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Notes: Written for toriceratops and this ask box meme on tumblr. It's an AU of The Mummy, because reasons.
Title: take all the courage
Fandom: The Avengers
Pairing: Sam/Bucky
Prompt: "Where the fuck did that clown come from?"
Words: 2385 words
take all the courage
“I've heard that you're the one I'm supposed to talk to about this city of the dead.”
Bucky keeps his voice low as he slides into the stool next to the other man. He's well aware of the danger and the mystique associated with the place – and that hardly anyone's made it back from there alive. And he wouldn't be interested in finding the place at all if it wasn't for the fact that Steve was headed there and is now missing.
He's heard tell and whispers that there's a man who knows where the city can be found. It doesn't matter how much he's gotta pay to get there, Bucky's willing to pay it. All that matters is finding Steve and bringing him home.
Bucky's words earn him a scoff from the man, who brings his glass to his lips and takes a long drink, “Yeah? Who's been telling that tale?”
“Couple of folks I found here and there,” Bucky replies.
When the bartender swings around, he orders a scotch on the rocks. He gets his drink and the bartender leaves them after Bucky pays. He goes back down the bar towards a man who's waving him down for another drink.
“What's got you interested in that hell's pit? Wealth? Fame?”
Bucky's fist tightens around the glass, “A friend.”
The man raises an eyebrow at that, like he's asking for an explanation. Bucky waits for a couple seconds and takes a drink; the scotch burns his throat on the way down. He sets the glass down on the counter with a too loud click.
“Friend joined an expedition in search of the place,” Bucky says. “Been too long since I heard from him, so I thought I'd go looking for him. Problem is, I don't know where it is.”
He's got the man's full attention now. Dark eyes watch Bucky with an intense scrutiny that weighs heavily on him. It's like he's searching for something in him. Bucky stares back with all the determination he can muster; he's not leaving until he can convince this man to help him find Steve.
The man drains his drink, sets it down on the counter and grins at Bucky, “Let's get started.”
– –
As it turns out, the man's named Sam. He's also got ties to that 'mysterious organization' that Bucky's been hearing about since he started looking into Hamunaptra. The trip out into the middle of the desert is a long one, so they mostly spend it talking about themselves; Bucky tells Sam about Steve, who's the entire reason they're out here in the first place.
“He's like a little brother to me,” Bucky says one evening while swaying back and forth in the camel's saddle. “You know, even though he's not so small anymore. But he's always getting into trouble; can't let him get into too much danger without me.”
Sam smiles, “Oh yeah? Well, there's certainly gonna be plenty of that. Let's hope they haven't woken up any of the dead while they're there.”
Bucky gives him this look – the one he's been giving Sam a lot of lately that says that Sam's got a lot of questions Bucky wants answers to. But Sam's been remarkably tight-lipped and evasive whenever Bucky asks questions.
“You wanna explain that one to me?” Bucky looks over at Sam, raises an eyebrow, “Cause that's the most information that you've given me about this the entire time we've been together.”
Sam's face darkens and silence reigns for a long stretch of minutes, during which Bucky feels the awkwardness acutely. He regrets asking the question immediately. But before he can tell Sam that it's fine and to drop it, Sam's already speaking.
“You know all those tales people say about the city? That it's cursed and there's something evil hidden within it?” Sam doesn't wait for Bucky to answer, just continues on, “They're true. Those cheap novels about cursed mummies coming to life and seeking vengeance on the world? That's what lies in Hamunaptra.”
The first thing that Bucky wants to say is that that's a mighty loud of horse shit. The second is to ask if Sam's completely lost it. Thirdly, what the fuck was Bucky thinking wandering out into the middle of the damn desert with a man he barely knows.
But Bucky's a remarkably good judge of character, and Sam's never given him any reason to doubt him. All of this runs through his brain in the span of seconds.
“So, you're telling me that there's a chance that they could've woken up some cursed dead man who's out to destroy the world.”
“Something like that, yeah.”
Bucky's quite glad that he did pack a small arsenal. Looks like they were gonna need it after all.
– –
The predictions about the dead guy coming back and trying to destroy the world were very, very true. Also, the man is angry and out for blood. Bucky's gonna wring his undead neck when he gets his hands on him. The silver lining in all of this is that Steve's not harmed at all.
All that's left of the expedition that Steve set out with is Steve himself, and the funder's son, Tony, who has a wide-eyed look on his face and is incapable of shutting up. He's obviously shaken up – who wouldn't be, from what Bucky can get out of Steve, given that he found his father after the creature had gotten to him and that had not been a pretty sight, Bucky saw the corpse.
Sam's pretty anxious to get them out of there. “We shouldn't stick around if that thing's moving about.”
Steve's boosting Tony up onto one of the camels, pauses to check his gun, before climbing up behind Tony. He gives a small smile and nod to Bucky, before shooting a look at Sam. “Everyone who was still alive's already gotten the hell out of here.”
“Head back to Cairo, then? Plan our next move?” Bucky's pretty sure that the creature made it personal for Steve the second he went after Tony's dad. He's seen that look on Steve's face before and totally knows what it means.
It means trouble and probably gonna get shot at. Bucky's all for it.
Sam, meanwhile, has his face turned up towards the ridge overlooking the city. He stares at it for a good long moment before turning back, mouth set in a grim line.
“I know someone who can help,” Sam says. “We'll have to head back to Cairo.”
“Sounds good to me,” Steve says.
Luckily, Tony falls asleep shortly through the desert. More than likely, it's the shock finally catching up to him; losing your father the way that he did has to be pretty traumatizing. Bucky thinks it's a good thing he's got Steve there for him.
The sun is just setting beyond the horizon when Steve pulls his camel up next to Bucky's, “Where'd you find him?”
“Bar in Cairo. Word was that he knew the way to the city and he agreed to show me the way.” Bucky casts a look at Sam's back, outlined in the dying light of day and can't ignore the way his stomach clenches at the sight. He chuckles mirthlessly, “Damn good thing he did too; you always get into the most trouble when I'm not around.”
– –
“So you're the bastards who woke the creature up.”
The man Sam takes them to meet is named Nick Fury, who looks like he's about to punch one of them out. Even though they're only the messengers. The ones responsible for actually waking up the creature are hiding out in the fort, leaving them to deal with this mess.
“Maybe,” Steve says. “But we're also the ones trying to stop him. How do we kill him?”
Fury steps down and he easily towers over Steve, “Guns aren't gonna help against this creature. He's immortal and invulnerable; and soon he'll be completely regenerated once he has killed all those who opened the chest containing the Book of the Dead.”
Steve and Tony exchange a look, “They're all at the fort.”
“How convenient for him.”
Bucky elbows Sam gently, “How d'you know Mister Sunshine?”
“We belong to the same order – we're supposed to guard Hamunaptra and keep the creature from rising from his grave. And we were doing pretty good at that up until now.” Sam's got his arms crossed, lets out a heavy sigh.
“Got any ideas how we kill the bastard?”
Sam's brow furrows for a brief moment, then he jerks his head up, “Stark, you read hieroglyphs?”
That takes Tony aback, who's been following Steve and Nick's argument the past few minutes. He blinks at Sam, “Y-yeah, I do. Why? What does that have to do with this?”
Sam's got everyone's attention now.
“There's two books buried at Hamunaptra: The Book of the Dead and the Book of Amun-Ra. If the first brought him back from the dead then–”
“–the other should be able to kill him,” Tony finishes. It's the most excited and alive that Bucky's seen him since they left Hamunaptra and his father buried in its sands. “But the Book of Amun-Ra was supposed to be at the base of the statue of Anubis and that's where they found the black book so if that's the case then we need to find out where the golden book is.”
Tony's head snaps around to Steve, “I'm gonna need to get to the museum of antiquities.”
Loud screams echo in from the streets.
Tony swallows, hard, “Now.”
– –
“Did you expect this when you signed up?” Sam asks, shooting at the shambling townsfolk who are coming after them with murder in their eyes.
“Well, not exactly,” Bucky says. He takes them out with ease. One shot and they're down for the count. “I did think there'd be some trouble, but the walking dead's not at all what you expect.”
“Never as glamorous as it seems, huh.”
“I've had worse.”
“Situations? Or you talking about something else?”
Bucky smirks. They really don't have time to get bogged down by all these people. He reaches around to his rucksack arsenal, fumbles a moment for the dynamite he keeps strapped to it. Once he's got it in hand, he reaches out to snag a light off Sam's unshaven cheek. The fuse roars to life in his hand.
He's still grinning when he looks over at Sam, “Think it's time we make our exit.”
– –
“Where the fuck did that clown come from?!” Bucky snaps. He's up to his ankles in sewage and they've got no idea where Fury is; it's just him, Sam, and Steve. Tony's gone, the creature – who is now fully regenerated took him and is off on its merry way back to Hamunaptra to do God knows what.
“Rumlow?” Steve asks. “He was on the expedition – hired hand like I was, more or less.”
“He's a fucking dead man,” Bucky mutters. He's got Sam's arm slung over his shoulder and he's half-dragging him along. Sam's only half-conscious from the blow to the head he took, courtesy of Rumlow. Bucky doesn't take well to people who sell out others for a cut of profit and their own self-preservation, probably why he didn't take too well to the expedition member they had almost managed to save.
Though, that may be more because the man tried to use Tony as a bargaining chip to save his own hide from the creature. It didn't work, but the creature did get his hands on Tony as a result.
Steve grimaces, but nods, “He's all yours.”
There's a steely set to Steve's shoulders and a look that, on anyone else, Bucky would call murder, but since it's Steve it comes off more like righteous fury. They've probably only got a couple of hours to catch up to the creature and stop him before he does whatever it is he's got planned for Tony.
It's enough to make Bucky grin, “Let's get the fuck out of this sewer; I know how we're gonna get back to the city. Then I'm gonna introduce Rumlow's face to my fist.”
– –
Bucky's solution to reaching Hamunaptra is an old friend who's a pilot. He's also willing and reckless enough to fly them out on what's damn near a suicide mission. Turns out that, for him, it was. But then, Bucky's pretty sure he wanted to go out like that.
“Enjoy your first flight?” Bucky asks Sam as they slide down the dunes and make their way back into the city. Steve's in the lead, with them slightly behind and fanned out to guard the rear. Nothing's jumped out at them yet, but Bucky's nerves are on edge just being here.
“The company makes all the difference,” Sam replies easily. “The landing could use work, though.”
That makes Bucky smile, “Tell you what, we get through this, I'll show you what a proper flight's like.”
Sam's grinning and it's just this side of filthy, “Gonna hold you to that.”
– –
Steve and Tony end up saving the world. They also end up landing each other, which Bucky supposes is how this thing is supposed to go. Good guy vanquishes the evil threatening the world, and gets the girl. Tony's not a girl – not even close – but the spirit of how this is supposed to turn out is still there.
The two of them end up sharing a camel, again, and kissing while the sun sets. It's exactly the sort of cliché that Steve breathes.
Bucky's got a hole in his left hand and a knife wound in his shoulder from the scarab that nearly got him. His arms wrapped in makeshift bandages and a sling, tightly pressed against his chest, which is fine with him; Sam's got the reigns to the camel and aside from a couple scrapes and bruises, he's perfect.
Not only is the creature dead, Hamunaptra's sunk beneath the dunes, and Bucky got to put a bullet between Rumlow's eyes. All's right in his world.
He's got Sam, too.
Sam's got a smile on his face, which is mirrored on Bucky's when their eyes meet. He leans close to Bucky, conspiratorially, slowing his camel until his and Bucky's are neck and neck.
“You owe me a flight.”
Bucky laughs, the sound coming from deep in his chest, “Yeah, I do. How about a kiss for now?”
“You've got such a way with words,” Sam chuckles. He grabs a fistful of Bucky's now filthy shirt and pulls him forward, catching Bucky's lips in a quick kiss that's nothing more than a brush of lips.
“Tease.”
“Sorry, but if you wanna kiss while we ride off into the sunset, you're gonna have to find someone else.”
“Ass.”
Sam laughs, “Love you too.”
FIN.
Title: take all the courage
Fandom: The Avengers
Pairing: Sam/Bucky
Prompt: "Where the fuck did that clown come from?"
Words: 2385 words
“I've heard that you're the one I'm supposed to talk to about this city of the dead.”
Bucky keeps his voice low as he slides into the stool next to the other man. He's well aware of the danger and the mystique associated with the place – and that hardly anyone's made it back from there alive. And he wouldn't be interested in finding the place at all if it wasn't for the fact that Steve was headed there and is now missing.
He's heard tell and whispers that there's a man who knows where the city can be found. It doesn't matter how much he's gotta pay to get there, Bucky's willing to pay it. All that matters is finding Steve and bringing him home.
Bucky's words earn him a scoff from the man, who brings his glass to his lips and takes a long drink, “Yeah? Who's been telling that tale?”
“Couple of folks I found here and there,” Bucky replies.
When the bartender swings around, he orders a scotch on the rocks. He gets his drink and the bartender leaves them after Bucky pays. He goes back down the bar towards a man who's waving him down for another drink.
“What's got you interested in that hell's pit? Wealth? Fame?”
Bucky's fist tightens around the glass, “A friend.”
The man raises an eyebrow at that, like he's asking for an explanation. Bucky waits for a couple seconds and takes a drink; the scotch burns his throat on the way down. He sets the glass down on the counter with a too loud click.
“Friend joined an expedition in search of the place,” Bucky says. “Been too long since I heard from him, so I thought I'd go looking for him. Problem is, I don't know where it is.”
He's got the man's full attention now. Dark eyes watch Bucky with an intense scrutiny that weighs heavily on him. It's like he's searching for something in him. Bucky stares back with all the determination he can muster; he's not leaving until he can convince this man to help him find Steve.
The man drains his drink, sets it down on the counter and grins at Bucky, “Let's get started.”
– –
As it turns out, the man's named Sam. He's also got ties to that 'mysterious organization' that Bucky's been hearing about since he started looking into Hamunaptra. The trip out into the middle of the desert is a long one, so they mostly spend it talking about themselves; Bucky tells Sam about Steve, who's the entire reason they're out here in the first place.
“He's like a little brother to me,” Bucky says one evening while swaying back and forth in the camel's saddle. “You know, even though he's not so small anymore. But he's always getting into trouble; can't let him get into too much danger without me.”
Sam smiles, “Oh yeah? Well, there's certainly gonna be plenty of that. Let's hope they haven't woken up any of the dead while they're there.”
Bucky gives him this look – the one he's been giving Sam a lot of lately that says that Sam's got a lot of questions Bucky wants answers to. But Sam's been remarkably tight-lipped and evasive whenever Bucky asks questions.
“You wanna explain that one to me?” Bucky looks over at Sam, raises an eyebrow, “Cause that's the most information that you've given me about this the entire time we've been together.”
Sam's face darkens and silence reigns for a long stretch of minutes, during which Bucky feels the awkwardness acutely. He regrets asking the question immediately. But before he can tell Sam that it's fine and to drop it, Sam's already speaking.
“You know all those tales people say about the city? That it's cursed and there's something evil hidden within it?” Sam doesn't wait for Bucky to answer, just continues on, “They're true. Those cheap novels about cursed mummies coming to life and seeking vengeance on the world? That's what lies in Hamunaptra.”
The first thing that Bucky wants to say is that that's a mighty loud of horse shit. The second is to ask if Sam's completely lost it. Thirdly, what the fuck was Bucky thinking wandering out into the middle of the damn desert with a man he barely knows.
But Bucky's a remarkably good judge of character, and Sam's never given him any reason to doubt him. All of this runs through his brain in the span of seconds.
“So, you're telling me that there's a chance that they could've woken up some cursed dead man who's out to destroy the world.”
“Something like that, yeah.”
Bucky's quite glad that he did pack a small arsenal. Looks like they were gonna need it after all.
– –
The predictions about the dead guy coming back and trying to destroy the world were very, very true. Also, the man is angry and out for blood. Bucky's gonna wring his undead neck when he gets his hands on him. The silver lining in all of this is that Steve's not harmed at all.
All that's left of the expedition that Steve set out with is Steve himself, and the funder's son, Tony, who has a wide-eyed look on his face and is incapable of shutting up. He's obviously shaken up – who wouldn't be, from what Bucky can get out of Steve, given that he found his father after the creature had gotten to him and that had not been a pretty sight, Bucky saw the corpse.
Sam's pretty anxious to get them out of there. “We shouldn't stick around if that thing's moving about.”
Steve's boosting Tony up onto one of the camels, pauses to check his gun, before climbing up behind Tony. He gives a small smile and nod to Bucky, before shooting a look at Sam. “Everyone who was still alive's already gotten the hell out of here.”
“Head back to Cairo, then? Plan our next move?” Bucky's pretty sure that the creature made it personal for Steve the second he went after Tony's dad. He's seen that look on Steve's face before and totally knows what it means.
It means trouble and probably gonna get shot at. Bucky's all for it.
Sam, meanwhile, has his face turned up towards the ridge overlooking the city. He stares at it for a good long moment before turning back, mouth set in a grim line.
“I know someone who can help,” Sam says. “We'll have to head back to Cairo.”
“Sounds good to me,” Steve says.
Luckily, Tony falls asleep shortly through the desert. More than likely, it's the shock finally catching up to him; losing your father the way that he did has to be pretty traumatizing. Bucky thinks it's a good thing he's got Steve there for him.
The sun is just setting beyond the horizon when Steve pulls his camel up next to Bucky's, “Where'd you find him?”
“Bar in Cairo. Word was that he knew the way to the city and he agreed to show me the way.” Bucky casts a look at Sam's back, outlined in the dying light of day and can't ignore the way his stomach clenches at the sight. He chuckles mirthlessly, “Damn good thing he did too; you always get into the most trouble when I'm not around.”
– –
“So you're the bastards who woke the creature up.”
The man Sam takes them to meet is named Nick Fury, who looks like he's about to punch one of them out. Even though they're only the messengers. The ones responsible for actually waking up the creature are hiding out in the fort, leaving them to deal with this mess.
“Maybe,” Steve says. “But we're also the ones trying to stop him. How do we kill him?”
Fury steps down and he easily towers over Steve, “Guns aren't gonna help against this creature. He's immortal and invulnerable; and soon he'll be completely regenerated once he has killed all those who opened the chest containing the Book of the Dead.”
Steve and Tony exchange a look, “They're all at the fort.”
“How convenient for him.”
Bucky elbows Sam gently, “How d'you know Mister Sunshine?”
“We belong to the same order – we're supposed to guard Hamunaptra and keep the creature from rising from his grave. And we were doing pretty good at that up until now.” Sam's got his arms crossed, lets out a heavy sigh.
“Got any ideas how we kill the bastard?”
Sam's brow furrows for a brief moment, then he jerks his head up, “Stark, you read hieroglyphs?”
That takes Tony aback, who's been following Steve and Nick's argument the past few minutes. He blinks at Sam, “Y-yeah, I do. Why? What does that have to do with this?”
Sam's got everyone's attention now.
“There's two books buried at Hamunaptra: The Book of the Dead and the Book of Amun-Ra. If the first brought him back from the dead then–”
“–the other should be able to kill him,” Tony finishes. It's the most excited and alive that Bucky's seen him since they left Hamunaptra and his father buried in its sands. “But the Book of Amun-Ra was supposed to be at the base of the statue of Anubis and that's where they found the black book so if that's the case then we need to find out where the golden book is.”
Tony's head snaps around to Steve, “I'm gonna need to get to the museum of antiquities.”
Loud screams echo in from the streets.
Tony swallows, hard, “Now.”
– –
“Did you expect this when you signed up?” Sam asks, shooting at the shambling townsfolk who are coming after them with murder in their eyes.
“Well, not exactly,” Bucky says. He takes them out with ease. One shot and they're down for the count. “I did think there'd be some trouble, but the walking dead's not at all what you expect.”
“Never as glamorous as it seems, huh.”
“I've had worse.”
“Situations? Or you talking about something else?”
Bucky smirks. They really don't have time to get bogged down by all these people. He reaches around to his rucksack arsenal, fumbles a moment for the dynamite he keeps strapped to it. Once he's got it in hand, he reaches out to snag a light off Sam's unshaven cheek. The fuse roars to life in his hand.
He's still grinning when he looks over at Sam, “Think it's time we make our exit.”
– –
“Where the fuck did that clown come from?!” Bucky snaps. He's up to his ankles in sewage and they've got no idea where Fury is; it's just him, Sam, and Steve. Tony's gone, the creature – who is now fully regenerated took him and is off on its merry way back to Hamunaptra to do God knows what.
“Rumlow?” Steve asks. “He was on the expedition – hired hand like I was, more or less.”
“He's a fucking dead man,” Bucky mutters. He's got Sam's arm slung over his shoulder and he's half-dragging him along. Sam's only half-conscious from the blow to the head he took, courtesy of Rumlow. Bucky doesn't take well to people who sell out others for a cut of profit and their own self-preservation, probably why he didn't take too well to the expedition member they had almost managed to save.
Though, that may be more because the man tried to use Tony as a bargaining chip to save his own hide from the creature. It didn't work, but the creature did get his hands on Tony as a result.
Steve grimaces, but nods, “He's all yours.”
There's a steely set to Steve's shoulders and a look that, on anyone else, Bucky would call murder, but since it's Steve it comes off more like righteous fury. They've probably only got a couple of hours to catch up to the creature and stop him before he does whatever it is he's got planned for Tony.
It's enough to make Bucky grin, “Let's get the fuck out of this sewer; I know how we're gonna get back to the city. Then I'm gonna introduce Rumlow's face to my fist.”
– –
Bucky's solution to reaching Hamunaptra is an old friend who's a pilot. He's also willing and reckless enough to fly them out on what's damn near a suicide mission. Turns out that, for him, it was. But then, Bucky's pretty sure he wanted to go out like that.
“Enjoy your first flight?” Bucky asks Sam as they slide down the dunes and make their way back into the city. Steve's in the lead, with them slightly behind and fanned out to guard the rear. Nothing's jumped out at them yet, but Bucky's nerves are on edge just being here.
“The company makes all the difference,” Sam replies easily. “The landing could use work, though.”
That makes Bucky smile, “Tell you what, we get through this, I'll show you what a proper flight's like.”
Sam's grinning and it's just this side of filthy, “Gonna hold you to that.”
– –
Steve and Tony end up saving the world. They also end up landing each other, which Bucky supposes is how this thing is supposed to go. Good guy vanquishes the evil threatening the world, and gets the girl. Tony's not a girl – not even close – but the spirit of how this is supposed to turn out is still there.
The two of them end up sharing a camel, again, and kissing while the sun sets. It's exactly the sort of cliché that Steve breathes.
Bucky's got a hole in his left hand and a knife wound in his shoulder from the scarab that nearly got him. His arms wrapped in makeshift bandages and a sling, tightly pressed against his chest, which is fine with him; Sam's got the reigns to the camel and aside from a couple scrapes and bruises, he's perfect.
Not only is the creature dead, Hamunaptra's sunk beneath the dunes, and Bucky got to put a bullet between Rumlow's eyes. All's right in his world.
He's got Sam, too.
Sam's got a smile on his face, which is mirrored on Bucky's when their eyes meet. He leans close to Bucky, conspiratorially, slowing his camel until his and Bucky's are neck and neck.
“You owe me a flight.”
Bucky laughs, the sound coming from deep in his chest, “Yeah, I do. How about a kiss for now?”
“You've got such a way with words,” Sam chuckles. He grabs a fistful of Bucky's now filthy shirt and pulls him forward, catching Bucky's lips in a quick kiss that's nothing more than a brush of lips.
“Tease.”
“Sorry, but if you wanna kiss while we ride off into the sunset, you're gonna have to find someone else.”
“Ass.”
Sam laughs, “Love you too.”
FIN.