This is Not Chicken
Chicken nuggets did not look like any type of chicken Winter had ever seen. In fact, they didn't even look like a type of meat. Chicken nuggets could not be chicken, they might kind of taste like it, but there was no way those weirdly shaped fried white stuff were chicken.
All things considered, the not-chicken wasn't that bad. He looked around the restaurant, just because he was eating didn't give any excuse to let down his guard. Especially now that he had to make sure he protected his handler. Winter was not going to let any harm come to Stark, and maybe the others if he could.
He would decide that if they were attacked. Clearly Stark cared for Colonel Rhodes, so he was definitely going to have to be protected. Winter didn't even know if Vision could di so he would probably be fine. And he didn't know how he felt about Wilson yet, so Wilson would probably also have a higher chance of dying than anyone else in this small group.
Winter was snapped out of his musings as he noticed the group starting to clean up. He had eaten all of his not-chicken and most of the fries. Although his drink was still mostly full. he did like it from the little that he had drank and hoped that he would be allowed to finish it before they left.
"Winter you going to take your rink with you? It's mostly full," Stark said. Winter nodded, the worst-case scenario he wasn't allowed to keep the drink and would get punished. Although that didn't seem to be a trend with Stark. So far Stark hadn't really acted like any handler he had had before and had told him earlier that there wasn't going to be any more handlers but that was Wrong. Winter was glad that Stark hadn't further tried to make Winter agree with that statement. "Great! Then it's time to head back to the compound. I have some lightsabers I need to make," Stark said with a grin as they walked out of the restaurant.
They walked back into the van. Winter getting stuck in the seat behind Wilson's. Once they started driving, Wilson looked back at Winter and made direct eye contact as he leaned the seat back. Far enough that it was annoying, but not so far that it was obvious he was leaning his seat back. Winter glared at him but that didn't seem to change anything, Wilson more than happy to ignore him. Winter huffed and tried to move around to get into a better position. He came to the conclusion that if they were attacked Wilson could fend for himself. Wilson was a terrible human being who knew exactly what he was doing. Winter doubted he would move the seat up if he asked.
Just to make sure that he wasn't going to have to spend the entire drive back to the compound with Wilson's horrid chair arrangement he leaned forwards a bit. "Can you move your seat up?" he asked quietly.
Wilson didn't even move. "No."
Winter sighed to himself and leaned back, drinking a bit of his lemonade. He ignored the chatter in the van as he waited for them to arrive at the compound. For the bits that he did pay attention to he couldn't figure out what they were talking about. The conversation seemed to be focusing on movies. Winter hadn't actually seen any other movies other than the Star Wars he had watched the previous night.
They drove into the garage at the compound and Wilson moved his seat back up before they stopped. Vision glanced over at him but didn't say anything, and Stark and Rhodes were too busy talking about lightsabers to notice. Winter wondered if Stark would tell Wilson to stop if he did. Next time, if there was a next time, Winter would be sure to speak louder so that Stark would overhear, and hopefully intervene.
Once they were all out of the car, Rhodes having clearly lost whatever small argument they were having. Stark grabbed Winter's arm. "Come on, I got to make you a lightsaber," he said as he dragged Winter away and towards the workshop. At least that was where Winter guessed they were going. Where else would they be building a lightsaber?
No one made any moves to follow them to Stark's wing, and Winter assumed that they all had different things they needed to do. They entered the workshop, Dum-E immediately rolling up to Winter.
"So, I'm going to get started on figuring this out, you can hang out with Dum-E or come and ask me if you want to learn any of the three fictional languages I know," Stark said. Winter nodded and followed Dum-E's pulling back towards the blender. Which Dum-E seemed to have an obsession over.
Winter dutifully obeyed Dum-E's wishes as he dragged more things for Winter to place into the blender. Together, they made yet another inedible smoothie that Winter honestly had no idea what to do with.
After the smoothie, Dum-E started to drag Winter off to yet another fire extinguisher and Winter decided that it was maybe time to go and do something else that wouldn't involve huge disturbances.
He wandered over to Stark. Stark had said that he would be able to ask him to learn new languages. Regardless of them being fictional, it would still be a way to pass time. Stark was hunched over one of the tables, glowing screens floating around him. Winter couldn't understand any of them but it seemed like he was busy.
Winter stood there awkwardly for a moment, not really wanting to interrupt Stark. "You said that if I wanted I could learn a language?" he asked.
Stark looked up at Winter. "Oh, right. That I did," he said. Stark quickly set up one of the screens onto a colorful interface with a list of different languages. "You can learn any language here, I've also added the fictional ones I know," Stark said as he waved it over to Winter.
Winter nodded and quickly retreated to one of the corners in the workshop. He hated asking people for things, much less handlers. It always filled him with a sense of terror, no matter how sure he as that nothing bad was going to happen.
He dragged one of the chairs over and looked over the different languages. Winter shrugged and chose a random language. It read Ewokese, which was obviously a fictional language. The picture above the words of fluffy bearish things helped to solidify his thought that this was fictional.
Winter lost track of time as he made his way through learning the language. He put the screen away when he heard Rhodes talking with Stark. Standing up he made his way over to them.
"You can do whatever you want when I'm not here. But for as long as I am in this compound you are going to go to bed at a normal time," Rhodes said.
Stark was pouting. "But I'm so close to figuring this out!" he said, practically whining. "Besides, I slept a couple days ago," he added.
Winter knew that he could operate perfectly fine for 72 hours without needing sleep, but as far as he knew Stark was simply a human. And humans definitely needed to sleep. "Rhodes is right, you require sleep," he said.
Stark's pout turned into a frown. "Fine. Although don't get upset with me when this lightsaber takes longer to make," he said as he closed up everything he was working on and stood up. Stark grabbed his mug and drained the contents, which was probably some form of caffeine, and started walking towards the door. "Come on Frosty, I'll show you your room," he said.
Winter fell in step behind him. Rhodes coming up to walk alongside Stark. They walked to Stark's wing and Rhodes turned to look at Stark. "His room is here?" he asked. "Why does he have a room here and none of the other Avengers?" he asked. "You put them in the other wing for a reason." Winter shifted. Perhaps it was not right for him to be in this. wing? He could offer to take a room with the others. Although that would put him farther away from Stark, and closer to that horrible Witch.
"He's not an Avenger. And I can do what I want," Stark said.
Rhodes sighed. "Nothing I say is going to change your mind," he said. "When he murders you in your sleep I'm going to tell you I told you so."
Winter felt offended. As if he would kill Stark. People like Stark didn't just appear out of thin air. There was no chance Winter would ever harm Stark. Or allow anyone else to. Which meant he needed to take care of the Witch. Once Stark was asleep and safe in his rooms Winter would go out and see what he could find. First, he would try to get rid of the Witch without just killing her right away. Although there was no way that she was going to be allowed to walk free once he was done.
It would help if he had evidence of her hurting Stark. Then he could show the man himself and Stark could help him figure out what to do. Friday probably had evidence, he would need to ask her when he was in his room.
Once that was out of the way he could decide on the method he was going to get rid of the Witch. Winter felt that knives would be an amazing way to kill her, he could cause her so much more pain with his knives. The Witch did not deserve a clean and painless death. Unless Stark decided she did, then Winter would obey his wishes.
Stark led him down the wing into a room and waved his hand in it. "This is yours, you can lock it and Friday won't let anyone in unless it's an emergency. Feel free to decorate it however you want. There are clothes in the closet so that you don't have to stay in what you're wearing. Feel free to use anything here and whatnot. See you in the morning," he said. Stark then grabbed Rhodes and walked away leaving Winter alone.
Winter entered his room and quickly went over it, searching for bugs or hidden cameras. Of course, he couldn't completely get rid of all the listening devices, Friday was clearly somehow able to monitor him everywhere. Not to mention the tracker bracelet. The bed was in the middle of the room and a desk with a Stark Industries laptop was in the corner. There were a lamp and a couple pens in a holder along with the computer, but nothing that showed that someone had been there before Winter.
Satisfied with his search, Winter went into the closet and chose out a pair of dark sweats. He needed to take a shower and clean clothes would be greatly appreciated.
After the shower, Winter sat on the bed and looked around the room. "Friday, would you be willing to help me out with something?" he asked.
"What is that something?" came the reply.
"I need to know where the Witch is and if there is any way I could pay her a visit," he said.
Friday didn't answer right away. "Is there a reason behind this inquiry?" she finally asked.
Winter nodded and looked up at the ceiling. He didn't actually know where Friday was, seeing as she was a computer program, but looking up seemed to feel right when he was talking to her. "I need to know if she has hurt Stark in any way. And then come up with a proper way to stop her," he said.
"She's in her room, I can lead you there," Friday said eagerly. She clearly cared for Stark too and wanted to protect him.
Winter stood up and made his way to the door, opening it quietly and stepping out into the dark hallway. He started to walk out of Stark's wing and glanced up as he spoke. "Do you have any visual evidence of her using her powers on anyone?" he asked. When he brought this to Stark it would be useful to have as much evidence as he could get.
"I can look, but her magic sometimes interferes with my cameras," Friday said. Winter frowned. That wasn't good. They would need to find a way around this. If the Witch's magic interfered with the cameras, then she might be able to make tech around her malfunction, which was not good considering Winter had a metal arm.
Friday led him to the Witch's room and he quietly slipped in. She was asleep and didn't notice as he entered. Winter stood at the foot of her bed for a moment, trying to decide what he wanted to do. He looked around the room, studying everything she had put there.
She had a couple pictures on the walls, photographs of her with the team, none of them having Stark. There was a laptop on the desk as well as a couple of random items that she seemed to like. Winter walked over to the laptop and opened it, being confronted with a password.
"Is there a way for you to get on this?" he whispered.
The laptop unlocked itself as soon as he asked. "I can search through her history if you would like," Friday whispered back.
"Can you send it to the computer in my room so that I can go over it later?" he asked. Friday hummed a quiet affirmative. Winter scrolled through her computer, checking the sites that she had last had open.
The screen showed that she was shopping for new clothes, as well as art supplies. Winter didn't see any art in her room, or anything that implied that she was interested in it. So he figured it was either a new interest or for someone else in the compound.
He found his way to her email and checked through it. The Witch didn't have many emails, getting emails for offers on shops that she had shopped at before and updates on the news. He went through her spam and trash but didn't find any communications with really anyone.
Winter closed out of the Witch's email and then closed the computer. He checked to make sure that nothing had been moved out of the way when he had an idea. He didn't really need to talk to the Witch right away. He could watch her and see if she used her powers on anyone or made any mistakes that would show him what she was really trying to do. If the Witch was frightened it would be easier for her to make a mistake.
He quickly rearranged her desk, enough that it wasn't right, but not enough that it would be obvious he was there. If she didn't know that an outside force was messing with her she wouldn't be on the guard for that. Satisfied with his plan Winter left the room. It might take longer than he would prefer to get the response he was looking for. But in the end, it would be worth it once the Witch was gone for good.
Winter walked back to his room, excited with the prospect of using his skills to help Stark. Of course, Stark didn't actually know that he was doing this. Winter wondered if he would be happy with Winter doing this or tell him to stop. Technically this was invading her privacy, but she could read minds. Winter was going to have to make sure she didn't read his mind, otherwise, she would realize her plan and try to stop it. He wouldn't tell Stark either, in case she heard of it form him.
This would be Winter's secret mission. Nothing was going to stop him from giving the Witch what she deserves.