Ascertainment || Bucky Barnes (2)

4

It was early morning the next day when Steve called. Basil was making a cup of tea, spoon mixing in the milk. The scent of his spicy black tea filling the kitchen as Queenie weaved between his legs. His kitchen was plain. White and grey cabinets and black marble tiles on the floor. He was in usual morning attire, of a baggy black vest top and boxers with a fluffy robe thrown over his shoulders. Blue slippers on his feet that Queenie had decided to try and attack. He gently pushed her away with his foot as he slipped the comm in his ear.

"Steve", he greeted. "Please tell me that you haven't injured yourself and that I'm not needed".

"Only bruises and artificial cuts. I am already healed".

"Good", Basil set down the tea spoon and leaned on the kitchen isle where a plate of buttered toast was waiting. He took a crunchy bite that was definitely audible down the line. Steve audibly sighed.

"Breakfast? I'm starved.".

"Toast". Basil replied. "Come on, spill. How was the mission?" While normally Steve would obey his superiors when it came to confidentiality, as long as he believed in the need for it, Basil was a different story. The two of them when agreeing to work with shield had made sure that they would be allowed to share details of missions with each other. It was in their contract. They were legally allowed to share everything they were involved in with each other. Both Basil and Steve had been very clear on that with Fury. They both promised to protect the other, they needed to know what was going on. (Just another sign of their codependency, a therapist would point out. But after the shit they had seen together, they weren't going to lie. That's how trust broke).

Steve sighed again. He sounded annoyed. Basil recognised it in his tone. "The mission was to rescue shield hostages taken captive by pirates. That was my mission but Natasha had other orders that she did not disclose. It almost affected the mission outcome".

"What were her orders then?" Basil asked. He took another bite of toast and Queenie licked her lips. He wrinkled his nose at her. (She was fiend for butter. Basil had found that out when she ate a whole stick that had been left out to soften. It was a wonder she wasn't sick).

"To steal the information left on the shield ship".

"That's shifty", Basil muttered. "Almost like fury suspects something. I mean, Nat only obeys orders from him right?" They hadn't ever seen her obey orders from any other man.

"You never trust higher ups", he could hear the joke in Steve's voice.

"That's why I'm still a bloody Corporal", Basil grumbled. "I really deserve a fucking promotion".

"There's something else", Steve added before he could start ranting again. It was a old argument. "But I can't tell you over call. We need to talk face to face".

"That doesn't sound good". Basil glanced round his apartment. He knew that there was shield bugs in there, listening and probably watching him. He had found them all but left them be. He didn't want agents coming in and replacing them. It would just be another long afternoon of hide and seek.

"Okay. Meet you at James' then". James, a code word to a crowded place where they could talk.

"Meet you there in two hours", Steve replied. Then the call cut off.

Basil sighed and took out his comm and tossed it over across the counter. He looked down at Queenie and frowned. "Go on then you ratbag", he muttered as he took his toast of the plate and placed the place on the floor. Queenie eagerly began licking up the butter residue left on the surface. Basil hopped up onto the counter and swung his legs as he finished off his breakfast. His thoughts active. Shield was acting weirdly. He didn't fully trust them, not since he had found out their plans to make weapons with the tesseract. But this was unusual for them. It sounded like Steve was concerned about something. Basil didn't like it.

——

The captain America Smithsonian exhibit was busy with families and children when Basil entered. He tugged his baseball cap lower, the hat obscuring his curls and the brim casting enough shadow over his face to make him easily dismissible at first glance. A black hoodie was zipped up over his white tshirt. The skinny jeans and black doc martens were plain and didn't draw attention as he wandered through the crowds. He brushed passed the serum part of the exhibit and continued down the familiar corridors.

Steve was waiting for him in front of the glass walls detailing his childhood with James Buchanan Barnes. Bucky's black and white photo watching them as Basil stopped at his side. "He looks so cocky in that photo", he remarked. Steve chuckled.

"Yeah. He surprisingly wasn't fond of photos. They took so long back then".

"They did. What couldn't you tell me on the phone?"

Steve glanced around slightly. "There's a thing called Project Insight. Shield is building three helicarriers armed with a thousand guns each. The idea is that these helicarriers will be able to take out threats before they happen. Their programming will scan every person on the planet, medical history, blood type, police records. Everything. Fury described it as a way of preventing conflict before it starts".

Basil was starting to feel dread sicken his stomach. "Guilty until proven innocent then".

"Exactly", Steve muttered. "This is not freedom. This is controlling through fear".

"I don't like it".

"Neither do I".

"So", Basil said after a long silence. "What do we do?"

"Nothing yet", Steve replied. "Fury told me about the project because he doesn't trust someone in shield. That's why he had Nat steal the files. I say give it a day. Watch what's going on then make a judgment call. The helicarriers aren't operational yet which buys us time".

"Okay", Basil crossed his arms. On the wall, Bucky watched them. "But I'm just going to make it clear that I have never trusted shield. Also, if this goes to shit, I get the say I told you so".

"I know", Steve rolled his eyes. They moved on from Bucky's walls and further into the exhibit. People moved round them in a comforting buzz.

"I'm meet you at the apartments later", Steve said as they came to the mini movie theatre. He gestured inside as Peggy's voice began talking. "I'm going to have a quick trip down memory Lane".

"Go ahead", Basil waved. "I've got to go food shopping anyway". Steve gave him a parting nod and disappeared inside. Basil tucked his hands into the pockets of his hoodie and kept on walking. What he had told Steve was true, he did need to pick up some food. It would just be good if he updated his medical bag and picked up some sharp things on the way.

Unedited

Vote, Comment and all that jazz.