“Bucky wake up. Stark released the video from the bunker. The whole world knows what happened all those years ago. Come on, we're going to have talks with Stark and then we're going to go back to Wakanda,” Steve says shaking Bucky awake early in the morning.
“What?”
“Tony released the video Zemo showed us. We have to go now,” Steve says pulling Bucky out of bed and Bucky hops into his pants and shirt but something doesn't seem right.
“Stevie are you sure it was Stark? It doesn't seem like his style,” Bucky says absolutely sure that Tony wouldn't do that ever.
“Who else would it have been?” Steve asks staring at him like he's lost his mind.
“We have no shortage of enemies Stevie. Ones that would seek to discredit us. What better way than this? Tony needs us it stay in business otherwise he has to come out of retirement. It makes no sense for him to have done this,” Bucky says and he sees Stevie consider it and then shake his head.
“We'll see what Stark says when we get there,” Steve says and they get in the Quinjet that looks like it's seen better days and take it to the Tower.
They storm past all the security measures between the landing pad and the penthouse and Bucky tries to send a warning but his phone isn't charged enough.
“Stark!” Steve snaps so they walk into the penthouse and Tony practically leaps off the couch.
“Rogers what the hell!” Tony demands as the others come rushing in.
“Why'd you do it?”
“Do what? I've been here all morning playing nurse,” Tony says.
“We don't want to hear about your sexual activities Stark,” Natasha says.
“I wish it was the fun kind. A family member is sick,” Tony says and Bucky finally recognizes the small red nosed lump in Loki's arms at the same time she recognizes him.
“Bu!” Maria cries excitedly and sneezes drawing everyone's attention to her.
“Is that a…” Steve says as Maria reaches for Bucky. Bucky squares his shoulders as Loki passes her to him.
“Hey there Sprout. Fist bump. Colds suck don't they?” Bucky asks and she nods and their fists connect and then part.
“That's a…”
“Our daughter Maria. You got a problem?” Tony asks as Bucky rests her chin on his shoulder and then he feels her straining to look at Steve who leans in to say hi to her only for her to sneeze in his mouth and start beating him with her Iron Man plushie.
“Maria we don't hit,” Tony says taking her from Bucky while Steve rubs his head.
“You gave her a plushie of you? Obsessed with yourself much?” Sam asks crossing his arms.
“Hey! I bought that for her!” Bucky snaps and winces.
“Bucky?” Stevie says with that wounded puppy expression.
“Stark's been fixing my arm and he gave me a job. Plus that little devil loves her godfather Bucky,” Bucky says.
“Enough this isn't why we're here,” Wanda says and Steve snaps out of his thoughts.
“You're right,” Steve says.
“Now that that's cleared up. Stephen take Maria to Wong. I don't want her here right now,” Tony says and Stephen steps into a portal with Maria and steps out empty handed.
“Now why are you here Rogers?”
“How could you release the footage to the press?”
“What footage?” Tony demands.
“Zemo's little surprise,” Bucky clarifies and Tony's eyes widen.
“What? That's impossible. We destroyed that footage. There shouldn't be any of it left,” Tony says looking at Rhodey.
“See Stevie, he didn't release it,” Bucky says but Steve doesn't look convinced.
“Boss, turn on FOX NEWS,” FRIDAY says and they do. The headline makes Bucky's skin crawl.
It says, Does Tony Stark Love Superheroes More Than His Own Mother?
“Rhodey call Pepper. I don't care if she has to threaten their first borns. I that footage off the air. FRIDAY was this uploaded to the internet?” Tony says as Rhodey calls Pepper.
“It seems to have been uploaded on YouTube as well as several online news publications, Boss.”
“Buy them out and put their writers to work on a retraction. Get Kami on creating fake YouTube accounts. Tell her not to watch the video just to post comments saying how fake it looks. Bruce can you call T’Challa? If I can't get public opinion back then I'll have to transfer control of the Maria Stark Foundation to him. I won't let this taint the good the foundation can do,” Tony says and to anyone who doesn't know Tony well it would lookon like he has everything in control but Bucky can see the panic just below the surface.
“Tony, take a breathe. You're about to have a panic attack,” Bucky says and rushes forward in time to support his weight when Tony's knees buckle. Bucky helps Tony sit on the couch.
“Tony, you should have told the public about this earlier. You could have controlled the release,” Steve says.
“Bull fucking shit Steve. If he'd done that then you would have been storming in here complaining about how he was trying to turn the public against us. Right now he has the most to lose. Not us. The foundation he spent a year working on may not longer be his. His company could crash! And all you care about is what the people is going to think about us. I have news for you Steve they still fucking hate us!” Bucky snaps and rubs Tony's back as he works to calm himself down and Bucky lets him use his metal hand to snap himself out of it.
“Boss, retractions have been published and Ms. Khan notified. Pepper is on her way with enough court orders to kill even the biggest company and I took the liberty of testing the original upload of the video. It came from a computer in the compound,” FRIDAY says.
“Who?” Bucky asks feeling sick.
“The video belonged to Miss Romanov,” FRIDAY says and they all look at Natasha.
“Alright, I had the video on my computer. But I didn't upload it! I was doing research into everything that happened. I wanted to know when everything went sideways. But I didn't post it,” Natasha says.
“Sorry Romanov. I've trusted you too much. I'm not making that mistake ever again,” Tony says but Loki lays a hand on Tony's shoulder.
“She's being truthful. I can sense it. Romanov who else would have access to you computer files? Between now and when you found the video?” Loki asks.
“Normally Clint but he went AWOL…”
“He signed the accords and retired,” Tony butts in.
“... besides him no one. I don't let anyone in my room,” she says.
“Liar,” Loki says.
“I let Wanda go in to get some nail polish,” Natasha says.
“See! I knew the Witch couldn't be trusted!” Bucky shouts.
“I did it so that Stark would have to suffer watching his family die over and over again like I did,” Wanda says.
“Oh get off it, you broken fucking record. I'm sick if you whining about your dead parents and how it's all Stark's fault! I've been around enough of his shit to know that it doesn't fail to do it's job. So if that bomb, assuming it really existed, really did sit there for days then it wasn't a genuine Stark Industry bomb so go blaim the forger that made it,” Bucky says.
“Buck calm down, she's just a kid,” Steve says.
“JUST A KID! FOR CHRIST'S SAKE STEVEN GRANT ROGERS SHE'S OLDER THAN THE TWO OF US WHEN WE ENDED UP IN THE ARMY!” Bucky shouts at the top of his lungs.
“Bucky breathe. Don't say anything you'll regret. These are our teammates,” Sam says.
“Not anymore. Hey Tony, is that room in the Tower still on the table?” Bucky asks staring right into Steve's eyes as he says.
“Yeah Robocop. All personalized and shit in old man chic,” Tony says and Bucky swats his arm playfully.
There's a noise of something being dropped on the floor behind him.
“You're stuffs here,” Stephen says.
“Thank you. Now Mr. Rogers, I suggest you take your team and leave our home,” Bucky ssys.
“Bucky, you're not thinking straight,” Steve says.
“Now?” Stephen asks.
“Now,” Bucky consents and suddenly Steve, Sam, Wanda, and Natasha are swept through a portal to the compound and Bucky and Tony collapse backwards onto the couch.
“That was exhausting,” Bucky says.
“That was badass,” Tomy says smiling at him.
Bucky finds himself smiling back.