Dread swirls around in his stomach but he stands, nodding mutely at JARVIS before turning to head out of the room and make his way to the elevator, accepting his fate like a man heading for the gallows. He'd known Stark would want to see him eventually, he'd been prepared for that, but that doesn't stop the anxiety that swirls around in his gut as he waits for the lift to arrive at the garage.

He swallows and shifts his stance, clasping his hands behind his back and breathing in through his nose. He doesn't exactly know what to expect from Stark right now. He wouldn't be surprised to be met with anger, Stark has every right to be furious at him, given what they had learned, and although his heart pounds faster at the thought, he knows he can take whatever punishment Stark has in mind.

He just hopes he doesn't kick him out of the tower. The thought sends licks of ice-cold fear shooting down his spine and he tries to shove it away. If Stark doesn't want him in the tower anymore, he really doesn't know what he will do. His handler will most likely stay with his team, but the Asset isn't supposed to be left on his own, so their only choice would be some kind of holding cell for him—

His train of thought gets cut off as the elevator slows and the doors ding open, revealing the cement floor of the parking garage. He swallows and takes in one last breath before stepping out and sweeping the area with his eyes.

Stark is sitting on a metal stool in the maintenance corner of the garage, the large metal table separating him from the Asset. There are dark circles under his eyes, and he looks tired, his fingers tapping restlessly against the table and causing a dull ringing to sound out through the garage. His eyes flick up as the Asset enters and the Asset finds himself stumbling to a halt, unable to come any closer as Stark looks him over.

They sit like that for a while, the Asset's right hand growing clammy as he tries to tap into the calm place he used to be able to go to when Hydra had been angry with him. It had been easier when he could just detach himself and accept his punishment quietly, because when you know a punishment is coming, there comes a point when getting upset about it becomes pointless.

That's what he wants now. For Stark to get whatever he has in mind over with, so they can move on from it. That's what always happens. He does something wrong and then he's punished and then they stop being mad at him. (He cannot begin to imagine what kind of punishment could make up for what he's done to Stark, but whatever it is, he'll just have to deal with it.)

Stark seems to just be staring at him though, without actually doing anything, and if this goes on for much longer the Asset is pretty sure his heart is going to pound its way into a heart attack. Dread twists in his stomach and he swallows, clasping his hands tighter behind his back as he steps towards the table and focuses his gaze on a point above Stark's head. His hands are shaking, hidden from view, and he feels almost lightheaded with nerves, but if he has to get it started, then he will.

"The Asset is ready for punishment," he says to the spot on the wall, the words like acid in his throat and his hands painfully tight behind his back as he works on keeping his breathing regulated. Fear crawls up and down his spine, but he can do this. This is fine. He just has to survive this like everything else.

Stark seems to give a start at his words and the Asset doesn't move his gaze as he feels Stark look him over. His heart pounds and he feels sick and he hates this so much, but he also can't get the image of Stark's father out of his head and he's certain that Stark feels the same way.

"Wow," Stark speaks finally, his hands still on the table. "Heck'ov a conversation starter you got there, Barnes."

The Asset blinks slowly, trying to process Stark's words and watching out of the corner of his eye as Stark runs a hand through his hair with a weighty sigh. The Asset swallows carefully and breathes through his nose, clenching his jaw along with his hands as he tries to settle into himself. He doesn't really know how to respond to Stark right now, but generally that isn't a requirement for situations like this.

In front of him, Stark slumps slightly on his stool and seems to grind his teeth as he scans the Asset, an unreadable expression on his face. His eyes flicker and his hands tighten on the table before he looks away and lets out an explosive breath. "Okay look—" He grimaces and runs another hand through his hair before looking back at the Asset. "Look, I'm not going to–" He gestures vaguely, a tight look on his face. "I just want to talk, okay? So just relax for a second, alright?"

The Asset finds his eyes dropping down to look at Stark without his permission and he stares, confusion sweeping through his brain like a wave. Stark's words make no sense to him and he has no idea what to do with them. He stays silent, but allows himself to look at Stark, trying to read the man as confusion replaces some of his overwhelming fear.

Stark lets out a long drawn out sigh that turns into a groan as he rubs a hand over his face. The exasperated sound doesn't really bode well, but the Asset tries not to tense since Stark had asked him to relax and the man doesn't seem currently bent on disciplining him. Across from him Stark looks up and rubs his hand over his mouth, seemingly unsure of what he wants to say.

"Okay," he starts suddenly, pressing his hand against the table. "So. I've been doing my best to deal with this like the 'mature adult' that I am, and I've been working really hard on that and I'm going to be pissed if this drops in and goes and ruins everything I've been working on so–" He shrugs and breathes in slowly. "So… I know I can't expect to get over this right away and I can feel whatever I want and whatever." He waves a hand and the Asset watches it carefully. "But anyway." He looks up and catches his eye. "I have questions that are bothering me, and if we want to move past this then we're going to have to talk about it so…" His mouth presses up into something that isn't really a smile. "Here I am."

The Asset's throat flexes as he swallows, his eyes flicking over Stark, still at a loss. Stark looks back at him for a moment before licking his lips and tapping his fingers anxiously against the table, his gaze jumping around the room.

"Right, okay," he says, sitting back slightly and looking up at the Asset. "I guess we're doing this." He clenches his jaw for a second before breathing out through his nose and rolling his shoulders. "Okay, so. I'm just going to preface this by saying that I've known about this a lot longer than you." His anxious tapping turns into something rhythmic and he catches the Asset's eye. "I'm guessing you didn't remember it until we triggered it with BARF, yeah?"

The Asset nods silently and Stark nods back, his eyes dropping down to his hands. "That's what I thought," he says, without looking up. "See, I knew about this back at the beginning of the year, when Steve got your file. So…" He shrugs, his head still down, the scratches on the table seemingly very interesting. "So I kind of figured it was going to come up eventually." He looks up finally and the Asset can't read his expression.

Stark sighs and drags his fingers through his hair, looking off to the side. "I had a plan for this," he says. "I had 'coping mechanisms'," his fingers make air-quotes as he speaks, and the Asset follows their movement with his eyes. "I was prepared," Stark says. "I knew this was going to happen." His lips press into a line. "I just didn't really appreciate the whole, almost watching the thing."

The Asset winces and darts his eyes away. He hadn't really enjoyed it either, although he's now glad that he had taken the BARF glasses off before Stark could get the chance to actually see him murder both his parents. Stark could have also shut off the projection from his own console, but he gets the impression the man had been just as immobile with shock as he had been so…

"But. Anyway." Stark's voice takes on a forced sort of nonchalant quality as he sits up and straightens his shoulders. "I have things I'm doing to deal with it," he says decisively, catching the Asset in a solid stare. "I'm not saying this is all going to go away, or that I don't need time but…" He raises his chin. "I'm not going to hurt you. So, you can forget about that." He nods stiffly, like they've just made a deal. "I just have some questions."

The Asset can feel his mouth open slightly in surprise as he gives Stark a stunned look and the man twitches his mouth upwards at him. The Asset finds his shoulders relaxing, if only slightly, as he finally lets his chin drop so that he can look at Stark comfortably.

Stark seems to relax a little as well at the Asset's response, and he rubs his hands together as he darts his eyes around the room. "Alright," he says. "I'm sure this is going to be a fun conversation but–" His mouth twitches slightly. "I promised I'd do it. So–" He breathes in and presses his hands against the table. "I was wondering…" He huffs out a breath. "After we saw the hologram, you said something." He looks up at him for a second and taps his fingers on the table. "You said something about, 'not knowing what he said' or 'what it meant'. And then you said 'they' were angry, so I was just…" He trails off and shrugs, looking away. "Well, I just couldn't get that out of my head."

The Asset shifts his stance and tries to think back on the horrible moment with the BARF tech. It's mostly a blur to him, he'd been panicking so much that he isn't exactly sure what he'd said or done, but he does remember some of the flashbacks it had triggered, and he's pretty sure he knows what Stark is referring to.

He's asking about the words.

His stomach twists sharply and he swallows uneasily before taking in a determined breath and squaring his shoulders. He doesn't want to talk about the words, he really doesn't, but… if he owes Stark anything, he can at least give him this, and answer any questions he has. He clenches his jaw because it's hard to get started, and he finds himself looking down as he speaks, his hands squeezing together behind his back.

"Howard knew me," he says quietly, his stance stiff. "He knew the words Handler-Steve used, but I didn't know what he meant." He looks up at Stark, the man seemingly frozen now that he'd started speaking. "Handler-Steve told me they weren't trigger words, but Howard said them anyway, and I didn't know what they meant."

Stark's mouth opens for a moment before he actually says anything. "What words?" He asks finally.

Anxiety cuts through his gut and the Asset swallows nervously, darting his eyes away from Stark as his heartbeat picks up the pace. He opens his mouth for a second before closing it again, trying to work up the resolve to say the words. He knows, he knows he won't be punished for the words here, they are Handler-Steve's words, so of course he won't be punished. But he still…

He breathes in carefully and clenches his hands, focusing his eyes on a spot on the floor. "He said… he said 'Sergeant Barnes'," he gets out finally, his shoulders hunching despite himself as a deep shaking settles into his bones. "He said the words, but I didn't know what they were and there was the camera–"

He looks up at Stark, suddenly desperate to explain. "The mission was for the serum," he starts. "Sanction and extract. No witnesses. I thought— I thought maybe they would die in the crash but they didn't so I had to—" He breathes in shakily and his hands drop out from behind his back so he can tug at the bottom of his shirt. "There was supposed to be no witnesses," he says, his eyes focusing on his hands. "Except there was a camera. So I had to take down the camera too."

He looks up and sways for a second because he gets the urge to pace, but he also doesn't want to encroach on Stark's space. Ultimately he clenches his jaw and stays where he is, his right hand shaking as he fiddles with his shirt. "I didn't destroy it though," he says tightly. "I— there was supposed to be no witnesses, but I didn't destroy the camera, so I had to tell my handlers and then they went and got it because there was s'posed to be no witnesses."

His breath is feeling rather short, and he breathes in, trying to calm himself, shifting his stance as he speaks. "I didn't destroy the camera, so they had it, and they watched it," he explains tightly. "They watched it and they saw he had said something to me so they asked—" His voice chokes out for a second and Stark opens his mouth, seeming ready to say something, but the Asset doesn't give him the chance, determined to get the story done and over with.

"I told them, what he said," he says, his gaze flitting down to rest on the table by Stark's elbow. "I didn't know what it meant. I didn't know why they were so angry but they hated the words." He swallows, breathing in. "Handler-Steve said they captured me, and— I think they didn't want me to know his words, but I didn't. I didn't know what it was, or why it was so bad."

He breathes in and clamps his mouth shut, raising his gaze to see Stark's reaction to his story. Stark stares at him, his eyes flicking over him as he thinks, his hands lax against the table in front of him. After a moment, he flutters his eyes in a blink, giving his head a shake and seeming to pull himself into working order. "Wow," he says quietly, his eyes still on the Asset. "I remember, in the file Steve had, it said they thought you might need more 'conditioning', because you did everything in front of a security camera…" He presses his lips together. "I guess they went through with that."

The Asset nods sharply, looking down, his fingers squeezing on the hem of his shirt as he tries not to think about the efforts Handler-Karpov had gone to, to teach him how wrong those words had been. He's only grateful that once he had changed handlers, he had been allowed to forget about it until now, or else he and JARVIS probably would have gotten off to a poor start.

"Why didn't you destroy the camera?" He jerks his head up to look at Stark, his mouth opening as he tries to come up with an answer. Stark scans him for a second and shrugs. "I mean, in the hologram we saw, you definitely knew it was there, you scouted ahead and saw it." He catches his eye and seems to stare into him. "So I'm just wondering… why you crashed the car in front of it in the first place, let alone left the thing intact."

The Asset stares back, his brain seeming to stall as he tries to come up with a response. "I… waited to crash the car," he says slowly, the realisation dawning as he speaks. "I waited, so that it would be in front of—" He flinches and shakes his head. "But the mission was no witnesses," he says, his jaw flexing as he looks at Stark. "No witnesses. So I had to get rid of the camera."

Stark looks back at him. "But you didn't destroy it."

"No," he says tightly. "No. So I had to report it to my handler, because the mission was—"

"No witnesses," Stark cuts in, a thoughtful look in his eyes. He scans him for a few moments longer before shifting in his seat, tapping his finger against the table. "So… you crashed the car, in front of a camera you couldn't leave up because of your mission protocols… but you didn't destroy it." He flicks his eyes over the Asset and tilts his head. "Why not?" He asks. "Leaving it intact wasn't allowed. You had to tell your handlers about it so that you could complete your mission… so why not destroy it yourself?"

The Asset breathes in and shakes his head. "I don't know," he says thinly, running a hand through his hair. "I don't know. I don't— mission failure is not allowed."

"Right," Stark says quietly, a glimmer of something deep in his eyes as he looks at him. "Right. But you still did everything in front of a camera, and you didn't destroy it, even if you couldn't keep it hidden from your handlers. You did leave a witness, even if it was only for your handlers to see."

The Asset stares at him, completely frozen, his mind seemingly rebelling at Stark's words. Every time he tries to think over his logic behind the mission his thoughts seem to jump away. He doesn't want to think about why he might have left the camera intact because if there is a reason, then that would mean he had been resisting his mission and failing Hydra and that isn't allowed.

He breathes in sharply and lets it out slowly, trying to slow his thoughts down. "I don't know," he says to Stark again, trying to explain. "I— knowing is… is dangerous. Resistance is unacceptable." He shakes his head. "I don't— mission failure is unacceptable."

He swallows and looks down. He understands what Stark is implying. He'd seen the camera and he hadn't avoided it, if he'd truly wanted to complete the mission to the best of his abilities then he would have crashed the car anywhere else— or he would have destroyed the camera— but… but he really doesn't know. He's spent years very carefully not thinking things because if he thought them then he'd have to acknowledge them and then he would get into trouble because some things are not allowed.

"You can't know," Stark says, his eyes on him. "Because if you thought about it then it would be real, and then you would have to stop."

The Asset looks back at him and presses his lips together, his hands pressing into his stomach. "I don't know," he says carefully, even though he's pretty sure Stark is right. Stark stares at him for a long moment before he finally gives him a slow nod.

"Okay," he says quietly. "Okay."

A calm sort of understanding seems to relax and settle in between them, and the Asset breathes in, feeling almost lightheaded at the release of tension. Stark sits back and slumps slightly, looking almost dazed as well, and the Asset scans him, still slightly stunned at the thought that the man truly just wants to talk to him right now.

Comparing his reaction to the actual death of his parents with Hydra's reaction to two simple words… it's hard to think about, let alone comprehend. He can't understand why Stark isn't set on punishing him right now. He now knows that he wasn't even supposed to have done any of his Hydra missions, yet no one seems inclined to discipline him and make sure he doesn't do it again. Instead everyone seems intent on being uncomprehendingly kind to him, and even Stark treats him better than he probably deserves.

He flicks his eyes over the man and finds himself biting his lip, his hands still on the hem of his shirt as he tries to make sense of him. Stark had said that he and Handler-Steve had known about his missions this whole time, yet Stark had still let him in the tower, had helped him with the BARF technology, and had let him work on his cars. And so far, he hadn't asked for anything in return.

He presses his lips together and breathes in. He doesn't understand, and he doubts he'll be able to figure it out without asking, which is definitely not something he wants to do… but it is something he thinks he can do. So far, no one in the tower has gotten mad at him for anything (and if Stark gets mad at him now, he won't blame him), so he's probably safe to ask the question, even if every bit of training he'd ever received is against the idea.

He clenches his hands on his shirt for a moment before taking a very small half-step forward and drawing Stark's attention to him. He opens his mouth for a second before closing it and wincing slightly, his brain struggling to come up with a 'safe' way to phrase his question. Thankfully, Stark stays silent, his brows drawn together slightly in confusion, but not anger. (He hopes.)

"I have a question," the Asset finally manages to get out, closing his mouth as he waits for Stark's response. Across from him, Stark stares for a few seconds before he blinks and seems to realise that some sort of reply is needed on his part.

"Oh. Sure." He waves his hand in a sort of 'go ahead' gesture. "Fire away, I guess."

The Asset nods and breathes in, his eyes moving instinctively to focus away from Stark's face. Part of him wants to pull his hands behind his back again to stand at attention, but he doesn't want to draw attention to himself more than necessary, so he doesn't. "I…" He flicks his eyes to Stark for a second before darting them away again. "Why… did you let me stay in the tower?"

He watches Stark from the corner of his eye, and judging from the man's shocked expression, his question is unexpected, and the Asset rushes to explain further. "When I came, I thought I would get another cell, like at the Vault," he says, careful not to look away from his point on the wall. "But Handler-Steve let me sleep on the couch, and let me have blankets and good food." He swallows, privately hoping that none of that is about to change now. "But I wasn't supposed to do the Hydra missions and—" He drops his eyes and finds his voice growing quieter. "And I killed your parents." His shoulders tense as he speaks. "So I don't understand why…"

He risks glancing up at Stark, and the man is looking at him with a mixed expression that he can't quite read. Eventually, Stark breathes out and runs his hand along the edge of the table, looking down. "Man," he says, almost to himself. "Aren't you a tragic piece of work, Barnes."

The Asset blinks at him, unsure how to respond, and Stark looks up, his face smoothing out as he breathes in and sets his shoulders. "Okay, for one thing." He raises a finger. "Everybody deserves blankets and food. That's non-negotiable." He raises a second finger. "Two…" He puts his hand down and rolls his shoulders. "Okay, so I'll admit I had some reservations letting you come stay here. But…" He looks up. "Well, we didn't exactly have a lot of options you know, and besides…" He shrugs one shoulder and looks to the side a little. "Steve's happier with you around so…"

He shrugs again and his mouth twitches a little as the Asset watches him. Stark looks at him for a moment and huffs out a breath, shaking his head as he runs a hand through his hair. "I mean, you'd understand if you'd seen him," he says, leaning forward so that he can rest his elbows on the table and support his chin. "I mean, we're all a little messed up around here, and it wasn't exactly obvious right away but–" His eyes grow slightly distant and he looks past the Asset. "I don't know. You'd just look at him and it was like he was only halfway there or— or like he was one of those cardboard cut outs that they sell in stores."

He licks his lips and the Asset stares at him, his eyes wide as he takes in what he's hearing, Stark's words matching up with the look he sees on his handler's face sometimes, and the one he'd seen in some of his flashbacks. Stark lets out a sort of bitter laugh and taps his fingers against his chin. "I don't exactly know what SHIELD was doing with him, but like, he came to the tower with a bag and a box. Like, that was literally everything he owned, and he just looked—"

He cuts himself off and sits up, pressing his hands facedown on the table. "Anyway." He rolls his shoulders. "I'm not exactly good with that kind of stuff, but it was better than dealing with my stuff, so I tried." He waves one hand at the Asset. "And whaddya know, it didn't blow up in my face and Rogers is looking a bit more 3D these days, so…"

The Asset nods slowly at him. Stark's words make sense. He doesn't exactly know why his handler seems to care so much about him, or why he's… happier, as Stark says, around him (or why his handler had been in such a poor condition in the first place… that is something he will need to look into) but if he can help his handler, then that is good, and if Stark wants to help his handler, then that is also good.

Across from him, Stark puffs out his cheeks and lets out a gust of air. "Okaay, good talk," he says, standing up abruptly from the stool. "But that's about as much emotions as I want to deal with today so…" His mouth twitches in a sort of half-smile-that-isn't-really-a-smile, and the Asset is quick to move to the side so that Stark can get by him, being careful to leave plenty of space between them, since even if Stark doesn't want to punish him right now, he still isn't sure how comfortable the man is around him.

"See you later," Stark tells him decisively as he passes, and the Asset blinks at him, his eyes following Stark silently all the way to the elevator.

oOo

Things stay quiet for a while after that. The Asset continues his training with the other Avengers, and his handler continues to allow him all the privileges he had come to enjoy in the tower. He doesn't see Stark much, only in passing a few times, but his handler keeps in regular contact with the man, and the Asset is slowly able to come to terms with the fact that Stark's reaction to his actions is not going to be like what he's used to.

He still has trouble with his own memories of the incident, and one day, in an effort for peace, he manages to work up the courage to ask his handler to draw him a picture of Howard. Actually, he asks for one of both Howard and Maria, but his handler tells him that he hadn't known Maria. Even so, Handler-Steve accepts the commission and the Asset waits for it as patiently as possibly, hoping it will give him something else to think about besides his Hydra mission when he thinks of Howard.

A few days after his initial request, his handler hands him a stiff sheet of paper, the black and white image of Howard looking through a pair of goggles at something traced out in bold pencil. The Asset looks over it reverently, before glancing up and noticing that his handler's eyes are slightly redder than they usually are.

He watches as his handler turns away to head to the kitchen, and after a moment he follows, the picture held carefully in his hands as a revelation dawns. He stops by the counter and watches as his handler begins the familiar motions of making tea, the mug clinking as he takes it down.

The Asset swallows, thinking back to the few flashes he has of Howard before his mission. "He was your friend," he says quietly, and his handler pauses in his movements, before starting up again after a few seconds. The Asset watches him, thinking over his statement. Of course, he'd known it before, he just hadn't thought a lot about what it means.

"I knew him," his handler says finally, his eyes focused on his task. "I worked with him, and I respected him." He breathes in and shrugs as he looks down at his cup, his hand resting on the kettle without actually using it. "I think… he changed, from when I knew him but…" His mouth twitches. "I never saw it. He was just… gone, like everyone else, so…" He shakes his head and finally pours the water for his tea, resting his mug on the counter as he waits for it to steep. His eyes grow distant as he waits and his hands tighten on the counter beside him before he blinks and looks at the Asset, his mouth twitching into something close to a smile. "Guess I haven't really had a lot of time to think about it."

The Asset swallows and nods. He doesn't exactly know what his handler is referencing, why he hadn't been around for Howard's later life, but sadness twists in his stomach as he realises that he'd taken Howard from his handler, as well as Stark.

"I'm sorry," he says softly, and his handler looks up, flashing him a warmer smile than before, his shoulders moving as he breathes in a calm breath and turns to grab his tea.

"It's okay," he says quietly.

oOo

It isn't until about mid September – almost a month since the initial incident – that Stark calls him down to have another BARF session. He's apprehensive about accepting since it would be the first time he and Stark had spent a lengthy amount of time together since their last session and he isn't exactly sure what to expect. He goes anyways, because of course he does, but he finds himself a touch more anxious than he usually is as he walks into the white-walled room.

Beck is already there, fiddling around with the computer, and the Asset can hear him muttering to himself under his breath. "It's about time we got back to testing," he hears him grumble, a slight scowl on his face. "This isn't just going to develop itself." His mouth twists, and his fingers tap a little harsher than necessary on the keyboard. "Especially if we're not allowed to use it for long periods of time."

He seems to be talking around the Asset again, so he leaves him be, silently moving forward to grab the glasses from the edge of the computer console, before walking to stand in the middle of the room. Beck's murmurings cut off and his mouth presses into a thin line as, a minute later, Stark breezes into the room.

"Oh good, you're here," he says as he catches sight of the Asset, his eyes only resting on him for a second or two before they dart off to somewhere else. He makes his way quickly over to his chair by the computer and sits down, his hand coming up to rub briefly at the center of his chest. "My six-week recovery period is almost over," he explains neutrally, casting the Asset another brief glance. "So I figured we should get some sessions in before I get sent into the field."

The Asset nods at him and relaxes slightly at the casual air around Stark. He's still not exactly sure how the man feels about him and he's not naïve enough to think that Stark is completely comfortable with him, but the man seems willing to work with him professionally, which is more than he'd been expecting.

With a final fortifying breath, he slips the glasses on and waits as Beck starts up the computer, internally bracing himself for when Stark lists off the trigger words. The machine hums and he blinks in surprise as a hologram begins to flicker into view, without any trigger words and without his conscious thought. His mouth opens in surprise, but he doesn't try to stop it. The BARF tech often seems to pick up on his more subconscious impressions, and he's curious to see what it will show him.

His holo-self solidifies, standing in a crowd of people while wearing an unfamiliar brown uniform, complete with an off-kilter cap and golden buttons. The scene must be from before his handler got big, because little-Steve stands behind his holo-self, looking towards the stage in front of them which holds a shiny red car with several showgirls posed in front.

"Ladies and gentlemen," a woman's voice announces from a speaker somewhere. "Mr. Howard Stark!"

His eyes widen and his breath catches slightly at the name, and he watches as a confident man dressed in a suit steps onto the stage, flirting briefly with one of the showgirls before taking the microphone and turning to address the crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he says, his voice full and cocksure of himself. "What if I told you, that in just a few short years, your automobile won't even have to touch the ground… at all." He sweeps his arm out and the crowd gasps as his showgirls step forward to remove the wheels of the car and reveal some kind of device underneath.

Howard flashes the crowd a gleeful smile and steps towards a control panel next to the car. Anticipatory music plays from the speakers in the room as he slowly pulls a lever, and the car hums as it begins to ever so gradually raise itself up and hover above the ground.

Back in the crowd, his holo-self and his handler watch the car in awe. "Holy cow," he hears his holo-self mutter as he looks over the scene, an impressed gleam in his eye. After a moment, the strange devices spark and give out, sending the car crashing to the ground, much to the shock of the crowd. Howard plays it off with as much grace as possible, but the failure doesn't seem to lessen his holo-self's enjoyment of the show.

The Asset breathes out and reaches up, gently removing the glasses and folding them, looking up to see Stark's reaction to the scene. It had been unexpected, but not wholly improbable. He supposes it's natural for the BARF tech to have picked up on his conflict over Howard's death, he's just glad that it had given him a new positive memory to think of him by.

Across from him, Stark watches the fading scene with something almost wistful in his eye. After a few moments he blinks his way out of it and looks up to catch the Asset's gaze properly for the first time since the session had started.

"Well," he says, the word seeming to burst out of him. His mouth twitches into a crooked smile and he taps his fingers over his knee. "Guess those flying cars were real after all."

The Asset blinks for a second before he remembers the scene from when he had almost escaped Hydra and Pierce had tried to disregard his fledgling memories. A smile breaks over his face before he can stop it, and something warm wells up in his chest as Stark relaxes back into his chair, something new beginning to grow between them.

"Yeah," he says, looking down at the glasses in awe. "Yeah, I guess they were."


AN: So, Bucky was thoroughly terrified to see Tony, but I hope it wasn't a surprise that Tony isn't about to go postal on him. Obviously Tony will still need some time to process and heal, but he has a support system, and he's had time to plan for this before too. I think the fact that it's implied that Bucky may have been subtly trying to resist Hydra anyways, probably helps too.

I really wanted to have the scene between Bucky and Steve too, since Steve doesn't often get a chance to grieve Howard, because he has to deal with more immediate concerns.

And then I thought it was touching to share a positive memory of Howard between Bucky and Tony.