Basil yawned as he stared down at the grey cat. Big green eyes stared right back. He was tired. Most of the night had been spent watching the operation and when he left the hospital the next morning, the morning rush of commuters was already under way. He had caught some sleep in the cab on the way back to his apartment but it wasn't much. He was exhausted and worn. The blood still itched under his fingernails despite the fact that he had spent fifteen minutes cleaning it out under the shower. He placed his hands on his hips as his stare off with his cat continued. "Come on", he sighed. "You need to get in the carrier. Someone died downstairs and I am not in the place to look after you right now". He often talked to his cat. Half of it was because he was bored, half was for those agent probably constantly listening to the bugs in his apartment. He had to keep them entertained somehow.

Basil sighed again and held out his hand. Queenie made a chirping noise and rubbed her face along his knuckles. Her fur soft as she began to purr. "Yeah yeah", he smiled slightly and scooped her up to place her in the pet carrier. She meowed in complaint and pawed at the door as he shut it. "Now I'm going to drop you at the nice agent's house downstairs. Kate? I think her name is", he thought aloud. "She will keep an eye on you while I go and meet Steve at shield. There are shooters about", he warned her sternly. "I don't want someone coming and shooting you up while I'm gone". She meowed at him as he picked up the carrier and dropped through the floor.

Steve's apartment was more of a mess in the daylight than it had been the night before. The carpet was blood stained and four holes in the wall of the living room let the sunlight through. Broken glass around the window on the other side of the room glittered faintly and Basil huffed at it. "He always throws himself out of windows", he complained to Queenie. The cat didn't respond, seeming to be sulking at him. "Oh", he muttered. "Did the drop scare you? I'm sorry. No more falling through floors". He talked as he walked through the locked door of Steve's apartment and into the hall way. He cross down to the door on the other side nd walked through it.

Kate's apartment was another image from a catalogue but with a few more personal touches. Some photos and a half drink cup of tea on the coffee table. Basil set down the pet carrier next to the sofa and opened the door. Queenie stuck her head out and sniffed the air curiously. Basil didn't know if this apartment was bugged or not but he didn't want to take the chance. "I'm leaving Kate a note here", he said as he stuck the post it note to the top of the coffee table. He set down the second bag of cat stuff that he had been carrying and began making a corner for Queenie under the window. "There's cat litter and everything. If she scratches anything then it's your fault for spying on us. I'll come back for her after I've gone and seen what the hell shield wants". He scratched Queenie once more on the head and stood up with a stretch. He yawned again before dropping through the floor. He fell through the other floors and right down to the basement.

The basement, which Basil had fallen into before, was a dingy cement room where the water mains and the power box was kept for the building. The joy of living in the city was that there was buildings pressed in all around them. Train tunnels underneath and basements only separated by a wall. Basil pulled the hood of his black hoodie over his head and pulled out a map from his pocket. He unfolded it as he began walking. His converse shoes, not his usual style, squeaked and he wrinkled his nose. He missed his boots but he needed to be as inconspicuous as possible. Hence the ratty thrift shop hoodie and too big jeans that only stayed on his hips with the use of a belt. With the change of clothes from his usual smart and fitted wear, he looked like a some teenager hanging around and making the place look untidy.

He followed the map through four basements before ascending to the surface and mingling with the people on the street. It took two more blocks before the person following him caught up. "Natasha", he greeted as the red head began walking alongside him. Basil stuck his hands in his pockets, slouching as his fingers curled over the memory stick. "It took you longer than I thought".

"The basements were cute", she replied smoothly. "Smart. Almost threw me off. But I guessed that you would be meeting with Steve eventually".

Basil nodded and veered left to cross the road. Nat followed him. "And I can't tell you to go away?" He asked.

"You can try baby boy. But I won't actually listen", she smirked.

Basil shrugged. "Worth a shot. Come on then. I'd much rather have this argument with Steve here. You and I both have questions we want answered".

"Fair enough", Nat nodded. "Lead the way".

——

Steve met them in the same little cafe that Basil had taken Sam to lunch in. It was had no cameras and it was busy enough with the beginning of the lunch rush that their little table in the back was mostly hidden from the view of the street. Basil had ordered himself a coffee and a slice of cake which he was chewing on happily when Steve sat down. The blonde had changed out of the clothes he had been wearing earlier. He was in black sweatpants and a navy blue hoodie. "Nice shoes", Basil grinned as the blonde sat down.

Steve glanced at Nat who was eating a cupcake delicately. "They were the only thing I could find. Why is she here?"

"She followed me", Basil pushed over a bacon sandwich. He gave Steve a glance over and sighed. "What did you do?"

"Shield is comprised", Steve stated as he took a bite. "Pierce threatened me and then sent Rumlow and his men after me. They cornered me in the elevator".

"Did you jump out of any buildings?" Basil asked.

Steve blinked at him. "How did you know?"

"You're favouring your right side. You're left shoulder is dislocated. I assume you used your shield to lessen the impact? Also, there's bruising from the straps on your hands", Basil waved his fork at the mentioned areas. "As your doctor, I will once again remind you to stop jumping out of buildings. I'll deal with your shoulder in a bit. Anything else broken?"

"No. Just mostly bruised. Do you still have it?"

Basil pulled the memory stick out of his pocket and waved it at him before sticking it back in. Nat's eyes narrowed. "Where did you get that?"

"Why would I tell you?" Steve retorted. It might have been threatening but it was spoken with the bacon sandwich halfway to his mouth. Nat wrinkled her nose and licked frosting off her finger.

"Fury gave it to you two. Why?"

"I don't even know what this is", Basil stated as he ate another mouthful of cake. "Anyone care to catch me up?"

Nat and Steve exchanged glances. "The mission we were on a few days ago?" Steve reminded. Basil nodded. "That memory stick contains the information she stole from the ship for fury".

"Oh", Basil took a drink of his coffee. "What's on it?"

"I don't know", Nat frowned.

"Stop lying", Steve huffed angrily.

"I only act like I know everything, Rogers", Nat rolled her eyes.

"I bet you knew that fury hired the pirates, didn't you?"

Nat ate another bite of cupcake. The structure falling apart in her hands as she tore out chunks. Around them the rest of the world was a chattering buzz. "Well it makes sense. The ship was dirty. Fury needed a way in. So do you".

"I'm not going to ask you again", Steve hissed, hand reaching out to grab Nat's wrist. His fingers completely encircled the bone and she froze, eyes hard at the two of them stared each other down. Basil polished off the rest of his cake and drained the rest of his coffee. He raised his hand.

"Hi. Could I have one of your milkshakes in a to go cup? Strawberry?" He asked a waitress. "Thank you". The woman took his empty cup and plate, bare,y soaring a glance at whatever was going on with Nat and Steve.

"I know who killed fury", she stated. Steve searched her face for a second before letting go and resuming his sandwich. The waitress returned with a large plastic cup full of pale pink liquid. Basil twirled the straw between his fingers as he waited for Nat to continue speaking. She took a breath. "Most of the intelligence community doesn't believe he exists. The ones that do call him the Winter Soldier. He's credited with over two dozen assassinations in the last 50 years".

"So he's a ghost story", Steve stated.

"I'm the ghost", Basil grinned. "This Winter solider sounds like a golem, with his metal arm. Only brought to life for orders. Very Russian, no offence".

Nat placed the remains of her cupcake on her plate. "Five years ago I was escorting a nuclear engineer out out Iran. Somebody shot out my tires near Odessa. We lost control and went straight over a cliff. I pulled us out. But the Winter Soldier was there. I was covering my engineer so he shot him", she reached down and pulled up her tshirt just high enough for the two of them to see the round scar just above her hip. "Straight through me. Soviet slug. No rifling. Bye bye bikinis". She let the material fall down again.

"I'd bet you'd look terrible in them now", Basil grinned. Nat snorted slightly and smiled at him.

"Going after him is a dead end. I know, I've tried. Like you said he's a ghost story".

Steve stuffed the rest of his sandwich in his mouth, cheeks bulging like a hamster. When he had swallowed he took a breath. "Well let's find out what this ghost wants".

"I want some haribo", Basil offered. He slurped loudly on his milkshake. "But I suppose that we'd better find out what's on this memory stick too".

Unedited