Chapter 5
As soon as Dick is out of sight Bucky heads to the phone. He pages through the stack of incomprehensible legal papers as he listens to it ring. Jimmy picks up on the other end.
“Hey Jimmy, put Steve on the line,” Bucky says and waits patiently as Jimmy fights through the bullpen to get to Steve. Bucky likes Jimmy. He reminds Bucky of the kids he grew up with, the ones that could always be counted on for a pickup game of baseball and a few good stories.
“Bucky?”
“Hey, I just had an interesting houseguest drop by,” Bucky says casually. He doesn’t name names. He’s knows from experience that there’s no such thing as “too paranoid.”
“Really? A friend of ours?” Steve asks and only someone who knows him as well as Bucky catches the undercurrent of worry. A stab of fondness goes through Bucky. Only Steve could be worried for the safety of the Winter Soldier in a universe where Hydra doesn’t even pose a threat.
“Yeah, your flighty friend from the other night.” Bucky says, and from the noise Steve makes he knows Steve got the message, “anyway I’m making pasta for dinner, you should invite Clark over.”
“Will do,” Steve promises. The phone clicks. Satisfied that the message has been passed along, Bucky surveys the room. Then he moves Peggy from his lap to his shoulder and gets to work. He shoves all the papers into the briefcase and heads to the kitchen. A glance at the clock tells him Steve and Clark have an hour of work left, though he expects them both at the apartment sooner. Steve is not known for his patience. Still, that’s plenty of time to through together his promised pasta dinner.
Steve had mentioned Batman’s sidekick to Bucky, but nothing Steve had said compared to meeting the lad himself. It’s been a long a time since Bucky has been around anything that excludes youthful enthusiasm the way Dick does, and even longer since Bucky has had that energy himself. If he ever even had it at all, the great depression and the war had done a lot to suck the youthfulness and enthusiasm right out of him. More than that though, Dick is clever and a bit stubborn. It’s no mystery Steve was immediately taken with him. Steve has always had a soft spot for people who are a bit to stubborn for their own good. Then again, Bucky thinks wryly, the same thing could be said for himself.
Steve and Clark burst through the door a full half hour before they are even supposed to leave work. Unsurprised, Bucky ignores them both as he stirs the sauce. Its jarred sauce, nothing like he used eat back in the 30s when his mom made everything from scratch. But it will do.
“Where’s Robin?” Steve asks looking around like he expects the boy to pop out from under the table.
“If he has any sense, he’ll have listened to me and gone back to Gotham to keep an eye on things,” Bucky says, “he left something for you guys though. It’s on the table.”
Steve and Clark over to the briefcase and examine the fine leather. Steve flicks it open as Bucky tries to dress up the bland sauce with some garlic.
“What is this?” Clark asks as he and Steve ruffle through the papers.
“Business negotiations between LexCorp and WayneTech.” Bucky said, “I think they might even been written in English, hard to tell with all the legalese they were using though.”
Steve and Clark waste no time, getting straight to work. Clark’s normally cheery face morphs into a look that Steve refers to as his “Investigation scowl” as he grabs the top portion of the papers. He reads with super speed flicking through the papers easily. He ends up flipping back to previous pages almost as often. His scowl deepens as he tries to make sense of the various clauses and subparagraphs. Steve reads his stack of documents slower. He rubs his hand through his hair, making a mess of it. A memory of a smaller Steve sitting in the school library with a similar expression and equally mussed hair makes its way through Bucky’s mind. Like Clark, the progress Steve seems to be making is minimal. For his part, Bucky is happy to let them slough through the paperwork as he plates the pasta.
“Eat.” Bucky commands setting down two plates. Steve does so out of force of habit. Bucky has been mother henning him since the 30s. Clark picks up his fork as well, his Kansas bred manners too strong for him to refuse a home cooked meal. Even one consisting of boxed pasta and jarred sauce.
The two move mechanically, bringing food to their mouths in between turns of the page. Bucky doubts either of them are even tasting what they’re eating. Halfway through the meal, Steve throws down his paper and rubs his eyes.
“Understanding the Sokovia Accords was easier than this.” He grumbles.
“That’s because Ross has all the subtly as a rock,” Bucky says as Steve picks the paper back up.
“Most of this paragraph isn’t even saying anything. It’s just continually referencing other clauses.”
“Lawyers.” Bucky scoffs as he piles more food onto Steve and Clarks plates. Clark has not looked up from his papers since he started reading. He does manage to mumble a polite thank you as he flips the page. Bucky grabs his own plate and eats slowly, watching the two of them for any hint that Dick’s stolen papers were useful. He hopes they are. The lad will be so disappointed if they aren’t.
“Hey! I think I found something.” Clark says and then frowns, “Luthor wants to buy kryptonite from WayneTech. Wait, why does Bruce have so much kryptonite?”
There’s a tinge of hurt in Clark’s voice. Steve claps on his shoulder.
“Probably to keep it out of the hands of people like Luthor.”
Clark nods, accepting this explanation. Bucky doesn’t say anything, but he’s skeptical that it’s the only reason Bruce would buy up so much kryptonite. He’s not typically one for cynicism and he’s never even met the man, but based on some of the things Steve and Clark has said about him Bruce is the living embodiment of “can never be too paranoid.” Not that Bucky disagrees with that mentality. It’s exactly that type of thinking that has kept him out of Hydra’s hands for so long. Still, he wouldn’t put it past Bruce to have his own stock of kryptonite, just in case. Reluctantly, Bucky can see where Bruce is coming from. Clark’s a swell guy, but Bucky likes to think that he was a pretty good guy too back in the day and that didn’t stop him from becoming the Winter Soldier. Anybody can break in the hands of a madman, even Superman. Maybe having a few pieces of kryptonite lying around, in good hands, isn’t the worst idea in the world.
“See anything else Luthor is looking to get from Bruce’s company?” Steve asks, further distracting Clark from the kryptonite purchases and pulling Bucky from his thoughts.
“Stock mostly,” Clark says, “some property, steroids? Why is WayneTech patenting experimental steroids?”
“Better question, why does Luthor want it?” Steve asks. Clark looks up at him frowning.
“Luthor trying to start a crooked baseball team?” He suggests.
“Or his own super soldier program.” Steve says darkly. Many countries had tried forming their own super soldier program after the war. Results ranged from slightly stronger than average soldiers to accidentally creating the hulk. It’s a dangerous game, one that was barely justified by the desperation of World War Two. Now however, in the relative peace of modern day, it’s not something that anyone, let alone someone like Luthor, should ever be playing around with.
“We need a lawyer to look over this. Who knows what details we’re overlooking,” Steve says, “something in here might even give us a lead on where Luthor might want to keep Bruce.”
Clark snorts, his tone unusually cynic, “Good luck.”
“What, does Metropolis not have lawyers?” Steve asks.
“Not good ones,” Clark says, “the only decent lawyer I’ve ever met moved out of Metropolis last year.”
Steve frowns, thinking. Coming to a decision he stands up, “Well then I guess it’s a good thing that I happen to know a great lawyer.”
Bucky and Clark frown at each other as Steve walks out of the room. They can hear him shuffling around in his bedroom for a few minutes before he comes back with a baseball cap low over his head and pair of oversized sunglasses on his face. He’s also wearing a bulky sweater that hides his muscles in a way his usual attire never does.
“What are you doing?” Bucky asks, as Steve tosses him a hat as well.
“Going to talk to my lawyer of course.” Steve says. Bucky’s brow furrows as things click into place.
“You want to go see Murdock?” He asks, though it’s not really question. Steve nods, clearly pleased with himself.
“And the best part is that we know he’s clean. Luthor can’t bribe a lawyer he doesn’t know exists,” Steve says, and then adds thoughtfully, “Not that Murdock is bribable.”
Bucky looks down at the cap in his hands. It’s a faded nondescript blue, the same sort of cap that he wore when he was on the run. He feels a shiver go through him at the memory. Since moving to Metropolis he’s only been back to New York City a handful of times and not once has he stepped foot outside the safety of Tony’s tower. To his knowledge nobody outside of the Avengers even know that he and Steve make these legally ambiguous trips, and that’s exactly how he’d like to keep it. Coming to Metropolis has been a gift, a second chance that he never thought he would get it. He has no interest in risking that by running around New York City far from the security of the tower. Bucky hands the hat to Clark.
“You two go ahead, I’ll clean up from dinner.”
Steve falters, halfway to the portal, and gives Bucky a questioning look.
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah. You don’t need the Winter Soldier wandering around New York.” Bucky shrugs, giving him a self-deprecating smile.
“Bucky.” Steve chides gently. Bucky’s smile turns apologetic. He knows how much Steve hates it when he refers to himself by that name. Still he doesn’t back down.
“Seriously, I’ll be fine here with the cats.” Bucky insists, “It doesn’t take three people to talk to a lawyer.”
Steve nods, “We’ll be back soon.”
“Say hello to Murdock for me.” Bucky says. Steve gives him a small smile, though the worry still lingers in the corner of his eyes as he taps a few buttons. He and Clark disappear in a swirl of red light. Bucky lets the smile drop. Its better he stay here. It’s safer for everyone, no matter how much he knows it kills Steve to admit it. Bucky is a liability in any world hydra exists. Colonel Philips brushes against his leg and he scoops him up.
“Come on. Help me clean up.” He says.
Meanwhile Steve and Clark appear in Tony’s kitchen. He hasn’t visited the tower since before Bruce went missing and in a way it amazes him how nothing has changed. How this world chugs along, oblivious that in another world a city is missing its hero. The cool robotic voice of Friday greets them and Steve tells her hello. Tony is in his lab and Steve tells her not to bother disturbing him as he and Clark are heading out into the city. Friday wishes them luck. Steve smiles at the ceiling. He likes Friday and appreciates her unique personality. Yet, a small part of him still misses Jarvis’s soothing and occasionally snarky presence. It’s a shame that Alfred and Jarvis have never met. He suspects that they would have gotten along swimmingly.
“Come on. Let’s go.” Steve says and for the first time in a long time, Steve leaves the tower, and sets off into his city.