Chapter 1
It all started with Tony’s birthday.
With almost the whole team gone, celebrating wasn’t really something Tony was looking forward to. But he was a public figure, and one known for his legendary celebrations, so missing his birthday would only raise questions about his personal well-being that he didn’t want to answer. Not yet, anyway.
Since Steve had vanished, Tony had become the face of the Avengers. He was the leader, he made the decisions, and he was the one Ross contacted - and that he did, at least a dozen times a day. The genius was starting to regret signing the Accords, simply because that man was so damn exhausting.
But that also meant that he was watched more closely than ever, and Tony had always been one of the media’s most favorite targets. They were dying to know how crushed the man really was after what had happened, or whether he really was as cold as they often described him and didn’t care at all.
Tony was of course a master of deception when it came to covering up certain things to the public eye, but avoiding them would raise suspicion that he really didn’t need at the moment.
He had to admit, everything that Sheryl had done in advance for that party was marvelous. Sheryl was basically his new PA, or rather his link to Stark Industries, which was still without a CEO months after Pepper had quit. Tony just didn’t have it in himself to replace her, a woman that was impossible to replace. Doing so meant giving up that she would ever return, and although he knew the chances of that happening were very slim, he simply couldn’t give up the hope. It was likelier than Steve or the others returning, so Tony clung to the idea.
Now, Sheryl was no Pepper, but she was doing a very decent job. She was dedicated, eager to do a good job. Maybe sometimes a bit too eager, but that was normal for a woman of her age in her position.
So Tony had taken a seat at the bar and watched the people around, celebrating, drinking and dancing. He knew Rhodey was somewhere among the crowd, but even with that knowledge he had never felt more like a stranger on his own birthday party than he did tonight. None of these people were very close to him, in fact there were some faces he didn’t think he’d ever seen before. But that might just be him, he had always been terrible with names and faces. He remembered people better when he gave them nicknames, like he had with Rhodey, with Pepper and with Happy.
The last time he’d felt so lost during a party had probably been around the time when he expected to be celebrating his last birthday party. When he thought he was going to die. And yet, this felt even worse. He couldn’t even bring himself to put on a smile, not even after his third drink and the fifth pretty lady trying to seduce him. It was simply too much. He needed air.
Considering summer was coming nearer, it was a pretty cold night. But Tony didn’t mind that when he stepped out onto the patio, it actually helped clear his head a bit. It smelled like smoke, there was an ashtray on the railing that was already pretty filled, and for the first time in quite a while, Tony felt the urge to smoke as well. But he had no cigarettes on him, and there was nobody around to ask, which was probably for the better. Pepper would kill him if he -
No. Right.
Tony ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. When had he gotten to this point? He didn’t really care about anything anymore. There was nothing left to care about, really. What he had considered his family, his home for the past couple years was gone, and it wouldn’t ever be like that again. It made him wonder, once more in his life, why Rhodey was still there. Thirty years and counting and the man had never left his side. Tony was incredibly grateful for it, but he never really felt like he deserved it.
A small smile lay on his lips as he imagined telling Rhodey that. He would get so mad when Tony said things like this, would tell him that they were brothers, and brothers stick together no matter what.
A couple minutes passed when Tony heard somebody stepping up behind him. He didn’t turn around, just watched the city before them. „Pretty, isn’t it?“, he asked the stranger. „I always found New York the prettiest at night. It just has this… Shine to it.“
There was a silence for a moment, then the man stepped forward and Tony noticed a tray in his peripheral vision. „Drink, Sir?“, a male voice asked him.
Tony didn’t hesitate and grabbed the glass, champagne probably, and downed it in one gulp. „I probably shouldn’t“, he said as he put the glass back on the tray, chuckling. „But who cares anyway? Besides, what’s a birthday party without a drunk host.“
He was again faced with silence, but he felt that the man was still standing behind him. „You should probably head back inside, it’s less tragic in there“, Tony told the waiter. „You’re just gonna get depressed out here.“ Nothing. Well, his company didn’t seem very talkative, so Tony might as well keep talking. „I seem to have forgotten how to party“, he mused. „Normally I would be the center of the room, people cheering me on as I do all kinds of stupid shit. Like stripping.“ He smiled a bit. „I always did have a little exhibitionist in me.“
When he was again met with silence, Tony was starting to get a bit confused. What was the guy still doing here if he didn’t want to talk to him? And why were the city lights starting to get so blurry? Had he been drinking that much already?
Tony turned around to face the waiter, but he could barely see him. His head was spinning, he was starting to feel very heavy, tired. The man before him was taller and broader than him, and what Tony could make out was that he didn’t really look like the average waiter.
But before he could start to guess who this person was, or even what was happening to him, the world around him vanished and his vision went black.
A terrible headache woke Tony up again, a small groan escaped his lips. He pressed his hands to his eyes, blocking out the light that was hitting his face from some window.
„Painkillers on the table“, a voice told him, not too far away from him. A voice that seemed somehow familiar, but he couldn’t really put his finger on it.
Blindly he reached around himself, realizing that he was lying on a sofa, and he found a glass of water, which he nearly knocked over. Next to it were a couple pills, which he swallowed without really thinking about it.
It took some time to get used to the light, but when he did, he looked up at the ceiling, trying to think. What had happened last night? What did he still remember?
He’d been at his birthday party, outside. Somebody had come and brought him a drink. And then he’d lost consciousness.
Tony sat up suddenly, realization hitting him. He’d been roofied. That drink had been spiked. A quick look down relieved him a bit, he was still dressed. And he figured he would feel it if he’d been taken advantage of.
Next he looked around the place, a hotel room, as he only noticed now. It was pretty small and dirty, and he looked very out of place. Had somebody kidnapped him? But what for? And why wasn’t he tied up or something?
„You should eat something“, the voice said, and this time Tony looked up to see where it came from. Seated in an armchair by the window, straight and tensed, was none other than James Buchanan Barnes.
Tony was up in an instant and reached for his wrist, activating the gauntlet. Barnes raised his hand - only one, as Tony noticed - showing he meant no harm. „I’m not going to hurt you, Stark. I’m not here for that.“
„What are you here for, then?“, Stark asked, not lowering his hand. He wasn’t taking any chances.
Barnes looked awful, to say the least. He had dark circles under his eyes, his hair was messy and the clothes he was wearing rather dirty. The left arm was still missing, which made Tony wonder for a moment how he’d managed to kidnap him with just one arm. Then again as far as he knew Barnes was about as strong as Steve, maybe one arm was all he needed.
„I need your help“, the man said.
„My help“, Tony repeated incredulously. „Don’t you have your best buddy to turn to? I heard you guys have settled down in Wakanda.“
Barnes shot Tony a deadly glare. „It’s about Steve, actually.“
Tony snorted. „Then I’m not interested. Besides, who kidnaps a person to ask for their help?!“
There was a silence for a moment that Tony was already getting used to, Barnes didn’t really seem like a man of many words. Or maybe that was just because they hated each other’s guts.
„He’s gone“, Barnes finally said. „Steve is gone. And so is Sam.“
That surprised Tony so much that he lowered his arm a bit, frowning in confusion. „What do you mean, ‚gone‘?“
„I mean they left us a month ago to take down one of HYDRA’s old bases, and they haven’t returned. They haven’t even contacted us“, Barnes explained. „I have been looking for them, but the trail ended in Russia.“
Tony was quiet for a moment, just watching the other man. This could be a very clever ruse, a way to get him to follow him, but what for? Barnes didn’t really have an interest in him, if anything he’d probably avoid his company, after what had happened last time. It was difficult to look at his face, the video still spooking in Tony’s mind, but he did look honest, at least. Honestly worried about his friend. And no matter what had happened between them, Tony didn’t want Steve dead. He never had.
„Let’s say I believe you“, Tony started slowly, „What exactly do you expect me to do?“
At that, Barnes just shrugged. „You’re supposed to be a genius. I’m sure you can help somehow.“
Tony stared, once more incredulously. „Fantastic plan, man.“
„I didn’t know where else to go“, Barnes admitted. „T’Challa can’t help me, he’s got a country to lead. Barton and Lang are back with their families, and Wanda isn’t really cut out for this kind of mission.“
Tony sat back down on the sofa and rubbed his face, sighing. This was a mess. There was the man he still had nightmares about sitting across of him, asking him for help after kidnapping him from his own birthday party. Tony wondered if anybody even noticed that he’d vanished or if they’d all been too drunk already.
„One month, you said?“, he asked, looking over at the other again. Barnes nodded. „That’s one hell of a long time. Why did you only come here now?“
Barnes actually smirked a bit at that. „I’m a wanted man, Stark. You know that. It’s not easy getting to the states when you’re wanted.“
Tony felt a bit stupid for asking, so he didn’t push further. His thoughts went back to Steve and Sam, vanished while taking on HYDRA, that definitely didn’t sound good. And as angry as he still was at Steve, he couldn’t just ignore this and send Barnes away.
„Alright then“, he sighed. „Where do we start?“