Stasis || Bucky Barnes

Thirty one

It was windy up on the ledge. Basil stood with Bucky and Steve near the edge as they peered down at the tracks below. Stray snowflakes fluttered past as the cable swung. Behind them, Gabe was listening to the radio as the others checked if the cable was secure. Basil could hear Monty counting his ammo as Frenchie watched the seconds tick by on his watch. "Remember when I made you ride the cyclone on cony island?" Bucky asked.

"Yeah and I threw up?" Steve glanced at the cable.

"This isn't payback is it?"

"Now why would I do that?" Steve grinned. Bucky snorted and turned to Basil.

"When this is over I'm going to take you to Cony island", he promised. "Show you the places where I spent my youth".

"Careful", Basil teased. "Youth makes you sound like and old man". He elbowed Bucky lightly and the man laughed.

"You were right", Gabe called. "Zola is on the train. Dispatch just gave hydra permission to open up the throttle. Wherever he's going, they just need him bad". Steve nodded and Dum Dum handed them the belts. Steve latched the belt round the wire.

"Let's get going", Pinky said as he lowered his binoculars. "Cause they're moving like the devil".

"We've only got a ten second window", Steve reminded as he gripped the metal bar hanging from the belt. "If you kiss that window then were bugs on a windshield".

"Better mind the gap then", Basil commented. He patted Bucky on the shoulder as they shared a glance. It was only a second but Bucky smiled slightly at him and reached out to grip his arm. His thumb pressing down lightly on where Basil's tattoo was hidden under his sleeves. It was only for an instant and then he was letting go and picking up his belt.

"Better get moving bugs", Dum Dum yelled.

"Go!" Frenchie shouted. Steve dropped off the ledge and Basil watched as he flew down the wire.

"Go!" Bucky stepped off the ledge and Basil felt his heart pound as he watched the man disappear.

"Go!" Gabe was off.

"Go!" Then Monty. Distantly the remainders of the howling commandos watched as the little figures landed on roof of the speeding train.

"They made it!" Basil cheered as the train disappeared into the distance. Dum dum clapped loudly.

"Great job, come on. Let's head towards the meeting point. We need to get there before they do". With that they all began packing up. Basil watched the now empty tracks for a few more seconds before shouldering his medical pack.

"Yay a fifteen mile March, yay", he muttered as he began trudging after them.

"Cheer up Kid", Sam called. "We'll see them soon". His reassurance didn't do anything to lessen the nerves chewing on Basil's stomach.

——

They reached the pick up point before Steve's team did. Basil brushed the snow off a rock and sat down. The pick up point was high in the mountain, both shielded but accessible. A clearing in the centre of a snow covered forest. Visible by plane but pretty hidden from below. The men all sat down and began setting up a fire as they waited for the others. Basil entertained himself by polishing and cleaning all his knives. When he finished he set about disassembling and cleaning his rifle. When that was done, he counted and check all his medical supplies.

He was half way through recounting them when Jim called out. "They're back!" Basil shout to his feet and glanced around. Steve was walking out of the trees. His American flag uniform singed and grimy in places. Behind him he tugged a small man by his bound hands. Zola was a old mole like man with balding blonde hair and glasses perched on his pointed nose. He had been gagged and made some muffled noises as Dum Dum came forwards to take him from Steve's grasp.

Basil grabbed his medical bag and jogged forwards, eyes scanning over the men for injuries. Gabe had a nasty looking burn on his shoulder but Steve and Monty looked unharmed. "Where's Bucky?" He asked, eyes darting around. "Where's Sarge?" Steve looked up and Basil took in his face. The man looked devastated. Crushed, like a boat without a tether. Immediately Basil's stomach plummeted. He felt his heart tighten as if it was being squeezed by some unknown force. "Cap. Steve. Where's Bucky? What happened?"

"He fell. I couldn't get to him in time". The squad was silent as the words were uttered. Basil felt like someone had poured ice over him. His legs trembled and the blood drained from his face.

"Are there any injures?" He asked completely on autopilot. "Your burn looks bad. Let me get it". He staggered over to where Gabe was sitting and mindlessly began pulling out bandages and ointments. Everyone was silent as he checked the burn and bandaged it up. Hands moving as his mind turned the words over and over. He fell. He fell. He fell.

When Gabe's burn was secure, Basil stood up. "I'm going for a walk", he stated as he turned towards the trees.

"The plane will be here in a hour", Sam reminded. He walked over to stop him but Steve held out an arm.

"No, let him go. Give him a moment". The men all looked at him but no one objected as Basil strode into the trees.

He kept walking through the snow until the clearing had disappeared behind him and all he could hear was the crunch of snow under his boots. It was then he stopped and let the emotions bubble out. The birds fled as he started screaming. Rage and sorrow coming out in vicious wails. He couldn't breath. He couldn't breath. Tears were leaving salty tracks down his face as he kept on screaming. He couldn't stop. He fell. He fell. He fell! He hammered his fists into the trunk of a tree. The wood didn't budge and he leaned against it as the screams broke off into gasping sobs. He couldn't breath. It was clouding his lungs and climbing up his throat. He couldn't breath.

It felt like the world was ending. The war had felt like the world was ending, like everything had gone mad. Bucky had given him a small piece of sanity but now that was gone too.

Basil lurched suddenly forwards, hands colliding with the cold snow. It soaked into his trousers and turned his fingers white. The tree he had been leaning on was now behind him. He stared at it in surprise for a second before slowly picking himself back up. He reached out and pressed a hand against the trunk. The wood was hard against his fingers then his hand went through it as if he was nothing but a cloud. Basil began laughing. Mad hysterical cackles escaping his lips, mixing with the sobs that shook his frame. Slowly, as he legs gave out under him, he fell to his knees on the floor, arms clutching at himself as he laughed and laughed and cried.

It was Steve who found him. By that point his voice had given out and he was giggling and crying. The blonde man knelt down wordlessly and took him by the elbows to pull him gently too his feet. Basil leant against him, still giggling. "He told me he loved me last night", he smiled. "I have one of his dog tags round my neck and his bird on my arm. He told me what he told you. That as long as I loved him then he would be there until the end of the line. Why is life so unfair?" Then the giggles stopped and Basil was sobbing again. The two men leant against each other as they trudged back towards the clearing. Their tears freezing in the snow.

Unedited

Did I cry? Yes.