Perfect Alliance (Bucky Barnes)

Part Six

Steve made a small noise of dissatisfaction when the vehicle finally came to a stop. They were parked outside of a large building, bigger than any infrastructure Kat had seen before. She followed Steve from the building, her paces a few feet behind the blonde soldier. 

She was led through a doorway, that seemed to open on its own accord. Kat looked over her shoulder, observing the perimeter with a refining eye. She felt Steve stop and immediately planted her feet, her hands resting at the base of her back. 

"We are just meeting with a colleague, I'm hoping you can help persuade him against these Accords." Kat nodded her head once, allowing Steve to continue toward what looked like a fancy elevator. "I would appreciate if you kept your... background quiet whilst we're here." Kat frowned, her dark eyebrows pulling down over her vibrant green eyes. "Some may not be as accepting of an infamous assassin from the seventies suddenly walking the earth again."

"I will not speak unless directed to, Captain Rogers." Kat returned, tilting her chin upward respectfully. Steve frowned, once again feeling sorry for the way Kat was, hating that she felt the need to remain stiff and, almost, threatened in his presence. 

Nodding, Steve stepped out of the elevator, and Kat's eyes flicked over her surroundings, Steve suspecting she was automatically searching for any opposing danger. When a throat was cleared, Kat seemed to stiffen but didn't react any further. 

Tony stepped out from a door to their right, a well pressed suit adorning his body. His brunette hair was styled to perfection, as it usually was, but Steve could see where he'd been running his hands through it, he could see the bags handing under his dull brown eyes. It was as if the man had aged in the last few weeks, ever since Ross had dumped that stack of paper in front of them. 

"Rogers," Tony muttered, not even sparing the soldier's companion a glance. "Not really in the mood for an argument right now." 

"I'm not here to argue, Tony." Steve said calmly, his arms folding over the large expanse of chest. "I want to explain my points to you." Tony huffed, his lanky body falling into an expensive looking leather chair. 

"Who's the girl?" Kat didn't blink at the brunette's attention, instead continued to stare ahead, her expression schooled. "Looks like she's passing a kidney stone." 

"This is Kira," Steve started slowly, nodding toward where Kat stood. "She knew Bucky-"

"Jesus, Rogers," Tony groaned, his thumb rubbing the crease between his eyebrows. "Not this again." 

"If Bucky is out there, I'm going to help him." Steve snapped, blue eyes glaring at his friend. 

"Even if it goes against one-hundred and seventeen countries?" Tony exclaimed, pushing his chair back as he got to his feet. "C'mon, Rogers, you can't be this stupid. Think about everything that's gone wrong so far, it could get so much worse." Steve scoffed, his head shaking. "Don't fob me off, man, this is way beyond S.H.I.E.L.D. and it's way beyond you." 

"What if it was Rhodey?" Steve demanded, glaring at the brunette man, whose own frown was unwavering. "If you had a chance to save him, you'd do anything. Tell me I'm wrong." Tony clenched his teeth, glancing from Steve to where Kat stood, her green eyes now boring into his own. "Kira says that when she was last with Bucky, he was himself. He knew right from wrong." 

"When was this?" Steve cleared his throat his blue eyes turning to Kat. 

"Kira?"

"The soldier and I worked a mission together in March of nineteen-seventy-one." Kat said, voice flat, yet strong.

"You're telling me this girl is over fifty years old?" Tony asked, staring blankly at Steve. 

"I was born in nineteen-fifty, I believe that makes me sixty-five." Steve rubbed the back of his neck, grimacing as Tony blinked at the dark-haired woman. 

"Rogers, tell me she's lying." Steve cleared his throat once more, a nervous gesture, Kat noted. "For Christ's sake, what have you done?" 

"She has been lying in the basement of a Soviet chamber, we found her a couple of days ago. She's been asleep for forty odd years."

"I'm sorry, a Soviet chamber?" Tony blanched, his brown eyes wide in bewilderment. "And you thought it was a fantastic idea to just wake her up? Not alert someone, anyone?" Tony was seething by the end of his question, his jaw clench. 

"I haven't signed anything yet, I'm not bound to tell anyone anything." Kat watched the shorter man throw his arms up, and the woman cocked her head. She was enthralled by how animated the brunette was. He had done everything but stay still from the second she'd entered the room. She couldn't imagine how tiring his constant fidgeting must have been. 

"Tomorrow, will you be in Vienna?" The subject of conversation had changed, and it seemed the new topic had infuriated the soldier beside Kat even further. "Romanoff has confirmed she will sign. I hope you make the same wise decision." 

"You know why I can't, Tony." Steve muttered, looking disappointed in his colleague's inability to understand his view. "I'd hoped you'd listen." 

"Vienna." Tony spat, shaking his head. "Be there, Rogers. This isn't something you can control. It's the only way and you know it." With another shake of his head, Steve left the room, and Kira stood for only a moment longer, her green eyes connecting with Tony's brown. The man seemed enthralled in the woman's stoic expression, his glare softening into fascination. 

"You are a lot like your father, Mr. Stark." She said, turning on her heel and walking toward the exit. She could hear Tony's calls for her, yet Kat continued, not wanting to stray too far from where Steve was stalking toward the exit. 

The first time Kat had met Howard Stark was by pure coincidence. She had been on mission in the United States, tracking a package that the Soviets had no intention of allowing their enemies to retain. She had been making her escape, briefcase in hand when a man, short stature, brown eyes, greying beard had stopped her, asking if she had the clearance to be in their laboratory. Kat had swallowed down her fear and masked any resentment toward her halt, sending the older man a smile. 

"Hello, Mr. Stark." She had smiled, glancing at the name-badge on the man's perfectly ironed jacket. She had made quick work of knocking the man unconscious, ensuring no mess or noise was made. She had left him tied to the iron bar of a desk, his eyes shut and breath even. Tony had reminded her of his father from the second she'd met eyes with him. They shared both physical attributes and personal tendencies, and they certainly both had an attitude. 

When Steve and Kat were both re-seated in the vehicle, Steve made another frustrated noise, his hands hitting the steering wheel in agitation. Kat sat facing forward, not even sparing the blonde a look. Steve lifted his hands to run through his hair, before allowing them to fall back onto the wheel. 

"Mr. Stark seems intent on these Accords that you mentioned," Kat started, turning her head, but not her body, to face the blonde. "That is unfortunate for him." 

"Yes," Steve sighed, nodding his head. "In fact, he has already signed them." 

"Even more unfortunate." Kat commented. 

"The meeting tomorrow is to finalise the agreement, Natasha is going to represent the willing Avengers, those who have signed and those that will." Kat nodded, still focused on Steve's face. "I can't be there. I won't sign them." 

"Wise." Was all Kat said, turning her gaze back to the empty air before her. 

"Signing them means giving up on Bucky, and I won't do that." Kat nodded, pursing her lips as she finally looked to her lap. Steve watched as the woman suddenly looked in thought, and the blonde couldn't believe that he'd finally noticed a human expression on her youthful face. 

"When someone else is in control of your actions, inherently or directly, you are in turn acting on their best interest. That could be one in the same as yours today, but tomorrow, that could change. Governments mean hierarchies, and hierarchies mean change. At any given moment, the man who you think is working with you, could be working against you. And you don't want that man at your controls." Steve nodded, sending Kat a grateful smile. "I will help you find James, Captain Rogers, but unfortunately, it would seem it's not just the soldier we will need to be afraid of, but your Governments, and colleagues also."