Fun and Games

It was a week after Druig and Yelena had been brought into the family. Ikaris was happy that his family was becoming whole...but he hadn't failed to notice that Dane had been acting kind of unsettled.

Ikaris was fairly sure that Dane was feeling unsettled because Druig had returned, and that perhaps his other son was jealous. He'd been trying to make time to spend with all of his family...individual and as a group. But still, it seemed that Dane was still struggling.

It was after lunch, and Ikaris and his family had settled in the common room with various other family members. They'd just finished watching a movie.

Sprite yawned and stretched, glancing around at the others before she addressed her family. "Maybe we could play a game?" she suggested. "Like hide and seek? Or something else we can play outside?"

Dane could feel Ikaris watching him. He knew the older man was doing everything possible to make certain he was drawn closer to the family and wouldn't feel pushed away... so he knew his efforts to hide his jealousy of his older brother had failed. He felt bad about that; he didn't have a right (or a reason) to be jealous, and it made him feel small and petty that he couldn't stop himself from it. When Sprite asked her question, he saw it as an opportunity to act like everything was normal and he wasn't being a complete idiot. "I haven't played hide and seek since I was a kid! Which version are you thinking of?" he said in an overly enthusiastic manner, if the strange looks he was getting from Kate, Bobbi, and... pretty much everyone... was an indication.

"There's more than one version?" Kamran asked in confusion.

Clint grinned. "Of course there is more than one version. There is the typical hide and seek where one person searches for everyone else who has hidden. The last person found wins and then becomes the searcher for the next round." He smiled at everyone nodding.

Tony took over the explanation. "I remember playing the version where everyone hid, then while the searcher looked, if at all possible, they would try to sneak back to base without being caught. If they made it, they yelled 'olly-oxen free'! If they got caught, they would be the new searcher."

Stephen Strange snorted. "Our version was one person hid, then everyone else looked for them. If they found the person, they would hide with them. Eventually, everyone would be crammed into one tiny space and the last person to find the 'hider' would become 'hider' next game."

"That's a lot of versions..." Bill said in amusement.

Kate grinned. "So which version should we play?"

"And what rules are there going to be... Since we'll be outside? Are there any SHIELD training areas we need to avoid?" Grant asked.

"There's no reason why we couldn't split into groups and each group play a different version," Fury commented. "That might be better, actually, given how large the family has grown by this point. Otherwise we might be searching for family members into the next day."

"There aren't any SHIELD training sessions planned for today," Coulson said. "So really, anywhere is fair game...apart from those areas that would normally be off limits, of course."

"Great! So now we decide who does normal hide and seek and who does the variations!" Carol smacked her hands together, grinning when Quentin jumped at the sound.

"If people don't know or mind which version they'd like to play, maybe we can randomly generate names for each group?" Leo suggested.

Jemma nodded. "I like that idea. It would let us get closer to those we don't spend much time with normally.”

"Friday, could you do that for everyone in the family?" Steve asked. "Unless there's anyone who'd prefer not to play, of course."

"I think it would be good for everyone to be involved," May said.

There were various murmurs of agreement from the other family members...and it didn't take long for Friday to sort all of the family names into different groups to play the game.

Once the groups had been sorted, Fury spoke up. "Given how big the compound and its grounds are, I would suggest that each group make its way to a different area to play. If we spread out far enough from each other, there won't be any overlap between the games."

"Shouldn't be too difficult," Taneleer stated. "Should we assign a leader for each group?"

"That would probably be a good idea," Coulson said.

"So... Vote? Or just let the most senior member be leader for each group?" Frank asked. 

"It probably works better to have the most senior person in charge," Mordo said. Even though the names had been random, somehow, each group had ended up with one of the 'main' leaders in it.

"Makes sense to me." Karen smiled. She looked toward Fury, the main leader of her group. "Which direction are we going Uncle Nick?"

"I thought we'd go to the forest," Fury said. "Plenty of places to hide." He glanced around to check everyone was in agreement and ready to move out.

Fury's group quickly moved to follow their leader to the forest.

The rest of the groups moved off to their own areas to play the game.

Once Fury's group was in their part of the woods, Karen glanced around. Her group consisted of members from every family group. She saw Kamran, Kate, Jeffrey, and Yon, among a few others.

Fury turned to look at the family members who had joined him for the game. "Since we'll be playing the version where one person counts and seeks and everyone else hides...who would like to be the seeker first?" he asked.

Kamran raised his hand slightly. "I can, sir...."

Fury nodded to Kamran. "If no one has any objections, I think we'll go with the person you find first being the seeker next time."

"Sounds good to me," Jeffery quickly agreed.

"Me too," Yon responded.

Kamran smiled. "In that case... I'll begin counting."

"Make sure you close your eyes. No peeking!" Sprite said.

"I will!" Kamran sounded equally parts amused at Sprite's reminder and offended that she thought he would cheat.  He began counting backwards from 100. "100.....99.....98....."

Sprite quickly scampered off, running to find somewhere to hide.

Ava was a bit slower. She was still getting used to being outside and around people...and wasn't used to trying to hide from anyone. But she did move away to at least try to find a hiding place.

Jeffrey had begun moving before Sprite had asked her question, so was long gone by the time Kamran was counting, already hidden in a spot that would be very difficult to find.

Yon was similar to Jeffrey, some part of him remembering his stealth training, even though he still had large memory gaps.

Kate decided to follow her Uncle and hide near him. Surely the ultimate spy knew how to hide?

The others were quick and quiet while hiding. When Kamran finally yelled out, "...One! Ready or not, here I come!" he looked up and glanced around. No one was in view.

Ava hadn't actually gone all that far from where she'd started, but thanks to her suit and the long periods of time with her body disintegrating and reforming, she'd learned how to be still and quiet very easily. From where she was hidden, she could easily see Kamran...even if no one else.

Kamran hadn't needed to be aware of his surroundings or learn to hide until everything had fallen apart, but he'd been a quick learner. He didn't immediately rush off to find people. He paused, closed his eyes, and listened.

While there were quite a few family members who were pretty good at hiding and staying quiet, there were a couple that weren't quite as good.

America was really good at blending in when she was wandering around different dimensions. She wasn't good at blending in and hiding when she was in a forest setting and not losing herself among a crowd of people.

Kamran grinned when he caught a flash of what he thought might be an arm. He quickly but quietly snuck up on the spot and reached out, tapping the arm in question. "Found you!" he crowed gleefully, grinning from ear to ear.

"Darnit!" America emerged from the undergrowth. "It's so much easier to hide in the city." She gave a playful pout.

Kamran chuckled ruefully in understanding. "You aren't wrong. I don't think I'd have a chance of surviving out here if I had to..." He glanced around the wooded area. "Was a city boy my whole life."

"My original home dimension, I lived in an area similar to this," America said. "But since then, I only ever ended up in cities when I dimension-hopped."

Kamran slanted his head, interested. "Did you have to survive off the land? Hunt and gather?" he asked curiously.

"My moms took care of me," America said, a little wistfully and sadly. "After I accidentally sent them away, I had to learn how to find food for myself. But I kept dimension-hopping every time I got scared. Or angry."

"Sounds lonely," Kamran sympathized. "I was lucky, really. I was able to have a normal childhood without my powers causing me problems. I didn't even find out I had powers until I was old enough to be on my own. Not that it made what happened easy... But I don't know if I'd have survived if it happened when I was still a child..." he said softly. He gently tapped her arm, then pointed toward where he thought he'd seen a flash of red T-shirt.

America nodded, falling silent as she crept towards the area Kamran had pointed out. She wasn't the best at being stealthy...but she was doing her best.

Kamran finished sneaking up. "Got you!" he whispered.

"Aw, man!" Kate sighed. "I knew I should have worn green!"

"At least you weren't the first one caught!" America smiled at Kate.

"I guess..." Kate grinned back. She began to walk next to the other two. "So what have you been chatting about?"

"Where we were before coming here," America replied promptly. "What about you? Where were you before you Ikaris adopted you?"

Kate smiled crookedly. "New York City. Trying to be like my hero Hawleye and fight crime!" she said, in a self-mocking manner. "I ended up being rescued by Ikaris the very same moment my whole world fell apart."

"So you haven't really had it too bad either? Compared to some that are here now, I mean...?" Kamran asked hesitantly.

"Physically, no. But who knows, really? Some things I can handle easily would send someone else into panic. Meanwhile, I can't imagine being alone with no one in my corner, but some of the family here have done it...sometimes for years. Can't really compare issues..." Kate snorted.

"We probably all have issues and problems...or at least did," America commented. "I'm guessing that's why most of us ended up here."

Kate nodded in agreement. "I know I was heading into having big problems... If Dad hadn't got me," she admitted.

"I think I was hidden well enough, but I was also constantly scared I'd be found by those trying to get me ... Or that, despite my best efforts, I'd get noticed by Wilson Fisk." Kamran admitted. "Being here has removed a lot of fear and stress."

"I wasn't really scared...until the Scarlet Witch started sending monsters after me," America admitted. "But I didn't have anywhere to belong. I never stayed in one dimension long enough to form any attachments."

Kate nodded. "I think I'd much rather keep my own problems than have someone else's. At least I know my problems and how to survive them...."

"I hear that..." Kamran said, almost distractedly, as he noticed another person hidden in a group of bushes. He began to try to head in that direction without looking like he was heading in that direction. Kate followed his example and started looking everywhere but at the set of bushes.

America trailed after the two of them, not really focusing on anything in particular. "Yeah. I guess I wouldn't want to trade my problems for anyone else's either."

It didn't take long and soon, Kamran was reaching in and grasping Karen's arm. "What? Are you gravitating to all the women first?" She glanced around and laughed when Kamran blushed. "I'm just kidding! Jeffrey was an agent for years; if he got caught quickly, it would be a miracle. Same thing with Uncle Nick, and I suspect Yon's training is working in his favor, even if he doesn't remember his past."

"I'm definitely not good at hiding in forests. I'm better at blending in when I'm in towns or cities," America said with a tiny smile.

"I'm surprised I blended as long as I did..." Kate agreed. "All the family practice sessions have apparently paid off!” 

Karen looped one arm through Kamran's arm. "Where're we looking next?"

"Um... That way?" Kamran pointed in a direction that was more overgrown. He suspected some of the wilier of their group would hide there.

America began moving in that direction...though she made her movements look casual. She did see a faint movement and glanced towards Kamran, wondering if he'd seen it too.

Ava held her breath as the group approached her hiding spot. She'd had plenty of practice at staying in one spot and remaining hidden...but that had also been with the help of her suit, which she didn't have with her now.

Kamran noticed America's look and realized she'd seen something. He glanced toward where she'd been looking originally to see if he spotted movement.

There was a very faint rustling through the leaves. It could have been the wind...or it could have been someone shifting position, particularly in light of the fact that there was no wind. 

Narrowing his eyes, Kamran quietly but quickly moved to where the rustling was. When he felt he was close enough, he darted on, reaching to catch whoever (or possibly whatever) it was.

Ava gave a tiny little squeak as her arm was grabbed. "I was hoping I might stay hidden a bit longer..." The complaint was joking.

"Join the club." Kate grinned widely.

"Well, I was the first one caught, so at least you all lasted longer than me." America smiled.

Kamran chuckled. "So, who is left? Jeffrey, Yon, Uncle Nick....?"

"Sprite was hiding too," America said.

"I have a feeling Sprite will be the winner... She seems like she could be really sneaky..." Kamran laughed.

"Well, she is thousands of years old..." America grinned.

“And there is that..." Kate laughed.

Kamran, meanwhile, had noticed broken twigs and decided to explore the trail it followed, just in case.

Ava noticed that Kamran was moving somewhere with purpose, and she began moving in the same direction, deliberately moving in such a way as to appear casual.

Shrugging and looking at each other, Kate and Karen each took one of America's arms and began to follow, whispering and giggling like young schoolgirls

America hadn't noticed anything, but given the way the others were acting, she figured they had...so she went along with Kate and Karen.

Kamran let out a shout and began climbing a tree.

"What the...?" Kate blinked and quickly moved under the tree, looking up to see Kamran helping Jeffrey get himself loose from a trap that had sprung. He had obviously been attempting to get loose for several minutes, if not the full time they had been playing the game. "Are you okay?" she asked worriedly.

"Nothing is broken. Scratched up a bit, and glad I'm in shape and was able to pull myself up enough I wasn't hanging upside down too much. Feeling really stupid I didn't see it before I stepped into it...." Jeffrey reported.

"Why didn't you call for help?" Karen asked in confusion.

Jeffrey was finally making his way down the tree, Kamran close behind. He answered once on the ground again and was moving to a nearby bush. "I dropped my comms when I got flipped upside down. I saw it fly into these bushes..." He began looking for the comms.

"Maybe we should ask Uncle Nick if there might have been traps left over from one of the recent SHIELD training exercises," Ava suggested, as she moved to help Jeffrey search for his comms.

"Probably..." Jeffrey agreed. "I need to let him know what happened anyway. If someone who doesn't belong has been in our land...."

Kamran nodded, looking around nervously. Had the people chasing him come onto the compound? "Let's find Sprite and Uncle Nick..." he said, his tone giving away his nervousness.

Ava began glancing around, trying to see if she could spot any of the three remaining family members.

"Yon too..." Karen added. 

Kate pointed where she thought she saw a hint of blue where there shouldn't be. "He was wearing a blue shirt..." she whispered.

Kamran nodded and ran to the location, reaching in and pulling Yon out. "Gotcha!" He grinned.

Yon blinked at how quickly Kamran was moving, then laughed. "Yes. You got me...."

"There are only two left to find now...so it's just a case of seeing whether the super spy or centuries old girl can be found first." America laughed.

Kamran nodded. He stood still for several moments with his eyes closed and focused on listening to what was around him. It was then he realized; he might not be hearing anything out of the ordinary, but he felt a pulling in two different directions. The stronger pull was to his left, so he headed that way.

Ava, noticing that Kamran was heading in that direction, began to follow him. America trailed behind her.

Fury had hidden pretty well in the foliage, if he did say so himself. Then again, he was more than used to staying hidden in one place for any length of time and was fairly confident he wouldn't be among the first found.

Kamran wasn't relying on sight any longer; Fury and Sprite had hidden too well and covered their tracks too thoroughly for him to follow the usual clues. He kept his eyes closed and followed his gut. It took him to within a foot of Fury.

Fury could probably have continued to stay still and silent...made Kamran look for a few minutes longer. Instead, he quite deliberately moved...allowing the undergrowth surrounding him to rustle. 

Kamran smiled. He knew the person moving could have held still longer, but he was practicing sensing his surroundings, and the movement gave him more practice. He quickly but carefully reached out to tag whoever it was. He kept his eyes closed, wanting to see if his senses would extend enough to be able to catch whoever it was while unable to see.

Fury had deliberately moved, but only for a moment or two. Now, able to tell that Kamran was practicing, he held still again...waiting to see if Kamran would be able to find him without opening his eyes.

Kamran paused as Fury stopped moving again and just waited and listened, giving himself time to 'feel' where his uncle might be. When he thought he might have the right location, he carefully reached forward to grasp Fury's shoulder. "Got you?" he asked, a bit tentatively, not certain if he actually had succeeded, or if his uncle had moved into position so he wouldn't fail.

"Good job," Fury said, with a note of pride in his voice. He stepped out of his hiding spot and looked around at the others. "Just Sprite left to find?"

Kamran opened his eyes and grinned, happy that he'd received his uncle's approval. "Yes. She is small enough she could hide almost anywhere..." he responded.

"And wily enough to take full advantage of that." Fury spoke with a trace of amusement in his voice.

Karen moved up closer to the two, squinting in thought. "Have we looked under bushes or in hollow trees? I know I've been looking up, but I don't think she climbed a tree."

Kamran's eyes widened. "I hadn't been, but I will now!” 

"Should we split up?" Ava suggested. 

"I'd like to try first, but if I can't find her, then maybe split up..." Kamran said.

Ava nodded. "Lead the way."

Kamran nodded, standing still with his eyes closed for a moment before he took off deeper into the woods. He checked every low space- heavy bush or hollow log- he came across. Something told him Sprite would take advantage of her small stature.

From her hiding place, one of the hollow logs by the stream, Sprite watched as Kamran closed in on her spot, holding as still and staying as quiet as a mouse. She could have moved, could have given him a clue he was heading in the right direction...but she stayed still, figuring he was practicing using his abilities.

She wasn't going to offer any 'help' unless he needed it.

Kamran stopped and tensed up. For a few seconds, something didn't feel right. But then the unsettling feeling was gone, replaced by a feeling like what he was searching was by the stream. Shaking his head faintly to remove the unsettled remnants, he moved toward the stream and glanced into a nearby hollow log. "Gotcha!" He grinned at Sprite. He glanced over to make sure his uncle Nick was still close. The unsettled feeling had made him nervous. It felt safer having the older man in sight.

Sprite grinned at Kamran as she slipped out of the log. "Were you practicing your abilities?" she asked, to confirm. "It looked like you were..."

Fury hadn't strayed too far from Kamran, even though he'd been careful not to crowd his nephew. He noticed that Kamran looked a bit unsettled, though, and asked, "Is everything all right, Kamran?"

"I don't know... Something just felt... Wrong...for just a moment..." Kamran said quietly.

"Friday, can you scan the grounds?" Fury requested. "See if you can pick up any anomalies?"

Jeffrey frowned. "That feeling, combined with the fact I got caught in a trap that shouldn't have been there...."

Kamran bit his lip and nodded. "I... Is it possible to for someone who shouldn't be here to sneak in the grounds?" he asked nervously. He was still being hunted, as far as he knew.

"Considering how many of our family were caught on the grounds after sneaking in undetected..." Karen glanced around uncertainly.

"As well protected as this place is...it's still possible for people to sneak in," Fury said. "I can safely say that there were no traps left behind by SHIELD. I'll have a sweep done of the grounds, to see if there are any more."

Jeffrey nodded. "Should I warn the others? In case there are more? My comms fell out and into a puddle when I was caught, so they were fried..." He frowned.

Fury quickly asked Friday to pass on that message to the rest of the family members. "Friday should take care of that. She's confirmed there's no one currently on the grounds that shouldn't be..."

"So, the others shouldn't need to stop playing?" Ava asked.

Fury hesitated. "Not unless something happens."

"Well. They've been warned now and will be watching, so it will hopefully not stop our games," Yon said quietly. "Are we playing another round?"

Fury nodded. "There's no reason to put a halt to our game. Who was the first person to be found?"

"Me." America raised her hand.

"So, you get to hunt next!" Kate grinned.

Karen nodded. "Start counting and we'll go hide...."

America turned round and began to count, closing her eyes.

Sprite immediately scampered off.

Both Fury and Ava went to hide in different places.

All the rest followed suit and soon, everyone was hidden; some better than others. 

"Three, two, one...coming, ready or not!" America called, before opening her eyes and turning round, trying to see if she could see anyone.

Kamran had run for a majority of the counting before quickly climbing up into a very heavily foliaged tree. He didn't want to be the first found.

Jeffrey had moved a bit more carefully, not wanting a repeat of being caught in a trap.

Yon, figuring his size 'ruled out' a lot of hiding spots, picked the tiniest, lowest spot he could crawl into in the hopes it would be overlooked as 'not a good spot for him'.

Kate did much like Kamran, picking a high spot to hide.

Karen saw how high up Kamran and Kate had gone and known her father would strongly object (it wasn't necessary to take such chances for a game, and recreational activities that went to such heights normally had safety gear used.) She hid under a bush close enough to the other two that she could call for help if something went wrong.

America began moving, her eyes scanning around. Figuring that at least one person would have hidden in a high spot, she started out looking up at the trees.

Jeffrey held very still, letting the landscape camouflage him as he watched America moving closer but looking upward. He'd been careful to cover his tracks, so knew if she saw him, it wouldn't be because he'd left evidence behind. The fact she was looking upward would give him a slight bit more cover as well. He suspected she thought everyone had moved to get as far away as possible and was hoping she wouldn't suspect someone hiding so close to base.

America spotted something...or maybe someone...in one of the trees. They'd camouflaged themselves well, but she was pretty sure it was one of her family members and she began to carefully scale the tree.

Jeffrey smiled to himself as she walked right by him, not even glancing at him as she was so focused on the tops of the trees.

Kate and Kamran were close to each other's location so when America started moving closer, it wasn't clear who she'd potentially spotted. Kate held as still as possible, hoping it wasn't her.

Kamran was holding just as still.

Karen's eyes widened as America walked right by her, but she managed not to move or make a noise. When the younger girl began climbing the tree to catch her first person, she carefully and quietly scooted back further into the bushes to hide better.

America carefully scaled the tree and then reached out, closing her fingers around Kate's ankle. "Got you," she whispered.

"Well darn. Was it because I wore pink?" She laughed, before carefully maneuvering to climb down.

"I saw the leaves rustling. Figured it was more than just the wind." America clambered down.

"Good eyesight, considering how high up I was. You should tell your dad... He'll probably start training you on some long-distance stuff along with your training your ability," Kate acknowledged.

"You think so?" America asked hopefully...although that was related to being able to spend time with her father as much as developing another ability.

"Yeah... I mean, I was up pretty high. If the reason you saw me was leaves rustling and not because I wasn't completely blended in, that's pretty impressive... Like I said. Good eyesight. Not too many humans have sight that good. Uncle Steve and Bucky... Me... Your dad..." Kate grinned as she touched ground again.

"You blended in pretty well." America glanced around, wondering if she might be able to spot anyone else close by before moving to a different area.

Kate nodded, making sure to keep looking at America and not in the directions she knew the others had hidden. "...Like I said. Good eyesight. Something worth developing, so you should really talk to your dad about further training." She smiled.

Kamran held as still as possible, pressed as tightly to the tree as possible, glad he'd worn clothing that camouflaged him. He could feel himself getting anxious, though, and tried to calm down before his powers activated.

America nodded and began moving again, this time focusing more on the ground. After all, Sprite had hidden in a hollow log last time. Though she suspected the younger girl would change her hiding place.

Jeffrey hadn't moved, even after America had passed him by. He wasn't certain if she'd keep moving forward or backtrack.

Yon was as far back into an... animal burrow? He wasn't certain. It definitely wasn't large enough to be a cave and it was in the ground, so it likely was an abandoned burrow. He wondered what types of animals made burrows that were large enough he could fit in their home. Unless it wasn't an animal burrow at all.... Maybe whoever left the trap that caught Jeffrey had dug themselves a shelter. He should probably inform Uncle Nick.

America paused, tilting her head slightly as she caught movement out of the corner of her eye. She moved casually towards where she'd spotted the faint movement, towards Yon's hiding spot.

Yon held still...or tried to, anyway. He wasn't certain how he'd ever had the reputation he'd once had, being a formidable opponent. He couldn't even focus and stay still for more than five minutes. He was too anxious to show Nick the burrow and find out if it was human or animal made.

America noticed the slight movement and quickly moved towards where it was coming from. She reached in and closed her fingers around Yon's sleeve. "Found you!" she said triumphantly.

Yon sighed. "So, you did. I'm not terribly good at hiding. Maybe at one time..." He carefully crawled out of the hole and brushed himself off. "...I don't remember if I was. But definitely not good at hiding now. Much better at things where I don't need to hide." He huffed in amusement.

"You hid for a pretty long time during the first game," America said. "Besides. It's not like you can't get good at it." She shrugged.

"The first game was a fluke. It doesn't help that if I get focused on something, my attention to everything else wanders..." Yon smiled crookedly. "Speaking of... As soon as you find Uncle Nick, I want to show him this burrow. I think it might be made by someone... Not an animal...."

Kate frowned. "This is getting a bit concerning. First a trap and now a man-made hidey hole?"

"I guess we don't know for sure if it is man-made or made by an animal...not until Uncle Nick is able to confirm either way," America said. "If you're worried, we can always use the comms to call him."

Yon frowned. "I don't want to mess up the game. And it isn't like it will be going anywhere..." he finally said.

"So, find the others, then bring Uncle Nick here." Kate smiled.

"Okay!" America began moving towards another area she thought someone might be hiding.

Yon and Kate trailed along behind, looking around quietly. Yon especially was investigating, though it was more to find other out of place items that would indicate someone who didn't belong being on compound land than to find the others who were hiding.

America kept her head tilted to one side, peering through the trees and undergrowth. Spotting movement, she quickly darted forward and then emerged, holding Ava's arm triumphantly.

The older woman smiled slightly. "My leg was getting itchy..."

Kate grinned. "Maybe some of the others will get itchy too!" She looked up toward where she knew Kamran had hidden and blinked. He wasn't there anymore; at least, it didn't look like it.

Kamran saw Kate looking at him and strained to keep from fidgeting or moving. He didn't want to give himself away. Especially since, if America saw where Kate was looking, she might look at him too. He didn't realize that his powers had manipulated matter in such a way that he was, for all intents, invisible.

America followed the line of Kate's gaze, but as she didn't see anyone there, she didn't stare for long. Instead, she said, "Who have we got left to find? Uncle Nick, Sprite, Kamran, Karen...am I missing anyone?"

"Jeffrey..." Kate smiled. "I didn't see where he ended up, so I feel like it is fairer for me to help you find him."

"Hmm." America tilted her head to one side. "Could you at least tell me if I'm getting warmer if I get close to one of their hiding places?"

Kate snorted. "You already found one of the ones I knew about. The other I knew of was Kamran, but I just looked for him and didn't see him, so he must have moved, and I somehow missed it. The others, I didn't see, so I'll help as much as I can."

"Sounds good to me!" America chirped, before moving on. 

Ava followed the younger girl, scanning the surroundings.

Kate also followed closely, scanning the area, curious to see if Kamran had left any evidence of his moving. She couldn't figure out how he'd crawled down from the tree he was in while she and America were retrieving Yon and Ava without alerting any of them.

Yon didn't follow as closely; he was too on guard to make certain he was within a good range to protect them if someone nefarious showed up.

Kamran was, quite frankly, shocked that America and Kate, both had not seen him, even while looking directly at him. It was confusing, to say the least, but he didn't want to call them back and ask about it. Not yet.

America was more focused on trying to find the other family members.

Ava hadn't seen the same thing Yon had, but she noticed the way he was moving. Shifting closer to him, she asked softly, "What happened?"

"The hole I hid in..." Yon whispered, not wanting to cause Kate and America to worry more just because he couldn't stop worrying. "It wasn't made by an animal."

Ava's eyes widened slightly. "Did you see any evidence that it's recently been used?" she whispered back.

"I didn't even realize until I'd already crawled in myself and messed up the evidence..." Yon sounded chagrined. "That's why I'm looking for other evidence, though. Beyond Jeffrey being caught in a trap earlier...."

Ava nodded slowly. "Did you spot anything yet?" She began looking around too, searching for any sign of someone being there who shouldn't have been.

Yon slumped. "No..." He sighed, feeling like a failure. "I've been told, at one time I was very good at this sort of thing. I wish I still was...."

"Someone who can sneak into the Avengers compound and leave traps and hiding places unseen is bound to be very good at keeping their presence hidden," Ava said. "I don't think it's a failure on your part, more that another person is just very skilled."

"Yeah... And that is even more worrying..." Yon admitted.

"I think you're doing the right thing, keeping watch for anything suspicious. I'll keep an eye out as well," Ava said.

Yon smiled at that. "That makes me feel better. The more watchful we all are, until we figure out what is going on, the better."

"The suit I used to have enabled me to move around unseen," Ava said. "I should be able to tell if anyone might be using similar cloaking technology to hide themselves.” 

"Do you think there might be something like that out there?" Yon asked. 

Kate was still trying to locate the others, her nose wrinkled in a tiny pout. "Shouldn't be this difficult..." She laughed.

"I think it's possible," Ava answered in a low voice.

"I think only two of us are looking for the others who are hiding..." America looked towards Yon and Ava.

Kate nodded, glancing back as well. "Yon's worried, even if he doesn't want to act like he is." She looked toward a denser area of woods. "What about over there?" she whispered, nudging America and, as unobtrusively as possible, pointed toward a group of thick bushes.

America nodded and, as quickly and quietly as possible, she moved towards the bushes...looking intently into the bushes.

Kate followed America, eagerly hoping to find out if there really was anyone there.

America reached into the bushes, feeling around until her fingers closed around someone's upper arm.

Fury stepped out of the bushes, giving America a smile. "Good job." He noticed, however, that both Yon and Ava seemed to be looking for something with more obvious worry. "Did something else happen?"

Yon immediately moved to Fury and America's side. "That trap isn't the only oddity today..." he said softly. "I hid in a burrow, but as I was there, I realized that it was manmade...."

"Can you show me where it is?" Fury asked quickly.

"Yes!" Yon quickly agreed. "It is this way...." He turned to lead his uncle back to where he'd hidden.

Fury quickly moved to follow Yon, obviously concerned about what might be going on. "Friday, have you picked up anything strange on your scanners?" He addressed the AI.

"No, sir... I haven't. Is there something specific I should look for?" the AI asked in worry.

"Do you have any feed from security cameras for here and where the trap was found?" Fury figured that, even if someone was using cloaking technology, any camera feed might still give them something to go on.

"Unfortunately, the wooded areas are a blind spot for me. However, the fence is not. I will go over all camera footage for the last year and see if something somehow snuck by me," the AI promised.

"Thank you," Fury replied, as he moved to search the burrow...looking for anything that might tell him who, or what, was responsible for making it.

Yon stood close by, ready to offer any information he possibly could if he was asked.

Kate bit her lip as she watched her uncle and cousin heading back to the burrow. She looked at America. "So, who is left?"

"Umm..." America cast a glance back over her shoulder, a bit worried about whatever was going on in the compound, but she focused on Kate and replied, "I think...it's still Karen, Jeffrey, Kamran, and Sprite to find...unless I'm missing someone," she added. "I'm glad I'm not trying to find every member of the family."

"Yeah. Breaking up was definitely the best thing..." Kate agreed. "We can keep looking while Uncle Nick handles this. They can't be too far from this position. They wouldn't have time to get so far away, and none of them are speedsters."

America nodded quickly. She put her head on one side, listening intently as she peered into the undergrowth that surrounded them.

Kate was observing the bushes and smaller trees, looking for broken branches or disturbed leaves. "What about this way?" she whispered, pointing out where a twig was broken and facing the wrong direction.

America nodded and quickly and quietly began moving in the direction that Kate had pointed out.

Karen tried to hold still and hope she wasn't seen. And then a spider dropped onto her shoulder. A big fuzzy wolf spider. And she squealed. And jumped up and began shimmying to knock it off without having to touch it.

Kate blinked at her cousin before breaking out in giggles. "It's more scared of you than you are of it!" she teased her cousin, before going to help her make sure her unwelcome passenger had got off.

"Spiders can be creepy," America said sympathetically, as she picked up a stick and used it to gently 'encourage' the spider to leave Karen.

"It ... It just surprised me!" Karen was blushing. "I didn't hurt it, did I?" she asked, suddenly worried.

Kate smiled. "No. He's crawling off to his spider home."

"You did such a good job at staying still, he must have thought you were a tree," America said encouragingly, dropping the stick.

Karen laughed at that. "Thanks. I appreciate the thought." She grinned. "So... Sprite, Jeffrey, and Kamran?"

"Looks like..." Kate nodded. "How far do we want to look before deciding we must have passed them, and they are behind us?"

"I don't think there was enough time for people to go too far," America said. "So maybe just a bit further before circling back?” 

Karen nodded. "I'm pretty certain the only one ahead of me when I finally found my spot was Sprite. So, Jeffrey and Kamran are likely hidden really well behind us."

"So, let's try to find Sprite first and then come back to find Jeffrey and Kamran?" Without waiting for a response, America started moving forward again.

"Sounds like a plan..." Kate followed behind.

Karen trailed behind Kate.

It took a few minutes, but America finally spotted a small, trampled branch at the foot of a high tree. From where she was standing, she could see a hollow in the trunk...one that would probably be big enough for Sprite to hide in. She placed a finger to her lips, then began to scale the tree.

Kate waited at the bottom of the tree, watching carefully just in case.

America carefully climbed up the tree and reached into the hollow. "Found you!" she exclaimed triumphantly, as her fingers closed around a bare arm.

"Good job!" Sprite carefully clambered out of the hollow and began to climb down the tree.

America began to climb down as well.

"You are brave, hiding in hollows that high up. I'd be afraid of bugs getting on me..." Karen shuddered dramatically.

"I've had much worse than bugs on me," Sprite said brightly. "Most bugs are pretty harmless and leave you alone if you leave them alone."

"It isn't so much being afraid of them hurting me. It's the feeling of all those little legs running over my skin..." Karen shuddered again with a grimace.

"Yeah, that can be uncomfortable," Sprite said sympathetically. "Who's left to find?"

"Kamran and Jeffrey," America replied.

"Pretty sure they're behind us..." Karen said.

"I agree. Kamran originally was in the tree right next to mine. But he somehow got away and moved while America was catching me..." Kate says

"Yeah. I didn't see anyone in that tree you pointed out," America agreed.

"Let's walk back toward the base and see if we notice them on our way back..." Karen suggested.

"Good idea." America began heading that way.

Sprite walked alongside them, brushing dirt off herself.

Walking back, Kate didn't see any signs of someone having moved through the area and hiding that weren't already visible the first time they went past. Soon, they were back at the tree where she had thought Kamran has hidden. "I didn't see anything..." She looked up at where Kamran had been. "And he definitely moved. I can't see him here either. He must have moved back toward base."

Kamran listened in confusion, not sure how he wasn't seen, but holding still to make sure he continued to remain hidden. He didn't realize he was perfectly blended to the tree.

Karen nodded. "Let's keep heading toward base, then." She continued heading that way, looking for clues.

Jeffrey had stayed in his chosen spot, surprised that he had been missed. When he finally heard them returning, he did his best to not move or make noise.

Sprite paused and wrinkled her nose, then pointed at a branch. "It looks like someone caught their shirt there," she whispered to America.

Nodding, America quickly moved in that direction.

Jeffrey could hear America getting closer and he was, quite honestly, hoping to be found by this point. Standing in one spot, not moving at all, wasn't the most fun thing in the world to do, and if it wasn't a matter of life and death, he saw no reason to drag it out. At the same time, he didn't want to make it easy for her. So, he remained still, but he didn't try and do anything else.

America looked carefully at the undergrowth, then slowly reached in, feeling around until her fingers closed around someone's arm. "Got you!" she whispered triumphantly.

"Good job!" Jeffrey allowed himself to be pulled out and gave her a big hug.  "I knew you'd do it.  Who else is left?"

"Just Kamran," America replied, giving him a hug back before frowning. "We haven't been able to find him yet...though Kate remembers him hiding in a tree like she did."

Jeffery frowned. "Odd. I didn't see him coming back this direction and I would have noticed if he was trying to run to base.  I'll help you look...."

Kate frowned at that. "He couldn't have gone further back. We would have seen, or at least heard him, since we were going that direction ourselves."

"Maybe we could try calling out for him?" Sprite suggested. "If you're certain you've looked everywhere."

"Everywhere he could have been hiding in the time I counted and have been looking," America said.

"Yeah. Let's call..." Karen said nervously. "With everything we've found today..." she added, thinking of the trap that had originally caught Jeffrey and then the burrow Yon hid in that Fury was investigating. "Something strange is going on and the fact he isn't where you know he hid.... It makes me really nervous."

Kate's eyes widened and she nodded. "KAMRAN! YOU CAN COME BACK TO BASE NOW. WE GIVE UP!!!" she screeched, loudly enough to carry through the woods; and to everyone else playing their games.

"I don't think there's any chance he didn't hear that." America laughed slightly, even though she was worried.

Sprite was peering through the trees, in case she could see anything.

Kamran heard and was honestly surprised. As often as they had looked directly at him, he was positive someone would have seen him. "COMING!" he yelled back, not wanting to worry them. He quickly scrambled down the tree and made his way back to base, still not noticing that his body was blending in with all the surrounding area and camouflaging him.

Yon looked up at the yelling. "Should we go join all of them and return here later?" he asked his uncle.

Fury nodded. "Yes. We can get the other family to look later too." He began heading back in that direction. 

Sprite blinked and looked in the direction Kamran's voice had come from. "I didn't know he could turn invisible," she said, impressed. 

Ava was looking carefully in the direction Kamran's voice had come from, wondering if he truly was invisible.

"Less invisible and more blending in..." Yon observed.

Kamran was ahead of them, but still heard. "Who's invisible?" he asked, turning around to face them and waiting for them to catch up to him.

"You are," Sprite said. "Or more blending in with your surroundings. Like a chameleon."

Kamran blinked. "You can't see me?!" he said, almost fearfully. He didn't know how it had happened, and what if he couldn't fix it? He wouldn't be able to go to school if he was invisible.

"What were you thinking about in the tree?" Ava asked, in case they could identify what had triggered this ability.

"I... I was thinking I didn't want to be found so quickly this time... That if I held very still, maybe I wouldn't be seen. I was a bit worried about my powers kicking in, because I was anxious about it... But last time, my powers were more destructive. Not something that would hide me...." Kamran said in confusion and a little bit of worry. "Will I be like this forever now?"

"How do you normally control your powers?" Sprite asked. "Maybe this one works in a similar way?"

"I don't!" Kamran fretted. "They've only come out when I was being chased before. I've done my best to remain hidden and haven't really had any reason to become overly anxious... I didn't think I was that stressed about not being found too quickly."

"Okay, well getting worried about it isn't going to help things," Fury said, his voice reassuring. "Once you relax a bit more, it's possible that the ability will fade. And if it doesn't, we'll find a way to help it along," he promised.

Kamran took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes, sir... I'll try to calm down..." he said as calmly as he could, considering he was freaked out about turning into a chameleon. He did shift closer to his uncle. His father was in a different group, so Fury was the closest authority figure present. It helped calm him further, being next to the older man.

Yon smiled gently. "I'm certain someone in the family will help you figure it out and help you learn how to use this ability on your own terms."

"We've had a lot of practice dealing with unusual activities." Fury wrapped an arm around Kamran's shoulders, guessing where his nephew was thanks to the way the air moved around him.

Kamran relaxed as his uncle's arm enveloped him. Somehow, it helped him feel seen, even if he wasn't easily seen. "I'm in the best place..." he whispered.

By this point, they had reached the others.

Jefferey blinked, seeing Fury walking with his arm around... He'd say nothing, but every so often, he'd see a 'disturbance' in the air. It didn't take long for him to figure out what had happened. "Kamran?" he asked cautiously.

"Hey, everyone..." Kamran responded despondently.

"Kamran had a little incident," Fury said, his voice reassuring, as he hugged Kamran a little tighter. "But we'll get it fixed," he promised Kamran.

"I know his dad was in one of the other groups. Do you want me to have Friday get him to come here? I'm sure he'd rather be with you than playing a game and not know..." Jeffrey offered.

Kamran snuggled into his uncle. "I'm okay with Uncle Nick... I'd hate to pull him away from the fun..." he said uncertainly. He thought he would be okay, but maybe his father would rather know and make his own decision about it.

"I think it's best your Dad know," Fury said. "I'm sure his concern for you will far outweigh playing the game."

"Okay..." Kamran whispered in agreement. "I know you're right. I just don't like being a burden...."

Kate shook her head at the words and turned her comm on. "Hey, Blake? If you are able to break away from your game, Kamran needs you. It isn't an emergency, but you'll want to get back to the compound as soon as you are able."

"Back to the family floor, then?" Yon asked. "Do we need to have one of the doctors meet us there?"

***

Blake had ended up on the same team as Bakshi...which was good, as the two of them got on fairly well with each other.

Looking around at the rest of the group, Bakshi asked, a little sheepishly, "So which version of hide and seek were we playing? I got confused with all the conversations going on."

Frank had found himself in the same group as Blake and Bakshi and was standing close enough to hear the question. "I think we're in the group that's meant to hide and then sneak back to base without getting caught or seen?"

Taneleer nodded. "I am certain that is what we are meant to do."

Everett sighed. "Of course we need to do the one that requires running." He sounded amused.

Sharon laughed. "Good thing all my injuries were healed up. I doubt I'd be allowed to play otherwise."

"I am Groot?" The little tree looked inquiringly at them all.

"So, who wants to be seeker first?" Rocket asked.

Frank shrugged, looking at the entire assembled group. There had to be close to twenty family members ready to hide. There was no way he'd miss all of them, even if some got by. "I'll hunt first."

"Great! Start counting..." Sharon grinned. As soon as he started the count, she took off... Not surprised when five other family members took off right on her heels.

Rocket immediately ran off into the trees with Groot, fairly confident in his ability to easily get back to the base without being caught.

Bakshi and Blake split up, heading in different directions.

Frank counted under his breath, but he had a fairly good internal timer and soon, he was yelling out, "Here I come!" He quickly began to hunt.

Various family members had dotted around the undergrowth, deciding to stick close together as they prepared to make their way back to base...hopefully without being caught.

Frank snorted as he realized this would be less a game of hide and seek and more a game of chase. Due to wanting to get back to base uncaught, nearly everyone had forgone hiding in a difficult to find spot and were in spots easy to escape. "Well... Here I come..." He snorted again, making his way toward the first shifting underbrush he saw.

Bakshi hadn't really been that good at sneaking or hiding, even if he'd become better at defending himself since joining the family. He'd hidden in the undergrowth, planning to make a run for it while Frank was focused on one of the others.

Frank had reached the undergrowth and peered into it. He could see someone, even if he wasn't certain who it was. "I see you..." he rumbled.

Bakshi carefully moved out from the undergrowth with a slightly sheepish smile. "I didn't think I picked out a good hiding spot."

"Pretty sure no one did... They all plan to stop hiding and run to base as soon as possible," Frank grunted before taking off in a sprint, going after Raina as she attempted to reach base before being caught.

"Dang it!" Raina pouted, then laughed as Frank caught her five feet from freedom. "Guess I help look now?"

"You and Bakshi..." Frank grinned at the other man.

"I think we both had the same idea." Bakshi smiled sheepishly at Raina, then began looking around to see if he could find any of the others...or spot someone trying to make a break back to base.

"Do we hunt together or separately? Would it be unfair for one of us to guard base while the others look?" Raina asked.

Frank smiled. "It might be a trifle unfair. Plus, we never actually made any decisions as a group about it. Maybe stay together and then ask what everyone thinks next round?"

"That sounds like a good idea, even if everyone's thought is 'anything goes'," Bakshi said, still trying to see if he could spot anyone.

Raina nodded before nudging Frank and pointing to a tree where a human shaped shadow was peeking out.

Frank headed toward that tree.

Bakshi moved in case the person tried to make a break for it...since they were now finders, or seekers, he assumed that would be allowed in the rules.

"Hah! Got you!" Frank hollered as he ran around the tree, reaching out to catch the person.

Darcy shrieked and ran the other direction, running for the base.

Raina's eyes widened and she gave chase, quite honestly surprised at how fast Darcy could move.

Bakshi hesitated, but since they had yet to confirm the rules for the game, he also took off running after Darcy...aiming to come towards her from a different direction.

Seeing Bakshi and Raina both chasing her, realizing they had already been caught, Darcy shrieked again and zigged when Raina zagged, then spun and ran away from the base. If she could confuse them enough, maybe she'd get away. If not, maybe some of the others would make it 'home' before she got caught. She was nothing if not a team player.

Bakshi quickly changed the direction he'd been running to, following Darcy's movements as she changed direction.

Frank blinked as Darcy was suddenly running full speed towards him and not slowing or diverting. Just running straight at him. "What the...?!" He veered at the last second to avoid a painful crashBakshi was still running after Darcy, not hesitating when she suddenly veered to go after Frank.

Darcy was still shrieking at the top of her lungs, fighting laughter. Her goal was to confuse her pursuers, but also to let those still hiding know they might be able to sneak in, as her pursuer was obviously occupied.

Some took advantage of it. Two family members ran in and touched base while Darcy was being chased.

Bakshi was now determined to catch Darcy...turning it into a battle of wills. He was pursuing her with single minded determination.

Finally, Darcy was laughing too hard and running out of breath. She slowed and finally stopped, bent over double and gasping for breath in between giggles.

Frank just stood watching her, shaking his head and chuckling.

Bakshi caught up and grabbed Darcy's arm, just in case she was trying to trick them. "Got you."

Two more family members snuck into base while the others were distracted by Darcy. She grinned. "You did get me. But it was worth it!" she crowed, pointing toward the members who'd gotten to base.

Frank sighed. "Normally, I wouldn't fall for something like that...."

"But now you have to help catch...or seek," Bakshi said.

Darcy got a focused look on her face, then yelled loudly, "I ain't helping any more of you yahoos get to base! Now I'm after your asses!"

Frank snorted and held a hand to his forehead as he grinned. "Well, let's get hunting then "

Bakshi snorted softly. "Better on our side than against." He glanced around, looking for any signs of other people hiding.

Frank began heading to an area near the tree houses, fairly certain at least one person would try hiding in them.

Bakshi moved to follow Frank. Since they hadn't figured out the exact rules of the game, he figured giving the other man 'backup' was the best thing. And, he supposed, at least it was helping them to work together as a team.

Frank was climbing up into one of the treehouses.

While he was doing that, Sharon had climbed out the tree house window, intending to jump down and run.

Spotting Sharon climbing out of the tree house window, Bakshi quickly moved to intercept...partly because of the game, but also because he was worried that jumping from the tree, particularly when it wasn't necessary, might injure her.

Sharon moved quickly, shifting until she was dangling, her feet approximately five feet above ground. She prepared to drop.

Frank came to the window of the tree house and peered out. "What the hell? Maria's gonna skin you!" he warned.

"That's a really bad idea!" Bakshi called up, even as he moved so that he could hopefully catch her if things went wrong. "You could break a bone, falling from that height!"

"I... I've dropped off higher spots..." Sharon grunted. It wasn't like she had a choice. Pulling herself back up and attempting to get back to the tree house would be just as dangerous at this point. Taking a deep breath and preparing to land in a roll, she let go of the branch.

Bakshi quickly moved in order to be able to at least break her fall, if not catch her, should she land badly.

As soon as her feet hit the ground, Sharon was moving into a forward roll, graceful as a gymnast. She then turned and grinned at Bakshi before taking off to run for base.

Frank groaned. "Why does everyone wanna play chase?!" he complained, turning to head back down out of the tree house. 

Bakshi just shook his head and took off running after Sharon. If nothing else, at least this game would help him get a lot of exercise in.

Darcy popped in from the side with a Banshee yell...and tackled Sharon, who went down with a shriek.

"Dammit, Darcy! I'm covered in mud now!" Sharon complained.

Bakshi snorted and grinned at Darcy. "Your Dad should see about sending you on some missions once you're trained to his satisfaction."

Darcy grinned unrepentantly as she held out a hand to help Sharon up. "You think? Maybe I should ask...."

Sharon got up and tried to brush the worst of the dirt off, but it was obviously a lost cause. Sighing, she mourned her ruined outfit. "Glad I wore old clothes, at least..." she muttered in resignation.

"You want to go back to the compound and get changed?" Bakshi asked.

Sharon shook her head. "No. I want to catch the others!" she declared, in a determined voice.

"That's the spirit!" Darcy grinned. "Let's find the others!"

Bakshi snorted softly. "I guess it's good we're all on the same side now!" He spotted movement from out of the corner of his eye and turned to begin chasing after Blake, who'd begun making a beeline for the base while they'd been distracted.

"Get him!" Darcy and Sharon yelled at the same time, taking off after Blake, flanking him so that, if he tried to turn tight or left, he'd end up in front of one of them.

Darcy prepared to do a flying tackle again.

 Having noticed Darcy doing her flying tackle before, Blake ducked and spun, running in the opposite direction to the base.

Grinning, Sharon sprinted to catch up with him, close on his heels.

"I am Groot." Suddenly, one of the trees sprouted some extra branches that wrapped around Blake's waist, lifting him off his feet and away from Sharon. 

"Hey!" Sharon laughed and tried to keep up, reaching to grab Groot's branch... Or Blake's legs.

"I am Groot." The little tree sounded more than a little smug as he suddenly changed direction, heading towards the base with Blake.

"Hey!" Sharon quickly gave chase.

While Sharon and Darcy had been chasing Blake with Bakshi, Frank had silently moved to guard the base, using his military training to become very stealthy. When he saw Groot heading his way, carrying Blake, he moved into position to jump out and grab both before they could touch base.

Groot continued to run with Blake towards the base, focused on his goal and not on anyone who might be lurking either side of him.

Frank stepped out in front of Groot at the last second, wrapping his arms around Groot's trunk. "Got you!" He couldn't reach Blake... Yet. 

As soon as he was 'caught', Groot swiftly but carefully deposited Blake down at the base. "I am Groot."

He didn't have much hope of tagging Blake before he touched base, but Frank attempted it anyway.

As soon as he'd been set down, Blake was running. He reached the base before Frank could catch him.

Frank snorted in amusement. "You were very lucky." He laughed as Darcy and Sharon finally reached them.

"No fair!" Sharon pouted. "You shoulda gotten dirty like me!" she teased.

"Better luck next time!" Blake laughed.

"There!" Darcy suddenly yelled, heading towards where she'd apparently seen as someone else.

"You made it back. Want to help find others?" Frank asked.

"Did we agree what those who made it back to the base do?" Blake asked.

"I am Groot?" Groot looked at Frank.

Frank shrugged. "Not really. Most everyone so far has just been sitting and chatting." He looked at those who had made it back due to Darcy's distraction. They were sat around chatting quietly. "You could try and cheer the others on while I hunt them?"

"Sure," Blake agreed. "That sounds like more fun than just sitting around talking...which is something we can do any time."

By this point, Darcy had cornered the person she'd seen and was chasing them back to base.

"In that case, I've got a runner to catch." Frank grinned and took off after the target.

Moving so that he could easily be seen by their target, Blake began to call encouraging words.

With Darcy behind and Frank in front, Sharon came barreling in from the side, diving for the target, much like Darcy had done her.

Blake shook his head, smiling sympathetically as their target ended up in the mud. "The three of you ought to be doing more missions together."

"I agree!" Darcy grinned brightly as she helped Sharon and their other family member up.

Out of the corner of his eye, Blake saw another family member sneaking towards the base, taking advantage of Darcy and Sharon's distraction. He didn't say anything and didn't look, not wanting to draw attention to the person.

Frank wasn't distracted. "Hey! None of that!" he yelled to startle the sneaker, then took off after them. 

The sneaker let out a startled squeak and sped up, running towards the base.

"Not far to go!" Blake called. "You can do it!"

Frank barely missed them. He couldn't be too upset about it, though; they were so excited.

Blake grinned and patted his cousin on the shoulder. "You made it!" He looked at Frank. "Unless I miscounted, I think that only Rocket hasn't been caught or reached base yet."

"Why do I have the feeling I'm never going to find him?" Frank rubbed his neck. "Okay. Off I go to look. If anyone wants to join me..." He looked at Groot hopefully.

"I am Groot." Groot moved to accompany Frank.

"Thanks, Groot!" Frank grinned as he headed toward a more densely wooded area

Groot quickly went with Frank to check the wooded area.

"Do you think he'd go really high? Or hide closer to the ground in a hollow?" Frank asked. 

"I am Groot." Really, Groot wasn't sure. Rocket often did what was least expected of him, so he could go high...or low...or something entirely different.

"Yeah. I hear that. Is it wrong to hope he puts me out of my misery and sneaks back to base quickly?" Frank laughed.

"I am Groot." Groot peered around, although he didn't expect to actually see Rocket.

"Yeah. I mean... There's no shame in someone getting by me. Everyone in the compound is very capable...." Frank was looking everywhere he could think of.

"You two looking for me?" Rocket's voice sounded from behind them...coming from right next to the base.

To Frank's embarrassed chagrin, he jumped at the voice being behind him. "Dang it..." he muttered and turned around. "Where were you? I never saw anything that would suggest you were there!" He smiled faintly.

"I took advantage of you hunting the others, of course," Rocket answered, as he calmly stepped into the base. "This isn't my first time, after all."

"No. I'm sure it isn't your first rodeo. You remained hidden the longest and managed to get back without being seen at all. Didn't even have Darcy chasing you!" Frank said, his smile growing.

"Does that mean I win?" Rocket asked.

"I believe that means you win..." Frank agreed, then laughed. "Do you want to hunt next?"

A gleam came into the raccoon's eye. "I would like that very much."

"Great... " Frank swallowed at the look in Rocket's eye. This was going to be a challenge.

"Looks like everyone's back here anyway." Rocket looked around at the family members, still with that gleam in his eyes. "Since I was the one who hid for the longest and made it back to base without being seen, I win. And because I win, I'm seeker next," he announced.

"Cool beans!" Darcy exclaimed. "Start counting so I can hide!"

Rocket immediately turned round, closing his eyes, and began to count.

Quickly, everyone began to move away from the base, finding places to hide.

Frank found what he felt was a good spot and quietly waited.

Darcy and Sharon decided to hide together.

Groot decided to hide with Blake and Bakshi, since they'd also decided to stick together.

The other family members ran to hide in various spots.

Everyone held still and waited for Rocket to begin hunting. They wouldn't move before then.

When he reached one, Rocket didn't call out that he was coming. He didn't say anything. Instead, he began to hunt. 

Frank listened carefully. He realized after a certain point that Rocket was probably already hunting and just hadn't warned people. Which was fine. He'd listen for the first yells or squeals to judge where the racoon was and then, if it seemed like he could do it, he'd move toward the base.

It didn't take long for Rocket to find two of the family members. He pounced on them easily, whispering, "Found you." He couldn't do anything about their surprised yelps, but he could keep his own movements quiet and stealthy.

Frank heard the yelps and was slightly disappointed that they were closer to his location than further away. He'd have to wait and hope Rocket went past him before he dared head to the base. He wanted to get there unseen, like Rocket had. Or at least nearly be there before he was seen.

Darcy and Sharon were in the opposite direction. Hearing the yelps, they looked at each other and decided it was the perfect opportunity to make their way to the base. They began to quickly but quietly move closer, planning to run as soon as they were close enough to do so without risk of tripping over tree roots.

Rocket quickly moved on, beginning to hunt for the next family members. He was quick and thorough with his searching, knowing that family members could be hiding anywhere. 

In the meantime, the two Rocket had caught now joined him in his seeking.

Frank was very still. Very quiet. But he was also prepared to take off at a moment's notice if it appeared he'd been seen.

Darcy and Sharon had reached the area where they would have to make a run for it; they would be out in plain view with nothing to hide behind. Taking a deep breath and holding each other's hand, they began to sprint toward base.

Rocket had ended up heading in the opposite direction, aware that there were other family members hiding all over the place and wanting to catch as many by surprise as he could. He spotted Darcy and Sharon making a break for it and he quickly moved...but instead of chasing after them, he moved to cut them off from the front.

"One of us has to make it..." Darcy gasped, before pulling her hand free and splitting from Sharon.

Taking the hint, Sharon put distance between her and Darcy. Rocket might be running toward them, but he'd have to choose which one to focus on. The other one would make it to base.

Rocket didn't hesitate. He didn't waste time choosing. He just immediately went to tackle Darcy.

Darcy shrieked loudly, reaching out and... Catching Rocket as he dove to tackle her. It was enough to unbalance her, and her grip tightened around him in a protective hug as she fell, somehow managing not to land on top of him.

Sharon made it to base and turned around just in time to see Darcy clinging to Rocket and landing hard. "Ooof... Ouch..." she muttered sympathetically.

Meanwhile, Frank had noticed Rocket heading toward the two women and used that opportunity to run to base himself.

Rocket quickly moved off Darcy, reaching out a paw to help her up. "Are you all right?"

"Yep! Are you?" Darcy grinned and took his paw, standing up.

Frank made it to base and grinned at Sharon before looking toward Darcy and Rocket. "Did she tackle him too?" he laughed.

"I think he tackled her..." Sharon grinned.

"Take it easy for a few minutes," Rocket suggested, aware of how hard Darcy had hit the ground. He turned to Frank and Sharon. "Enjoy your freedom!" He headed off to find other family members.

"Sure thing, buddy! Easy is my middle name!" Darcy blinked. "That didn't sound so dirty in my head."

The other two family members who had been found by Rocket laughed, even as they went to help him seek.

Rocket spotted some branches that didn't quite fit and quickly pounced on Groot. "Got you."

"I am Groot!" Groot ordered Blake and Bakshi, who immediately took off running towards the base.

Darcy was taking it easy like Rocket had ordered, but she couldn't help yelling as Blake and Bakshi began running her way. "They're coming!"

The other two family members Rocket had captured quickly moved to try and intercept Bakshi and Blake.

As if by unspoken agreement, the two men split up to try and confuse things a little more.

Darcy, deciding she'd rested enough, began to help the slower family member.

Bakshi began to zigzag, speeding up to get to the base as Darcy and the other family member closed in on Blake.

"I'm going to geeeeet you!" Darcy yelled loudly, jumping at Blake as soon as he was close.

Blake, seeing that Bakshi had made it to the base, laughingly accepted his fate. "I think you're complete chaos."

"Yes!' Darcy made a high five to her cohort in catching Blake. "My job has been done!" she grinned at her cousin.

Blake shook his head, a tiny smile on his face. "Looks like we're on the same team now."

"How many people are left?" Darcy looked around, wide-eyed.

A startled yelp from some distance away had Blake saying, "It sounds like there's one less person now."

Darcy giggled. "Rocket is catching more quickly than Frank did. You think it is because of his size? Or Franks age?" She grinned mischievously at Frank, saying that right when he was within hearing range.

"Hey now! I ain't that old!" Frank pouted.

Bakshi snorted softly. "I'd say that it's more his size, coupled with the fact he's done something like this before...though I suspect on a more lethal level."

Darcy blinked at that, then nodded. "Yeah. That makes sense."

There was another family member running towards the base, apparently assuming that Rocket was distracted with the other family members he was chasing.

Sharon saw them coming and began hopping up and down and frantically pointing toward where Blake and Darcy were, warning them to be careful of 'the help'.

The family member quickly swerved as Blake spotted them and took off running.

Darcy's eyes widened. "Oh crap! Wait for me!" She took off after Blake. 

The family member gave a tiny squeak and began to zigzag, trying to escape being grabbed by either Darcy or Blake.

"You can do it! C'mon!" Sharon cheered, becoming more animated the closer they got to reaching base.

Blake made a grab for the family member, who put on a burst of speed and just about made it to the base...with Blake's fingers only just missing their shirt.

Darcy was far enough behind, she had no hope of catching the runner. They would reach base if Rocket didn't get them.

The family member quickly touched base...and then flopped onto the ground, gasping slightly. "Well, I think I've got in my exercise for the day!"

"Yay!" Sharon did a celebratory shimmy before her eyes widened. Taneleer had walked up from who knows where and just touched the base without running, drawing anyone's attention, or having to hide. "Where did YOU come from?" she asked in awe.

"I was over there, on the benches. Hiding in plain sight. It's amazing how many people will overlook you when you look like you belong and don't draw attention to yourself..." Taneleer observed. "I've been there since Frank was looking for people...."

"I think that actually might make you the winner," Bakshi said, obviously impressed.

Frank just had a gobsmacked look on his face. "You were just sat over there, the whole time?" he finally asked. "And I didn't see you? And Rocket didn't see you?"

"No one saw me..." Taneleer shrugged. "Like I said. I looked like I belonged and wasn't acting suspicious. Everyone just overlooked me."

"Another useful skill we should all try to emulate!" Blake commented. "Well done, Taneleer."

Taneleer nodded at Blake. "Maybe we can return to the compound and get something hot to drink? It is a bit chilly, and it appears some are in need of changing clothes."

Blake nodded. "Yeah. That would probably be a good idea," he agreed.

Rocket appeared, running back into view. "That's everyone," he declared.

Darcy chuckled. "I think we've decided Taneleer was the overall winner. He hid in plain view, and no one saw him. Either time."

Taneleer smiled at Rocket. "We are going inside for a hot drink. I'm thinking... chocolate."

"Good job!" Rocket replied. "And hot chocolate sounds very good."

At that point, the message came through from Kate and Blake immediately focused on his son. "Friday, where is Kamran?" he asked quickly.

"They took him to the medical area, sir. He isn't ill, but they wanted to do scans..." Friday reported.

Frank frowned. "Do you want me to come with?" he asked Blake.

"Mr. Ben is waiting for you with Mr. Kamran. Since he wasn't joining in the games, he was available immediately..." Friday added.

"Thank you, but I think it should be all right. I'll send a message if I need to," Blake replied, smiling reassuringly at his cousin. "Thank you, Friday," he added, as he made his way towards the medical area.

Frank watched Blake walk away, then motioned the others to follow him to the kitchen area where they could make the hot chocolate.

Blake quickly hurried to the medical area and walked inside the room. He immediately looked around for his son.

"Dad! I'm on the first bed by the door!" Kamran called. Ben was sat next to the bed in question, but Kamran couldn't be seen.

"Son..." Ben smiled crookedly as Blake came in. "They've already drawn blood and are doing scans. We're just waiting for them to process to see if it tells us anything."

Blake blinked, focusing on the bed. He couldn't see Kamran...but that didn't mean anything, of course. He moved over to the bed, reaching a hand out, and his fingers brushed Kamran's hair. "What happened?"

"I got anxious while trying to hide, all the excitement and wanting to do well, I guess, and... I felt my abilities kick in, but instead of blowing stuff up, I made myself... Like this..." Kamran sighed, leaning into his father's hand.

Blake gently squeezed his son. "It doesn't seem like you're entirely invisible," he said. "More that you've blended in with your surroundings. Has anything like this happened before?" he asked gently.

Kamran shook his head before thinking about it and answering out loud, "No. Never. But I never had powers until a year ago, either...." He leaned into his father, finally able to start relaxing. Blake would help him.

"We'll fix this, son," Blake promised, sitting on the bed so that he could cuddle Kamran in his lap, camouflaged or not.

As Blake cuddled him, Kamran relaxed more and more... Until suddenly, he was visible again.

"So, it seems to be affected by if he is nervous, agitated, or highly excited..." Ben said thoughtfully.

"That's quite similar to many of the abilities family members have." Blake pressed a kiss to Kamran's head. "How are you feeling?" he asked softly.

"A lot better now that I know I won't be stuck invisible. But I'd really like to learn to control it..." Kamran admitted.

Blake nodded. "We'll work on that too," he promised. "Along with the abilities we already knew about."

"Thanks, Daddy..." Kamran just continued to cuddle. Until they were happy with the tests, he'd not be going anywhere else anyway; and after being alone for a year, now that he had a parent who wanted to be affectionate, he didn't want to give that up.

Blake hugged Kamran a bit tighter, glancing towards the doctors. "Do you need to run anymore tests?" he asked quietly.

"I think that will do for now. Go get some hot chocolate." Stephen smiled. "Save me a cup? I'll be there as soon as I get the tests started."

Blake nodded and gently guided Kamran to his feet. "Are you coming to join us for hot chocolate, Dad?" he asked Ben.

"I wouldn't miss it!" Ben smiled, following his son and grandson into the kitchen area, where everyone else was making snacks and drinking chocolate.

****

"So... Who is hiding first?" Bruce asked the assembled group. "We are doing the Sardines version of Hide-n-Seek, correct?"

Soni grinned. "Pretty sure that's what was decided..."

Angel glanced around at the group. "Draw straws?" she suggested.

"That works just as well as any other option..." Mike shrugged. Improvising, he grabbed a handful of twigs and broke them into varying sizes. "Shortest one hides first..." he declared, putting them all in his hand so that they appeared to be the same length and held them out for people to draw one.

Miles reached out and took one of the sticks and Angel quickly did the same.

Soon, everyone playing held a stick. After comparing them, it was discovered that Jemma had the shortest stick.

"Okay. I'll go hide. Count loud!" she said chirpily.

As Jemma began to hide, the rest of the family group counted.

It took longer than she wanted, but Jemma finally found a spot in the middle of the wooded area; it was a cave of sorts, but it didn't go very far back. And it required a bit of wriggling around the side to get into it, but it was a good spot.

Once the count had finished, everyone began moving in different directions, trying to find Jemma. 

Angel ended up moving further into the wooded area, eyes scanning for any sign of movement.

Jemma's location inside a cave with a twisty entrance meant that any movement she made could not be seen from outside the cave.

Angel, remembering the 'rules' of the game, figured that most people going to hide would look for somewhere as many people could fit in as possible. So, she was checking logs, hollows, and caves.

Jemma could hear someone near her hiding door and held her breath, waiting to see if she'd be found.

Domino had begun looking the opposite direction of Angel, but she hadn't got very far when something told her to turn around and go the other way. Deciding to follow her luck, she did turn around.

Quentin had no clue which way to go, so he waited for a few moments to see where everyone else went.

Angel ducked inside a cave that, at first appearance, seemed to be little more than a hollow. And it wasn't a very big cave...but it did have a very twisty entrance. It seemed like a perfect hiding place.

Jemma grinned as Angel moved into view. "Welcome to my lair!" she whispered, teasing.

Angel grinned. "I think we're all going to end up packed in as literal sardines once everyone's here too."

"That's the idea..." Jemma giggled.

Quentin had finally decided that, for the game's purposes, further into the woods was likely necessary and he gave up searching closer to the compound.

Miles was just wandering around the forest...aimlessly, rather than properly searching.

He hadn't noticed a cave immediately. What he noticed was a footprint. Taking a chance, Quentin moved closer to investigate, carefully worming his way around the cave's wall and into the tiny chamber. "Hope no one is claustrophobic..." he snorted

Angel smiled at Quentin. "Welcome..."

"This is a pretty good spot..." Quentin smiled at Jemma.

Jemma just grinned and held a finger to her lips, reminding them to be quiet.

Angel fell silent, moving a little closer to Jemma...since she assumed it wouldn't be long before more of them were squashing into the tiny space.

Jemma shifted again. "Wonder how long till someone else comes?" she whispered, fidgeting.

"If we make some noise, someone else might come," Angel said. "Since the goal is to fit as many people into one hiding spot as possible."

"I thought the goal was to not be the last person to find the spot? Jemma grinned. "Which means we don't want to make it too easy."

"But if we make it too difficult, we'll be waiting here for a very long time...and it is cold," Angel said.

"True..." Jemma said uncertainly.

Just then, Domino stuck her head around the corner. "There you are!" she grinned, squeezing in.

Angel smiled. "Great! Just...how many people are we waiting on?" she asked.

"Everyone?" Quentin asked uncertainly.

"No, I mean...how many people were playing the game? I didn't count them all," Angel said sheepishly.

"I didn't actually notice either," Jemma said sheepishly.

At that moment, a blue head peered around the corner. "I told you I heard voices," Nebula said archly, as she walked into the cave.

Gamora followed. "Fine. You were right."

"Welcome to our hiding place." Angel smiled and pressed closer to Jemma, making a bit more room.

"It is cozy..." Jemma said, as she pressed tighter to the wall.

"About to get tighter..." Mike laughed as he entered.

It didn't take long for Cassie to enter the cave behind her uncle. "I like this hiding place," she whispered.

"It is cool," Mike agreed. "I'm not sure your dad will like it..." he added to Jemma.

Thirty more minutes went by, and six more family members squeezed into the small cave. It was standing room only and getting to be very hot. Eventually, Bruce was the only one not in the cave.

"You all can come out now!" he called from outside the cave. "I lose."

By this point, Cassie was shivering, pressed close to her uncle for warmth. "Can we have some hot cocoa before we play again?" she asked, as they began to file out of the cave.

Bruce was stood right outside of the cave; he'd obviously been aware of where they were hiding...but hadn't wanted to go inside a tight space underground... And had thrown the game. He heard Cassie. "That sounds like a wonderful idea. I'd love some hot chocolate." He motioned everyone forward, toward the compound.

Since everyone was cold and shivering, they quickly began following Bruce back to the compound for hot chocolate.

***

Later that evening, the family was in the common room, comparing their games and what they found out. "Having been one of the people who snuck onto the grounds... Is it possible to make it so no one can get over the gated or fenced area without a camera seeing from both sides? Even if the woods are still unseen by Friday, she'd at least know someone snuck over...." Druig suggested.

Fury nodded. "I don't see any reason why we couldn't do that. It would certainly make it harder for anyone to place any traps or leave any tunnels." He was obviously worried, knowing that someone had sneaked onto the grounds.

Steve was also worried. "I don't like that someone has been able to come onto the property so easily. I think maybe we should do sweeps of the grounds every so often, in case whoever it was comes back."

"I agree." Tony nodded. "It might be time to request Vision to move here full time. He's in a unique position that he could easily do property sweeps."

"Speaking of people coming here..." Fury looked at Carol. "Did you have any luck in finding where Goose might have gone?"

Carol frowned. "No. Although the last known location for her... There was a weird device left behind. It was actually picked up by SHIELD and is in storage."

Fury frowned. "We should bring it here so that Tony and Bruce...and anyone else...can have a look..."

Carol nodded. "I asked them to do that... They seem to be having difficulty locating it now."

Steve frowned. "The object? Maybe we should go have a look at where they had it..."

"Sure... Maybe it grew legs and walked..." Carol grinned at all the horrified groans.

Jessica shook her head. "You must like tempting fate...."

"That wouldn't even make the top ten on the list of weird things I've seen." Sam shook his head.

"Okay...okay..." Carol looked at Fury. "We could go take a look tomorrow? When we are investigating all the other weird stuff that was discovered today?" She was enjoying family time and didn't want to cut it short.

Fury smiled, understanding that she didn't want to leave family time. "Tomorrow is absolutely fine," he agreed.

"Great!" Carol smiled and turned back to continue talking with the rest of the family.

It was a relaxing and enjoyable evening.

The End