No-One But You (The Zephyr Endeavor)
 Chapter 49: Disposable Teens (Part 9)

…

"What's an, Iron Monger?"

…

Donna Strange didn't have a clue, and she was taking a moment to look over a mountain of digital files that were given to the Surveillant Council by Ezekiel Stane.

I'm sorry, "Rae-Ann" gave them all that information, not Ezekiel. UGH. The sister scratched the side of her head for a second, then she glanced up at someone who wasn't as involved.

James Buchanan Barnes, AKA "Bucky" hadn't resigned from S.H.I.E.L.D. at that point, but he explained that he would only operate as a "free agent" for the organization going forward.

He was sitting across from Donna Strange, at a small table for two. They stopped for lunch on their way toward some place called Loup County, and Donna was speed reading.

…

"Ezekiel's father controlled a giant machine called the Iron Monger before he was killed. I'm going to assume they've been mass produced?"

…

Bucky didn't like the sound of that. The fact that Donna was looking at some Iron Monger specs didn't sit well with him either. The not-so-winter soldier was used to doing things on the ground level, so taking on something as big as an Iron Monger wasn't an easy task.

…

"According to this incredibly thorough report, there's a small army to deal with… and five of these things beneath every church."

…

Donna presented the file, and she showed James an image of the Iron Monger as well. The brunette took the digital file in his hands, then his eyes migrated in another direction.

He liked her dress, a lot.

Bucky wanted to say something about it, but the thought of being a "deviant" suddenly crossed his mind. The somber brunette thought about telling Donna about that too, but the timing felt off.

…

"And you think the two of us can take on five of these, plus a small army?"

…

Bucky had an unsure look on his face, but he watched Donna fix the left side of her long hair. She moved it off her shoulder, then she readjusted in her seat. She seemed more focused than before, as if she had something more to say.

…

"We can handle it. Oh, and Rae-Ann gave me something, she said you've used it before?"

…

Donna was doing her best to stick to the script and respect Ezekiel's plan to hide his identity. She pulled a small device out of her purse and she set it on the table in front of her.

Bucky knew what it was, so he picked it up and examined it. Ezekiel Stane was able to contain one of those super-suits within that device, somehow. His technology was sleek, sophisticated and getting stronger.

…

"This is called Kheima. It's an armored suit, you know, like the ones that Tony wears?"

…

Bucky learned how to use that armor back in the day, so he accepted the gift from "Rae-Ann". That whole gender swap was going to take some getting used to, but the not-so-winter soldier shrugged at the thought.

…

"Oh, yes, I see. That will make this even easier."

…

Donna explained everything that was happening, even the part about the two of them behaving as if they were getting married. The notion intrigued Bucky Barnes, and he was more than happy to play along.

Donna even had engagement rings all set and ready to go, but they looked like the real deal. She said they were family heirlooms, passed down from an aunt who passed away.

"James" stared at the ring on her finger off and on. He thought of his own mother, and a sister that he left back in 1937.

Oh. The somber brunette sat back when their food was brought to the table. Donna picked a fancy place to stop for their lunch, as expected, and it all felt very easy breezy. It always felt that way around Donna Strange, so…

The not-so-winter soldier enjoyed the feeling, but he didn't want to comment or say anything about it. He had a bad habit of ruining a good thing, so the young man just kept his thoughts to himself.

Chapter: END

Thanks for reading.