[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]

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.

[marvel_npc]

"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.

[nerves_of_ice]

"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.

[from_the_outside]

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.

[marvel_npc]

"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.

[marvel_npc]

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."

[marvel_npc]

"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.

[marvel_npc]

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."

[marvel_npc]

"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?"

[marvel_npc]

"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."

[marvel_npc]

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?"

[from_the_outside]

"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."

[marvel_npc]

"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?"

[from_the_outside]

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?"

[marvel_npc]

"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."

[from_the_outside]

Sharon huffs a small, wry breath. "I know you are. But if you want to talk about any of it..."

She tips her head in the direction of the Center exit, where they're currently headed. "We're about to have some time. And I think I still have some wine at my place."

[marvel_npc]

"Maybe we can trade stories," she says, lightly. "Braid each other's hair."

Nat gives her a half-thoughtful, half-teasing glance. "Wine's a good idea. We could also pick up vodka on the way."

[from_the_outside]

"I know a great spot to get some."

There's a light glint of mischief in her eyes as she looks at Nat. "Just don't tell my doctor."

[marvel_npc]

She smiles.

"Your secret's safe with me."

[from_the_outside]

She's glad for the bottle of good vodka they'd bought when she and Nat walk down the hall to her apartment after picking up the new key. The sound of metal against metal as she unlocks the door sends a chill down her spine, one that's amplified when she opens the door and invites Nat in.

The place is still a mess. Thankfully, there hadn't been any blood to clean up, but no one had disturbed the evidence. Her coffee table is still askew from when she knocked into it, and when she looks into the bedroom she can see her comforter still on the floor.

"Well," she says, aiming for something light. "It's been in better shape, but welcome, anyway."

[marvel_npc]

"It's a nice apartment." Nat's lips tighten slightly as she looks around the room. "Good thing you're not prone to clutter."

She slips her arm around Sharon's waist and hugs her. "You pour the drinks. I'll tidy up a bit."

[from_the_outside]

"Sounds good."

She squeezes Nat back around the waist, then lets go and head into the kitchen to take down her only two martini glasses.

Long-past mission memories flit through her head as she shakes up the vodka and ice, as she strains the drinks out into the glasses. She picks them both up and heads into her rooms, looking for Nat. "Here you go."

[marvel_npc]

She finishes folding the comforter neatly back over the bed and smoothing it into place, then straightens and turns to accept one of the glasses. "Thanks."

Nat walks with her back out to the living room and curls up at one end of the couch. While things might not all be exactly back where Sharon had them originally, everything's picked up and straightened so that it at least looks neat and intentional, not as it had been. "It's a nice place," she observes, glancing around. A piece of glass-and-metal artwork catches her eye, standing out by virtue of not being part of the neutral apartment decor that's so often found in pre-furnished places, and she studies it for a second before looking back at her friend.

"I can help you set up a few more security tricks, if you want."

[from_the_outside]

"It is, isn't it?" Sharon curls into the other corner, setting her arm on the back of the couch and idly running her fingers over the soft green woolen throw folded there. She follows Nat's glance to the cracked glass art and her own eyes warm before she looks back. "I might take you up on that."

She lifts her glass to Nat. "Bottoms up."

[marvel_npc]

She lifts her glass in turn and takes a long, slow sip before raising her eyebrows at Sharon. "So, tell me. Is your boss's bite as bad as his bark?"