Clutching || Bucky Barnes (3)

16

A large white van drove through the car park and in one the dozens of empty spaces on their left. The song had ended and Basil was saying a joke to Steve. He turned as the doors slid open and grinned at the sight of the man and woman who stepped out. Bucky knew who they both were, having seen them on the news and read about the avengers on the internet. Clint Barton and Wanda Maximoff. A ex-sheild agent and a ex-hydra science experiment turned good guy. "Cap", Clint greeted as he clasp Steve's forearm in a warrior's greeting.

"You know I wouldn't have called if there had been any other choice".

"Hey man, you're doing me a favour", Clint brushed Steve's apologetic tone aside. "Besides, I owe a debt. Hey Basil".

"Hello there Hawkeye", Basil grinned as he held his arms out for a hug. "How's the kids? Did they get the Christmas presents I sent?"

"Oh they loved them", Clint grinned as he patted the smaller man on the back. "Nathaniel loves his jumper and Lila wants me to ship some English chocolate for her birthday. Cooper has already driven us crazy with his facts. I swear if the kid tells me one more fact about dinosaurs them my head might explode, he loves that book".

Basil chuckled with pride. "I'm glad. It's good to see you". Then he turned to the woman. "Wanda!" He held out his arms and she smiled as she stepped in for a hug. "How are you?"

"As well as I can be", she shrugged. Basil squeezed her tightly for a second before letting go. Bucky watched the way he interacted with her with curiosity. Basil had always been the youngest of the Howling commandos, so it was interesting watching him with someone who was younger than him. He could see how Basil was a big brother, the sight making him sad that he had never been able to meet Basil's family when they were alive. (In the past, he had wanted for Basil to meet his family too. Rebecca and the twins would have loved him, but they were distant memories now).

"Thanks for having my back", Steve nodded at Wanda.

"It was time to get off my arse", she replied in thickly accented words. Basil laughed and swung an arm over her shoulder. He was only an inch or two taller than her.

"It was about time for me too. Allow me to introduce you to Henry Chalton, my flatmate and ex-spy". He waved his hand at the Ginger and Henry nodded at them from where he was leaning against the car hood with Sam.

Clint gave him and glance and sighed. "I swear it's always the gingers", the words were muttered under his breath but both Steve and Bucky snorted.

"How's our new recruit?" Steve voiced.

Clint turned back to the van. "He's rarin' to go". There was a bang as he pulled open the doors and a brown haired man in his thirties jerked away with a groan. "I had to put a little coffee in him but he should be good".

Steve watched, Basil and Sam coming up to stand at his sides as they watched the newcomer stumble out of the van. The man was average looking, almost ordinary. Brown eyes, brown hair, pale skin. He didn't seem like a threat and Bucky had never heard of him. "Urgh what time zone is this?" Then he saw Steve and his face changed, becoming more awake. He stepped forward and held out a hand. "Captain America".

"Mr Lang".

"It's and honour", then the man looked down. "I'm shaking your hand too long". And he let go. "Wow! This is awesome". He turned to Basil with wide eyes. "Captainn America. Wait, I know you too. Mad Medic! The Crazy Doctor! You were my favourite in the comics I read growing up. You're my daughter's favourite superhero too". He seized Basil's hand and began shaking it enthusiastically. "She particularly likes your knives. I had to place all the kitchen knives on higher shelves to stop her from trying to throw them like you did. She just ended up jumping at me and covering me in bandages instead. I am shaking your hand way too long". He let go and Basil blinked.

"She sounds like a cool kid. Glad to be a completely bad example. You can call me Basil, or Baz".

"Oh wow. I'm Scott, Scott Lang". Scott turned to Steve, glancing between him and Basil again before turning to see Wanda and Clint. He seemed slightly overwhelmed. "Wow. Look I know you guys probably know a lot of super people. But, well, thinks for thanking of me. Hey man". The last greeting was spared to Sam, who nodded.

"What's up Tic Tac?"

"Good to see you. Look what happened last time. I um..."

"I was a great audition but it will never happen again".

"What happened?" Basil grinned, sensing an embarrassing story.

"Nothing", Sam stated pointedly as Scott opened his mouth. Scott shut it again. Basil flicked his eyes between the two as a small mischievous smile tugged at the corners of his lips. (He was so going to get Scott to spill that story at some point).

"Did they tell you what we're up against?" Steve brought the conversation back to the matter at hand.

Scott frowned. "Some thing about some Psycho-assassins?"

Steve nodded, blue eyes radiating truth and honesty in that all good American boy way that made Basil want to gag. (Such a captain America look that Steve knew exactly work like a charm). He turned and glanced back at the blue car to roll his eyes at where Bucky was leaning against the hood. The man having decided to hang back. Bucky's left eyebrow twitched in a familiar look. (It was a look that he had often given Basil when he was mucking around. A twitch of an eyebrow, and if he played his cards right, it might be followed by a slight smile or a frown. When Bucky frowned at him, Basil knew that he was really beginning to push it).

"We're outside the law on this one", Steve was saying. Basil stifled a yawn. "So if you come with us, you're a wanted man".

"Yeah, well, what else is new", Scott shrugged. Basil blinked then perked up with interest. It seemed like Scotty here had some felonies, he'd like to hear more.

"We should get moving", Bucky called over. He seemed tired but there was still a familiar look of warning in his eyes when he glanced at Basil. He knew that the curly haired man was in the mood for being a menace. That, even with everything, hadn't changed. Basil was still just as much as a little shit as he was when they first met in 1944.

"We got a chopper lined up", Clint voiced. He was interrupted by the sudden blaring of an alarm and a man's voice shaking German over the intercoms. German was one of the languages Basil had not bothered to learn since he had returned from the ice (Super soldier serum gave him an amazing memory apparently, wether for good or bad. So far it had been mostly bad). It reminded him too much of the people, young men, he had killed in the war.

"They're evacuating the airport", Bucky translated. Basil wondered how many languages the Winter soldier had been taught. Enough to get missions done, he guessed. Maybe one day he would ask Bucky more about the skills the soldier had been taught. Maybe.

"Tony Stark", He huffed. Tony was the only man who could have found them that fast.

"Stark?" Scott repeated in surprise. Basil didn't respond. Taking a second to share a glance with Henry and then with Bucky. Henry shook his head and Basil offered him a nod. The ginger would not be coming with them for the rest of this mission. He had other places to be and Basil knew it too. 

Steve looked over their small group with an unreadable expression. "Suit up". 

"Do I even have a suit?" Basil voiced in the sudden quiet of people moving. Everybody stopped and looked at him. "I'm just saying that I didn't see Agent Carter hand you anything with a medical patch on. Or any knives for that matter. Steve!"

unedited