Reveries of Spring│Bucky Barnes

━𝟏𝟕

Steve took one last glance at Tony before letting out a breath. He turned to Artemis, biting the inside of his cheek, trying to find the same courage that he once had when he signed up for the Super Soldier Program. 

The story was not an easy one to tell, and with each detail that was shared, Artemis' face morphed from slight weariness to sheer mortification. Loki tried to soothe his fiancee as the tale unfolded, but not even his magical touch could reel back the panic coursing through her body and electrifying her mind. 

"Fuck!" Artemis shouted, squeezing Loki's hand as she shot out of her seat. "I need to go find Martina!" 

Artemis was already making her way across the couch, but a familiar ring resounded across the living room, and Tony's hand shot out just as she was crossing in front of him.

"Wait," he urged, pulling her back down on the couch before looking down at his watch. 

"Wait?" Artemis practically screeched, trying to get up again only for him to push her back down. "What the fuck am I waiting for, Stark?"

Her question was answered when Tony tapped the final button of his watch and none other than Everett Ross' face was projected in the living room. 

Everett Ross was known for being a rather collected man. He had served in the military, aided Wakanda in taking down a usurper king, and had taken the position as the head of S.H.I.E.L.D with the same cool and composed attitude he carried his entire life. 

However, in front of them, was not the man they knew Everett Ross to be. His pale face was burning red with rage and they could see the little vein in his forehead throbbing. 

"Seriously, Stark? Fucking seriously?" Ross began, shaking a handful of papers in front of the screen. "Did you really think you could keep this from me?" 

"Keep...what from you?" Tony teased lightly, leaning back casually as he tried to keep himself composed and oblivious.

Everett Ross, however, was not buying it. "I know all about her, Stark! It's one thing to have three enhanced persons, one person who can afford the technology to fight, two aliens from another planet, and three secret agents that can do practically anything, but a mutant- as you referred to her on this piece of document that I didn't even know about- is entirely different. She's not even human!"

Tony was immediately on guard. He shot up straight and they could all see a slight trickle of sweat on his forehead, which was only a sign of bad things to come. 

Tony Stark- the Man of Iron- never sweat 

"Where did you get that?" . 

Everett rolled his bottom lip into his mouth as he tugged on something off-screen until Lionel came into view. 

"I'm s-so sorry, Mr. Stark," Lionel plead, thrashing against the iron grip Ross had on his collar. "I didn't do it on purpose. H-he saw it and he made me show him. 

"Stand down, Boy-Wonder," Stark said, raising his hand and hushing a blabbering Lionel. Tony took a deep breath before he turned back to Ross and clasped his hands on his lap, holding a strict poker face. "What are you going to do with her then?"

"What am I going to do with her? Now, of all times, you want me to tell you information!" Ross screeched, shaking his head incredulously. "Fine, I'll bite. We're going to figure out how we can reduce- or best case scenario- take her powers away. Until then, she belongs to us. Lock her up."

"Imprisonment will do nothing for her," Loki spat, feeling a sudden urge to protect the young woman he had grown fond of. "Trust me, I should know."