[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.

Comments

[nerves_of_ice]

"You're right." He puts his arm around her and draws her in, holding her close.

[from_the_outside]

She gives herself a moment, just breathing, before she returns to what she wants to know.

"Are you guys okay? What happened?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"I think so." He glances in the direction where Steve had gone to follow Tony, toward the other side of the plane. He can't see them from here, but maybe that's just as well.

"It was pretty hard on Tony. Zemo had a videotape. From the mission."

He runs his hand lightly up and down her arm. "Steve and I had told him yesterday. Before. I never got a chance to tell you about it."

[from_the_outside]

"Good," she says, snake-fast. "If I'd known, I would have told him. I wish I could have seen the look on his face when he realized his plan didn't work."

She lifts her head to look at him, studying his drawn face. "Are you okay?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"Don't worry about me." He makes it firm, willing her to be persuaded.

"He's damn quick to adapt," Bucky adds, after a moment. "His backup plan was to activate me."

[from_the_outside]

It's much too late for her to take what he says first at face value, especially when he goes on. She takes a sharp, shuddering breath and reaches toward his ear, not touching the plug still there.

"But these – they worked? You said Tony made them?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"They worked," he reassures her. "He did. On the plane on the way here. I couldn't hear a thing."

[from_the_outside]

She relaxes, minutely, and lifts her hand to smooth over his hair, her touch gentle.

"I'm so sorry you had to come back here," she murmurs. "That you three went through all this. I'm sorry."

Maybe Zemo's plan hadn't worked, but that doesn't mean it hadn't hurt them all, terribly. And it doesn't change the fact that she'd been the bait that had lured them into his trap.

[nerves_of_ice]

He shakes his head slightly, careful not to dislodge her hand.

"It's not your fault, baby. It's his. I'm sorry we didn't catch him before. That he came after you."

[from_the_outside]

"I know," she murmurs. "I'm still sorry."

At least they're only beat up, and not broken. Zemo's plan hadn't worked. The Avengers and the Task Force have set a new precedent for working together. "But I'm glad we won."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Me, too." He kisses her hair, gently. "Want to lie down and rest? I have to go back in with the others to clear the place, but someone will stay with you. Sam, maybe?"

[from_the_outside]

Her eyes flutter closed as he presses his lips to her hair and she sways towards him.

"I'll be okay on my own." It's probably not an argument that will fly, but she ought to try anyway; they really should have the whole team working on that, and someone will already need to stay with Zemo. "I'll just be resting."

[nerves_of_ice]

"You're not staying here alone with Zemo in the same plane." It's instantly, absolutely clear that there's no give in him on this.

"I'll talk to the others."

[from_the_outside]

She's too sore and tired and fuzzy to argue; she only nods and squeezes his hand, light.

"Okay," she murmurs. "Okay, baby. Whatever you think's best."

[nerves_of_ice]

The lack of resistance in her makes his heart ache. Bucky idly considers dropping Zemo out of the back of the plane over the ocean, as Steve pokes his head around the curtain into the alcove.

"Hey," he starts, keeping his tone low. "I've got Ross on the line. He wants to know how you're doing. You up for talking with him?"

He glances at Bucky and raises his eyebrows.

[from_the_outside]

"Yeah," Sharon says, straightening as she looks at Steve. She pushes her shoulders back and lifts her chin, ignoring her soreness, the way she can't seem to get warm.

"Give me the phone, I'll talk to him."

[nerves_of_ice]

Bucky tips his head back, beckoning Steve in. He keeps his arm around Sharon's back for support as Steve comes the rest of the way around the curtain and hands her the phone before leaning back against the wall of the plane.

"Carter?" Ross's voice is sharp with concern. "Are you there?"

[from_the_outside]

"Here, sir."

She tries to a put a little of her usual crispness into it, but she doesn't know if she manages to succeed.

Still, it's almost unimaginably comforting to hear her boss's snapping voice. "A little worse for wear, but all in one piece."

[marvel_npc]

"Good." Ross grips the phone more tightly and glares at the wall as if that would let him see through it to the other side. She sounds exhausted in a way he's never heard from her before.

"Rogers said that bastard had you in a cryo tank. I want you to know, Carter, I'm going to nail him to the wall personally."

[from_the_outside]

She smiles, very faintly. "I wouldn't expect anything less, sir," she says. "But you should know – hang on a second."

Abruptly, she glances at Bucky and Steve. "Can I have a minute?" she asks.

Ross has to know what she told Zemo and why. But she finds she doesn't want to see the way Steve will look at her when he hears, or watch Bucky's expression shift again, the way it had the first time.

[marvel_npc]

"Of course." Steve comes off the wall and waits for Bucky, who looks like he wants very much to protest. In the end he doesn't, instead letting out a quiet sigh and getting to his feet.

"We'll be in shouting distance," Bucky tells Sharon. "If you need anything."

Steve follows him out, thinking to himself that almost everyone on the jet's walking wounded in one way or another right now.

[from_the_outside]

She waits until they've left, the phone pressed to her shoulder, then lifts it back to her ear.

"Sorry," she says. "Sir, I have to tell you: I was... compromised. Zemo injected me with some sort of drug. It was... I don't know what it was, but the effect was like a complete wipe of my conscious mind. I obeyed his every order."

She takes a breath. "I answered all his questions. A lot of them about the Task Force. He learned a wealth of classified intel from me while I was under the influence."

[marvel_npc]

"He what?" Ross imagines having Zemo in front of him in the cell that they'd originally prepared for the Winter Soldier. It seems fitting.

"Goddammit. Are you okay?"

[from_the_outside]

"Yes."

As much as possible, anyway. "I'm sorry, sir."

[marvel_npc]

"Carter, don't make me yell at you," he grits out. "Don't apologize. We'll do a full debrief when you're back, figure out how to adjust anything that's compromised, unless there's anything I need to know right now. There's protocols for security leaks, you know that. You're not the one - you didn't screw this up."