Chapter 38

Thick As Thieves

"Morning, you're up and about at a semi normal time. How you feeling today?" Tony asked, dropping into a dining table, the box of biscuits in front of him. "You alright? You look like someone kicked your pup-"

"I met her." He said, unsure why he was so nervous. He had an idea; Barnes was surfacing, frightened of punishment.

"Who?"

"The…costume girl. From the tar- the boy's phone."

"What?" Tony asked, staring at the man in front of him. "You-"

"It was an accident. They walked into me, and invited me to join them at a bar for drinks."

"Wait, what?" Tony stared at the man, hand inside the box of biscuits; he pulled one out slowly and bit into it to keep himself busy.

"She was nice. Her friend is…nice, though he likes nicknames. They both seem to."

"Which were…?"

"He called me scary, and she used numerous terms of affection."

"…So…"

"They are both fine. They called…your…I can not think of her name. She picked me up from their residence."

"Oh! Pepper! Yeah. She was…confused, but she spoke to me this morning; she was just relieved you were okay."

"She was?"

"Course. Explained the…thing with the reporters to me, though I think maybe they were asking something different than what she was told."

"…Yes. I do not believe the two from the bar knew who I was."

"Reporters obviously did. I'll take a guess at the questions, so don't feel like you need to explain it to me." Tony said, and Winter's shoulders relaxed. "Also, warning. The kid is looking for you."

"Why?"

"Just…hide. Well." Tony said, grabbing a handful of biscuits and walking away; Winter wasn't sure, but he thought the man might be grinning.

Peter dropped from the vent in the library, landing on the globe beside the couch Winter was sitting on.

"You're as bad as Mister Stark to find; did he tell you?" Peter asked.

"He warned me to hide. He did not specify the reason why I should."

"Oh."

"What do you want?"

"You can say no."

Winter didn't answer, he just raised an eyebrow at Peter. He could hear the teen swallow spit; nervous.

"Do you wanna come to the beach? I managed to get everyone else to agree. You don't have to swim, I'm not going to, we can just play in the sand or hang out on the board wal-"

"That would be…I will go."

"Yes!" Peter shouted, flipping back off the globe and running out of the room. Winter wondered just what he had had agreed himself, and Barnes, to.

They went to the beach a few days later, on a Saturday. Clint dragged his wife and kids along; Tony dragged along the rest of the team. Winter and Steve had separated from the group, to walk along the boardwalk while the others bought food.

"Heya there big guy!" A young man called out to Steve; Winter was busy with something behind Steve. The young man was playing with a stack of cards, smiling at Steve.

"Heya son, you alright?"

"Dandy. You much of a card game man? Show you some magic."

"Sure, why not."

"Alright watch carefully."

The young man said, holding the cards in both hands, shuffling them in all kinds of quick handed ways that Steve hadn't seen before. Finally, he held the card stack in his palm, and told Steve to take the top card. When Steve reached over, the man flexed his hand, and the stack of cards flew up into Steve's face. He stepped back to protect his face out of reflex; he heard footsteps running away from where he was.

"He took your wallet." Winter said, walking up to Steve.

"Son of a-"

Winter and Steve took off after the man, following him through the crowd. The young man glanced back at Steve, and saw Winter. He increased his pace, until he ran into a young girl with black hair.

"There was an accident." He said, breathing hard, holding her shoulders.

"Let me guess, it happened when you were born."

"What? No! I ran into someone and accidentally stole their wallet."

"Jesus Christ, that's not how accidents work! Who was it?"

"Well, I didn't know who blondie was at the time, I've figured it out now. Luckily, we know his friend."

"Oh, who is it?"

"He's a big scary fuck. Unfortunately, I have also figured out who the friend is." He said, and she saw Steve over the man's shoulders, running towards them; Winter beside him.

"You did not steal Captain America's wallet."

"Would it make the situation better if I told you I didn't know it was him?"

"Not at all!" She said, moving into a run, which the young man followed. They were easy to follow, as they made no effort to conceal their path; they simply pushed through groups of people.

She darted past a store, as Clint's wife stepped out into the walkway; holding their daughter. The young man dodged at the last minute, missing Laura but shoving Clint to the side and into Tony, before running off, shouting a 'Sorry!' back at them.

"Hey, that guy looked familiar too!" He shouted at the girl as they ran.

"Which avenger was it this time?"

"I think it was Tony Stark!"

"I was joking!"

"I'm not!"

Winter and Steve ran through the group as well, keeping up the chase.

"Was that…Steve and Winter, chasing two young twenties?" Tony asked, watching the two men disappear.

"What happened to take and return?!" She shouted at him as she turned sharply around a corner of the boardwalk, and kept running.

"Normally the people I steal from don't notice straight away!" He shouted back. "Also, how are they so fucking fast?!"

"I'll bet they're fucking heavy though, come on!"

She stopped at a wooden wall, which lead upwards to a series of wooden walkways, used as scaffolding. She began to climb, which the man followed, and they emerged onto the top of the walkways, which bent under their weight. They stopped for a moment to breathe, then saw Winter and Steve at the wall, looking up at them. Then another man appeared beside them; with shorter blonde hair.

"Who's that?" The young man asked, then the man began to climb up the wooden wall, heading for them. "Alright expert; who the fuck is it?"

"Who cares?!" She said, moving off along the bending walkways, pulling herself up to another one, and heading off along it. "I did not get shot twice to die like this! Now hurry up!"

She sped up, and the young man copied; they reached the end of the walkways they were on and jumped, landing on the roof of a store nearby. She shouted as she landed, collapsing when her leg met the ground, and laid on her back, breathing heavily.

"I figured it out." She said, breathing between words, as she sat up. "I think it's Hawkeye."

"If I die from an arrow I am going to be so pissed off."

"It would be totally deserved."

"It would totally justify my life long fear of birds."

"Stop talking and help me up, for fuck's sake."

"Alright you cripple, come here."

He helped her up, and helped her climbed off the roof of the building, catching her when she dropped from the roof down towards him. Clint landed on the roof as she disappeared from view; the wallet laying on the floor near his feet.

"Well, got the wallet back." Clint said, joining the others.

"Is anything missing?" Steve asked, taking it from his team mate. "Oh thank god."

"Everything alright now you lot?" Tony asked, from their boardwalk table.

"Yeah, I guess." Steve said, sitting back down beside Tony. "I can't believe they didn't fall off of those wooden platforms."

"She royally fucked her leg though, when she jumped off at the end." Clint said, sitting beside Laura. Winter was already sitting on the other side of her; Clint's wife was nice, he liked her.

"Wait, they what?!" Steve asked.

"Yeah, the walkways ended and they jumped, landed on a store roof; she didn't land very well."

"Keep an eye out for a girl with a poorly working leg then." Tony said, shrugging. They finished their lunch and enjoyed the rest of their day on the beach. They dropped Laura and the kids back off at their hotel, before heading out for a few drinks in town.

Winter was watching through the front window, when he saw two people walk past, arms looped over each others shoulders. He stood up suddenly, and ran outside, to follow them.

"Hey!" Tony shouted; Winter's movement had spilt a small bit of his lemonade.

"You're just a sad song with nothing to say…!" The man was singing; Winter suspected the man was drunk.

"About a life long wait for a hospital stay…!" The girl continued the song, also likely drunk.

"And if you think that I'm wrong…"

"This never meant nothing to yaaa…!"

"I mean everything to ya."

"Shut the fuck up."

"Don't make me drop you on the ground."

Winter kicked something at his feet that he didn't see; a glass bottle, which rolled along, making noise as it went. The two turned at the noise, and saw him.

"Hey Scary!" The man said, grinning at Winter. "How are you doing?"

"Do I know either of you?" Bucky asked, staring at them.

"What's the weird voice for, Scary?"

"I told you not not to call him that!"

"And I told you I'd drop you. I meant it."

"Salaud." She mumbled, which made the man laugh.

"Don't French me, it's rude."

"I wouldn't French you if my life depended on it."

"You alright?" Steve asked, finding Winter outside. "Why'd you run off?"

"Heya Rogers. Not Winter." Bucky said, as Steve stepped beside him.

"Oh, alright, that was…quick. Who are you talking to-"

"Well, fuck." The young man said, pulling the girl slightly closer to him, but angling himself in front of her.

"Found your wallet thieves."

"Thieves?!" She shouted, and the man rolled his eyes. "Don't include me in this."

"Max!" The man shouted, shocked. "You know; you ran as well."

"Brandon." She said, mimicking him. "Anywho, was good to see ya again." She said this to Winter, who she hadn't realized was now Bucky.

"I haven't met you before."

"Oof, harsh." The man, Brandon, said. "Not important enough for ya, Scary?"

"You didn't meet me; you met…Winter."

Steve's eyes went wide; taking in the pair of drunk young people in front of him. They had met Winter? Were they okay?

"…Um, explain?" She asked.

"I'm…Winter was the soldier, I'm Bucky."

"Lookit you, meeting all your heroes." Brandon teased her.

"Shut. Up." She hissed at him.

"Captain Rogers? Bucky and or Winter?" Peter called out, coming from inside the restaurant. "Mister Stark is pretending not to worry; he isn't very good at it. Who are they?" A traffic light up ahead had gone green, letting a stream of cars drive past them, only one pulling over to top on the other side of the street.

"Good, nice to meet you two. We need to go." Brandon said, pulling the girl back with him. "You should probably go home too." He said, glancing sideways at the man walking across the street.

"Our address is in your phone, if you ever need help." She said, and the two turned; there were shots fired, the man from the car having pulled out some sort of firearm. Steve and Bucky spun to see the man, pushing Peter behind them.

"Inside kid, warn the team, start moving civilians." Steve said, and Peter nodded, then moved inside, as the front windows exploded. Natasha and Clint were already busy moving people out through the back exits, while Tony was pulling gear out from the duffle bag that had been under their table.

"You find a rooftop to get ready on; swing in from another direction so they don't suspect anything. Clint and Natasha are moving people, Steve will need his shield, it's in the car we took to get here. Winter has…himself, I guess."

"It's Bucky now, I'll get the shield on my way." Peter said and left through the back, with the civilians, before running off to get ready.

"They took him to their apartment." Bucky said, as more men climbed out of the car, each one armed.

"Huh? Who?"

"Those two we were talking to. They took Winter to their house, and helped him call Pepper to get him home."

"Oh, well…that was good of them."

"They didn't know who he was." Bucky dodged a shot, and punched the man before he could fire another. "Winter likes them."

"Of course he does, fantastic. Did they try to get him drunk? They seem the type."

"No, they bought him a glass of coke. She dressed like him. It was…good, if really fucking weird."

"Captain!" Spiderman called out, letting the shield go above Steve; who caught it with a shout of thanks. The fight began properly then; Steve and Bucky moved into the street, with Spiderman above them helping to web people. It was easier than expected, though they were glad for it. There were no civilian casualties, and only minor injuries from the window breaking. The team regrouped at the tower and showered, before piling into the lounge to watch a movie. Tony was contacted by the police; it was a turf war that they were thankfully around during, some kind of fight going on between the restaurant owner and a local gang.

"Stark, what do-" Loki asked, stepping into the lab, and stopping when he saw the mannequin wearing his New York armour.

"Hey! You made it!" Tony cheered from his seat next to the mannequin.

"What, is this?"

"Do you like it?"

"It's…rather small, for me."

"Good, it's not for you. It's for…that girl who got shot."

"Ah, has she recovered well?"

"Err, we had another run in with them, her and her friend. She hurt her ankle, landing on a roof."

The doors slid open again, and Bucky – or Winter, Tony wasn't sure- walked in, looking at the ground.

"Stark- oh. I will come back." So, Winter then.

"Nonsense! What did you need?" Tony asked, beaming.

"Help."

"With…?"

"Stark, I shall eat, then return to assist you with what you called me for."

"Oh! I wrote it all out, here." Tony said, passing a piece of paper to Loki, who took it with a roll of his eyes, and left the lab; leaving Tony with Winter.

"Okie doke; what did you want help with?"

"A project." He said, still looking at the ground.

"You alright? Why you looking at the floor?"

"Barnes is…nervous. It's making life rather difficult."

"What's he nervous about?"

"Asking you for assistance."

"Huh, I thought he got used to it."

"He…remembered, last night, how he attacked Peter near the water."

"Oohhhh, I getcha. Anyway, what's the project?"

Winter pulled something out of his jeans pocket, and held it out to Tony; a stack of playing cards. Tony took them, stopping himself from freaking out just that little bit, about being near Winter.

"What did you want me to do?"

"Make them come back."

"Huh?"

"I…want them to come back, if they get dropped, like Rogers' shield."

"Oh! Why? What's it for?"

"…A gift."

"Do I get to guess who?"

"If you have to."

"Nah, I have a good idea. Let me look at it for a bit, and I'll work out a test one."

Winter nodded, and left the lab without another word. Tony wasn't expecting Winter to come to him specifically for help, he figured the man must have some issues with it; Barnes had gotten better. He also wasn't expecting the deck of cards to be the project the man wanted help with but the more he thought about it, the more excited he got about the project.

The next morning, Tony burst into the gym while Winter was sparring with Steve.

"Whichever one you are, look at this!" Tony shouted, throwing a pile of cards onto the ground in front of him; they landed, and settled, staying still.

"Tony wha-"

Tony held up his hand, a small metal ring on his ring finger; the cards shifted suddenly, lifting up and flying into his hand, landing in a neat pile.

"What…the fuck?" Bucky asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Okay! So I know which one you are today, good! This is for Winter." Tony beamed, holding the card deck still in it's little pile.

"Wait, he actually asked you for that?" Bucky asked. "He…thought about it, didn't realize he actually did."

"I'll go start breakfast Buck." Steve said, waving at the two men as he left the gym.

"Thanks Stark. Sorry for th-"

"You can ask me for help." Tony blurted out. He wanted to run.

"What?"

"He wouldn't…look at me, when he came to ask for the cards. Said you were having issues asking me for help, so it was making it a little harder for him. You can…I don't mind, helping."

"Don't mind helping, or don't mind helping me?"

"Both. Either. I Don't know how to answer that. Just…you can ask for help, I don't mind."

Bucky stared at Tony, and Tony expected to be told to fuck of but…it didn't happen.

"Friday needs to look at my profile again. There's more videos."

"What, like the training ones?"

"Yeah. I try not to…watch them but, Winter does it, when he comes out. I can't-"

"I'll get Friday on it Barnes, if it's easier to just…watch them, I understand."

"I could've killed him."

"Barnes. It wasn't you. I can't even…really be mad at Winter, either, this time."

"Why the hell not?"

"Because he…seems to not want to hurt Peter, he keeps trying to stop himself, to find ways to testing the boundaries. I don't like it…not really but…I can't blame him."

"What you said, last time. What did you tell Rogers?"

"Oh…uh…"

"Stark, just tell me."

"I said I'd end you. I actually said a lot, but that's what it boiled down to."

"If it happens, actually do it."

"What?" Tony was confused now.

"If it happens, if I do hurt him. Kill me."

"What? I'm no-"

"Just…actually, kill me. Nothing…prolonged."

"Barnes! I'm not…I'm not gonna exact my revenge against you by torturing you. I like to think I'm better then HYDRA."

"I like to think you are too."

"Barne-"

"It's my biggest hang up; I worry about it the most. Out of everything."

"What? Being tortured?"

"It's not something you just…"

"Barnes, have you ever been waterboarded?"

"No. They preferred electricity."

"I have been. It sucks, Barnes. I…I know, what it's like to not be able to remember. I'll help you, if you want it."

Bucky nodded, unsure if he should believe Tony, and left the gym without saying anything.

Tony went back to the lab, pleased with his work. Bucky found him a little while later, with a cup of coffee in hand.

"Steve sent me down with a coffee for you." He said, leaving it on the bench; Tony grinned, wheeling over to it, and sipping on it as he worked. Half an hour later, he was rubbing his eyes; he was so tired. He shoved the piece of paper he'd been writing on aside, knocking the coffee over as he did; amongst the spilt liquid, he could see chunks of something white, not quite dissolved. Tony's eyes closed, even though he tried to fight it. He slumped, falling to the side, landing on the floor as he heard something come through the door into the lab. He felt something cold grab around his wrist, then everything was gone.