Chapter 13
When all of the team has entered the room, who was surprisingly big enough, everyone tried to find their place.
Pepper and Rhodey didn't left any place to doubt, and right after they've arranged the chairs in a circle form both of them sat in the sides of Tony. Peter, Harley and Kamala sat next to Pepper, and Peggy (with a tiny smile) asked kamala if the place next to her is taken. Daniel, Jarvis and Howard sat right next to her, which ended with Fury next to Howard with King T'challa, besides him Steve and Bucky. Both of the russian assasians sat next to each other, which left only Doctor Strange, who stood (surprisingly) quiet in all of the chaos, on his feet.
Stephen smirked to Tony, who raised his eyebrow in question, but handed him a chair. Stephen carefully placed it on the cieling floor and sat right above Tony.
"You wouldn't mind, would you?" he asked, and Tony chuckled. "How can I say no to my awesome-facial-hair bro?" Stephen rolled his eyes. "Please, don't."
Rhodey gasped. "You're cheating on me... with... with this?!" he pointed at the Doctor, unable to stop the smile from appearing on his face. Pepper rolled her eyes. "I should be the one who's complaining, you know."
"Some of us have a motherfucker super-secret agency to run, so continue." mentioned Fury, and Stephen and Tony rolled their eyes simultaneously. "Jesus, can you even smile?" asked Tony and raised his hand in the air, waiting for a highfive from Stephen.
He wasn't disappointed.
"Can we get to the plan?" asked Kamala, impatient, and Tony nodded. "Well, yeah, plan. Plannish plan. Wonderful plan. Okay, plan." he added, due to Natasha's glare. "So, this is the plan." he pulled a tablet out of his pocket, and presented a hologram of a building. "Now, can someone tell me what is this?"
Peggy rolled her eyes. "We're not in class, Anthony."
Thor raised his hand. "It's an Asgardian prison!" he said, not waiting for a premission to speak, and Tony nodded. "Correct. And this..." he pulled a mini-character- "Is Loki, which is now a prisoner. We need to get him out of there." Clint and Fury shook their heads. "No way." the archer said in a tone that doesn't leave any place to argue, and of course everyone began to argue. A minute passed and the room became quiet again, as everyone became aware of Captain America who was now standing, his hand up in the air.
"Why?" he asked, and Tony bit his lower lip. "I... There's..." he passed his hand in his messy hair, unable to explain.
"Stark was about to die as a child, took a deal from Loki, which left a piece of metal inside his head. He was supposed to be blind or get the piece out as a child, but when I examined the piece it seemed as what I like to call 'break point'- between two different universes. The time travel must've folded the two universes into each other, so we may have some changes, like a blind or not Tony Stark." Stephen Strange said smoothly, and left everyone shocked.
"Tony was... about to die?" asked Daniel, and Tony nodded. "I did." he said, simply. "It was a day after my sixth birthday. Somehow, I managed to convince Jarvis and Howard to let me get inside the lab. A few moments they weren't looking, and... boom!" he did an explosion gesture. "I blew up a whole line of cars, and managed to get stuck inside. I could be counted as dead, but as the succesful sixth years old boy I was, I somehow got Reindeer Games to show up, and closed a deal with him. And that's..." he shifted his position uncomfortably. "That's why we need to get him out. It's my debt, and he made sure that I couldn't get away." Tony lowered his look. "It's my fault, I got all of us into this mess. I get it if you don't want to help."
Thor was the first to repsond. "No. " he said, quietly as he could. "My brother was known for his tricksters long before he managed to show up at Midgard, I'm sure of that. It wasn't your fault. Earth won't survive without one of it's mightiest heroes, ay?" he grinned widely, and Tony smiled a tiny smile. "We'll help. Won't we?" he continued, and no one answered, except Bucky who siletnly raised his hand.
"Yes, Bucky?"
"How d'we get past security?" he asked, and a smile spread on his face. "E ho bisogno di un taglio di capelli." (And I need a haircut.)
Tony smirked. "Da questa parte, Sergente." (Right this way, sergeant.) before Bucky could response, Peggy snapped her fingers, drawing everyone's attention. "We're breaking into a jail?" she asked, and Tony nodded. "So we need a plan." he nodded.
Steve suddenly stood up. "Sousa, Fury, Black Widow, Rhodes, Strange, Keener, Thor." he hestiated. "Peggy." he said, more softly. "You're coming with me." he began walking towards the door, but none of the tactical planners followed him.
"Well, what are you waiting for, a kiss on the cheek?" Tony jumped to his help, and Steve felt thankful. "Thanks." he mumbled as the group passed by Tony, who nodded. "No problem, Cap." he hummed and Steve lead the group out of the door, getting one last glance at Bucky before the door shut itself behind him.
They sat in the next door room, and the man with a plan began discussing. The plan was simple- get in using Thor, use Strange's powers in order to get the time back like Loki never was in the prison and with both of the magicians help get Peggy, Daniel, Howard and Jarvis back home. Steve let Daniel take the lead on the small detailes as his mind slowly went away from the subject.
What are you doing?! A part in his brain was repeatdly asking since the moment he has left the room. Bucky just got back, and you leave him with Tony? Steve sighed and pulled the collar of his shirt. He should trust Tony, he knows it, but it's hard to leave Bucky over there. Bucky is more than capable to defend himself, reminded another part of his brain. And that part was right. Steve shouldn't worry about Bucky being safe, those two spoke with each other, and he knows that they'll fit together- but then again, this wasn't Bucky. It was just the shreds of the man, just like Steve. Maybe the Winter Solider will snap at Tony at a moment of losing control, or Tony will snap at Bucky at a moment of losing control. He couldn't know.
Or they'll get closer, and Steve will lose another friend for Tony.
Steve found himself at the night on the balcony, leaning on Tony's bar and looking at new New York City. It was amazing; he remembered the first time he ever got to see all of the city. It was in the summer. Bucky got himself a job as a construction builder, and forgot his lunch at home. Steve had to climb all of the stairs, not to mention jumping between all the rusty, rickerty scaffolding.
"Amazing view, isn't it?" asked a voice from the door into the house, and Steve almost jumped as he saw Peggy behind him. "Indeed." he agreed.
"Aren't you cold?" she asked, and he scanned her. She was wearing a shirt, a scarf, a jacket and a coat, and he was wearing...
One, simple T-shirt. "No. One of the adventages of being Super Solider." he said with a smile, and she laughed, something he hadn't heard in a while.
Peggy took a glass from the bar, pouring herself an amber liquid. "Drink?" she asked, and although both of them knew that Steve couldn't get drunk, he agreed. The liquid burned down his throat, and he tried to drink it as slowly as he could, enjoying the uncommon feeling.
"It's so... different." he finally said, as it seems like Peggy wasn't going to talk. "I know." she muttered back, looking down at the lights of the city. "It's like I never lived here." she added, and he nodded.
"I didn't manage to find Bucky's and mine house, you know? I tried. In the place where it was there's a skycraper now. The only thing I know from my area is a small coffee shop, and they've told me they'll probably close it anyway." he said, his voice hoarse. Peggy was standing still, her curious eyes examining every part of the city; advantages. Weaknesses.
"You didn't deserve it." she answered, quietly, the wind almost snapping her words. "You were a true hero. You deserved to live the life, to get married, to have a family."
He watched as the liquid shook in his glass. "The man who wanted it all stayed in the ice. I'm not the same, Peggs, and I know you've noticed; I can see your looks, you know. And after all? I don't think I regret coming to the future. And yet, I've formed a family, Peggy. Not by blood, but I've formed. And it was broken, but it was our broken family."
Peggy took another sip from her drink. "Until Civil War." she said, carefully, her eyes examining his reaction.
"I... I don't know, really. In Civil war..." he tried to think. "Maybe my family changed a little bit. I trusted Bucky to be my right hand, to stop me from doing reckless deeds as always. But he didn't. We didn't stop." Peggy bit her lower lip.
"Maybe this man died in the ice, too." she explained, and Steve frowned, thinking about it.
"Maybe he did." he agreed after a few minutes of silence. "He's good for you, you know. Daniel. It never should've been me. I... I can see it now."
Her lips curved up. "I know." she answered. "But he doesn't see it, does he?" she asked, and he shook his head.
"I don't think so." he told her quietly, and loud voices were heard from the inside of the building, getting closer.
"Steve-o! Are you alrighty, man?" shouted Howard Stark from the door, and Bucky grinned, although he seemed not very amused from the drunken Howard who was leaning on him, barely able to make two steps without falling. "Yeah, his Stevesness, are you alright?" he asked, and Peggy rolled her eyes.
"Jesus, Stark." she mumbled and helped Bucky get Howard to lay on the floor. A few moments after he was already asleep.
"Thanks." Bucky answered, and sat on the floor, like all of them did now.
"Bucky?" Steve asked and pointed at his hair. Bucky chuckled quietly. "Oh, yeah. Junior Stark's work. D'ya like that?"
Steve leaned forward and looked closely at the sharp, fresh cutted hair. He looked... familiar. Domestic. That was the Bucky that always jumped at his defence, kept him safe or forgot his lunch and made Steve travel all over NYC trying to figure out where is he working. "I like that." he decided. "Just like the old times."
"Oh, I quit." suddenly complained Peggy, burring herself under her coat and standing up. "Two Super Soliders in T-Shirts? And I'm here with three layers? That isn't a fair competition." she took Howard, refusing to get help from both of the Super Soliders, and vanished into the house.
"Well, that was sudden." Steve pointed, and Bucky's lips curved up. "Not at all. She's good at taking hints, ain't she?" Steve frowned at him and chuckled. "Jerk."
"Punk."
Steve let himself completly lean onto Bucky's character, the first time he'd done something like that since Civil War. "Why did you take so much interest in Tony?" Steve asked, his voice a little bit accusing, and Bucky shrugged.
"Had to close some things. He's a nice guy, y'know." Steve stared at the stars, a little bit worried. Yeah, maybe Bucky forgave Tony, but Tony sometimes is...
"Stark Jr. removed my programming." Bucky suddenly said, and Steve raised his look, surprised. "That's great, Bucky! I'm so glad to hear that!" Bucky bit his upper lip. "No, y'r not."
Steve's eyebrow arced. "What do you mean? Of course I'm glad for that!" Bucky shook his head. "No, Stark Jr. Y'r not glad he did it." Bucky's metal hand shuttered above Steve's hair, touching but not touching. "Don't ya lie to me, Punk. Y'r jealous. You think we'll get closer and leave you behind. Well, we won't. It's like Dean, remember? We were good friends, but I never left ya behind, nor I never will. I got 'till future to keep that promise to that scrawny ass of yours, so don't think I'll ever let ya down. 'Till the end of the line."
Steve closed his eyes with pain. "I know, it's just... He's charming, and witty, and... he's just like you in the old times. You two fit like a hand and a glove."
Bucky chuckled quietly. "Maybe 's just what he wants you to see. Stark has many masks."
Steve nodded. "Yeah, and I know them. The papparatzi, the interviews, the Avenger, the Playboy and the Engineer." he raised his fingers as he said. "Five."
"The goverment man, the genius, the bussiness man, the Avenger, the lover, the shark, the childish, the futurist, the mechanic, the mearchant of death, the merciless, the solider, the fan, and those were the only ones I've managed to catch during the time I've saw him." he counted. "Eighteen." they both said together.
"That's hell of a lot masks, if ya ask me." added Bucky. "And I'mma spy."
Steve laughed, but his eyes remained serious. He thought about all of the times he saw Tony- there were the things he already said. But Tony sometimes came to him with contracts, acting completly full of himself, and sometimes he did let Steve choose whether he'd like to sign or not, and sometimes he didn't. And sometimes he was full of passion for his work, but sometimes he only worked to keep himself awake, away from the nightmares. And sometimes he was scary- so, so scary, and Steve wanted to piss himself for their enemies, and sometimes he was acting like the people in front of him were his idols, giving them so many ego-boosts, and...
And sometimes he was willing to take orders from Steve.
"You're right." Steve answered, and lowered his eyes. "And that's... maybe that's what always makes me willing to punch him. This unpredictness. One moment he's sleepy, and in the other... bam! A ball of pure energy."
Bucky laughed. "Accurate. Reminds ya of someone else? One moment not letting me to work on hights because it's unsafe, and in the other jumping from a plane, alone, into a fucking Hydra Base just to set me free?"
Steve grinned widely. "It was just one time!" he protested
"Or that time you jumped on a dummy granade?"
Steve's eyes widened. "Peggy told you that? That traitor. But anyway, two times can't prove anything!"
"Or that one time when..."
Somewhere in the morning, a metal suit of armor and a buff archer dragged the sleeping Super Soliders into the house.
"They're heavy." grumbled Clint, and Tony smirked under the mask.
"Poor archer. Need some help?" he asked, raising Steve on one hand above his head.
"Never." Clint answered, and tried to catch up with Iron Man's walking pace, who passed him easily.
"On your left." mumbled Sleepy Steve to a fully sleeping Bucky as they passed next to him.