I Thought You Were Different: Part 2

Internment

"No?"

"You're lying."

"That's bold of you," Tony smirked. "You assume that I'm behind it just because she has a busted phone?"

"Well, it is Stark tech," Steve snapped back.

Tony could only grin as he took a seat across the table, choosing to let the last comment slide no matter how much he wanted to fire back. The two men knew exactly how to push each others' buttons, most of them involving you, but he didn't want to do that right now. He needed to take one last shot at swaying Steve to the Accords for nothing if not for your sake.

"Listen, I'm trying...what do you call it? I'm trying to extend an olive branch, here, is that what you call it?"

Steve sat silently and considered whether or not he could trust what Tony was saying, having had too many times when his better judgment was proven wrong. But the look on his face now was almost pleading, and Steve couldn't help but want to trust him. "I don't mean to make things difficult."

"I know, because you're a very polite person," Tony sighed. "But we need you, Cap. If you'd just...sign. It's the only way that I can fix the last 24 hours and make it legit. I can work on getting Barnes released to our custody, and I can file a motion to have you and (Y/N) reinstated."

"Wait," Steve stood with a hand raised to stop him, "what about (Y/N)?"

"She's confined to the compound with Wanda, Vision is keeping them both company until all of this can blow over-"

"You did shut off her phone, didn't you?" Steve snapped. "Jesus, Tony, every time I think that you see things the right way, you pull a stunt like this! You can't hold them against their will, and you can't keep my own wife away from me. That won't end well for you."

"There are worse ways to protect people, Steve, and I'm not keeping her away from anyone so you can keep your threats to yourself."

"Protection? Is that what you think it is? Protection? It's internment, Tony! With everything that's going on right now, the last thing she needs is you putting her under more stress! It's not healthy."

Tony turned with a sharp snap of his head to Natasha and then to Steve, his eyes widening with worry again, "what do you mean, it's not healthy? What's going on? She told me she had some kind of stomach thing, but that she was doing better?"

"Oh my god, you don't know do you?" Steve gasped, shaking his head and crossing his arms tightly over his chest. "She was going to talk to you after I left."

"I don't know what? I had to leave right after the last time I spoke to her, and it really didn't go so well."

"Wow, I'm actually not even surprised. You know something, Tony? Maybe if you let go of your ego for one goddamn second and had a conversation with her beyond telling her what to do, you'd see things differently."

~~~

Sam carefully made his way along the hallways towards the holding bay, trying his best to act natural and as if she was supposed to be there, but it was hard to do when he wasn't exactly sure where he was going.

"Sir, can I help you find something?"

He turned quickly on his heel to face a woman dressed plainly but professionally, her hair pulled up neatly, holding a stack of tablets in one arm with a gun visible on her hip. Sam squinted slightly to make out the name on her badge, and gave her his best smile.

"Actually...Sarah, is it?"

"Yes, sir," she smiled back.

"Sarah, nice to meet you. Would you be so kind as to point me in the right direction of the detention wing? Secretary Ross called me down there like ten minutes ago, said he has questions for me, and wouldn't ya know, I'm hopelessly lost. If I'm late, my career is as good as over."

"We can't have that, now can we?"

"No ma'am," he winked, holding her gaze. "I would be incredibly grateful if you could help me."

"Sure," she finally relented, much to his relief, "take a left up there, then your first right and your next left. Can't miss it."

Sam took a few steps forward and held out his hand, waiting for her to reach out and take it. When she did, he bowed just slightly and pressed his lips to it, looking back up at her with a softer smile than before. "Thank you, Sarah. You're a life saver."

When they parted ways, he continued on, wiping a few small beads of sweat from his brow and whispering to himself, "yep, still got it." He reached the doors quickly and took out his phone, working furiously to break his way into the security system before anyone could see that he was there. When his efforts finally paid off, the lights went out and the door lock powered down for him to enter.

"Buck, you in here, man?"

"Took you long enough."

"Hey, I could turn around and leave your ass here, if you prefer? Would it kill you to say thanks?"

"You haven't saved me yet, Wilson," Bucky scoffed, taking a gun from his teammate, "let's not call ourselves friends too quickly."

The two men snaked their way through the corridors, working to get to the planned rendezvous point with Steve without being seen and having to fight anyone if they could help it. Sam led them as Bucky sent a message to Steve that they were on the way. "So, how did you get in? They had me pretty well secured in there."

"I do have skills, thank you very much," Sam huffed in a whisper. "And I wooed a pretty lady into telling me where you were."

"Okay, sure. But really, how did you do it?"

Sam stopped short and turned with a look of complete disgust and betrayal as Bucky crashed into him, having not been looking where he was going and texting Steve. He looked Bucky in the eye and raised a finger, pointing at him with a small poke against his chest.

"I hate you."