Chapter Text
Chapter 1: Fairness
Everyone thought Clint was the only one who traveled through the vents. Natasha had adopted this habit of his long ago, combining it with her effortless scaling of walls and traveling along thin ledges. Since knocking out his knee after an unfortunate mission, Clint had had to scale back on his tightrope walking, and so Natasha suspected he was more than a little envious of how she was able to go just about anywhere without being detected, not even by him.
Usually, the Avengers Tower was the one place Natasha didn’t have to go about secretly. Tensions had been high the past few weeks, a static in the air that made Natasha revert back to her more silent ways, peering into rooms and getting a sense of what lay within before risking being seen. She wasn’t the only one.
Tony had been more than a little snippy with them all. Bruce was supposedly lurking in his rooms of the lab; Natasha had seen him only once while she was perched on the roof, looking down to see him traipsing out into the city in the direction of the library, a favorite haunt of his. Clint had been traveling, claiming to see Laura back home, but he’d been gone far longer than he usually was. Sam too was gone, back with family. Natasha hadn’t seen much of Wanda despite her being at the Tower; the girl had her own penchant for secrecy and avoiding people. Steve was really the only one who feigned a continuation of normalcy, all due to the permanent addition of Bucky Barnes, who was the reason for the static in the air in the first place.
His trial had ended almost a month ago. It was official; the court ruled he could not be held fully responsible for the actions he preformed while HYDRA’s Winter Soldier.
This news should’ve reduced tension. Instead, it left a mark in the air, things unsaid, a pall. Perhaps it was because of how the trial dragged on, how everyday brought more news coverage and jeers and debates. Maybe they were all still recovering. That, or perhaps they secretly harbored resentments in their hearts at this lack of justice like so many news articles were positing.
Natasha scowled at the remembrance of that morning’s newspaper with yet another opinion piece about the outcome. Steve and his endearing old man habit of reading the paper everyday (‘’It’s just not the same digital, Nat,’’ he’d say) had seen one too many of those articles in passing. Natasha had taken to swiping the paper every morning and, depending on it’s contents, having it go missing rather then let Steve see it. If he knew, he said nothing.
The truth was in regards to the trial, none of them had prepared for a good verdict. They’d fallen for the cold cut logic the now deceased prosecutor had argued for. Even she, who’d wanted justice for Bucky and consequently, for all the experiments like him, hadn’t really expected it to happen. With half her heart she’d hoped like a little girl for something fair to occur while the other half of her had scolded her for being so naive. After all, when had anything in her life been fair?
Yet miraculously, here they were, with Bucky as free as he ever would be (forever under government scrutiny, limitations placed on him conditional of his compliance with rehabilitation services). The trial was over, and now life would continue marching on as it always would. Just as she suspected none of her friends in the Tower had prepared for a good verdict, Natasha realized they hadn’t prepared for this after the trial. That was why for the static, the tension in the air. They really didn’t think they’d make it this far. Least of all, Natasha suspect, had Bucky.
Since his return from Wakanda, he had seemed different. More present, more firmly in this present day and age, more in control of himself. But as each day of the trial dragged on, each testimony and evidence recited in front of him, he had withdrawn in on himself until his gaze looked eerily similar to those first few days of being out of HYDRA’s power; a mere corpse of a person who’s only purpose was to speak when spoken to and do the task assigned to it. In this case, get on the witness stand and answer every insulting, degrading, traumatic question both defense and prosecution hurled at him.
Natasha knew that blank look in his eyes. She was familiar enough with it in her own reflection. Nothing was real, nothing was his. How long had it taken her to believe otherwise? How many days did she still have where she was prepared for it all to fade away? To have it revealed it had all been a dream, or worse, to be taken away again?
Natasha took a steadying breath. She continued her assent in the vents.
While too many hours of the past couple weeks had been spent silently lurking, today she had a different agenda. Fury was in a meeting. A meeting she hadn’t been invited to, which meant that it wasn’t a mission, but a business meeting of some sort. Now, Natasha had no desire to deal in false pleasantries and dealings of any kind. As an assassin, she personally thought of business as a dirty job. What she was interested in was the secrecy surrounding this meeting.
As far as she supposed, it had something to do with the mission Sam and Steve had undertaken right before Bucky’s trial. At the time, she’d thought their mission was simply busting one of HYDRA’s bases. It had been an old hideout up north, very little in terms of location and influence. Now she supposed they’d uncovered something there, for surely there could be no other explanation for why Representatives were being admitted into the conference room.
Representatives. That’s what she and the others had called them. To SHEILD, they were just representative of HYDRA; Racist people in business attire. Natasha hoped the cursed white flag they had come under had been put aside long enough for SHEILD to frisk them for weapons. They’d always had a taser or two handy hidden in their cuff selves.
She’d reached the vent above the conference room in question. She didn’t have a clear view. Another reason she knew this meeting was important; Fury wouldn’t specifically pick a conference room without a vent over the table unless he wanted to assure she wouldn’t be listening in. Natasha would’ve been offended if she weren’t too busy being amused at his poor attempt at hindering her.
‘’Nick Fury,’’ came a curt voice. Female. Russian. ‘’I am Ivanka Kline. These are my associates, Dr. Chalbra and Richard Brokavitch.’’
Fury replied in turn. Natasha settled back against the metal wall, listening intently.
…
Things were going well.
Of course, having these people with their disgusting ideologies in his building at his table was the equivalent of being in the presence of dirt, but Fury’s job had given him years of training of being around people who’s mere presence was sickening. A small evil was worth enduring for a large payoff, and he was about to have a payoff that would make everyone from Tony to Steve giddy with joy.
‘’So,’’ Kline said promptly, settling in a chair and fixating him with a cold stare. Fury had her sized up in a minute. ‘’You have something of ours.’’
‘’Indeed I do.’’ Fury tossed the copy of the files they procured from the Base up north on the table. It wasn’t all of them. Just enough for Kline and her people here to see he wasn’t bluffing. ‘’Interesting reading material, I have to say. Very enlightening. I especially like the part about the outlines for HYDRA buildings. What wonderful architecture work.’’
Anger glinted in Kline’s eyes. Brokavitch reached for the papers. ‘’You don’t have access to everything,’’ Dr. Chalbra said, ‘’Some of those files are encrypted. You can’t access them.’’
‘’Yet,’’ Fury corrected.
Brokavitch was casting a look to Kline. Fury was pleased to see the fear in his gaze, the insistence. These files were important to these agents, anyone could tell that. No doubt with all the damage SHEILD and the Avengers had been dealing of late left HYDRA scattered and unorganized. They would want every piece of information they could get on their predecessors processes and buildings.
He said as much. ‘’You want these,’’ he concluded, ‘’And you know what I want.’’
Kline smiled a smile that resembled more a of a sneer. ‘’HYDRA’s Disc technology,’’ she said. ‘’Our ability to encrypt and unlock information at the merest touch. Admit it, Director Fury; HYDRA has made technological strides that you envy.’’
‘’You get results,’’ he conceded. ‘’Don’t know if I quite like the prices you charge.’’
‘’We find them acceptable.’’
‘’Of course you do. So, are we coming to the table ready to deal, or what?’’
Kline smiled. She plucked the papers Brokavitch was still holding and pushed them neatly towards Fury. ‘’It would not be a fair trade.’’
‘’This is what I have to trade. Nothing else.’’
‘’Yes you do,’’ she corrected. ‘’For our Disc Technology, we want the Soldier back.’’
Fury narrowed his eyes. He had a desire to laugh in the woman’s face. ‘’Your Soldier has left the building. No.’’
‘’He is in the building,’’ she replied, purposely not getting his play on words. ‘’Your press coverage has been very interesting. I read the papers, even the lovely ‘promising’ articles, no? The ones about how he is all better. But I assure you, HYDRA’s methods are not so easily beat. From our Soldiers to our Disc Technology, HYDRA is very thorough.’’
Fury leaned forward, settling his gaze at Kline across from him. ‘’I suspected you’d want him back,’’ he admitted, ‘’But your timing if woefully late. And, since I’m the one with the information that your coworker over there can’t stop drooling over-‘’ Brokavitch once again placed the papers down- ‘’I think I’m in control here. I have something you want, and it is not the Soldier.’’
‘’The Disc technology is not a suitable trade for mere papers. The Soldier is a fairer trade.’’
‘’Fair? I don’t deal in fair. Papers for the tech. Take it or leave it. You have nothing else I want.’’
Kline jutted out her chin. ‘’Perhaps I do.’’
Her statement did not intrigue Fury. What did was her coworkers’ reactions to it. Both turned in surprise. Chalbra looked worried, Brokavitch angry. ‘’Kline,’’ he warned.
She ignored him, which told Fury either she didn’t have the jurisdiction to say what she did next, or the others were too low on the pole to have been granted prior knowledge of what she was about to offer. ‘’You love to save prisoners so much,’’ Kline said, referencing Barnes, ‘’Would you be interested in saving more?’’
‘’Are you admitting to having people in custody?’’ Fury asked.
‘’Our definition of people differs,’’ she reminded him, ‘’But I might have a… creature of sorts whom you might like to see safely home.’’
‘’Home where?’’
‘’They may have been- at one point- American.’’
Brokavitch grabbed Kline’s chair. ’’You can’t-‘’ he hissed.
‘’Consider, Director Fury,’’ Kline said, ‘’HYDRA did not get this far by coming to the table on someone else’s terms. You want to deal? Accept this one; our papers for a… ‘person of interest’, shall we say?’’
Fury returned her cold stare with his own. He hadn’t expected this. Part of him considered it a bluff, the hope of a cocky HYDRA agent to prey on SHEILD’s ‘weakness’ of wanting to save an innocent from their clutches. But the reactions of Chalbra and Brokavitch told him that there very well may be an actual prisoner, in which case the law was clear in its aims of seeing them to safety.
But, that was clearly Kline’s plan; trade this prisoner for the papers and leave SHEILD without a bargaining chip for the Disc technology. Well, without a bargaining chip save for Barnes.
But why? Who was this prisoner that Kline was eager to exchange for the defected Soldier? Another dangerous experiment that she hoped would infiltrate SHEILD? If so, why were her coworkers looking fearful of this prospect?
Fury pulled out his chair and stood. ‘’I don’t need to consider,’’ he stated. ‘’The papers for the Disc. If you’re not interested, you know the way out.’’
‘’Suit yourself.’’ She stood. ‘’I certainly hope you will change your mind.’’
She cast a smile, and Fury got the sense her use of the phrase change your mind was more of a promise than a hope.
They departed, the guards seeing them out.
…
After the trial, T’Challa had invited Bucky back to Wakanda.
Bucky had been sorely tempted to accept. But he had had yet to learn the limitations of his ‘government hold’ that was the condition of his pardon, and the process of learning said limitations and possibly risking an unforeseen consequence was an unpleasant prospect. Of course, if he voiced this, he’d no doubt the King of Wakanda would have no issue in immediately dispelling this hurdle. After all, he’d gotten him to Wakanda before.
Regardless, Bucky had declined the offer. ‘’Gotta start sometime,’’ he’d explained.
Not even he was sure what he meant by that. But T’Challa hadn’t pressed, perhaps understanding more than Bucky himself did. If Shuri had been here, she wouldn’t have accepted this answer. She’d stand with her hands on her hips and demand a more thorough explanation until she grasped the in’s and out’s of Bucky’s reasoning like she understood all the machines in her lab. Then she’d go about disassembling his argument with the same precision. Bucky wasn’t sure if this made him glad for her absence or miss her all the more.
The days since the trial and the aftermath blurred together in his mind. His memory wasn’t the best, yet this was the first time he actually hoped to forget things. But of course, the things he most wished to forget simply grew sharper, a few misplaced details blending in until he wasn’t sure what was real and what wasn’t. The only way to get clarity would be discussing it with someone else who was there, and he definitely wasn’t doing that.
He tried to focus on this new normal of living in the Avengers Tower without the constant threat of being hunted hanging over him. He was staying with Steve in his quarters in the Tower, and for the first time in over seventy years they could just be. It was strange, for both of them. A few times they were able to find it funny. Sometimes they realized it was sad.
For his part, Bucky felt like he had two sides to him; this ghost of James Barnes within him, grasping onto this phase of life like a drowning man clings to a piece of driftwood, seeing it as the only thing to bring him safely to shore. The other part of him was the Winter Soldier, growling at him and everyone around him for being weak.
You? Need safety? he would whisper. How easy would it be to kill them all? You could kill them while they eat. Corner each one in the hallway. Murder them while they sleep. They wouldn’t even know what hit them.
Personally, Bucky thought the Soldier was a little optimistic. Really, they were the Avengers after all, plus there was JARVIS lurking in every public room (and, he suspected, even in his room, despite the supposed common knowledge that JARVIS wasn’t present in any of their private quarters unless specifically called on). Then again, the Soldier had always had HYDRA agents two steps behind him cleaning up any missteps.
The Soldier was always chiming in his head to take notice of exits, remember which hallway led where, etc. This was something Bucky always did, whether from training in the army, HYDRA, or panic, he didn’t know. His desire to commit the Tower to memory combined with the fact his memory was pretty shitty when not spurred by panic made this task more difficult then it should be. His therapist had instructed him to learn the lay of the land gradually, merely walking around the tower without any pressure.
I’m sure Tony loves that, Bucky couldn’t help think as he walked along the corridors, casting glances at the visible sensors in the corners. He could’ve sworn the cameras rotated to follow his every move.
He couldn’t complain as he expected no less. Trial or no, he was a killer, as the voice in his head loved to remind him. Maybe he couldn’t be trusted. Maybe a trigger in the form of some psychological event would occur and render him a dangerous murderer again.
Like you need a trigger, purred the Soldier.
Bucky knew that while he had been cured so to speak of HYDRA’s wiring, he wasn’t cured of his abilities. Their training. It was a choice to now utilize those abilities to bring about their downfall rather then their triumph.
If it was a choice not to do something, that meant that it could become a choice to do it again.
Bucky stopped in his tracks, hands in his pockets, forcing himself to take a deep breath. His metal arm, cold and stiff, was balled in a fist. The desire to use it to punch through something was strong.
The idea of going to the training room to do just that occurred to Bucky. He opened his eyes, forcing his thoughts to that practical objective. ‘’Hell… where is the training room…’’
He’d gone a few floors lower than he usually did. A few paces brought him to some stairs leading even further down. He stiffened. Tony’s lab. Definitely not a good idea to go there.
He turned to walk away, but footsteps around the corner made him unable to avoid being seen. Kill them, suggested the Soldier.
This is why Raynor’s got you doing those freaking coping strategies, Bucky scolded.
It wasn’t Tony Stark, but Bruce Banner, striding forward with a box full of things. He stopped in surprise at the sight of Bucky. ‘’Oh!’’ He said. ‘’S-sorry. I didn’t- uh… hi.’’
‘’Hello.’’ Bucky was familiar enough with Bruce to recognize the man’s nervousness not to be a direct response to him but just his personality. ‘’Need a hand?’’
‘’Oh, ah, no. Just-‘’ Bruce adjusted the box uncomfortably. ‘’It’s fine, really-‘’
Despite his assurance, something tumbled from the top of the pile. ‘’I can get that-‘’ he tried to interject, but Bucky had already bent to pick it up. It was a tape. His eye caught the label. #1917, B/WS.
He was familiar enough with HYDRA’s labeling systems to understand what the tape contained. ‘’Is this… mine?’’ He asked.
Now Bruce did look nervous due to him. ‘’N-not… not exactly,’’ he explained. ‘’I’ve been asked to help circumvent the encryptions. See, according to SHEILD, since it was ruled… since it was ruled you’re not the Soldier you… you don’t have… a right… to these… to these tapes.’’
His voice faltered at the end. Bucky merely nodded. ‘’Makes sense,’’ he said. ‘’A good rationale.’’
‘’I’m sorry.’’ Bruce actually did look apologetic.
‘’Don’t be.’’ Bucky placed the tape back on the pile. ‘’Like I said, a good rationale.’’
He let the man pass and went on his way, him still looking rather perturbed. Bucky didn’t share in the feeling. In a strange way, he was relieved to hear that that was SHEILD’s position in the matter. Since his acquittal, he’d been waiting for the other shoe to drop, to understand why they let him go. Even if his jury wasn’t rigged, had truly believed him innocent and undeserving of punishment, SHEILD clearly didn’t hold that opinion. So why had they let him off? Because they wanted unrestricted access to any and everything Winter Soldier related without a pesky thing like personal rights in the way. It was a good plan.
Bucky went walking back through the Tower with a smirk. There was relief in understanding what was expected of him, what was thought of him.
Just like home, the Soldier said within him.
…
‘’When did this happen?’’ Steve demanded. ‘’Why was I not told?’’
‘’Aw, are you feeling left out?’’ Nat teased from across the table. She swiped the breakfast roll that Steve just took.
‘’A little, yes.’’
‘’It was last minute,’’ she placated. ‘’Hill got a hit on HYDRA agents working undercover in an office building downtown. We brought them in quickly, quietly, stealthily. It was over in minutes.’’
‘’You make it sound like those qualities are not my strong suit,’’ Steve said.
‘’You said it, not me.’’
‘’Where are they now?’’
‘’There were three total. Two are in the holding area, awaiting sentencing. One of them is trying to wheedle his way into a plea bargain of some sort, offering up information about that stuff Tony’s looking into.’’
‘’Information? About what?’’
‘’You know, about Barnes.’’
Steve paused mid bite. ‘’What? What are you talking about?’’
Natasha looked surprised. ‘’All those files on the Winter Soldier you and Sam recovered a few months back,’’ she said. ‘’Fury’s been having the Geek Squad decrypt them so SHEILD can- I don’t know, get insight into something.’’ She peered at Steve. ‘’You didn’t know?’’
‘’No.’’ Steve tossed his new bun uneaten on his plate. ‘’I wasn’t told.’’
‘’Oh.’’
‘’Does Bucky know?’’ Steve asked. Natasha gave a sort of pained look. ‘’What?’’
‘’According to SHEILD,’’ she explained, ‘’Since he was ruled not the Winter Soldier, then he doesn’t really have a say in any sort of investigation. Or a right to know anything.’’
‘’Isn’t that just great.’’ Steve had had enough. He rose from his chair. ‘’They’re in the lab?’’
‘’Careful, Rogers,’’ Natasha warned. She made no move to stop him.
Steve traipsed to the lab, anger lapping at him. Did they really think they could use him to fetch information pertaining to how HYDRA tortured his best friend and not keep him in the loop? Cut Bucky out of the picture? Not even present to him the option of wanting to understand what happened to him? Agreeing to working with yet another person who played a role in what happened to him without so much as a warning?
Once in the lab, Steve immediately spotted Tony and Bruce huddled by the computers in the middle, files and tapes laying scattered about. Clint was there as well with a handful of other SHEILD personal. A man, middle aged, short and blonde, was between them, handcuffed.
Steve wasn’t in the mood for pleasantries. ‘’Tony!’’ He called, walking towards them.
‘’Cap.’’ Tony didn’t look up from his work. ‘’Nice of you to pop in. I assume it’s a completely cordial visit, and nothing to do with these other guests. Have you met Dr. Chalbra? He’s the fellow with the fine bracelets.’’
‘’What is this?’’ Steve asked. ‘’You’re trusting him to give you information on what? And what’s this about-‘’
‘’Cap.’’ Tony’s voice was curt. He finally met his gaze. ‘’I’m just doing what Fury asked me. Personally, I’m for burning this junk and tossing this guy along with his buddies into a pit with some sort of hungry wild animal lurking at the bottom. Or, if these files and things are oh so important, using this guys insight and then double crossing him.’’
‘’Wait, what?’’ Chalbra said.
‘’But its not up to me,’’ Tony went on, ‘’SHEILD wants to destroy HYDRA in it’s own way. Whatever.’’
It was far from whatever to Steve, but he understood what Tony was saying. ‘’It’s still not right,’’ he insisted.
For once, he and Tony saw eye to eye. ’’I know.’’
With great effort, Steve let it lie. He cast one more look to Chalbra before going towards the exit. Behind him, he heard Bruce say, ‘’It’s ready, Tony.’’
‘’Great.’’ Tony’s steps could be heard going to the computer. He clicked some buttons, their sound echoing in the lab even as Steve was about to reach the door. Chalbra’s information must’ve been good, for whatever had been locked was now accessible to the scientists and a voice could be heard reading the digital file names aloud;
‘’Barnes; James. Barnes; Rebecca.’’
The sound of those names were not dimmed even through the electronic voice. Steve turned on his heel, eyes locked on the monitor as it showed the files downloaded on it. There were articles, reports, and videos.
‘’Becca! Becky!’’
‘’James! James!’’
‘’Get your hands off of her! I swear to god- Becca!’’
‘’ Bucky !’’
Bucky’s screams could be heard in the video; curses, protests, repetition of Rebecca’s name. Her screams were shouted back.
As the videos downloaded they played snippets with a speed Steve processed with savagery. Images of Bucky, beaten and bleeding on the floor. Rebecca, tied to a chair, stiff and stoic, as blood was taken from her arm. Similar footage to what he’d witnessed in the courtroom of how HYDRA tested Bucky, but now he could clearly see the person they tested him against; ‘’Do you know this woman?’’
He’d try to deny it, but then- ‘’Yes. She’s my sister.’’
My sister.
Rebecca. Becca.
‘’What-‘’ Steve’s mouth was dry. He stared at the monitor, the continued flash of information switching from more files and reports and videos; titles raging from progress report for both Rebecca and Bucky. ‘’What is this?’’
‘’I knew,’’ Chalbra said, ‘’that this file would be of interest to you.’’
The next thing Steve knew, he had the man’s neck in his hand, pinning him to the wall. A hiss filled the air, full of venom. It took a moment for him to realize it was his own voice. ‘’What did you do to her?’’
Chalbra gaged for breath.
‘’What did you do?’’ Steve repeated. ‘’If you touched her- if you touched any of those girls-‘’
Chalbra’s gag turned into a laugh. ‘’I think you can see, HYDRA made the most we could of the Barnes family.’’
Steve was seeing red. Whether it was from anger or a future premonition of this man’s blood flowing from the wounds he would inflict, he wasn’t yet sure.
‘’You’re not going to kill me, Captain Rogers.’’ Chalbra sounded far too confident considering his current positioning. ‘’You need me. These people won’t let you.’’
‘’Wouldn’t we?’’ Tony’s voice interjected. ‘’I have to say, I don’t see a reason to keep you around right now.’’
‘’Is that really…’’ Bruce sounded in a state of disbelief. ‘’Oh god, how did they get his sister?’’
‘’Wouldn’t you like to know?’’ Chalbra’s mouth twitched. Steve tightened his grip. ‘’We did tell… Directory Fury… we had… American… prisoners,’’ he struggled to speak out.
Prisoners. Plural. ‘’Is she alive?’’ Steve barked.
Chalbra was starting to lose color in his face. ‘’Ask him… if he’s… ready to… to come back to the table,’’ he gasped.
The man’s lips were turning blue. Steve didn’t loosen his grip.
He heard Clint’s voice through his rage. ‘’Cap.’’
Steve forced his fingers open. Chalbra coughed and gasped for air. Steve stepped back, watching the man as Tony gestured for the agents to come take custody of him again. They dragged him away, eagerness for him to be restrained or for him to be out of Steve’s grasp, Steve couldn’t say.
‘’We’ll get answers out of him about…’’ Clint gestured to the monitors, which had been turned off. ‘’This. Don’t worry.’’
Steve’s hand felt warm from where it had chocked Chalbra. He could still feel the pulse of the man’s heart in his fingertips. For a moment, he wished he had felt it stop.
Steve gave Clint a nod of acknowledgment.