...

"So... Yeah, that's the gist of it," I sighed, my gaze settled down on the small pieces of paper before me. There were six of them, all spread around in a pentagon spread the slightest bit apart, with one in the centre. Tony Stark hadn't been paying them much attention, his own focus on the story.

Idly raising my gaze towards the other sofa, I watched as he heaved a sigh and got up and shook his head.

"You know, when you first brought it up... A small part of me knew it wasn't going to end well..." The man remarked staring at one of the consoles on the other side of the room, a hand on his face before he turned his gaze towards me. "But Bucky Barnes? Steve Roger's best friend? That's hard to swallow."

"He was mind-controlled-"

"I don't care."

I nodded once and set my attention back before me.

"He still alive?" The man questioned, crossing his arms as he stared at me.

"Yes."

"Can you portal to him? Now?"

I narrowed my eyes and turned them up towards him.

He rolled his eyes at me. "Come on Quack, don't go liberal on me now. Can you?"

"I can. Probably. But you really want to meet Steve Rogers with his friend's murder on your hands?"

"He killed my mom."

"If you want to blame-"

The man didn't let up, his body practically rocketing towards the table between the two sofas as he slammed the other side of it. Yet, he didn't say anything, instead, he covered his face with one hand, while putting his weight on the other and let out a sigh.

"He might've done it under their orders, fine. But it was still his hand!" He remarked, through grit teeth.

"...And if you really believed that, you would've flown around searching for him the moment I said so, not ask me for my opinion."

"I am not- Your way is a hell of a lot faster."

"Maybe. But like I said, you really want-"

"I don't care about Steve Rogers- My dad spent my childhood preaching about the man more than he spoke to my mother, let alone me." He took a single breath and locked gazes with me. "You going to do the same to me?"

"I am not your dad."

"You my friend?"

I sighed and promptly got up from my seat, surprising the man in question. He didn't say anything, though I could tell he was surprised the moment I started spinning my hand, a portal opening up immediately.

"There," I remarked, turning to face him. "Go kill him in cold-blood-" When the man let out a terse breath, about to interrupt me, I didn't give him the chance. "Because that's all it's going to be. I am your friend. And this won't change that- Hell, I've had a childhood friend that murdered half a borderline psychotic village trying to get my attention, so this won't come close to changing it." Which admittedly was a bit of an exaggeration but the message was still the same. I sighed and promptly sat back down. "What it will change, however, is you."

Tony's attention wasn't on me anymore, his gaze fully focused on the portal.

"Ball's in your court. And I am not saying you're wrong to want revenge- But who you take it out on, will change you without a doubt."

I wasn't sure how long passed, but it felt like an eternity as the man kept on staring on the portal, indecision marring his face before eventually-

I almost let out a snort when the man settled for taking out another bottle and immediately set to drinking from it.

"You really take the fun out of everything, you know that." The man remarked heavily as he sat back down. "And close the stupid portal." He added on shaking his head.

I locked gazes with him for a moment too long, before a small smile took over my face.

"Good for you Stark, most of the people I've known would've thrown a nuke through it without a second thought."

"Yeah well, I don't have any nukes on me." He deadpanned in response.

I chuckled and took down the portal.

"Good, I doubt Pierce's office would've fared very well if you did." I joked- I had a feeling opening up a portal there would've set off so many alarms, it wasn't even funny.

Well, a little funny, but very counter-productive.

For perhaps the first time ever, I watched as Tony Stark was quite literally lost for words, the man settling for a shake of his head as he took another swig.

"You're a piece of work, aren't you?"

"So I've been told."

"You know who gave the order?"

"Not directly, just that they were Hydra."

"Well, so we're clear, I ever meet that douchebag, I am throwing him into outer space."

I grinned at the man. "I am pretty sure that's illegal."

"You're illegal."

"Ten out of ten comeback Tony, I am impressed."

"Shut up and tell me what you're working on." The man deadpanned, rolling his eyes.

Though he tried to hide it, I could tell he was still angry, but... overall, not the worst outcome in truth.

I grinned again.

"Arnim Zola had an algorithm that let him and Hydra figure out which people were threats to his organization, now and in the future. Which inevitably showed them who not to try and recruit." I took a deep breath and lowered my gaze towards the papers before me. "I am going to rework it. And give Nick Fury a list of everyone who wasn't a threat, which should include all of its current members and prospective ones in the future."

"A nazi-scanner. Could've just said that." The man shrugged and took a moment before adding on. "You know, for a second I thought you were going with horoscopes and tarot cards."

I blinked, unsure of what to say that in truth.

"What?"

"That or just throw some paper at 'em."

"I'll have you know, I sealed an eldritch abomination into a cow with some paper."

"Was he a rock? Because I heard it can't handle paper."

I shook my head, a chuckle coming out.

"And you said I am the piece of work."

"So technically, someone could release an eldritch abomination at any point into our world with scissors?"

"That's not how it works Tony."

"Who knew the answer to the universe was Rock, Paper, and Scissors?"

I sighed again and got back to work.

...

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