Facing The Darkness, Finding the Light

by tragic_fantasyfan21

Summary:

The New Avengers find and old Flash Drive in the Avengers Tower. Bucky doesn't want them to open it- they do. It sets off a chain of events which could determine the fate of the universe.

Bucky, Yelena and Ava (with some help from others) are sent on a quest across time and the multiverse to stop the greatest threat since Thanos. Their only chance to save the universe might be saving their worst enemies.

Chapter 1: I Found Someone Who Can Help

Summary:

Yelena disobeys Bucky's advice, but what will be the cost?

Watchtower (Formerly Avengers Tower): New York, Summer 2028

 

 

"So you know that old flash drive we found in the old safe in the hidden room...." said Yelena, turning excitedly to Ava. 

"The safe you broke into? With what was it? Some kinda plastic explosives?!" chimed in John Walker. ]

"Shut up Walker! She wasn't talking to you!" said Ava "Yeah, what about it? Its so heavily encrypted we weren't able to read what's on it anyway!" 

"That's where it gets better!" said Yelena again, putting aside her box of noodles. "I may have found someone who can help us!" 

"Why are you so interested in that thing anyway?" asked Walker again. 

Yelena gave him a withering stare: "because if it was that well hidden there's must be something on it that's interesting. Something the person that made it didn't anyone to see.." 

"Bucky said to leave well alone" remarked Ava, finishing her food too. "He seemed worried" 

"I know" said Yelena "but don't you want to at least look? What harm can it do? Its probably just Tony Stark's dirty videos or something" 

 

---

 

The Following Day 

 

Riri Williams took less than 2 hours to get past the first layer of decryption on the flash drive. Then all the files on it were encrypted too. 

"Someone liked their security" she muttered, touching various items on a sceeen. 

"You think you can open any of them?" asked Yelena, watching her in rapt fascination from behind her. She'd taken the Flash Drive to the garage the MIT student used as a lab, instead of having her come to the Tower. 

"'Course I can" said Riri confidently,  "but its gonna cost you more". 

"Whatever you want" replied Yelena. She liked this girl. She knew what she wanted and had no problems getting it. 

Half an hour later, Riri whooped in triumph : "I am so in! Which files d'you want? There's like hundreds of them here..."? 

"How much will all of them cost?" grinned Yelena

"its gonna be $5000 at least... but because I like you I will do you a special deal...." began Riri

"How about I give you $12,000 for everything, You get the money in 10 minutes and I take home a new flash drive with all the decrypted files tonight?" said Yelena 

Riri whistled. "Deal!" she exclaimed, rushing to transfer the contents of the original flash drive "but no money, no files.." 

"Don't worry, I'll get it for you right now. Just let me make a call or two" Yelena reassured her, picking up the burner phone

Ten minutes later the money was in Williams bank account. A hour later Yelena had her brand new drive with all the copies of her files and the original one. She'd had no trouble getting the money. She hadn't expected to.

Valentina would give her any amount, no questions asked. In seconds. Extorting your boss had its perks. 

"You can't hide from me anymore Stark"  thought Yelena, secreting away both the tiny objects in her suit. She didn't tell anyone, but she hadn't really found the flash drive in the safe.  That would have been too obvious. It contained only documents and a decoy flash  drive. It took her ages, but she eventually found it hidden under the floor in another room altogether. It must've been *his* room. He wanted to keep his secrets close. Men like him always did. That's how she'd guessed where to look. 

Stark. She almost spat thinking of him. She hated the bastard for what he'd done to her sister and to Bucky.  If he wasn't dead, she'd probably have killed him herself.

Natasha told her how the first time she met the billionaire he'd leered at her like a peice of meat. Tried to touch her up. Made endless suggestive remarks. She had to take it because she was undercover. Until she didn't. When Nick Fury decided it was time to reveal her true identity,  she made sure that creep never touched her again. 

What was it with American men thinking they had a right to treat women like that? Well, not all. Walker had some delusion about getting his wife back. Bob probably didn't even know what sex was, and then there was Bucky. He  was always respectful: then again he was also a dinosaur. 

It wasn't just that though. Natasha said that even though she'd learned to work with Stark and maybe respect him, she'd never trusted him. Not like she trusted Steve Roger, Nick Fury and Clint Barton. He was slippery, and it seemed like she always had something to hide. And then, when the Sokovia Accords came into being, he'd stabbed her in the back. 

She'd supported him, been on his side, even though it went against everything she believed in. For the sake of the team she'd even fought her own friends. Then the bastard had the audacity to accuse her of disloyalty: because she wouldn't allow him to have his own way. Because she wouldn't let Steve Rogers be killed for nothing. For a worthless peice of paper he couldn't even keep and got repealed anyway. Because she wouldn't let Bucky die for a crime he didn't even commit. 

He'd torn his entire team apart. Injured his best friend: and his damned ego still wouldn't let him accept he was wrong. Wouldn't let him admit defeat. He's asked Natasha to find Bruce Banner. After all that, he assumed Bruce would help him and work for Ross. Ross! The man who ruined his life, hunted him like an animal. It was like asking her to work for Dreykov. 

When Natasha had refused Stark and thrown her suffering in her face. Mocked her. Taunted her. He was using her all along. 

Then they said *he* had died saving the world. He'd taken the credit even then. Ignoring what her sister did. How she'd died to bring back half the universe. She had to find that out from Clint Barton. Her sister had nothing. Not even a funeral. Stark  and his family acted like Natasha never existed and her death meant nothing. If Stark could lie about that. what else had he lied about? 

As she landed on the platform at the Watchtower, she hoped she was about to find out. 

 

 

Chapter 2: You Don't Wanna Do This

Summary:

Bucky told them not to bother with that flash drive. They might just live to regret it..

Notes:

This chapter is dialog heavy and long but bear with me. There's some shocking revelations - or maybe not so shocking.

Watchtower (Formerly Avengers Tower) 

 

"Bucky's back" whispered Ava as she appeared next to Yelena apparently from nowhere. 

"What?" Exclaimed. Yelena, surprised for once in her life, and not at Ava phasing through the wall.  "He was meant to be gone another two days!" 

"Well, he's back early" said Yelena "and I don't think he's very happy because he seems grumpier than usual" 

Great. So now Yelena was going to either have to lie about where she'd been or just get on with finding out what was on the flash drive in front of Bucky. She'd got the others interested already, so opted for the latter. 

She sighed inwardly. Bucky had told them to throw the thing away, and she actually didn't like going against his wishes. Even though most of the team members hadn't even set eyes on each other until like 6 months ago they all respected Bucky Barnes. Some even liked him. Yelena did, though she'd never admit it. 

Thier de facto leader had more to recommend him than Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. He'd bought them together. He'd given them all a second chance. He'd looked out for them and had their backs. He had given Yelena that last push when she= when they all had been trapped in that place. That place of darkness, terror and pain with Bob.

The Void. 

James Buchanan Barnes had done so much for her that he least she could do was repay the favor. By like.... listening to him. She had listened, she just hadn't done as he'd said. It was the first time and the last. She hoped. 

As she entered the main living area of the Tower, she saw Bucky sitting with his head resting on his metal arm, looking down at a touchpad. Walker was sitting opposite, talking and being ignored. Bob was somewhere off in the corner. Probably reading a book. 

Dad was nowhere to be seen, probobly off doing some PR stunt. 

Great: only most of the team were here. This was going to be awkward. 

"You're back!" said Walker, in his usaal annoyingly cheerful tone "hey, did you get help with the flash drive" 

This time Yelena sighed audibly and winced. 

"Way to drop me in it, Walker..." she mutted. 

Bucky looked up. He glowered. "Would this be the flash drive you found last month which I specifically told you not to bother about?", he asked. 

"Yup" interpolated Walker "we didn't listen" 

"Yeah, THANKS for that Walker" said Yelena. "In my defense, I did forget about it until I heard about a kid who might be able to decrypt it. I went to see her today", bringing out the two drives. 

She went over and put the decrypted one into the computers. 

"How did you work these screens again"? She asked about the holographic projectors, 

Ava had come over and was looking over her shoulder: "Some of these are old.  I mean really old. Like 1940s, 1970s. They're just photos of the files. They're not going to work with such modern tech" 

Bucky hadn't moved. He seemed rooted to the spot. Staring. 

"What even are these anyway?" asked Ava, running her finger along a touchpad. 

"Wait!" she paused, zooming in on one image "Is that the SHIELD insignia- but that makes no sense they collapsed years ago..."

 

 

---

 

Bucky froze. Ava's voice trailed off. 

He wanted to run over, yank that flash drive out and throw it out the window, but he couldn't. 

Was it fear? Anticipation? Trauma? He didn't know. 

Well, he did know what was in the files- or at least guessed what might be. The one thing he'd never told anyone. Not even Steve. 

Tony Stark's darkest secret. 

He thought Stark would have destroyed the evidence. Erase all trace fron the face of the earth, just like he'd once tried to erase Bucky himself. Then Yelena had found the drive. Not in the safe, he knew she'd lied about that. She's been sneaking around hte rooms for ages. She'd found it in one of Stark's rooms. 

He closed and opened his eyes. 

Everyone assumed his Shame Rooms in The Void had involved HYDRA's torture, or his missions as the Winter Soldier. Some had, but not the last. The worst. He'd been trapped in a room with Steve, muzzled. Unable to speak. Just when he'd plucked up the courage to tell Steve. Finally tell him what he should have told him all along his speech had been cut off. Then Stark... or maybe it was Pierce came and started punching Steve. 

He was tied, held back by some invisible restraint and couldn't do a thing as his enemy taunted him. 

"Coward. Fool. What made you think you could stop us? Did you thnk he could save you? He can't even save himself! We own him too and he doesn't even know it!" 

Images from the past and his past rolled in front of him. Events HYDRA had orchestrated. Zola's voice hissed from his subconscious like a demonic narrator to the scenes before him. 

"Everything you and Steve Rogers fought for, died for, as in vain. He thought he bought us down? We aren't gone! Cut off one head, three will rise in its place. 

When everyone thought HYDRA fell out greatest asset remained, hidden in plain sight. Working behind the scenes to restore us to power. And you knew. You could have bought him down with a single word. You could have told Rogers, but you didn't. You  Sergeant Barnes are a coward.  In your silence is our strength.

Thanks to you, peace and order will be restored. Mankind will once again exchange the lie that is freedom for the security only we can give. HYDRA will be restored to thier rightful place as rulers of the perfected human race. For the rest of time. 

HAIL HYDRA!

 

---

 

"Please stop" choked out Bucky, Quietly. So quiet they must not have heard. 

He blinked again. For a moment he was back in the glass cell in Germany pleading with Zemo.  He shook his head, pinched his forehead. 

Then he said again, loudly: "Stop! Whatever is on that drive, you don't want to read it!" 

Yelena and Ava pivoted and looked at him. 

"Do you know what's in it? Whe can't we read it" Yelena asked. 

"There are some corners of the past you don't want to dig up, Yelena" said Bucky "this might be one of them". He got up, and began walking r over. 

Yelena yanked one of the flash drives out and put it back in her pocket. Just in case. Bucky stopped a few feet away fron herm and stood with his arms crossed. He was never prone to intimidation tactics, and wasn't about to use them now. He took a step back and then slackened up

"Look" he said, letting his arms fall by his side "I won't force you to do anything, or not do it. We've all had enough of that kinda shit, but I am *advising* you. Don't dig too deep. Please. For all our sakes" 

Yelena was several inches shorter than Bucky, even though she was very capable of taking him down. She looked up at him and with the softest voice she usually only used with Bob said "I know you mean well Bucky, but I need to do this. Besides I paid $12,000 to get that thing decrypted". She added that last part with a smile. 

I swear if I'd ever had kids, they'd have been just like her... thought Bucky. Alexei was her "father" but Yelena had done the "please dad" routine on him, and dammit, it worked. Who could deny he deny those sorrowful green eyes anything? 

He sighed, and withdrew back to his seat "okay. Just don't say I didn't warn you. I don't want any more trouble for you. For any of us" 

She put the flash drive back in its slot and replied "I know. If there's any pushback because of what's on this, I will deal with it. I won't make any of you. 

At that point, Walker chimed it "Hey, there's no "I" in team.  We'll deal with it together!" 

"That's what I'm worried about" muttered Bucky, loud enough for John to hear, but not the others. 

"Well that was close" said a disembodied voice from somewhere "I don't wanna stay if we're gonna start fighting". 

Ava turned and looked behind the couches to see Bob's face emerging from his corner "He can SPEAK!" she quipped. Her British accent adding to the sarcasm "Did you know it talked? I thought he just sat there silently. Like a gaurd dog or a Sentry of some kind.." 

"Very funny Ava" said Bob, grabbing up his milkshake and joining John on the large couch. "What is this stuff you're all arguing about anyway?" 

"I will have you know I still have bruises from the last time you beat us all up, MR SENTRY, so don't you even talk about fighting!" returned Ava

"Shut up you two" snapped Yelena "Hello, Ava? The files? You said you saw a SHIELD emblem?! 

"oh yeah"... she said, and returned to the computers "lost my place when you pulled the flash drive out" she scrolled for a minute or so then said "Yup, definately SHIELD. Recognize those bastards anywhere" 

She zoomed in "That's weird. What are all these figures? Payments? Transactions?. Come to think of it why are there SHIELD files in Tony Stark's flash drive?" 

Yelena spoke up then "I might know something about that. Natasha told me that Stark once downloaded SHIELD's entire database. I think she said it was when the Chitauri invaded with Loki. So the Battle of New York" 

Ava looked up "Wait, that was like, 2012? So this flash drive has been there for what? 15 years? And why keep it in the safe if everyone knew he had the files?" 

"That's the weird part" said Yelena "She also said all trace of the files he had disappeared afterwards. The other thing she couldn't understand is if he saw the database why didn't they discover the HYDRA infilration earlier..." 

"Wait, what?" said Bob, who'd stopped slurping and was staring wide-eyed "HYDRA infiltrated SHIELD?" 

Everyone turned and stared at him. 

"How can anyone not know?" that was Yelena. 

"It was only the biggest politcal scandal in history" added Ava " What with two giant helicarriers above DC, Captain America falling into the Potomac, Any of this ringing a bell?" 

"Hey I was like 12" said Bob, shrugging "I had other things to worry about" 

"So did we alll" said Walker "but everyone still knows. Most of us downloaded the files Black Widow leaked" 

"Hey, I remember the helicarriers" said Bob "just not the HYDRA thing. There were really in SHIELD? Wow.... does that mean....?" he trailed off, glancing at Bucky. 

"Yeah, we're not going there" said Yelena. "over and done. The past. We're all friends now. What I want to know is why Stark had all these files and why he was keeping so quiet about them after everything went public" 

"It is suspicious" said Ava, going back to her scrolling "Maybe he forgot? or didn't think it mattered when everything was leaked anyway only 2 years later?" 

"That doesn't make any sense" added Bob, putting down his empty cup "I mean if it was all made public and he had the same files, why'd he keep his copies secret?" 

"Natasha said..." started Yelena. 

"What....?" asked the others at once. 

"Well, she said that she noticed a day or so later that there were random gaps. Like some files were missing..." 

"WHAT?!" shouted Ava suddenly "Look at this!" 

Yelena leaned over.... "is that? With him? Why?" 

"What? What is it?" asked Walker. 

Ava turned a screen towards them, it showed a fuzzy but still decipherable still image of two men sitting together, apparently engaged in conversation. Alexander Pierce --- and Tony Stark. 

"Pierce and Stark? I thought they didn't know each other. Is there a timestamp?" asked Walker. 

"The image is old but...... the folder it was in says December 2012. Like a few months after New York" said Yelena "and before Natasha's leak". 

"Can you get the projectors working, there's some more images here" asked Yelena again. 

"I'll try" muttered Ava. 

"Let me" said Bob "Don't need telekenesis for that, I had computer tech lessons at school.." 

"Got it" said Ava before he could finish, and bought up the image on a large screen. "Yup that's definately Stark, and apparently Alexander Pierce, the late anned not-at-all lamented head of SHIELD, a.k.a bloody Nazi HYDRA scum. They look very very, very cosy too" 

"Shit" mutterred Walker. .

"There's a lot of these images. I don't know where they were taken. Here maybe? It looks like someone's lounge...there's a sideboard in the background. Maybe a bar?" remarked Ava. "They weren't taken with a normal camera. Low resolution. I'd say a small, hidden one" 

"Maybe a phone?" suggested Walker. 

"Don't be stupid. Like Pierce was gonna let Stark just whip out his phone and take a picture. Besides the angle is wrong" replied Yelena curtly. "..and its not likely these were taken here. What little I can see of the room layout its totally different. More likely Stark's private residence. I'm sure he had more than one house. He was a billionaire after all" 

Ava nodded "makes sense actually. Easier to bug your own house then a place like this, its too well-known for a secret meeting". She looked down again "And what are these? There's MP3 files in here too?" 

"Audio or video files" suggested Bob. 

Yelena played them and turned the volume up. "Its long" she said. "Like more than 20 minutes" 

"Let me see" said Ava, skipping fowards. Most of the sound was static, or indecipherable noises, but then... a voice a few words. 

 

....................compromising..... return them or...... reptutatation....

 

Then Stark's voice. That was clearer ".. try and blackmail me Pierce. I'm the only one...... hey I was kidding" 

"...hardly a laughing matter. HYDRA are not happy..... New York...." 

Ava  paused the file. Skipped back 10 seconds and played it again. "DId I just hear what I thought I heard?" 

 

"laughing matter. HYDRA are not happy ......New York...  HYDRA need.....Loki was a setback, and now Rogers is back..... dangerous...." 

 

"He just mentioned HYDRA. To Stark. In 2012" said Ava

"...and Stark doesn't sound at all surprised" said Yelena. "What else can we hear?" 

 

Stark again "...... threaten me. I can blow your whole caboodle out the water with one word to Nick Fury bud. Most of your stuff is still.... one leak....  how is Senator Sterns these days?..

......"hurt you too Stark. We didn't get you those contracts for nothing.... and of course Howard...

....."Don't you dare bring that up! I didn't know she would be there too!..... have no proof!" 

...."files are still there. Russians..... keep record..... Winter Sold... "

..... deep frozen Terminator, bud. I know about all that. And I made sure nothing incriminating was in .... all mine. You got nothing on me. I made sure of that". 

..."are you recording?"

 

Stark must've moved closer to the device he was using, because the rest of the audio was crystal clear. 

 

"Course I am! All this little conversation is on tape. Just in case. You leave me alone, I leave you alone. You know the mutually beneficial deal we have" 

"You're treading on dangerous ground Stark. We don't take well to being strung along by men like you who don't take their commitment seriously"- Pierce again. 

"Guys like me are your main funders, don't you forget that. Your hocus pocus would be done long ago without me. And don't forget the brand spanking new laser tech I'm designing for you" - Stark. 

"Project INSIGHT will change the world Stark, and your role will be remembered- as long as you don't play anymore games like you did hacking the database and that stunt with the nuke". - Pierce 

"Didn't want to blow my cover. Especially not in front of that goody-two-shoes, Rogers. Now the whole world saw Tony Stark "make the sacrifice play". Nobody suspects a hero" - Stark. 

"There are no heroes, Stark, and no villians. Those concepts are meaningless. There is only those who bring peace and order in the chaos. Make sure you pick which kind of person you want to be. - Pierce.  

"You know which side I am. I wanna keep America and the world safe.- Stark 

"Well, you just make sure you do nothing to harm our cause. You have anything, you sit on it, you complete your designs for Project INSIGHT and then you never see me again" - Pierce 

"Dont't worry, I promise to be a good boy from now on. No more dangerous stunts. No more hacking. I only took the files about little me. Your system was hard to break into by the way. great security and now you know how to make it even better - Stark 

"Then we have an understanding. Good. I won't keep you. Have a good day Stark. Hail HYDRA" - Pierce. 

....... "Yeah, yeah Hail HYDRA, God bless America.... Happy Christmas and all that" - Stark .

 

 

The rest of the recording was Pierce leaving and indecipherable sounds. No more conversation. 

 

Yelena stared at Ava, and then at the others, but it was Bob who broke the silence: "What the hell did I just hear"? 

"Yeah, it sounded a lot like Tony Stark knew about *everything* Pierce was up to and was FUNDING it" said Ava. 

"Was that even real?" said Bob "that was the flash drive you found? Nothing edited?" 

"All real. Williams merely decrypted the files. She didn't cut them or edit them" replied Yelena, feeling slightly light- headed. 

"Crap" whispered Bob

"Yes" said Ava. "Yelena, this is huge. This could be the biggest revelation since Natasha's data dump. We can't just keep this quiet" 

Suddenly Walker chimed in "Let's not leap to conclusions. All we really have is a single conversation that shows he knew about Project INSIGHT....." 

"No there's more. Way more" said Ava. "Don't you remember some of the files dated back decades? Long before New York", she took up her datapad, then put it down again "Wait, go to halfway through again.. another 10 seconds" 

 

......" Winter Sold .... frozen terminators" 

 

Ava paused it, skipped back and played that section again, then she looked over at the men. "Bucky, you were frozen, right, because I can't think of anything they can be referring to except the Winter Soldier Project" 

Bucky  was silent for a few seconds. Then said "Yes, in Siberia at first, then in America and yes- he knew" 

Yelena asked "Say that again. Stark knew about the Winter Soldier Project? When? For how long". 

Bucky inhaled deeply, no point holding back now. 

"He knew about the Winter Soldier Project. He knew a lot of other things too- because Stark was HYDRA. He was HYDRA the whole time" 

 

 

Chapter 3: Supplementary Material: A Transcript of the Recorded Conversation betwween Tony Stark and Alexander Pierce

Summary:

A rough transcript of the conversation betwen Tony Stark and Alexander Pierce which the New Avengers heard.

Don't know who made this transcript. Maybe Bucky, maybe Bob or even Sam Wilson when they were deciding what to do with the material they found.

Notes:

Wrote this to help clarify what was and wasn't part of the recording in the last chapter. Since transcripts are usually more detailed a few more lines are included here. I did try to make images to match the ones the team found... but Alas my AI isn't as good as the MCU.

##Audio Recording, made unknown location but believed to be private residence of Anthony Stark (deceased), possibly in Tampa, Florida, December 2012##

Transcript Rendered, 17th August 2027, New York, North America, Earth (616). 

 

<2 Minutes static. Noises not human speech. Clinking of glasses? Moving furniture?> 

<Sound maybe door opening.. Distant voices, much inaudible. 

Voice 1: Identified as Tony Stark: <inaudible>... seat..... you want a drink? B........ 

Voice 2: Identified as Alexander Pierce: <inaudible> ........."social call. Where................." 

TS: <clinking or pouring noises> "Suit yourself... <inaudible> what you think I have.... I nearly died you know. 

AP: "Cut the bullshit Stark, you know..... you downloaded when you hacked.... "<inaudible>

TS: <inaudible> "why would I? Leverage.... " 

AP: <7s inaudible>....................compromising..... return them or...... reputation. You can't afford.... <inaudible>

TS:<5 seconds inaudible>... try and blackmail me Pierce. I'm the only one keeping .... <unidentified sound maybe someone moving around>......  hey I was kidding. You can stop <coughs or clears throat>" 

AP "...... hardly a laughing matter. HYDRA are not happy..... stunt in New York..... HYDRA need be be sure y....    Loki was a setback, and now Rogers is back..... dangerous...." <rest inaudible>

TS <inaudible> "threaten me. I can blow your whole caboodle out the water with one word to Nick Fury bud. Most of your stuff is still.... one leak....  how is Senator Sterns these days?

AP: <inaudible> "hurt you too Stark. We didn't get you those contracts for nothing.. all your contacts, and of course if ....  Howard <unaudible> little accident" 

TS: <unidentified sound like glass smashing> "Don't you dare bring that up! I didn't know she  <inaudible sounds like "there too in"> ..... have no proof!" 

AP: <3s inaudible> .."files are still there. Russians..... keep record..... Winter Soldier... <inaudible> "

TS: <3s inaudible> ...deep frozen Terminator, bud. I know about all that. And I made sure nothing incriminating was in .... all mine. You got nothing on me. I made sure of that". 

AP; <unidentied sound, 2s inaudible speech> ..... are you recording?"

<Series of unidentified sound, 5 seconds, sounds like an expletive by one of the 2 parties> 

TS: "Course I am! All this little conversation is on tape. Just in case. You leave me alone, I leave you alone. You know the mutually beneficial deal we have" 

AP: "You're treading on dangerous ground Stark. We don't take well to being strung along by men like you who don't take their commitment seriously". 

TS: "Guys like me are your main funders, don't you forget that. Your hocus pocus would be done long ago without me. And don't forget the brand spanking new laser tech I'm designing for you". 

AP: : "Project INSIGHT will change the world Stark, and your role will be remembered.... as long as you don't play anymore games like you did hacking the database and that stunt with the nuke". 

TS: <inaudible>..... want to blow my cover. Especially not in front of that goody-two-shoes, Rogers. Now the whole world saw Tony Stark "make the sacrifice play. Nobody suspects a hero". 

AP: "There are no heroes, Stark, and no villians. Those concepts are meaningless. There is only those who bring peace and order in the chaos. Make sure you pick which kind of person you want to be" 

TS: "You know which side I am. I wanna keep America and the world safe.." 

AP: "Well, you just make sure you do nothing to harm our cause. You have ......  you sit on it, you complete your designs for Project INSIGHT and then you never see me again"

TS: "Dont't worry, I promise to be a good boy from now on. No more dangerous stunts. No more hacking. I only took the files about little me. Your system was hard to break into by the way..  great security and now you know how to make it even better" 

AP: "Goddamit, Stark, they could have seen anything... 

TS: "Like I said, I only took anything that could make me look bad, and my hack shows the weaknesses in your system. Now you can get someone to improve it. I might know a certain genius... " 

AP: "..one of these days Stark I swear your ego is going to be the death of you. Nevertheless we have an understanding for now" 

TS:  <unidentified sound ...."Boyscouts honor" 

AP: "Good. I won't keep you. Have a good day Stark"<unidentified sound> Hail HYDRA"

TS: <inaudible> .....Hail HYDRA, God bless America.... Happy Christmas and all that"

<3 minutes unidentified sounds>

TS: ..."Stupid old fool thinking he can order me around... JARVIS end the recording and make a hard copy"  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 4: What are we going to do now...

Summary:

Folllowing the big reveal in Chapter 2 the team decide what to do next. Turns out, a lot of people are interested in what they found.

Nobody spoke, maybe for a minute. Perhaps two. 

"Tony Stark was HYDRA" said Yelena at last. "Why doesn't this shock me? I never could stand that man. Wait.... did Natasha know?" she turned around and asked Bucky

"I don't know. Maybe. She probably suspected. We didn't really have all that much to do with each other" Bucky said with an awkward smile. 

"How long have you known? Who did you tell?" asked Ava

"Woah with the interrogation" interruped Walker again. "Let's think about this. A lot of people still think well of Stark, if this gets out its not gonna be popular. 

Bucky sighed. "As much as I hate to admit it, Walker has a point. our credibility isn't great as it is and if what you have becomes public, well we can't gaurantee its gonna be well recieved. People are probably going to think we made this up to slander the reputation of the Avengers and Stark" 

Then he leaned back and added more quietly. "I've known since my memories started coming back, probably since about 2016. Nobody ever kept me in the loop of course but sometimes my handlers would mention someon called The Heir, or Fafnir. Yeah, that was thier codename for him.  When I got out it took me a while but I worked out it was him- with a little help from some of the stuff Natasha leaked. I happen to be fluent in Russian, so that helped" 

Yelena nodded "Now it makes sense. His support of the Accords, Ultron. Why he wasn't there when my sister and Steve Rogers took down HYDRA. All of them an attempt to control the world or force people into his version of "peace", no matter the cost" 

Bucky spoke then "Sam and I read the Accords once just before they got repealed. I mean, he read them before I think but I wanted to know more, so we found the text online. They're terrible. Cumpolsory registration and monitoring, blood samples- and if you don't submit they could  imprison you for life. No trial, no lawyer, no appeal, nothing. Just in the Raft forever. Even kids. There was no lower age limit" 

Walker spoke then "Some people would say that was a good thing. To protect the public from people like us superhuman freaks. Honestly, I don't think I'd want a Hulk rampaging through my city for all I think Bruce Banner is a great guy" 

"...and that's the trouble with that kind of thinking" said Bucky "Did you know our recently resigned President was the man who did that to Banner in the first place? No? Its like all of us. Every one of us has been used by the someone like him in some way or another, and then they come along promising to save the public from the very "freaks" they made. It's never really about the public. Its about power. THey want to control us, use us as their weapons so they can increase thier own power" 

"Yes it makes me mad because I once left everyone I loved behind to fight a war to stop people like that. People like HYDRA, Ross and Arnim Zola and look where it got me". He sighed, and then got up and walked over to a cupboard at the other nd of the room, got out a large glass and filled it with some whiskey that been stashed there. It was four or five times the normal amount that people drank. He knew the team members thought he drank way too much, but he didn't care. 

"You know what the best part is? The stuff that Nazi bastard Zola put in me back in "44 means I can't actually get drunk. I've tried. Many, many times, but no matter how many bottles of Yelena's Vodka I down I can't even get slightly inebriated" 

"I actually thought you just had a very high tolerance for booze, or it was just due to all those years in Russia" Yelena said, walking over. "What else have we got here?" she started looking in a few more cupboards, and found a half-empty bottle. 

"Here's to the fucking Red Room, and SHIELD, Zola, Stark and all the other people who fucked us up!" she raised her glass, and clinked it with Bucky's. "Fucking cheers" he said.

"No you can't have drink Bob because you are only a child, but here's one for Ava and one for Walker" said Yelena, mixing the remaining Vodka and sliding glasses across a countertop. "You can all join our pity party for messed up people in honor of all the above..." 

"I'm 28" protested Bob "and I was taking far worse than Vodka when I was 16". 

"You know that reminds me" said Bucky again "You know what happened to Zola after the war? You're gonna love this. Howard Stark recruited him into SHIELD. I knew him too. Howard Stark. Guy made Steve Rogers shield and just around the time he took my left arm, Howard was getting all cosy with him"

"Wow" said Yelena "that is just.... even more fucked up still. Another Stark sharing a bed with them. Seems to run in the family. Wonder if they'll recruit his daughter some day..." 

Ava spoke then "You know, the government chased Hank Pym because of the Accords. He wouldn't hand over his suits to the government. He didn't trust them, probably a good idea. You don't know Hank, Bucky, but I think you might know his protege, Scott Lang" 

"You mean Ant-Guy?" said Bob? "He's so cool. Can he really shrink down to the size of an ant?" 

"It's Ant-Man" said Eva "and yes he can. He can blow himself up too, so can Hank, Janet and Cassie, Scott's daughter now too. Anyone who has his suits can do it but that's not why I bought him up" 

"Before I was so rudely interrupted" she said "Hank Pym always hated Tony Stark too.  Well, really his father but Tony by extension. Do you know why he left SHIELD? It was because he feared Howard Stark would use his discovery for weapons. He was-is- basically a pacifist. Turns out he was right. Twice over. Never trust a Stark. The fact he suffered from the Accords as well just proves the point. Tony Stark was evil, and that alone makes me think he deserves to be exposed. Just like we exposed Val. Not that it did any good. I can't believe they still cleared her. Nonetheless I am in a vengeful mood" 

"That's the point though" said Bucky, on his third quadruple whiskey "exposing Val did nothing. The impeachment panel still didn't find her guilty, and she still managed to keep her claws in the CIA. She probably just bribed or blackmailed everyone. People like her are untouchable. Stark was like that too. Its why I didn't spill the beans. What's the point exposing him now"? 

"Maybe, just maybe, it could stop whatever remnants of HYDRA still exist getting to the daughter though" remarked Ava. "What is she like 9 now? I reckon it won't be long before they try. I was 13 when SHIELD first approached me" 

"Hmmm, its worth consideration I guess. Pepper always seemed to have a streak of decency. I doubt she knew what he was up to. Maybe I'll speak to Sam Wilson in a day or two" said Bucky. 

"Meanwhile, let's just get absolutely blind drunk" remarked Yelena "I have another 5 bottles here which wont drink themselves..... how about a contest? Like before" 

"No way" said Bob "Last time Walker tried to kiss Ava, and I am not going to witness that again. Apparently his serum doesn't stop him getting drunk" 

"I did not! No way did I do that!" piped up Walker. 

"You did" said Bucky. "You were crying about your wife and then you tried to kiss Ava because you thought she looked like her. She punched you in the face" 

"Yeah, let's not" said Bob "...cos I remember it too and after she punched Walker, Yelena got involved and I ended up having to come between you. I think I accidentally knocked you all out" 

"So You did give me my bruise!" shouted a tipsy Ava "I knew it!" 

 

---

 

Sam Wilson came 2 days later. By that time, they'd gone through all the files and found even more incriminating material. Payments from HYDRA contacts and people in the government as Ava correctly surmised. Even a short video proving Jasper Sitwell had warned Tony to be away from Stark Tower on the day Project INSIGHT was due to be put into action. That was the most recent file. So apparently Stark had added a few more to the ones he stole from the SHIELD database, but stopped soon after they collapsed and hidden what he had. 

"Buck, this is insane" said Sam, after listening to the conversations with Pierce and Sitwell. "This... this could change everything" 

"I don't see how" said Bucky "Stark's been dead for years" 

"Wait, did you know?" asked his friend. "Did you tell Steve?" 

"No. I never told anyone. I'm sorry Sam, I  was too much of a coward" he sighed. 

"You're a lot of things Bucky, you're as annoying as hell, but one thing you're not is a coward" Sam told him 

"No, I am" said Bucky "HYDRA didn't end in 2014 Sam. There were still so many of their people everywhere. You and I both know that from when we found that Doctor in Madripoor a few years ago. If I'd just told Steve he might've done something. Helped me take them down properly this time" 

"When exactly did you have the chance?" said Sam "You couldn't just write hin a letter when you were in hiding, or send him a text from Wakanda "Weather's real nice here, by the way watch out for Stark- he's HYDRA!"

Bucky sighed again. "I nearly told him after everything that happened before we went to Wakanda. After Siberia, but Stark beat me up so bad and Steve- Steve he was heartbroken at the loss of the friendship.  It didn't seem right somehow" 

Sam raised an eyebrow "Shit... Bucky I just had a thought. You don't think Stark tried to kill you because you knew?" 

Bucky paused. "You know, you may have a point. As usual. He never seemed overly pissed about his father, but he was very keen to ask what I remembered. He even asked Steve if he knew.... I thught he meant something else but maybe...." 

Sam nodded "There was always something off about that. Who could possibly have known about Howard Stark's serum except an insider. I always wondered if it was someone in SHIELD or his company who tipped off the Soviets and now that recording. Pierce definately mentioned Howard even if I couldn't hear the rest of the sentence, and Stark seemed *really* pissed". Like he hit a raw nerve" 

"Maybe Pierce was just was taunting him with it?" suggested Bucky. "He was a sadistic bastard, especially with me.." 

"No, remember what he said? "Don't you dare bring that up!-" Like there was something he was mad about, or felt guilty about" 

"That;s the very thing I hoped you weren't gonna come up with" said Bucky quietly. 

"Why" asked Sam? 

Bucky ran his hand through his hair and looked around. He'd made sure the others didn't interrupt his meeting with Sam but he didn't fully trust them to keep to it. 

"HYDRA had a nickname for Stark, Fafnir. Unusual choice right"? said Bucky 

"Yeah, sounds like a gay French fashion designer" laughed Sam

Bucky laughed too. "I don't think HYDRA were too keen on any of the above.  "When I got out" continued "it was one of the things that I remembered because apparently its German and everything else was in Russian. Even my trigger words were Russian" 

"Russian, German. Did they just implant all those langauges in you or did you learn them?" asked Sam. 

"German was a leftover from the Second World War I think" said Bucky. "Steve learned some too. It was kinda necessary. Anyway, I became a bit obsessed with it at one point. Finding out why they had one Codename for one guy that was German in the Russian branch of HYDRA. Well one day I found out...." 

"Go on" said Sam. "It won't leave this room if it doesn't have to. I promise" 

Bucky took deep breath "At first I thought it because of all that Nazi shit HYDRA were once into but the codename only started appearing the 1990s, long after Zola died" 

Sam nodded but kept listening. 

"It turns out its from some German or Viking Myth, I forget which but I looked it up and well... Fafnir was the name of a Dwarf from this myth. His father got given a magic Ring that turned things to gold by Loki of all people. I know. As in THE Loki" 

Sam Whistled at that "The Same Loki who invaded in 2012 when the world found out all those Norse gods actually existed but were just aliens.." 

"Yup" said Bucky "Him. Anyway, Fafnir..... well. He got greedy.  He murdered his father to get hold of his magic cursed ring and got turned into a dragon for his trouble" 

"What's all this got to do with Stark though?" asked Sam. "Seems like there's no connection" 

Bucky paused: "Sam. They named him after a guy in mythology who killled his own father because he got greedy and wanted his money. That can't be an accident. You said you wondered who tippped off the Soviet's about Stark's serum and got him killed/ Well that mystery might be solved. I think it was Anthony Stark. Sam- I think he betrayed his own father" 

Sam stared open mouthed for several seconds. "Shit..." he said "and you said in this legend his father got given a gift by Loki, right?" 

"Yeah?" said Bucky. 

"Bucky, Loki came to earth because he wanted The Tesseract. The Tesseract which Howard Stark found in the sea. The Tesseract which Howard Stark wanted to harness the power of- and this Fafnir guy killed his father to get the thing that Loki gave him?" 

This time Bucky swore "Fuck...  you don't think? I said I thought he did it but I didn't really believe it. Nobody can really be that bad... can they?" 

Sam said "Bucky you are not that naive. You know what people are capable of. Especially when there's money and power involved and what you've said... it makes everything fit into place. Tony Stark told the Soviets about his father's serum. Tony Stark was the reason he got killed. He must've done it to get his company or even- maybe he did it to get access to the Tesseract. or maybe he thought they'd share the formula for the serum with him" 

Then he said "And what he regrets is they killed his mom as well. It was meant to look like a car accident right? Maybe she wasn't meant to be there..." 

"Fuck" said Bucky again."You're right again. As usual. I don't care to relive that fight in Siberia but at one point I think Stark started ranting about his mom. Never mentioned his dad, didn't seem to care but his mom...that and demanding to know what I remembered".

He paused again as Sam shook his head in shock, then said "So not only was Stark HYDRA, which I knew all along by the way... but you've just confirmed my worst fear. He was also a patricidal maniac who got his own parents killed. And they used me to do the deed. Just to be ironic..." 

There was a crashing sound. Ava Starr suddenly materialized in her full Ghost getup, crouchiing on ground as she tripped over something. She'd been listening in, invisible for the last minute or so after she'd phased through the wall. Again. 

Chapter 5: A Visitor and a Proposal

Summary:

Doctor Strange appears at the Watchtower with an offer to make..

The Watchtower’s common room hummed with the low drone of a coffee machine and the flicker of a newsfeed on a cracked holo-screen. Ava Starr slammed her laptop shut, the Stark Industries logo vanishing. “Stark is all over the bloody news. Again. For like the millionth time this week,” she said, her British accent sharpening her exasperation.

Nearly a month had passed since the team had read the flash drive files. After Bucky discussed it with Sam —without Ava eavesdropping, for once, since her earlier slip—they’d agreed to leak select files to trusted government contacts and media outlets. Not a full data dump like Natasha’s, but enough for transparency. Sam, as Captain America, took the lead; it carried more weight coming from him than the former Winter Soldier.

Sam had called it a matter of public interest. “People exploited by Stark Industries deserve the truth,” he’d said. Tony may have died saving the world in 2023, but his legacy was a tangle of brilliance and betrayal. The reaction was chaotic: Rhodey and the New Avengers backed Sam, Nick Fury nodded approval, but Pepper Potts and Happy Hogan hit back in the press, denouncing “slanderous accusations.” The Stark Estate’s spokeswoman promised the New York Times, Sam, and “the former Winter Soldier” would hear from their lawyers.

“Did they call Bucky the Winter Soldier again?” Walker asked “That was low last time. They know he’s not that guy anymore.”

“No,” Ava said, frowning, her accent crisp. “Just the Stark Estate’s mouthpiece. I thought better of Pepper…”

“I doubt she wrote that,” Walker said. “The press twists everything. Maybe her hands are tied—HYDRA assets get seized by the government.”

Yelena Belova sat cross-legged on a couch, gently scratching the ears of her pet guinea pig, Cucumber, who squeaked softly, nibbling a carrot. “There’s a strange man in the lounge,” she announced, deadpan. “Not Bucky. He’s asking for Bucky, though. Cape, lots of jewelry, not dangerous-looking.”

“Bucky’s with Sam, meeting those lawyers,” Walker said. “You think they’ll sue us?”

“I hope they take all Val’s money,” Yelena said, smirking as she offered Cucumber another carrot. “But I’m more worried about the weird cape guy. Dad’s in there with him—I fear for the cape guy.”

“Oh no,” Ava groaned, slipping into a pitch-perfect mimicry of Alexei’s Russian accent with her British flair. “He’s going to bore him to death with ‘I met Captain America in a bar in Ekaterinburg in 1987, dah?’” Yelena snorted, and Cucumber squeaked as if in agreement.

“I’ll call Bucky,” Walker offered, pulling out his phone.

“Better I do it,” Ava said, her accent adding a teasing lilt as she searched for her phone. “He won’t fancy hearing from you with Sam around.”

Bob sat quietly in the corner, hands clasped to hide the tremble from old meth cravings. He chuckled at Ava’s impression, his faint golden glow flickering. “Alexei’s stories aren’t that bad.”

 

---

 

An hour later, Bucky stormed in, vibranium arm whirring. “You better have a damn good reason for making me cut that meeting short,” he huffed, grumpy as ever. “Who’s this guy asking for me? If it’s another journalist, throw ‘em out the window.”

Yelena set Cucumber in his cage, brushing carrot bits off her hands. “Let's see if Cape guy is still alive, despite dad.”

A swirl of orange sparks interrupted, and Doctor Strange stepped through, Cloak of Levitation fluttering. His eyes swept the room, landing on Bucky. “I’m no journalist,” he said, voice sharp. “I’m here to save reality. And you’re all it’s got.”

Bucky crossed his arms. “Strange? What’s this about?”

Strange’s gaze hardened. “The multiverse is unraveling, and Tony Stark’s ambition is the thread binding it to ruin. His thirst for power—ignited by HYDRA, fueled by the Infinity Stones, unleashed through time travel—has birthed a multiversal threat: Doctor Doom.”

Bucky’s jaw tightened. “Tony? The guy who died saving us in 2023?” His gut churned, Winter Soldier memories of HYDRA clashing with Iron Man’s sacrifice.

Strange conjured a holographic timeline, glowing threads branching chaotically. “A hero in one timeline, a tyrant in others. In 1989, HYDRA recruited him at MIT, exploiting his ambition and resentment toward his father’s expectations. In 1991, Tony tipped off HYDRA about Howard’s super soldier serum, leading to his parents’ murder—your doing, Bucky, under their control.

Each victory—building Iron Man, outmaneuvering SHIELD, wielding the Stones—fed his hunger for control. In 2018, on Titan, I saw 14 million futures. In many, Tony kept the Infinity Stones for himself, reshaping reality for power. 

In 2023, I ensured his sacrifice to stop Thanos, saving our timeline. But in the multiverse, his unchecked ambition—merging HYDRA’s schemes, the Stones’ power, time travel’s chaos—empowered Doom’s rise. Doom now weaves those threads, threatening all realities.”

Yelena scooped Cucumber back into her lap, stroking him absently. “Stark’s a villain. Why us?”

Strange pointed to each. “You’re broken, but survivors. Bucky, your Winter Soldier past ties you to HYDRA’s sins, to Tony’s 1991 betrayal. Yelena, your Black Widow training makes you relentless. Ava, your Ghost abilities pierce defenses. Walker, your shield holds the line. Bob, your Sentry powers, if controlled, rival gods. Together, you can sever Tony’s key moments before Doom’s grip tightens.”

Ava flickered, her British accent sharp with bitterness. “Why trust us? Stark funded the HYDRA labs that broke me.”

Walker shook his head. “I’m not sure I can do it. Not Captain America material anymore, and sucked at being a husband too.”

Bob’s hands trembled, voice soft. “The Void’s still in me. What if I lose it?

Strange’s cloak rippled. “You’re flawed, but you saved Bob from the Void together. That unity is your strength.” He produced a Time Stone shard, its green glow pulsing. “This shard will take you to key moments—starting with 1989, Tony’s HYDRA recruitment. Each risks timeline shifts but Doom’s threat demands it.”

Bucky clenched his fist. “First jump?”

Strange handed him the shard. “1989. Alexander Pierce recruits Tony at MIT, exploiting his ambition. Stop that meeting, unravel the first thread. Fail, and Doom grows stronger.”

Yelena set Cucumber down, standing. “If Natasha trusted you, I’m in. Screw this up, Strange, and Cucumber and I are coming for you.”

Ava’s suit sparked, her accent wry. “For my parents, not Stark. Let’s not cock this up.”

Walker hefted his shield. “Let’s do this right.”

Bob’s eyes glowed gold with uncertainty. “I can't risk it. Not yet, not with the other guy. I'm sitting this one out". 

The shard hummed, portal swirling open. Bucky led the team through, MIT’s 1989 campus waiting beyond.

 

Chapter 6

Summary:

The Team's First Time Jump goes badly wrong.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, Massachusetts, July 1989

The Time Stone shard flared green, tearing a portal in the Watchtower’s living room. MIT’s campus flickered into view—red brick halls, glowing lab windows, the hum of late-night experiments. Ava injected Pym Particles into the shard’s casing, steadying the rift. “Twenty-four hours,” Strange had warned. “Stop Tony Stark’s HYDRA recruitment, or his betrayal unleashes Doom’s multiversal threat.”

Bucky adjusted his tactical vest, vibranium arm heavy. Yelena checked her widow’s bites, green eyes hard. Ava shimmered, Ghost suit buzzing with unstable energy. John Walker gripped his shield, scanning the portal’s edge. Bob stayed behind, Sentry powers locked down—fear of the Void kept him in the Watchtower. 

“Objective’s clear,” Bucky said, voice taut. “Find Tony, stop him from joining HYDRA. No killing, no timeline damage. We pull him back.”

Yelena snorted, holstering a knife. “Save that bastard? After what he’ll do to Natasha?”

“Yelena,” Bucky growled, Zola’s needles flashing—his capture in Azzano, serum burning his veins. “Strange’s orders. Save Tony, stop Doom.”

Ava wavered. “You hid his HYDRA ties, Bucky,” she said, voice cutting from her eavesdropping. “Why trust you?”

“I’m not HYDRA,” Bucky snapped, heart racing. Howard could be here, consulting at MIT. If Howard was deep in HYDRA, he might know Bucky was the Winter Soldier—still alive, a ghost who could break the timeline. “Move.”

---

The campus thrummed with summer energy—students hunched over circuit boards, professors scribbling equations, the air thick with coffee and ambition. Strange’s intel pinned Tony’s recruitment in a private MIT lab, where the young genius lingered post-graduation, chasing research grants and prestige. Alexander Pierce, posing as a corporate scout from a “private firm,” would approach him subtly—no contracts, just whispers of power and control, preying on Tony’s resentment toward Howard’s secrecy.

Bucky led the team through a shadowed alley behind the electrical engineering building, blending into the humid night. 1989 felt alien—no Avengers, no SHIELD scandals, just the Cold War’s quiet fade. But HYDRA slithered in the dark, as always. Bucky’s pulse hammered; Howard’s presence loomed like a guillotine. If Howard recognized him, saw past the years, the timeline could fracture. Was Howard clueless about Bucky’s survival, or did his HYDRA ties mean he knew the truth?

“Ava, phase ahead—scout the labs,” Bucky ordered, voice low. “Walker, perimeter. Yelena, with me to the main lab wing. Stay stealth.”

“Stealth?” Yelena muttered, fingers twitching on her knife. “I’d rather gut him.”

Bucky grabbed her arm, fear clawing his chest. “We need him alive.”

She jerked free, eyes blazing. “For Natasha.”

They slipped into a corridor, passing bulletin boards plastered with flyers—quantum mechanics lectures, AI symposiums, a student band gig. The hum of fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, stirring Bucky’s memories of Zola’s lab—needles, pain, the serum turning him into something else. 

Ava’s voice crackled in comms, phasing back. “Bucky, I’ve got Tony in a private lab—Building 20, third floor. He’s with a guy in a suit. Looks like Pierce, posing as a recruiter from some tech firm.”

“Copy,” Bucky whispered, sweat beading. “Yelena, stay close.”

No response. His gut sank.

Walker’s voice cut in. “Perimeter’s clear, but I hear voices—lab wing. Sounds like Tony.”

Bucky and Yelena reached a glass door to a high-tech lab, oscilloscopes and circuit boards cluttering the space.
Through the window, a 19-year-old Tony Stark, all cocky grin and disheveled hair, leaned against a workbench, sipping coffee. A sharp-suited man—Pierce, disguised as a corporate scout—spoke smoothly, gesturing to a stack of research papers.

“Your talents outshine your father’s, Tony. His secrets hold you back. Join our firm, and Stark Industries bends to you. Power, control, everything Howard denies you.”

Tony smirked, twirling a pen. “Dad’s a vault. Thinks I’m too young to handle his toys. You’re saying you’ve got the keys?”

Pierce nodded, voice low. “We reward ambition. You’ll surpass him.”

Bucky froze, Zola’s needles searing his memory. In the Void, he’d been muzzled, Steve bleeding as Pierce taunted, “You knew I’d recruit him, Barnes, and stayed silent!” The Void’s echo hissed, “Your cowardice restores us. Hail HYDRA!” His hands shook—Howard could walk in, see him, unravel everything.

Yelena’s widow’s bite charged, her breath ragged. “He’s joining them. I’m done.”

“No!” Bucky hissed, lunging, terror spiking at the thought of Howard’s arrival. She dodged, kicking the door open with a crash.

Tony spun. “What the hell—”

Yelena fired a stun dart, grazing Tony’s shoulder. He stumbled, knocking over a beaker, glass shattering. Pierce drew a pistol, but Ava phased through the wall, disarming him with a flick. “Stay down!” she snapped, her form flickering from Pym Particle strain.

“Yelena, stand down!” Bucky roared, tackling her, heart pounding—Howard could be seconds away. They crashed into a workbench, tools and circuit boards flying. Yelena’s knife slashed, nicking his sleeve, her Red Room training making her a blur.

“For Natasha!” she screamed, aiming her widow’s bite at Tony, who ducked behind a computer bank.

Walker burst in, shield raised. “What the fuck, Yelena?”

“She’s wrecking the mission!” Bucky grunted, pinning her arm, his fear surging—Howard would know he’s dead. Her strength nearly broke his vibranium grip.

Ava snatched Pierce’s briefcase, phasing to dodge his lunge. “Got his recruitment notes—burn them?”

Pierce smirked, unfazed. “You can’t stop progress, Barnes.”

Bucky’s vision blurred—Azzano’s lab, needles, screams. He shook it off, wrestling Yelena to the floor, her knife glinting. “We save him, Yelena! Killing him screws the timeline!”

“Natasha’s dead because of him!” Yelena spat, elbowing his jaw, pain flaring. Her grief burned in her eyes—Natasha’s sacrifice, Tony’s betrayal, all raw. “He doesn’t deserve to breathe!”

Tony peeked out, smirking despite the chaos. “Nice drama, but I’ve got a deal to close.”

Howard’s voice boomed from the hall. “Anthony, what’s this mess?” He stormed in, clutching a briefcase—serum vials glinting inside. His eyes locked on Bucky, narrowing. “Sergeant Barnes?” His voice held shock, then suspicion. “You’re… dead.”

Bucky’s blood ran cold, terror choking him. “Stay back!” Bucky barked, voice cracking, his mind racing—could this one encounter shatter the timeline? 

Yelena broke free, lunging for Tony, her widow’s bite sparking. Bucky tackled her again, slamming into a terminal, panic surging—Howard’s gaze burned into him, questions forming. Sparks flew, the Time Stone shard in Ava’s suit flickering wildly.

“Portal’s collapsing!” Ava shouted, injecting more Pym Particles. 

Walker shielded Howard, yelling, “Bucky, stop her!”

Yelena drew a second knife, slashing at Bucky’s chest. “He’s HYDRA, Bucky! He’ll betray her!” Her voice broke, Natasha’s memory a wound that wouldn’t close.

“And Howard’s HYDRA too!” Bucky growled, blocking her strike, desperate to keep Howard from probing further. “Killing Tony changes nothing!” His vibranium arm locked her wrist, but her fury was relentless, fueled by years of Red Room conditioning and loss.

The portal pulsed, shrinking. Ava fired a warning shot from Pierce’s pistol, the crack echoing. “We’re out of time!”

Tony grabbed Pierce’s briefcase, bolting toward the lab’s back exit. Yelena threw a widow’s bite, missing by inches as it sparked against a wall.

Bucky pinned her to the ground, fear choking him—Howard’s eyes still tracked him, suspicion growing. “Enough, Yelena! You’re tearing us apart!”

Yelena’s eyes welled, her voice raw. “He tore her apart first.” Natasha’s face flashed in her mind—the sister she’d lost, the hero Tony outshined.

The portal collapsed with a screech, yanking them back to 2028. They landed in the Watchtower, bruised and empty-handed. Tony’s recruitment stood—HYDRA had their prodigy.

---

Watchtower, 2028

Bob looked up from his book, face pale. “No papers? You failed?”

Bucky released Yelena, panting, Howard’s voice—“Sergeant Barnes?”—ringing in his ears. The suspicion in Howard’s eyes haunted him. Did he know about the Winter Soldier? “She tried to kill him,” Bucky said, voice hollow.

Yelena glared, wiping blood from her lip. “He deserved it.” Her hands shook, Natasha’s memory a weight she couldn’t shed.

Ava phased, voice sharp. “Your stunt let him join HYDRA, Yelena. Doom’s still coming.” Her own trauma flickered—Pym Particles, lab explosions, SHIELD’s lies.

Walker tossed his shield down with a clang. “We were supposed to save the bastard, not brawl like idiots.”

Bucky rubbed his temple, Zola’s needles and the Void’s muzzle clawing his mind—Pierce’s taunt, “You knew I’d recruit him, Barnes!” echoing. “Howard was there. He recognized me—. If he knows I’m the Winter Soldier…” He trailed off, the timeline’s fragility sinking in.

Yelena stormed to a cabinet, grabbing vodka. “To Natasha,” she muttered, downing a shot, her voice thick with grief. “To the sister he erased.”

Ava flickered, her trauma raw. “You didn’t trust Bucky. Now we’ve got his betrayal to fix.” Her hands clenched, the lab accident’s echo mixing with her distrust.

Bucky sank into a chair, Howard’s gaze burning in his mind. Strange’s warning echoed: “Fail, and Doom rises.” Tony’s 1989 recruitment paved his future betrayal. Bucky’s silence in the past had cost Steve; Yelena’s rage cost them now. “We get one more shot,” he said. “Strange said the shard’s got juice for more jumps. We stop Tony’s next move—or Doom wins.”

Yelena raised her glass, voice bitter. “To fuck-ups we can’t undo.”

A green spark flickered in Ava’s suit. Strange was watching.