VIDEO - un: p. parker ( WATER BALLOON BABY DAYCARE )

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( first things first... this place is freaking cold. Peter isn't as bothered by the elements as he could be, super senses and all that... but he's worried about his squidge, who did only just thaw. Beaker's little face can just barely be seen over the edge of his t-shirt, under his sweatshirt and jacket and every other layer he's got on. he's not asleep, though, he's quiet and curious. not sure what he feels about the world yet. it's cool, it's hard to have a real lock on your understanding of the world when you're a few hours old.

and you'd think having one tiny alien creature to worry about would be enough for anyone. more than enough, in some cases... but apparently, not for Peter Parker. he's worried about the little crowd of unattached squidges that wander off on their own, and tries to stay as close to him as he can, and well, that's not the only thing he's worried about.

he waves to the camera, offering a slight smile. )

Hey. Peter Parker. Still. You guys remember me. ( he is still pretty new as far as the team is concerned, but he's been long enough to know quite a few faces. ) I figure we should talk about the little ... flock? Crowd? Pile? ( who knows the proper terminology for a group of squidges? anybody? Bueller? ) ...the poor little buddies that don't have anybody to look after them. I know they haven't imprinted but that doesn't mean we should just ignore them. I'm willing to keep an eye on them but I'm just one guy, anyone else that wants to help out...

( a pause, and an awkward scratch behind his ear. his glasses are fogging up from the heat of his breath, and he pushes them back up his nose. Beaker stares up at him from the safe alcove of his shirt, watching quietly. )

And... I mean, if you think this is too much, or you don't want to look after yours... let me know. I get it, it's not for everyone. But we can't just leave them, you know? I'll keep an eye out if anyone needs a... squidgesitter. ( HOW MANY SQUIDGES CAN ONE KID WATCH? idk but spidey senses will probably help... right??? ) Anyone who wants to help out, though... yeah. Please. Seriously.

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( Peter has the grace to look slightly embarrassed, but he shrugs it off. at least he knows that nobody is going to forget his name. he scratches a spot behind his ear, before jumping on to the next part of conversation. )

If we wrapped it in something maybe it'd last a little longer, but...

( he wonders if he could manage to web them together without being noticed. even if he could, it wouldn't stay together that well. like it or not, the best option would be a tree. he glances back at the crowd behind them. )

They do travel okay on their own, I guess. It's kinda weird how they manage so well alone, when squidges that imprint become so dependent. ( the scientific wheels in his head are turning, asking questions he can't answer particularly well in the field. he'll at least have to write some notes as he observes. ) I think they can make it that far, as long as we keep an eye out that none are getting left behind.

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Alright then, it's settled. We'll march over there and chop those down to make you guys a sled. How about it? (a boring chorus of humming and wiggling from the squidges.

... good enough...

a nod in three trees' direction, leading the way as he's far too accustomed to doing, turning on a heel to crush new-fallen snow under insulated boots.) Maybe they're just following their instincts. They aren't exactly babies, when they hatch. More like—a snake, or a turtle; something that fends for itself at birth.

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( that was a 'you bet' sound in squidge, probably? ? ? it at least seemed closer to an affirmative than a negative, which Peter is going to take as a good sign.

with the small crowd moving along, some holding little bubbly hands (gosh that's cute), Peter moves after them with a surprising grace in the uneven terrain. he never comes close to running into any of the tiny bubble babies, but that could just be natural grace. aren't teenage boys known for their grace? )

Yeah, point... it makes it easier to get them where they need to go, even if not all of them imprint.

( he can't decide if that's sad or not. is a squidge better off unattached and fairly independent, or connected with a caretaker? no doubt they'd see the difference between sooner rather than later. )

[regiment]

(trying not to... stare at the squidges holding squishy hands... WHEEZE—

why peter, you are so graceful and hold yourself so well. shiro, someone who operates around very ungraceful teenage boys on the daily, is perceptive enough to notice, but really can't find any applicable use for the information. maybe he's a sportsman; maybe he dances. that's a far more innocent thought he approves of entertaining.)

I wonder if they can imprint on one another... (hm.) Maybe we're helping them migrate and they're symbiotic with other creatures?

(shiro's gait, on the other hand, while not expressly graceful, does consist of lopes forward with the ease of a trained athlete to check their surroundings and gather his bearings. it's every so often, usually at minor landmarks. CONSTANT VIGILANCE.)

Have you seen any major predators yet? I can't imagine the whole place being peaceful...

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( oh yeah. peter parker, prolific ballet dancer. that's him...

he's thoughtful as he picks his way around terrain, holding a branch out of the way for both of them to pass under as he thinks. )

No. Doesn't seem like there's any animal life on this planet. I mean, could be wrong, but the plants are in pristine condition. There's never any signs of wear or consumption. It's like nobody has been here but us, for a really long time.

( that's an incredible thought, too. the possibilities of a completely undiscovered planet boggle his mind. he'd never slowed down enough to make good on his higher education, but his plans had been biophysics. his head was literally spinning with possibilities, and they weren't too practical with the mission at hand. )

That doesn't mean it's completely peaceful, though. If I've learned anything working for ALASTAIR, it's that nothing stays peaceful for long.

( though, maybe he'd already knew that, actually. )

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I guess we should collect as many as we can, for the research and development crew... (tbh, shiro's excited about the weird-ass plant-life too, pete, just a little less willing to major in it (if supernatural abilities hadn't gotten in the way).))

Working for "peacekeepers", I've found, typically turns violent one way or another. I don't doubt that at all. (that said,) I'll try to stay ready for anything. Is there anything you or the others have run into yet, on these missions, that I should know about?

(and upon approaching the sturdiest looking crop of trees available:) Think these'll do the trick?

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Oh, definitely. And considering we could only bring as many rations as we could carry, we're probably going to need to find a few useful ones around.

( now that's a trickier beast than simply observing and collecting. consuming random plants was not exactly advisable, but how else were they going to make it through this entire trek? he'd brought as much food as his backpack could carry, and that wasn't going to last the entire month. especially not if he handed it off to others, which he had been doing.

was there something he should know about? Peter frowns at that, expression a little conflicted. )

Sometimes they will probably ask you to do something you don't think is right. At least for me, I'd rather suffer the risk of them getting mad than have that on my conscience. But it doesn't seem like everyone would.

( he hadn't helped to kill the gods, though most of the team had leapt at the chance. it makes him a little uncomfortable to think about. killing Nalanni and Ryba had been more for the recruits than it had been for the Nalawi. they hadn't even tried to find another answer, killing had been the only option.

he shakes off the thought determinedly when they make it to the trees. )

Yeah, I think so... though getting them down might be the hard part. ( he didn't come with a handy-saw, unfortunately... even super strength probably wasn't going to break a tree in half. )

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If you need backup, I'm your guy. (not a very big fan of the whole "test your moral fibre" setups, quite offended they'd think him so petty and desperate to get home.

shiro does miss it, but volunteering to help save planets where millions of innocent lives could suffer without their help? not in his job description as defender of the universe. peter can rely on him, even if it may take a while. he likes to believe that nothing they can do or say will make him do something he's uncomfortable with.

one look at the trees and shiro raises a cybernetic hand; this is what he's good for.) Leave the trees to me... We shouldn't need more than two with the size of these...

(snow beneath his boots reflecting the violet light that engulfs his galra hand, shiro makes a practice swing, the energy making a fuchsia arc with white-hot fingers.) Let's hope they fall in the right direction. (A JOKE.)