"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."
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."
no subject
Date: 2021-06-28 08:43 pm (UTC)“He’s going to expect you to be arguing with Steve, you know. Not with him.”
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Date: 2021-06-28 08:46 pm (UTC)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."
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Date: 2021-06-28 08:54 pm (UTC)“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.”
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Date: 2021-06-28 09:07 pm (UTC)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."
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Date: 2021-06-28 09:14 pm (UTC)“I can see that,” he says, slowly.
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Date: 2021-06-28 09:20 pm (UTC)"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."
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Date: 2021-06-28 09:25 pm (UTC)“Whatever happens, we’ll deal with it,” he promises, just before a flicker of movement on her computer screen draws his attention.
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Date: 2021-06-28 09:28 pm (UTC)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."
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Date: 2021-06-28 09:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-06-28 09:36 pm (UTC)"Hey," she says. "Do you guys just have really good sound-proofing? I couldn't hear any yelling at all."
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Date: 2021-06-28 09:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-06-28 09:44 pm (UTC)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?"
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Date: 2021-06-28 09:50 pm (UTC)“Anything unexpected?”
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Date: 2021-06-28 09:57 pm (UTC)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."
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Date: 2021-06-28 10:05 pm (UTC)Without looking up from the screen, Natasha observes, “Tony hates to be managed. Sometimes it makes him more stubborn.”
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Date: 2021-06-28 10:08 pm (UTC)"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."
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Date: 2021-06-28 10:14 pm (UTC)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.”
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Date: 2021-06-29 02:15 am (UTC)(She doesn't miss Bucky's glance her way, and gives him a faintly wry one in return: there are a lot of things that could go wrong with that scenario, not least if she ends up getting recalled back to Berlin.)
"Well, that's part of why I thought Rhodey could go with him," Steve says, and diplomatically adds: "He's a good mediator."
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Date: 2021-06-29 08:52 am (UTC)"But if he thinks you're just trying to get him away from me and kicking him out of his own compound to do it, it might make things worse. None of us want that." He smiles at his best friend, small and fleeting, but real. "Sharon might shoot him if he keeps annoying her, but I'm okay, Steve. You don't need to worry about me."
no subject
Date: 2021-06-29 12:26 pm (UTC)Steve looks at Sharon. "Please don't shoot Tony," he says, only half-joking.
"I won't if he doesn't give me a reason to," she says, which is not as reassuring as he'd like it to be.
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Date: 2021-06-29 12:38 pm (UTC)"Don't suppose a girl could get a cup of coffee over here?" To her lack of surprise, it's James who moves before Steve can. "Milk, no sugar," she tells him, just as if he's never known.
(And, well. He's never known how Natasha Romanoff takes her coffee, now has he?)
"Thanks," she adds, as he sets the mug down beside her. She watches in secret amusement as he claims Sharon's mug and goes to refill it, too.
no subject
Date: 2021-06-29 01:11 pm (UTC)"What do you think, Nat? You must have profiled Tony before you went undercover for Fury. Is he likely to push back enough to make it a problem?"
Maybe he'd want to get the hell away; who knows?
no subject
Date: 2021-06-29 01:23 pm (UTC)"Unless Steve can convince him that no one else can do it as well as him, that they - we all - need him to help with this, and that James won't be a problem while he's gone."
She expects that to go over like the proverbial lead balloon, and waits to see which direction the explosion will come from first.
no subject
Date: 2021-06-29 01:33 pm (UTC)"You didn't see him this morning. He's nowhere near cooled down; he's not thinking rationally, he's upset and defensive. My guess is anything you do that could be taken the wrong way will be."
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Date: 2021-06-29 01:41 pm (UTC)He's still pretty sure that the way out will end somewhere none of them want, but if they can buy enough time, maybe he can figure something out. With that in mind, he meets his best friend's eyes and says, very softly,
"But he has to believe, really believe, that you're not going to choose me over him."
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