[Virginia AU] we rose up from the falling waters

[nerves_of_ice]

A little over a week goes by, and as it does Bucky falls into a pattern, slow but sure. He wakes with Sharon in the mornings, shares coffee and something that suffices for breakfast, then works a little on searches and checking contacts and sources from other time zones and locations. Mid-morning finds him at the Task Force offices with Riley and his team. Early afternoon finds him meeting with Ross, if there's any reason to; mid-afternoon he checks in with Steve, with Tony, or with Natasha before he goes back to tracing rumors and hints.

Today's different, though. Today is Sharon's first day back at work after her suspension, and Bucky's determined not to do a single damn thing that might possibly make it difficult for her.

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[nerves_of_ice]

He dumps the bike on its side and waves the growing crowd to stand back as he circles the two of them to come up from Klaue's side - and then hastily abandons that plan as Klaue laughs in the other man's face. "You savages didn't deserve it," Bucky catches, as he gets closer.

The masked, catlike figure grabs Klaue by the throat and slams him into the side of the SUV, and as claws glint Bucky moves in fast, trying to catch his attention as he positions himself to strike if needed. He's pretty sure he could take him down quick, but if he he attacks him, Klaue might die in the fight.

"Don't do it," he warns. "He's trying to screw with you. He's not getting away. Stand down."

[marvel_npc]

Beneath his hand, Klaue's throat expands as the man gurgles a chuckle. "Listen to him," he says, his voice choked and gasping, but his eyes bright and amused. "Mercy! Oh, king, mercy!"

"Every breath you take is mercy from me," T'Challa snarls at him. Klaue struggles against his grip but can't break away; T'Challa allows himself to turn his head and glance at the man nearby. He holds himself like a fighter, but that arm of his isn't vibranium, and the adrenaline thrumming through T'Challa's veins goes to his head like pure oxygen. "This is not your concern," he bites out. "You've been warned. Do not interfere."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Actually it is," Bucky tells him, thinking fast. King, Klaue had called, loud enough for anyone to hear. He wishes Steve were here; Steve would know what to say, where Bucky's better at shooting things these days than anything else, which won't help now. He turns both hands palm up at his sides, trying to de-escalate. If it all goes wrong he should be able to move fast enough anyway.

"Your highness, the Avengers appreciate your cooperation in bringing this man to justice." He stares him in the face, willing him to take the hint.

[marvel_npc]

"Tell me," T'Challa says, hard. "How much of Wakanda's stolen vibranium do the Avengers hold?"

Klaue chokes a laugh, and T'Challa turns back to him, infuriated, lifting his hand to strike as another car skids to a stop nearby.

"Hai, Ukumkani!" He hears Okoye's shout; she and Nakia race around the hood of Deputy Commander Ross's car, Nakia's eyes desperate as she holds out a hand.

"Ihlabathi libukele," she warns, desperate, and for the first time, T'Challa realizes the people circled around, the phones and cameras they have pointed at him.

After a long second, his claws retract.

[nerves_of_ice]

He can't help the exasperated look that he feels try to form, but manages to shift it to something absolutely neutral just in time, hiding his emotions with the skill of years.

Maybe it's a good thing Steve isn't here after all.

"Come on, guys. Let's go, huh?" Ross calls, from the driver's seat of the Task Force vehicle.

Bucky holds his gaze on T'Challa and waits.

[marvel_npc]

Sirens wail and lights flash as Agent Ross gets out of the car, followed shortly by a blonde woman in a long white dress, who trains a sidearm on Klaue.

There's little choice left to him; T'Challa releases his grip on Klaue's throat and allows the man to crumple. Klaue gasps for breath but chuckles as Task Force personnel swarm the area to apprehend him, and despite the habit's mask, locks his gaze for a moment on T'Challa's.

"C'est la vie," Klaue says, shrugging, and giggles as he's lead to the Task Force vehicle.

[nerves_of_ice]

He doesn't sigh in relief. Barely. Bucky flicks a glance at the rest of the Task Force team and the two must-be-Wakandan women and takes a step closer to Wakanda's king, lowering his voice so that he won't be overheard by the avidly-watching audience they've gathered.

"Thank you." He keeps his tone as calm as he can and hopes inwardly he's doing the right thing when he adds, "And as for the rest - I can tell you that there's no way Cap would have stood for using stolen anything when that shield was made. I know, because I was there. But we can talk about that, if you've got information we don't."

He doesn't mention Vision, not now. That's a simpler and worlds-more-difficult matter at the same time.

[marvel_npc]

The black mask of the Panther habit stares back at the man impassively; behind it, T'Challa takes in the scene unfolding around them. Nakia is with the woman in white, helping to calm the crowd as the blonde woman orders Task Force agents among them. He wonders, idly, if they'll be confiscating the phones and cameras of the onlookers.

Turning his attention back to the mysterious man, T'Challa studies him, his temper simmering. "I have no idea who you are," he says, each word crisp and precise. "Why would I take your word on anything at all? I have never met Captain Rogers, and Wakanda has no dealings with the Avengers. If we did, rest assured we would have collected our property long ago."

He glances at the man's metal arm, then back at his face. "I can only assume you were here to collect more of our vibranium from this criminal for the Avengers you represent. Perhaps as some sort of arrangement with the Task Force?"

He doesn't wait for an answer. "Believe me when I say, these actions do not endear either group to us."

[nerves_of_ice]

He reminds himself of the news coverage, that this man's just lost his father, and that a king's probably got to be at least as arrogant as Thaddeus Ross just to get by in the world.

It doesn't help much. With an effort, Bucky keeps his tone mild. "I'm not here for vibranium," he says. "The Avengers don't want it. I'm here as a liaison from them to assist the Task Force in apprehending Ulysses Klaue, because the illegal weapons trade thing's a problem and he doesn't get to do that any more. Especially not with vibranium."

He makes himself meet the other man's contemptuous stare with an even one of his own. "My name's Bucky. Bucky Barnes. I served with Cap during the last world war. You don't have to take my word for it. God knows there's enough news coverage and museum exhibits to prove it."

[marvel_npc]

"Then you may take this message back to the Avengers, and to the Task Force, too, Bucky Barnes," T'Challa tells him, anger still steaming through his system. "Ulysses Klaue is coming to Wakanda to face justice for his crimes. What happens to him now is of no concern to any of you."

"Actually, I think that's not quite right." Everett Ross has appeared at his shoulder, and his eyes are hard. "Yeah, I know who you are under that costume, your highness. And I think, right now, you had better come with us. Let's not have this conversation in public."

[nerves_of_ice]

Getting out of the public eye's maybe the best idea he's heard all day. Hopefully the fact that T'Challa evidently knows Ross from elsewhere, given what they'd all heard on the comms, will be helpful here.

But if not--

He doesn't let himself move, but holds himself ready to act in case anyone does anything stupid.

[marvel_npc]

Two more join them: the woman in white, and Nakia at her side. The woman speaks to Ross in a low voice, reporting. "We have Klaue," she tells him. "We'd better get going before this blows up even more."

Ross turns to look at him, but T'Challa's attention is on Nakia. She meets his mask's stare with her own level one. There's something almost resigned in her eyes, but what bolsters him is the determination behind it. She nods, very slightly, and he exhales.

"Very well," he tells Ross. "We will accompany you. You may have access to Klaue for questioning before we remove him to Wakanda. And the vibranium returns with us. That is my offer, Ross."

[marvel_npc]

"Sure," Ross says, inwardly fuming. So the new king of Wakanda thinks he can set terms, does he? "Let's start with that. Come on, your highness. I'll drive."

He glances over at Barnes, who shakes his head very slightly and tips it toward the vehicle where they've secured Klaue. Probably not the worst idea this day's seen, he figures, and gives a sharp nod of agreement.

[from_the_outside]

"This way," Sharon tells Nakia, ushering her and the figure in black – who turned out to be T'Challa, of all people – toward the vehicles while Bucky moves like a silent predator toward the SUV with Klaue.

Who turns out to be a singularly annoying captive. He doesn't seem to care that he's been captured and instead spends his time singing 'Don't Stand So Close to Me' at the top of his lungs, making Ross grind his teeth so loudly Sharon can hear it from the passenger seat as the caravan winds its way towards the Task Force's safe room.

Sharon glances back at Nakia, who meets her eyes with a faint, wry smile and shakes her head very slightly.

No answers here, apparently. At least, not yet.

[nerves_of_ice]

He keeps his watchful gaze on Klaue, outwardly unmoved by the man's taunting or any of his antics, and keeps whatever thoughts he might have about the way the Task Force secures the weapon the man had embedded in his prosthetic arm to himself.

Halfway through the ride, his phone buzzes with an override signal. Bucky pulls it out of its inner pocket and flicks a glance at it. It's Tony.

so I'm seeing a lot of reports online about a wild night in Busan
I mean, a LOT
want me to tap in?

The last thing they need right now is for Iron Man to land on this city, Bucky thinks. He keeps his screen angled away from everyone as he texts back.

K in custody
minimal property damage
relax, will call later

[from_the_outside]

The ride to the safe room is a grim and silent one, until they arrive, whereupon the Wakandans engage in a hushed, whispered conversation that ends with the woman with the shaved head giving her king an exasperated glance and leaving – presumably, Sharon thinks, to get their things.

She changes out of the gown while the team gets Klaue situated, telling them to take any advice Bucky might give before she does so. By the time she returns, the Wakandan woman is back, and T'Challa has changed from the clinging black suit into something more reasonable. His gaze could burn a hole through the two-way mirrored glass of the room where they're putting Klaue.

"Sure this is a good idea?" Sharon murmurs to Ross, her arms folded. He shakes his head and scowls.

"But we don't have much of a choice, Carter."

[nerves_of_ice]

It's reasonably appointed for a safe room, he decides, even with a notable absence of basement cells. Bucky reviews the surveillance options with the team, confirms the cameras cover all angles, and makes sure that at least two agents are monitoring at all times. He sends a text to Tony to reconfirm everything's still okay and he'll still call later and reminds himself to share his observations about the women's car and spear later, too. Once that's finished, he returns to join Sharon and Ross in the room outside the interrogation cell.

For now, he doesn't approach T'Challa. Better to hold off on that until after this is dealt with.

"Well?" he asks Ross.

[from_the_outside]

Ross considers them both, his jaw tight, then looks at Sharon. "Carter, you know the Wakandan woman?"

"Nakia," she confirms. "I ran into her a few times during my SHIELD days. We're..."

She considers allies, tosses out colleagues. "Friends," she decides.

"Then I want you with her," Ross orders. "Find out what you can, and if there's any way we can get the Wakandans to relent a little. Barnes – "

He turns to Bucky. Though her boss is a short man, he holds himself with the kind of military precision that means even looking up at Bucky doesn't make him seem small. "With me," he decides. "In interrogation."

[nerves_of_ice]

Bucky nods. "Good cop, bad cop?" he asks, curious if the man's going to go classic or if he's got something else in mind. He keeps a corner of his attention on T'Challa and the spear-wielding woman, who approach them in time to hear the question.

"Pretty much what I was thinking," Ross says. He turns to T'Challa. "We'll go in first, then you guys can take your turn. Okay?"

[marvel_npc]

The woman leans close to T'Challa and mutters something in their language. T'Challa replies in the same, then turns back to Ross. "After your questioning, we will take him back to Wakanda with us."

Ross stares at him, feeling his headache beginning to spike. "What? No. Look, I like you fine, your highness, but he's in my custody now. He's not going anywhere. Listen, I'm doing you a favor even by letting you be in here."

He pairs this with a light tap of the back of his knuckles against T'Challa's chest. The king looks down, nonplussed, and Ross manages not to step back as the woman puts herself between him and the king. Her eyes are hard as steel as she snaps out what definitely sounds like a threat in the Wakandan language.

[nerves_of_ice]

The way she looks, he honestly wouldn't be surprised if she pulled out that spear of hers and stuck Ross in the gut with it. Bucky shifts position, clearly ready to act if necessary, and makes an effort at diplomacy.

Again. Natasha's going to laugh herself sick when she hears, he just knows it.

"Ma'am, please," he says, neutrally. "Deputy Commander, if you'd oblige me?"

[marvel_npc]

It's a sad day when the damn Winter Soldier is a relative beacon of diplomacy and manners. Ross looks askance at the woman. "Does she speak English?" he asks T'Challa, and her lip curls.

"When she wants to," she says, and Ross bristles as they eye each other. "Right, Sergeant," he answers Barnes, finally, and looks at T'Challa. "I'm going in. And when we're done, you're up."

He turns away, only to turn back as T'Challa calls him, before the king puts a friendly hand on his shoulder. "Agent Ross," he says, warmly. "I do appreciate your help here in Busan."

Ross looks at him, then at the glowering woman. "You see that?" he says, nodding to T'Challa's hand on his shoulder. "That's called diplomacy. You're welcome," he tells the king, and nods to Barnes. "Let's go."

[nerves_of_ice]

He's fairly certain that grip was a demonstration of power, if not a challenge to see if any of Ross's people would defend him the way T'Challa's own had, but Bucky doesn't rise to the bait, if bait it was.

Silently, he follows Ross into the interrogation room and takes up position against the wall, staring intently at Klaue, who's singing again.

[marvel_npc]

Ross settles in the metal folding chair across from Klaue, a Styrofoam cup of coffee in his hands, and doesn't allow any of the exasperation he's feeling to come across his face. Off to the side, Barnes is staring Klaue down like he thinks blinking might be against the law, but Ross has to admit it's effective.

He lifts his eyebrows at Klaue, waiting until the man finally stops singing and grins cheerfully at him. "You know," Klaue says, almost conversationally, "you really shouldn't trust those Wakandans. I'm much more your speed."

"I don't trust anybody, not in this job," Ross tells him, not allowing himself to get dragged in. "But what I am interested in is that arm cannon out there. Where'd you get that?"

Klaue smiles. "It's an old mining tool I made some adjustments to," he says. "But I can get you one if you like."

[nerves_of_ice]

“Why don’t you give me the name of your supplier and I’ll ask them,” Ross counters.

Bucky watches as Klaue looks past him and at the window. “He’s right outside. Why don’t you ask him yourself?”

“T’Challa? You’re telling me that weapon on your arm is from Wakanda?” Disbelief paints Ross’s words.

For his part, Bucky’s not so sure. He thinks of an impossible spear, of a car that repelled bullets as harmlessly as rain, and narrows his eyes the slightest bit.