[Leipzig AU] a means to a necessary end

[nerves_of_ice]

It's a long flight from Berlin to Novosibirsk and the secret location far beyond it, even in a Quinjet. They spend the time planning and coordinating. Bucky describes the structure and security of the facility itself as best he remembers. Tony calls up plans and blueprints from god knows where and throws them into the middle of the plane for all to see. They're not the same as what Bucky remembers, they figure out fairly quickly, but they're better than nothing.

Tony also takes over the back of the plane and snaps at anyone who comes close, doing something that involves shifting screens and models of buildings and wave patterns and a human skull, and the eventually the low humming grind of a machine. Soon after, he stalks back up to the front of the plane and shoves a set of custom-fabricated earplugs at Bucky, who stares at them and then at Tony.

"Noise-cancelling all the way to total sound blackout. Tap the end of the earpiece to deafen yourself," Tony informs him. "Last thing we need's for you to be his puppet." Bucky starts to stammer a thanks, but Tony growls something under his breath and stalks back to the back of the plane again to work on something else. Steve catches Bucky's eye and shakes his head, and Bucky decides to leave well enough alone.

Sam advises everyone to rest in shifts; Bucky knows he's not wrong, but neither he nor Steve can do it, and after a while Sam stops trying to convince them. Natasha sits with him for a while, her eyes dark with concern. They don't say much, but there's no need to.

A Snowcat is parked outside the door of the facility when they land. Bucky's jaw sets in hard lines at the sight of it, and he trades a look with Steve.

They're already here.

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[from_the_outside]

The ground swoops away from beneath her feet and she finds herself tucked against a solid chest as she shivers and shiver and shivers.

It feels like she'll never get warm again. She can feel his body heat, but her cold self sucks it away as fast as she recognizes it, absorbing it like a black hole.

"Bucky." Her voice is rough and cracked, her throat horribly dry, and the words come out slow and drugged. "I had the weirdest dream."

[marvel_npc]

At the other end of the room, Steve rises from cuffing Zemo with plastic zip-ties. The man's eyes aren't on him at all, but on the two people near the open cryo chamber: Bucky, cradling Sharon in his arms and whispering softly to her.

"Ah," Zemo sighs, and shrugs slightly. "A miscalculation on my part."

"One of many," Tony informs him, then looks at Steve. They exchange a complicated glance – one full of apologies and familiarity and determination – and Tony nods. "Go ahead," he says. "I'll keep an eye on this guy for a second."

Steve gives him a grateful glance, then jogs over towards the cryo chamber and the small pile of items he'd noticed beside it. Lifting the winter coat, he comes over to put it gently over Sharon like a blanket, tucking it around her as Bucky holds her. "Hey," he says, gently. "Welcome back."

[nerves_of_ice]

"I know," he says softly. "But it's over now."

He looks up at Steve as his best friend places the coat over Sharon, heartfelt thanks in his eyes.

[from_the_outside]

As the fog begins to lift from her brain and vision, memory slowly seeps in. Her apartment – the fight – the needle –

Sharon struggles in his arms in sudden panic, trying to be put down.

"Bucky," she gasps. "You can't be here. It's a trap – he – I told him everything, you have to go, now!"

[nerves_of_ice]

Not wanting her to feel restrained, he lowers her feet to the ground, but keeps his arm tight around her and a grip on the coat so it won’t fall.

“It’s okay,” he soothes. “It’s okay, baby. We got him. He’s not going to hurt anyone else. Steve, show her—-“

[from_the_outside]

"We got him," Steve says, and shifts so she can see Zemo sitting on the ground, his wrists bound behind his back as Tony Stark finishes putting a piece of duct tape over his mouth.

Steve blinks at that. "Where did you get that?"

Tony flips a hand at him. "Uh, I carry it. Obviously. You know how many times this stuff has come in handy? Why don't you have duct tape?"

"Forget I asked," says Steve, and looks back at Sharon and Bucky with a shrug.

[nerves_of_ice]

Bucky gives him a small answering shrug, then looks back at Tony. “Good thinking.”

He can’t look too long at Zemo, he finds. Too many emotions crash together inside him in a twisted tangle when he does. Bucky gives the man a cool, blank stare as his arm tightens around Sharon protectively, then turns back to her. “See? It’s over. He’s done.”

[from_the_outside]

She stares at Zemo, who watches her back with mild curiosity, and remembers every punch, every slap, every soft question.

Remembers the cover he'd given her, and how believable she'd made it. "Let me shoot him," she says, her voice tight. "Just a couple of times."

[nerves_of_ice]

“Fine by me, but if you kill him Ross’ll be pissed,” Bucky observes.

“Baby, are you hurt? Besides the cryo aftermath?”

[from_the_outside]

"He doesn't need kneecaps to live," she points out, but subsides.

He's warm and steady and his arm is tight around her, keeping her pressed against him, her coat tucked a little awkwardly around her. "Nothing broken."

She's sore everywhere and dizzy enough to wonder if he'd concussed her with that slam of his forehead against hers, but she can move and think and breathe with minimal discomfort.

"He got a few good hits in, but I'm okay."

[nerves_of_ice]

Bucky looks at Steve. “Sam was pararescue, right? So he’s got medical training?”

Steve nods. “We can get him to look her over. We should let them know the situation anyway.”

[from_the_outside]

"Let's get them out," Tony says, straightening and hauling Zemo up by the collar of his shirt. "First aid and a rudimentary scanner in the Quinjet. And then we've got to figure out what to do with all – "

He waves a hand at the facility around them, the dead Soldiers and the cryo equipment. "This."

Sharon wriggles enough to put her coat on properly, then looks around for her boots, ignoring the weakness that's still slowing every move and thought and how sore every movement is. Her head is ringing. "Quinjet?"

[nerves_of_ice]

“It was faster than anything Ross had available,” Steve tells her. Bucky hovers at her side in case she needs support, trying not to look like he’s hovering, but he’s pretty sure it’s a lost cause.

“We talked him into the Avengers being point on the response. He and the Task Force team are back in Berlin tearing through everything they can find about Zemo. I promised to check in every hour at minimum.”

[from_the_outside]

Bucky has so far refused to be more than about two inches away from her, which makes putting on her coat a little awkward, but she can't care. She doesn't want him any further than that, either.

The corner of her mouth ticks up in grim satisfaction as she listens to Steve. The Avengers and the Task Force working together – that must be sticking in Zemo's craw. "Then you should probably check in," she says, and wobbles slightly. "Do you guys see my boots anywhere?"

[nerves_of_ice]

Bucky puts his arm swiftly around her for support as she wobbles.

"Here," reports Steve. He brings her boots over from where they'd been left off to the side, near the cryo chamber. "Anything else that you're missing?"

[from_the_outside]

About eighteen hours of my life.

She shakes her head and leans on Bucky as she slips the boots back on, leaving them unlaced.

"Good," says Stark. He looks terrible, she thinks, but his eyes are clear as he shoves Zemo before him towards the entryway. "Can we get this guy put away somewhere and do what we need to do now?"

[nerves_of_ice]

“Signal them we’re coming up,” Bucky murmurs. “Or, wait—“

He gives Steve a pointed look, and understanding, his best friend moves to support Sharon. Bucky crosses to a control box mounted to the wall, studies it, and punches in a command.

With a metallic screech and the heavy grinding groan of machinery that hasn’t been used for years, the top of the missile silo begins to open.

[marvel_npc]

"Works for me," Tony says. "FRIDAY, let 'em know we're coming."

To Zemo, he adds: "God, I hope you're scared of heights. Come on."

He grips the man's jacket as his helmet and faceplate click into place, then lifts off with a flare of light, rocketing towards the cold blue sky up above and dragging Zemo with him as he goes.

[nerves_of_ice]

Bucky squints after them for a second, then comes back over to rejoin Steve and Sharon.

"At least the elevator works," he says, dryly. "Come on. Let's get Sharon out of here."

[from_the_outside]

She hates how slow she is, both mind and muscles. It takes a frustratingly long time to get to the elevator – or it feels that way, though it probably isn't as slow as she thinks it is.

Once inside, she leans against the wall and closes her eyes, feeling the vibrations as the elevator rumbles into life and begins to rise. "Thanks for coming," she murmurs. "You must have known it was a trap."

[nerves_of_ice]

"We knew," Steve tells her. "He left a note." Something tight tinges his words, and Bucky gives him a sharp look. Steve shakes his head at him and continues,

"He targeted you because of me. I'm sorry, Sharon."

[from_the_outside]

"Not your fault," she murmurs, and blinks her eyes open to look at him.

"Seriously, Steve. You couldn't have known. None of us could have guessed. I was a Hail Mary on his part."

[nerves_of_ice]

"He's a clever son-of-a--" Bucky forces himself to stop there, pushing back that twisting tangle of emotion again, down inside himself where he can deal with it later. "Had all kinds of tricks up his sleeve."

The elevator clunks and rattles as they reach the top of the shaft and it grinds to a stop. Bucky pulls the security screen open and reaches to guide Sharon out.

[from_the_outside]

"He sure did." She sounds as rueful as she feels, remembering the pinch and cold sting of a needle sinking into her ski.

The sun glinting off the snow has her wincing, slitting her eyes to make it manageable as she lifts a hand to shade them, but she can still easily recognize Natasha as the woman hurries over to them.

She gives Sharon a quick hug, her hair soft against Sharon's cheek. "Hey, you," she says, low. "You had us worried."

"Hey, you," Sharon murmurs back. "Sorry to cause a fuss."

[nerves_of_ice]

"He had her in the cryo tank," Bucky says, tightly, and sees the way Natasha jerks, just a little. "Where's Sam? He needs to look her over."

"Helping Tony secure Zemo in the back of the jet," she tells them. "I told them not to leave him unwatched for an instant."

"Good." He can't control the venom in his voice, and doesn't try.