[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

[marvel_npc]

"Zemo, I assume," he says, giving her a flat look.

"Since I can't think of another reason he wouldn't be interrogating a known terrorist currently in the joint custody of the Task Force and the Avengers. At least I assume that's why this man is in this room and not in a cell where he belongs."

[marvel_npc]

"Now hold on a second – " starts Steve, who is clearly seeing red, only to stop as Tony's warning hand lands on his shoulder.

"Uh, actually, not in custody," Tony says, blithely. "Also, turns out, not a terrorist. Honestly, it's like you didn't listen to any of the messages I told FRIDAY to send you so we wouldn't have to have this conversation, the one we're currently having right here, right now."

[nerves_of_ice]

He spares an instant's thought to hope Riley keeps his mouth shut and keeps himself out of the line of fire, much like Sam's doing - at least for the moment. Bucky himself does his best to not react at all.

He knows how this works, all too well. He tries to remember every bit of information he'd gleaned about Ross previously, deeply certain he's about to need it, as the man tells Tony,

"I heard them. I was surprised to hear them. I'll give you a chance to reconsider. The Winter Soldier's responsible for over a double-handful of assassinations--"

Bucky manages to hold back a disgusted snort. Many more, as much as he hates it. Looks like their intelligence isn't as good as it could be.

"-- and various other crimes that I don't have time to list. Are you trying to tell me that this man isn't the Winter Soldier? Because I don't have time for games, either."

[marvel_npc]

"If that's the case, then you probably shouldn't be hanging out in a room with him, huh?"

He might have listened to Ross – begrudgingly – about the Accords, but Tony's patience with the Secretary of State begins and ends there. "I'm telling this man – Sergeant Barnes – was a prisoner of HYDRA all those years and forced into compliance against his will."

He hopes like hell Steve doesn't lose his head and mention something about the activation sequence – the fewer people who know about that, especially in positions of power within the government – the better.

[marvel_npc]

"Either he's a criminal I shouldn't be around and he's in your custody, or he's not and I'm supposed to be safe in the same room with him. Which is it, Tony? You can't have it both ways."

Ross turns to inspect Barnes closely. "Or perhaps I should be asking you, soldier. Doesn't look like anyone's twisting your arm now, are they?"

"Not anymore," Barnes tells him, with a dark, empty stare, and says nothing else.

[marvel_npc]

"He's not a criminal," Steve interjects, unable to keep quiet anymore.

"And he cooperated to assist the Task Force in hunting down the man who bombed the UN. You're barking up the wrong tree, Mister Secretary."

[marvel_npc]

"He's not exactly innocent, either, now is he?"

Ross moves to a seat at the end of the table where he can see all of them, makes it his own, and leans back in his chair.

"But fine, I'm all ears."

[marvel_npc]

"Feels like you should be more interested in the guy who bombed the U.N. – during the signing of the Accords, which you championed – than the one who helped catch him," Tony says, exasperated.

"Your priorities seem askew."

[marvel_npc]

"Oh, I am," Ross informs him. "But Everett's talking with him now, remember? I'm content to wait until he's finished to find out what he's learned."

[marvel_npc]

To her credit, Agent Carter doesn't flinch at that, only continues gazing at the Secretary with a calmly neutral expression that's probably taking most of her energy to hold.

Agent Riley, on the other hand, is looking back and forth between everyone in the room. Tony hopes he doesn't try anything so idiotic as to attempt to ease the tension. "Fine," says Tony, short.

"I'll be happy to tell you all about the last few days. But the others aren't beholden to you; let them go."

[marvel_npc]

"I suppose they're not," he agrees, pleasantly. "At present, anyway."

Except for Barnes, that is, but he's unlikely to run far given the company he's currently keeping - and if he does, or tries, that gives Ross an additional lever he won't hesitate to pull.

"Don't go far. I'm sure I'll want to speak with you later. All of you."

Except for the agents, probably, but it's better to be inclusive, he's found.

[from_the_outside]

She's sure he will, but at least Tony's bought them a little bit of time. "This way," she says to the others, forgetting for the moment that she now lacks any kind of real authority here.

Riley doesn't call her on it either, only goes to get the door for the others to file out. Tony looks wryly determined when she catches his eye; he shrugs, very slightly.

And then Sharon's through the door and into the hall, as bewildered and on the left foot as any of them. "Come on," she says. "Dorm."

[nerves_of_ice]

They follow Sharon and Riley through the Center to the dorm room where he and Steve had stayed and which is evidently still set aside for them. Only once they're in the room with the door shut does Bucky say anything at all.

"This isn't going to end well."

[from_the_outside]

"No kidding," mutters Sam, as Steve paces around the room. At a glance from Sharon, Riley goes to set up a pot of coffee, wisely choosing to not get involved.

"It's a bad sign that he's here," she says, low, her arms folded tight across her chest as she looks at Steve. "Do you think Tony can hold him off?"

[nerves_of_ice]

“I don’t know,” Steve says. “I thought he already had.” Each word is tight with strain, and the glance he throws Bucky is agonized.

“Why is he here? Tony said he was telling him what he needs to know so he wouldn’t get involved—“

“Seems like he heard something that got his attention,” Bucky says, softly. “Could have been a couple of things. But now …”

He gives a small shrug.

[from_the_outside]

"The Deputy Commander wasn't going to detain any of you," Sharon says. "And he might. But that's not our biggest problem."

Her voice is very quiet as she looks at Bucky, her gaze solemn and worried. "We have to be prepared for what Zemo might tell him."

[nerves_of_ice]

He nods. He’d already worked his way through to the realization, but he sees the exact moment when it hits Steve and his heart threatens to crack in his chest at the look on his best friend’s face.

“No,” Steve breathes, half disbelief and half denial. “He wouldn’t. Would he? I’ve never been close to the guy, and Bruce always looks grim when his name comes up - came up - but this….”

[from_the_outside]

"I don't know," she admits. "I don't know him well. Aunt Peggy knew him, a little, but – "

She shakes her head. "But he's always been interested in weaponizing enhanced individuals. That's part of his public policy. So I think we have to assume he'd at the very least hold it over us."

[nerves_of_ice]

Over on the other side of the room, he notices, Riley’s eyes have widened. Bucky gives him a steady look for a second, then turns to Steve.

“You have to get out,” he says, low and even. “You and Sam. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be okay. You have to go. You have to.”

[from_the_outside]

"I'm not going anywhere without you," Steve says, stubbornly. "If we go, we go together."

"If you go, you'll be hunted down," Sharon says, a little desperately. "Both of you. And then he wouldn't even need an excuse."

[nerves_of_ice]

“That’s already the case for me,” Bucky tells her, bluntly. “I’m already considered a threat. But not them. Not yet.”

He turns back to his best friend. “You have other people who need you, Steve. You can’t throw everything away for me.”

[from_the_outside]

"It's not happening," Steve says, his voice rising. She can see the way he struggles with it, though – Bucky was right. He has other people he's responsible for.

She tries to think ahead, to imagine all of this unfolding. They won't be able to keep Bucky out of Ross's grip forever, especially not in the States themselves. And Tony needs time to work on a solution.

She hates it. She hates it. It feels like stabbing herself in the gut to say: "If you're going to go, you've got to go now. I can buy you some time."

Across the room, Riley startles. "Agent Carter – " he begins, and she sets her jaw as she turns to him, shifting her weight over her center, braced for a fight.

"Riley, you can't stop them. And I won't let you try."

[nerves_of_ice]

“No,” Bucky snaps, spinning to face her. “If I leave, they’ll hang it on you. Your career’s already in danger because of me. Not happening.”

He whirls back to Steve, and to Sam, who’s come up beside Steve to put a hand on his shoulder. “All he said was don’t go far. You get out. You can outwit him. Talk to people. You’re Captain America. That means something.”

He draws a ragged breath. “It’s not fair. I know it’s not. I’m sorry. But don’t let me be the one to drag you down, Steve. The world needs you to show how the Accords are wrong, so what happened to me doesn’t happen again to anyone.”

[from_the_outside]

"I'm not going to leave you behind," Steve says, agonized. It claws at Sharon's gut, echoing the desperation there. "Not again. I won't."

If Tony had time to work, to fix this, if Ross could keep Bucky safe from the Secretary, if, if, if –

"Uh," says Riley, lifting a hand. "Can I make a suggestion?"

Sharon frowns at him. "What suggestion?"

Riley looks uncertain, but forges onward. "Is there anywhere you could get political sanctuary? Somewhere outside the reach of the United States government?"

[nerves_of_ice]

The sudden silence in the room is thick and heavy. Bucky exchanges a glance with Steve and turns to Riley.

“Go on,” he suggests. “We’re listening.”