advanced | For Tony Stark

Wait what? [Tony blinks away from where he's been staring blindly out the window to frown at the interior of the plane instead.] Of course I'm not transporting anyone, do you need to be recallibrated?

[He's already getting to his feet before he's finished speaking, heading towards the hold. Tony is well aware that JARVIS doesn't make mistakes, not that it's ever going to stop him from being an ass aboout it.

His steps slow as he reaches the door. Having a possible stow-away is probably an issue but pulling out the armor and starting to fire inside the plane is almost certainly a bad idea. One hand flexes almost unconsciously as he lets out a breath and steps into the hold.]

Hello?

[This is bad, this is really really bad.

He's never got on a plane that could detect him just by being on board, and there's nowhere really to hide in this thing. He could probably try and wrench open one of the panels and jump out, hope they're over the ocean somewhere and rely on his serum to keep him alive, but that would be a slim chance to rely on.

Which is why he's still crouching there when the door opens, a mostly unassuming man in tattered jeans and a faded hoodie, gloves, and hair in a slightly untidy ponytail. His jaw sets, preparing for a fight, but he doesn't say anything yet.]

[The lack of a response isn't entirely surprising, but no one's leapt out to murder him yet, so Tony's calling it a win. In fact, it makes him do the incredibly stupid thing and take another step or two inside.

And there's his stowaway, crouched down low and eying him like Tony's the threatening one in this situation. The incongruity of it makes Tony rock back on his heels slightly and slip his hands into his pockets. The guy might still be a danger, but some strange urge makes Tony want to seem as non-threatening as possible.]

Hi there. You lost? The cabin's through the other door.

[Something about this man tickles as familiar, but he can't put his finger on it.

He hasn't got around to researching all of the Avengers yet, he's only been free such a short time, and so all of his energy has gone into gathering information on the man Steve has become, on SHIELD, on Sam Wilson, and on the Black Widow. Everyone and everything else has been secondary so far. So this man, infamous though he may be, is still a stranger to Bucky for now.

He stands slowly, also trying to appear non-threatening. He can take down this guy and land the plane himself if he has to, it wouldn't even be an effort, but he doesn't want to. He's so tired of fighting.]

...yeah, I'm lost.

[Will that work? The world's flimsiest excuse.]

I thought this was my plane.

[The way that one of Tony's eyebrows lifts makes it pretty clear that he's not buying it in the least. Sure, he always hangs out in the cargo hold on his own plane. He still tips his head back towards the door he'd come through.]

I'll bet. You maybe want to have this conversation somewhere more comfortable?

[Something that sounds a lot like Rhodey's voice is screaming at him, but Tony ignores it. If they're going to fight, they can do it just as easily in the actual passenger section. Just being in here feels like the place could depressurize at any moment.]

[He's obviously being rumbled, but he's not being outright arrested or attacked. He does do a mental inventory of where his weapons are, though, just in case things are about to take a sudden downward turn.]

I prefer it here.

[It's mild, but still without any chance for compromise.]

You can go, I'll leave the plane as soon as we land, no harm.

You prefer it here. In the cargo hold.

[Tony gives him a long, skeptical look before rolling his eyes.

So obviously this guy is on the run from...something, who even knows. International criminal, runaway, hobo, whatever. If the only thing he wants is a free ride on Stark Air, Tony's not about to throw him out of the plane.

Though really, he could have just asked.]

Fine, have it your way. Want a drink, at least?

[He's really offering him a drink?

Who is this guy? Why isn't he more panicked at the idea of having someone on his private plane who could quite easily be a dangerous madman? He frowns and takes a step towards him, hands still hidden in his pockets.]

Do I get to know who I'm having a drink with?

[Maybe he's just tipped his hand.

This could be someone famous, it's not just anyone that has a private jet after all, but he has to know.]

[That gets one of Tony's eyebrows up. It's not often he runs into someone who doesn't know who he is -- particularly not since the guy at least sounds American. But considering he's hiding in luggage, maybe he isn't exactly caught up on current events. For at least a decade. Who knows.]

Tony Stark.

[The corner of his mouth slides up into something that's not quite a smirk.]

And you are?

[More than just an eyebrow goes up.

Bucky's entire expression morphs into one of shock and then growing horror; he's on the plane of an Avenger, he's on Tony Stark's plane. This is the worst mistake he's made since getting free of HYDRA and his thoughts are tumbling over themselves in a panic.

But he's not been recognised? Steve hasn't told his buddies about him being back from the dead yet? He has no idea how to play this, he doesn't even know what name to give. He hasn't felt like he can reclaim Bucky yet, but he hasn't needed a name for anything until now so it's not been a big deal.]

...James.

[Well that's an interesting reaction, though Tony can only assume he's been recognized now. The absolute panic on the guy's face might be a bit much, though. His reputation isn't that bad.]

Okay, James. [It's still completely conversational as Tony tucks his hands into his pockets. Seriously no threat here, nothing to see.] so you coming in for that drink or what?

I'm not so sure that's a good idea.

[Unfortunately for Bucky, Tony has another ally on board this plane and JARVIS has been hard at work to try and recover more information about their mysterious stowaway. It's the name that lets him narrow down the facial recognition, though, and his voice pipes up pretty quickly after that.]

Drinks can be provided in the main seating area, sir, but if you would briefly stop into the cockpit there is an urgent email that needs to be attended to.

[Tony knows enough about JARVIS' habits that the announcement makes one eyebrow lift slightly, but all he gives is an offhand shrug.]

Suit yourself. Door's open. I apparently have something I need to take care of.

[And like he's trying to prove it, Tony just turns, seemingly completely unconcerned about putting his back to his mysterious stowaway, and heads over towards the cockpit.]

J, what've you got for me?

[Bucky watches him go with eyes like the laser scope of a sniper rifle, never leaving his potential target.

JARVIS waits until Tony has got fully into the cockpit and the door is closed, before bringing up three photographs on the nearest screen - the man currently stowing away, a shot of the Winter Soldier fighting Captain America, and a photograph of Sergeant James Barnes.]

Facial and voice recognition identifies the passenger as James Buchanan Barnes, codenamed The Winter Soldier, on the run since the incident in Washington D.C. three months ago.

...right. Of course he is.

[The man Steve has been tearing the world apart to find just stows away on his jet. Sure.

Ignoring the parts where the man is one of the deadliest assassins in the world. Or was. Tony's not completely sure about that one. He is pretty sure that if the Winter Soldier wanted him dead, they wouldn't be having charming conversations in the cargo hold. Which just leaves figuring out what the hell to do about it.]

Thanks, J. Let's keep this between us for the time being, shall we?

[Tony's thoughts are still churning furiously as he reappears in the doorway to the cargo hold carrying a bottle of dark liquid. Which he holds out to James. Barnes. Jesus.]

Well if you don't want to come in for drinks, the drinks will come to you.

[He considers following when Stark walks off, he could easily take him out from behind and then pilot the plane himself to wherever he wanted to go. But that would put a trail on his actions and make him easier to find, and he doesn't know what sort of security protocols that Stark has built into this thing.

His secondary plan is to pry up one of the panels above the wheel and literally drop out over the ocean. He doesn't need a parachute to survive that, and Stark probably has his suit on board and so would be able to cope with the depressurising and probable crashing of his plane.

Which is why he's bending one of the first layer of floor panels up when Stark reappears with drinks in hand.]

...shit.

[Caught red handed.]

[Tony comes to a slow stop as he finds his erstwhile guest tearing up the floor. And just blinks at him for a moment before giving the man the driest expression he feels capable of.]

Really, is my hosting that bad? Where exactly were you planning to go?

[And here he'd figured that actually leaping out of the plane would be out of the question. That'll show him to make assumptions.]

[The fact that Stark doesn't seem surprised is a pretty big clue that he's already figured out who his stowaway is. Not good. He takes up a wary sort of stance a good distance back.]

I was just gonna jump out.

[No big deal.]

I didn't know it was your plane.

You were gonna jump.

[The echo is entirely deadpan and hopefully makes it clear exactly what Tony thinks of that plan. And people say he has impulse issues.]

And what, swim half of the Atlantic until you hit shore? Let's try not to be too ridiculous, please. We can all be friendly here. Or at least polite.

[He pauses a second more, then just holds out the bottle he's been carrying]

Seriously, take it. Sounds like you need it more than I do.

[This doesn't make any sense. If Stark knows who he is, and all evidence points to him knowing, then why isn't he here in his Iron Man suit trying to arrest him instead of offering him drinks?]

I don't understand.

[Though he does reach out and take the bottle.]

Why are you treating me like a guest, aren't you afraid that I'm going to attack you?

You can try.

[It's mild, but there's a genuine warning behind it. He's not Iron Man for nothing, if he thinks his hospitality is being abused. Not that he's actually worried, but it's the principle of the thing.]

Besides, the way I hear it, if you actually wanted to hurt me, I wouldn't even know you were there.

[He has several guns about his person, he's pretty sure that he could shoot Stark long before he got into any kind of superpowered suit, but that really wouldn't be helpful to point out.]

...are you going to radio anyone and tell them that I'm here?

[He should. He really, really should, and not just because Cap will probably have his head for actually finding Barnes (accidentally or not) and not immediately bringing him home like a stray puppy.

But. There's a tightly-wound energy in the man, something Tony almost wants to categorize as nervousness, and he doesn't think it has anything to do with his spare suit. Tony can recognize feeling cornered. What it does to you.]

Nah. I mean, unless you do something particularly amusing and I feel compelled to put it up on Youtube.

[He has no way of knowing if Stark is being honest or not, but he has no choice but to believe him. It's either that, or continue ripping up the bottom of the plane so that he can jump out.]

Don't tell him you saw me.

[No need to mention who 'he' is.]

It'd just make him look harder.

[That gets an eyebrow raise, following by a particularly dry snort. He doesn't even pretend not to know exactly what Barnes is talking about.]

I'm not sure it's possible for him to look any harder.

[And Barnes has been avoiding him anyway. It would be almost amusing, if he wasn't watching Steve throw himself against that wall over and over.

And Tony's just agreed not to tell him anyway. He's not sure what that says about him.

Rather than dwell, he tips his head up slightly, a small smirk playing over his mouth.]

What'll you give me for it?

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