Stasis || Bucky Barnes

Twenty nine

(Letter 32. Dated March 1945. From Corporal Jahi Parrish to his younger brother).

Dear Phillip,

This is a short letter as I have good news. We have one more mission, which is of course classified, but after that we will be coming back to the uk for a a week's leave while the higher ups plan where to send us next. Cap told us today. I can come down and see you and mother and father in Canterbury. Wouldn't that be nice? I'm sure you've grown and I can tell you how I got a bullet hole in my books. Normal soldiers don't get leave but because your amazing brother is part of a very special squad, cap managed to bargain us this time off.
I want to bring blue eyes. I have already asked and he said yes. You'll like him. He's saved my life a few times so you'd better be nice to him. Cannot wait to see you all again.

You're absolutely delightful brother,
Jahi.

——

"Basil!" Steve called. He waved a hand as Basil looked up. "Come join us". Around them the camp was bustling. The howling commandos were to head out the next morning and they were all busy doing the final checks on their supplies.

Basil put down his half packed medical bag and jogged across the ground to where Steve and Bucky were standing in front of a camera. "What's this?" He asked as he stopped at Bucky's side. He gave the lens a charming grin.

"A captain America interview for the comics", Bucky replied. He gestured to the men manning the camera. They weren't soldiers. They were dressed in civilian clothes, shirts and slacks. One was sat at a small folding up table, a typewriter under his hands and he was typing furiously. Another was holding the camera while the third watched them. He was a older man with caterpillar hair on his lip and balding head. Basil nodded at them.

"This is Jahi Parrish?" The caterpillar man asked excitedly. "The mad Doctor? Excellent, excellent". He turned a page in his notebook as Basil peered at him curiously. The cameraman held up a microphone at him and he blinked. The microphone was attached to a turning tape recorder.

"The name is Basil", Basil corrected. "Only my family call me Jahi".

The man ignored him. "Mr Parrish. What is is like fighting alongside the famous captain America?"

Basil frowned at the question then grinned teasingly and threw an arm over Bucky's shoulders. "Well it's pretty underwhelming. He has a tendency to be all self sacrificing and use himself as a distraction which means that I have to patch him up later". Steve gave him a unamused look and Basil laughed.

"Aha! The famous crazy laugh", the reporter exclaimed. The man turned to the camera. "Did you get that?" The cameraman nodded.

"It seems like your laugh is famous Parrish", Bucky chuckled. "You should see him on battlefield. With his knives and his laugh, it's truly terrifying". Basil rolled his eyes at the camera and leaned heavily on Bucky's side.

"Yes. Basil is a great man to fight alongside with", Steve nodded. "He is an incredible asset".

"Stop before I blush", Basil joked. The three of them laughed.

"Why did you choose to join the howling commandos?" The reporter asked.

Basil looked at Bucky and Steve as he thought about his answer. Bucky caught his eye and smiled. He couldn't help but smile back before turning to the camera. "I was sent to join the 107th when the British army didn't want me. I had been shoved into so many different squads that they decided that it would be better to place me with the Americans. That was when I met Bucky. He didn't try to treat me differently because of my skin, he respected me as a fellow soldier and as a medic. Although I didn't know him long before we were captured".

"Out of all the cells he could have been placed", Bucky groaned. "He had to be shoved in mine". Basil laughed and poked him.

"Really Sarge? You got used to me eventually. Well, we were in this cells for what must have been over a month before I got taken away for testing. I thought I was going to die. Then at one point I wake up and there's Bucky strapped to a table next to me. Neither of us can move so we just told each other stories all night, every night. You can't help but become friends after that. Then Steve found us. And well", Basil shrugged. "I would gladly follow both of them. When Steve asked me to join the howling commandos, it wasn't exactly a hard decision".

"That is a truly amazing story of brotherhood", the reporter commented excitedly. "I for one, am glad you are fighting for America".

"I'm not fighting for America", Basil frowned. "I am fighting for my parents. For my brother. I am fighting for England and all those who can't. But I am also a doctor. I am not just fighting, I am here to save lives. Which is more important than taking them".

The reporter had barely paused. Beside him, the typewriter was clicking. "Amazing. What do you think of your character in the comics?"

"Did you whitewash me?" Basil scowled. "Like you did Sam and Gabe? Because that's just despicable. You are undervaluing us and reducing us to nothing more than white support characters to increase your egos because you can't comprehend that people of colour can be heroes. Other than that, I think my character is okay. You make me a bit too psychotic though. I am mad but not sadistic". The reporter had barely looked up. Basil wanted to kick him.

"It's just for the media. The comics sell better this way". Basil growled and reached for one of his knives.

Bucky placed a calming hand on Basil's shoulder and he froze before letting go of the blade. Steve looked annoyed and unamused. "I don't like the whitewashing thing. These men have saved my life half a dozen times. Without them I wouldn't be where I am right now. This is a discredit to them".

"Okay we'll change it", the reporter waved a hand. "Now Mr Rogers. Do you think that being raised by a single mother left you at a disadvantage growing up? Is that possibly why you were so sick as a child?"

"Interview over", Steve snapped. "My mother did best by me with what she had. I will not listen to anymore of this bigotry". With that, he turned and walked away. Bucky and Basil gave the camera another angry look before following. The reporter's surprised spluttering dying as they left him behind.

"What a bunch of small minded, ignorant cunts", Basil swore.

"You can say that again", Steve muttered.

"I am feeling the need to go and shoot people", Bucky remarked. "What's the mission again Stevie?"

"I told you this", Steve huffed but the question had done its job of distracting him. "We're going to be parachuted into Switzerland to capture the hydra scientist Arnim Zola".

"Have we met him?" Basil asked. The name rung a bell.

"He was the tweedy glasses guy next to the red skull back at the the first hydra base", Bucky promoted. "You were basically delirious the whole time".

"I thought I had hallucinated that red skull", Basil thought aloud. "That is seriously unhealthy. The serum didn't do that to you did it?"

Steve gave him a wide eyed look. "How long had we been fighting together Basil. How did you think I could hide that?"

"True", Basil nodded. But the reminder had his head turning. If the serum could alter someone that much, what could the the bastardised versions hydra were testing do? He wasn't sure if he wanted to know.

Unedited