The aeroplane landed somewhere on the border between the Netherlands and Germany. Mr Stark had kitted Steve out with an impeccable, practically bullet proof, suit of red and white armour, very similar to the show costume he once wore. Bucky had received a blue, semi-bulletproof uniform. (Y/N), however, had been given nothing from Stark, except a handsome watch which changed as he crossed time zones; it had a thick leather strap and a large face.
'I have nothing to give a smarter man than myself,' Howard Stark had told him when he handed the watch over, 'except a watch; every man needs a watch, and I've noticed you don't wear one.'
'You're a lot brighter than me, Mr Stark,' (Y/N) (L/N) said, his cheeks growing hot. If there was one way to his heart it was to compliment his mind.
'Perhaps in the field of engineering,' Howard replied, 'but I read your PhD application for Columbia, quite interesting.'
'I got rejected,' complained (Y/N), 'they didn't think x-rays could be utilized in the field of genetics.'
'I'd quite like to read your proposal once this is all over; I think you're onto something Dr (L/N), and I'm willing to sponsor you.' (Y/N) was about to summarise his PhD proposal then and there, but he caught Bucky glaring at Mr Stark. 'I think Sergeant Barnes needs something,' said Stark, 'but the offer still stands Dr (L/N).'
(Y/N) (L/N) checked the watch now, as he stood on the ground below the plane he'd just been on. He wore his usual uniform, just with the addition of the jacket Bucky had given him the night they'd escaped HYDRA.
'Take this,' Peggy Carter interrupted his thoughts, handing him a Browning GP-35, along with a few filled magazines and a silencer. 'Although from what Steve's told me, you may not need it,' she winked.
'What did he...' he'd begun to ask, but she shushed him.
'You make things float, and then pass out, am I correct?'
'Well, it's a little more complicated than that,' (Y/N) replied sourly, he hadn't forgotten what he'd done to the bar tender in Brooklyn.
'Use what you've got Dr (L/N),' she told him, 'Don't think for one moment HYDRA won't be doing the same.'
Rain had been falling in bucket loads ever since they'd landed, bouncing off the floor and turning the grass to a muddy sludge in which (Y/N) slipped and slid in. He grumbled as he watched his boots, which he'd only just cleaned and polished, quickly turn brown and heavy as the mud saturated the souls.
Bucky, Steve, Peggy, and Howard were stood around a soft-top jeep, of which Howard held the keys. 'Installed an excellent radio, and this soft top has the potential to survive any attack,' Stark explained, handing the keys to Steve as he tapped the roof.
'I never learned how to drive, sir,' Steve told him, passing the keys back. Howard then went to drop the keys in Bucky's hands, but he couldn't accept them either.
Before he moved to New York, (Y/N) couldn't understand how anybody could survive without a car. He used to tease both Bucky and Steve for their inability to drive a vehicle, but he now understood why they never bothered to learn; the subway was cheap, and considerably quicker since there was no traffic underground.
'I'll drive,' (Y/N) piped up cheerily, walking forward, and taking the keys before climbing into the driver's side of the car.
'Control for the roof is here,' Howard indicated, pointing to a small switch on the dashboard.
'Got it,' nodded (Y/N). Bucky Barnes climbed into the passenger seat, and once Steve had given his farewell to Peggy, he got into the back, resting his new shield on the seat beside him.
'Any last minute advice?' Steve asked her through his open window.
'Don't get killed.'
They drove well into the night until (Y/N) begun to fall asleep at the steering wheel. At that point, Bucky instructed him to pull off of the road and into a small hidden lane through a dense forest, where they could set up a camp for the night.
Although insisting they should carry on, (Y/N) couldn't deny that they'd regret not resting tomorrow morning when they reached their first target; besides, his hands were restless, and he needed to stretch his legs. He hadn't drove in over a year, and he regretted that now. He cursed himself now for not purchasing the 1936 Chrysler he'd seen for sale, even if he would have only ever used it to go to the green grocer's.
Whilst Steve and Bucky got the tent out of the boot of the car and begun to set it up, (Y/N) gathered some wood and lit a small fire; the temperature was dropping, and he knew they'd all appreciate some warmth. His hands hovered above the flames, fingers and palms outstretched as he let the fire tickle away the cold.
'I'll take the first watch,' (Y/N) said, just loud enough for Bucky and Steve to hear him from the tent.
'You've been driving all day, you should rest first, I'll stay up,' Steve replied, Bucky nodded in agreement.
'I'll be fine,' he said, 'I'm not tired – go to bed.' Steve looked as though he were going to argue, but a stern look from (Y/N) told him there was no use in arguing.
Once the tent had been buckled up, and he had a cup of lukewarm water, with a tea bag in it, in his hands, he took a deep breath. He began to worry about his family. That was his curse as of late. He couldn't sleep, and so he'd stay awake, riddled with concern. His brother was imprisoned, and his father was dead, that much was known. The whereabouts of his uncle were still a mystery though.
He could only imagine the state of panic and fear his aunty would have been in when two strange men in army uniforms turned up at her door to deliver the yellow telegram; at least his mother knew where her son and husband were.
After digging a small hole in which he could place his 'tea' into, he studied his hands, watching as streaks of red energy danced around his fingers, illuminating the air around him. He directed it at a medium holly, causing it to become unrooted. In pure amazement he watched as it followed wherever his hands went.
Eventually, he grew bored of it, letting it fall from an eighteen foot height. It crashed into a bramble, causing a bit of a ruckus; a noise which must have stirred Sergeant Barnes, since he exited the tent moments after.
'What was that?' he asked, a thick wool blanket draped over his shoulders, a rifle held in his arms. He emerged from the tent cautiously, scanning through the trees.
'I made a tree fly,' (Y/N) responded casually, 'pointing into the distance where the holly now lay, broken up into branches. 'Did I wake Steve up too?'
'He's still sleeping, and I was already awake. You should get some sleep.'
'I don't think I'll be able too,' (Y/N) huffed, starring into the embers. Bucky got down beside him, pulling a portion of his blanket over his shivering shoulders.
'Want to talk about it?'
'Not particularly,' he grumbled, leaning into Bucky a little, 'you're warm.'
'You're freezing,' replied Bucky, resting an arm behind (Y/N), pulling him closer, 'fire needs more wood.'
(Y/N) raised a hand, focusing on the pile of thin branches he'd gathered earlier. Then he simply needed to pull them towards him, allowing them to drop into the fire. Bucky watched on silently, impressed, stunned. 'You're amazing,' he whispered into his ear, 'did you know that?' Then, gently, he planted a soft kiss on (Y/N)'s cheek.
'Not so bad yourself,' (Y/N) smiled.
They hadn't exactly discussed what had happened the night at the bar, but (Y/N) didn't mind so much. He liked Bucky's attention; he liked the way being close to him made him feel. Bucky's lips left a trail down from his cheek to his neck, and then up once more until they landed on his lips. 'Steve,' he breathed out between kisses.
'Not what I want to hear when I'm kissing you,' Bucky complained.
'No, what if he comes out?'
'He won't, he's a heavy sleeper.' Bucky kissed him a little harder now.
(Y/N) smiled into the kiss, during his time in university he'd had a few similar encounters when he was really drunk, but with girls. Nothing could compare to Bucky Barnes though; the excitement, the electricity flowing through his veins when they kissed.
His heart thumped in his chest rapidly, his cheeks turning hot just as their lips began to separate. (Y/N) opened his eyes, just as Bucky's did the same. He wasn't sitting on the ground anymore, he'd levitated upwards of six feet. Bucky's mouth gaped open, and (Y/N) fell to the floor, eyes closed but still breathing, a smitten smile plastered on his flushed face.
(Y/N) awoke early the following morning, tucked in blankets, the sound of Bucky's snores reverberating off the canvas walls of their tent. He turned over to look at him, chuckling at the sight of him sleeping, drool dripping down his chin. (Y/N) used to be a little afraid of Bucky Barnes, ever since he'd seen him give a man two black eyes and a broken arm after uttering something rather awful about Steve. Now though, he felt nothing but relief. Relief that he had someone so strong and loyal to fight beside.
'You're awake,' yawned Bucky, his blue eyes opening, his right hand brushing away a stray (H/C) hair from (Y/N)'s face.
'You have drool on your chin,' responded (Y/N), wiping Bucky's chin with the cuff of his jacket. The buckles on the tent began to separate, and (Y/N) snatched his arm away, just as Steve's head popped through the gap.
'Ready?' he asked them, a confident, almost excited, smile on his face.
(Y/N) sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, and mustered the most enthusiastic smile he could. 'Ready.'
Within twenty minutes they had packed up the tent, covered their tracks, and were driving onwards to the first marked HYDRA base on their map. 'Going to need our energy,' Steve said, handing both Bucky and (Y/N) a bar of dried oats and passing around his water canteen, 'found a stream close by to where we stayed so filled them all up.'
'Where would we be without you, eh?' Bucky Barnes chuckled.
'Strapped to a table,' replied (Y/N), truthfully, his eyes not leaving the road. He knew he didn't owe Steve his life; HYDRA wouldn't have killed him, not when they'd gotten so far with whatever they were trying to do. He owed Steve his freedom though, and he'd never forget that.
When they were about five miles away from the perimeter, Steve instructed (Y/N) (L/N) to pull over. They'd continue on foot. He didn't really fancy walking, but at least it wasn't raining. 'We take only what we need, leave all the other gear here,' Steve said, pulling his shield out from the back of the car.
Bucky strapped his new machine gun to his back and then began the march forward, following closely behind Steve. (Y/N) jogged to catch up, checking he had enough ammunition in his pistol as he reached them.
As they approached the base, (Y/N) looked up at his friends, searching for some sort of instruction. When neither of them said anything, he stretched out his hands and begun to hover upwards. The light breeze blew through his hair, and no wave of sudden tiredness seemed to overtake him. The base was in sight, and he was prepared to fight.
He floated just up past the canopy of the trees where he proceeded to count each canon placed on the walls protecting the facility. Then, guardedly, he continued forward, dodging branches as he glided through the forestry until he found his way to the main gates. He took a look behind him, making sure Steve and Bucky were close enough behind should he needed back up. From where he was, he could see Steve nod his head.
After counting each person guarding the wall, he took position on a sturdy larch branch. He raised both hands up towards his eyes, studying the crimson mist as it played about the palms of his hands. Then, with hope filling his heart, he directed it at the largest canon on the wall. He picked it up with ease, smiling proudly at himself. If he'd known all he'd needed was a little practice he would have done so earlier.
Next, as though knowing exactly what to do, he slid it across the top of the wall, taking out each canon as he did so. Smoke filled the air, something (Y/N) (L/N) hoped would obscure the view of any snipers lying behind the perimeter. He looked down at Steve and Bucky, now running forward, weapons raised. Bucky threw one of Stark's grenades at the gate, ripping it off its hinges, and then they entered – raining down gunfire on all who did not surrender.
Jumping down from his perch, (Y/N) hovered down through the smoke, landing a dozen yards away from Bucky and Steve. There must have been at least a hundred men opposing them, all dressed in black uniforms.
As his feet hit the floor, (Y/N) raised his hands, his aura glowing a deep shade of red along with his eyes. He raised a colossal tank fifty feet into the air, which he proceeded to drop into a swarm of oncoming soldiers. A large explosion ensued, burning over half of those men alive. They ran from the damage screaming; their clothes on fire, tearing off their helmets and uniforms to reveal their melted skin.
Feeling drowsy, (Y/N) fell forward onto his knees, staring at the hands which had just caused such a grotesque spectacle to unfold. 'Stay alert (Y/N)!' Steve Rogers shouted as he and Bucky picked off men one by one.
'Der mann ist ein zauberer!' a man exclaimed, rushing forward, and tackling (Y/N) onto his back, he had a knife in his hand, the sharp blade pressed to (Y/N)'s throat.
He felt the edge digging into his Adam's apple, but just as he was certain he'd be killed, the sound of a bullet leaving the barrel of a gun rang through the air, piercing the centre of his attacker's skull.
Carefully, (Y/N) got to his feet, feeling a little dizzy. His eyes darted back at Bucky, who nodded at him. He unholstered the gun Peggy had given him, and made his way back to his partners, who had almost finished clearing the west side.
Once the area was devoid of any hostile HYDRA soldier, and Steve had helped their backup in arresting any man who surrendered, (Y/N) sat down. His whole body ached, as though he hadn't slept in weeks. Bucky approached carefully, a small loaf of bread in one hand and a canteen full of water in the other.
'Take this,' he instructed (Y/N), handing over the bread and water.
'I'm not hungry.'
'I wasn't asking,' Bucky grunted, and so (Y/N) ripped off a small piece of the dry bread and began to eat, washing down every other mouthful with a sip of water. Once he'd finished, (Y/N) looked at his hands, once more frightened of the power he possessed. 'You did well today,' Bucky complimented, loosening the ties on his boots, and slipping his feet out before massaging them. They'd walked quite far, and he'd been given new boots which meant he most likely had blisters on his heels and sore callouses on his toes.
'I mutilated those men,' whispered (Y/N), 'I burnt them alive.'
'The explosion burnt them alive,' Bucky corrected him.
'And who caused the explosion?'
'Look here (Y/N),' Bucky fired, suddenly very serious. He grasped both of (Y/N)'s cheeks in his hands and forced him to look up into his eyes. (Y/N) felt a little calmer; Bucky Barnes's eyes were almost hypnotising: a deep blue he found himself drowning in. 'Don't think they wouldn't have done the same to us if given the chance,' he spoke in a low, almost fearful tone. 'I can't have you dying on me (Y/N), so don't ever pull your punches.' He then offered (Y/N) a cigarette, which he took gratefully. 'Understood?'
'You sound like Peggy.'
'Am I understood?' he repeated himself desperately.
'You're understood.'
'Now come on, Steve's looking to reach the second facility the day after tomorrow.'