Basil wasn't sure how long he was lying there for. It could have only been five minutes, or it could have been a hour. After Bucky and the Doctor left the room, he was alone with no way of knowing what was going on. The concrete room was a cell with thick walls and utterly soundproof. If anything was happening outside, he couldn't know. It took a long while until someone came for him. During which he concentrated on being able to move again. 

Whatever the doctor had gassed him with must not have been designed for super soldier metabolisms. He could flex his fingers and just about clench his fists, limbs beginning to wake up. He was just trying to roll over when the door opened and someone entered. From the sound of the footsteps, he guessed that it was a man. The red lights were still flashing but Basil's night vision picked the man out easily in the dark. He sighed and tried to speak. The words coming out slurred. 

"Your highness", Basil greeted as T'Challa crouched down next to him. The king gripped him under the arms and pulled him across the room to lean up against the wall. The sitting position allowed Basil to see the bruises appearing on the other man's skin. There had been a fight. 

"Mr Parrish", T'Challa spoke calmly and quietly. "What happened?"

"The doctor", Basil swallowed and tried to speak clearer. "He had a plan. He was behind everything. The bombing, framing Bucky. And SHEILD gave him access". T'Challa's face was impassive. Outside came more footsteps. Natasha and Tony hurrying in. Tony's suit, which looked expensive, was ripped and he was limping slightly. A rather impressive black eye was beginning to form. Nat's throat was red and sore with the outline of fingerprints that made Basil instinctively  wince.

"Hey Baby boy", she rasped as she carefully lowered herself down to sit against the wall beside him. "You okay?"

"The doctor got me with some sort of paralysing gas", Basil huffed. "It's slowly wearing off but I still can't move my legs". 

"Barnes is gone. Steve and Sam with him", Tony announced as he lowered himself to sit on Basil's other side. The three of them half leaning on each other tiredly. It was like one of their avengers movie nights in the past and for a second Basil felt sad. He could feel the team crumbling around him and it hurt. He never wanted this to happen but he was caught up in the tide. 

Tony let out a long sigh. "What went wrong?" 

"The doctor. He had this book from hydra. The shit they left in Bucky's brain was still there and this man activated it. I couldn't do anything. He was screaming", Basil's voice broke on the last word and he was sobbing. Tears running down his face and he couldn't raise his arms to rub them away. "For a second I thought I had him back. He remembered me. Then this man ripped it all away again. When I find him, I'm going to make him wish he was never born".

"Not if I find him first", T'Challa muttered, expression angry as he glared at the floor. 

"Why would he do this? What would he gain from unleashing the Winter Soldier?" Natasha asked. She rubbed Basil's tears away with her fingertips. Touch gentle. 

Basil sniffed. "He said that he wanted to see an Empire fall". The man had said that. He had stood over his limp form as the winter soldier left the room and gazed down at him blankly. "This is not personal. Merely part of a plan. I want to see an empire fall", he had said before leaving the room after Bucky. Basil unable to follow, unable to scream.

"Fuck", Tony swore quietly and with venom. Basil felt the man sigh tiredly next to him and wondered if he should tell him the rest. The mission report the Soldier had told the doctor bright in his brain. The information a heavy weight on his shoulders. "So", Tony spoke up after a few seconds of silence. "I suppose that once you're able to move again, you will be going after them". 

"Yeah. Sorry", Basil muttered. 

"It's cool. I just thought that our team meant more than that". The words and the flippancy in his tone stung. 

"It's not like that", Basil sighed. "You know that Tony".

"I suppose you wouldn't want to sign the accords either". 

"No", Basil shot back. "I wouldn't. I have had enough of being told when to jump and how high by governments".

"You don't understand. You haven't been on active duty in two years"-

"NO!" Basil snapped, cutting Tony off. "You don't get it. I was in war Tony! I was killing men at eighteen! I was fighting men, men with families and loved ones, I was killing them because my government wanted me too. For every man I saved on the battlefield, I killed three others. And the worst part was that I had no freaking choice. I am a gay man of colour Tony! I was scorned enough for my Egyptian mother, being gay in the forties would have killed me. The government would have locked me up and chemically sterilised me. I thought that the modern world would be different. That I could be free but all I've experienced with being fucked around with by SHEILD. They sent the only person who could put up with me, the only one who I loved, they sent him to kill me. Governments, SHEILD and Hydra have ruined my life! I retired because I didn't want to be their hired killer anymore. I am a healer and a dreamer, well I was. It was only out of friendship to you, to Nat, Clint, Bruce and Steve that had me helping out with Ultron. I couldn't stay back while my fiends almost died. So don't fucking say to me that I don't understand. Don't talk to me about not understanding!"

His outburst ended with panting breath and wide green eyes. Tony was staring back at him solidly and for a second Basil thought he was going to start yelling back. Then Tony deflated. "Never one to pull your words, were you Basil".

"Why should I? You are my friend. I don't need to offer you the courtesy of muted words", Basil groaned as he half rolled, half stumped up onto his knees. T'Challa move out of the way as he used his shaky arms to push himself to his feet. His limbs trembled and he tried to take a step forward but dropped. Nat caught him and lowered him back to the floor. 

"This is going to end badly", she pointed out lowly. Basil batted weakly at her hands then tried again. 

"I know", he grumbled back. "You're my friends so do what's best for you. I will do what is best for me". He stumbled up onto his feet, swaying for a moment then taking some shuffled steps forwards. When he didn't fall, he nodded at them. "Tony. Nat. Your highness. I will see you later".

"Take care Baby boy", Nat waved as he slowly shuffled across the room. He spared her a small smile then disappeared round the door. Only to pause at the sight of the man waiting for him at the end of the corridor. Basil felt his mouth drop open in surprise. 

"Henry?" 

Henry Chalton, the roommate he swore he had left back in London, was leaning against the wall next to a pair of broken lift doors. He was wearing a pair of jeans with a black turtleneck and a black canvas jacket. Basil blinked at the sight of him, not expecting his author roommate to be stood in the wrecked sub levels of a Romanian SHEILD building. "Why the fuck are you here?"

Henry grinned at him, his auburn hair brushed out of his face. "Come to get you obviously. Phillip wouldn't be pleased if You died".

Basil leaned against the wall as he shuffled towards him. "Are you a freaking agent like Kate was? Sent to spy on me?"

Henry chuckled as he walked forwards. He grabbed Basil's arm and pulled it over this shoulder so that he could take his weight. "No, I really am a author. I'm also retired British secret service. Sorry I never told you".

"The absolute betrayal", Basil huffed. "Was this Phillip's idea? My baby brother doesn't need to protect me".

"Nope. I just thought I would lend a hand. I am your friend after all", Henry led him round the corner and up the stairs. "Saw the mess you, Steve and your boyfriend left on the news. Thought I'd come and make sure you weren't dead".

"What a plot twist", Basil grinned. "Wait, what about my cat?"

Henry rolled his eyes. "I left her with Phillip at his care home. He can look after her".

"No, he spoils her", Basil grumbled. "Wait, is that why your books are all action/crime novels? Working with experience? I should have guessed".

"shhh", Henry rolled his eyes. "Come on, lets get you to your friends. Fine mess you've gotten yourself into". 

"Its a talent". 

unedited