Post AoU for starkingenuity

[starspangledspandex]

He's old. Old enough to have settled down. Old enough he's letting other people save the world and only stepping in from time to time. There's no 'Honey I'm home' when he steps through door. There's silence and quiet. He makes dinner for one. His bed is cold. He sits and reads the paper while he watches the world move on outside. There's laughter in the hallway. Footsteps. No one knocks on his door. He eats leaning against the counter in the kitchen. Alone. All alone. 'I got no plans tomorrow night' echos in his mind.

Suddenly, no one is on the streets. There are no numbers in his phone. Everything empty and gone and there's just Steve. Steve standing in nothingness. 'Man out of time' 'Nothing but a soldier' 'You can't live without a war' 'Go home, Steve'

He jolted awake, hand raising to rub at his face and it shouldn't have been a nightmare at all but it is anyway. How alone he felt in this century. His friends helped, they did, but they couldn't always be here. He lived and breathed his life as an Avenger. What else did he have? Nothing. He shook it off, like he always did and got dressed, laced up his boots. Most of his team was out of the picture right now. Off doing whatever they did on leave.

Steve paced his room at the New Avenger facility, paced the hallways and spoke to the Agents that were here. He took a walk outside and thought of Tony. The billionaire visited every once in awhile but it'd been awhile. He didn't even know what the man was up to now but Steve... Steve needed to connect with someone to shake off the dredges of his loneliness, someone that wasn't just working here, someone he had a connection to.

So he called Tony.

Comments

[starspangledspandex]

"Do we still have eyes on him?" Steve asked, immediately heading instead to where they kept their uniforms. If actually taking leave for once cost him finding Bucky, he was never taking a vacation again.

"Dropped some equipment off for Tony," he told him. "Then we had a few beers and caught up. You'd think after four years I would remember my phone."

[starkingenuity]

"Romanoff does. She's been tailing him since last night." Sam jogged next to Steve for a moment before he stopped. "I'm going to refuel your plane. Maybe you should have stayed with Stark, though. He was in Manhattan last time she checked in."

Not just in Manhattan. He was in the Tower. Natasha lost visual with the Soldier twenty minutes before Steve had landed and by the time the blond got back to the plane with Sam, suited up, she had called in to confirm that she lost him somewhere around the Tower.

And that was because he had a score to settle with Stark. His programming had kicked back in a few weeks back. Base wasn't answering his calls but he had found Stark. He thought he killed the man and his wife but it appeared he had just changed his name.

[starspangledspandex]

"Well shit," Steve dragged his hand through his hair and no, no need to say it. Haha everyone around here was hilarious. He said something one time and it stuck around forever. He ordered an agent to collect his phone while he was changing. They were back in no time.

"Have Romanoff get to the Tower," he ordered as he finished up by pulling on his boots and he started up the ramp back into the jet. "I don't know what his play is but we have to assume he doesn't remember anything."

He frowned, setting the autopilot, "And call Tony." Steve wanted to trust Bucky but he couldn't trust that he even knew who he was right now.

[starkingenuity]

Tony wasn't answering. Sam sat in the copilot seat with Steve and tried again. Friday's automated message picked up instead and even contacting her didn't get them anywhere. She said that Mr. Stark had gone out and she wasn't sure when he'd be back but she'd let them all know.

Romanoff moved on the Tower and it turned out that Friday was right. Tony was gone. Just gone.

The Soldier never kept prisoners. The Soldier made his killings look like accidents. The Soldier didn't bring people back to the safe zone. He had taped up Tony's mouth half an hour ago to get him to stop talking so that he could think! He was so confused. So confused.

[starspangledspandex]

"I'd be willing to bet he hasn't just 'gone out'," Steve muttered, blue eyes worried as the Quinjet headed for the city and now he wished he wasn't in such a hurry to get back from leave. What if Bucky did something terrible to him?

They were still too far away. An hour was so long. Where would he take him? How far would he go?

"He won't go far," he reasoned, white knuckled on the jet's controls. "He couldn't, not with a prisoner. He'll still be in Manhattan. The only problem is where? Where does he go? Where is he staying? Something abandoned. Somewhere the landlord doesn't care about the tenants..."

[starkingenuity]

Friday was able to help out a great deal. She had Tony's biometrics and sure, he wasn't the easiest to find at the moment but once she was given permission to launch the iron legion (when Captain America put on his failsafe codes), they were able to triangulate where Tony was being held.

"I see him," Natasha whispered, crouching by a vent near the ceiling of the basement Bucky was stalking around a tied up Tony and yelling in Russian at him. "Your friend's accent is pretty good. Stark's pretty bad off."

[starspangledspandex]

Failsafe codes were almost completely necessary after the entire Ultron catastrophe. Someone needed the authority to keep Tony from doing stupid things and if something happened to Tony, they needed to be able to shut the Iron Legion down. Thankfully, the other man agreed.

Thankfully, it could all be done from the Quinjet so by the time they were landing, they had already located him. He double checked the comm lines with Sam and headed toward the building, shield in hand.

"If he's paranoid, he's bound to have traps set up," he muttered. "I'm going to see if I can get down there without setting any of them off."

[starkingenuity]

Tony had learned that trying to talk, even through the tape, was a stupid idea right around the third time he was back handed by a metal fist. It certainly shut him up and he let himself hang far forward , blood dribbling on his lap and mostly dazed when Bucky got up again out of the corner of his eye and headed towards the stairs.

"I'll stay here," he muttered, though it was impossible to make out the words through the gag, and tried to keep himself from falling unconscious.

The Soldier was breathing hard in anticipation as he saw Steve, unmasked, looking half horrified with himself. "I can't do it," he whispered. "I have to, he's my target, but I can't."

[starspangledspandex]

Natasha relayed Tony's condition quietly, which meant that Steve needed to hurry, because the man obviously needed medical attention. It sounded like Bucky really didn't know what he was doing anymore. It seemed as though he was just on Auto-pilot, going through the motions, because that was what he knew but Steve couldn't confirm without talking to him.

He was unmasked as well, hopeful it would help Bucky recognize him and thanks to Natasha passing on his movement Steve wasn't too surprised to meet him upstairs.

He eyed the man for a moment, his dearest friend, obviously broken in ways Steve couldn't begin to comprehend. Except... He was in there somewhere or Tony would already be dead.

"You don't have anymore targets, Bucky," Steve told him quietly. "You're free from Hydra. They've been disbanded."

[starkingenuity]

The Soldier was silent. He tended to be when faced with information that didn't make sense or questions asked of him. He stared at Steve with wild eyes that never blinked. He'd been on the run for months now. He and Steve had met face to face several times, but only when Bucky so desperately needed him.

"He won't stop talking," Bucky said, referring to Tony. "He said the same thing. HYDRA is gone. It can't be gone!" An agitated Soldier was never a good thing. "I have a mission to complete."

[starspangledspandex]

"You get used to it," Steve replied, lightly joking. It was definitely true that Tony talked a lot. Most of the time he listened even if it sounded like nonsense which happened more when the man was working.

He was trying to stay relaxed. He didn't want to startle Bucky when he was already spooked. They had played this game of cat and mouse for awhile. He really wanted it to be over.

"What mission?" He asked, because it would give him some information on just where Bucky was at mentally. "We took Hydra out. I saw to it myself. You don't have to complete the mission."

[starkingenuity]

"Stark's alive," Bucky whispered, trying not to hold his head, trying to keep his jaw set. "Stark's alive and he should have been eliminated. I thought I completed my mission--"

It was worst case scenario right here. Bucky had been wiped between missions, but whatever containment they had used to repress memories obviously was leaking.

And worse... He just confirmed that the Winter Soldier had been used to orphan Tony.

[starspangledspandex]

His expression fell, briefly confused, then he remembered what Zola said, 'accidents will happen. Bucky had been responsible for Howsrd's death? Steve's heart dropped.

Not his fault. No. Bucky couldn't be held responsible for something he's done after being tortured and brainwashed. It would kill James Barnes to know he caused the death of a friend. The man that pulled the trigger wouldn't have even recognized his name, as Steve saw on the bridge.

He shoved his feelings aside. He could deal with the grief of it later. Deal with whether he should tell Tony later. Right now, he needed to help his friend.

"You did complete your mission," he told, voice strained. "Howard Stark is dead and has been for decades," he added, eyes sad. "The man downstairs is his son, Tony. "

[starkingenuity]

The Soldier shook his head, not wanting to go against orders, but also not sure how to rectify that with what he knew. He was wavering between being Bucky, who knew Steve could help him and the Soldier, who remembered that the twenty-two year old Stark boy was not to be touched.

"Anthony. He's needed for something else," the Soldier agreed very quietly. "Of course. He's down here, sir."

[starspangledspandex]

"Hydra is gone," Steve said again, though he was going to head that direction anyway. Tony needed evaluated and medical attention. He gestured for Bucky to join him. He really didn't feel like putting his back to the man right now.

"There are no more missions. He's free to go now." Steve hesitated and added, "I know this is confusing."

[starkingenuity]

No more missions. Steve obviously misspoke. He meant that this was the last of his current mission, right? He would wait quietly, a well trained dog, for his handlers to take him back to base and put him back into the freezer. There was a part of him that truly dreaded the thought but he said nothing, waiting at the bottom of the stairs to be collected.

Tony, on the other hand, was just as dazed. He was having trouble breathing due to the blood collected behind the tape over his mouth. If he swallowed any more he would vomit and that... That would be pretty awful.

Swimming vision focused on Steve as the man in uniform came towards him. Tears were already in his eyes from the pain but they fell in streams down his cheeks in relief.

[starspangledspandex]

No, but Steve needed to address Tony first before he returned to Bucky. He trusted Natasha to keep an eye out. They weren't going to lose him again. He didn't think the man would attack him either, not if he somehow twisted Steve into one of his handlers.

"Easy," he murmured as he approached, half crouching at the man's side. He definitely wished he wasn't in such a hurry to get back now. He could see that Tony was in distress and bruises were already forming on his face. "Falcon, get us a medical evac."

He addressed Tony next, "I'm going to pull the tape off, it'll probably hurt, but it'll help then I'll get the rest of you free." He reached out and did just that, yanking the tape with a wince. "Sorry."

[starkingenuity]

With the tape came much of Tony's now iconic beard and mustache and a little more then a dribble of blood and saliva that popped into his lap. Tony's eye was swollen shut and the other he focused on the figure standing at the door. Waiting. Robotic almost.

For once, he didn't try to talk. Some of his teeth felt loose and it was good just to be able to breathe again.

He didn't care for being a damsel in distress, and he certainly hadn't expected to see Steve Rogers so soon, but if he had to be saved, he was glad it was by Captain America. It wasn't weakness that caused him to lay his forehead to Steve's chest. It wasn't even relief. He was just happy.

[starspangledspandex]

He glanced down at the blood with a worried face and he was sorry about the tape but there wasn't a better way. He saw Tony look beyond him and he frowned slightly, murmuring, "He doesn't know what he's doing. He's messed up pretty bad."

Steve blinked as Tony rested his head on his chest and then raised a hand to gently tangle in his hair. "We have a medical team on the way," he relayed, glancing again toward Bucky. He was torn here. Seriously torn. They both needed him right now.

He stayed where he was for now, keeping an eye on Bucky and offering Tony the comfort he clearly wanted. It was incredibly fond of the man leaning against him. The past two days kind of sealed the deal on it. He had been incredibly worried about him, just like he was Bucky.

[starkingenuity]

"I'm sure he's going to be so much fun as a dementia patient in a few decades," Tony said, though it was hardly his finest sting. He did close his eyes when Steve stroked the back of his head and neck and the moment his hands were freed, he set one against the Captain's ribs. "I'm okay. You need to finish up, Cap."

There was still quite a lot to do by way of wrangling Bucky back in.

Indeed, Natasha's voice reached Steve through his earpiece. "Cuddle later, Captain. There might be a run. He's starting to look nervous."

[starspangledspandex]

"Yeah," he muttered, trying not to think of his first experience with dementia and failing a little. Hell, Bucky was basically one now. He nodded, patting him once more," Alright, behave yourself with the nurses."

Slowly, he stood back up and turned toward Bucky. He moved closer but not directly at him. "Hey listen," he said quietly. "I'd like you to come back with me."

[starkingenuity]

Bucky didn't even nod, but his eyes looked grateful. He kept them on Steve and Steve alone as he stepped away from the wall. Natasha's presence on the stairs, speaking in Russian, caused Bucky to calm further and he followed her back up as the medical team was charging down passed them.

"Steve, Stark is going to be okay. You need to stay with out target," Natasha said gently. "The jet is waiting. Back to HQ?"

[starspangledspandex]

He only hesitated long enough to make sure that Tony was being cared for before he finished ascending the steps. He told himself it was just because he wanted his team to know he was there to support him. He wouldn't want to leave any of them.

Steve nodded, eyes on Bucky as he pointed in the direction of the jet. "Back to HQ, send a message ahead to let them know we're bringing a friend. Get the hangar as cleared out as we can."

[whothehellisbucky]

Sam ended up staying behind with Stark until Tony became too insufferable and he followed the quinjet back. Natasha kept glancing at Steve the whole time, she'd caught that moment after all and it was her business to read people...even if they didn't want to be read. Her eyes carefully led to a little smirk before they arrived back at HQ, Falcon landing just a few moments later while they were still bringing Bucky into the hangar itself.

"I can see why he hit him in the mouth so many times," Sam joked.

[starspangledspandex]

The ride in the jet was quiet. He wasn't sure exactly what to do with Bucky yet. He was busy organizing his arrival with Fury. Bringing the former Winter Soldier back to base made people understandably nervous. Steve was going to have to stick to him like glue.

"Alright," he said eying the other man as they stepped out into the hangar. "Before we do anything else, let's get you a shower and some clean clothes. Sound good?"