[AU] How much - how little - is within our power

[from_the_outside]

 "No," says Sharon, for what feels like the thousandth time. "That's not acceptable."

The rest of the flight had been uneventful, and once they landed she'd been grimly unsurprised to see that Stark had sent Happy Hogan, his erstwhile chauffeur, to guide them to the apartment they've been assigned. Stark himself had apparently gone somewhere to get out of his armor, somewhat mollified by having gotten them here and under his thumb.

Except Sharon won't stop kicking up a fuss.

Hogan stares at her as she inspects each corner of the apartment. "I can't cut these rooms off from the central security protocols," he says, slowly, like he thinks she's just misheard him.

"Well, you can," she tells him. "Or I can force a cascade in a couple load-bearing subroutines that will shut the whole damn thing down. It's your choice."

Comments

[nerves_of_ice]

"If it were just debriefing on Karpov probably not long," he tells her. "Depends on how much Tony wants to fight about the idea of bringing the JTTF in, I bet. But depending on how Steve frames it..."

He shrugs.

[from_the_outside]

"He'd be an idiot to fight it," she says.

"This is what the Task Force is designed to do, and honestly? The Avengers aren't. They're a wrecking ball with a single intelligence operative. This is turning into an investigation, not a fight. Better to let the Task Force handle it."

[nerves_of_ice]

He doesn't have much faith in Tony's intelligence on anything that involves him in any way, but hopefully sense will overcome anger.

"How do you think Ross'll take it?"

[from_the_outside]

"I think he'll be annoyed that I hid sensitive intel from him, but he'll be fine to work with the Avengers. Threats like this are his purview, after all."

She opens her mouth to continue, then shakes her head and sips at her coffee instead.

(There's every chance Ross will recall her back to Berlin to work the investigation from there. And she would have to go.) "He's a little brusque, but his heart's in the right place. And he's an excellent agent."

[nerves_of_ice]

“You respect him,” he murmurs. “I’ll remember that.”

He almost visibly checks himself, a little ruefully. “Although I guess maybe it might not matter as much. I don’t know. Will he want to take me into custody?”

[from_the_outside]

"I do, yeah."

But his question hits hard, even though it shouldn't; she ought have known he would ask. "I – "

Don't know, she was going to say, but it's a lie. She sighs and shakes her head. "Maybe," she admits. "Like I told you in Franche-Comté, you're definitely a person of interest. But since you haven't acted on HYDRA's orders or hurt any innocents since you broke away..."

She studies her coffee, thoughtful. "We could strike a deal, maybe. And he trusts my judgment. I could negotiate."

Until Ross realizes she's... compromised. Damn.

[nerves_of_ice]

“Negotiate?” He sounds surprised. “With who?”

[from_the_outside]

She blinks at him.

"With Ross. If he wants to take you in."

[nerves_of_ice]

He shakes his head.

“He’s going to expect you to be arguing with Steve, you know. Not with him.”

[from_the_outside]

"Then Steve can negotiate with him, and I'll advise. I'm not going to – "

Her hands are tightening around her coffee mug; she relaxes them. "I didn't turn you in before, I'm definitely not going to now."

[nerves_of_ice]

He sets his mug on the counter and crosses over to crouch down in front of her, reaching out to cup her hands and the mug she’s holding between his.

“That’s not what I meant,” he says, quietly. “I know you didn’t. Wouldn’t. I just don’t want to see you get sideways of your boss if there’s another way.”

[from_the_outside]

Honestly, it's astounding, she thinks, watching him as he takes her hands, feeling the careful way he holds them, looking into his face and those serious slate-blue eyes.

It's incredible he can think he's got nothing to offer, when he's so intrinsically good that even decades of programming and brainwashing and fear and pain haven't destroyed that kernel of himself.

"I won't if I don't have to," she promises. "And if Steve requests me as a liaison, I'll have a little more leeway. But since I'm so involved and I have all the intelligence already..."

She puffs out a breath and extracts her hands long enough to put her cup of coffee down on the table, then sets her left hand back in his while she reaches to tuck a fallen lock of hair behind his ear with her right.

"He might recall me," she says, finally. "Want me back in Berlin to work the investigation there."

[nerves_of_ice]

He goes absolutely still as her fingers brush against the side of his face, even while her observation settles in the pit of his stomach like a stone.

“I can see that,” he says, slowly.

[from_the_outside]

She's quiet for a minute, watching her fingers brush the curve of his ear, how that shorter lock of hair tries to escape only seconds after she'd pushed it back.

"But maybe not," she says, and brings her hand back down to his. She slips her fingers into the palm of his left hand like she hadn't just seen him crush metal and glass with it.

"I can see some pretty good arguments for letting me stay."

[nerves_of_ice]

He closes his fingers gently around hers.

“Whatever happens, we’ll deal with it,” he promises, just before a flicker of movement on her computer screen draws his attention.

[from_the_outside]

She follows his glance and sighs a little, internally, when she sees Steve and Natasha coming down the hall toward the apartment door.

Looks like that 'to be continued' will need to be... continued. Damn.

She squeezes his hands and lets go, turning to the laptop as the two outside reach the door. "I guess the briefing's over."

[nerves_of_ice]

“Guess so,” he says, rising to his feet and going to pull the chair away from the door. Bucky stows it back at the table, then pulls the door open a crack to let them know it’s unlocked before he crosses the kitchen to reclaim his coffee.

[from_the_outside]

She leaves the laptop running – it won't hurt to keep an eye on the hall outside – and glances a wry half-smile at Steve and Nat as they come in.

"Hey," she says. "Do you guys just have really good sound-proofing? I couldn't hear any yelling at all."

[marvel_npc]

“It’s a big place,” Nat teases, glancing from her to James and back again. “Sound doesn’t carry that far. I see you’re settling in?”

[from_the_outside]

"In a manner of speaking."

She half-turns the laptop towards Nat, a mischievous smile playing around her lips.

"Wanna help me annoy your buddy Stark?"

Steve just shakes his head and goes towards the kitchen to Bucky, nodding to the coffee maker. "Any of that going wanting?"

[nerves_of_ice]

“Made a full pot,” Bucky tells him, and goes to pull down another mug, which he hands over to him while Natasha leans over Sharon’s shoulder.

“Anything unexpected?”

[marvel_npc]

Steve shakes his head. "I checked in with Fury," he says, raising his voice enough that Sharon can hear, too; she lifts a hand in acknowledgment and he turns back to Bucky. "He told me the same thing he told Sharon: Zemo's in recovery, they'll pick up where they left off when he's better."

He pours himself a cup and adds milk, then leans on the opposite counter from Bucky to take a sip. "We agreed it would be a good idea to liaise with the JTTF."

His tone is a little careful as he continues: "I'm considering sending Tony and Rhodey to work directly with them."

[nerves_of_ice]

Bucky gives him a sharp look. He doesn’t want to say it, but it has to be asked. “To get him away from here?”

Without looking up from the screen, Natasha observes, “Tony hates to be managed. Sometimes it makes him more stubborn.”

[marvel_npc]

Steve rolls his eyes. "Thank you, Nat," he says, dry. "After all these years, I never noticed that. No," he adds, to Bucky.

"I mean, yes, that's part of it, but his suit has access to a whole suite of useful scanning and tracking systems, plus the AI. He'd be able to scan wherever Zemo's been and send us back a 3D representation that we could study from here. When it comes to looking for clues, he's the best one we could send."

[marvel_npc]

She’s not even sure if James realizes that he’s flicked her a glance, checking for her opinion. The one he gives Sharon’s a little more cautious, which she makes note of.

No wonder her friend looks ready to chew nails and spit rocks, as they say, although she’s keeping it well hidden.

“It could work,” she agrees. “If he believes it. And if he doesn’t piss off the JTTF in the process.”