nerves_of_ice | [Leipzig AU] a means to a necessary end

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leipzig au

[Leipzig AU] a means to a necessary end

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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At least someone appreciates the mess this is going to cause, although he notes it's not stopping T'Challa. Ross nods, starts to say something else, only to stop and half-turn as the door opens.

"My king," the woman says - he doesn't know her name, which is an oversight he means to correct as soon as possible, as clearly they've got to get a lot more up to speed on Wakanda. "All is in readiness."

"Very good," T'Challa says, and turns to Sergeant Barnes and Captain Rogers.

"Gentlemen, if you'd care to go with the General, she will show you to the Sergeant's new quarters."

He nods, and flicks Sharon a quick, slightly helpless glance before he moves to follow Okoye. All his words have dried up in his mouth.

Behind him, Steve murmurs, "Your Highness. Deputy Commander. Agents." He can feel his steady presence behind him.

She clamps down on the desperation welling up inside her as she meets his quick glance. No matter how it feels, this isn't the last time she'll see him.

"Captain," Ross says. "Sergeant. I'm sure we'll speak again soon."

Her head is killing her, but she keeps her chin up and her shoulders straight as she watches Steve and Bucky follow the Wakandan woman out of the room.

They walk with Okoye past the guards and down the corridor to the elevator that leads into the parking structure attached to the Center. It seems as though he should say something, but he can't find the words to speak, and no one else seems inclined to either.

That is, until they reach the black car with its two guards. These are the two that were on the door earlier, he notices - the others they just passed must have taken a new shift, but--

"Sergeant. These are Ayo and Mya, of the Dora Milaje," Okoye says. "They will be your security detail while you are still here in Berlin."

Bucky stares at her, then at the two women, struck speechless. Beside him, Steve blurts out, "Security - Bucky wouldn't hurt anyone, didn't we just--"

"You misunderstand me," Okoye cuts in, cool as the flat of a blade, while Ayo's glance on Steve narrows sharply. "They will ensure protection for him, not from him."

The spike of fear in his chest fades. Stand down, he tells himself. The Wakandans agreed to help them, and that means he's going to have to trust that they'll do the right thing.

"My mistake," he says, and turns to the guards. "Ma'am," he says to one, and "Ma'am," to the other. "Thank you both."

“In protecting you, we defend our king’s honor,” Ayo tells him, while Mya sizes Steve up and accepts his apology with a sharp nod. “No one will take you from Wakanda unwilling. No one.”

Her words have the weight of stone, impossible to deny. Bucky manages a nod of his own. “I’m sorry to be so much trouble.”

The General sniffs. "No trouble," she says, then, meaningfully: "Yet."

She jerks her head at the car and Mya reaches to open the door for him and Bucky. "We will speak again later," Okoye tells them, and turns to head back into the Center.

Steve's not sure they spoke now, but he can respect an exit when he sees one. He glances at Bucky, then at the guards, before climbing into the car.

He climbs in beside Steve. Mya shuts the door and goes around to slide into the driver’s seat. Ayo turns to look at them as the car pulls away from the curb.

“Your friend Wilson gave your things to Mya,” she informs him. “They await you in your quarters. He offered to bring anything else you might have forgotten, later, should you wish.”

Bucky blinks. “And that’s okay?”

Ayo gives him a scathing look. “You are not a prisoner. Of course you may have guests. At least until we return home; passage across the border into Wakanda is strictly controlled.”

"That's good news," Steve says, giving Bucky an encouraging glance.

For now, anyway. There must be something he can do once Bucky's gone to Wakanda itself.

Ayo sniffs, and doesn’t bother to comment. Bucky nods. “Tell Sharon, will you? When you have a chance,” he says to Steve, softly.

It’s hard to believe how much has happened in the last few days. His mind is reeling.

"I will," Steve promises. "I can bring her over later, too."

It's part promise to make sure the two of them can see each other, and part reassurance that he'll keep an eye on Sharon in Bucky's absence.

It's not much, but he hopes it helps.

"Thank you," he murmurs. For this, and more; for all of it. For everything.

The rest of the trip takes place in quiet, for the most part. It turns out that the headquarters of the Wakandan delegation are located in a historic building not too far from the Center. Bucky wonders idly if they'd always been there or if this was new since Vienna, and can't tell. The building is marked with signs of mourning for King T'Chaka, and he feels a stab of guilt, whether or not it makes sense for him to.

They're escorted into what's essentially a luxury apartment and given strict instructions that he's to not attempt to go anywhere without informing his security detail, then he and Steve are left alone. Bucky searches the apartment and finds his backpack resting beside the bed, unopened and untouched. He trades a look with Steve, who'd followed him, and nods.

Eventually Steve has to go back. They don't know enough yet about what's going to happen next, how any of this will proceed, but he's got to bring the others up to speed. Bucky will stay here and wait for what comes next.

Whatever that is.

There are only two good things to come out of this situation as she sees it: first, they have Zemo in custody. Second: when Ross said he'd fast-track the paperwork, he really meant it.

Technically, she's still suspended, but it's just a formality. She agrees to submit to a psych eval of her own to get a professional's opinion on her mental state and any lingering effects of the formula, but Ross keeps her nearby in the meantime – though he occasionally barks an order at her to rest.

Riley stays on as her chaperone, but he becomes more like an assistant as she helps Ross go through paperwork and precedent, trying to find anything that will keep Bucky safe without forcing him to take sanctuary in Wakanda. Sharon doesn't think they'll find anything, but she works anyway.

It's a relief when Steve arrives back and pulls her aside to let her know she'll be able to go see Bucky later; she sees the sympathy in his face as she relaxes and can't bring herself to hide it.

He has a difficult conversation of his own to have with Tony and Nat, once he can get them away from the Secretary of State. Sharon's not privy to that chat, and she wonders how the other Avengers will take the news of Bucky's new political alliance.

And no one tells the Secretary. Not yet.

"You did what?" Nat studies the look on Tony's face as he stares at Steve and idly wonders if he's going to have a complete nervous breakdown before this is through.

"Went with Bucky while he requested political asylum from King T'Challa," Steve repeats. Sam must have known, she thinks, given that he's just leaning against the wall and listening. She really can't leave them alone for even a minute. "King T'Challa granted him sanctuary."

"Ross is going to go nuts." Tony scrubs a shaking hand over his face. "Jesus, Steve, I was working on it--"

"Look at it this way," Nat interrupts, before it can get ugly. All eyes turn to her. "At least now he won't be able to order you to bring James in, and Steve won't have to try to stop you. That's good, right?"

From the looks on their faces, neither of them had thought of that.

Tony drops heavily into a chair and immediately gets back up again to pace.

"Okay," he says. "Yes, that's good. But what about the controls? How can I fix him if I can't work with him, huh?"

He wheels on Steve, a feverish glint in his eyes. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to get into Wakanda? I don't know anyone who's managed it. The place is a complete mystery."

"I don't either," Steve says, steadily. It's been hard on all of them these last weeks, Nat thinks, but hardest of all on him and Tony. "But there's got to be something we can do. I can't believe they'd be willing to offer him protection just to lock him away from the rest of the world. King T'Challa didn't strike me as someone who would do that."

She hopes he's right, because if he turns out to be wrong about this, he'll never forgive himself. Never.

Tony throws up his hands and stalks to the edge of the room, snaking a sample-sized airplane package of peanut out of his pocket as he does. "Then you need to make sure I can talk to His Highness," he says, pointing the packet at Steve before ripping it open and tossing a few peanuts into his mouth.

"And in the meantime, we better hope the Secretary believes the Deputy Commander – seriously, can we come up with some nicknames for them, or something? – about your role on the mission."

"One of them's already got a nickname, but I can't see calling the man 'Thunderbolt,'" Sam drawls. "Could try 'T-Bone,' but it doesn't really fit him."

Nat rolls her eyes at him, and he grins at her before turning serious once more. "Anyway, what's your sense from talking with him, Tony? How deep is this whole mess?"

"How should I know?" Tony grumbles. "It's not like we braid each other's hair and talk about our deepest darkest secrets. He's pissed enough at me for working with you – "

He looks at Steve and Sam. " – and you, and the bionic man. But I don't think he's going to give up until he gets what he wants... whatever that is."

Things don't get any clearer after that. They go around in circles trying to figure out what Ross wants and what it's going to do to them, together and separately.

Steve and Sam never once say a word of blame to either her or Tony for signing the Accords. She's glad, but ... she keeps thinking about it.

The day drags on. They put together a formal report on the mission, since they evidently have to file those now, and send it off. Tony's goal seems to be to be as vague as possible so they don't have to do more of them; Nat counters that if they look like they're hiding things, they'll get more scrutiny. He throws up his hands and lets her have her way.

In the late afternoon, she leaves them to it, promising to meet them back at the hotel later, and goes to the Deputy Commander's office. "Hi," she says, when Agent Riley opens the door for her. "I'm looking for Agent Carter. Can I borrow her for an hour or two?"

"You came to the right spot," Riley says, warmly, and opens the door wider. "Agent Carter?"

Sharon looks up from the report she's reviewing and glances at Ross, who waves grumpily at her. "Go ahead," he said. "Keep your phone on."

Sharon rolls her eyes so only Nat can see and gets up to come to the door and step outside. "Hey," she says. "Just so you know, I'm extra grateful you brought me new clothes, considering how today's gone."

"I don't think any of us knew what today was going to be like," Nat says, a little ruefully. "Come on."

She starts leading the way down the hall. "I figured you could use a break," she says quietly, as they walk. "And I also thought you might want some company when you went back to your apartment for the first time since... well."

Nat glances over at her. "If not, I won't push. But if so... want to head out for a bit?"

Sharon's quirked half-smile is wry. "Right on both counts," she says.

She'd thought she would have company. She just didn't think it would be Nat.

Sharon glances sidelong at her friend as they walk. "How are you doing with everything, Nat?"

"I won't lie to you. It's a lot," she murmurs. More than Sharon knows, even, although she's not sure how much she knows about her and James.

"But I'm very good at compartmentalizing."

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