Divided We Stand

Author's Note: So, just a note - the world in my canon knows the Winter Soldier exists but they don't know he's Bucky.

The moment Tony Stark stepped off the elevator, Cat's floor went completely silent. Cat Grant was one of the biggest names in media, inspiring fear and awe in all those who encountered her. The staff was used to being around some with such a high celebrity status; things like that did not faze them. Tony Stark was on a whole other level – the leading name in clean energy, a bigger name in the technology world than National City's Maxwell Lord, and one of the leading members of the Avengers. It was hard not to stare at the well dressed and well-groomed billionaire as he strode toward Cat's office like he owned the whole building.

"What a quaint little office," he said aloud, his voice seeming to echo in the eerie silence of the office. Tony liked Cat as much as she liked him.

"Play nice, Tony," Maia chided from behind the man. She dressed as well as her boss though she wore a skirt and heels rather than dress slacks and shoes. Her dark hair was pulled back and held in place with a hair clip.

"You thinks it's nicer than the tower?" Tony asked seriously.

"Of course it is. That tower of yours is a gaudy display that is a clear attempt by you to compensate for your short comings."

Tony stopped in his tracks a mere foot away from Cat. He smirked devilishly at the woman. "I don't need to compensate for anything."

Cat just raised an eyebrow at Tony, completely unfazed by him. "Why don't we step into my office and get down to business so you can get out of my city and back to New York," she suggested before retreating back to her office.

Tony followed her, breezing by Kara's desk without even a glance at the blonde. Any other day Tony likely would have stopped to flirt with her. At that moment, though, all Tony wanted to do was finish his business with Cat and return to New York like Cat had suggested. Things had escalate between the Avengers rather quickly, with Steve still at odds with him. It was driving a wedge in the team and causing Tony's new mission more harm than good. He had yet to tell Maia what had been happening in the city since she had left for National City and he was dreading telling her at all. He knew it was going to break her heart and the last thing Tony wanted to do was be the cause of anymore heartbreak where she was concerned.

"Let's get on with this farce," Cat said as she and Tony sat across from each other while Maia stood just behind Tony's chair.

"All I need to know is that you got your precious Supergirl on board with the Sokovia Accords and I'll be back in New York within the hour," stated Tony.

"No and I don't intend to." Tony glanced over his shoulder at Maia quickly. "Don't blame her. She did her due diligence for you, Anthony. I made up my mind after doing some digging into these accords. Why should heroes like Supergirl have to suffer because you have a propensity for destroying whole cities?"

"Supergirl doesn't have a squeaky clean record herself. I seem to recall an incident where even you, her biggest fan, denounced her for her actions against the city," Tony said, his eyes narrowing at Cat.

Cat scowled at Tony before composing herself to continue on. "Super girl's only focus is National City. She's not a global hero like Captain America. You already have a golden boy at your beck and call."

"Rogers went AWOL. Him and the Falcon," confessed Tony. He braced himself for Maia's reaction. He turned to face her when all he heard was a gasp from her. She was staring at him, wide eyed, but quiet. "We think they're aiding the rogue HYDRA fugitive The Winter Soldier," he added without taking his eyes off of Maia.

"You want Supergirl to stand in his place."

"She would be a great help in assuring the world the Accords are working for them. The world wants heroes who are going to be held accountable for their actions, not vigilantes running around and destroying cities," Tony told Cat.

"And will you finally be accountable for your actions? I saw the footage from Wakanda last year," continued Cat without missing a beat. She had no qualms about tearing Tony to pieces. "And that's not taking into consideration everything else you have done in your life that you need to be held accountable for."

"Can we put the personal vendetta aside for a moment?" Tony asked sincerely. "This is a serious issue, Cat. If we don't get on board with this now, it's only a matter of time before the government forces it on us. Supergirl and Superman included."

"And you don't have some sort of agenda? You're not profiting at all from this?"

"I'm trying to keep my friends and the world safe," Tony replied as he leaned back in his chair. He looked worn down, almost haggard in that moment. Everything leading up to that moment was finally starting to hit him. While he found it oddly pleasurable to match wits with Cat Grant, it was just adding to his burdens that day.

Cat noticed the sudden change in the billionaire as well and felt a momentary tinge of guilt for what she was about to do next. But it had to be addressed if there was to be any certainty of Tony's true motives behind trying to recruit Supergirl to his cause. She opened a desk drawer and pulled out a manila folder and set it down on her desk. The folder had arrived at her doorstep the morning after Maia had shown up in National City. "This isn't your way of trying to legitimize a witch hunt for the one responsible for your parents' death, is it?" she asked slowly.

Tony went rigid in his chair as Maia inhaled sharply. After the fall of SHIELD, Steve and Natasha had told Tony what had been revealed to them about the deaths of Howard and Maria Stark – which HYDRA had orchestrated the event to look like an accident. It was knowledge known only amongst the Avengers; it had not been deemed suspicious by SHIELD and those in HYDRA had been careful not to leave any traceable ties of the incident in SHIELD's systems. It had not been part of the Black Widow's data leak to the world in much the same way Clint Barton's family had not been. "What are you doing Cat?" Tony demanded hoarsely. His mouth had gone dry the moment Cat had pulled the folder out.

"It's no secret the incident at the UN is being blamed on the Winter Soldier," the blonde woman said as she flipped the folder open. "But there's more to that, isn't there? This was a truly interesting read, I'll admit. Seventy years of atrocities committed by this man, including the deaths of Howard and Maria Stark."

"You don't understand the situation," Maia spoke up before Tony could. Cat and Tony both turned to look at her. "Please drop this, both of you. This is not what we're here to discuss."

"This is integral to this conversation. I'm not excusing this man's actions but I am not going to help endorse Tony's vendetta," Cat countered, her tone filled with annoyance that Maia had interrupted.

"Maia, go get me a coffee or something equally strong," Tony said suddenly.

"You want coffee?" the younger woman asked incredulously.

"There's a surprise," huffed Cat.

"I'll have you know I've been cutting back," grumbled Tony in his own defense. He gave Maia a stern look. "Do I have to ask you again?"

Maia nodded once at Tony. "One black coffee coming up," she said before turning to go. Maia was only just at the office door when she heard Tony speak to Cat again. "And you wonder why she won't leave me for you." The wrath in his voice made Maia move quickly. Even when she was feuding with Tony, he was still always looking out for her in his own way. There was no way she would ever be able to pick between him and Steve. If there was even a choice anymore; she had just spoken with Steve the day she arrived in National City and everything seemed normal. Now he had apparently gone rogue. Everything was escalating so quickly and Maia didn't know if things could be fixed anymore.

With a sigh, Maia pulled out a little flip phone she had picked up to talk to Steve on. It was a safer way for them to talk than on the phone Tony had given her. She scrolled throw her few contacts until she came to Steve's secure line. She hoped he would answer. She needed to hear his voice, to know he was okay. She waited as the phone rang and rang. Her heart sank when Steve's voicemail kicked in. "Steve, what's going on? Please, please call me back!" she pleaded desperately before the voicemail cut her off. The sinking feeling she had before the call only got worse as she flipped her phone closed and made her way to the coffee shop.

"So what did you find out?" Winn asked when he, Kara, and James had assembled in their private office space at lunch.

"Nothing good," replied Kara as she folded her arms over her chest and leaned against a wall. "Even Cat doesn't trust Stark's motives."

Winn frowned as he sat down in front of his computer set up. He did not like the sounds of what Kara had just told him. He was worried about Maia being so close to the middle of everything. "This isn't good at all," he sighed, scrubbing his face with his hands.

"That's not even the worst of it," added Kara, earning a groan from Winn.

"What could be worse than Tony Stark's personal motives?" James asked as he moved to stand with Kara.

"Captain America and the Falcon have gone rogue. Stark wants me to be his new Captain America," she replied as she shifted closer to James. "Maia doesn't know this last part, but Stark suspects it has to do with the Captain's friend from the war. A man named Barnes?"

"Bucky Barnes?!" exclaimed Win, his eyes lighting up. Everybody knew about Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes from grade school history. Captain America's best friend who died during the war. "He's alive?!"

"He's the man responsible for everything that happened in DC," Kara said grimly.

"What? How?" Winn frowned at Kara, wishing he had her super hearing so he could have heard everything for himself. Bucky Barnes was just as big a hero as Captain America; the idea that he was behind the fall of SHIELD was inconceivable.

"They didn't go into too much detail but he's been part of HYDRA going by the name 'Winter Soldier'," Kara told her friend.

"So the Winter Soldier and James Barnes are the same guy? Barnes' death happened during the Second World War. The man would be in his nineties by now," pointed out James.

"Whatever HYDRA did must have kept him alive. Suspended animation or something like that. Like the ice kept Captain America alive," mused Winn.

"But why would he switch sides? If he's friends with Captain America, why was he working with HYDRA? From everything that's out there about HYDRA, they're worse than any of the Fort Rozz escapees we've dealt with," pondered Kara. The blonde haired woman felt conflicted by the information she had picked up listening in on Cat and Tony's meeting. Since Captain America had returned to the world, Kara had held him up on a pedestal much like she did her cousin. Now he had turned his back on his team for the sake of one of the most wanted men on the planet.

"Something definitely isn't adding up about this whole situation," agreed James.

"After everything that's happened with the DEO, do you really trust the government to determine where and when you're supposed to save the day?" Winn asked her.

Kara shook her head. "Everything that's been happening with Alex and Hank has been because the government doesn't trust people like me. Who knows what they could order us to do?"

"So what are you going to do?" James asked her.

"I'm going to pay Stark a visit."