Cassidy Munroe, who was clearly very out of her element and visibly nervous, nodded at them from her side of the table. She sat up in her chair a bit taller, pausing to sweep a strand of her black hair away from her face.
"Uhm, I guess I'll just.. I'll start at the beginning?" She swallowed hard and looked over to Sharon, who had taken a seat beside her. Sharon nodded, motioning her hand for Cassidy to proceed.
On the other side of the table, Avery sat back in her chair, stiff as a board. Steve's old teaching assistant had been out of sight, out of mind for Avery. The momentary upset earlier in the year over how strong Cassidy had come on and then the complaint about Steve dating a student - those had come and gone and Avery had let them go, given how they had a lot more important things to worry about. But now that Avery was sitting across from the young girl again, she wasn't sure how to feel. Part of Avery was frustrated that it was Cassidy who had some sort of information about Steve and what had happened but as Avery watched Cassidy, she could see that the girl was scared.
Avery did her best to remain open minded and calm. She was trying.
"Okay, so." Cassidy took in a deep breath and bit on her thumbnail. "Getting the job as Steve's TA was a once in a lifetime opportunity for me. Because, god, this is embarrassing. I'm a big Captain America fan. Like.." She paused and pinched between her eyes, sighing. "Ever since The Avengers were a big thing, I was a Steve girl. Uhm, not in an overly dramatic way but I'm definitely a part of chat rooms and blogs and.. I used to be a lot more intense, but some of the other people in this, uhm, unofficial fanclub - they're way worse than me."
Beside Avery, Bucky was leaning forward on his elbows, watching as Cassidy spoke. He gritted his teeth. "What do you mean 'worse than you'?"
"Like, obsessive. In an unhealthy sort of fantasy way. Dreaming about meeting Steve, trying to run into him, making jokes about risking their lives for him to save them. It's, uhm, intense. But usually pretty harmless, I swear. Fantasy."
Avery felt her throat dry up. "Harmless, right."
"There are some people in these chatrooms who are way, way in over their heads with their fantasies though. And uhm, that's why I'm here." Cassidy motioned over to Sharon and Ross again. "I know I shared that link with you but.. I mean, the long story short of it is there are some really crazy fans. Crazy is an unfair word usually but I think it's the only thing that works. One girl in particular.. she would go on and on and on about this weird made up future about herself and Steve. About how she was going to marry him one day. How she wanted to have his babies and..listen, I don't know if it's connected to this. But she found out I was his TA earlier this year and got crazy about it, like jealous. Would always ask me about what I talked to Steve about, if he ever mentioned you two-" Cassidy pointed to Bucky, then Avery. "She found out you were a student and I think made that complaint to try and make a mess."
Bucky tapped his fingers against the table, eyes narrowed as he looked at Cassidy. "And none of this was concerning to you? You never flagged it to the police or a higher authority?"
Cassidy shook her head. "Like I said, it was always harmless. But the way she spoke was just so intense, when I heard this rumour about Steve disappearing.. I don't know, it might be connected. Or maybe it's just nonsense but I wanted to share everything I knew."
Suddenly, Bucky could feel his patience dwindling. "Who is this person then? Do you know their name?"
Cassidy shook her head again. "We never exchanged our real names or identities. But years ago, after the snap and everyone came back - this same girl, she organized a big birthday thing for Steve. Like a scrapbook of letters and messages, I don't know. She asked us all on the server if we wanted to write a little thing to give to Steve as a birthday gift, about what he meant to us and how.." She sighed. "It's so cringy and embarrassing, really."
Bucky remembered that first year after the snap, around Steve's birthday he got a lot of fanmail. It was probably all packed away in some box somewhere still.
"Anyway, she gave us some address in the city to send everything to. I went digging through the old server chat logs last night to track it down and.." Cassidy reached for her phone and handed it to Sharon, pointing out something on the screen. "I don't know, maybe it's not helpful at all but I swear, some of these people had some weird stalker tendencies. I basically stopped participating after Steve dropped me as his TA, it felt so weird given that I knew him personally in a way but.. Well, I clearly screwed all that up anyway. Whatever, it doesn't matter. If this can help, that's all I can do."
Bucky pushed his chair back and moved across the room to talk to Sharon and Ross about next steps. Avery, meanwhile, stayed in her chair and leaned forward, reaching for Cassidy's hand.
"Cassidy - thank you. Seriously. I'm sorry if I was ever rude to you but, well, hopefully you can understand why we try to be so closed off about our relationship."
"No, no. It's okay. I get it, really. I think the Steve obsession was always too much of a fantasy for me anyway, sort of like an escape from reality sometimes. He's just a normal person. But a lot of people don't see it that way and I don't know, maybe I should have said something before."
Avery squeezed her hand. "How were you supposed to know anyone would consider taking it any further? I'm just glad you shared this all with us now."
Although Avery's anger hadn't gone away, she knew there wasn't any point directing it at Cassidy now. Instead, Avery took a deep breath and stood up, joining Bucky, Sharon and Ross at the other end of the table.
"Yes, I know. You can go check out the address right now," Ross had his arms crossed as he spoke to Bucky. "I don't think you should but what does my opinion matter to you anymore? And if Miss Felix is going with you-"
"I am," Avery jumped in, before Bucky could argue against it.
"Right. Well, fine. Carter, go with them, please." Ross let out a long sigh and reached for his phone again. "Sergeant, please don't do anything stupid without consulting me first, alright?"
Bucky let out a noncommittal grunt and turned, placing a hand on Avery's shoulder. He tipped his head down and met her eyes. "Let's not get our hopes up, okay?" He let his voice soften. "It could be nothing."
She knew Bucky was saying that out loud for not only her sake, but his own, too. "I know," Avery said with a firm nod. His hand moved down her arm as he squeezed her hand, tugging her along as they headed out with Sharon.
Sharon took the lead, directing them to an awaiting SUV outside. In near silence they navigated their way through the city, crossing through the boroughs as the address led them to north Queens. Eventually they stopped in front of a row of red brick townhouses which had certainly seen better days.
Admittedly, Avery was grateful it was early in the morning, sun coming to life above them, because in the dark of night, this entire investigation would feel a lot more unsettling. Sharon stopped the car and confirmed they were in the right place, pointing out a side entrance below the townhouse where the basement apartment was located.
"Alright," Bucky climbed out of the SUV and headed towards the house. "Let me go first." Sharon and Avery both complied, waiting near the sidewalk as they watched Bucky approach the building. The entire block seemed quite desolate for the early morning and the distant sound of barking dogs, shaking chain link fences and the rumble of the trains echoed around them.
Avery's fingers tapped against her thighs, straining her neck to see Bucky scope out the apartment.
Bucky turned his head and called back to them moments later. "It's empty." They took his hand motion as permission to join them and Avery followed behind Sharon, whose hand was hovering over the gun at her hip.
With a push of his shoulder, Bucky broke through the deadbolt and pushed the door open, walking a few steps down into the basement. They found themselves in a small apartment, with a cramped living space, mini kitchen and an old couch tucked into the corner under a window.
The entire place was a mess though. From stray paperwork to leftover dishes to empty fast food cups, whomever occupied the unit seemed to be living in a bit of squalor.
Sharon glanced around cautiously. "Looks abandoned."
"Just a few days ago." Bucky nodded his head towards the tiny kitchen area of the apartment, where the garbage can was full of what seemed to be recent perishables. He continued his scan, ducking his head into the bedroom off to the left.
Avery crouched down near the coffee table in the living room, sweeping through the paperwork there. Maybe there was some sort of bill or document with a name on it or..
"There's an old computer stashed in here," Bucky called out as he swung open a closet door, yanking the oversized monitor and console out towards the kitchen. Sharon hurried to clear off the small dining table and a few minutes later the ancient looking machine was booting up.
Bucky took a seat at the table and started typing. Avery took a few more steps in, planting herself behind one of Bucky's shoulders as she watched. Sharon did the same, reading over Bucky's other shoulder and looking back at the door.
"Anything?" Avery asked quietly, chewing on the side of her finger as Bucky typed. The whole computer system was incredibly dated - way older than anything Avery remembered using in her lifetime. Frankly, it seemed way too ancient to be functional but for some reason, the age of the machine gave her a weird sense of something. Like it could be the final clue they needed.
"I can't find.." Bucky gave the keyboard one extra tap before tipping his head to the side. "My guess is this has been wiped by whoever left it here but I wonder.." After taking a breath, he got back to work typing in commands and doing things Avery definitely didn't understand.
Sharon leaned in. "Can you restore that backup file?" She pointed towards the screen, narrowing in on the date. "If that date is correct, it's from this month. I'm surprised whoever owns this machine didn't wipe it."
Bucky agreed with a nod, running a few more typed sequences into the machine before executing his command. Then he held his breath. In front of them, the machine whirred quietly and then eventually, a few extra lines of text appeared. After a few more taps of the keys, Bucky let out a quiet yes.
"Fuck," he dragged his finger along the screen, pausing at the top. On display was a single line of text, centered perfectly: S.G. ROGERS - RESEARCH
It felt like a wild goose chase.
This computer research and the information from Cassidy was supposed to be something, anything. But once they lugged the archaic computer back to the midtown offices, ready to be inspected and analyzed by Bruce and their best analysts, it felt like yet another instance of 'hurry up and wait'.
A few days ago they had a brief moment of possibility that had given them a spark of hope, though it quickly fizzled out. With Steve's Jeep still missing, the agents were tracking sightings and any internet activity mentioning the same model of vehicle. A sale listing popped up a few hours south that seemed promising but hadn't matched the security features of Steve's Jeep. Another idea that ended with nothing worthy.
Bucky was restless. As each minute passed, all he could do was pace around the hallways and wait until one of the agents deciphered some of the encoded files. His mind raced otherwise - who could be behind all of this? Who was gathering intel about Steve and how long had it been occurring under their noses?
Avery was laying down on a couch in the small breakroom, probably reeling through all the same emotions Bucky was. Truthfully, he tried to send her home - she could use the rest and it seemed safer that way, getting her somewhere secure, where she could try and relax. But he knew there wasn't any point to keeping her at a distance - she was relentless in her need to be involved. Bucky couldn't blame her, even if he didn't agree with it.
"Hey!" Sam popped his head out of one of the research labs, calling for Bucky. "They've got something. You're not going to like it."
Bucky yelled for Avery too and they scrambled back to the group, eyes staring wide at the large screen projecting the piles and piles of data files that had been recovered.
"What are we looking at?" Avery crossed her arms, darting her gaze across the room to look at Sam and Bruce. "What does all this mean? Wait - is that–'' Her eyes blew open at a familiar name that had appeared on the screen, as the buzzing in her ears grew louder and louder. Whatever Bruce was explaining about what the agents found, some list of references for the research or resources or potential investors or or or-
She couldn't even read beyond the first line of text without her chest sinking in.
She turned quickly, reaching out for Bucky's wrist. "Bucky, don't–"
Bucky pulled his hand away, letting out a quiet growl. For a brief second, he considered the sympathetic, pained glance from Avery. Then, he turned on his heel and bolted.
Blind rage coursed through Bucky. The buzzing of his phone went ignored as he raced through Manhattan traffic, rushing towards the financial district and one particular eyesore of a building on the edge of Battery Park. He swallowed down the bile that kept returning to his throat, thinking back to the last time he had been in the same room as Harry Osborn.
Bucky had smashed his face into the interrogation table.
After being released on house arrest for a year, Osborn had served Bucky with a restraining order - which Bucky had found laughable and frankly, likely unenforceable. Not that Bucky had any intention of ever seeing that cretin of a man ever again. After what he had done to Avery and the risks they took to get her to safety, it was easier for everyone to pretend Harry Osborn didn't exist. Though it had proved impossible on multiple occasions already.
And now? Bucky didn't give a shit about restraining orders or the security protocols at Oscorp. All he needed was 30 seconds with the guy - enough time to threaten Harry's life again and find out just why someone targeting Steve had Harry's name and number on file.
Once Bucky made his way into the foyer of the Oscorp building, it took him only a few minutes to strategize his way upstairs. Really, he was banking on Harry even being on site - any other option didn't matter.
Harry had to be upstairs and he had to have the answers Bucky needed.
When he reached the executive floor, getting beyond more than one secure door with a swiped access card, he was thwarted by the executive assistant camped outside of Harry's office.
"Do you have an appointment?"
Bucky stopped short, shooting a hard glance to the young woman typing behind a monitor. She continued before he could answer. "Oh. Are you from The Barkley Group? For the investment meeting?"
Bucky narrowed his gaze, quickly glancing down to his boots and leather jacket. "Sure."
"Okay, go ahead," the woman waved her hand to urge him ahead, buzzing Bucky through the doors.
Bucky carried on, pushing through the doors and searching the oversized office as he entered. Just across the room, Harry Osborn sat at a decorative desk, adorned with neat stacks of paper and a computer screen. The chair facing from him was occupied too, by someone Bucky didn't even care to think about as he charged forward.
"Woah, woah. How did you get in here?" Harry threw his chair back and stood up, pointing a finger at Bucky. "Deanna! Jesus Christ, you can't just let anyone in here - call security!"
"You." Bucky pointed at the random suit who had been sitting, then motioned to the door. "Out." The man didn't hesitate, hurrying back towards the doors without looking back. Bucky took a few steps backwards and closed the door, breaking off the handle as he stared Harry down.
"You're not legally allowed to be within 100 feet of me," Harry spit out, crossing his arms as Bucky approached him again. "When the cops get here–"
"I don't give a shit about a restraining order or what you think the police can do to me," Bucky leaned onto the front side of Harry's desk, meeting his eyes. A tiny part of Bucky was relieved to see Harry scared shitless, desperately trying to hide it as he continued to avert his gaze.
But Bucky was a body language expert - Harry was tight, shaking, anxious.
Harry took a deep breath. "What do you want?"
"You have information I need."
"What are you talking about?"
"Why did a federal agent find your name attached to a dossier of research about Captain America?"
"I repeat - what the fuck are you talking about?" Harry whipped his head to the side, peaking around Bucky to look towards the doors again. Fists pounded against them from the other side, demanding their way in.
"Tell them you're fine. You need ten minutes." Bucky reached his left arm out, gripping Harry's tie and pulling his face down towards the desk. "Tell them. Now."
Harry pulled back against Bucky's hand. "Okay, fine. Can you just–"
Bucky released his grip, just barely.
Harry cupped a hand over his mouth and shouted towards the doors. "I'm fine! We're just.. catching up here." When the security yelled back, Harry cut them off. "Come back in five! I'm good, we're good."
Rage pulsed through Bucky's body, standing firm as he searched Harry's face. "We discovered a huge file about Steve - months and months of encrypted data and research, and your name was listed as a reference and contact. Why? Who did you talk to about Steve?"
"I seriously have no clue what you're talking about."
"Bullshit." Bucky shoved Harry backwards, sending him into the seat of his chair and back towards the far wall of glass windows. "What do you know?"
Harry tilted his head, eyes wide as Bucky stalked his way around the desk and faced him once more. Then, Harry let out a rough laugh. "Don't tell me they actually managed to-"
"Who?" Bucky didn't even bother trying to repress his anger anymore. "What do you know?"
"You know, it has suddenly occurred to me that I possess knowledge you seem to desperately need. This whole thing here–" Harry motioned his hand between himself and Bucky then tapped a finger against his chin. "What's in it for me?"
This whole thing felt absurd. Bucky felt like every minute that passed was another minute he didn't know if Steve was safe or even alive. Short of continuing to threaten Harry's life, he had to consider his options. Any kind of torture would be drawn out, inhumane even and–
"I know what I want." Harry pushed himself to his feet, turning to stare out the window to the city below. "I'll tell you everything I know, about the research I sold and just who I sold it to - but then I get to wash my hands of this, of you and your precious partners and our past. I want a clean record."
Bucky let out a quiet breath. He didn't really have that power, but he figured Ross had enough pull. "Fine."
"You promise?" Harry raised an eyebrow. "I guess we've really both gotta trust each other here, huh."
With a heavy breath, Bucky swallowed the lump in his throat and extended his hand to shake Harry's. "You have my word. Now, tell me what you know."
"Officially, all my research from a few years ago disappeared. You remember that fun chemical compound you and your team so cautiously destroyed. But unofficially, there had been a, uhm, accidental data leak - of just enough information to get people interested, the right kind of people who had money and a reason to pick up where I left off.
"Honestly, nothing came of it until a few months ago. Someone reached out. An ex CIA scientist whose own research had been thwarted, his whole career ruined. So he was working with his sister, looking for a backer to get them to their breakthrough. You know, since I'm reformed and above the law, I couldn't do much for them. But for a very pretty penny they bought all my research."
Bucky needed a name. He needed a goddamn name.
"He said he was close to something new, and needed a new perspective to get him over the finish line. God, he had a grandiose plan though." Harry barked out another laugh. "I'll be damned if they actually managed. I thought it was a fantasy and I happily took their money. But did they do it?"
"Give me a name, Osborn."
Harry laughed even louder, head shaking, eyes wide in surprise. "That's why you're here, right? They did it? They kidnapped Captain America? Oh Jesus, they fucking did it."
Harry's laughter echoed through the room as the buzzing in Bucky's head grew louder and louder. Bucky jerked his neck to the side, closing in the space between himself and Harry again. Something else took over though - someone else.
Bucky's left hand gripped Harry's throat, lifting him up in the air before slamming him down against the hard surface of his desk. It cracked under the impact and Harry laughed through his pain, groaning through the grin decorating his face.
Bucky leaned down, squeezing his hand against Harry's windpipe. "Tell me his fucking name."
The whites of Harry's eyes blew out, as he gasped for air at Bucky's hand. "Nagel. Wil-wilfred Nagel. But it's his sister who is the brains of the operation."
As Bucky was hurrying back to his car, having disappeared from the Oscorp building down the service elevator and an emergency staircase, he finally called Sam back. But before he could get his information out, Sam was cutting him off.
"Your girlfriend took off just like you did."
"What? Why? Where did she go?" Bucky scrubbed a hand down his jaw, slamming a fist against his steering wheel as the engine roared.
"There were a few other names recovered in the data. I didn't recognize most of them but Avery saw one that set her off, then she bolted from the house. Sharon followed her to some boxing gym in–"
"Shit, okay, I'll head there now. But in the meantime, I'm sending you what Osborn told me."
Avery barely remembered to pay the taxi driver as she climbed out of the car, muttering out some sort of thank you before she dashed into the gym. Her anger had been mostly dormant, weighing down the pit of her stomach as they dealt with the rollercoaster of emotions all day. But seeing that familiar name come out of the research file, she couldn't help but explode.
Maybe it was a bad idea, taking matters into her own hands and deciding to confront Travis on her own. But she figured if Bucky was dealing with Harry Osborn, this was something she could handle.
She could handle it, with a rational mind and clear thoughts. Totally rational, cool, calm and collected.
Avery burst through the locker room, pushing past the doors and beyond all the people warming up in the main fitness area. She had one person to find and she figured she knew exactly where he'd be - standing beside the ring as the boxers and mixed fighters practiced.
It seemed fantastical - to think this absolute nobody Travis had something to do with Steve's disappearance. And truthfully, a tiny part of Avery hoped it was a mistake. But until she could ask the right questions, she'd never know the truth. And she needed the truth, especially if it would lead to Steve.
God, she prayed Steve was safe.
With hurried feet she made her way down to the boxing ring and training room, where - ah, thankfully, she spotted Travis hanging off the side ropes. He was caught up in conversation with the two men who were on a break from some sort of sparring exercise. As Avery hurried in, they all turned to look at her.
Travis waved his hand. "Avery! Hey - I thought you were going to come by last week and fi-" When she didn't slow down, his eyes flew open. "Woah, what are you–"
"Have you been watching me? Following me? Me and Steve and Bucky?" With both hands Avery pressed against his shoulders, holding him up against the coiled ropes.
"Avery - stop, stop!" Travis did his best to free himself from her hold, but he barely moved. His toes scraped against the gym floor, kicking back against the edge of the ring.
Avery faltered, taking a small step back and releasing her hands. He sidestepped away from her, rubbing at the top of his arm where she had held him.
"Okay, okay. Shit, okay. I didn't think you'd find out about it but some lady came here a while back and asked about you."
"What the fuck? And you didn't tell me? Who was it? What did she look like?"
"Because we get a lot of insane people in here, Avery. We teach women boxing and self defense, some of them have stalkers and–"
"What did she look like, Travis? And what did you tell her?"
"I didn't tell her anything, I swear. She just had some questions - that made me think too. About how strong you are, you know? I thought she was weird but, well, I don't know. It doesn't matter, but I swear - I didn't tell her anything."
Before Avery's mind could catch up on everything Travis was saying, someone was calling her name from the back of the room. She twisted her head and saw Bucky hurrying toward her, a concerned frown on his face as he took her in. With a deep breath, she turned back to Travis.
"Did she tell you her name? What did she look like?"
Bucky caught up to them, waiting behind Avery's shoulder as he listened to the end of their conversation.
Travis gulped. "Blonde, uhm, and passionate. She offered me money, to just tell her about you and your strength and what kind of training you were doing, I guess. I don't know. She didn't give me a name but I'm sure we have some footage of her on the cameras from the front, if you want to see what she looked like."
"Hey - I'm so happy you're awake. I think it's time we talked about everything."
Long ago, Steve had mastered the art of keeping a straight face - it was essential in any time of crisis. He knew better than to show his hand, especially in a situation that wasn't going in his favour. And when he realized who the person was on the other side of the door? He resisted reacting. He fisted the sheets of the bed, letting out a short breath. "Victoria? What's going on?"
"I know, I have so much to explain!" Victoria practically skipped further into the room, hands clasped together in front of her chest. "I'm just so glad we're finally at this point - where we can get everything off our chests, you know?"
Steve didn't reply right away, simply blinking a few times as he glanced towards the door. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he finally asked. "Where are we?"
"Are you hungry? You must be. C'mon, let's have lunch." With a quick shrug of her shoulder, she motioned back toward the hallway. "There's a wheelchair in the hall, I'll push you."
Steve noticed how she kept her distance, cautiously offering him a hand as he limped towards the hallway. He was doubtful he'd be able to run, given how much pain his knee was still in. Perhaps the knee injury had been intentional, to slow him down. His mind raced as Victoria guided him through the building.
She wasn't alone though - two oversized guards flanked them from behind, feet tapping in succession as they moved.
It had to be a medical grade facility. The further towards the depths of it they travelled, it was easier for him to figure out. The building was abandoned, or had seen better days. Some rooms were more well kept than others and all were closed by doors or windows, some without handles or locks.
Victoria, though, in contrast was well put together. More than Steve had seen her before. Her blonde hair was tied back in a slicked bun, her face perfectly made up and the crisp white lab coat she wore looked brand new.
"Here we are! Excuse the mess. Where we're going next will be much nicer - we won't be here much longer, I hope." She pushed Steve into a larger room, some sort of meeting room, open with a series of tables throughout.
Overhead lights cast a yellow light over the room and when Victoria left him wheeled up to a table, he tried to get some bearings. 900 sq ft. Two doors, no windows. The vents in the ceiling had been replaced. Were they underground somewhere?
"We're pretty bare bones right now, but I'm sure you don't mind. I promise things will be way better when we get out of here."
Steve darted his eyes to meet hers as she joined him at the table, sliding a chilled peanut butter and jam sandwich his way. A matching sandwich sat on an identical paper plate in front of her too.
"You can let me go," Steve started quietly. "We can forget all this."
"What? Steve, don't be absurd." She took a big bite of her sandwich, nodding aggressively as she chewed. "Grape jelly. I know you prefer that."
"Victoria–"
"Steve."
"What am I doing here? Why did you take my blood?"
She scrunched up her face, dropping her sandwich back on the table. Slowly, her smile faded. "Fine, I'll spill. But I just.. You need to realize I'm doing this for us, okay? I didn't mean for you to get hurt or anything, but.. For our future, I had to make some decisions. Your knee, for example, was precautionary. Wilfred is sure you'll heal as normal. Well, we're hoping for that, at least."
"Who is Wilfred?"
"My half brother. He's brilliant but nearing clinical insanity, I swear. He was thisclose to remastering that super serum before the snap and, well, when we finally reconnected - we had a common goal! You. He needed your blood to pull out that good special DNA stuff so I agreed to help him, if I got you."
Steve blinked a few more times, furrowing his brow as he took in her words. "If you got me?"
"Not like a prize, that's crazy. But like, for us. To be together, Steve"
"Victoria–"
"I know, I knowwwww - but trust me, you only think you're perfectly happy with Bucky and, augh, Avery! But you're made for more. A three person relationship? Teaching contracts and renovating apartments? Come on. You don't actually want that. You're the man of the house, Steve. You deserve a wife to dote on you, take care of you, have your children–"
Steve slammed his fist on the table, sliding the sandwich to the floor. "No. Victoria, you have to let me go. And you have to stop your brother - he doesn't know what he's doing, if any kind of formula gets into the wrong hands, it could be–"
"I have read every book, interview, deep dive about you, Steve. I promise I will be exactly what you want and more. You'll see, I promise. And if you don't, well, I'll get you there."
"They're going to find me - Bucky, he's going to–"
Victoria rolled her eyes. "That's fine, I don't care. Even if they get inside the building, they won't make it to you. I can promise you that."
"Okay, so we have the who, what, why, when – but where are they? Did they leave the country?" Sam's question echoed what everyone else was thinking. Bucky had dropped down into a chair at the boardroom table once they got back to the facility, feeling something much worse than his previous anger: regret and disappointment.
The video footage at the gym proved they had been onto the right track before - weeks ago, before any of this had happened. And Wilfred Nagel's half sister? The right searches with the proper last names…
She had been right in front of them all along. Victoria.
How had Bucky missed this when he had done his deep dive into Victoria? Credit where credit was due, Avery's bad feelings about the woman proved to be correct. But how did they miss it?
Sharon stood at the front of the room, moving her hand around the large screen to flip through the files from Harry Osborn. They weren't very thorough, but it gave enough information to give them actual progress – Victoria's real name, a bank account the money had been wired from, information about her half brother and what they seemed to need Steve for. But outside of that, they were back to theorizing about their location.
"Nagel – hmm. We lost trace of him after everyone came back," Sharon tapped her finger on the screen, highlighting the old personnel file. "Presumed dead but I guess he's been in the shadows for a while."
"And Victoria?" Avery had planted herself in a chair opposite Bucky, wrestling with her feelings about the whole situation. "How did she come up so clean before?"
"Well, when you change your name and rewrite your backstory all to secure a fake job, you clearly know what you're doing. Her only mistake so far was not erasing her backup file on that computer, otherwise we'd be pretty stumped right now." Sharon shrugged, turning to Avery and Bucky. "There's no way you could have figured this out about her, honestly. If this situation were not so delicate, I'd be impressed by what she managed here."
"Yeah, that doesn't help, Carter," Bucky spat out in return, head shaking. "Even with all this information, we're not even an inch closer to finding him. So, what the fuck are we supposed to do now?"
Sharon sighed and turned away from him, focusing back on the research instead.
Sam stood up and joined her, spinning his hands as he thought. "Okay, so let's figure this thing out then, alright? Before she assumed this new identity, Victoria worked for.." His eyes darted around the screen until he found what he was looking for. "Walsh Industries. Why do I recognize that name?"
Everett Ross, who had been silently working at his laptop across the room, finally chimed in. "Walsh Industries had a huge government contract, running all the pop-up medical facilities when half the population returned."
"Aren't most of those facilities abandoned now?" Bucky asked, slowly trying to piece something together.
"80% of them probably," Ross continued, nodding his head. "Admittedly a lot of them were built too quickly and not for long-term use. And looking back, it was a huge waste of resources and money."
"But could they still be operational for certain things? Off grid maybe?" Sharon's mind was working just as quickly as everyone else's.
"Could you cross reference any of them in the region with Jeep sightings that we've been tracking?" Bucky pushed his chair out and stood up, receiving a positive affirmation from Sharon who set out on the task.
Sam clapped his hands. "Yes, okay. See? Now we're cooking with fire."
Avery had escaped from the planning room while everyone else moved forward with figuring out a logical location to investigate. With all the energy she could muster, she called her dad and brother to let them know some new information, mostly to keep their worries at bay, too.
She didn't overpromise or overexplain, but let them know that a plan was in the works and that maybe there would be a happy ending soon.
After hanging up with her brother, she found the quietest, emptiest room in the downtown facility and slid down against the wall, eyes squeezed shut to shroud herself in darkness and a moment of quiet. Then, she cried.
It wasn't the first time she had been overcome with tears in the last week and she knew it wouldn't be the last time, either. She was lucky, in some twisted way, to feel so deeply - to have people in her life that could inspire these kinds of emotions. The periods of her life when she lost those feelings - after her brother died, following her own return to the world after vanishing, battling her anger and anxiety, overcoming turmoil with Bucky and Steve at her side, she knew being someone who felt deeply was supposed to be a gift.
But in times like these, when doubt crept in so slowly and refused to vacate her heart and soul - how else was she going to survive? If she simply cried it out now, she could center herself again. She had to.
She had to focus. She had to help.
"Ave?" Bucky's voice sounded out from the other side of the door. How he had tracked her down, Avery wasn't sure. "Are you in there?"
"Yeah," Avery replied quietly, shuffling to leave some space for the door to swing open. "What's the plan?" She prayed that maybe Bucky would ignore her tear stained cheeks, but it was a lost cause.
"Hey, hey." Bucky crouched down beside her, grabbing her nearest hand. "What's– are you made at me?"
"What?" She turned her head, eyes wide as her head shook. "Bucky, no. Of course not. Why would you think that?"
"Because it's my–"
"Stop. Don't do that." Avery reached over and grasped his hand between hers. "It's not your fault."
Bucky muttered out a few callous words to himself then sunk to his knees. "I should have tried harder when I looked into her - Victoria. I used to be better at this."
"Bucky." Avery took in a long breath and met his gaze. "I think you forget that who you used to be wasn't necessarily a choice and that losing some assassin related skills is okay. In fact, I'm happy to see those things fade. Plus, you heard what Sharon said - it's unlikely anyone would have caught on. Even CIA experts and Avengers didn't manage to get there right away."
Bucky simply sighed and Avery knew well enough that her words wouldn't change his mind, not right away at least. "Sure."
"We don't have time for a pity party, okay?"
"Says the girl crying in some empty office with the lights off."
"Hey!" She tugged her hands away and gave him a gentle shove against his shoulder. "I just needed a quick break to neutralize my mood, alright? Let me live."
"Are you okay? Really." Bucky searched her face, head tilted with concern as he took her in. "I know this is a lot."
"I'm trying to just pack all my feelings away to unpack in therapy instead, since we don't really have time for a deep dive. Though I do keep thinking about punching that smartass smile off Victoria's face…"
Bucky brought himself to his feet and extended a hand for Avery, too. "Come on, we've gotta talk about the next steps."
Steve knew whatever inhalant they had pumped into the air in his quarters was affecting his enhanced abilities. Though he hoped that by playing along with whatever Victoria needed him for, maybe they'd choose not to administer to him again. Whatever the refractory period was, if he could just patiently wait to regain some strength, maybe he could get himself out. Or remain safe long enough for someone to find him.
But, to play along, he needed to be very convincing.
Still sitting with Victoria in the makeshift cafeteria, Steve finally succumbed and took a bite of his sandwich. He knew food would be beneficial to his healing, too. And Victoria had eaten her own sandwich, so he hoped it was safe enough for him.
"Okay, okay. I guess we can.. consider our options here. Can you answer some questions for me, at least? You said grape jelly was my favourite, how did you know that?" He asked between bites, swallowing down the dry bread.
"Steve, I know you." Victoria laughed to herself, relaxing just a fraction as he offered her a small smile. "I assure you I am a Steve Rogers expert. I even contributed to one of your 'unofficial' biographies.
"That's…" Steve nodded slowly, trying to maintain his composure. "That is impressive."
Victoria beamed, then her face fell. "I don't want to.. I didn't want to talk about them but I think we need to get it out of the way, of course." Taking a deep breath, she placed both her hands on the table, flat. "Bucky and Avery - you..you don't need them. You know that, right?"
Steve bit his tongue.
"From every angle, I've tried to figure out why and I think maybe you've convinced yourself that it's okay, that it's right. But it's not, like, it just.. isn't. I swear to you, Steve, I will always put you first. It's what I've been dreaming of doing. You won't have to worry about anyone else's needs above your own, let alone the needs of two others." She pushed herself to stand, looking off into the distance, beyond Steve. "And then later, when I'm carrying your - our child - you'll get to be the perfect father. And you'll get the life you always wanted."
Steve faltered. "Our child?"
"Not yet, not right away." She sat again and reached for his hand. "But yes, I've been dreaming of it. We'll get to be parents, together."
"And if I don't want to have kids? Can't we just.." Steve took in a sharp breath. "..have a quiet life together, just the two of us?"
"It's part of the deal, with my brother and his plans for the new serum. He wants to see a baby born of the serum too, to see how it affects the genetics."
"That's–" Steve cracked his neck. "That's unethical, Victoria. I can't agree to that."
"You have to, okay?" She squeezed his hand. "You have to."
"Vic-"
"No, Steve. I'm not an idiot, you know. I see you trying to dig for more information. So let's just leave it alone right now, okay? If you don't agree to the procreation step of this plan, we're proceeding either way. We took your blood already, don't think we won't get everything we need one way or another."
"One way or another?" He pulled his hand away, eyes narrowed with caution. "I-I don't want this, alright? You've got to let me go."
"No, Steve. I don't." Victoria's face fell from her hopeful smile to something much less joyous, eyes darting around the room. "Like I said, if you don't play along, we'll get everything we need either way." She turned her head and shot a glance to the corner of the room, where the security camera was pointed towards them. "Go ahead. This will have to be the last time. Try out the full dose."
Steve tried to do something, anything - taking a few painful steps towards the door of the room. But he only made it so far before the air vents above him opened, releasing that same substance into the air.
When he collapsed onto one of the closest chairs, Victoria took a knee at his side, patting his cheek. "We'll wake you up when we need you, honey."
By the time night fell, a plan had been formulated. The team left the Manhattan office and ventured out to the training compound to gear up. Sharon and the analyst team had narrowed down four facilities within a reasonable distance from the city, plus some further they were trying to rule out.
Small teams had been dispatched to scope out those buildings already, with two main possible locations bigger teams would be heading to.
Bucky and Sam were taking a jet to the further point while Ross was leading the operation a few hours away by car. They had tried to collect the most resources possible, though they were limited: Clint was on standby at home at the farm, Scott and Hope were on the west coast, Wanda was still overseas, and Thor and the Guardians were far off planet.
"We don't really know what we are running into," Ross had lectured all the agents and leads. "But we are planning for a medium scale push. Hand to hand combat, weaponry, and potential chemical warfare could be in play, too. Barnes, Wilson - use your best discretion when you are ignoring all our rules, okay?"
Bucky had immediately tried to leave Avery with Bruce in the city, safely at bay. But she resisted, to the surprise of no one. He relented and let her come see them off at the compound.
"Bucky, please." Avery had pulled him aside when they were prepping the jet, planting her feet and clutching his hands between them. "Let me come with you."
"Avery, stop." Bucky wanted to laugh at the absurdity. "Just because you have increased strength–"
"I know how to fight!"
"In a gym, Avery. This isn't a controlled spar in a ring or in the basement at home, alright? It's real life and you'll only be a liability. You heard Ross - we're going in blind."
She huffed, then her shoulders slumped. "I know.. I just.. The minute that jet leaves, you and Steve are both potentially in danger and I'm alone. Alone and scared out of my mind, Bucky. What if something happens to you too?"
"That's the risk, sweetheart. And it's a risk we have to take for Steve."
"Please - can I just.." She took in a long breath. "I'll stay in the jet. I know first aid and Bruce has taught me so much about the serum and if Steve needs medical attention I can help and.." Her eyes shut, tight. "I can hold his hand on the flight home and.."
Bucky pressed his lips together, swallowing a groan. With another long exhale, he shook his head again. "No."
Avery tried to hide her quivering lip. "You have to let me help."
"The best way you can help me is staying here - safe."
Avery wanted to scream - to pound her fists against Bucky's chest, to use every ounce of her energy to prove her worth, her ability. But she knew it was a useless fight.
"Okay. I'll.. I'll stay."
Sharon took a step closer to Avery and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I could use your help monitoring the comms, Avery."
Avery knew that wasn't true. It was a strange olive branch from Bucky by way of Sharon. And as much as Avery wanted to fight, there wasn't time for any more arguments. Behind them all, Sam was powering up the jet.
Bucky took a step in and brought a hand up to cradle Avery's jaw. "I love you, Ave. I promise you - I'm bringing our Stevie home."
A/N: hey ya'll! sorry it's been a while. uh, life, ya know? thanks for your patience! i've mapped out the rest of the story and I can't wait to get everything written and published to share with you all. it's just going to take some time to get through! this chapter really challenged me, and the next one too. but worry not, we've got some great action coming up!
thank you to EVERYONE reading along, reviewing, re-reading, following, favouriting, and waiting. I appreciate you all sooo so so much. thank you especially to those of you who left a review on the last chapter! thank you myrolla26, Casual Cosmophile, Katie MacAlpine, alka16555, winchestergurl4life, and rociojacob cullen :)
coming up next: well, a bit of chaos ensues