"So, does anyone have any food?" Peter Parker asked after walking for half an hour.
"No, Peter we do not. Where would we keep it? In my arm?" Bucky said while pinching The bridge of his nose. Peter was a good kid but man could he talk.
"That would be amazing. We should all to Mr. Stark about that when we get back," Peter continued oblivious to the irritation in Bucky's voice. "When we find food, do you think I could look at your arm?"
"No."
"We do need to find food, Bucky," Sam said. Bucky had been ignoring his stomach for a few hours to be honest. He could do that easily. Hydra didn't exactly care about his health.
"I am Groot," Groot said and then immediately grabbed a flower from a cactus and ate it.
"Don't eat that! It could be poisonous," Quill said staring at Groot.
"I am Groot," Groot shrugged and ate another.
"It takes longer than a minute to be poisoned! Of course you haven't died. Don't eat anything wild."
"Does it taste good?" Peter Parker interjected.
"I am Groot," Groot answered.
"I'm going to try it," Peter said and he too ate a cactus flower.
"Oh. My. God." Sam said while glaring at Peter. "Why would you eat space flowers? We don't even eat earth flowers."
"This is amazing. You should try it," Peter said as he wiped his mouth and grabbing another. T'challa picked a flower and lightly tasted it before eating the rest. Sam and Bucky exchanged looks as the others followed suit and grabbed similar cactus flowers to eat. Finally the pair gave it and in deed, the flowers were delicious.
"If we all die from space flowers I'm haunting all of you," Sam muttered. "Except Bucky. I've seen him too damn much already."
"Same, bro," Bucky said back. "We're going to need to make camp somewhere here. Everyone needs to sleep soon. We'll do shifts for watch. I'll take first shift."
"I'll stay up with you, Bucky," Peter volunteered. Bucky squinted up at the sky before looking back.
"I am Groot."
"I'll stay up too," Wanda said. Bucky made a tight lipped smile and nodded. He liked kids, really. The idea of kids. Not walking in a whatever this is with teenagers. It wasn't that they were bad. They were just young. Bucky needed to relax.
"I will take the second shift," Quill stated. Drax and T'challa both volunteered. Bucky didn't know much about this Starlord but trusted T'challa with his life. They just needed a clearing to lay in.
About 10 minutes later they saw a small cave to the left of the trail. Starlord and Wanda inspected it and found nothing. That's where they would sleep. It was better than a clearing. Within 30 minutes all those who weren't on guard fell asleep. Wanda showed Peter and Groot small tricks with her powers. Groot recorded it on his phone.
"You have a phone?" Bucky asked upon realization.
"I am Groot."
"It doesn't have signal and it'll probably die soon," Peter said. "I've got to ask something."
Bucky tensed. "What?"
"Am I The only one who felt yourself die? I turned to ashes. Like I felt it. Did you?" Peter whispered as he sat by Bucky. Bucky's eyes widened and he sighed. This was what he had feared. He did remember crumbling in front of Steve. It was horrifying. But he was a grown man. Peter was a kid.
"Yes I did. I fell to the ground in front of Steve. Are you okay?" Bucky asked despite not having a clue how to help.
"I remember too. I... I... remember more. I had to kill Vision. To get rid of the stone." Wanda's face twisted with emotions. "But Thanos just twisted his hands and brought Vision back to... rip the stone... and... and he died right in my arms. He died twice. So I didn't care when I died. I thought I would see him and maybe my brother. But instead I'm here," she smiled bitterly.
Bucky tapped Sam's sleeping form on the shoulder. Bucky was way out of his comfort zone. Sam woke startled. Bucky glanced at Wanda crying and Sam stood up and sat beside her. He softly talked to her to calm her. Then he looked at Peter and Groot who both had fearful faces.
"You all picked this shift so you wouldn't sleep?" Sam asked. "I understand. You worry when you close your eyes that everything will come back at you in the worse way. You probably have some ptsd. I know I do. Hell, you probably have battle fatigue. We've been on guard for hours. This is so hard on people.
"I want you to know that some days will be hard. Like tonight. Some will be easier. There might be nightmares and cold sweats and something may trigger a response that you don't plan. You might punch, cry, or flinch at something fast or loud. That could happen. But you will get through it and there will be a pattern of up even if you can't feel it.
"Kids are so damn strong. You shouldn't have to deal with this stuff. None of you wanted it. But you guys are going to have to be strong for a little longer. We are going to try to find a way out. To get you guys home. You kids are the strongest ones here. Its not fair and I'm sorry." Sam sighed. "Do you guys want to talk about it," Sam asked naturally falling back into his group ptsd sessions from DC. Except they were literal children.
"I worry about my aunt," Peter said uncharacteristically quietly. "The last time I was gone she called 5 police stations that I was missing. And that was just a few hours. Ever since my uncle... I need to protect her, okay?
"And Mr Stark... He thinks I'm dead. I died in his arms. He told me, he told me that if I died that it was on him. And now he's going to think he did this," Peter said guiltily. He picked at his hands as he talked. "I worry about them. My friends too. What if they are here?"
"We are going to do everything we can to save everyone here. But right now we need to think one day at a time. Do you have anything to add Groot?" Sam said in his therapist voice. It made it easier to listen without getting too emotional but he couldn't help but feel that they were just children.
Groot began to talk with Peter translating. Bucky didn't have a clue how Peter Parker could speak trees but he was on an alien world with a witch, a talking tree, and a spider boy.
"He says that he misses his dad. His rabbit dad? I might have mistranslated that. Yeah, rabbit dad. He says he died in front of him. He worries about him like I do my aunt." Peter lightly smiled at Groot. "He just wants to go home. He... uh... he says this place is freaky. I do too."
"I think he means a raccoon," Bucky said clearing his throat. "We're going to get home. I didn't fix myself to die and never see Steve again. We're going home. You can... uhh... look at my arm if it makes you feel better," Bucky said to Peter. Peter looked at him with a watery smile.
"That thing is so cool. Can you feel this?" Peter said poking Bucky's metal shoulder.
