Makita

Alex lets his lady's kisses linger. He doesn't want to let go. He wants to tell her how he feels, in case he never has the chance. But you don't do that to her. Or yourself. "I'll do what I can," he says as the kisses end and he fingers her long hair.

"Raps, we better give you a quick trim." He lets the kisses go, for now, and makes himself focus on the matter at hand.

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Even standing in the hallways waiting for Cait to take the lead, Allie's blue eyes lingered on them at the scene they made.

As though the act was something new, even though it could not be with years of being raised on Earth. It was not something Charlie and Lisa had done, but it was something that felt was very right.

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Rapunzel nods, and hands Alex the large knife, and turns so that she can cut as much hair off as he can. It's not the most ideal tool, but then, this isn't an ideal situation.

When he is done, she takes the knife back and gives him a quiet, "Thank you."

She gives him a bracing look, and then turns away, determined to do her best to get them all out of there alive, even if she wasn't the one in charge.

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So, when all are ready, they can head off the same way they saw Makita's group going. Cait will have to moderate her pace for the others, but will urge them to hurry as much as possible.

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The building wasn't providing much in the way of shelter from the elements, but once everyone gets outside it's clear that "not much shelter" is vastly preferable to being out in the snow and the wind directly.

The snow is thick on the ground, and the wind cuts through any open gap in clothing. Visibility is terrible, and any tracks that the first group might have left have been erased while everyone got ready to move out. Still, they were moving in something approximating a straight line earlier...

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Alex feels the blast of cold envelop him. It bites through his hat and coat, and he struggles to stand straight against the wind even as he tries to keep very close to the others.

"Cait, Raps...do you see anything?" His voice barely rises above the wind.

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Allie's hands tightened on the backpack straps over her as the first blast went through the group. Staying close between the people she supposed to, she pointed at the buildings instead of the snow where it might be impossible to find tracks.

"We should go straight. They went along through these buildings straight."

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Rapunzel grits her teeth against the cold, and swears a little under her breath as she trudges through the snow. At this point, getting shot at might be the least of their worries--they could freeze to death.

"I can't see anything!"

She shouts it, so they can all hear. Her eyes are tearing against the wind, making things seem to swim before them.

"Allie says they are straight ahead, so I say we go straight!"

The kid's got powers! Who is she to argue with that?

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"So lets hurry!" Allie can guide, and Cait will go ahead, wading thru the snow to open a path for the others. Again, Cait is VERY glad she is so strong and resilent, because the others will need it. They are just human-strong, and Cait will have to push for three.

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There's no way not to be impressed. With Allie, who seems a lot more composed than any of them, and with Cait, who is just out and out tough.

OK, he's not exactly unimpessed that Raps is keeping it together, too, but he expected that.

He feels the snow seep into his inadequate shoes, and curses himself for not finding better footwear.

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Allie sidled close to Rapunzel while they made their way, along the buildings in the brilliant white and frozen snow on the ground, falling on them, covering nearly everything. The way seemed longer now that they were on foot than it had looking through a window.

Her hands rubbed her cold cheeks as longed to reach out and hold her hand, but it wasn't very brave and it wasn't the place, since they need to be able to reach their weapons. In case.

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She's not overly concerned with reaching weapons when the fierce wind is tearing at them. She stays close to Allie, and finally wraps her hand around the girl's wrist, to make sure they don't get separated. She reaches for Alex's jacket with her other hand, and takes a fistful of the fabric while she does her best to move along in Caitlin's wake.

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Cait continues to push, digging a path with each step, and will follow Allie's directions, trying to keep a fast pace. They need to catch up with Makita, the others will need a safe place to stay. Or safer than a random supply depot.

On that thoiught, she speeds up, opening that shallow trench for the others to follow in, while the snowfall fills and covers it not too far behind.

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Alex is silent as he and Raps and Allie travel as a pack behind Cait. He wonders how anyone manages to survive here. He wonders if his mother's ancestors, the shtetl Jews of the Pale of Settlement, faced this every winter, perhaps different only in that they traded ongoing war for ongoing anti-Semitism. He even wonders if this world has its Jews, suffering under the heel of the URSS.

He knows that he has more important things to cope with now. Like survival. But then he always did ask questions at the wrong time.

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They trudged onward in the same direction and Allie slipped her hand up into Rapunzel's a few seconds after her wrist was taken, giving it a squeeze which perhaps hinted enough about the fact that even though she might know a lot she was still herself, and by that still very much a little girl.

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Since Cait is in the lead, Rapunzel shouts to her.

"Can you see anything, yet? I didn't think we were too far behind them, and they don't have you helping to push their way through this mess. We should be gaining, right?"

In her head, she is cursing the wind, and praying steadily at the same time. She wishes she was stronger, so she could at least carry Allie, and try to protect her from some of this weather.

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"Can't see much. If they are going this way still, we need to rush a bit more and find footprints before the snow covers them." Cait keeps her eyes peeled for anything... prints, movement, anything really, wading thru the snow as fast as the others can keep up.

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"Im going as fast I can. Good thing I'm from Gotham." It's not much of an effort at humor, but he has to try. And after that big blizzard last April, maybe he's not exaggerating that much.

In the distance, there are explosions. Alex tries to ignore them.

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Allie's not really certain of much as they trudge through endless snow on the ground and through the air blasting them from all directions. They were still headed in the direction she'd seen, and which seemed right, but the blizzard made it impossible to see long distances in front of them. Even so she kept watching for a some flash of color.

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Rapunzel wonders how encompassing Allie's powers are. If she could stop or slow down time like she had in the bar for everyone but the four of them, then they could catch up at their leisure.

She isn't sure what kind of strain that would put on the girl, though.

Alex seems to be bearing up well under the pressure, but that doesn't make her worry about him less.

The only one she isn't overly worried about is Cait, but if they lose her for any reason, they're sunk.

"Too bad none of us can fly."

She says it under her breath, and doesn't expect anyone to hear her.

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The weather grows slightly worse, but that's probably not really occupying a lot of attention as the sound of sparodic gunfire seems to be growing closer.

At first it may seem to be because the group is headed towards it, but it won't be long before it becomes clear that the source of the ripping sound of automatic fire is moving steadily, if not directly, toward the little group. Every so often the visibility gets good enough that flickering blue lights can be seen moving among the buildings in the distance.

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Cait perks up at the sound. Trouble, fight, must be Makita or Makita's friends. "You all stay back." The rifle and rifle ammo is passed to Knox, and Cait simply charges ahead, shedding the hat, kicking off the foreign boots. She can do MUSH more damage with her bare hands... the coat stays because she needs pockets for the grenades.

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"What the hell am I supposed to..." He's freaking. No denying that. there's gufire getting closer and the brick wall of a woman that was keeping keeping marginally under cover is gone and he's left holding a rifle he has no idea how to use.

He tries to hold it like he means business. "Everyone keep low!"

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The sound of the gunfire isn't what scares her. It's the sudden memory it evokes of the last time she was surrounded by guns. Standing on the porch between her mom and Charlie, and it's that which causes her to increase her grip on Rapunzel's hand.

"She can't be sure it's them." Allie said looking up, as she tugged Rapunzel to keep going in that direction if closer to cover. "It's a war zone. There are a lot of people here."

This last part is said as though the number is somehow a tiring factor.

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