riverviewlogs | exorcising the ghost

Entry tags:

exorcising the ghost

who: Bucky and TOTALLY OPEN
what: Some spying, some clothes shopping, some rescuing
when: Throughout August
where: Quarantine
warnings: None. If any crop up, they'll go in the subject lines

[A: Open; sneaking around]

[Pierce might be gone, but that doesn't mean that Bucky feels like it's safe to relax. The man could easily have recruited, could have left planted spies and operatives behind, or files that could be very damaging in the wrong hands. He needs to make sure for himself that any of these people, or any of this information, is weeded out and dealt with appropriately.

Which is why if anyone is working in, or happens to be at, the hospital, any of the laboratories in the city, any buildings that deal with high level technology, or the perimeter guard; there's a late night visitor who definitely isn't authorised to be there. Sneaking through the hallways in black combat gear, obviously armed, and hacking into computer systems.]

[B: Open; shopping and rescuing]

[He's really trying to make an effort to get involved in life again, not just surviving. And part of that means coming into the city itself even if he hates it, making the skin between his shoulder blades itch as if a knife is coming right for him.

He's decided his first self appointed mission will be to get some new clothes, because the ones he has are falling off him from the weight he's lost hiding out for months, and have got threadbare besides. But he's also keeping an eye out for any trouble, and so if he notices anyone in danger from anything - speeding car, mugger, oddly strong breeze - he'll drop all his bags to intervene.]

[C: Closed to Tony Stark; memories]

[He's not sure whether Stark will still be willing to help him, after he blew up at him the last time and then literally disappeared for weeks on end to hide from Pierce. He's also not sure why he feels guilty, and it annoys him that he does. He's even got an apology gift tucked awkwardly under one arm, because he can vaguely remember his Ma telling him that this was the polite way to do things, and he already deeply regrets getting anything in the first place.

Too late now.

He forgoes knocking and slips into the lab, as long as he finds it open, and will take a perch on any of the nearby tables to wait for Stark to show up.]

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It's got my number on it.

[He has no idea that Steve will do the same thing in his future, though for slightly different reasons. It's an olive branch, a way of saying that in return for Tony's help so far, he's willing to give him a way to get in contact and Bucky will come if he's needed.]

Don't give it to anyone else.

[ One side of Tony's mouth tips up slightly, but all he does is quietly tuck the phone into a pocket. It wouldn't be the first time. ]

So. What's the plan?

I want to work on that stuff some more.

[Maybe want is too strong a term, but he's determined to do it anyway.]

If Pierce comes back, I don't want the risk of being controlled.

Okay then.

[ Tony nods once, though he's watching Bucky closely. No prizes for guessing that he's not actually thrilled about the idea, but he's here and willing so that's a start. ]

So are we going aggressive or just seeing what happens?

I don’t know.

[Logic would say to go aggressive because he has no idea if Pierce has left new HYDRA agents here, and he doesn’t know when or if he’s coming back himself. But he’s scared. Too aggressive and they might do the opposite of what they intend, and trigger the Soldier properly.]

I’m just tired of being scared.

[It’s a low admission, slipping out before he can stop it.]

[ Bucky may not have intended to say it, but it stops Tony in his tracks anyway. He's quiet for a moment, not quite looking at him, before Tony's eyes flick over towards him and then skitter away again. ]

Yeah. I get that.

[ Too much honesty in one place. Tony nearly shakes himself, straightening up a little. ]

So we start up where we left off, see how it goes. We're still going to need to tailor things a little more specifically to you.

[He doesn't ask what Stark is afraid of, but he notes the raw understanding under those few words and files it away for later.]

There was someone here who said she could help with that-- Shuri?

[ Tony lifts an eyebrow, but there's no real surprise in it. Not shocked Shuri would have tracked him down, considering. ]

I spoke to her a little. What'd she tell you?

That she worked with me-- will work with me in the future, and she helped get the stuff out of my head that HYDRA put in there.

[He still doesn't know whether to believe that, it seems way too good to be true.]

[ Makes sense, as much as any of the time displacement stuff does. Tony nods once, though he doesn't break eye contact. ]

Well. So at least we know something works.

If she was telling the truth.

[He really goddamn hopes that she was, but it seems way too convenient to run into someone who can apparently get all the programming out of him.]

Did you speak to her much?

Not much. But I know she can be trusted.

[ For however much his word is worth. But T'Challa was good people, stands to reason that the rest of his family would be too. ]

Wakanda has a lot of resources we don't.

I've never been there.

[Of all the countries that he's gone to and killed people in, pretty much every one in the world over seven decades, he'd never been sent to Wakanda. As far as he was aware, there isn't much there beyond mud huts.]

I haven't seen her for a while, is she still around?

You and most other people.

[ Not even Tony can claim that one. Which is a very weird piece of time fuckery that makes one side of his mouth curve up very slightly. At least until the next question. ]

Went home. Little while ago, I think. Too bad, she had some interesting ideas.

Figures.

[Of course he wouldn't get the courage to come out of hiding until after the person who apparently has his cure-all is gone. Good job, Barnes.]

Guess I'm stuck with the consolation prize, huh?

Rude.

[ He doesn't actually sound all that upset about it, though. Mostly seems to be trying to fight down a smile. ]

You're welcome, anyway. Want to get started?

Sure, but I also want to ask your computer something first.

[He's not really sure where to look when addressing JARVIS, so he'll go for the ceiling.]

Can you hack into Pierce's account now that he's gone, I need to know if he was recruiting.

[The last thing either of them want, surely, is for HYDRA to grow a new head here in Riverview Quarantine.]

[ Tony's eyebrows lift, but JARVIS gets there first. ]

Are you asking me to perform an illegal action, Sergeant Barnes?

[ There's something slightly too-even about that polite English tone, like the AI is looking for confirmation, rather than casting judgement.

Tony, meanwhile, is frowning. ]

You think he was trying?

I know he was.

[It's said grimly, expression set in a scowl.]

I already spoke to one person who knows someone who refused him, there have to have been others. So yeah, I'm asking you to perform an illegal action.

[ There's no immediate response to that, which probably means that the AI is at least considering it. It should probably worry Tony, but considering he's done much worse, he's not sure why he'd start now. ]

This friend of a friend of yours wouldn't happen to be a doctor, would he?

[ Tony's honestly not sure what's worse, if it is the same guy or if Pierce's reach really was spreading farther than he'd like. ]

I don't know.

[He doesn't know much about the guy that stopped him in the perimeter guard barracks, only that he had proven himself a fairly good person in the process.]

I only met him the once.

[ It was a long shot. Tony lets out a breath but just nods once, looking thoughtful. ]

Okay. So say we do break into his info. Then what?

Then we know who might be the new heads of HYDRA waiting to start up themselves.

[And pay them all little visits. Violent visits.]

[ Tony gives him a flat, slightly exasperated look. ]

And what if there isn't? What if everyone just told him to go screw himself and it all vanished with him?

[ He gets the idea of needing a focus, boy does he. But Tony can't help but be a little worried that this is a wild goose chase Bucky is sending himself on. ]

Then we know we don't have to worry about HYDRA here.

[He shrugs, it seems self explanatory to him. He would rather know if there's a threat for sure, than just wait for it to potentially grow in the shadows.]

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