Titanium ~A Bucky Barnes Love Story~

Chapter Three

"Can you put an arrival time on Rogers' jet?" Caden asked as she looked through some papers. "QJ137."

"Estimated arrival time: One hour, fourty-three minutes, and twenty-seven seconds."

That wasn't much time.

"Doctor Stark?" J.A.R.V.I.S. said over the com unit.

"Yes, J.?"

"Commander Maria Hill has just arrived."

Caden looked up at the ceiling in surprise. "Will you repeat that?"

He did.

"What the hell is she doing here? She is supposed to be in D.C. doing agent stuff."

"She of Captain Rogers possibly bringing Sergeant Barnes here and wanted an update on the information of the Winter Soldier recovery process. Shall I give it to her?"

Caden sighed. "She's here, and is gonna find out anyway. Might as well."

"She wishes to speak to you, in private," J.A.R.V.I.S. immediately informed her. "She's waiting in her office."

Caden sighed dramatically. "Tell her I'm on my way."

Now she had even less time.

~~~

"Are you prepared for this?" Hill asked skeptically, glancing up from her computer as Caden walked into her office. It had been a present from Stark, after D.C., when he had offered the Tower as a temporary S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters.

"You sure made yourself comfy," Caden noted, sitting down on the surprisingly comfortable, leather chair in front of the mahogany colored desk.

"I like to cut to the chase," Hill said. "And I'd love it if you would answer my question."

"I'm absolutely ready," Caden said confidently. "I've prepared for this since D.C. I am having my lab and office prepped as we speak. I'm positive I'll be able to help Sergeant Barnes. Steve is as well."

"You do realize this man was a Hydra weapon, brainwashed and ruthless, right?" Hill questioned as she leaned back in her chair. "I still don't think it's a good idea bringing him here. As head of this project, I fear that he's putting our current, more imminent, issues on the line. Director Coulson is wary..."

"I'm aware," Caden said briskly. "I also believe that this project is also an imminent one, as you so delicately put it. And with all due respect, Commander Hill, I've dealt with people with mental conditions for years. I've seen it all. It's my profession; I know what I am getting myself into and I assure you I can handle it."

Hill looked at Caden, a slightly amused look spreading across her stone set features. "If you were actually working under me, I might be a little offended at your boldness. But you're not, and I kinda respect you for it." She rubbed the side of her face, staring down and sorting through the papers strewn across her desk. "Alright. Okay. Sergeant Barnes may stay here then. You have my approval. But if he so much as thinks about threatening S.H.I.E.L.D., he's out," Hill said reluctantly.

"Understood," Caden said, a small, triumphant smile playing on her lips.

Then, without any sort of warning, Stark burst through the door. "Would anyone like to explain just what the hell is going on here? According to what Banner just finished explaining to me, Spangles, his flying friend, and some deranged, psychotic, 'ex-'" he bent his fingers into quotation marks, "Assassin are landing here, MY tower, in twenty minutes. Why was I not aware?" He shouted, his face turning red.

"Captain Rogers and Falcon are bringing Sergeant Barnes here to recover and stay hidden until the government dies down on the D.C. incident," Hill said shortly.