It wasn't until her eyelids began to fall multiple times in a row, did Tony realize how exhausted Anya was. He sighed leaning over taking the beer from her fingers and setting it on the table beside his workstation. They'd been sitting talking for a while now. He'd learned a few things about this kid. He didn't want too. But he had. She certainly was determined. It had taken a promise of using drones to locate Bucky along with her aide before she'd finally agreed to sit down. He'd also learned that there was a lot more to this whole Bucky-kid situation than any of them had known. They had all seriously underestimated the amount of contact these two had had as well as their general emotions. Well, he couldn't be sure that Bucky would be the same way, but the kid sure was.
Her eyes had grown wider, pupils dilating when she'd spoken about him. She had also been rushed. Her words had come out jumbled together. Tony watched as her shoulders finally un-tensed and slid forward slightly. She was asleep. The lines under her eyes were heavy. She was physically aged beyond her years. Her hands had scars; so many that he couldn't count with his eyes alone. He kept replaying a part of their conversation.
"I can't explain it. A psych isn't going to work." She whispered staring down into the lips of her bottle.
"Then what will work? Because you can't keep going without sleep…it makes you unstable…more than you already are." Tony raised an eyebrow watching her.
"Finding him." She glanced up. "I have to find him. That's what will help." Tony shifted back in his seat closing his eyes. He pinched the bridge of his nose.
"I cannot house to crazies under one roof kid. You're unstable. He's unstable…my upholstery and furnishings cannot afford that kind of stress. I already have a Hulk." She took a moment to set the bottle down and looked up. Her eyes had met his.
"I'm not crazy." She held his stare solidly. "If you ever call him or I that again, I will kill you. Am I clear?"
"Crystal." He replied running a hand through his hair nervously. Her stare was unsettled but determined.
"Good. Now, I don't care what any of you think. I was literally built for the Winter Soldier. That was my directive." Tony sat up straighter at that. He furrowed his brows.
"Come again?" he asked.
"I was built to assist the Winter Soldier." The look on her face was pure loyalty.
"But you did it willingly." She made an annoyed noise in the back of her throat leaning back in her chair. She broke his gaze.
"Not all the crap…not the killing…but I couldn't hurt him. If I didn't comply they hurt him. He depended on my obedience." She wouldn't look up now.
"When was the last time you saw him?" he asked gently.
"When they took him away." She shrugged but her face held it all. If a human as beaten as she could cry, there would have been tears forming in the corners of her eyes. As it stood, they were dry, but swirling with emotions. In that moment, Tony realized, Anya loved Bucky.
He recruited the help of Clint to carry the girl upstairs and back to her room. Once they'd exited and made it to the elevator he turned to the other man running a hand down his face.
"You and Natasha are good at this stealth crap?" he questioned. Clint gave him a half glance.
"Yes. We're good at stealth crap Tony. Years of being a trained archery accomplice and spy and I'm good at this stealth crap." His voice dripped with sarcasm.
"Can the attitude bird man." He snapped. "I need your help." Clint sighed gesturing for him to go on.
"I'm sending Anya out tomorrow for her first attempt at finding Bucky. She doesn't want Steve or anyone else to know. She wants to do this alone. I don't want to send her out blind."
"So you want me to tail her?" he asked.
"You and Natasha please. I'm sending a drone to track her as well." Clint leaned back against the wall of the elevator crossing his arms over his chest.
"This is not a good idea. Sending a soldier out to find another soldier. Both unstable?" Tony started to step out onto his floor when the box stopped.
"She's in love with the guy…if anyone can bring him in…it's her. Not Steve. We underestimated their connection."
"I still don't like it. But fine. Whatever. Steve will kill you later." The doors slid shut.
When the next morning arrived it was hard to contain the events. Anya had been up at the crack of dawn knocking on Tony's door. She'd forced him to get out of bed, dress, and go down to the lab. By only seven thirty in the morning she was set up. The drone was already buzzing in the sky waiting outside for her, she was dressed in civilian clothing with coffee in hand, and Clint had been notified for Natasha and himself to be ready to tail her. Tony was going back to sleep as soon as she left. Jarvis would track her and if anything would happen, he'd wake him up. He gave her one more once over rubbing the back of his neck. She looked normal. He'd wrangled her into dressing like a normal human female instead of a homeless college student. She had argued to no end but had finally put on the jeans, white shirt, and brown leather jacket while grumbling. He'd forced her to keep her hair down to hide the device in her ear. With this as an ultimatum she'd had to allow Natasha to brush and wash her hair. The entire process had led to her giving the Widow a look of pure death. Tony was pretty impressed with the level of hatred she'd concentrated into that stare.
"Can I go now?" she griped sipping more coffee. Tony watched her for a moment.
"Yeah. Go for it kid." He waved towards the door.
"Make sure you have Steve ready when I give you the ok."
"You really think you're coming back with him huh?" he asked.
"It's with him or I'm not coming back." Were the last words she uttered before venturing beyond the door.