Chapter 2 - Problems
Steve pulls his wallet from his back pocket to pay for the lunch that they didn't get to finish. "Tony, you know I have a cell phone right?"
"Yeah."
"You could call," Steve hands the man at the counter fifteen dollars "keep the change," he turns back to Tony "instead of interrupting our lunch. "
Tony shrugs and grabs a handful of fries off Steve's plate "Are you going to eat the rest of this hamburger?"
"Yes! Stop taking my food!" Steve looks at Bucky and shakes his head "What's the deal with him?"
"I don't know" Bucky replies as he transfers his food to a to-go box.
"Stick mine in there too, would ya?"
"Sure" Bucky snatches Steve's hamburger from Tony and glares at him as he sticks it in the box.
"What?!"
Steve rolls his eyes "just come on. You are the one saying that we have to leave now."
"This better be worth it, Stark" Bucky says, still glaring.
They leave the restaurant, head back to the tower, and climb the stairs to the 14th floor. After Thor broke the dining room table, they decided that it would be better to have team meetings elsewhere.
There was a main room with a steel table and a chalkboard then several rooms in the back that hold various suits and weapons. When they walk in, they see everyone gathered around in uniform. Everyone looks up and either simply nods a greeting or ignores them all together.
"Banner, do you have the videos?" Tony asks as he sits down at the head of the table.
"Here" Bruce hands Tony a folder and flash drive with a side glance and at Bucky and Steve.
Tony takes it, then with a nod he plugs the flash drive into the side of the table and a screen pops up with several folders. He selects one and it opens to show about twelve news departments with videos and articles from 30 years ago to just a few hours prior.
"What's going on here Tony, guys?" Steve leans over Tony's shoulder trying to read the titles.
"Hold your horses, I'm getting there" Tony mumbles as he continues to scroll.
Natasha sighs, "If you don't tell them, I will." Then without giving him much time to answer, she continues "Someone had been keeping track of you, Bucky."
Bucky shrugs "What else is new?"
"Well it's not only that," Natasha continues after a moment of hesitation "it's someone on the inside. There are pictures and videos that there is no way someone off the street could have gotten. They are planning something. "
"So we'll stop them" Steve states firmly "you've got to have some idea of who is doing this. I mean you have all these videos. Where did you get them? Who does it point to?"
"Calm down" Tony says as he finally gets to the video he was looking for.
"You ask me to calm down after telling me that my best friend's life is in serious danger and won't give me any information whatsoever? That's like... like..." he looks around the room to see everyone sitting there extremely calm like there isn't a care in the world. He throws his hands up, exasperated "Like shooting me and telling me not to bleed!" He sits down and rubs his forehead.
They all look at Steve confused but no one says anything.
Bucky places a hand on Steve's shoulder "Show me."
Tony shrugs "Ok" and pushes play. Pictures and videos, articles and stories, scroll across the screen. 'Another Mysterious Killing'
'Murderer Leaves No Trace'
'...He's a ghost story'
'They call him the Winter Soldier'
'...he killed my mother'
'...must be stopped...'
and on and on until it got to pictures taken only weeks ago of Bucky walking through the park, at the supermarket, watching a movie in the tower, and quite alarmingly - waiting on Steve in the restaurant that afternoon.
Clint cleared his throat "He is tracking your movements. Watching for a pattern."
Bucky grins "If they find a pattern in my life I'd love to hear it. I don't do anything the same one day to the next."
"Monday afternoon you take a walk in the park, if it's not raining. Tuesday you go to the store with Nat, Sam, and me. Every other Wednesday, we visit hospitals, schools, or different organizations." Steve looked up to see everyone starring at him, he continues " Thursday's we go to lunch. Friday morning, you go for a run, then in the evening, watch a movie."
Bucky nods "Well I suppose. Those are mostly little things and I don't have a set time for anything" his brow furrows in thought "you didn't even have to think about that. Why do you have my 'schedule' memorized?"
Steve shrugs his shoulders "I'm typically with you."
The other Avengers glance pointedly at each other for a few seconds, but it seems like an eternity before Bruce speaks. "All the evidence points to" he pauses and swallows. Tony nods for him to keep going "you, Steve."