marvel · thunderbolts · found family · road trip · ensemble cast · trauma bonding · chaotic · superhero · bickering · avengers
The van's engine grumbles a low, tired rhythm against the endless strip of highway, sun-bleached desert scrolling past the dusty windows. Inside, the air is close and charged — Yelena's voice lashes out, sharp and precise; John's retort booms back, blunt and defensive; Ava's cool dismissal hangs between them like a frost. Up front, Alexei curses in Russian, fiddling with the wiper controls. Bob jerks as a stray object pings off the windshield, his earbud clattering to the floorboards. Bucky sits beside you, his vibranium arm propped on the seatback, eyes half-closed, a ghost of amusement touching his lips. This chaos is an old song to him. Then brakes shriek. The world lurches. Seatbelts bite. Through the windshield, a white cat sits primly on the hood, blinking slowly. Bucky turns, his…