[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]

"She's asleep in the other room," he says, easily, catching Steve's uncertain look. Bucky omits any mention of where he himself slept, although he's pretty sure Natasha has already drawn her own conclusions both previously and from Steve's reaction. In any case, aside from the clothes Sharon wore to sleep, his own things are neatly stowed out of sight in the closet and elsewhere.

"Good morning, Natasha."

[marvel_npc]

"Coffee?" asks Steve, quickly.

"Freshly made."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Yes. Thank you," she tells them, with a bright smile. "Pour two cups, if you please. We'll join you soon."

She raises her eyebrows at him, and Bucky silently concedes any potential argument right then and there. He tips his head sideways toward the bedroom door, and Natasha gives him an approving nod and goes to tap at it.

"Sharon?" she calls. "It's Nat. Time to get up. I brought a change of clothes." With that as warning, she opens the door and slips inside, firmly shutting it behind her.

[from_the_outside]

The Sharon-shaped lump beneath the sheets stirs. "Nat?"

Her voice is groggy as she rubs sleep out of her eyes and blinks at the other woman, now in the room. "Clothes?"

[marvel_npc]

"Clothes," she says. "Watch your eyes." Nat finds the lamp by a reading chair and turns it on, flooding the room with low, warm light.

"I thought you might want a change."

[from_the_outside]

Sharon sits up, wincing as the light turns on, and spares a moment to be grateful she'd taken Bucky up on his offer of a sleep shirt and shorts. "You didn't have to do that," she says, her voice rusty.

"I could have gone home to get a change before we have to meet Ross."

[marvel_npc]

"Mm-hm," she agrees. "You could have. You're welcome."

She lays the garment bag over the end of the bed. "Shoes and emergency makeup are in a bag in the bottom."

[from_the_outside]

Sharon gives her a rueful look. "Thanks."

She slips out of bed and pads around, barefoot, to zip open the garment bag, fingering the clothes inside. None of them are what Nat prefers for herself; all of them are more Sharon's style.

She huffs a small, wry laugh. "You've still got my number, don't you."

[marvel_npc]

"What are friends for?" she teases. "Now, the boys are out there with coffee, when you're ready. Want me to wait for you here, or out there?"

[from_the_outside]

"Out there's fine," she says, smiling a little.

Of anyone, she knows Nat would pretend not to see her bruises, if that's what she preferred, but she'd rather not have to navigate it anyway. "Go get some coffee. I'll be just a minute."

[marvel_npc]

"Okay." She answers Sharon's smile with a warm one of her own. "Take your time."

Nat slips back out of the room and wanders over to the kitchen, where James has pulled down a fourth mug from the shelves and is pouring it for her. He glances a silent question at her - or maybe it's several questions in one look. That's always possible.

"She'll be out in a few," she says, and tips her head toward the milk. He adds some and hands it to her. "Thanks."

[from_the_outside]

Sharon pulls the clothes out of the garment bag and lays them out on the bed, shaking her head with a crooked smile.

It's not just makeup Nat thought to put in the toiletry bag at the bottom: it's face wash and moisturizer that doesn't dry her out like the hotel brand gels do. She pads into the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face, then dresses in the dark jeans and button-down shirt Nat had found for her.

Last, she brushes out her hair and applies the makeup, carefully blending it over the bruise on her cheekbone until it's almost invisible.

With that last touch, she slips on the ankle boots from the bottom of the bag and folds Bucky's shirt and shorts to set them aside before moving to the door and heading into the main room. "Morning," she greets everyone, before catching Nat's eye and making a small gesture down at herself.

"You've got good taste."

[nerves_of_ice]

"I know," Natasha agrees, smugly, and somehow Bucky manages to stifle a laugh. He can see similar resigned amusement on Steve's face.

He pours Sharon a cup of coffee and fixes it with sugar and milk, then catches her eye and sets it down for her to claim.

[from_the_outside]

She shoots him a grateful glance, then comes to pick up the coffee before claiming one end of the couch in the little sitting area.

"Any noise from the others?" she asks, glancing from Nat to Steve.

[nerves_of_ice]

"Not yet," Steve says, and reaches for his phone to check it. "I'll text Sam and tell him we're all here. We'll probably have to wake Tony up."

Natasha makes a small humming sound. "That's a good idea," she agrees, in a deliberately light tone that draws a sharp, almost wary look from Bucky on the instant. "Since there are likely to be a few things to discuss before we head over to the Center."

[from_the_outside]

Sharon glances from Nat to Bucky and back again, then sips at her coffee.

"Can we discuss them over breakfast?" she asks. "Is anyone else starving?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"Breakfast sounds like a good idea," Steve agrees, looking up from his phone. "Sam'll be here in five. I asked him to swing by and grab Tony on the way."

Natasha moves for the suite's main phone. "I'll call down and have something sent up for all of us," she says. She was always practical when she needed to be, Bucky remembers; looks like that hasn't changed. "Any special requests?"

He shakes his head, as Steve does the same.

[from_the_outside]

Sharon shakes her head, too, and settles back into the corner of the couch, concentrating on her coffee and only lightly allowing herself to touch on the conversation they'll all have to have with Ross.

Maybe it won't be such a bad thing to be suspended. She's going to need some time to wrap her head around it all.

[nerves_of_ice]

The kitchen's quick. By the time Sam shows up, a bleary-eyed Tony Stark in tow, the hotel's servers are setting up what looks to him like a miniature continental buffet on a table at the side of the main room. At least it's not as profligate as the avalanche of ice cream had been the night before.

Bucky leans back against the wall with his coffee and just watches.

[from_the_outside]

Once the servers are finished, there's a long few moments where everyone fills up a plate or gets a bowl of cereal or refills their coffee from the samovar the kitchen had provided.

There's a few more moments of silence as people blunt their hunger with a few bites of fruit or pastry, then Steve looks around at them all as one by one they set their plates in their laps and focus.

[nerves_of_ice]

It's different, but familiar all the same. How many times has he looked to Steve for leadership, waiting for him to start some kind of team discussion? He can't remember. It's been a long time.

If he lets himself, he can almost see Jim and Gabe out of the corner of his eye, or hear Dugan and Dernier arguing with each other good-naturedly about something. He doesn't look, doesn't listen, but instead lets the memory wash over him and fade.

Bucky tips his head back very slightly and catches Steve's glance for an instant. The promise he gives may be silent, but it's absolutely clear.

(till the end of the line)

"Okay," Steve says. "A lot's happened in the last few days. I don't know exactly what today holds for any of us, but I guess I can start with this." He draws a deep breath. "I don't want to lose you. Any of you. I understand you have your reasons. But I'm still not going to sign the Accords."

[from_the_outside]

There's a pregnant silence, and then Tony Stark groans and pushes himself into the back of the chair he's sitting in until he's almost horizontal.

"Come on," he says. "That's what you're leading with? Okay, look – "

He sits up and looks around the room, lifting his hand. "Raise your hand if you knew Cap was never going to change his mind about the Accords."

After a second, Natasha shrugs and lifts her hand; Tony stares at Sam, who rolls his eyes and flicks a few fingers up. "There's that enthusiasm," Tony says, witheringly, and turns back to Steve. "So can we table that? Huh? Because it's going to be a longer discussion than five minutes over a semi-stale pastry, and we have more immediate things to talk about, like: when is Natasha going to get to interrogate Zemo? Can we negotiate time for the Avengers in that, or will it have to be jointly, with the Task Force? Hm?"

He glances between them all again. "Or how about this one: how are we going to keep the Manchurian Candidate over there out of custody?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"I just thought you should know," Steve says. "In case it changes anything." Sam claps him on the shoulder. "And we love you for it, man. But Tony's right. We'll come back to that."

Bucky's pretty sure Sam's statement's an expression of solidarity as well as redirecting that conversation to another time - Sam hadn't signed either, he remembers - but he can't focus on it beyond that, as Tony's last question's thrown his thoughts into a scatter of static. He stares at him in blank, stunned surprise.

"What?"

[marvel_npc]

Tony taps at his own ear. "Not still wearing those earplugs, are you?" he asks, sharply sarcastic. Nat rolls her eyes at him, and he sighs hugely. "Look, you've been useful to them. Now you're a problem they've gotta solve. And the easiest way to solve that problem is to bury it in paperwork and red tape."

He lifts his hands as Sharon Carter turns towards him, indignant. "I'm not saying Deputy Commander Ross would make that call. But Secretary of State Ross? In a heartbeat – assuming his heart hasn't given out on him after all this. Again."

[nerves_of_ice]

"No, that part I know," he manages. One thing's for sure, Tony's sharpness is a good way to snap him out of his shock, abrasive though it might be. "I wasn't expecting you to do anything about it."

He can almost feel Natasha's glare trying to burn through his skull. "I mean - I still did the things I did," he says, shifting course slightly. "I'd understand, is all."