Radioactive | Bucky Barnes

THE FIRST AVENGERS: CHAPTER SEVEN (INFERNO)

"You're it. You're my person.

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The ride was anything but smooth. The Humvee jolted over rough terrain, causing everyone in the back to grip tightly onto whatever they could. The air was thick with unasked questions, and no one seemed willing to break the silence.

"Do you think they'd just dump us in the middle of a warzone without warning?" Rickett asked, his voice carrying the edge of disbelief. He sat across from Rhiley, who hadn't spoken a word since they left camp.

Clover snorted, tightening his grip on his weapon. "What do you think we're here for?" He shot a look at the rest of the men. Everyone but Rhiley was holding onto their weapons, ready for whatever came next. Rhiley, however, had her hands folded neatly in her lap, her expression unreadable.

James's gaze flickered to her hands, and he noticed the bruises forming around her knuckles. His instincts told him to reach out, to make sure she was okay, but he held back. He was certain she'd snap at him if he did, especially in front of the others. She'd chosen to sit beside him, and for that, he was grateful.

"We're here to fight," Clover added, his voice matter-of-fact, as if it was the only thing that mattered.

But James couldn't help but feel there was more to it, a question hanging in the air that no one was ready to ask.

"Why would they be so secretive though?" This question comes from Henry. "Wouldn't it help if we were prepared beforehand? Debrief of the situation?"

"What are your thoughts on this, Bunny?" Clover asked Rhiley, putting her in the spotlight. "Scared yet?"

"I've gone in blind on multiple missions." Rhiley looked over dead in the eyes, "You learn to adapt quickly when you do what I do."

"What do you do?" Rickett asked.

"I second that." Clover added, "You act all high and mighty, and yet we know nothing about you. It's easy being all talk; why not prove it?"

"How about we stop integrating Rhiley? Save that for the actual enemy." James suggested.

"How about you let your girlfriend talk, playboy." Clover retorted. "How can we trust someone we don't know?"

"You don't." Rhiley stated bluntly, "Frankly, I don't care if you trust me or not."

"She probably knows exactly where we're going." Clover leaned in, pointing fingers at Rhiley, "Acting like she's one of us, spying on us, telling the higher-ups everything."

"We're not important enough to spy on, Clover." Henry laughed, "What the hell would she tell them? How you're an arrogant son of a bitch? We're nobody to them."

"Why all the secrecy, though?" Henry's voice broke the silence. "Wouldn't it be smarter if we were prepared beforehand? A little debriefing, maybe?"

Clover pointing an accusing finger at her. "She probably knows exactly where we're going. Acting like she's one of us, spying for the higher-ups, reporting everything back."

Henry chuckled, shaking his head. "We're not important enough to spy on, Clover. What the hell would she even tell them? How you're an arrogant son of a bitch? We're nobody to them."

The words hung in the air, and the tension seemed to ease just a bit, but only because the men realized, at that moment, how little they knew about each other.