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[arcreact]

// outbox;
→ 10/27; tali'zorah
→ 10/21; marian hawke
→ 09/21; adrien arbuckal
→ 09/21; nathan drake
→ 08/15; marian hawke
→ 08/01; bruce banner
→ 07/11; elena fisher
→ 07/07; trish walker
→ 06/21; adrien arbuckal
→ 06/20; bruce banner
→ 06/20; bucky barnes
→ 06/19; elena fisher
→ 06/15; steve rogers
→ 06/08; bruce banner

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You know what to do.

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[arcreact]

i'll be there in five

[ Which is five shorter than he normally tells everyone else, so appreciate him taking this seriously, Rogers. He even shows up on time, announcing himself with a swift knock. ]

holds for a dramatic pause

[abide]

[ It's serious enough to warrant contact in the first place, so he appreciates the sentiment. He's not sure Tony's going to feel the same as soon as they're done, but it's something that needs to be said sooner rather than later. That Steve is even considering this makes him anxious in a way he's never really felt—not like this. ]

Thanks for coming. [ To the point as always, when he opens the door, and Steve turns to face him as soon as he's inside the room. They're alone, which had always been good or bad depending on the circumstance; he can't tell which this is yet, though he thinks he knows which it's going to be. ] Maybe you should sit first. [ Or not so much to the point as he is preparing for the point. ]

[arcreact]

[ He considers the offer to sit, but not very seriously or for very long. ]

Yeah, I think I'd rather stand. [ Whatever this is, Tony knows it's gonna be shitty, and he's never been one to take that kind of thing sitting down. ] What happened?

[abide]

[ Where to start is a better question. Steve crosses his arms slowly, giving a slight tilt of his head in lieu of a nod. ]

Have you heard anything about SHIELD since you got here? [ At least this is a neutral place to start. Sort of. He'll get to the rest eventually. ]

[arcreact]

[ Tony's mouth presses into a thin, displeased line. He's never particularly trusted SHIELD, never quite motivated himself into trusting Fury, either. But he'd still, somehow, expected better than what's that's trickled down to him since arriving on the Moira. ]

Wilson mentioned the HYDRA surprise, if that's what you're getting at. And our resident SHIELD agent confirms that this was apparently done under Pierce's leadership.

[abide]

That was about a year ago for me. [ Since then, it's been literal hell, and he's already told Tony about Ultron. But he didn't ask him here to talk about that, which is just pushing into uncomfortable territory. ] During that time, HYDRA had an asset. Used him to try taking out me and Nat. [ He pauses. ] Fury. Anyone HYDRA saw as a threat-- Pierce orchestrated all of it.

[ As far as he knows anyway. Still, they're old memories, and he's frowning now, hesitant as the words form on the tip of his tongue. Eventually, it's just a quiet question in the silence of the room. ] Have you ever heard of the Winter Soldier?

[arcreact]

[ For the first time, Tony attempts to contemplate Fury as anything but an immovable, immortal pain in the ass. Ditto Cap and Nat, for that matter.

He can't say he likes the train of thought. ]

Unsurprisingly, no. But something tells me that was HYDRA's "asset".

[abide]

[ All he can do is nod confirmation on that. ]

Not many knew about him, and those who did are dead. [ Except for a random few, and there's a subtle shift in his stance so that he's between Tony and the door, eyes on him but something hollow in the way he looks forward. Recalling all of those files, the information that no one should learn and no one should have ever had to experience. ] After we stopped Pierce, I went after him. But not for the reasons you think. [ There's so much more than that, and it feels like he's right back in the hospital after waking up from nearly drowning in the Potomac, the conviction to find him no matter what the cost burning strong. Now, it's about protecting him and doing what's right. What he should have done when he'd read about it. ]

He's my best friend. [ And there's a slight curl to his mouth, almost bittersweet. ] I'm sure you know that story.

[arcreact]

[ For a moment Tony's expression does nothing, which may be more alarming than not. But he slots the pieces into place easily enough, new information clicking with old — Captain America's best friend, infamously lost to the tundra. The Bucky Barnes he's met here, so far removed from anything they were taught about in museums or books, constantly carrying a haunted look around with him.

The way he fought those Caducans, like they were barely even a threat. ]

—Barnes? [ Who else? It's barely a question. ] Jesus...