Steve's view
A month had passed since DC. Buck had settled in well and was also accepted by everyone. At first they had all been a little suspicious, but since they knew the real Bucky, he got on quite well with everyone. A couple of weeks ago, Thor and Loki had come to Earth, which had been just fine with us. Even though the Hydra headquarters had been destroyed, there were hidden Hydra bases all over the world. Surprisingly Loki and Buck had become friends after Loki had helped him deal with his guilt, sure brainwashing wasn't the same as being possessed by a spirit, but it came pretty close. "You're quite sure you're ready for this?" I strapped my shield to my back and looked questioningly at Bucky.
He threw his machine gun over his back "Yes I am. Let's go."
For weeks now we had been destroying the Hydra bases, searching for a very specific item. The sceptre that Loki had brought with him to Earth. We had to find it at all costs, because such a power had to be safely under lock and key, and Hydra was anything but safe.
To this day I was against Bucky coming along on the missions, I was afraid Hydra might capture him again. But I also knew I couldn't keep him locked up in that tower forever. We went to the Quinjet. The base was in Eastern Europe, Sokovia to be exact.
Nat, Clint and Bruce were already on the Quinjet. Bruce had headphones on and was listening to his classical music as usual, I thought he got weirder and weirder from time to time, but I was probably imagining it. Buck dropped into a seat.
"Ready to go?" asked Clint, checking his arrows for the last time.
Bucky demonstratively let his machine gun click "So what, would have come along earlier if someone wasn't so hyper-anxious." he looked at me reproachfully.
I raised my hands defensively "It's alright I overdid it a bit." I grinned.
Thor and Loki were the next to arrive. "See you over there!" Thor shouted, twirling his hammer and being yanked into the air.
Loki rolled his eyes " Poser." he dropped into the seat across from me.
Thus we waited, actually as usual only for Tony. He came running, a little flushed in the face.
"Sorry guys I missed the time." he apologised "Jarvis you're all good to go."
Jarvis started the engines and we took off, heading for Sokovia.
"Okay listen up." I called up a hologram of the Hydra base "Strucker is the last highly decorated Hydra agent, this" I zoomed in on the building and tapped a clearing 200 metres behind the building "is our landing pad. Tony "I looked at the inventor to make sure he was listening too "you collect the information from their servers as always. " I looked around again "let's hope we can get in and out quickly." I made the hologram disappear with a wave and sat back down as Jarvis was already preparing to land.
Tony slipped into his suit and took off, Banner turning green and storming off. There was no sign of Thor yet, but he would come too. I ran side by side with Bucky, we took out the first Hydra sentries and grabbed a motorbike. I kept flinging my shield and taking out several agents at once. Bucky sat behind me, hitting his target with every shot, his brown hair fluttering in the wind. Overhead I could see the Iron-men suit flying towards Strucker's fortress. Almost directly behind me, Nat was driving a truck with Loki and Clint in the back. Clint was shooting arrows and Loki was freezing whole people, throwing knives and making men run into trees through illusions. When thunder rang out, I knew Thor had joined the party. He came shooting down from the sky, swinging his hammer.
"Shit!" I heard Tony swear over the radio.
I ignored him for now, the in front of Buck and me a tank rolled up "Buck get off the bike."
He didn't ask for long, jumped off and rolled in the snow. I flung the bike over my head onto the tank, there was a huge explosion and already I had one less thing to worry about. "What's wrong Tony?"
He sighed "The whole building is under some kind of force field, I need another minute to get in."
I hurled my shield at a Hydra agent "Hurry up, we really need to get in there!"
"Bucky come on." I waved him to follow me, our mission was to find Strucker and take him out to prevent him from escaping.
I heard the terrible roar of the Hulke and saw him run over a bunker.
The air charged with electricity and Thor landed next to me "I have to take Loki and Barton to the jet, the bunker got them." He informed us, looking rather pissed off.
Bucky, clutching his machine gun so tightly his knuckles were white, looked worried "How are they?"
"They'll both live." Thor let his hammer fly through a tank, rendering it useless "Find the sceptre!" he inculcated, then flew off.
"Are you all right?" I looked worriedly over at Bucky as we walked through the snow.
He grinned at me but I could tell immediately it was an act "Never better."
I looked at him sternly "Buck!"
He rolled his eyes "No really Steve I'm fine."
We had arrived at a side door of the building. The protective barriers were down and so we were able to gain entry without much resistance. Two Hydra soldiers approached us, as soon as they saw us they took to their heels and ran.
Bucky snorted "No heroes under Hydra." he held his rifle at the ready, ready to fire at any moment. "Where should we go."
I shrugged, just relying on my gut feeling for once "That way." we turned a corner and I could just see two Hydra soldiers dragging an unconscious girl between them. I was about to run after them when Bucky held me back. "What we have to help her!"
Bucky nodded "Yeah I know I do, you take over Strucker."
"Buck splitting up is a really stupid idea."
"No Steve if I go near Strucker that's a stupid idea. He might know the words that make me......." he looked at me anxiously "you know.
I was reluctant to part with him, but if he was right, then it was really better if he didn't go near Strucker. "Okay take care of yourself." I asked him.
He grinned and pressed a quick kiss to my lips "Always." then he ran after the soldiers and disappeared from my sight. I continued to run along the stony, cold corridors and had already given up hope that I would find Strucker.
"He must have made a run for it," I thought in frustration. I heard footsteps moving towards me and drew my shield.
Strucker came running around the corner and smiled when he saw me. "Capitan." he nodded at me as if we were old friends.
This man disgusted me, he had been experimenting on people without them wanting it. "Baron von Strucker, Hydra's best henchman." I replied contemptuously.
He grinned again "Actually, I am SHILD's best henchman."
If he wanted to play that game, fine, "Strictly speaking, you're unemployed."
He took down his monocle and cleaned it "Don't worry I know when I'm defeated, but it's not yet!" he shouted, soldiers poured into the corridor armed to the teeth, one of them carrying a rocket launcher.
For a moment I froze, at the loudly shouted "Fire!" my legs almost moved of their own accord. I didn't usually run away, but I couldn't do anything against such superior force.Still running, I hurled my shield at Strucker, it bounced against his head, the monocle fell from his face, but he was only unconscious not dead. I pressed my radio "Everyone, I had to retreat, Strucker got escape." I narrowly escaped the explosion of the rocket and made my way to the Quinjet with Nat and Bruce. I just hoped nothing had happened to Bucky. I couldn't contact anyone because since the explosion my radio was broken, Bruce didn't have one and Nat's had fallen out of her ear.
"He's okay for sure." Nat reassured me, she was limping slightly but seemed otherwise unharmed.
"You're right," I murmured, hoping that she really was right.