[oom] I'm right here beside you

[from_the_outside]

 Sleep is a joke.

It's not just the intel that she stays up sifting through, blue light straining her eyes; it's not just the coffee she drinks, trying to keep her brain sharp and her thoughts on track. 

It's time.

Minutes that slip away, that she can't get back. Hours that tick ponderously past. She lies alone in her bed and can't close her eyes because if she does, if she sleeps, it's another night gone, another night closer to the day Bucky goes back under and –

So she stays up and works. 

It means that when she waits for him in the morning to come find her before they meet with T'Challa and the others, her skin is pale and translucent and she has that sick feeling of an all-nighter, fatigue poisons running rampant through her bloodstream – but she has a list of observations from her analysis, and two mugs of coffee kept warm on the credenza: one pale with milk and sugar, the other black and as strong as her little coffee maker could handle.

Comments

[nerves_of_ice]

Fury, Sharon mouths, and for a dizzying instant he's not sure if that's better or worse. He stays where he is, standing still with her hand on his chest, and turns his head to T'Challa.

Nick Fury, he mouths in turn. Former Director of SHIELD. Sharon's old boss.

For whatever reason, that causes recognition to flash in T'Challa's eyes, although the tension doesn't leave him. Bucky looks down at Sharon. Speaker? he asks, silently.

[from_the_outside]

She nods and brings the phone down from her ear, hitting the speaker icon and turning the volume up.

"So what question should I be asking?"

There's silence on the other end of the line, and then Fury's chuckle. "Well, why don't you tell me who else I'm talking to, and I'll tell you?"

"You're talking to me, Fury," she says, lying easily. "I needed my hands free so I put you on speaker. And why are you talking to me, by the way?"

He doesn't buy it for a second, she knows, but for reasons she's sure he'll keep to himself, he doesn't push back against it. "Let's just say a little bird of mine in Madripoor mentioned something about some Wakandans asking around about plans for stolen vibranium."

Sharon glances at Nakia, who looks furious. "So why would they call you?"

"Because," Fury says, "I've been hearing about plans for stolen vibranium. So, Agent 13..."

He lets the pause sit for an uncomfortably long time. "Have I earned an introduction yet?"

[nerves_of_ice]

T'Challa steps forward. "Agent 13 is assisting me with certain matters," he says, clear and precise, his voice raised enough to carry easily over the phone. "Including this one. Given the sensitive nature of this situation, you understand, I am certain, why she did not wish to announce my presence to you at first."

Invisible tension is vibrating throughout Bucky's body as T'Challa's glance flicks to him. He meets his eyes and silently mouths two words: Your call.

[from_the_outside]

"Well, now," Fury drawls. "You sure have been making some interesting friends, Agent 13."

Her hand is shaking, she realizes, except it isn't. Bucky is. He's vibrating beneath her palm, every line of his body drawn in tension, and there's not a damn thing she can do about it right now except meet his eyes and hope to whatever deity out there might be listening that Fury doesn't know about him. "I do what I can," she says, easily. "What have you heard?"

"I hear a lot," Fury tells them. "I don't know if you've heard, but some spider-kid in New York just took out a major Chitauri tech dealer. And now that Klaue's out of the picture, and with the work our mutual friends have been doing, there's suddenly a big opening for somebody who wants to get in on the high-tech munitions game."

She's hooked despite herself, glancing at her laptop. "Do you have a name?"

"Not yet," he says. "But I will. And I'm willing to help."

She scoffs before she can stop herself. "What, out of the goodness of your heart?"

He laughs. "Good to talk to you, too," he tells her, clearly amused. "But no. Let's call it a favor for a favor. I scratch your back, you scratch mine."

[nerves_of_ice]

His hand locks around her wrist to get her attention. Find out what first. Stall if you can.

He lets go and looks across the room at the other three. Raising his hand in the air, he seesaws it back and forth, indicating possibility and uncertainty both.

T'Challa frowns, and walks across the room to stand by them, Okoye and Nakia following after.

"A favor from her, or from me?"

[from_the_outside]

That grip isn't painful, but it's definitely harder than usual, and she nods, tips the phone a little towards T'Challa as he comes near. "Well," says Fury, "While I wouldn't say 'no' to a favor from the King of Wakanda, I figured I'd deal with Thirteen. I worked with her a long time; she's a known element. You, your Highness, are not."

"Then you know I'm not going to make any kind of deal without getting some decent information first," she says, a little sharply. "Cut the 'mysterious kingpin' crap, Fury. What are we dealing with here?"

He chuckles over the line, sounding more like an indulgent uncle than an old boss. "I don't have much on the suppliers," he says, "but I can tell you there's an auction being set up for a new batch of next-gen weapon plans. If I were you, I'd send somebody."

"Just the plans?" Sharon asks, intrigued despite herself. "Not the actual weapons?"

She can just about hear the smirk in Fury's voice. "Word on the street is there was a little trouble on the supply end. Some dust-up last week that slowed down the operation. Auction's two weeks from today, for the plans and prototype only."

[nerves_of_ice]

Slowed down, Fury says, not stopped, and he's certain the choice of words is no accident. Another question is whether or not he knows exactly who was involved in that fight and that one must show on his face, because T'Challa's the one who asks it. "A 'dust-up,'" he says, neutrally.

Bucky continues to stay still, barely breathing. Okoye and Nakia are doing the same, listening as carefully as they can as T'Challa continues,

"What would be required, to insert someone into this auction?"

[from_the_outside]

"I'm surprised you hadn't heard," Fury says, not sounding surprised at all. "It was right near your borders. Of course, whoever mopped that operation up hit it fast and hard; nobody was left to say who'd done it."

Sharon gives Bucky a wry look; that's Fury, all right. "As for the auction, I'd recommend not showing up as yourselves," he continues. "Seeing as the folks likely to show aren't exactly trying to get vibranium in any legal kind of way."

She draws an exasperated breath through her nose and looks at T'Challa. "These things are silent auctions," she says. "Invite only, usually. We busted up a few in my old SHIELD days. One agent poses as the buyer, one as muscle, and then the rest of the team as support, either inside or outside the event."

"Best to provide a cover before that happens, though," Fury says, as conversationally as though he's discussing the weather. "If you happened to make contact with someone on the supply side, you might just be able to finagle one of those invites."

He's right. And what's more, a few pieces are beginning to line up in her head in a way that leads right to the auction two weeks from now.

[nerves_of_ice]

He's going to have to argue this point with Sharon and T'Challa, both. For all M'Baku's power and fighting skill, he's not at all sure he could maintain the kind of cover that might be needed for an op like the auction, and T'Challa would be made very, very quickly. Sharon's going to need help that can't be identified as Wakandan in any way, if she's going to get involved in this.

Which Fury must know.

As the thought strikes him, he stares hard at the phone. Sharon and T'Challa are looking at each other and can't see his lips move, so -- "What help?" he breathes, barely, barely audible as a puff of air, trying to prompt someone to ask the question.

[from_the_outside]

She nods and finally lifts her hand from his chest to lightly squeeze his upper arm before she drops her hand. "Even I can't pull this kind of op off alone," she points out. "Do you have some bodies you can offer up, or is this an advice-only kind of deal?"

Her mind's whirring; T'Challa can keep his promise and be nearby for back-up, especially for the first half of this plan, and she could –

But she already promised. She won't go in alone. And that's non-negotiable. "I've got a few people who owe me some favors," Fury says. "Let me pull on a few threads and get back to you."

Which is not only not a good answer, it's also a reminder of what he wants – and might ask for – from her, all of which makes her grimace again even as she's glancing at Bucky and T'Challa.

[nerves_of_ice]

"What price?" Again, it's a bare breath. A muscle in his jaw twitches, hard.

He's still trying to figure out how Fury got the number, but that can be followed up on after if need be. They don't need to ask it; don't need to reveal their own operational capabilities.

[from_the_outside]

She gives him another tiny nod of acknowledgment. "You extort those favors, too?" she asks, airily, and Fury laughs.

"I cultivate my relationships," he corrects. "And I'd be lying if I didn't say I'd appreciate your help on one or two of my own concerns. You're a useful asset, Thirteen. I'm running a little low on those these days. Especially ones I can trust."

He's manipulating her, she knows, but even as she shakes her head, it's on the tip of her tongue to say it: yes, sir.

She'd told Bucky before: she trusts Fury. As much as she ever trusts anyone, anyway. "We'll have to talk it over," she says, and glances at Bucky.

Let Fury think she means T'Challa. She's learned her lesson: if they're in this together, then they'll decide, together.

[nerves_of_ice]

You're a useful asset.

His jaw sets so hard, so sudden, that he can hear the soft click of his teeth clenching together. Other than that, he remains silent. Rage is in his eyes for that one moment before they go absolutely blank and empty.

(ready to comply)

Every bit of the previous tension is back, although he doesn't move.

T'Challa's gaze narrows sharply, but he also doesn't speak. He trades a look with Nakia, and arches a brow at her as he tips his head at the phone.

Nakia shakes her head - not now - but touches Sharon's arm. Contact how?, she mouths.

[from_the_outside]

She swears silently in her head at Fury and his choice of words as Bucky's eyes flash and then empty like a cup of water he'd turned upside down.

It takes Nakia's gentle touch to bring her back to herself, and she blinks, then nods. "How do we get in touch with you?" she asks. "I'm guessing this isn't your real number."

"You'd guess right," he says. "But as a show of good faith, I'll give you that number. Can't promise I'll answer right away, though. I hate talking on the phone."

She makes a note of the number and glances at the others in a silent question. "Fine. So when should we expect to hear back from you?"

"Twenty-four hours," he says. "I'll have some options for you then."

[nerves_of_ice]

He doesn't move, but his glance flicks to T'Challa - who, looking at him in turn, nods to Sharon.

[from_the_outside]

"Fine," she says. "Talk to you then."

She hangs up the call, and looks from one face to another before she meets Bucky's eyes again. He's holding himself so tensely it looks like he's about to snap. "So," she says, after a long moment, and looks at T'Challa.

"He's the most paranoid bastard you'll ever meet, but his intel will be good. If Fury says this is happening and we have a chance to get in on it, you can take that right to the bank."

[nerves_of_ice]

"How did he get the number."

Flat and level, and he still doesn't move.

"How did he know you're here. Does he have someone inside Wakanda?" His gaze goes to Nakia.

[from_the_outside]

Nakia meets his gaze blankly for a moment, then looks outraged, but Sharon waves a hand to get Bucky's attention. "It's Fury," she says, as if that's answer enough.

The truth is, she thinks she knows how he got the number. She's just not sure Bucky will want to hear it. "It doesn't matter how he got it; what matters is what we do with the information he's got."

[nerves_of_ice]

"That matters," he agrees. "So does this. If there's a leak - not you," he says to Nakia, as an aside. "Not the people you trust."

"If you were recognized by someone who got away." He hadn't thought anyone had, but maybe there was someone in the forest who'd stayed back. "Or one of the collaborators already in the mine--"

[from_the_outside]

"Bucky," she says, and it's quiet but firm. "Only two people have this number. One of them's Nakia. The other one is Nat."

She lets that sit for a moment, then shakes her head. "He said a little bird in Madripoor. That's where Nakia's sources are. Once he heard Wakandans were asking about weapons..."

Now she looks at T'Challa. "He knows Nat signed the Accords and that she was helping you and Tony in Berlin. It's not much of a leap to go from that to calling her and seeing if she has any contacts in Wakanda. And she does."

She waggles her phone in the air. "Me."

And Bucky. But Nat wouldn't give him to Fury. "She and I both worked for him for a long time. It makes sense she'd send him my way."

[nerves_of_ice]

T'Challa nods. "Confirm with her, to be certain," he says, his tone calm and steady. "Whether or not he is correct in the information he is offering, do you think he can be trusted now?"

"Your father," Okoye says, breaking her silence. "He knew this man. At least a little, when he was still leading SHIELD." She looks at Sharon. "Although not like it seems you do."

Bucky says nothing. Listening's a better option for the moment. What Sharon's explained makes sense. Oh, Natasha.

[from_the_outside]

"Fury's only goal is to protect people," she says. "His methods can be...unorthodox. He's very much an 'ends justify the means' kind of guy. But there's no reason to think he's being malicious. He might want to call in a favor from me down the line, but he's got resources and connections we can only dream of. Nothing with Fury is ever simple, but yeah, on this? I think he can be trusted."

She holds up her phone and her free hand. "Give me a second, okay?"

This call she wants to make in private. Without waiting, she heads out into the hallway, already dialing and setting the phone to her ear.

[nerves_of_ice]

He doesn't try to follow, but stays where he is as T'Challa turns to him. "She's not wrong," Bucky says, quietly. "But he's not likely to be following anyone's rules but his own. Don't believe for a second that Sharon's the only person he'll collect from, if it comes to it."

He shakes his head. "He's working in the gray places now. Always has, to a degree, but he went under after D.C. Came up a little in Sokovia, but then went dark again."

T'Challa studies him. "You seem to also know him well."

Bucky nods. "He was my mission once. I shot him three times through a wall from the neighboring rooftop." Okoye sucks in a sharp breath, but he doesn't look at her. "If it hadn't been for Sharon and Steve, he wouldn't have survived."

[from_the_outside]

Rome picks up after the second ring, which makes Sharon think she was expecting the call, and when she says, "It's not my fault" in that wry tone, Sharon just laughs.

"I figured as much," she admits. "So Fury got to me through you, huh?"

"You know how it is," Nat says, after a second's pause. "Who he is. To us." A pause. "To me."

"Yeah." Sharon just listens for a moment, feeling this connection, the one that's got nothing to do with a phone call, the one that spans miles and countries. "I know. But a little head's up next time would be nice, huh?"

There's that throaty laugh of hers and she can just see Nat's sharp white grin. "Where would be the fun in that?"

She stays in the hall a moment longer after hanging up, thinking to herself, then takes a breath and heads back in towards the rest of the group. "Confirmed," she says, sliding her phone back into her pocket.

[nerves_of_ice]

"That's one question answered," Bucky observes. It's the rest of it that's going to be harder.

Evidently T'Challa is thinking along the same lines, because he asks, "A favor for a favor. Would he accept something else in exchange, if there were something we could offer?"