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For Tony Stark

[He's been on the run for what feels like decades, but is really only a few months. He knows he's doing a good job at being hidden because ever since the helicarriers fell out of the air there hasn't been a single confirmed sighting of him, and he knows that Steve is looking. Not just Steve, either. He's just not ready to be found yet.

The easiest way to move between countries, he's found, is by stowing away on private chartered flights. They're usually less attended than commercial flights, and if he can get on board then it's fairly easy to avoid the one or two passengers and crew. He has no idea that the flight he's stowed away on is Tony Stark's private jet, and that it's only Tony himself on board.

At least not until he hears a disembodied voice speaking throughout the plane once they're in the air. It's JARVIS, not that he has any idea who that is.]

Sir, scans of the plane show that there's a man crouching in your cargo hold. I wasn't aware you were transporting any men today.

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I'm not the villain here, and you can bet that most people won't remem--

[Her words cut off in a sudden and violent spray of blood as the car window explodes and her head with it, bits of skull fragment and brain matter splattering on the windshield, a bullet lodging in the headrest of her seat.]

[Even as inured to that kind of thing as Tony is, he can't help but start at the suddenness of it. He eyes the mess of the driver's sear, slightly wide-eyed, then slowly lets himself out of the car to stare off towards where the shot had come from.

And a second later, something flies through the air towards him, one gauntlet wrapping around his hand to be ready for -- whatever this new insanity is.]

[The top window of the warehouse, already broken with the bullet and then gauntlet coming through it, smashes clean through as Bucky enters the building and lands in a wary crouch.

He's wearing a half mask, goggles, and tactical gear; nothing like the hoodie and jeans he had on when he was on Stark's plane. He doesn't speak yet, just eyes Stark and his gauntlet cautiously, ignoring the mess of what used to be a human being in the car.]

We've got to stop meeting like this.

[It still takes Tony a moment or so to drop the gauntlet as he eyes Barnes critically. Part of him wants to keep it raised, he's not dumb enough not to recognize that this is a much more dangerous man that the one who stowed onto his plane. But Barnes could have already shot him if he'd really wanted to. So.]

Where'd you come from?

[He straightens up slowly and lifts a hand to remove the goggles and mask as one, letting them dangle on his fingertips. He still has an expression blank and ready for murder, but he doesn't move to attack.]

I followed the car.

[He shrugs.]

I owed you for the flight.

[Oh well sure, that just explains everything. Tony gives him a mildly exasperated look.]

I thought you were supposed to be hiding or something, why were you following the car?

I was hiding, you didn't see me before I shot her.

[Shut up, this logic makes sense to him.]

Would you rather that I hadn't come?

That is not at all answering the question.

[Is he being purposefully avoidant or just obnoxious? Tony can never tell.]

How did you know I was in trouble?

Because I was first out of the airport and I saw your actual car waiting for you.

[Which meant that she had been a dangerous element, the only thing remaining had been to follow and see how dangerous.]

I was just paying back what I owe, don't read into it.

[Tony makes a low, irritated sound and just shakes his head. Don't read into it, sure. How is it that Barnes is even more trouble when he's not actively threatening anyone.]

Fine, you were just passing through with your sniper rifle. I don't suppose you've got a car? Mine's a bit messy at the moment.

Yeah, it's outside.

[It's not his, just one that he stole so that he could follow Stark and the lady to wherever they were going.]

You should probably go back home, forget whatever you came here for.

What, just because one person tried to kill me?

[He gives Barnes a dry look as he starts heading back out.]

Please. That's like a Thursday.

Then maybe you should consider being less of a jackass to people.

[Says the man who still hasn't remembered most of the manners he was taught growing up.]

It's all part of my charm.

[He really should probably sound more concerned about the whole thing, but the armor is standing right outside the warehouse, minus one missing hand. Hard to worry with that around.]

So where are we going?

[For the first time, Bucky looks surprised. He hadn't considered that Stark might have assumed they were leaving together, and that this wasn't just a rescue and run operation.

Maybe he does need a bodyguard around for a bit, he's obviously prone to riling up the wrong people.]

Just follow me.

Uh huh. How do I know you're not just kidnapping me instead?

[He doesn't actually sound that concerned about it, though. Mostly amused.]

Are we bringing my friend here or what?

What friend?

[He sounds mildly alarmed, weight shifting to the balls of his feet as if expecting an attack from someone not seen. He doesn't assume that Stark might mean the body, it's a corpse now, it should just be abandoned.]

[Tony gives him a long, dry look, then gestures elaborately towards the motionless armor.]

Him.

That's a suit of armour.

[Not a friend. Come on, Tony, even he knows that.]

Can't it stand here until you send for it?

It's okay. [This directed at the armor because he's feeling contrary] He didn't mean it.

[That said, he does flick Barnes a look.]

I'm not just leaving incredibly high tech armor out where anyone could find it. Where are we even going?

If it's that high tech, then who could steal it without you knowing? Leave it, it'll draw too much attention.

[Come on, Stark, he's trying to help.

But not so much that he's willing to give away the location of his safe house before they get there.]

[ Purposeful obnoxiousness or not, Tony does not actually want to leave the armor behind. Not so much because of Barnes -- he had his chances already and hadn't taken them, and this whole thing is way too complicated to scream setup. But he has already been threatened with death once today, and that's enough to make him want a little backup.

Tony stands there for a moment, sighs, and glances at the armor again. ]

Go back and wait.

[ The eyes flash once, and acknowledgement, before the armor suddenly takes off. It knows to go back to the jet, and it's the safest place Tony can think of right now.

There is, however, still one of the gauntlets wrapped firmly around his hand. He's not giving up all of his advantages. ]

[Tony Stark is a much more dangerous man than he appears on the surface, and Bucky needs to remember that. He can't let his guard down just because Stark seems carefree and obnoxious, he has to keep in mind his gadgets and his intelligence, both dangerous weapons in their own right.

He eyes the gauntlet, but he doesn't make any verbal objection to it, he just leads the way around the outside of the warehouse to where a car is waiting. It's nothing special, just the first easy to break into car that he'd found. There's a child seat in the back and crumpled up sweet wrappers littering the floor.]

Get in.

[ The car gets a dubious look, but Tony slides in anyway. Better than the one with blood still all over it. ]

Do I even bother to ask where exactly we're supposed to be going?

[ It's pretty clear that he's not expecting much of an answer. But there's no reason not to try. ]

[He raises an eyebrow infinitesimally at Stark, that's a really dumb question.]

How about you just tell me if there's someone expecting you now that's gonna report you missing shortly?

cw: gross blood stuff

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