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Post by Nick Fury on Jun 20, 2007 22:38:26 GMT -4
There were time Nick Fury wondered why he even bothered.
For the most part, humanity was enslaved. There were a few scattered pockets here and there, but the greatest portion of "free" humans were here, at the ass-end of the earth, full of jungle and f***ing dinosaurs, for cryin' out loud. Fury and his associates did what they could in the crude village, but it was a far cry from civilization.
Some would say it would be less cruel to turn themselves in. At least they would have some measure of comfort, even if they were treated as little more than animals.
But, the very essence of the human spirit is to be free. And that, Fury decided, was the point. Sure, they all lived in caves or crude huts and lived off the land. But they were free.
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Post by Panthera on Jun 21, 2007 9:51:29 GMT -4
To be home was something Samantha was yearning for all her life. But was she truly home to the place she was meant to be? Something wasn’t right with the current surroundings and the simple fact that humans were being treated so harshly. No one deserved that kind of punishment, no one.
Samantha sat on the edge of her bed inside the small home built for her and her father. The pendant she carried most of her life was being twiddled around her fingers as it dangled around her neck. The hardest thing she faced every morning was staring into those eyes of people begging for a better life. But didn’t they have it? They were free, weren’t they? Or were they just captives in yet another prison with a kind hearted warden allowing them to do what they wanted?
Something needed to be done, but what? How could a place dominated by mutants now, listen to those who are fighting for their survival? That tyrant wouldn't give anyone an ear to listen and now they were forced into laboratories and slavery. Her father would know what to do. He always knows what to do.
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Post by Nick Fury on Jun 22, 2007 10:32:47 GMT -4
Fury didn't know what the hell to do.
But, part of being a leader was at least acting like you knew what to do. It was better for morale.
He poured a steaming up of...what did Sam call it? Some root or other. What Fury wouldn't give for a proper cup of coffee. Or a real cigar. Coffee beans and tobacco were hard to come by here, though. They might be able to snatch some on their next "supply" run, but food and medicine were a little higher on the priority list.
Sam. His face involuntarily touched the patch over his left eye. His first painful lesson of fatherhood. Sam had been his good right hand for many years, a capable and competent administrator and leader. People listened to her just as they would listen to him.
Probably better. She had "people skills," whatever that was.
One of these days, he was going to have to start handing more responsibility to her. He sure as hell wasn't getting any younger. The wounds took longer to heal, if they did at all. The aches and pains never went away. Most others didn't notice, but his warrior instinct noted that his reaction time was ebbing, more every year. He ran a hand through his stark-grey hair. Getting old was a bitch.
He looked over to where Sam was sitting on the edge of her bed, toying with her necklace. "Mornin', sunshine."
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Post by Panthera on Jun 22, 2007 12:58:14 GMT -4
The food and medicine were becoming more and more scarce throughout the makeshift community that was set up. People were coming down with god-awful viruses and colds and infections that were sometimes only treatable by antibiotics, which was the scarcest item you could find now. Most of the medicines were for the mutants and Magneto’s hoard of soldiers. Boy, how she despised him.
Her father stood behind her and she smelled him right away. His scent went up her nostrils and a complete sense of security engulfed the mutant’s body immediately. Nick always made the young woman feel safe, protecting her from everything except herself. That patch on his eye always drew a soft spot to Sam’s heart and wishing it to just becoming a normal optic seeing machine again was only a fantasy. But the love she felt towards him was like no one else she would ever love. The harshness and discipline he gave to her was nothing compared to the quiet moments only fathers and daughters can share when Sam was a little girl.
Someday, the feline woman would have to lead these people. Sam was not prepared nor really wanted to, but knew the consequences. Her father had raised her to become the replacement for him one day and there was no denying it. She just never wanted to admit to it. Not yet anyways.
Letting go of the necklace, she arose from the bed and walked to her dad and gave him a warm hug, something that was done every day. You never know if that’s the last hug you’ll ever give someone, so might as well make it the best one each time. With a kiss on the cheek, she looked at him with a smile. “I’m doing alright today, but we really need to find more amoxicillin and augmentin soon or we’ll be burying more than we can house.”
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Post by Nick Fury on Jun 23, 2007 10:56:36 GMT -4
Fury rubbed his temple. She always paid attention to detail like that, and sometimes the truth was not pleasant.
"All right. See if you can find Doc Blake, an' get a full list of what he needs. Around noon, we need ta start plannin' our next little caper. If the weather holds."
The weather always held. Which meant it rained more often than not, and was always cold and wet. These conditions had claimed more of Fury's people than he cared to think about. The strange thing was, most of the rest of the jungle that Fury had explored was just that: a jungle. Hot and steamy. Fury had even packed up the settlement and moved a few times to warmer areas.
The weather followed.
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Post by Panthera on Jun 24, 2007 10:13:29 GMT -4
"All right. See if you can find Doc Strange, an' get a full list of what he needs. Around noon, we need ta start plannin' our next little caper. If the weather holds."
That man gave Sam the creeps. He had unusual ideas about treating and caring for patients. Sometimes, with her constant worrying, the feline mutant thought possibly the Doc was working for the other guy and not them. But, he had a lot of work to do and there was a shortage of help. Sam helped out whenever she could, but there was so much to do, so much to accomplish.
The young woman also had noticed the weather and its peculiar sense of picking only the locations their group moved to. It gave her great suspicion that it wasn't just coincidence. A powerful force of immortal substance HAD to have something to do with this. She knew it. She feared it. She needed to stop it.
"Sure, I'll go and talk to him. But I believe there is a greater threat at work here, one that will be difficult if not impossible to stop."
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Post by Nick Fury on Jun 25, 2007 20:53:47 GMT -4
Fury looked up from where he was whetting a combat knife.
"That weather thing again? We've gone over this before, kiddo. This whole area is a freak of nature. If everything was as is should be, we'd all be frozen solid. Keep yer mind on things ya know you can influence. Can't do anythin' about tha weather, but we can keep our people fed."
The weather bothered him more than he was willing to admit, but he took his own advice on time management.
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Post by Panthera on Jun 26, 2007 8:55:46 GMT -4
"That weather thing again? We've gone over this before, kiddo. This whole area is a freak of nature. If everything was as is should be, we'd all be frozen solid. Keep yer mind on things ya know you can influence. Can't do anythin' about tha weather, but we can keep our people fed."
Sam wasn't surprised at Nick's refusal to admit to anything more than a phenomenon. They had enough problems to deal with besides the weather. But, if the weather changed it could help prevent most of the problems they were having. Something had to be done or at least sought out and tried. But, getting away from the camp unnoticed wasn't so easy lately. He'd been watching her like a hawk and that bothered the feral mutant. She wondered why at times since he was never as protective as he was in the last few months.
"But the weather is what's causing the problem and lack of food", she answered walking up to her only known father and placing her hand over his working one. Crouching down, she tilted her head under his with that little girlish smile she gave him at a much younger age. Even in the midst of this crisis, Sam still tried to keep a positive attitude and lighten the mood even if for a few minutes.
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