Skye
"Steve. Open the door. We need to talk." Skye rapped in the door to Steve's bunk for the third time. Ever since Bucky had disappeared, Steve had locked himself in his room, strategizing and punching the walls, often simultaneously.
"Go away." Steve replied angrily, and there was a dull thud as his fist presumably met the doorframe.
"I'm not leaving until we talk through this." Skye took a deep breath, hoping that if she calmed down, so would he. Her method seemed to work, because after a few moments, the door slid open and Steve strode out. Skye had assumed that he would look terrible, disheveled and exhausted, but the two-day-old stubble seemed to suit him, and he was freshly showered and dressed in civilian clothes, his shield slung across his back.
"I just had an idea. It's a long shot but it might work." Steve brushed past Skye in the direction of the control room.
"Don't you want to talk about what happened with Bucky?" Skye ran after Steve with a worried expression on her face.
"What is there to talk about?" Steve's voice hitched slightly, but he didn't turn around.
"She betrayed your trust. She betrayed all of us. That's a massive blow." Skye snapped angrily. She was sick and tired of Steve's melodrama and excuses--though for the life of her she couldn't understand why.
"Yeah." Steve took a deep breath, "I've fought worse than traitors before. If we're lucky, she's still under HYDRA's mind control. That means she can be saved."
"I don't think so, Steve. She's been either with you or under our surveillance ever since she got back. She's been nothing but genuine. No sneaking or secret messages, just her. I don't know how much they indoctrinated her all those years ago." Skye couldn't believe the words that were coming out of her mouth. She didn't believe a word of it and she didn't want Steve to believe it either. But she couldn't stop.
"What are you trying to say?" Steve growled, punching commands into the meeting room's control board.
"Maybe she didn't fall off that train. Maybe she jumped." Skye screamed inside of her head. Something was wrong. Why was she saying this? Her compliance could be fucking rewarded another time this was Steve! He would go on a one-man mission to hunt Bucky down if he thought she were HYDRA. Shut up about that goddamned compliance Bucky didn't deserve to die!
"Maybe. But it doesn't matter. I don't care anymore." Steve typed a few more commands and waited for the computer to load. A giant radar circle appeared on the screen with two little blips shining.
"What is that?" Skye demanded, rubbing her eyes. Her new contacts had been bothering her. Perhaps she needed a new prescription.
"It tracks adamantium and vibranium alloys. The first blip is my shield. The second is Bucky fucking Barnes. And we're going to find her and bring her in. If it's brainwashing I'll bring in Natasha to do some cognitive recalibration. If Bucky's a turncoat, I'll bring in Thor." Steve ran a hand through his hair and sighed angrily. "You're going to be my eyes above. She's just landing in Johannesburg now. We can intercept her there in two hours if we hurry. Tell Agent May."
"Tell Agent May what?" Coulson stepped into the room nursing a cup of coffee. Bucky's disappearance had hit him hard. Coulson had been tempted to shred all the Captain America comics that featured the 'plucky broad' but they were way too valuable.
"I found Bucky. And she has some explaining to do."