Clutching || Bucky Barnes

14

Germany was just a foreign to Basil as the rest of the world had been when he first woke from the ice, modern and shiny with barely any recognisable landmarks. Although it was not as bad as New York it was still strange compared to what he had known. The plane landed in a small airstrip outside of Berlin and they soon stole a car to take them into the city. Henry driving with Sam once again in the passenger seat and the three super soldiers squished in the back. The car was some small blue thing that Basil had no idea the make or model. He spent the drive into the city squished with his shoulders up to his chin to make space for Steve's and Bucky's significantly larger frames. (Mostly Steve but Bucky was still bigger than Basil, which he definitely liked when those big, strong shoulders were not pressing bruises into his back). 

"While we were on the plan I made some calls", Steve stated. "There are some people who are going to meet us here". 

"Who?" Basil asked. 

"Just some friends". 

"Why?" 

Steve sighed. "We didn't sign the accords and now we are wanted criminals. They're not going to just let us go, especially not with-" He broke off with a glance at Bucky but they all knew what he meant. 

"But I don't want to fight our friends", Basil murmured. "It is not their fault". 

"We might not have a choice. We need to stop that doctor before he finishes whatever he is planning and Tony and the others cannot be allowed to stand in our way". Steve's voice was confident and firm. He obviously did not like this decision but in true Captain America style, the need to save the world won over the need to save the avengers. The people would survive, their friendships might not. 

"But why can't we just go straight to the Hydra base? Avoid the rest of the avengers", Henry suggested. He steered the car down a busy motorway, the blue vehicle standing out in rows of black and silver boxes. 

"Because to get to the hydra base we need a shield plane", Steve explained. "It has the technology to locate where the base is hidden and we don't have the time to find an alternative. Also we need the tracker to bring Shield after us, they will need to take control of the base". 

"So the plan is to use Shield to clean up our messes", Basil remarked. "Sounds good. They've only been doing that since World War Two". 

"We cannot just leave a base full of hydra secrets to the public", Steve exclaimed. Basil huffed and rolled his eyes. 

"We could just blow the place up afterwards". 

"As someone who has been kept in that base, I agree with that plan", Bucky muttered sourly. Basil grinned in sudden eagerness and turned to bat big green eyes at Steve. 

"Oh pretty please! Can we? It can be just like old times!" 

"Old times? How many times have you blown up a hydra base?" Sam snorted. It was a joke but Basil answered with a wide grin. 

"Personally? Only Five. But Steve's got about ten under his belt". 

Sam sighed and gave them a look in the mirrors. "Why am I not surprised?" Basil would have shrugged if he wasn't half seated on Steve's and Bucky's lap. (He had at least a dozen comments about that in his mind but Henry had threatened to leave him behind and the ginger made good on his threats). 

"Turn here", Steve pointed and the car rolled off the highway and down a concrete road. It took them down round the edge of the city and to the empty underside of a bridge. To their right were empty fields and railway tracks. Quiet and hidden. The car switched off and Steve got out. Basil happily stretched out in the empt space and rolled his shoulders, the joints clicking.