BLUE [BUCKY BARNES]

DON'T GIVE ME HOPE

"You're late," Elizabeth mused with a small smile at Tony as he walked through the large doors of the Compound. She held Alpine in her arms as she looked to see Steve walking beside Tony with his shield in hand, making Elizabeth raise an eyebrow at him. He shrugged, saying it was no big deal.

Elizabeth turned and continued to walk beside Tony as they made their way through the compound. "You should be lucky I'm even here at all," he retorted as he took off his signature sunglasses before putting it in the pocket of his blazer. "I see the cat is still alive," Tony looked to Alpine with a scowl.

As if the cat understood what he said, Alpine reached over and clawed at his covered arm. The action made Tony back up carefully. He leaned down to the cat and glared at it. "You're lucky you're too small for a coat," he commented and Elizabeth pushed him back.

"Stop messing with the cat," she chided with a shake of her head. "So I suppose we're getting the whole team together?" Elizabeth asked Tony and Steve, the latter nodding his head at her words.

She clicked her tongue as she thought about where she last heard the rest of them were. "That might take awhile," she informed the two as they came to a stop by an empty conference room. "Pietro," she called down the halls loud enough that he would hear in whatever room he was.

The compound being a large place with more rooms than people, those that permanently lived there would often use Pietro's abilities to their own benefit. Pietro appeared next to Tony suddenly, making the older man jump and glare at him.

"Oh great," Tony gave a fake smile to Pietro who returned it with just as much sarcasm. "You're still here."

"Can you ask Natasha to meet me at her office," Elizabeth asked Pietro who nodded, always happy to burn out whatever energy he had. Which all of them knew was an ungodly amount. Pietro left their side and returned a minute later, his hair all messed up from his short but quick journey.

"She is on the way," Pietro informed her and Elizabeth nodded, thanking him quickly before he sped off once again.

Tony blinked at their interaction with a frown on his face. "You could just call her?" He suggested, not understanding her methods.

"My phone's on the other side of the compound," Elizabeth stated with a shrug. "Plus, this is faster." Tony shook his head at her and Elizabeth bid goodbye to the two of them before heading off to find Natasha.

As she walked down the hall, it was silent minus the light tapping of her shoes against the hardwood floor. Alpine meowed in her arms softly and she placed the cat on the ground gently, letting the feline wonder around as it usually did.

She passed by Wanda in the kitchen, waving at the red head with a smile. "I heard Stark is back," Wanda muttered between sips of whatever contents were inside her red mug. Her brother always was one for gossip.

"You heard right then," Elizabeth said as she slowed her pace to talk with Wanda for a second. "He's in the conference room with Steve," she continued with one hand in the pocket of the dark jeans she wore. 

Wanda raised her eyebrows at the statement. "Those two?" She began unsurely. "In the same room together, alone?"

"They'll be fine," Elizabeth assured, waving Wanda's lack of faith away. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to talk to Natasha," she continued before making her way up to Natasha's office. She rounded the corner and saw the older woman already sitting on the edge of her desk, staring at the holographic screen in front of her.

Elizabeth stood on the other side of the screen, facing Natasha who stared at the locations of the rest of the team. The words looked backwards to Elizabeth but she stared past them to look at Natasha.