Path to Protection (BuckyBarnes x OC)

Europe

     "The hell is this thing...?" Howard sighed as he walked around, under, in, and over the bizarre, vehicular machine pulled from the Hudson by Rogers the previous day. The intruder who has caused the explosion and Dr Erskine's death was captured, but he put up a fight before Steve caught up to him. He tried to escape with his submarine-like, marine vehicle but bit on a cyanide pill embedded in his tooth as a last resort when he saw no way out. The only bit of information that the intruder had let slip was when he told Steve he was Hydra. After Steve told us what had happened, meaning after he had chased the intruder down to the docks and after the latter had killed himself, Steve suggested we take the marine vehicle to Stark's laboratory at Camp Lehigh. There, we could hopefully gain more information on the Hydra technology after further inspection since no one ever saw anything like it before.

     Watching Howard pace around the vehicle amused me; he always claimed to know everyone and everything, so his lack of knowledge of the device's origin was refreshing. My feet were dangling from the table I sat on and I was swinging them, effectively making him more and more irritated. "I thought you were the world's best engineer?" I teased.

     "This thing's... different. It doesn't work with a regular engine, it's something with... a strange power source. But I can't get it to work." I was surprised when he didn't retort back with a snarky comment. Knowing that Hydra had a power source like that in their hands must've really scared him.

     "And you can't figure out what the source is?" I asked.

     He scoffed and waltzed in my direction, picking up the gloves that rested on the table beside me. "If I had, we'd already be at my apartment for some late night fondue instead of working." I ignored his wink. "Besides, don't you have to be in a lab with Rogers rather than being here watching me work? Although, I am neither surprised nor complaining about your choice in the company."

     "Don't flatter yourself, Stark," I chuckled. "The nurses already took some samples of my blood to test. I imagine Steve's serum was improved, and they could extract a cleaner sample of it than mine."

     "Oh, well," he returned to the submarine, grabbing his toolbox on the way. "Can't blame a guy for trying. I think that Dr Erskine would be glad you two were the ones that were enhanced rather than injecting the serum into some dimwit's blood."

     "Was that a compliment I heard?" I asked jokingly. "Or just an insult towards Hodge?"

     "It was both," he winked again. I rolled my eyes. "That's just how good I am."

     The main door opened with a bang. In barged the Colonel with Senator Brandt at his heels. The latter was present at the experiment's presentation, so I was not surprised to see him with Phillips again after the intrusion. I slid off the table and saluted as they passed me; only the Colonel returned the greeting.

     "Colonel Phillips, my committee is demanding answers." Brandt followed Phillips like a puppy, continuously demanding his attention.

     "Great," the Colonel sounded annoyed as he strode onwards without as much as a glance at Brandt. "Why don't we start with how a German spy got a ride to my secret installation in your car?"

     The senator looked puzzled and remained quiet, so Phillips started questioning Howard. "What have we got here?"

     Stark gazed at me briefly before answering, "Speaking modestly, I'm the best mechanical engineer in this country." I tried to hide my smirk. "But I don't know what's inside this thing or how it works. We're not even close to this technology."

     "Then who is?" Brandt questioned with his obnoxiously squeaky voice.

     "Hydra," I answered before anyone else could, diverting their attention toward myself. The look on the senator's face was utterly perplexed; he didn't know a thing about what or who I spoke of.