly did not want to be the one to find out. If there was a bad way to die, he'd found it. He turned and found the others.

"I say we head back, and just make sure we're armed somehow when we come around here in future. Hey, Pietro, have you seen Bucky?" Steve shouted as the speedster came backward sliding over. He'd been working on it.

"No, I haven't seen him. Isn't he with you?" Pietro lifted up a cool stick he had found - perhaps Clint's dogs would like it.

"It's fine, he's either back at the house or just messing around," Clint suggested. Bucky liked to jump and scare people.

"Okay, let's head back and check the house then," Steve said. "If he's there, he'll follow. He knows his way around here." Clint could tell that Steve was saying it more to reassure himself than the others. Bucky didn't stray often, and if he did, it wasn't for long. From his time with Bucky, Clint knew that the guy didn't get lost easily.

"Alright." He agreed to calm Steve's nerves, and fortunately, Pietro picked up on it and followed suit.

"Okay."

Steve was very much wrong. Bucky didn't follow.

Rhodes turned down a street, one that he didn't recognise. After Reed's long, boring speech, which was effectively a longer version of 'I am in charge now, you must obey me', James had decided to go and wander, looking for his missing friend.

"Pepper?" James Rhodes had been wandering the streets all day, looking for his friend. Once Reed had gotten all the Xavier kids he could on his side, he'd led them away in a mad scramble, and James had lost his only remaining friend, Pepper. He hadn't seen Bruce anywhere, and Tony had not returned. With any luck, he was safe in the bunker, doing the smart thing and waiting it out.

"Rhodey?" Pepper was sat in an alleyway, alone and wrapped in a torn blanket she'd found. She was desperately trying to start a fire using some scrap wood she'd pulled from a doorframe. Her face was smudged with dirt and her usually bright ginger hair was dulled with dirt. Her right hand had a small cut on the side, but it was neither deep nor still bleeding.

"Here, let me help," Rhodes knelt in his worn uniform, using his scouts training to swiftly light a fire using two pieces of flint. He sat next to Pepper, who draped the blanket over his shoulders as well to retain more warmth.

"This isn't going to last," Pepper hissed. "Reed's reign, I mean. He's not organising sleeping arrangements, and most houses have been looted and broken into, so there's nowhere safe to sleep inside. Plus, there's already so many kids inhabiting the houses."

"I guess we were late to the party," Rhodes joked, bringing a small smile to Pepper's face. Reed had set up and built a very sturdy perimeter around a few blocks and a bunch of warehouses, and had declared it his republic. Pepper had rolled her eyes when he'd assembled everyone for a speech by the new wall. Anyone who wanted in or out would have to be okayed by Reed himself, and he'd appointed guards to make sure nobody snuck through the wall. Like they'd try; he'd made the thing with torn metal and wrapped it in as much barbed wire as he could get from the local power plant.

It was dark now, and like any other kids who couldn't find a house to stay in, Rhodes and Pepper would have to sleep rough. Rhodes, as an ex-scout, was used to it, but Pepper wasn't, and he didn't want her to have to stay like that for long. Tomorrow, as Pepper slept underneath a flimsy cardboard box, he promised himself that he'd either find a house to stay in, or break them out of the fence.

For now, though, Rhodes just had to wait, watching the blurred stars, and hope that Bruce and Tony, wherever they were, were safe.

A/N: The story will pick up for real soon, I promise ;)