for Ivar

[advanced]

[There are some decisions that are unequivocally bad ideas. This is probably one of them. When Quarantine began collapsing and they had all run for the portals, the one leading to Ivar's world had already broken down and left him stranded. There hadn't been much time for thought, no quiet moment to consider the consequences, before Bucky had offered to take him through to where he'd come from.

But now they were here, stumbling out into the depths of a forest god only knew where in the world, with Ivar's chair almost upended in the scramble, Bucky can't help but feel a bit apprehensive.

Even with someone who understands how this world works, there are dangers to being here with him. This isn't Quarantine, there are many dangerous people here who would like nothing more than to track him down and either turn him to use once more or destroy him. But Ivar isn't even like a person from this world, he's from far in the past and can be pretty damn unstable when faced with danger.

Yes, this was probably a bad idea.

Too late now.

He sighs as the portal closes behind them and leaves them alone and stranded, no sound except for birdsong and the faint scrabbling of wildlife.]

--welcome to Earth, kid.

Comments

[ragnarsson]

You know death has never scared me.

[But he does know how losing someone you care about can be a fear unto itself. He knows Bucky isn't doing this out of malice but concern. It doesn't stop Ivar from still digging in his heels and resisting this course of action.]

I can also take care of myself and have been for some time without you having to worry about me.

[advanced]

Maybe it should scare you. It scares me.

[Not his own death, but the deaths of his friends. The deaths of people that he's responsible for.]

This isn't a discussion.

[ragnarsson]

It does scare me. As if I wouldn't worry that you were lying dead in a ditch somewhere every day after you left.

[At least in Riverview there was only so many places he could run to before Ivar caught up. But here was a great big world and Ivar might never see him again once he left.]

Could have fooled me. Seems a lot like one.

[One of these days Bucky's just going to get tired of his nonsense and whack him over the heard for his impertinence.]

[advanced]

[That day might turn out to be today, he's getting sorely tempted. But he makes one more effort to make Ivar understand, to see that it's not something he's doing out of some perverse wish to abandon him.]

I'm hard to kill.

[That's just the truth.]

But I'd be a hell of a lot easier to kill if I stuck around after dropping you someplace safe, it's hard to hide in a situation like that.

[ragnarsson]

Maybe you're right.

[Ivar lapses into silence, and for a moment, it appears that Bucky might have gotten through to him...but nope. Ivar's merely taking the opportunity to swiftly morph in a small, griffin-like alien. He shrinks down into a form almost as big as a middle-sized dog, wings sprouting and beak forming on his face.

He flies up into a nearby tree, high out of reach, though he nearly overshoots his landing and falls off. He's still not that good at being airborne, no surprise for someone who's never so much as climbed a tree in his life. This Viking teenager really is the absolute limit sometimes. His thoughtspeak voice sounds as stubborn as ever.]

<I'm not going!>

[Well, he just found a solution that will last for two hours unless Bucky manages to get him back down.]

[advanced]

[What the hell is that supposed to be?

He's seen Ivar's weird pets, the flaming pony and the bizarre soul bird thing, but this is a new one. He's got a knife drawn before he even realises he's gone for one, a long serrated hunting knife, and his body has tensed ready for a fight.]

Who the hell are you?

[Not even Ivar at all? Some shapeshifting creature trying to trick him?]

[ragnarsson]

[The griffin-Ivar digs his claws down into the branch of the tree, leaning out over so that he can keep an eye on Bucky. Well, that reaction was to be expected. It's how he acted to 90% of all new things.]

<What, did you think I could only turn into a dog?>

[advanced]

[Yes, actually. Turning into a dog was weird enough, without adding in some kind of mythical creature to the mix.

He doesn't relax, knife still gripped tightly.]

Yeah. Turn back.

[ragnarsson]

[Maybe it was a good thing he'd never explained all the intricacies of morphing to Bucky. He probably would have become paranoid that Ivar would acquire him one of these days.

His little ear tufts flatten back down on top of his head. The griffin somehow manages to look stubborn even with the beak obscuring most of the emotion.]

<No. Not if you're going to abandon me.>

[Looks like they've just entered a very interesting standoff.]

[advanced]

You think a different shape is gonna stop me from taking you where you need to be?

[Either this is Ivar and he needs to take his friend to the safety and protection of the Avengers, or this is some insidious shapeshifter pretending to be his friend and then he needs to take him to the Avengers for containment.]

You're just easier to carry that way.

[ragnarsson]

<Unless you've developed the ability to fly in the last five minutes, I think I have the advantage.>

[Not that he can fly well, but shhh. Bucky doesn't need to know that.]

[advanced]

[He doesn't need the ability to fly.

He'd really rather not hurt Ivar, but just because he'd rather not, doesn't mean that he won't. He doesn't give any warning for what he's about to do, merely reaches for one of the blunter weapons secreted about his person (half a brick, in this case), and throws it at the bird with all the speed his serum grants him.]

[ragnarsson]

[Ivar's expecting him to whip out a gun, not a chunk of brick, so he gets whacked full and center in his chest with the projectile. The shock of it causes him to fall off the branch. He has enough sense to unfold his wings, so rather then fall directly to the ground like a rock, he sort of floats there like a leaf slowly drifting back and forth until he lands, still a little stunned.]

[advanced]

[Bucky just strides over to where Ivar has landed and bends down to attempt to pick him up while he's still stunned. He goes for the throat rather than Ivar's legs, not knowing if they're just as brittle in this form as when he's human and not wanting to hurt him, but he won't squeeze too hard.]

Pretty sure I warned you.

[ragnarsson]

[Ivar lies there trying to catch his breath, but when he feels Bucky's fingers around his throat, he goes berserk. His wings start flapping and his legs start struggling while he tries to whip his head around so he can bite at Bucky's flesh arm, making the shrieking sounds of a bird of prey all the time.]

<Put me down! Let go, you son of a bitch! I'm not going!>

[advanced]

[That beak is vicious and easily tears into the flesh of his arm, but he doesn't let up his grip even a little. A lot of his training focused on being able to ignore pain, to carry on. After all, a tool was no good if it stopped working at the first sign of damage.]

I can carry you like this the whole damn way, or you can behave.

[ragnarsson]

[Ivar being Ivar, this does little to dissuade him from trying to fight back. He keeps struggling and biting the entire time, even though he's clearly been outmatched in this.]

<Put me down and fight fair!>

[advanced]

No.

[Flat and stern. Ivar is just getting himself smeared with Bucky's blood, so now he's trapped and sticky. Good job, little Viking friend.]

I told you what would happen, you brought this on yourself.

[ragnarsson]

[Ivar keeps wriggling around, angry and defiant, before finally resigning himself to the fact Bucky's won this round. He goes limp for a moment, his tufted tail lashing back and forth the only sign of his anger. Oh, he's not done with his defiance. He's just thinking of how best to get his own way.]

<I've talked you into doing things before. Think I can't this time?>

[And in this form, Bucky can't block out the one-way telepathy.]

[advanced]

I know you can't.

[He doesn't make the mistake of relaxing when Ivar goes limp, it could very well be a ruse to get him to let his guard down.]

You can come peacefully, or I can knock you out and carry you the whole damn way.

[ragnarsson]

<Fine.>

[That's all he's willing to say on the subject, though his silence makes it clear that Ivar is sulking about his present circumstances. Truth be told, he's afraid. He doesn't want to be left alone in this strange new world with people he doesn't even know. Despite all the risks, he'd much prefer to stay with Bucky.]

[advanced]

[Good.

Bucky hesitates a moment more and then puts Ivar down on the ground, trusting him not to run off again. In his experience, when Ivar gives his word, then he tends to stick to it even if he doesn't enjoy it.

Now he has his hands to himself again, he takes out a handkerchief and begins to bind up the hand that Ivar tore up with his beak and talons.]

Jesus, kid, did you have to do that?

[ragnarsson]

[Indeed, Ivar will keep his word, for he tries to disappoint Bucky as little as possible with his behavior. He sits there, preening some of his feathers in an attempt to get some of the blood out. There's a touch of remorse in his voice as he answers.]

<You made me angry. People always get hurt when I'm angry.>

[advanced]

They don't have to.

[People always used to get hurt when he got angry too; to be fair, they sometimes still do despite his best efforts.]

[ragnarsson]

<I wonder what I'm going to do when you aren't around anymore to give these wonderful bits of wisdom.>

[It's amazing how much sarcasm can still be put into telepathic thoughts.]

<You do realize there's no one I'll be listening anymore to no matter where you take me, right?>

[The list in Riverview had been pretty damn short as it was. Bucky, Thor, Ragnar, and Athelstan were the only ones Ivar would ever heed if told not to do something. He was going to be hard to contain, even by the Avengers with his morphing abilities.]