I am sorry it took me soo long!
I need to write to my strengths.
Anyhow, let me know what you think!
Chapter 18:
Unspoken Truth
The days, 12 to be exact, flew bye like they were on a Starship going warp speed, and for each of those days, Tony was either trapped in his personal lab at the tower, labs at the Playhouse, sitting with Barnes or listening to the team go on and on about Hydra. Tony hadn't been able to sneak away as much as he wanted to see Barnes, but with each time he did, he could've sworn he saw something in the man's blue eyes. When he could not get away, he was in the labs, building more suits. Several people had attempted to drag him out by his ears, using food a time to do so. Both Steve and Sam had tried numerous times, but Tony just stared at them with a blank glower. A few hot stare later, Sam sent Steve away in an attempt to break through Tony's formable walls and get him to talk.
Sam Wilson, with a large smile, was a friendly guy. Anyone could see this from a mile away, and even though Sam barely knew Tony- two weeks wasn't enough to know someone-, he was prepared to help Tony in any way he could, even going outside of his comfort zone. It was odd, a bit awkward considering the chilling words they shared in the last timeline: plus, why Sam was so willing to help a guy he barely knew? Granted, this was Sam Wilson. Tony was sure it was coded in his DNA. Sam would help his fellow Vet and make sure no one suffered PTSD alone. In Tony Stark language, if you helped someone, you wanted someone.
"I'm working here." Tony hissed. This conversion made him feel like he was in a timeloop.
"I'm not going away." Sam countered, his arms firm against his chest.
Tony gave him the biggest eye roll ever. "Why don't you bother Rogers and go hunt down Hydra?"
"Why can't I do both?"
While Sam bugged Tony, it should be noted that he did not harass Tony nonstop, giving him space and only checking on him throughout the day. When Ayo wasn't leading away missions rounding up SHEILD agent or running down leads, she checked on him as well, a heavy scowl on her face while spouting "I'm not your babysitter, Stark." She made that very clear, but she checked on him, barely masking her concern.
Rhodey, though not a hundred percent, had finally returned and moving about on his own power. There was a heavy limp in his step, but it didn't stop him from stabbing him in the chest in the chest and vociferously lecturing Tony. "What the hell happened, Tones? Where's Pepper?" Rhodey, of course, knew the entire store, and while he did not fault Tony for checking on Strange, he wasn't happy with what transpired with Pepper. He knew Tony was grappling with some deep depression, suffering through the heavy burden by himself, but no one could grasp the pain. No one could ever realize how much it ached to watch Peter die in his hands, and no amount of fighting could make Rhodey understand. Selfishly, Tony counted his blessings when the Air Force summoned the Colonel back. They apparently didn't joy the fact that Rhodey went AOL or the call from the famous Tony Stark in an attempt to appease them. That was one reason why Tony never joined the armed forces (as well as many others). The inability to disappear would drive him crazy. Tony needed that. After he worked himself to the bone, he needed that week on the beach. Or that week in naked in front of the TV. He needed that space.
For the most part, Clint left Tony alone, avoiding him with a heavy scowl. Tony didn't believe it had anything to do with his self- control; rather, he assumed a lecture from either Sam, Steve or Natasha was involved. A few times, Natasha had physically kept Clint back, when they made eye contact in the kitchen. It reminded Tony of Clint Barton of the previous timeline, though this time Tony only had himself to blame for the chilliness.
Like before, Maria Hill came to him her head held high, this time stepping into his tower, claiming she wanted to help. No doubt she had a conversion with a certain one-eyed man, who wanted to keep an eye on him. This peeved Tony but having Maria Hill around wasn't a terrible idea. The Avengers needed someone, who knew the game. Who had contacts. Who wasn't scared to get a little dirty, and that person was Maria Hill. She would worry and handle the dangers that haunted the present, and Tony would worry and handle the dangers that haunted the future.
Trusting Hill to handle things, Tony was able to sneak away to the 'Playhouse' and was once more staring at James Barnes. With a plum in hand, Barnes was watching a movie, and by watching, Tony meant watching. Barnes, though still a silent statue, was actively watching the movies that FRIDAY played. At first, Koenig and Tony assumed he was just mindlessly staring, but no, his blue eyes were keenly following the characters on the screen, munching away at his plum. Several seeds laid at his feet. To Tony's utter disbelief, Barnes was energetically watching Frozen, enjoying it thoroughly if that smile was to judge. It was an odd smile as his lips didn't curl up, but his cheeks were round.
"He watched Tangled earlier." Koenig smiled from the bottom of the steps. "And before that, it was Wretch It Ralph."
"hmm." Tony hummed. He had no issues with Disney movies, but FRIDAY was missing some classic like the Godfather or Pyscho. There were so many good movies to pick from, although it was probably wise not to show bloody movies to a brainwashed former assassin. "Fine as long as he doesn't think he's Elsa and has ice powers."
"I enjoy the fact that you know who Elsa is." Koenig chuckled.
Tony groaned. The Tony of this timeline had never seen this movie, but movie nights were a stable in the Avengers household, and for some reason, they went on Disney kick like they were children. Granted, the argument could be made that they were all children in grown bodies with how they acted. "Should we wait until he is finished with the movie?"
Koenig shrugged. "Why not?"
And so, the two waited. More so, Tony waited. Koenig left to handle some business regarding his brother, Eric, who had not responded to any communication. Koenig attempted to play it off, considering Hydra was panicking and making risky and dangerous moves. SHIELD, with a soiled reputation, had created a mountain and a shit hole for Tony and the rest of the gang to climb over. (He was glad to have Maria Hill, even if he couldn't trust her motives, as she was awesome at cutting through crap). And Hydra was using that to move in the darkness, threating every person working in the shadows to keep them safe.
Eric Koenig was one of those people. All of the siblings were, putting their lives on the line, but only one wasn't responding. Tony could see the stress in Billy Koenig's shoulders as he left, and he wished he knew what to say. Tony had never been any good at providing emotional support, and this was no exception. However, Koenig didn't want any of that. He was an agent, a proud agent, and he could remain professional no matter what. He hid whatever he was feeling and protested any pity.
Frozen ended, the projection on the wall going black for a second before a bright blue ocean appeared, and sounds of waves and birds echoed in the room. Barnes' eye twitched, as he dropped the plum core that he was working on. He turned slightly to the forcefield, his eyes meeting Tony's. Tony, who would deny the shiver that ran through his body at the cold stare, smiled and waved to him. "Hey, Sparkles." He replied instead. "Want something besides plums?"
"Movie."
Barnes' ruff, stiff voice startled Tony, forcing him to pause for a second and breath. "Oh, a Disney fan." He grinned as he stepped to the barrier. "Don't worry. You can watch all of the Disney you want."
"Movie."
Having read all of the reports on the Winter Soldier, Tony knew this man was extremely intelligence: speaking several languages, immense knowledge of weaponry, and years of combat strategies. While he recognized the reason why Barnes spoke very little—waiting on orders from his handle, a handle who didn't want a talking weapon-, it was unnerving. His skin itched. "Sure. But I want to say hi." He paused, a deep red making its way through his expression. "Hi." Barnes looked unimpressed, which Tony couldn't fault him. He was pretty boring compared to these colorful Disney movies. "FRIDAY, lower the shield."
"The entire shield, Boss?"
"Yes, Fri."
"Yes, Boss." The entire shield dropped a second later.
Barnes didn't get up, only following Tony with his calculating eyes. Tony's heart skipped, his nails digging into his sweaty palms. While Barnes could still snap him in half using one hand, he made no motion. Considering their last interactions, the crushing nervous that ate at him was unwarranted. "Do you want anything else besides plums?"
"Я хочу посмотреть другой." Barnes leveled Tony with a look as he slipped back into Russian.
"I wish to watch another." FRIDAY translated.
What is with the Russian? Tony pondered. Barnes spoke English, speaking it a few moments ago. Why was he switching to Russian? Was there some sort of comfort in that? Heavy stress lines formed on his forehead as he put too much thought into this. I'll just send this question to his Wakandan therapist. He told himself. In the last week, James Barnes had been seeing a Therapist… rather, the therapist was watching/speaking to Barnes, who had been mute in his sessions. Tony couldn't even begin to understand why, but she had high hopes for the silent man.
Hundreds of plums and colorful, cheery Disney movies weren't apart of the assassin handbook, too 'cheery' for the blood and guts that his title called for. Those things were wins, which the therapist pointed out, but he just wished the damn fool would talk more, talk more in English that was. Though, that said more about him than Barnes as Tony loathed silence. It was an assault to his senses, an opening for his traitorous thoughts.
"Have you seen anything Star Trek related? They got a lot of brain twisters."
"No, we have not, Boss."
"And why not?" Tony asked, a tad insulted.
"I did not think it would be wise, but I will add it to the top of the list."
Tony nodded as he took in the room in one long look. Much hadn't been added to the room, everyone agreeing to keep it simple until Barnes retrained some sense of self. "You'll love this show and the countless movies that spout from them." Back against the wall, Barnes sat straight, his eyes nailing Tony with a narrowing look. An unexpectant heavy expectation laid on the surface, his long hair framing his stare. There was no anger or aggression in his expression, which didn't lessen Tony's irrational fear. It wasn't completely irrational, he told himself, as he had watched the video of Barnes killing his parents with his bare hands.
Not Barnes.
It wasn't Bucky Barnes.
With a deep breath, Tony spoke, "You know what. I'm going to get some snacks and drinks. You can't have plums all day long." He winked. "FRIDAY, I'll be back. Our Ba-Buddy and I are going to watch Star Trek together." Barnes twitched. What? Tony wasn't sure what brought forth that twitch from Barnes. The almost slip of his name? Or the fact that Tony was going to watch TV with him? With Bucky's name, everyone decided it was best not to speak it. With the Winter Soldier's identity so heavily wired into Barnes' being, there was no telling what a simple name would do to him. It was only a few weeks ago that asking Barnes the question, 'What is your name?' triggered a violent rage.
To avoid any unnecessary violent rages, they would have to take this slowly. For the next few weeks, Bucky Barnes' identity would be kept from him, refer to as Buddy. Barnes needed to have some standing as his own person before they added the baggage that was James Barnes, the best friend of Steve Rogers. That included keeping Steve Rogers away. While keeping Barnes' existence from Rogers was highly questionable, it was vital that he kept his distance. They didn't want to trigger Barnes until everyone were ready for the consequences. The therapists were clear on this, and neither Koenig nor Stark were willing to go against that order.
*O*O*
It took 15 minutes for Tony to return, his arms stacked full of all kind of snacks, both messy and simple. A hot steamy bag of buttery popcorn laid on the very top. In a fabric bag hanging off his arm, a varies of drinks were packed. On his head like a cloak dragging behind him was a heavy blanket. His hips shifted back and forth in an attempt to balance everything. He was met with a puzzled look, but Tony just grinned. He wasn't exactly sure why this urge to watch TV with this guy surged through him, considering the nightmares that haunted him. While Barnes had not attacked him in the last few attempts, there was no telling if a trigger would appear.
Stop it. He bellowed at himself, as he crossed to the bed, the shield going up behind him. Carefully, though not very gracefully, he lowered the snacks to the bed. The bag of popcorn, still closed and steamy, tumbled off from the top of the pile and rolled, completing several spins, onto the bed. Dropping the bag on the bed, two bottles on the top, one water and one cola, followed, slapping each other as they tumbled out. The pop begun to fizz from the collision, the water unchanged. A quart of Ice cream broke free of the pile and trundled unevenly to the edge of the bed. "Oops," he smiled as he caught it. "That's okay. Just have to be careful with the pop." The rest of the snacks, variety of sweets and chocolate, landed on the bed without issue.
He grabbed the blanket from his head, his hair standing up in every direction, and gently tossed it on the bed. With Barnes wide eyeing him, Tony leapt onto the bed, the force sending the snacks airborne for a second. While grabbing the water bottle, he wrapped the blanket around him. "Come sit. Eat. Snack. Eat whatever you like. I wasn't sure if you like pop, but who knows until you try?" He beamed. "But the Ice Cream is awesome. Try some." He suggested as he nodded to spoon. "Now, this isn't the best favor. I will have to buy some wacky ones for you. But for now, this will do."
Barnes' eyes thinned, but he settled back on the bed. He did not reach for any idea, simply matching Tony's position.
Tony grinned. "Try some popcorn," he spoke, his voice lighthearted. Taking the bag by oppositive corners, he opened it. The aroma rosed out, filling the entire room within seconds. He couldn't stop himself from inhaling the bag. "It's good." He pointed the open end toward Barnes, who stared crazily at the bag. With a deep sigh, Tony shifted the bag to one hand and reached in with the other. "Ouch," he hissed, not expecting it to be scorching. After adjusting to the heat—waving his hand in the air for a few seconds-, he reached back in and grabbed a handful of kernels. Teasing Barnes may not be smart, but for some ungodly reason, a playfulness swelled in him. He whipped his hand out of the bag, draw his hand back and flung it forward, releasing the popcorn.
Barnes blinked a couple of times, pelted in the face by hot kernels. His eyes were large in surprise, eyeballing the popped kernels that now lined the bed. "Eat one." Tony prompted. In in a rapid procession, he reached back into the bag, grabbing another handful, and launched them at Barnes, who reacted this time. Tony would deny that he hovered off the bed for two seconds, scared of Barnes' sudden reaction. This time, he caught one—gently and swiftly—and held it between his index finger and his thumb. For a minute, he examined it like he would a bomb. After a few long seconds of silence, he plopped it in his mouth, his eyes narrow. After he finished the kernel, he picked up another from the bed. Assessing the taste, he plopped a few more into his mouth.
"Good?" Tony asked, watching the muscles on Barnes' face.
"Yes." Came his short reply.
Tony was glad no one could see the large smile that bloomed on his face. "Let's get this shit on the road!" He wrapped tighter the blanket around him as he opened the water bottle. "Oh, try some ice cream."
"Do you have a particular Star Trek in mind, Boss?"
Tony observed as Barnes slowly reached for the Ice Cream. "Let's start him out right. It isn't Star Trek without Mr. Spock. Play the original."
*O*O*
Tony, his head against the wall, struggled to keep his eyes open, feeling oddly comfortable on this stale bed. "How're you liking it?" he asked after the 3 third episode of Star Trek. The title for the fourth episode: 'The Naked Time' hovered on the wall as FRIDAY waited for a response. "Good?"
A littered of empty containers and wrapped laid around Barnes, who could out eat Rogers. "Yes."
The one-word answer annoyed Tony, but this one was different. More emotions filled that one word than any other he had heard from the man. Tony was tempted to force more out of stoic Barnes, a more detailed response, but he decided against that. He needed to allow James Barnes to grow at his own rate and leave any 'pushing' to the professionals. Barnes was in a delicate position. While he could knock Tony on his ass, Tony could just easily destroy Barnes.
With a deep breath, Tony refocused his attention to the wall. As Tony stared at the bolded words 'Star Trek', he couldn't help but wonder if this was a mistake. Star Trek, though thought provoking, had some moments that may be too intense for Barnes. One example had just finished on the screen. Gary Mitchell, not a brainwashed Super Soldier, was not James Barnes, but the fact he had to be killed by Captain Kirk, a friend, might be too much for Barnes to handle, especially when you consider that Barnes' history. "Another?"
"Yes."
"Go ahead, Friday." Tony ordered, his eyes bouncing back to Barnes. The show may have un-paused and played, but he didn't pay much attention, his interest on Barnes.
*O*O*
"Hey! Hey!"
"Ты не сделаешь ему больно." A heated voice hissed.
"You will not hurt him." A familiar female voice followed.
At some point, Tony had fallen asleep, body and mind exhausted. With Reality was slowly breaking through, the voices begun to call to him. He was twisted and tangled himself into the blanket and empty wrappers as he tried to hide. Tony groaned loudly at the loud voices, rolling to his side. Why do people have to be so loud? He was sleeping here!
"I'm not planning on it. Stark!"
Tony's name startled him, but he only buried his face deeper into the soft blanket. "leavemealone." He muttered.
"Отойди, иначе," The Russian came out like an angry hiss, though Russian always sounded like a viper ready to strike.
"Stand back or else."
"Stark!"
"Boss."
Tony groaned as he rolled to his back and threw his arms across his eyes to block the insulting light. He puffed out his chest as he yelled, "What?" His hoarse voice drew everyone attention. Where was he?
"Open your eye, Stark." Koenig demanded, exasperated.
The stress in the Agent's voice struck Tony like an open fist, and his eyes popped opened, and he bolted up into a sitting position, his heart heavy in his chest. "What? What happened?" his voice cracked. He eyed the room—the cell, his breath stolen when he noticed Koenig trapped between the wall and Barnes.
"He will not hurt you," Barnes spoke, glancing back to the still genius. The English was a surprise to everyone.
Tony was a little bewildered by the Assassin, who gazed at him. He wasn't sure if it was his brain was just sleepy, but was Barnes attempting to protect him from Koenig? "Um… What?" The words passed his lips before he knew it, his brain playing catch up. His breaths shadow, his eyes dropped to the bed as he attempted to recall his last memory. Images flashed by his eyes as he noticed the trashed and discarded bottles that lined the bed. An empty ice cream carton laid in the corner, near where Barnes had sat. It rushed back at him.
"Call him off." Koenig urged, his voice pitchy.
Call him off? The idea that Tony could call Barnes off was ridiculous. Since when did Barnes listen to him? Him?! He pushed himself to the end of the bed, resting his feet against the floor. "H-hey, Buddy." He croaked. "The Agent here is a friend. He wouldn't hurt a fly."
Barnes' cold eyes bounced between the two, his mind processing. He must've gotten what he wanted from the chilly state as he dropped Koenig and took a large step backward.
Koenig's disapproving eyes fell to Tony, a silence question hung in his eyes. Tony, lightheaded, pushed himself up to his feet, the empty snack wrappers dropped to the ground. With a smile on his face and ignoring the dizziness, he bent down to pick up one of the wrappers and fondled it between his fingers. "Just feel asleep watching Star Trek." Koenig's eye raised at the flat tone. "Let's clean up this mess." He needed to normalize whatever the hell this was.
*O*O*
"Was that wise?" Koenig asked, not thrilled, as they made their way through the base toward the hanger.
"I didn't mean to. Just happened." Tony shrugged nonchalantly. He truly didn't expect to fall asleep mere feet from Barnes, but he had been running himself into the ground and was lucky to be standing. He couldn't remember the last time he had a full night sleep.
Koenig, it dawning on him, reached forward, gently grabbed Tony and pulled him back by the forearm. "He could've killed you."
Tony glanced at Koenig's cold hand on his arm. His eyes narrow, he pulled his arm back with more force than necessary. Relax, he told himself. There was odd sensation in his chest when he thought about sleeping mere feet from Barnes. "But I am not. I think it's a break through. He spoke in English. A success in its own. Plus, I might've gotten him in love with Star Trek."
"Oh, yea, Star Trek," Koenig deadpanned.
"Not a Star Trek fan?"
Koenig's eye twitched. "No, I'm not pleased you put yourself into that position without backup."
Tony sighed, waving his hand in the air. "I was not without backup. Right, FRIDAY?"
"I have your back, Boss." Came FRIDAY's cheery reply.
"Not good enough." Koenig snapped.
Tony exhaled slowly, as he fought back the urge to throw the nasty insult on the tip of his tongue. Koenig did have a point as James Barnes was a loose cannon with no telling what he would do if sent a curveball. Tony rubbed the bridge of his nose, a headache forming at the base of his skull. All it seemed he did lately was argue with people, and it was draining. He wished, for once, people would just see his way without the back and forth. "I get it. I do." he replied. "But if we want Barnes to trust us, we need to trust him."
Koenig's lips went flat, stress lines formed on his forehead. "I get it." He stated. "I get it." He breathed through his nose, conflicted. "But we can't forget who he is or what he can do."
The image of Barnes crowding Koenig against the wall flashed before his eyes. "I'm not foolish." Not completely. "I knew the risks. Still know the risks, but we aren't going to win this war if we aren't willing to take risks. Barnes is worth the risk. And Hydra won't be playing it safe." Thanos would not be playing it safe.
The Agent huffed. "Doesn't mean we can't take precautions when possible."
"Okay." He agreed, dryly. "Next time."
Koenig smiled. "Thanks." He paused. "Granted, it was nice to see, but next time, something healthy to eat."
Tony laughed. "Where is the fun in that?"
"Good teeth."
"What's the point in being a Super Soldier if you can still get cavities?"
Koenig facepalmed, though there was no stopping the laugher that exploded from his lips. "Nothing, I guess."
Tony took a few deep breaths to settle the laugher that rumbled in his chest. After he had sobered himself, he took inventory of Koenig and his less than perfect suit. Tony never expected him to ever be this disheveled. Did he sleep in that? While the agent had reason to be worried in a world where the Hydra existed, his stress stemmed from elsewhere. A place of love, maybe? "Any word on your brother?" he asked.
Koenig straightened himself up, masking any grief. "No, but he is a Koenig. I have faith in him."
Tony didn't have a lot of hope nowadays. It was hard to when all you saw was people dying around you, but he wasn't going to shot down any hope in Koenig regarding his brother. Family was family. "Well, give him a piece of your mind when he does respond." Koenig nodded but didn't reply. Tony observed the muscles in his face twitch before he turned to leave. Whatever was going through the Agent's head, Tony wasn't invite to the party.
His phone angrily whistled, pulling his attention. Hours had passed since Tony stepped into the base, 14 hours to count, and once more, his phone had blown up in his absence: 11 missed calls and 23 missed texts. A few worried texts were from Rhodey, even in his weaken state, checking in on him and giving him an update on his situation. Two were from Ayo, both checking on and keeping him info-ed. He received quite a few calls from Steve, who insisted on providing him updates, but in reality, he was checking on him. There were a few from Sam—how did Sam get his number?-, but he did not hide behind the disguise of status updates and simply asked how he was.
A part of him was frustrated by the hovering, and the question 'Why did I hire Maria Hill?' popped into his head. Sure, she couldn't stop the questions regarding his mental state, but she should be spearheading the search and fielding all questions related to Hydra, which included all of Steve's fake question. Tony didn't give up control as he would be keeping a firm hand on the steering wheel. This time around, he would not be surrendering control to Steve and left to financial backer.
"Keep an eye on Barnes for me." His sense of protectiveness was off-putting when his brain betrayed him and flashed his mother's death before his eyes. He wasn't sure why his mind was doing this: sending memories to the forefront that he would rather stay buried. He hadn't made this better for himself by watching that video again, but either way, he was….. Tony let out a harsh sigh. Why was he doing this to himself? He knew Barnes was tortured into it. This was all Hydra, which was why Barnes deserve this overprotectiveness. But why did it feel so wrong? It wasn't a betrayal of his parents. "I'm sorry if I got our boy addicted to snack foods."
"You are not sorry, Stark."
Tony laughed as he headed to his suit. "Maybe not."
*O*O*
As soon as Tony stepped into the tower, Maria Hill intercepted him and shoved a tablet into his chest. She had jumped right in, coordinating with Wakanda on any Hydra sightings, and sent out teams. According to the report she had handed him, Ayo and Natasha were currently teamed up and out on a recon assignment. Hill deemed them the best teams for stealth assignments, Steve too well known. Though the idea of those two teaming up together made Tony's eye twitch, he couldn't find fault in her logic. He simply didn't like the idea of those two chatting about him, not that he expected those two to become buddy buddy and share all his secrets
Hill had also reported that Rogers and Wilson were also out on the whispers of super soldiers. Rogers was saved for any tip that smelled like Winter Soldiers. So far nothing had panned out, but they were not discouraged. Even if they were, it they wouldn't stop. There were three deadly Winter Soldiers out in the world, and the destruction they could cause was endless. They were keeping a low profile for now. While no one wanted bodies, it was near impossible to track them without them. They were trained assassins, who hide right in front of you and not be seen.
Barton, to Tony's displeasure, was still in the tower. Hill wanted to keep Clint nearby in case something popped up. He had been helpful in relocating outed Shield Agents and bringing them in. Tony had already started the process of protecting and securing the Agents before the fall of SHIELD, but he gladly handed it over to Hill, who took it up without any complaints. This may have been similar in prior timeline, her and a small team handling the agents' extraction, but the difference was that Tony had already taken steps and was able to save agents prior to being exposed. 43 rescued Agents were currently in the Tower.
"Are you going to tell me where you have been?" Hill asked, after briefing him.
Tony sighed. "What does it matter what me and my hand due?"
Hill huffed. "It would do wonders for the team if you opened up." She shot him a look. She wasn't as frosty before, but her irritation bubbled off her.
Did SHIELD agents get judge what he kept to himself? All they did was keep secrets. "You know what I know, Hill." He bit out. "I don't have a map of Hydra's bases in my back pocket." Well, not anymore, he thought as they had already raided a few. He supposed he probably missed a few, considering he was working from memory.
She stared at him, her eyes drilling into him. "You can start out by saying where you obtained the info."
Tony grinned, his smile taking up half his face. Maybe, it was the good mood leftover from Barnes eating anything besides plum. Maybe, it would be the fact that he would see Peter in a few short days. That would boast any feelings that he may have. "I'm a time traveler. I know the future as I've been there." He wiggled his index finger at her as if he could do magic.
"Stark." She sneered.
Was Tony having too much fun answering like this? Yes, he was. It wasn't his fault no one believed him when he spoke the truth. That was on them. He could admit that he could try harder, but where was the fun in that? "What?"
Hill grumbled. "Okay, let's talk about this internship."
This time, Tony huffed. "We had already talked about this." This wasn't the first time that Maria Hill had brought up the internship, as she didn't think it was wise or safe to bring children into the tower. While there may be some truth in her words, he shot her down that time and every time. He would take very precautions to keep the children safe. "I thought we were already agreed on this."
"No, you overruled me."
"Okay. I'm doing it again."
She hotly gazed at him. "Fine, but just let my objection be noted."
"Noted." He replied as he headed to his lab, his hand in the air waving bye. "FRIDAY, can you make sure this is noted in the books?"
"Yes, Boss."
Hill groaned.
*O*O*
It was when Tony was on his way to his personal lab that Clint Barton deliberately crossed into his path, and judging by his hardened expression, it wasn't by accident. He was expecting this confrontation ever since he uttered the cheeky wife comment, and while he was grateful that he had been spare the fight—as that was what it was going to be-, he had expected to be shot by arrows days ago. Natasha had been babysitting Clint, keeping him busy, but Clint was no child and could slip Natasha given enough time. Natasha would deny it, but Clint was just as skilled as she was. Given she was out, there was no one to hinder the Archer.
"Hola," Tony waved, followed by a goofy smile.
Clint's eyes quickly scanned the place looking for signs of another person. Once he was sure they were alone, he stumbled his way over to Tony, his eyes large. "How do you know about Laura?"
"Who?" Tony hooted.
Barton sneered, his teeth showing. "Stupid doesn't look good on you." His nose flared. "You mentioned my wife twice. How do you know about her?"
Letting out a hot puff of air, Tony straightened himself, his body still bruised from the last fight. He was now wearing a light brace on his wrist, the ankle boot gone. His ankle was still sore, but he was tired of the heavy, bulky boot. "I have no idea of who this Laura is."
"Stark."
Tony shifted his weight, noting the heaviness in his limbs. He let out a hefty breath; Clint had no reason to be worried as he only knew about Laura because of his future knowledge. While the anger that rolled off Clint was directed at him, a substantial amount of concerned was mixed in. It took the edge off the Archer. "Your wife location is secure." He replied slowly, carefully not mentioning the kids.
A vein in Clint's forehead popped. "How did you know?" His voice was strained, his throat.
There was no easy or quick way for Tony to explain this without telling him he was from the future. Again, why are you keeping this a secret? Tony took a deep breath. Because knowing the future is a burden, a burden everyone will try to take and control. Is that true? Or are you just telling yourself that? "I wasn't sure who I could trust-"
"You can't trust us, Stark?"
Tony was taken back by the nasty tone. "I didn't know who to trust."
"The same bullshit you tried to pull before." Clint hissed, crossing into Tony's space and stabbing him in the chest with a stiff finger. "Can't trust us? Really, Stark."
He wanted to stand firm, but Tony had no interest in being this close to Clint, sniffing distance. While taking a big step back, he smacked Clint's hand away. "You were SHIELD agent, and SHIELD was taken over by Hydra. I had to make sure you were trustworthy." He folded his arms across his chest. "I went through your trash per se, Barton." Clint's lip and eye both twitched. Tony continued. "Before I could trust you, I needed to turn over every stone. I expected a porn addiction, not a hidden family. I-"
Clint growled—fucken growled like an animal- and shoved Stark back into a wall, his breath vanishing for a second. "Only two people on this planet knows about them: Nat and Fury." His voice was ice cold. "How do you know?" The veins on his neck popped.
"Sir," Came JARVIS protective voice. "Do you need assistance?"
"We will happily help, Boss." FRIDAY added.
Barton played no attention to the vailed threats from the A.I.s, his focus solely on him. "Do you, Stark?"
Tony's eyes dropped down to the hand wrapped in his T-shirt. He stared at it for a few seconds before his eyes popped back up to the Agent's face. "No."
"So, tell me how you found them? I know you put a bug in SHIELD'S computers, but my family wasn't listed on any SHIELD servers. They aren't listed anywhere. Fury made sure of that."
A part, the part that loved a challenge, of Tony wondered if he could've found Clint's family on his own, as nothing was ever truly hidden. If Clint's family used power, they were tractable…. Unless you were the Winter Soldiers. "I have been watching you for a while, Barton. Like I have with everyone else."
"You're saying you found them through me."
"We're always our family's weakest link."
Clint's grip loosened, his eyes still laser focus. "Nat and I are master spies, Stark. No way you could've tracked us."
"I knew Hydra existed when you didn't. I knew where their bases were." Tony shot back. "You think you and Romanoff could sneak anything pass me?" Releasing Tony, Clint took a step back. They shared a glance for 45 seconds, almost like an eye staring contest. "Don't worry. I made sure no one else could locate them." Tony attempted to put on a sincere face, but he wasn't sure if he was successful.
"Maybe, I would believe you if you were honest."
"Maybe, I would be honest if I trusted you. You're a spy. See?"
Something heavy passed over Barton's eyes. "We're at a standstill, Stark." He paused. "Neither of us are willing to trust the other. However," the word echoing loudly in Tony's head. "I have more on the line. I have a family to protect, and I will do anything to protect them. If anything happens to them-"
"Barton," Tony interrupted loudly. "I'm willing to provide you with anything you need to protect your family. No questions. No explanations needed." He might not be Clint Barton's biggest fan, but he wouldn't allow any harm to come to any innocence. Family members were off limited. "If you don't trust me, Maria Hill can assist you."
Clint, his face still red from anger, settled and took a large step back. "This isn't over, Stark."
Tony didn't respond, just watched as Clint turned and left in the direction of Maria Hill's location. He let out a heavy sigh as he continued his trek to the lab. At least he was able to put out one fire….kinda. Clint would continue to be a prick, but at least, he was calm for now. Clint would be back for answers. I better make some up. he thought.
*O*O*
It was hours later when Tony was able to make progress on his nanobots. This rush of enthusiasm washed over him, energizing him to his bones. He shouldn't have been surprised or excited at this achievement as this was the second time, he had done this. He was a bit annoyed at himself. Why was he fighting with himself over this personal achievement? He should let himself have this. This was ground breaking, and it felt like it when FRIDAY cheered above him. So, while he chastised himself for getting excited over something he already invented, it was a solid break through.
"Sir, might I make a suggestion?"
"Yea, what would that be?" Tony asked.
"Food would be wise. Or at least, something to drink, Sir." JARVIS spoke.
Tony let out a harsh sigh. "Yea. Yea." He waved as he crossed to the small Kitchen counter. His eyes went to the fruit basket on the table, his stomach uneasy from the snacks eating during his prompt to movie party. Barnes—Bucky, or whatever he wanted to call himself- lived in a cell with nothing but FRIDAY to keep him company with his history missing. With the therapists limiting info provided to Barnes, Tony could not help but wonder what was running through Barnes' head. What did Barnes think about his existence? Tony exhaled softly as he ran his fingers through his hair.
"Are you okay, Boss?" FRIDAY asked, noticing the drop in his mood.
Ignoring FRIDAY, Tony swiftly turned to his desk, his eyes on the locked lower drawer. Hidden at the very bottom of the last drawer was the physical copy of his parent's assassination. A digital copy was buried beneath multiple firewalls and hidden by direct orders to his A.I.s to keep the existence of them concealed. Tony hadn't watched it since the first time, though the images were already engraved behind his eyelids. He saw his parent's death every time he closed his eyes. His mother's scream echoed in his ears, Tony's heart threating to give out. His fist balled at his side as his anger flashed. If this haunted him, it would destroy Barnes, his guilty annihilating any process he would have made. Barnes must never know… Unless he remembers this on his own.
Tony let out a heavy sigh. "No," he answered truly. He was tired of lying. Tired of putting up a happy face. How could anyone expect him to be happy? His answer must have confused the A.I., who expected a fight out of him, as neither replied. A thick silence had fallen as Tony continued to stare at the drawer.
"Sir."
"What?" His response was sharp.
"There is a Christine Palmer in the lobby demanding to see you."
"What?" he uttered, his eyes blinking. His confusion ate his anger.
"Doctor Palmer is requesting an audience." JARVIS spoke, as a video from the lobby opened on one of the monitors on the wall. Palmer was anything but calm as she stomped her feet and puffed out her chest, her fury visible on her red face. She refused to back down.
"Why is she here?" Tony asked, though no one in particular. He supposed this was his fault considering he had to visit her boyfriend in the hospital. And judging by all the stares, his presence in the hospital didn't go unnoticed. With a deep breath, he headed to the elevator. He had to handle with this now or else this would get worse. He didn't need the Ancient One to hold this against him and curse him. "Lobby, JARVIS," he ordered when he stepped inside.
*O*O*
As soon as the elevator doors opened on the ground floor, Palmer's voice flooded Tony's ears. "I don't care! I'm not leaving. I need to see Tony Stark."
The first level of the tower wasn't the busiest of places in the city as the tower was limited to Stark Employees, approved guests and the avengers. Tony didn't like the idea of the Avengers being located in the middle of busy New York city, and had already started construction on the upstate Avenger Compound. In additional to protecting the New Yorkers, it would stop people from storming the tower.
"It doesn't work like that, Miss." Came the Security guard strained voice. "If you want to see Mister Stark, you need to make an appointment."
"Listen." Palmer hissed loudly. Her voice cracking, every head turned to her if they were already turned.
"No, you listen." He shot back. "Mister Stark is extremely busy and doesn't have time to speak to every woman that storm into here." He gave her a once over, spending too much time on her body.
Palmer shot him a look of disgust. "How dare you?! Like I would ever."
"You would be amazed how many women said those same words since Mister Stark and Miss Potts broken up."
While the security Guard may be correct, Tony wasn't a fan of how he said that to Christine Palmer. He was disgusted for Palmer. Without wasting a second, he made his way to them, the crowd splitting when they noticed him. A soft rumble rolled off them, amazed to seeing Tony walk through the lobby toward the screaming woman, instead of exiting through his private entrance.
"I'm not like those women. I know Stark." She replied, harshly, not aware that Tony was making his way through the crowd to her.
"They all say that. They—" At this moment, the security guard noticed Tony, and his expression dropped. His mouth opened, his tongue visible. "Mr. Stark." He uttered.
Christine, her eyes large, turned. "Stark." She uttered.
Tony spared her glance before he looked to the guard. "Mister," he paused, taking a second to read his name tag, "Wright." He smiled, largely. His mood was still shit, but when wasn't it? Whatever his mood, he could put on a fake smile and charm the pants off you. "Doctor Christine Palmer is permitted in the tower."
"Yes, S-Sir." Wright shuttered out, unable to say anything else.
Stark turned to leave not waiting for a response. "You coming, Doctor?" he asked when she did not follow.
With a nod, Christine followed him, clocking the glowers from the crowd. "Yes."
*O*O*
As soon as the elevator closed and separating them from the buzzing crowd, Tony spoke, "JARVIS, please give Doctor Palmer access to the tower. Level 4."
Christie, stunned, stared at him as JARVIS answered. "Yes, Sir."
Level 4 wasn't spectacular, but it gave her access to the upper levels. His access level was Level Omega. Rhodey and Pepper had level 2. Maria Hill, Ayo, and Bruce had level 3, which had limited access to his labs. The rest of the Avengers and a variety of trusted Senior Staffers were at level 4; he couldn't bring himself to put the Avengers at three. Level 4 had access to the general labs in the building with no access to any lab that he worked in or to any of his personal files.
"Wait? What?"
"I have a feeling I'll be seeing a lot of you." He really didn't want to see her, as she reminded him of Strange, and hanging out with Strange's girlfriend was weird when he wasn't allow to see Strange.
She did not return his smile, her lips straight. "Do you?"
In Tony's line of busines, it was wise to keep a doctor on call, and unlike most doctors, she appeared trustworthy and that she genuinely cared about helping people. You couldn't go wrong with a passion like hers. "Yes."
Christine, her arms folded across her chest, shook her head and breathed through her nose for a few long sections. Staring at Tony, she uttered, "Doctor Stephen Strange."
"What about him?" Tony barely held back his flinch. That was the last name he wanted to hear. He knew what was coming without her saying it, but he couldn't help but pray she wasn't going to say it. The Ancient One was going to kill him.
"He wants to see you."
Author note:
Again, i am sorry for the delay. Let me know what you think.
Also do you think the Ancient One will kill him?