The Arrangement

Part 10

TW

Mentions of violence, some fluff.

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When we finally made it to the compound Tony Stark was waiting for us outside. Well, he was waiting for Nat; I was an added bonus that had no clue if I was a welcome guest or not. Stark didn't look like the dapper millionaire I'd seen on the news most of my life. He'd switched out the tailor-made suits for sweatpants and a well-hung t-shirt. His normally sleek, combed back hair was tousled and he looked like he hadn't slept in days. I started reaching for the door when Nat grabbed my arm and told me to stay put for a minute. I nodded and settled back in my seat while she got out and approached him. I sat back and watched as they talked, they both looked stressed and I can only assume it was about this situation. When Tony motioned to me, I looked away taking in my surroundings. There wasn't much, a few vehicles parked in a garage to the right, a couple people running around a track to the left and a huge open field behind me. The compound nestled between everything. My door opened suddenly, redirecting my attention. I turned and found myself face to face with Tony, "Come on kid, we don't bite."

"Not what I'm worried about, Mr. Stark." I mumbled.

He laughed and moved back so I could get out, "Call me Tony, only executives in stuffy suits call me Mr. Stark." Nat grabbed my bag from the backseat and started walking to the door. I got out of the car and started to follow her with Tony trailing behind us. "I have to ask; how did they sneak you in and out of here? Someone was awake both times and I had no clue about you until Steve asked for you."

"I was uh, very quiet." I sheepishly answered. "Honestly, I don't think any of you were supposed to know about me." I followed Nat inside. "Are they okay?"

"They're stable if that's what you mean." Tony replied as he closed the door behind us. "Steve is already awake but Bucky might take a little longer. It wasn't a critical hit, but we had to sedate him so Bruce could remove the bullet without a fight."

"Did- did he try to fight him?" I asked.

"Not exactly, he was trying to remove it himself but couldn't get it and wouldn't accept help. We did it as a precaution." I went on edge. As much as I wanted to, I didn't look into Bucky's past. I knew they've both had a rough past, and Bucky had a dangerous side to him; his metal arm was proof of that. Everyone had heard something at one time or another of how Steve was given the serum, then became Captain America during World War Two, but Bucky was just a cliff note in his story. We were walking through the living room when multiple people piled out of the elevator, having a heated conversation about the failed mission from earlier.

A tall, dark-haired man was obviously annoyed with the others and voiced his opinion, "I did not join with you all to be treated as an imbecile. I had the matter perfectly under control until he stepped in the way." His tone was low and he spoke slow and stern, the aggravation radiating from him.

"Brother, you obviously did not have the situation under control." The tall blonde with a beard said next to him, "if you did, Barnes would not have stepped in."

A younger guy that looked to be just a teenager stepped between the two, "Guys, we're a team, we operate as a team. If we see someone that needs help, then we help them, even if they're a powerful God. There's no harm asking for help."

"Except when the help is unwanted. There was no reason for him to step in front of me."

"The gun was aimed at you; it only made sense for him to step in front of you. He was trying to protect you. Mr. Bucky's arm should have stopped the bullet." The teenager argued back.