Test Subject 13

I do not own any Marvel Characters or Ideas.

Iceland was amazing. The landscape changed so drastically and so quickly at we sped along the winding roads. Bucky had artfully commandeered a Kawasaki Motorcycle after landing in Reykjavik, and I was enjoying having my arms encircled around his waist far to much. 

He kept the lights off as went, for in places the land lay flat for as far as they eye could see and anyone stationed at a lookout point would see the lights. Stopping at the apex of a hill Bucky pulled the map from inside his pocket and held it up to study it under the moonlight. 

I sat quietly, having removed my arms but still leaning in close to study the map over his shoulder. Having come to some sort of conclusion, Bucky nodded his head once and returned the map. "We walk from here."

"How far?" I asked.

"Three, Maybe four miles."

Wonderful. "Can't we get a little closer?"

"No, it's too quiet. They would hear the engine." 

Bucky hid the bike and I looked over the valley. It was beautiful. A lake lay below, shimmering silver in the moonlight, and as we began down the side of the hill though the undergrowth. Out of nowhere a bright green glow from above startled me. I thought we had been caught out by some strange aircraft and ducked covering my head.

Bucky nearly fell over laughing as he pulled me to stand up, "It's just the northern lights, no need to dive for cover." He paused mid sentence to stifle another laugh, before releasing my arm and continuing on.

I was fuming. How was I to know? My anger died quickly however as I saw just how beautiful they were. They streaked across the sky in a beautiful green that changed to purple and blue around the edges as they flickered.

It was mesmerising. I fell into step beside Bucky gazing up at the sky unable to take my eyes off of the celestial lights show. Every now and then I was pushed a little to the left or warned of a log that needed to be stepped over. 

Reaching the edge of the lake we began walking its perimeter and Bucky called for my attention. It was just before Dawn now and Bucky Looked to a light in the distance, on the other side of the lake, concealed by a cluster of trees. 

"Is that it?" I asked.

"Yeah." He was tense. Anxious about what was to come. As we went to move on he turned to me.

"You should stay here."

"What?" I deadpanned.

"Its not safe. This base is still active, and I'm sorta going in blind here. All I have is a map, that gives no indication of how many men, or what weapons might be in there. You could be hurt."

"So could you!" I countered, "I can handle myself. Ill just hang off to the side somewhere and cover you." 

"Cover me?" 

"Yeah, you know, snipe them or something."

He growled and pursed his lips, the glare I received was not pleasant and I had to fight the urge to back up a step. "No. This non negotiable."

I sighed in defeat but then an idea struck me, "At least let me close enough to feel for their minds, then I can tell how many there are, where theyre most concentrated, see if there are any holes in their defences."

Begrudgingly he agreed and led me closer. As we neared a cluster of trees I began to feel for minds and found two lookout bunkers just beyond the treeline, "Stop." I hissed. Pulling him to crouch beside me behind a bank of grss.

"There are lookouts about 500ft apart just beyond the tree line." 

"What way are they facing?"

"Don't know, but they are there. Two people in each."  

He was silent and turned his head to observe the tree line, "Guess this is as far as you can go. What about beyond that?" Closing my eyes to concentrate I felt for minds. I found many. Too Many. Everywhere. They were milling about, grouped together and packed like fish in a barrel at the center, why were there so many? 

Opening my eyes I felt defeated, "There's Hundreds. and they are all packed together at the center."

"Packed? what do you mean Packed?"

"As in grouped, tightly, some of their minds are stronger than others, like their closer, but that doesn't make sense because they are all together."

Bucky was silent, contemplating his next move. "Some feel closer, but they are together. Like they are on different levels, maybe?"

My face fell and I slapped myself in the forhead with heel of my hand. "Like they are underground, like the last hydra base." 

He nodded, "OK, I'm going in. Stay here and stay hidden, keep feeling for minds, if anyone gets too close," He paused staring into my eyes, "You know how you, nearly broke, that mans mind?" I nodded not liking where this was going, clasping a hand over my shoulder, "Break theirs." 

"I can't. " I said shaking my head, "YOU have to. Or they will break you." 

I could hardly breath, and I had a pain in my chest. I had a terrible feeling about this. 

"Don't be long." He smiled, but it looked sad, and the next thing he did shocked me. As he began to stand from where we were crouched he placed a kiss on my forhead and then turned, without another word heading into a melee. 

There were butterflies in my stomach for two reasons. One, he had kissed me, only a little peck on the forhead but still. The second was because, it had felt like a kiss goodbye.