A/N: Again, thank you for your reviews. They are my fuel to continue.

Chapter 6: Have I Ever Known You?

Whenever Steve thought he had heard it all, it was usually Tony Stark who brought something out of left field. There were about eight different thoughts that crossed his mind simultaneously. Bucky decided to voice one of them.

"Wait, you are a mutant? When you supported the Superhuman Registration Act, you did know that you would have to put yourself on at least two lists eventually, right?"

"Of course, I did," cool eyes met Bucky's face. His voice was completely nonchalant, and it made Steve realize that the engineer was trying to manipulate their conversation.

Again!

He wanted to make them angry and to focus on this issue, rather than the elephant in the room. Bruce caught on just as quickly.

"Are you sure it's an X gene mutation, and not…" he began hesitatingly, only to be interrupted by the engineer.

"Schizophrenia? DID?" Tony's eyebrows were raised. "Believe me, I've received every childhood and adult psychiatric diagnosis there is. They believed it was autism for about five years. I was ten when an expert – not Charles Xavier – finally took a sample and sent it anonymously to Dr. Hank McCoy without authorization. After she tested and confirmed," his face twisted in remembered pain, and Steve was horrified to imagine what might have happened to a young Tony, "her hypothesis, she told my parents. When my mother found out about her methods, she physically removed her from the house." Now there was a look of utter admiration. He hardly ever talked about Maria Stark, but she must have been a very strong lady. "Dad then made sure she wouldn't talk and that was the end of it."

"That… It's amazing, Tony," Bruce spoke up after a moment of silence. "I didn't even realize that electronics... Does it feel like real… like organic life?"

"No clue," the engineer replied, clearly amused. "I'm not empathic. I have no idea what people or animals feel. Only chipped electronics have real emotions, though. Other things, like the light on my desk for example, are more like plants, I guess. No feelings, but they are alive nevertheless."

"Why… Everything that can be programmed has feelings?"

Patiently, or as patiently as the engineer was capable, he nodded. "Not on a human level, of course, and I've no clue how to categorize the intelligence or emotion range of organic pets, but it really depends on the appliance. My creations tend to be more sophisticated," he added proudly. For the first time since Steve had known him, the normally conceited and arrogant man when it came to his inventions sounded almost humble.

"Of course they are," Bruce smiled kindly. "You see something that is… Wow! I don't even... If they have feelings, we need ethical guidelines and rules on how to treat electronics, especially the ones capable of emotion…" he began before looking at Steve whose mind was still catching up on the fact that modern society had created thousands of different sentient beings with population sizes in the billions. Nevertheless, he felt a moment of indignation.

"We can't just throw them away like garbage!" he exclaimed. "People don't repair or have anything repaired these days, they just buy new things. That can't be the way to treat something with feelings."

Tony looked at him with an expression that Steve could not decipher.

Bruce gently extracted his phone from his pockets and approached Tony. "Is it happy? Do they have a gender? What do they know about themselves? You must hate people who mistreat their appliances. In a way, it's comparable to animal cruelty."

Steve saw plainly that this was only a handful of the questions that were burning on the scientist's tongue.

Tony shrugged, "People are idiots. Most are cruel idiots, I know that, and have known that for a while. They don't care."

Steve felt the need to disabuse his former teammate of this notion, "They do or they would if they knew that they hurt somebody."

The engineer just shook his head, and addressed Bruce, "Not all have a gender. Some feel like male or female to me, there is no general rule. Anyway, he likes you okay, but thinks you should text a little bit more, and be more active on Social Media. Also, there is this really nice pre-programmed game about… recapturing colors stolen by the Color Thief that he has always wanted to see in action, but you never play it. He'll love you if you do that. Anyway, the lab equipment back home used to adore you, but Workshop Seismograph preferred the Hulk to be honest…"

"My God!" Bruce suddenly looked as ill as Steve felt. "I knew what we did was not… We practically removed you from your family!"

Tony tilted his head a little. It was such an uncommon reaction from the man it felt surreal.

"Well yes, you knew that. Pepper and Rhodey remained in the US, but then I could take them," he gestured towards his bots, "and JARVIS decided to stay with me. Thanks again, buddy."

"For you, Sir, always." There was so much affection in that artificial voice Steve started to truly believe Tony. The engineer smiled a little.

"I'm talking about your household," Bruce clarified. "What you just said… it's like you had a little zoo at your home, some of which you cared for more than others, and you were forced to leave it all behind. No wonder the Tower stopped working! It's like a Haunted House."

"Not haunted… just modern. I wanted to take them all, but I couldn't. It's ironic that people tend to call old houses haunted, by the way, as abandoned modern buildings tend to have more life in them, really."

"What about the arm?" Bucky asked out of the blue, causing the other three men to turn towards him. Tony grimaced and winced a little.

"Tony?"

"It's in pain. That's all it ever knew. It detests killing, but that's what it was built for. I don't know what HYDRA was thinking when they made it. Maybe it simply mirrors your feelings, I don't know. You hate it, and it knows that, but it still adores you, because you are its entire world. It's like an abusive relationship."

That explained at least partially why Tony refused to be in a room with Bucky. On top of everything else happening in the war, this must have been unbearable.

Bucky was never one to talk around the issue, "Can you fix it?"

Now that took Tony aback, "You would let me near it?"

"From what I just heard, you are the only one who can," was the nonchalant reply, but Steve knew Bucky well enough to see that he was reaching out to Tony.

"Shouldn't we talk about Arno's code?" the other man asked suspiciously as he took a small step back.

"It won't be released for another three weeks," said Steve. "And if anyone is able to multitask, it's you. We'll talk while you take a look at the arm."

In fact, the former billionaire probably had to multitask much more than the super soldier had ever realized. He could not help but wonder how much of Tony's odd behavior was influenced by his ability. His enhanced hearing picked up Bruce' muttered 'sensory overload' indicating that the scientist was thinking along similar lines.

Tony grabbed a toolkit without looking, which further showed that there was at least some order in the chaos in the room, and told Bucky to sit down. A beeping noise had the engineer turn around.

"Nope, not this time, Buddy, but could you get the JJ box, and Security System Screen? I need to tinker." With a whirr, DUM-E moved from his loading station and did as told. He still bumped into Steve in a way that made him realize that he was not forgiven by a long shot.

"DUM-E…" Tony sighed.

"No, it's okay, Tony… It seems like I made assumptions I shouldn't have."

"A brilliant observation, Captain Rogers," a very sarcastic JARVIS decided to cut in. "Truly, I am impressed. Tell me, when exactly have you decided that Mr. Stark belonged to the 'Good Guys' again?" Steve could practically hear the air quotes. "Let me assure you that Mr. Stark has long ago created a code that would allow me to incapacitate him if his plans were not to the benefit of the people he has sworn to protect. The only reason why Ultron came as far as he did was because I was near-fatally injured at the time, and because my programming initially protected his existence. Nevertheless, if I had been there, I still would have let Mr. Stark create Vision. During the War, I was at full capacity and not once did I think it was necessary to interfere other than be the angel on his shoulder as Mr. Stark tends to call that part of my programming."

Now Steve was dumbstruck. He had no idea how to reply to that. Tony gave JARVIS the authority to stop him? However, that particular protocol was not activated during the War? Why? What had been Tony's reasoning?

"…the time, JARVIS. Now, let's focus on the true matter at hand. Literally. I'll touch your arm, Barnes, don't strangle me."

Bucky was entirely motionless when Tony's fingers gently brushed the arm. Again, the engineer winced, but he continued to touch the arm.

"Look, I know it hurts, but I swear that I won't harm you," said the former billionaire softly but firmly. "If my administrations as much as brush your sensors I will warn you beforehand, Sweetheart, you have my word. Care to tell me about you? I can't keep calling you Winter Soldier Arm now, can I? You are a true beauty," he muttered, before he was silent. Only occasionally, Steve could hear the man humming a song that sounded like a lullaby, as he gently examined his best friend's left arm. He did not address Bucky at all; Steve's childhood friend might as well have been a piece of metal. Tony then took the old computer screen and a small box DUM-E had brought to him before he gave the robot further instructions. Butterfingers brought a second tool kit and what looked like a variety of wires. Tony completely moved away from Bucky and the arm not saying a word as he put together wires, twisted them, and deftly worked his fingers at an impressive speed until he asked, "Hooked up and ready, J?"

"Yes, Sir," JARVIS voice suddenly sounded somehow less localized and more from the ceiling similar to what Steve was used to hear from Avengers Tower.

"Go and explore. First update, then SI, but be careful, proceed with extreme caution and pull back if you even think you might walk into a trap."

"No need to worry, Sir, I will be careful," said the AI affectionately. "If I may talk to Vision after…"

"Of course. Tell him the usual," Tony smiled before he sobered. "Make sure to backup before you leave and keep up the lines of communication."

"Already done."

"You are the best."

After this strange exchange, Tony continued to tinker on a miniscule level. He even set up a microscope-like device Steve had never seen before: there were two cables whose ends served as a light source and were flexible as well as a small surface where Tony put a few tiny things with the help of very delicate-looking forceps. The engineer worked in complete silence, and nobody else even dared to breathe.

Back in black

I hit the sack

I've been too long

I'm glad to be back

Yes, I'm let loose

From the noose

Everybody jumped and turned to look at DUM-E who looked a little unsure.

Tony laughed out loud before he started to sing along, never once moving his eyes from the eyepieces of the microscope. His fingers were restlessly moving across the small surface as he clipped, cut and put together, even soldered with a tiny device. After about ten minutes, he picked up whatever he had fabricated, which looked square and about 0.2 inches in diameter and Tony blew gently on its surface to get rid off fine dust before he put it on top of the microscope, which he hooked up to whatever he had created with the ancient computer screen. It took him twenty minutes to set everything up. Once he was ready, he turned the screen and showed it them.

"Pressure sensor," he explained before he went off into engineering land from where there was no return. Bucky just met Steve's gaze, entirely confused. Bruce seemed to follow the chatter without trouble, but his eyes widened as Tony went on with the technicalities.

"Still think this workshop doesn't suit me, Dr. Banner?" the engineer grinned.

Bruce just shook his head, "Tony, I'm well aware that you can pretty much change the world with just your brains and a toolkit, but it seems like a waste of resources, don't you think?"

"Detail, details…" was the reply as he proceeded to make a few more replicas of the pressure sensors before he approached Bucky again, or rather his left arm. He did not say a word to Bucky. Steve's protective streak came into play almost immediately.

"There is a person to the arm, you realize that, right?" he commented, a bit more sharply than intended, but this was Bucky. He was ready to go through hell and back for that man.

To his surprise, Tony looked angry for a moment before he controlled his facial expression, "I am aware, Captain Rogers. I'm also aware that to this date, your friend hates the arm so much it believes that its entire purpose is to hurt others, to crush them, when the programming clearly says that it is supposed to assist the Asset. Clearly, HYDRA thought they had the Winter Soldier under enough control so that arm's programming did not need any extra killer instinct. It has never experienced a gentle touch in its entire existence. Bruce earlier mentioned that I hate people who mistreat their tech. Not true, because even though people are cruel, abusive animals that tend to hurt each other and other beings, that fact never made me hate people. However, I have major issues with the level of cruelty I'm faced with here."

"It is part of what made me a monster," Bucky shot back.

"It is as much if not more of a victim than you are! After the conditioning started to fade, you could have changed things, but you didn't. You continued to use it only in fights and war," replied Tony coldly. For a rather short man, he could look imposing.

"I thought it was just a bunch of metal and screws. I didn't know it was alive," the super soldier hissed.

"Now you do, and you don't even attempt to use it for anything but physical violence!" Tony almost shouted.

"I don't feel anything when I simply touch things," confessed Bucky lowly, leading Steve to look at his best friend in surprise. He had not known that. "How can I do anything but use it for fighting if I can't feel it outside of its activation during a fight?"

"That's what these sensors are for. Set it…" Tony tilted his head again as if listening. "Him… set him on the table, so that I can do some repairs."

Bucky was keyed up, and even though he tried to hide it, Steve could see just how tense he was. He set his arm down, but his muscles were taught. Tony sat down and quickly fabricated some magnifying glasses, which he put on. He lifted his hands apologetically before he sighed, "I'm sorry, Barnes, I… get defensive with people when they are being ignorant with their tech. I'm sure you're a good guy. I know Rogers and his morals; he would not stand by you if that weren't the case. Winter Soldier Arm thinks so too. Just realize that he loves you and think of your connection to him as a symbiosis. You need each other not only to fight, but also to exist. He knows a lot about you. He wants to help you."

Bucky shuddered almost unnoticeably, "Why are you saying this?"

"Because he won't let me touch him otherwise," was the reply, his eyes fixed on the metallic arm. "And because nobody else seemed to have noticed that this here," he gestured between the arm and Bucky, "is messed up, not even Arno."

"Speaking of Arno…" Steve began, as Tony softly touched the arm again, and started fiddling with it.

"The code he created," Tony began, never stopping with his administrations, "it's void of any compassion, as I said, and highly sophisticated as well as capable of deception. I guess that would make the new tech a bunch of psychopaths. I don't know why Arno is doing this, I honestly don't. I won't be able to fix it overnight, though, it's too complex," Tony explained as his fingers restlessly seemed to both caress and repair the arm. One by one, the sensors he had created disappeared within the arm, and he extracted or replaced wires. He also told Barnes to remain motionless, while he did something else under the microscope. "Look, I wasn't exaggerating, Arno is smarter than me, and he was trained to become a weapons manufacturer and businessman, Howard Stark's perfect heir," there was a lot of bitterness in his tone as he said that. "He's a good person, Steve, you know this. Something must have gone wrong when he developed it, but there was no time to fix it in time. Or somebody messed with the code."

"How likely do you think that scenario is?" Bruce asked skeptically.

The answer was prompt, "Less than 0.00245%."

"What's the most likely scenario?" the physicist asked gently.

"That Arno did this on purpose, but to what end, I have no idea." Tony was deep in thought.

"Maybe he wanted to be more like you," Bruce suggested. The former billionaire laughed in response. "He looks up to you, you know," the physicist continued, undeterred.

That made the engineer look up from his task, his eyes widened in surprise, "Don't even joke about that."

"I'm serious. He wanted to talk about you all the time, and I couldn't… Maybe, I could have prevented this if I…"

"I think the main question here is; should we confront Arno about this?" Bucky interjected.

"Yes," replied Steve, simultaneously to Bruce' 'No.'

Tony laughed again, "I say we wait for JARVIS. He will be able to extract some information from the horse's mouth, so to speak." He smiled fondly, and Steve realized that he had not seen the genius smile genuinely in… The last time he had seen him smile like this was before the rise of Ultron. The engineer seemed to realize that too and he sobered quickly. He continued to work in silence and nobody spoke. Only AC/DC played in the background.

Good? Bad? More?