Snarky ColdWinter #2

[fist_of_hydra]

The team had been arguing for a while now, and getting nowhere. They'd narrowed Savage's location down to Italy in September of 1944, but couldn't get any farther than that. James thought he had a pretty good guess what Savage wanted - this was where HYDRA had most of their facilities, and the Red Skull would be the perfect ally to Savage.

The only people who would have any further intelligence about Savage's possible movements were the Allied or Axis forces. Neither were going to hand the information over to a bunch of strangers. Ray wanted to play dress up and march in, pretend to be an officer and demand the information. Sara wanted to go in at night and steal it. There were half a dozen other ideas floating around, and all of them were bad. Quite a few of them were likely to get them shot at.

Ray might be onto something, though. At least, if you turned your head and looked at the idea sideways. Trying to march in and claim to be an officer nobody in the camp had ever seen was asking for a swift visit from the MPs.

Marching in and claiming to be an officer everyone in the camp had seen was another matter.

James had been lurking by the doorway, as was his habit, rather than sitting around the table with the others. He hadn't been contributing, so he was able to slip out without inciting comment. Once in the hall, he strode toward the fabrication room. "Gideon. Do you have any footage or photos of me in uniform in this time period?"

"Of course, Mr. Barnes."

"Good. I need a copy made, and make sure it looks worn and used. Can you do that?"

"Certainly."

"Then do it." James strode into the fabrication area, where a uniform was already synthesizing. He paused, looking at it, and rubbed a hand over the scruff on his chin.

Five minutes later he strode back toward the main room. It felt odd to be back in this uniform. Gideon had even managed to make it smell right - which was to say, like blood and gunpowder and harsh lye soap. Even stranger was not feeling his hair brushing against his cheeks and neck. He hadn't had short hair since HYDRA took him, and he found he already missed it long.

This wasn't him, anymore. It felt like the ghost of Bucky Barnes was riding his shoulders, and the weight was pressing him down.

"...are we supposed to do, walk in and ask them nicely?" Sara was saying, her tone full of exasperation as she threw her hands up at Ray.

"That's exactly what we're gonna do." James rose his voice enough to cut through the babble. Everyone turned to look at him, and most of them did a wide-eyed double-take. He raised an eyebrow at them. "It's just a matter of the right person doing the asking."

Comments

[fist_of_hydra]

Okay, a file was good. That was something she could hand them and then he could leave, get out from under her too-knowing gaze. James was already preparing excuses in his head, about taking advantage of being at the base to grab a quick wash and some hot food. Something, anything.

His gut was tying itself in knots. Surreptitiously he dropped back beside Len for a moment, letting their shoulders brush together, using the contact to steady himself.

[coldlenny]

Len glanced at James when he felt the other man's arm brush against his, and then did his best to studiously ignore it. Carter didn't seem to have noticed the little interchange, nor did she appear suspicious, so hopefully they could get through this without getting arrested or anything.

She rummaged through a file cabinet and handed James a rather slender file folder. "You'll return this to me when you're done, won't you?" she asked, eyes narrowing slightly.

[fist_of_hydra]

James gave her a smile. "Absolutely." Hell, no. The farther they could keep the Commandos from Savage, the better. They hadn't ever hunted Savage that he could remember, but the mere fact that he'd come into camp and asked after the man could cause Steve to decide he needed looking into.

Especially once Carter ran into his past self and demanded the report back, which past Bucky would of course have no idea what she was talking about. The Waverider needed to be gone before that happened.

"Steve wanted this as soon as possible, so we should probably go get ready to head out again," he told her. "Thanks, Carter. This could make a real difference."

[coldlenny]

Her face didn't move, though Len thought for a moment that she held onto the file just a bit longer than was natural. She smiled at James in a natural, friendly manner, though, so he must have imagined it.

"Of course. Wouldn't want to keep Steve waiting. Do give him my best when you see him, won't you?"

[fist_of_hydra]

That made James pause for the barest instant, all too aware of the fact that his best friend's love story had been a tragedy. "Always," he replied, soft but genuine. He had no intention of encountering the Steve in this time period if he could possibly avoid it, but if and when he did see the Steve in the future again, he would be sure to pass on the sentiment.

Taking the file, he tucked it under his arm and offered her a half-mocking salute. She wasn't an officer, she didn't actually rate one, but he recalled doing it on several occasions. It might be a joke, but the other half was genuine respect. "Couldn't do what we do without you. I'm sure I'll see you again soon."

[coldlenny]

Len couldn't help but wonder about this woman. She was obviously competent, but there was something more. Some kind of connection between her and James that had nothing to do with him being her subordinate.

And if he had to guess, he'd say that whatever was going on between them, it had to do with Steve.

Whatever their relationship, Carter kept things professional in front of the other "soldiers". She smiled and gave him a nod, and they all filed out of the tent.

[fist_of_hydra]

Right up to the edge of the camp, James held his breath. He kept waiting for the shout of alarm behind them, someone realizing something was wrong.

Even once they were in the trees, his shoulders stayed tight and his teeth ground together. It felt like he couldn't breathe properly. He doubted he'd be able to until they were back on the ship.

"Wow, okay, that was really... hey!" Palmer objected as Rory held up three fingers. "We're out of the camp, I'm not giving us away, doesn't count."

"Fine. I'll take what I can get." Rory cracked his knuckles.

"Not until we're on the ship," James snarled, temper frayed by the strain he'd been putting on himself. "There's patrols to worry about, still. Move."

[coldlenny]

As Ray began to talk and banter with Mick, Len glanced around, ensuring that they were definitely alone. There definitely didn't seem to be anyone around.

He reached out and grabbed James' flesh hand, raising it up to press the back of James' knuckles to his lips.

"You're fine," he said.

[fist_of_hydra]

"Thanks." James tried hard not to tighten his fingers too much around Len's, knowing he could hurt the other man if he wasn't careful. This hand wasn't as strong as the metal one, but still strong enough to break bones.

Worse, his hand was shaking. His whole body was shaking, really, but the tremors were tiny enough to go unnoticed. Unless someone was actually touching him, of course.

Tugging on their joined hands, he turned the tables and brushed his lips over Len's hand as well. "Let's get the hell out of here. I wanna see if Gideon's got some miracle potion that'll grow my hair back."

[coldlenny]

"I bet you, she does," Ray spoke up eagerly, not at all discomfited by the display of affection. "Probably like some kind of hair-growing ray in the medical wing."

Len withdrew his fingers at the attention of the younger man, though he still offered a smile to James, trying to reassure him that it wasn't anything he'd done.

Still, his fingers fidgeted together as he walked, twisting the ring on his pinkie finger.

They moved through the forest for an hour, until they reached the vicinity of the Waverider. At their approach, the ship seemed to materialize, becoming visible as the hatch opened to admit them.

And behind them in the trees, there was a soft gasp. Len grabbed for his cold gun, but of course he clutched at air. As he whirled, he saw Peggy Carter come striding out of the trees, a gun trained on them and an angry look on her face. "What in the blazes is that?"

[fist_of_hydra]

James had his gun out at the first gasp, the draw gesture so reflexive he hardly even registered carrying it out. As he spun and drew a bead on their spy, his eyes went cold and calculating. A killer's gaze; soulless, remorseless.

When he saw who it was, his teeth ground again. He lowered the gun enough to not be pointing directly at her, but he could bring it up again in an instant. At the same time he flung his arm out to block the men behind him and tell them not to act against her.

"Damn it, Carter," he growled, the ice still in his eyes. "Couldn't you for once not have poked your nose into it?"

[coldlenny]

Peggy's gun didn't waver. Though she covered James most directly, her eyes flicked to the other three men, and Len felt that if any of them made a move, she would easily be able to shoot them.

"If you knew me, then you'd know that's not in my nature," she said, and jerked the muzzle of the gun. "Answer my question."

Ray had his hands up at shoulder height. He stepped forward just a bit, hands coming up even more as the gun swung to point at him. "Hey, hey, let's talk about this, okay? I know this is pretty confusing, but we're all on the same side, here, I promise. All we want is to stop Savage."

"You lied to me once," Peggy snapped. "Why should I believe you, now?"

[fist_of_hydra]

"Because we only did it to get the info we needed without causing a scene like this," James growled. "We didn't have time to march in openly and try to convince Phillips to give us what we need. I wouldn't be doing this if we'd had any other way. You don't want Savage allying with the Skull. We want him dead. Simple solution."

Except it wasn't, really, and that was the whole problem. Sighing, James holstered his gun again, using slow movements so Carter would see what he intended. He could stop her bullets with his arm if necessary, he'd done it before, and it was clear he was going to have to stand down first.

"Think of us like the Commandos, only without official Army backing." He stressed the official to make her conclude they were perhaps an unofficial group running under the radar. "You can't hope to take all four of us by yourself, let alone our teammates inside. Leave now and we won't try to stop you."

It wouldn't matter if she made a full report to Phillips. The Waverider would be gone before any squads could make it out here, and by the time the information got to someone who could do something about it - like Steve - they'd either have succeeded in killing Savage or failed once again and moved on to the next possible point in the timeline.

[coldlenny]

Peggy didn't lower the gun. Her eyes flicked suspiciously towards Ray, and then back to James. "None of that explains why you look so much like Sergeant Barnes. Nor does it tell me how a ship like that can even exist."

It really didn't appear that she was planning on leaving. Len was half inclined to just take her inside and see if Gideon could erase her memory, but he had a feeling that that wasn't possible.

[fist_of_hydra]

Damn it, this was a nightmare. James drew in a deep breath, considering all his options. If even half of what he remembered about this woman was true, she was not going to drop it until everything made sense to her.

Could he claim to be some kind of clone, made while his younger self was held captive? No, that would make him HYDRA. She'd shoot him on the spot, and never mind the fact that his friends would then take her out.

Half turning, though he kept an eye on her gun, he shoved the folder at Palmer. He'd rather have given it to Len, but his lover was too far away. "Get this to Hunter, hopefully it'll be enough for Gideon to give us a guess at where he is," he growled. "I'll deal with Carter."

Glancing back at her, he added, "If you want any explanations, it's gonna be you and me, and you're gonna let them go do their jobs. We don't have time for any more delays."

[coldlenny]

Ray took the folder and hesitated. "You sure you can--"

"Go Raymond," Len snapped. Ray jumped and turned to go.

"Hey wait! I didn't say you could go!" Peggy exclaimed, but she didn't try to stop Ray as he headed quickly into the ship with the folder. She didn't have a good angle to try to shoot at Ray, and to move the gun would only prevent her from covering James, who even she seemed to understand was the biggest threat here.

Mick growled at Peggy. "We're not your enemy, lady. If we were, then you shouldn't have come out here all on your lonesome, following three big, armed men out into the forest."

Peggy frowned. "There were four of you."

Mick shrugged. "Pretty-boy doesn't count."

[fist_of_hydra]

Despite himself James snorted with amusement at the jibe. He and Rory had reached an uneasy equilibrium, which was a damn good thing since they had to live in a cramped ship together. One thing they did agree on, however, was annoyance with Palmer.

"She could probably take at least two of us," he told Rory, lips twitching with something that almost managed to be a smile for the briefest instant. Then he jerked his head at the ship. "Go. I'll handle it."

He flicked his gaze to Len, including him in the command but silently asking his lover to not go too far. He was going to need the support when this was all over.

And, just is case something went very wrong, Len was the only one he trusted to jump in and be able to handle it, without hurting Carter too badly. And if that meant Len lurked close enough to eavesdrop, at least James wouldn't have to recount it all, later.

[coldlenny]

Len returned the look, mutinous for a moment. He didn't want to leave James alone, especially because he sensed in James' gaze that he didn't want him to leave.

However, he turned and walked back towards the ship with Mick. He sent Mick into the ship with a soft word, and then ducked around it, while Peggy was focused on James. He was pretty sure she'd been distracted enough that she didn't realize he'd turned aside at the last moment. He pressed himself behind one of the front struts, and listened.

"Well," Peggy said impatiently. "Now that you've gotten rid of all of your pals, what say you tell me who you are, hmm?"

[fist_of_hydra]

Searching her eyes, James tried to determine whether it was worth asking her to lower the gun. Probably not. She'd refuse; she had good reason to be nervous of him, and if the gun made her feel better, maybe it would also make her more receptive.

"The answer to both of your questions - why I look like Barnes, and what our ship is - are the same. And you're not going to believe it if I tell you." He kept his gaze square on hers. He couldn't make her trust him, but maybe he could at least show his sincerity. She had to be good at reading people, right?

"But I know that's not gonna be enough for you. So let me put it this way. When I do tell you, and when you do finally believe me, you're going to be on our side. You're going to understand how important what we're doing is, and you're going to be willing to help us, I promise you that. And that is going to require lying. Not just lying to Phillips. Lying to Rogers. For the rest of your lives, because if he ever finds out you lied to him about this, he'll never forgive you. Are you willing to risk that? When we'd let you walk away right now, and that alone should tell you that we're not the enemy?"

[coldlenny]

To her credit, Peggy's eyes flicked away and then back, hardening. "If what you're saying is true, then I'll have a very good reason to lie to Steve. It must be because I care very deeply for him, and for no other reason. Do I have that right?"

[fist_of_hydra]

With a dark smile that had nothing to do with amusement, James shook his head. "No. It'll be because as much as you love him, you love the free world more. I swear to you it'll be the hardest secret you ever have to keep. Everything else will fucking pale in comparison, and there will never be a moment you don't regret being forced not to tell him the truth. But if you do, the Skull will win this war. He'll wipe the capitols of every country off the map, and HYDRA will take over."

[coldlenny]

There was doubt in her eyes, but it was only doubt that he really could convince her that something like that could happen, that somehow this secret would save the free world and yet Steve couldn't know about it.

But it sure was a better reason to keep a secret than because of her love. That was the sort of thing that people would think was the sort of reason that would appeal to a woman.

"Very well," she said. "Tell me."

[fist_of_hydra]

James hadn't truly believed he could scare her off, but he'd hoped. "Don't say I didn't warn you. I look like Barnes because I am Barnes. And the ship can do what it does because we have tech you won't have access to for years. Stark would give up women forever to have half an hour in our engine room. It's a time ship. Our team was sent back to stop Savage at a point when he's still weak enough to be taken. Otherwise, he ends up a bigger threat than the Skull, and that's saying something."

[coldlenny]

Peggy frowned. The truth was, she did think he was Barnes. At least, it seemed impossible that someone could look and seem so much like him, even with the strangeness.

She lowered the gun, her eyes softening slightly, though there was still a lot of wariness. "Prove it."

[fist_of_hydra]

The simplest way to do that would be to give her the tour that would have Stark wetting his pants with joy. Carter knew enough science to recognize something too far beyond their time.

Instead, he dropped his gaze for a long moment. When he looked up again there was a hint of his old animation in his expression, and his eyes were soft with memories.

"That red dress you had on... damn, you looked good. If you'd taken me up on that invite to dance, I dunno how different history would be. But I was glad you didn't. Still am. You were the first dame that ever gave Steve a second look, finally saw what I always did. You both deserve the right partner."