Białowieża Forest
"Move, move, move!"
Everything was erupting around them. Bucky tumbled forward, as the pressure of a foot mine and its shower of dirt, tossed him off balance. He pumped the shotgun as he got his feet back underneath him, and at their breakneck pace.
“Sound off,” The sound of his voice crackling from the radio was faint under the shotgun’s discharge, shells hit the soft ground under their feet. They broke through the underbrush just as James thought it'd swallow them, he looked to his left to see Jim still with him. He’d worried the mine… his eyes scanned further right, first to scout out Steve. He saw his brother in arms running down below along the rock self with Falsworth and Gabe. The other two spread left and right, moving forward as James slowed and took in his position.
He was well above where they'd meet lines, which was fine. He lowered into a crouch and pulled out his M1 and crawled forward to get into eyesight of the bunker. Jacques was moving into position, too and Jim moved east to meet with Steve.
Bucky ended up shifting himself a few times as he searched for the most coverage. They would be easily outflanked here, despite their smaller pairs making a full crescent. He'd be here to make sure no one got killed without extra eyes with them.
"Delta in position," he whispered into the radio he pulled from the pouch near his hip. He lowered his shoulders, and steadied his eyes in line of the unsuspecting bunker.
"Alfa locked and loaded." Dugan called.
"Charlie in position."
"Bravo is in place."
"Then move in, lets give Hydra hell."
"Roger that Steve...."
He turned to see each of the boys through his scope once more, before waiting for Steve’s signal. His shield flew high, arching up towards the top of the metal plated doors, smashing the fog lights overhead and casting them into darkness as Jacques let the succession of explosives do their job.
“Buck, hey Bucky.”
He startled mentally, turning finally to Steve calling his name.
“Oh, sorry,” He said with a tight smile. “There was something in those beans.
“Of course,” Steve said thoughtfully. “It’s always the beans.”
“Well,” He said, pointing to the dying fire where they’d made camp. “Those tin cans ain’t fresh.”
Steve gave a small smile. “Fresher than the MRI’s.”
“There you go giving me nightmares,” He ribbed his friend, who lost his smile at the small joke. So, maybe it wasn’t hilarious, but he should expect Steve to take everything seriously. He always wore it heavy but after yesterday... yeah they got the base, captured Hydra scientists… but Morita nearly lost his life. It was a heavy reminder for them all, as their friend healed.
Steve rubbed a little harder at the black scorching on one edge of his shield, clearly his thoughts were in the same muddy place. It seemed like it was starting to come off too, but it was a hard reminder that if Steve hadn’t made an impossible dive in front of Jim he wouldn’t be with them.
Bucky didn’t know what else to do so he scooped up some of the soft dirt and took a few steps to kneel down and swipe it over the scorching.
“Hey, sort of the opposite effect, Buck,” Steve said amused.
“Yeah well, it’ll help pull it out,” He argued, snatching the boot shining rag from Steve and giving it a little elbow grease until they’d gotten the thing to shine again. Steve seemed a little calmer and he ran the rag across the whole thing one more time.
“Good as new,” He smirked, flipping the incredibly heavy metal over once and looking at the two straps.
"Here, I'll show you,” Steve suddenly offered, flipping it up with practiced hands and tilting the back towards him.
"They’re just straps, Steve," He laughed, but he couldn't help but be interested as Steve handed it over to him with a grin. It was just a disk with straps, but slipping it on his arm - wheew it was heavy- it slipped downward minimally.
"The straps are tighter when you hold it here," Steve explained as he adjusted it for him. Ah, there. Bucky straightened up, but even though he was holding it right now, it felt incredibly heavy. Like his arm was going to drop off his body by its weight. He could use it, he was a strong guy, but he couldn't imagine how Steve flung it around everywhere like he did or pulled it up so fast.
"It's a heavy weight," He commented, sliding it back off. He looked at him, again, silently wondering how this fantastical story could be true. Steve wasn't the kid he was when Bucky had left for the war...
"In more ways than one..." Steve muttered somberly.
“You saved his life, Steve,” Bucky said sternly as he pulled the straps loose and set the heavy shield down.
“I got him into this,” Steve argued with a deep frown.
Bucky grimaced at that, and rolled it over in his head before shaking his head at his oldest friend.
“You didn’t sign him up for this war, the United States of America did.” He said tersely. “He’da died in a fire fight, same as any of us could have. Chasing Hydra’s no more dangerous than being out in a battalion Steve.”
“I guess,” His friend conceded, but Bucky knew it’d take a while to sink in. Didn’t matter, Bucky would be here to make him remember it, too.