starkingenuity | (no subject)

Nothing would ever be as sweet as this. Tony Stark had not liked his father much, but every son has a need for revenge when they don't get to take out the big bad in their life personally. His dad hadn't hit him, but abuse can work down other channels. And even so, his old man hadn't deserved to die, and certainly not like he did. It was so ordinary to be shot down, for it to look like a cheap accident. Though it left Tony free of him, it also robbed him of his mother in the same stroke. He never understdood why unless it was all just for show.

Though he'd never had a name or a face, Tony had hated Bucky Barnes for a very long time. That his parents' murderer had been Steve Rogers' best friend, or had been brainwashed to be some sort of mindless slug, he didn't care. He hadn't cared at all, not until he found him asleep on that birdshit stained park bench with newspapers over him. And he hadn't cared then either when he stood there, repulsors aimed towards that piece of scum, until he muttered something in Russian and rolled onto his side.

The cap slipped. His gaunt face showed a man half his own age, looking absolutely wretched and...lost.

Tony Stark had spent the better part of a week on the new suit which, he did tell JARVIS, he didn't quite care if it could kill him or not with the way he disregarded every last safety measure in the book he himself had written. He'd managed to keep is secret from all of the comers and goers from the Tower too.

And now, now that he's here, now that the Winter Soldier had been tracked down in this park in the slums of DC, he can't bring himself to that revenge that had kept him drunk since he discovered how to track the man.

So Tony stands there. And waits. And sometimes forgets to breathe.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

who_is_bucky

"I'm just weapon," he repeats, because like it or not Tony is as close to a handler as Bucky is going to get right now and he best start watching how he phrases things or this could go really poorly.

He has, at least, gotten enough to eat but even if he hadn't he would still listen to Tony. It's easier to not think about things and just do as he's told. It's what he does now. He nods at the other man and this time he pulls off his shoes before returning to the bed he'd woken up on. He assumes that's okay.

For a moment, he eyes Tony and then he rolls to the side that's against the wall. It's harder to sneak up on him this way. His eyes close a few seconds later and it's obviously hard for him to wind down but it's an order, so he manages to finally fall asleep.

From:

starkingenuity

Were, Tony meant, but he doesn't correct him.

He doesn't sleep either. He's not stupid. Luckily, he's got a lot of experience not sleeping under his belt. He doesn't bother to drink, that could cause him to pass out. He just watches Bucky for a long time, watches his phone for a long time, and tries to figure out what to do.

He's not good at saving people. He could hardly even save himself. How can he do anything with Public Enemy Number One?

Unless he calls Steve.

But if he calls Steve, his new best friend is going to come tottering after too. The super hero community is getting too big for Tony Stark.

So he'll just wait. And brood. Bucky will sleep and he'll be there when he wakes.

From:

who_is_bucky

He sleeps well enough. He won't have any complaints about it, not that he would anyway, but it's sleep and sleep in a place he's not liable to be attacked unless Tony changes his mind. It's been awhile since he's managed it so unless Tony wakes him it'll definitely be few hours before Bucky stirs again.

When he wakes up, he runs through what he knows. His name. Steve. The events leading up to now. Tony. He remembers everything since the Helicarrier and it's a relief. He sits up, still in the robe and looks to Tony for directions.

From:

starkingenuity

Taking care of other people is something that Tony Stark has never done so when it becomes obvious that Bucky is waiting for a word from him, the genius balks. "No. No. I'm too young to be your father. Or anyone's father. Legally."

He probably has some bastards running around. Pepper likely paid off their mothers with giant trust funds.

"And I don't need a pet. I have JARVIS. And DUM-E."

But...

"If you're still hungry there's food left. Or we can just go. Back to New York. Or I can call Prince Charming."

From:

who_is_bucky

His forehead creases at the statement. What does any of that have to so with anything? He's well aware the man is not his father. His head tilts at the pet comment and he looks confused, before he says, "I'm not a pet. I'm a weapon."

You said so yourself Tony.

Bucky does stand and go back to the food. He's still starving and he hates to waste food. He doesn't say anything one way or another. It's not his decision to make. He doesn't know what New York has to do with anything either but he just stares at Tony while he eats.

From:

starkingenuity

"Maybe a little bit of both. I sort of want to scratch behind your ears and find a ticklish spot." He was almost offering himself up to be smacked, but it didn't take a genius to realize what was happening with Bucky. He was sort of like a little baby duck. It was probably written into his programing. After a wipe, he listened to anyone that took charge of him.

Shit. That was some pretty crazy stuff.

Tony found a bagel and some honey and sat down with Bucky. He didn't stare back, but he did watch him. "You don't have to be a weapon soon," he said. "I promise you that as soon as we make sure your last bosses are all gone, I'll set you out to stud."

From:

who_is_bucky

No smacking from him. Pierce had regularly had something snappy to say in his presence. It's nothing new to him. Bucky isn't really the laughing or smiling sort either so Tony just gets a blank look from him. He's welcome to say whatever he wants really.

The comment confuses him. He doesn't understand what that means. Bucky wets his lips as he looks at Tony and presses them together, before he says, "I don't know how to be anything but a weapon."

He's not sure what being 'set out to stud' means but once people had outlived their usefulness in Pierce's eyes they had died horribly, usually by his hand. It's not a fate he's fond of but what else is there?

From:

starkingenuity

"So you'll take classes or something," Tony says, off the cuff. He's not exactly fit to be a good teacher of how to be normal and fit into human society. In fact? He's probably the worst person to be around right now. Tony does what he wants, he has no discipline and obviously he's a loose canon right now!

Who goes off to kill someone and instead carries them home like a little lost puppy (after shooting them in the back?)

Clearly, Tony needs some help here.

"Take up knitting or underwater welding." Man. He misses that suit. He looks thoughtfully over at the one in the corner. "Hell, be Iron Man." At least that could be exciting.

From:

who_is_bucky

The answer really doesn't impress Bucky. None of those suggestions sound like something he wants to do. His gaze shifts to follow Tony's to the suit in the corner and he frowns slightly, he doesn't know exactly what 'Iron Man' is but he doesn't need a suit to be dangerous.

It'd just be trading one weapon for another one.

He doesn't say anything just chews more of his food. He scowls at his metal hand when he reaches for his glass of water and the fingers hang up. He's forced to put down his silverware to pick it up instead. After a moment of hesitation, he adds, "I doubt anyone wants to hang out with a murderer." He looks a little like he might get in trouble for saying anything but he's testing the waters.

From:

starkingenuity

"Just eccentric geniuses and old war heroes," Tony replies before he stands up to get his tools. He should have stayed a simple mechanic. He hadn't exactly been a happier man, but he had felt more like a man. More down to earth. More needed.

He still thought about that kid sometimes. He still thought about going to see him. He never would.

Tony spent the next few hours in silence, working on tech he didn't design but secretly wished he had.

From:

who_is_bucky

It takes him a moment to relate the descriptions to Tony and probably Steve, respectively. Bucky doesn't say anything in response. He's short on words right now. He's still uncomfortable as Tony works on the arm. It helps that there aren't anything resembling restraints or shock panels.

He's just as quiet as Tony and stares at the wall across from them. He makes a face a couple times when the man does something that feels unpleasant but he won't move until Tony tells him that he's allowed.

From:

starkingenuity

"So it's connected into your nervous system?" He doesn't mean to sound so fanboyish but this is a piece of art. "I dabbled in medical applications of technology but not prosthetics. Probably not a far leap from the suit but-- Nerve connection is amazing." He does try to be kinder after that. It's less sparks and more tenderness, if one can be tender around a cybernetic limb.

Closing up the panel just below the elbow joint, Tony sits back and points to the knife Bucky had been more or less ignoring while he ate.

"See if that helps."

From:

who_is_bucky

"How do you think I control it?" he asks in return, confused by how it would work otherwise. It hadn't been a fun process but that could be because Hydra hadn't exactly cared that he'd been in pain or awake for it. He can respect that it is amazing but it's something he's so used to he barely thinks about it.

He frowns slightly, usually they run him through a set of movements to calibrate it, and unfortunately he doesn't remember what they would be. "Not calibrated," he mutters, spreading the fingers of his hand wide and then curling it into a fist as he tries to remember what they had done for his dexterity. He opens his hand again and touches each finger to his thumb, then moves it to pick up the knife. It works considerably better than it had before.

From:

starkingenuity

"Lots of prosthetic implants don't accept signals from the limb, just receive them," Tony pointed out. He liked the way Bucky snarked at him, it made him not quite likable in all the best of ways..

He watched the other man go through his routine and shook his head, calling JARVIS to set up a new calibration plan to display on the wall from the cellphone Tony placed on the table. He could go through tweaking Bucky's movements as they went, one servo at a time.

"Try to overextend one finger at a time-- Ah! Okay, that's the problem," he muttered, tightening some wiring a few moments later.

From:

who_is_bucky

"I wouldn't know," he responds simply, shrugging at Tony's response and trying to decide if he had known anything about other prosthetic implants before this. He doesn't think so. Nothing but your basic fake arms and legs anyway. The world has come a long way since then.

His head tilts slightly at the calibration maneuvers but he goes through with them. He's patient as Tony adjusts things too. He doesn't say anything but non-committal status comments or saying when something feels strange.

Once they're finished, he decides this is the best his arm has felt in a long time and he reaches for the knife again without problems. "Feels good," he tells him quietly.

From:

starkingenuity

Tony just laughed. "I told you. I'm the best." He found himself barely registering that Bucky was even going for a potentially deadly object. He just stood and left his back open to the other man as he gazed out of the window.

So much had happened here over the last few weeks. All of his secrets had hit the internet, anything SHIELD had compiled on him, all of his shared tech, his files...everything was out there.

He felt as if he himself was running too. Running away, not towards, himself.

"What do you most want in the entire world, soldier?" He asked, falling silent.

From:

who_is_bucky

He only raises an eyebrow at the comment. He believes it because Tony has no reason to lie to him and he's obviously very good with technology. There are only a few people in the world that are probably qualified to work on his arm. He just wishes it hadn't took murder to get Tony to fix it.

He doesn't move from his spot. Bucky isn't going to hurt Tony.

"I don't know," he responds quietly, expression confused and just... sad. He has no aspirations. No dreams. Nothing. He's a weapon in his mind, not a person. "Rewind the clock and make sure I died in the ice." He remembers ice and falling and being dragged through it, just in flashes but they're there.

Pierce had fed him so many lies. A gift to mankind, he'd said. Bucky doesn't believe that anymore. He's a useless weapon. One that should be discarded. "The world would be a better place without me."

From:

starkingenuity

"I feel that way sometimes too," Tony said, still looking out of the window. "But I can't bend time. I don't even approve of suicide. Not even for bad drivers."

The smile was in his voice, even if Bucky couldn't see it.

"How about something I can actually give you. A puppy? A girl? A boy if that's what does it for you? Trip to Paris?"

From:

who_is_bucky

No one can bend time and give him the time he had lost. No one can fix this. He's just a broken weapon without a trigger and at best just a plaything to amuse a dead man. Bucky doesn't want anything that Tony can give him. He gave up wanting things seventy years ago when Hydra played with his brain. He's probably better off dead but apparently Tony won't give him that either. Otherwise he'd already be dead.

"I don't know," he says again and he wishes that he had an answer for him but he just doesn't. He doesn't know how to be free. He's fairly certain that sex isn't the answer to his problems either.

From:

starkingenuity

Sex was absolutely the answer to every problem! Or maybe the start. Or both.

Turning from the window when he realized that Bucky was not going to attack him, Tony smirked and plopped down at the table. He put his feet up on it, toes up, heels down. His table, his dirt. They were done eating anyway.

"You need...a purpose. Fine. Probably a parent. There's a TV and the internet at your disposal. That's how people parent these days. We've got to reinsert you into this world. I don't have the time and energy to return you to the deep freeze."

From:

who_is_bucky

Well, for Bucky it definitely wasn't the answer but he could certainly see how it might be the start. It wasn't something he was interested in. He didn't have those urges, at least that he knew, and he stared again at Tony as the man flopped down.

His gaze shifts to the TV in the room. He knows what it is and what Tony means by the internet but he doesn't know how much importance either hold to him. He's listless. Lost in a world without a purpose. Television isn't going to magically create something.

He flinches slightly at the mention of being frozen, eyes widening marginally and he says automatically, "I'll do what you say."

From:

starkingenuity

Tony frowned at Bucky and tilted his chin down to his chest. "It wasn't a threat," he said gently. What would Banner do at a time like this? What would Steve do? Or Pepper?

It wasn't an option to call anyone. Even if he wanted to. What would Pepper or Bruce do?

He slumped in his seat and scowled lightly. He needed some time to himself. Instead, now he had to watch this puppy. Erring on the side of caution was not going to work.

"J. Put on CNN. And get me Banner."

From:

who_is_bucky

It takes a few moments for his expression and breathing to even out. Does he believe Tony? He doesn't know, not for sure, but the man had fixed his arm without killing him and he hasn't tried to wipe him again. It's as much trust as he feels like doling out right now.

He jerks a little when the TV is suddenly just on. Surprising him is probably a bad idea. Bucky tilts his head to see the screen from where he's sitting and hesitates, before grabbing his water to carry to the bed. He sits at the very end of it. Tony had said watch TV right? He doesn't ignore the man on the phone but he doesn't give an indication he's listening either.

"Tony?" the man had obviously been asleep. He wipes a hand at his face, "Where are you? What time it is?" He fumbles for the alarm clock. Bruce doesn't know what time it is either. Sometimes he sleeps a lot.

From:

starkingenuity

Tony wasn't going to hang around to be listened to. He headed to the bathroom instead. He probably shouldn't leave Bucky alone, but what were his choices? He was pretty sure that the other man was loyal to him anyhow. Testing that out couldn't hurt.

"I got a new pet, Banner," Tony groaned. "I'm in DC and..." And what? Bruce had fled the moment SHIELD leaked his identity to the media. Tony knew where to find him, obviously, but he was trying to give the other man his space to deal with his demons. "The guy that killed Fury... And my parents. I found him. He....uh...doesn't remember half of it. They were wiping him between missions, putting him on ice. It's fucked up, Banner."

From:

thatsnotmysecret

Bucky would actually behave and sit there, just taking in the news. And maybe being confused by commercials.

Lucky for Tony, Bruce is patient as he rambles around and tries to follow along. He's been in the wind. He doesn't have a lot of times for news and what's going on but he's pretty sure everyone in the world has heard about SHIELD.

Bruce, before he tries to sort things out, says, "It's Hydra, I don't think they come in other versions." He sits up in bed and wipes a hand at his face again then asks the next most obvious question. "I'm guessing you didn't just take a walk and stumble on him."