[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

[marvel_npc]

"Huh." He looks thoughtful. "Okay."

Tony's sudden grin is quick and easy, lacking the sharp edges of before. "Thanks for the update. Guess I better go call Rhodey. Looks like we've got a few things to figure out. What d'you think, Cap, put our heads together on next steps after we get more information from Berlin and all?"

[from_the_outside]

Steve nods, relieved, but Sharon only tenses further, giving Tony a sharp and suspicious glance.

"You're suddenly being very helpful," she says. "What changed your mind?"

[marvel_npc]

"What, like I'm not allowed to be pleased about good news?" Tony shoots back. "Contrary to your evident belief, Agent Carter, I do know how to play nice with the other kids."

[from_the_outside]

"That's not what my intel suggests," she says, coolly.

"Sharon - " Steve starts, but she shakes her head at him and turns a hard look on Tony.

"And I find it suspicious that you're suddenly so eager after hearing about the book."

[marvel_npc]

"Well, your intel's wrong. I just have to want to. And god, but you make it hard," Tony informs her.

He rubs at his eyes, then drops his hand and shoots an irritated look at her. "You must be a hell of a spy, Agent Carter. Is there anything you aren't suspicious of?"

[from_the_outside]

"Yes," she says, unfazed. "Several things.

"But people with access to singular technology who have a grudge against Sergeant Barnes and who have already expressed a desire to harm him aren't one of them."

[marvel_npc]

Tony's jaw tightens. He looks away from her, at Steve.

"Planning to weigh in here any time soon?"

[from_the_outside]

Steve lifts his hands a little helplessly. "She's got a point," he tells Tony, but looks at Sharon.

"But this isn't going to work if you keep pushing him away. He's willing to work with us; isn't that what you wanted?"

The line of her mouth tightens, but she meets his gaze levelly before looking back at Tony. "Fine," she says. "I'd appreciate your assistance in securing a loan of Colonel Rhodes to the JTTF for our joint investigations."

"And we'll work on next steps once we get more information from Berlin," Steve adds, looking relieved. "Like you said, Tony."

[marvel_npc]

"Good. Great," Tony says. "Can't wait to hear it. Now, like I said before, I'm gonna go call Rhodey."

He flips his hand at them in a wave and heads for the door on the other side of the room.

As soon as he steps through, he mutters to his watch, "FRIDAY, where's Barnes right now?"

[from_the_outside]

She watches him go, and once the door closes behind him, she turns to Steve.

"He's up to something," she says. "I don't like it."

[marvel_npc]

"He probably is," Steve agrees, "but he's not a bad person, and he's calmed down a lot from before. He also likes challenges and problems that no one else can solve. All of that'll help."

[from_the_outside]

"If you say so," she says, doubtful. "I don't know how you can always be so optimistic, but you know him better than I do."

She sighs a little and leans back, smoothing her hand over her mouth. "We should go update Bucky."

[marvel_npc]

"Tony's a friend," Steve promises her. "It'll be okay. I'm sure it will."

He starts to get to his feet. "Did he tell you where he'd be?"

[from_the_outside]

She shakes her head as she gets up, too, thankful for the new lidocaine patch Bucky had helped her with before she'd left to make her call.

"I suggested he go hang out with Nat," she tells him, "but I don't know if he listened."

[marvel_npc]

"Well, we'll find out. I think Nat was going to be training with Sam, Vision and Wanda this morning. Why don't we head over there?" he suggests. "We can swing by the apartment on the way to check."

[from_the_outside]

"Good," she agrees, nodding, and heads with Steve towards the door.

There's no reason to be impatient, she knows. Nothing's going to happen to him here, no matter how little she'd liked Tony's sudden change of heart.

[nerves_of_ice]

The only reason he'd left the apartment is because he'd known, he'd known that if he hadn't he would end up having to answer questions about why - and probably from two or three people, at that.

Sharon had suggested he find Natasha, but Bucky thinks it's a much better idea to let Natasha decide for herself how much, if any, time she wants to spend with him. He figures that probably the place with the best likelihood of being able to spend time unobserved will be out of the high traffic zones and common areas. He also figures that crossing the threshold to the outside might ping some kind of tracker or drone surveillance that he doesn't want to have to deal with yet.

That leaves the boxing ring, the back stairs, and one of the smaller meeting rooms near both that looks to be largely unused, based on the amount of supply boxes he'd noticed when they passed by. Bucky takes the side hallway, crosses the open-air landings as quickly as possible, and goes down the stairs while trying not to look like he's sneaking around.

It doesn't work. "Hey." Sam Wilson's leaning against the wall outside one of the training rooms when he reaches the ground floor. "Want to grab a cup of coffee?"

He doesn't see that he has much choice about it, so he nods. "Okay."

They end up in a corner of the common room. He notices that Sam makes sure to let him have the seat with the view of all the approaches, and appreciates it. He also appreciates that the other man doesn't start in with asking questions or anything of the sort. Instead, Sam tells him about how he and Steve ran into each other in the first place - or rather, how Steve ran past him in circles around the Reflecting Pool.

He doesn't realize he's relaxed until he finds himself smiling at some other outrageous story, this one involving a robot bird.

[from_the_outside]

Bucky isn't in the apartment, and he isn't in the gym. They finally find him in the common room, holding a cup of coffee and listening quietly as Sam Wilson regales him with stories. He looks relaxed and Sharon relaxes to see it, smiling as she enters and hears the tail end of Sam's story about Natasha and what she assumes is some sort of drone that's part of his Falcon get-up.

Steve grins, wide and pleased, and drops into a chair with them. "Redwing is pretty useful," he says. "But it can be a little surprising if you're not expecting it."

[nerves_of_ice]

Sam points at him. "I'm gonna want you to repeat that in front of everyone, man. E-ver-y-one."

Bucky grins back at Steve and pushes out another chair for Sharon.

[from_the_outside]

She sits, listening with amusement as Steve defends himself, saying he'd always thought Redwing was useful. It saves them from having to pass on the news right away, and she's grateful for the brief reprieve.

"Is this a pet or a drone?" she asks, smiling slightly.

[nerves_of_ice]

"Yes," Bucky says, quiet enough to be ignored if that's the preference, and Sam rounds on him. "C'mon, man."

The corner of his mouth twitches as Bucky replies, "Smarter than a drone, I guess."

"Better," Sam agrees, and looks at Sharon. "I'll introduce you."

[from_the_outside]

"Can't wait," Sharon says, dry, but Bucky's smiling just enough for her to be pleased, regardless of how ridiculous Sam Wilson might be.

[nerves_of_ice]

"You'll see. You'll love him. Everyone does," Sam proclaims, and Steve smothers a laugh. Sam shakes his head at him, sorrowfully, and gets to his feet. "I better get back - Nat's running the session with Vision and Wanda on her own," he explains, then looks at Bucky. "Tomorrow morning. We'll go for a run. You in?"

"Okay," he says, a little bemused, a little overwhelmed, but willing enough, and Sam smiles. "Good. I'll swing by." He tips his head back in a nod to Sharon, gives Steve a quick grin, and jogs down the hallway back toward the training gym.

Bucky looks at Steve. "Is he always like that?"

[from_the_outside]

"Like what?" Steve asks, and Sharon laughs.

"He seems very nice," she says, diplomatically.

[nerves_of_ice]

“So that’s a yes, then,” he says, dryly. “Yeah, he’s okay.”

Bucky glances back and forth between them, the question in his eyes silent, unspoken.