Tony
Tony's a smart guy. Some would even call him a genius. (Himself included).
Which is why it's such a blow to his ego when 5 minutes after Steve walks past him, and doesn't walk back, that Tony realizes he's made a big uh-oh.
"JARVIS." Tony shouts, standing up, "tell me Steve Rogers did not leave the building."
"Captain Rogers exited out through the lobby approximately 4 minutes and 13 seconds ago."
"Shit!" Tony exclaimed, leaping over the couch and running down the hallway. He slams into the room, startling Barnes awake and doesn't even blink at the gun pointed at his face.
When Barnes realizes that it's him, he lowers it and Tony grimaces.
Barnes' eyes go to the now empty bed and they widen. He looks at Tony, "no."
Tony winces, "unfortunately… I may have made a mistake."
Barnes shoves past him, flying out the door and down the hallway.
"JARVIS," Tony calls, "use whatever public cameras you have access to to find and track Steve, got it?"
"Yes, sir."
He's out and racing after Barnes.
—
Bucky
It's sheer and utter panic that floods him as he flies down the stairs, across the lobby and out into the bustling New York streets. According to the facts JARVIS had been spewing at him as he raced down the stairwell, Steve— or more likely the Asset— had left 5 minutes prior.
In super soldier time that might as well have been an hour.
He flies past people on the street, letting his instinct be the only guide he has, searching people's faces for the possibility that they may have seen another super soldier blow past them at impossible speed .
He stutters to a halt.
This wasn't Steve. He wasn't going to go out swinging.
This was the Asset. Trained to blend in and kill from the shadows.
Bucky takes a deep breath and looks around. Now at least a mile from the tower, he finds curious eyes looking at him, and he curses internally at letting his panic get the best of him, drawing so much attention.
He watches as a few phones point his direction.
He backpedals and feels his phone ringing in his pocket.
"Hello?" He answers hoarsely.
"JARVIS says that he turned south East after leaving the tower." Natasha's voice says calmly, "I'll keep sending you direction updates as I get them."
He's running again, faster than he should but unwilling to slow down for even a second. He can't let Steve disappear. Something in his gut tells Bucky that if he gets away… he won't even come home.
"Thanks." He whispers back, before hanging up and racing southeast.
—
Clint
Clint wasn't watching the TV. It had been running practically non stop as background noise since they'd moved to the "hulk's nursery". But when the screen flips from old reels of Howard, to a helicopter view of New York with the headline
Avenger Races through Uptown: is New York in Danger?
"Oh shhiiitt!" He shouts, "you guys!" He goes running, finding Natasha in the kitchen, staring at her phone and Tony nowhere to be seen. "It's bad."
She looks up and he drags her back to the screen, her eyes go wide, "oh shit." Then she's dialing his number with her lips pursed as they both watch Barnes' tiny figure race through the streets.
—
"You gotta stop." He hears her voice command.
"Why?" He pants, looking at his screen and following the updates JARVIS was sending him.
"Look up."
He glances up to see a news helicopter above the buildings and he skitters to a halt. "You're kidding." He groans, slipping into a deli and pinching the bridge of his nose. "For how long?"
"Long enough they think New York is in trouble—"
"Are you Sergeant Barnes?" He turns to see a kid, maybe 13, standing there, a sub in his hand and a wide grin on his face, "it is you, isn't it?"
He takes a deep breath, "yep, it's me."
"Cool, an avenger!" He laughs, "whatcha doing over here in Queens?"
"Looking for someone," he says distractedly, eyeing the helicopter outside.
"Oh yeah?" The kid asks, "someone from Queens? Maybe I know 'em. Who ya looking for?"
Bucky turns to the kid and has to blink, because for a second he sees small Steve, standing there in front of him, offering help to a stranger, he blinks again and shakes the image from his head. "Actually he's from Brooklyn, but I think he came this way."
The kid nods, shifting the backpack that's on his shoulder, "ah, okay, we'll, you need help with somethin'?"
"No, but I appreciate the offer."
"Hey, you know, one day you should stop by my school, my principal would flip."
Bucky's eyebrows furrow down, "oh yeah? How come?"
"His grandpa was on your team, the commandos."
He feels the air get sucked out of his chest, "what?"
The kid nods eagerly, "yeah, his grandpa was James Morita, got a picture of him in his office and everything."
And even with the panic of Steve getting further away, Bucky hands the kid his phone, "put your name and the name of your school in here. I'll stop by when I can."
The kid lights up and quickly taps in his contact before handing it back.
"Gotta go, kid." Bucky says, "thanks for the help."
He's out the door, dodging between buildings to avoid being seen by the helicopter.
—
The Asset
The Asset knocks on a door that he's unsure of. If the whispers of his memory are correct, he'll find someone able to contact who he needs. If he's wrong, he may need to fight his way out.
An older woman answers and stares at him in shock. Quick as a flash he dodges the keys thrown at his face and crashes through the door, fighting her for long minutes before he manages to land a heavy punch to her shoulder that sends her crumbling to the ground and howling in pain.
"If you're going to kill me, just do it." The woman howls.
"Where is she?" He seethes, bringing his boot down on her chest with enough force to make her gasp for air.
The woman just stares at him. He crouches down, kneeling his considerable weight on her chest and hips. She bucks under the pressure but stills when the knife he pulls from his boot presses against her carotid.
"Where is who?" The woman asks, growling at him.
"The headmistress."
That makes her still. "She'll kill you."
"She won't be able to."
"Why not?"
"Because Hydra doesn't control the Asset anymore."
The woman's eyes grow wide and then furious, "get the hell off me! You won't find her unless she wants to be found. And telling you anything is a sure way to get myself killed!"
The Asset sinks against her harder, drawing blood where the knife meets her skin.
"The Voice does not want to kill you. You were the least in a line of masters unfit to lead. But the Asset will kill you if you don't give the information needed."
He paused at his words. The voice?
The woman blinked at him, and then snarled, "You don't get it. She's looking for you. She'll find you and you'll be right back under her thumb and in her bed."
The Asset recoils at her words and grabs her wrist, yanking it up and shoving her fingers against the back of his skull where the bump of the device used to be present.
"No." He says firmly, and with every ounce of the willpower they once stole, he grinds out the next words. "I won't."
Her fingers feel around, and then she yanks her hand back, "how in the he—"
"Good people." He snarled without thinking, "Not Hydra."
Her eyes widen, "oh my g—" she chokes out a laugh, "it was you in those videos. The fucking Avengers, am I right? What are you, back to being Captain America? Did your good ol' pal Bucky Barnes perform head surgery on you? Hell, she'd take Barnes too if she got the—"
The Voice and The Asset both growl at her words and he reaches over and grabs at her elbow, crunching it tightly in his fist. She shrieks in pain, loud enough to cause his hearing to protest and he clamps a hand over her mouth. "Quiet."
Her elbow and hand hang limply and her face begins to pale.
"Tell me where I can find her." He hisses, "or—" he takes a deep breath, "I will crush your bones, one by one."
"San Diego." She rasps. "Last I knew she was in San Diego."
He nods and reels back a fist, hitting her temple just right to knock her out.
He collects supplies from her place and takes currency from a tin she thinks is cleverly hidden. The Asset is annoyed at her poor training. Doesn't she know that any Asset worth his salt could have found that?
Go back. The voice says. Louder and clearer than he's heard since before the device was removed. Almost like the voice is there with him. Let them help you.
You want the mission to be involved with the headmistress? The Asset asks the voice, you would risk him? And the others?
The voice sighs, and the Asset walks calmly and purposefully to the same airport he had been in just a few weeks ago.
Fine, then let me help you. The voice says finally.
This makes the Asset pause. Why?
We've been fighting for control this whole time from each other. But… The voice sounds so calm. Not riled up, or railing against his mental boundaries or fighting him for control. They're the ones who took our control from us. I agree she needs to be stopped. So we can't afford to be fighting each other. We won't survive that mental stress. We have to learn to work together. So, I'll help you.
The Asset can tell that the voice means it. There's no secrets in their shared mind.
The Asset thinks it over as he purchases a ticket with the same fake ID he'd used back then.
Okay. The Asset says as he steps onto their flight and finds his seat. We'll fight her together.
Together.
—
Tony
Tony's in his suit, flying over the city, following any hint that Jarvis sends his way when his Heads Up Display flashes and security footage of an airport pops up.
He lands on a roof, watching the footage as it loops. The Asset approaches a ticket counter, purchases a ticket, and gets on a flight.
"Jarvis, I want to know where that—"
"His ticket was for San Diego, sir."
"Call Barnes."
"Tony? Where are you?"
"Head back to theTower, Jarvis caught sight of him getting on a flight to San Diego. Get your go-bag, we're wheels up in 25 minutes."
He hears Bucky nod, his breathing sounding heavy and the line clicks off.
—
He expects Barnes to be angry at him for letting the Asset pass, but the soldier never mentions anything. The jet ride is quiet and they land in San Diego in record time. They take a fast car ride over to the San Diego airport and use Jarvis to find out what gate he's arriving at.
Tony buys them tickets to some random location so they can get past security. They don't have their disguises and they're drawing attention everywhere they go, but Tony is used to it, and the other three seem too distracted by the phones and cameras turning their way.
They stand outside the gate and wait.
—
Bucky
The plane lands and Bucky is on edge as people start to file off.
He sees blonde hair and he stiffens, watching as The Asset steps into the terminal and turns towards them.
They make eye contact and he can see the immediate defense mode that the Asset shifts into.
"Don't!" Bucky says, holding his hands up in surrender, "don't run. We're going to follow you wherever you go anyways. So, just…" He takes a step forward, "just… don't run. Please."
"The Asset has a mission to complete."
Bucky just nods, "okay. Okay. That's fine. A mission, we're good at those. We're a team, we can help. Let us help you.'
"No. Too dangerous."
"Asset." Natasha says calmly, "a dangerous mission completed by many, is easier than a mission completed by one. Trust me. I had to learn that lesson the hard way too. Let us help you."
"What is your mission?" Bucky hears Clint ask.
"To kill the headmistress." The Asset says calmly. "The Spider—" he points to Natasha, "informed the Voice that she was after the Asset. We refuse to allow her to take us again."
"We?" Bucky asks, his throat dry.
"The voice and the Asset will work together to accomplish this mission."
"That's good." Natasha says, "you working with the Voice is good." She pauses, looking at the curious crowds starting to pay too much attention. "We need to get somewhere more private. Asset, will you come with us for now? If you decide to leave later then we won't stop you."
Bucky shoots her a glare of disbelief, opening his mouth to protest, but she stops him with a slicing motion.
"Will you?" She asks again. "It has to be your choice." And the way she emphasizes that makes Bucky take a deep breath. Okay, maybe she knows what she's doing. Maybe allowing the Asset to feel in control will stop him from bolting every chance he gets.
"Yes." Bucky hears the Asset respond, and it's not an affirmative. For some reason that gives Bucky a sense of hope.
—
The Asset & The Voice
What do you want to do? The Voice asks the Asset as they follow the team towards the door and into a waiting car.
Unsure.
They could be right. She wouldn't be able to fight us all.
The Asset is quiet but the Voice senses his fears.
Just like you told that other woman. The device is gone. She can't control us.
What if she can? What if we're wrong and she orders us to hurt them?
She can't. The Voice says firmly, and if you get afraid, let me take control. She can't force me to hurt them.
How do you know?
The voice sighs and starts to bring up memories that the Asset doesn't recall. The Asset being tortured and dragged and shocked and starved.
When was this? Why doesn't the Asset remember this happening?
It was before you. Before they put that device in our head and split us. This is what they did to me for over 30 years to get me to behave. It didn't work then, and it won't work now.
But why hasn't the Asset seen these before now?
The longer the device is out, the easier it is for to fully recall the time before. The more we sleep and eat and take care of ourself, the better and healthier our mind and body gets. The team showed me a lot of videos before I was with Hydra. That helped.
Helped how?
The Voice falls silent and the Asset can tell he's thinking about how to explain. The Asset can sense the team members watching him curiously as they ride in the car, but he just stays still, hands clasped together and eyes unfocused.
If no one hands you a mirror for 70 years… the image you have of yourself might shift and change over time. You're still you… but… you can't quite remember what you look like. The team handed me a mirror. They handed us a mirror. Now we get to look at ourselves and see who we really are. Do you understand?
Unclear.
I know, not the greatest metaphor. Haven't had to think of one in almost 80 years.
I think we should allow them to help. I'll help you anyway I can. But… having a team… It's an amazing thing, trust me.
The mission was on our team.
Yes. The Asset senses the Voice's joy at that statement Bucky was my second-in-command.
The voice shows memory after memory of fighting alongside the mission.
The Asset accepts these. He'd already had the knowledge, but seeing it made it more real.
The mission seems happier then than he does now.
The Asset looks over where the mission sits stiffly, eyeing the Asset every few seconds as if he might bolt, which.. The Asset has to accept is a fair judgment.
He's been through a lot. But letting him help us… that will help him be more at ease.
There's a weighted silence and the Voice can sense the direction of the Asset's thoughts.
Don't—
You were here before the Asset.
The voice goes quiet when he says that, but then so calmly the Voice says Yes, but we're both here now. Maybe we can… I don't know… unite one day so we both get to stick around, what do you say?
How would that work?
I don't know. Never done it before. But I'd be willing to share. I'm tired of fighting with myself.
The voice sounds amused at his own joke and the Asset feels a amused annoyance at the Voice.
So. The voice starts again, What do you say, work with the team, work together?
Affirma— The Asset stops, clenching his fists and trying to look in that mirror the voice talked about, Yes. I want to.
The voice radiates such joy that the Asset thinks it makes a smile appear on his face.