"This wasn't what I thought you meant when you said a ride."

Hiro glanced over his shoulder, brows furrowed as he adjusted the still too large helmet. Bucky was standing slightly to the side of the MoPed, hesitant to climb on the back. "What? It's exactly what I said it was. It's a ride. Are you gonna get on or not?" Silence drifted between them for a long moment as Bucky stared at the back of the sewn and patched leather seat. He climbed on with little reluctance after deciding that this was, after all, the better option for them. The vehicle started with a puttering kick and a smoke cloud, but it shook for only a moment before lulling to a steady purr. Slowly, they rolled out of the garage and into the side street, which gradually moved uphill. Bucky moved his hand up and adjusted the bags on Hiro's back- why did he insist on bringing the red case and a backpack? Ridiculous.

"Oh, I forgot," Hiro said, lifting a green helmet, "You need to wear this."

"I have a hat. I'm not wearing that,"Bucky replied, tone firm in refusal, "Listen, this is getting complicated. Let's switch. I drive, you sit back there. It'll look more natural than a kid driving me around. Right? The less attention on us, the better."

The look on Hiro's face suggested that he was about to refuse. His brows had knit tightly together and his teeth bit into his lower lip. He turned to look at the MoPed's handles and his shoulders slumped, the weight of the bags on his back pulling at him. Bucky noticed that expression and he leaned to the side.

"Listen, kid. I won't damage it. But, you gotta think about things like this now. If you wanna blend in, the older person should be driving."Hiro seemed to consider and his large, brown eyes looked up at Bucky.He sighed and moved from the MoPed, sliding off of the seat.

"You're right," he said in defeat,"Don't damage it, okay?" Bucky nodded and the two switched seats.

"All you've gotta do is tell me where to go," he said, looking over his shoulder. He hooked the helmet onto the center of the MoPed's handles and finally rolled down the street. Hiro's hands lifted and rested on his back, fingers curling into the fabric lightly.

"When you get to the end of the street right here, turn right. We'll go down Embarcadero. The Piers are all labeled by number. Pier 39 is down that way," he said, pointing. As soon as Bucky turned onto the street, his eyes took in the glow of the city.

The sun's rays were shining through patches of clouds, bouncing light from mirrored building to skyscraper, reflecting images of the bay, the bridge and the sky.Bucky was used to large cities, but there was something about this place that had captivated his eye. As Hiro muttered directions into his ear and pointed to each pier, Bucky found himself becoming distracted. He began to fall into deep thought, moving slowly through the traffic that clogged the two-lane street. Getting the kid involved was a problem, but now they were far too deep to get out.Hiro was already under suspicion from Hydra and the presence of the agents would bring negative attention to such a bustling town. He'd hate to see the place leveled like many other cities that Hydra had dealt with- like Washington DC. Although they hadn't leveled the city, they had caused many deaths and a countless number of victims. He didn't want to drag Hiro, this child, into a larger fight. The first encounter was nothing compared to what could have happened and Bucky feared that Hiro's stubbornness and resilience would get him killed in the process of getting Bucky out of the city. Besides, Bucky wasn't sure if he could even trust himself anymore. What if something happened and he couldn't remember Hiro? His mind was such a mess.

"Dude, on your right-!"

Bucky blinked and hit the brakes, the MoPed skidding on its tires. Hiro was complaining behind him, but with a slap to Bucky's shoulder and a waving hand, the destination was pointed out. PIER 39 sparkled in the sunlight and masses of people walked to wide sidewalk just to get onto the wooden docks of the pier. Following Hiro's instructions, he rolled the MoPed to the proper parking spot. Hiro hopped off and locked the vehicle to the bike rail, setting a defensive mechanism just in case. As he ensured the security, Bucky looked around the Pier.

The smell of fish was the first thing he registered and his nose wrinkled with slight surprise. He didn't know what he'd expected on a Pier, but he wasn't quite ready for the overwhelming flow of fish. Then again, it was quickly mixed with other smells- fried foods, coffee beans ground to make a warm, fresh scent- the many mixtures made the Pier almost welcoming. The mass of people walking through it, however, had him hesitant. Hiro, too, hesitated. If a fight broke out on the Pier,there would be casualties of high numbers. And yet, he pulled away and reached out to grab Bucky's arm. "Come on, Bucky. Let's go start mingling. The more we surround ourselves, the less we standout." He adjusted his back packs on his shoulder and began to walk.Bucky was right behind him, moving a few paces ahead to walk beside the teenager. Hiro navigated the crowd with ease and cleared a pathway for them, moving up the wooden ramp and into the curved walkway near a few collectible shops. The cold air was slightly misting as the wind picked up the puffs of moisture from the sea.Aside from the hustling bodies around them, Bucky found the Pier to be almost peaceful and all the conversations made it easier to have his own.

"You don't think they'll look here?"

"Oh, probably.But, with all these people, it'll be hard to spot you. Besides, a lot of these stores are close together and we can weave through the crowd and the back decking where shipments come in."

"You spend a lot of time here I take it," Bucky asked, amused with Hiro's vast amount of knowledge. Hiro shrugged and kept walking, heading inside of a hat shop.

"I used to back when Tadashi and Aunt Cass would plan day trips. It got harder once he was going to college and Aunt Cass started working more."

Hiro picked up a few hats, looking over the lit letters of SFBAY and the Ninja glowing on the rim of beanies for the San Fransokyo Ninjas.He sighed and put them back, moving to look at sweatshirts instead.Bucky, on the other hand, took to looking at the many little collectibles that adorned the shelves. There was a certain feeling that came with freedom and it was something he hadn't felt. Aside from constantly tugging the rim of his hat down, he felt as if he could finally mingle and understand the world he was so far behind in. He turned to his left and noticed the teenager was gone. A pang of panic struck his heart and he turned about in his place, trying to locate the crow nest head among the crowd. He felt himself beginning to worry about the companion he'd recently gained, though he wasn't quite sure why. Guilt, perhaps. He felt a hand on his arm and he turned, metal fingers curled into a tight fist, but stopped short of Hiro's chest. The teen stared with wide eyes, shoulders rising and falling rapidly as he tried to settle his thudding heart.

"It's just me,"he said, lifting a hand, the other holding a bag, "Relax."

Bucky lowered his fist and scowled. "I-" Black fabric muffled his words as it was shoved in his face.

"Put this on.It's a San Fransokyo sweatshirt. You'll blend in with the tourists.And it'll hide the rest of your hair. After that, we can get something to eat. I don't know about you, but I'm starving." Bucky pulled the sweatshirt over his head and looked down at the teenager, a frown on his face.

"Hiro, we can't hide here forever."

"Don't be stupid, we won't be here forever. Come on, the restaurants will start to pack up soon. It's dinner time."

Bucky stared at the bowl of clam chowder in front of him. Hiro was stirring his, looking out the window of the restaurant. Aside from the people walking along the lower deck, the view was a sight to see. The edges of a golden-red bridge towering over the bay, the docks for the many boats tied down, and the ferry arriving and departing. Hiro's eyes squinted and he tapped the glass with his index finger. "That boat, right there." Bucky glanced up. "That's our overnighter." He looked at the boat, then at Hiro.

"That white and brown one?"

"Yep. That's the one," Hiro said, shoving a spoonful of soup in his mouth, "We can't use the lights or anything, but we can crash there and escape the cold. No one comes down here at night anyway." He continued to eat, eyes trailing up to the television screen located in the bar. He took another bite and looked away, making sure to watch their surroundings instead. So far, no one had given them odd looks and Bucky's identity remained a secret. He hadn't seen any of the men or women adorning the armor, either, which meant they either hadn't searched the pier yet or were on their way to. He ate another spoonful of soup, dropping his spoon in the empty bowl once he was finished.

"Hey," Hiro said suddenly, propping his chin on his palm, "You're gonna be fine. I do this stuff all the time; I mean, I used to." Bucky looked up at him, arching a brow as Hiro waved his hand in the air idly.

"It's what heroes do." The older man let out a long sigh and stared at his soup. He watched as the silver spoon stirred the thick stew, chunks of clam rolling between each swirl.

"What is it with you young kids and getting into trouble? You shouldn't be so focused on getting yourself in trouble," Bucky murmured, looking up at the teen. Hiro, however, was looking behind Bucky, eyes wide and brows slightly furrowed. Bucky turned around to look at Hiro's focus and found himself distracted as well.

The television screen had a Breaking News report, words scrolling on the bottom. The report was of a cell phone recording, camera shaking as objects flew by in the air. The skies were stained with the twisting and flowing of flying objects- to Bucky, they looked like men.Whispers around the restaurant began to catch his attention and he realized the mood in the place shifting and changing. Servers gathered around, some pressing hands to their lips to muffle the cries of distress. People were running across the screen, clothing stained with blood and drywall ash. Sokovia was being torn apart by what appeared to be robots. Hiro had gotten up and walked next to Bucky's chair. His hand grabbed onto his sleeve and gave a tug. Bucky looked at the teen and frowned in confusion, but moved to stand. Money was on the table, but Bucky had never heard the check being dropped off. Hiro's large, brown eyes remained glued onto the screen, teeth biting onto his lower lip.

"What's going on," Bucky murmured, letting Hiro pull him along behind the gathering crowd. Something flashed by the cell phone's camera and a man suddenly appeared. He yelled for the other to leave the area,voice thick with an accent. Suddenly, something shiny caught his attention in the background. Hiro, too, looked up and they both stiffened. The disk rotated around the camera's vision and a white star in the center of red and blue was joined together with a white ring.

"That's that guy," Bucky said under his breath. Hiro pulled at his sleeve."Where are they?"

"That's Sokovia," Hiro said quietly, "Something's going on and with that happening, you'll be a bigger issue. We need to hide. Now. The Avengers can handle that."

"The...The Avengers?"

"Yeah, you know, the Avengers. They're a group of heroes that help people." Bucky remained silent and chose to follow the teen's pulling guidance. He frowned, looking at a few screens that he passed.

"I know who they are," he admitted, following the insisting pushes and pulls, "I mean, I know of them." He stumbled, keeping up with Hiro, but ensuring his few steps wouldn't put them off track. Hiro guided him down the ramps, towards the docks. The sea air rushed by them, smacking exposed skin with splatters and mist from the ocean waves. He nearly slammed into Hiro when the boy suddenly stopped. He turned his head, looking over his shoulder at the elder man. "They were looking for me once."

"Wait a second, are you in trouble with them, too? I thought you said it was just Hydra!"

"It is Hydra,Hiro," Bucky replied, "But that guy- Steve. Steve kept hunting me down. And I- I told him... I know him." His hand pressed to his face,fingers curling into his hair, pulling at the strands. "I know that guy... I know him." Hiro reached out, grabbing onto Bucky's other arm. The elder man sank down onto his knees, using the wall to assist in his slide. Hiro yelped, crouching down in front of him. Luckily, no one was around to see them, but he worried that they may draw attention. Bucky let out a strained groan, fingers digging into his scalp, metal fingers pressing against the wooden dock. Hiro grabbed onto his metal wrist, holding tight.

"Hey. Bucky. I can't carry you, you gotta do this when we're on the boat. Just... relax, okay," Hiro asked, looking around in worry.

"I knew him..."

"What are you talking about? You know Captain America?"

"No,"Bucky murmured, looking at the teen through his fingers, "I know that kid... from Brooklyn."