Tony and the winter Soldier

Steve was laying in the back of the Quinjet after the group finished a complicated Mission in Vietnam, he closed his eyes and started to make a recap of the last days. When he was not busy fighting in Missions around the world he always came to the same toughs and Bucky was mostly there, but this time he tough about somebody else. Wanda appeared beside him with a can of soda and offered it to him.

-Still thinking on your new friend? - she asked and then, Sam came closer to them

-How is the witch? Did you contact her again?

-Yes, I did, I had talked to her and she is not a Witch Sam, all she does is manipulating somebody else's energy. She uses freed emotions as a source…

-I definitely think that is a dangerous thing Steve – Wanda said with some concern – You do not have any idea what kind of things you can find in other people's minds.

-Do you think she knows that? I mean … she knows what she is doing? - asked Sam also concerned.

Steve took a deep breath – No, she cannot control it, the emotions control her … but I believe that she is not a bad person; I have been thinking about gaining her trust and then invite her to… - The Radio emitted a signal and Maria Hill's voice started to call Tony to the radio with emergency. Everybody got silence and Tony left his own corner to get closer to the monitor.

- Tony, something had happened, I am afraid that I have terrible news for you but we are working already on the matter.

- Say it Hill, What is it? -Asked Tony while the others started to approach to the monitor too.

-Morgan has been extracted from the daily care center. We have all our teams tracking her, we have evidences of the …

Tony activated his suit and before anybody else had a chance to react he had already left the aircraft using the back exit.

Natasha stayed concentrated in flying the Quinjet but everybody knew that they were dealing with something huge. It was Morgan Stark the one who disappeared from daily care? Who could be so bold and a sod to try kidnap Ironman's daughter just like this?

-Do you know where she is? – Vision asked to Maria

-There is an underground structure where chemicals are conserved. The kind of too dangerous situation for police and FBI but we will try to reach her with special equipment. Unfortunately we just discovered that all plans of the structure have disappeared from the records of the city and the satellite service - The monitor showed a Structure somewhere; Steve recognized the place; it was not far from the field where Bucky and he used to walk on the weekends. Bucky said once that the whole place was a huge net of corridors with multi levels. He had been left there several times during his times as the winter soldier and he could remember very well the place where he was activated and picked up. He had repeated many time how happy he would be if the entire zone could disappear of the landscape.

-How long does it take to arrive home from here? Asked Sam making his suit ready

-Sam… we are in the pacific, even Tony or Vision will need some hours- answered Rhodes

Steve walked back to the corner where he was laying before, his telephone was there, and he took it to deal a number without hesitation.

Natasha activated the autopilot and went behind, she knew Steve like nobody else and knew what he would do.

Some minutes later they could hear Tony's voice coming from the radio.

-Rogers? What a F* you think that you have done? – he was hysteric screaming and everybody could get what just had happened.

-Tony … you know that he is the only one who can bring you Morgan back in this moment -said Steve with low but firm voice.

-She is my daughter, how can you let him get closer to … - Tony was so mad that he could not continue speaking anymore.

-He is already on his way Tony, let him do what is right -said Steve one last time

-What about if the one that has Morgan also can unlock the soldier? Did you think on that? – Said Maria from the other side of the speaker.

-Those days are over Maria -claimed Steve

-Tony -said Sam – I have only something to say: he is right, he is the only one I would trust now to keep it alive until you are there.

The Quinjet was flying at maximal speed, still it would take hours until they could be there.

Hill was coordinating the communication and two hours before they could arrive they could hear Peppers voice talking to Ironman:

-She is alive! – Wanda exalated when she could listen those words and Morgan's voice was perceptible at the other side of the system.

When Tony arrived, his daughter was already in the arms of her mother. He could feel an immense relieve but that was not enough; somebody was able to substract his own daughter in the easiest way they could imagine. When Maria Hill met him, he got the information he was looking for: the whole mission in Vietnam was a trap, they were conducted the most remote possible place by a terrorist organisation. Everything was planed so he could not have a chance to come back earlier.

-They wanted to break you Tony… Morgan was not supposed to come back – Said Maria

Tony started to run out of air, he was angry, frustrated, shocked, all at once.

-They were ready for our reaction - She continued – They were waiting for my team and knew exactly what we would do.

Tony was in trance but continued listening what he already knew: The terrorists were prepared for everything but not for somebody: the winter soldier. He was the one able to get inside the underground structure, there were at least two dozen of people securing the place but none of them could even imagine what was coming.

-Are they all dead? -asked Tony

Maria made a single head movement -He is not a murder anymore Tony, most of them are not able to answer our questions for now, but they will survive. His priority was breaking into the building, taking Morgan out of there and covering her until our team arrived.

-Where is he now?

-Gone! – answered Maria -I suppose that Steve will contact him tonight, right?

And she was right, the first thing that Cap and Sam made when they arrived was to look for Bucky in the apartment. They wanted to be sure that we has ok. Both knew that Bucky had enough from a century of blood and pain. He had listened in silence when Steve called him from the Quinjet but made exactly what Steve knew that he would make: the right thing. It did not took long until he was in the structure, he could remember and move through the place with closed eyes because all the memories where still there. When the moment arrived, the terrorists had to deal not only with Bucky trying to make amends with Tony; after he entered in the place the scars of the past activated the most dangerous part of him and the efect was multiplied. At the end, only a huge effort from his side made possible less blood on that day. He restrained his emotions at maximum and focused on his mission: to take Morgan out of there.

When Cap and Sam arrived to the apartment, they found it empty. Bucky did not answer the phone and Steve started to get worried. At the same time, Tony activated his Armor and left the place where he had met Maria and his family without saying anything.

He found Bucky not far from there, sitting behind a barrier beside the highway. He was watching the scene from a secure distance but when he felt Ironman's company, he could not avoid a flinch going through all his body. He was still holding a weapon with his metal arm and stared at him with a cold glance. Tony was extremely good at words, but he was not ready for this, his lips felt dry and his tong felt numb. They looked each other during a long time without saying a word. Then, Bucky closed his eyes and a tiny smile, more like a grin appeared, he opened his human hand and showed the little thing he still had with him.

-I left with this on my hand – Tony's eyes went wet when he recognized the little piece – It was Morgans lucky charm, an Angel grabbed in a metal key fob that she used to hang at her backpack.

-well, she sent me for it – He said with a short voice, difficult to hear, then, he started to walk on his direction. – She will be mad with both of us if she does not have it tonight.

-How did you find me? -asked Bucky still astonished about how fast Tony reached him.

-This thing has an extremely advanced detector inside. How do you think that Maria could find her so fast? 30 meters underground and she still could follow it. – Tony was exceptionally nervous. It was the first time he had Bucky in front of him after the civil war they had. The rest of the time, including the process in which the winter soldier had been exonerated, he placed his efforts in erasing his existence from his memory. The soldier had killed his parents with exquisite cruelty, had being the cause of the fall of the Avengers and his brutal fight with Steve, nothing could reduce his wish to blow him in pieces.

-My daughter is with her mother now… this is all what I wanted to tell you. - were his next words.

Bucky made a small movement with his head indicating his satisfaction for the result. He had left the girl in Happy's hands and had left as fast as he could.

-Look – Tony said – we cannot change this, we will spend our lifes thinking of each other on the same way, both burning full of pain, fury and frustration so, the best thing is that we never see each other again. There cannot be a conversation with sense between us so, I better leave now, I am planning to find Steve and killing him for calling you but first I have to say thank you to him. – Bucky's real sadness started to be more visible on his metal eyes. He was able to say all what he wanted without using a single muscle of his mouth or face but just his eyes.

-You and I know who assassinated my parents -Said Tony with broken voice – but today it was my daughter's life the one it matter … - he couldn't continue speaking.

-You and I know who assassinated your parents – repeated Bucky – but he was not here today – I am James Buchanan Barnes and I made what I had to do. – He used to repeat his own name every night after waking up from another nightmare and he was doing the same when Tony arrived to the highway. It was his Mantra.

Tony made an affirmation with his head – Thank you James Buchanan Barnes, have a good life if you can, I wish… I truly wish you can

Those were his last words and then he left. Bucky stayed on the same place until very late. He could not remember how many times he repeated his name during the night but when the new nightmare came, and he woke up shaking and saying his Mantra, Steve and Sam were already at his side.