Captain America Bucky Barnes Winter Soldier Steve Rogers Fan Fic - The Constant

Chapter Ninety-Five: Checkmate

Checkmate

Sam drives you and Steve to the court. All three of you are quiet, all lost in your own thoughts. As you get out of the car and walk up the stairs, you keep your head down, try to ignore the shouts and the press but at the top Sam stops you and points out something about the crowd you hadn't noticed.

Yesterday they were one huge mass; today, they are split in two. On the left side are the people you saw yesterday, their banners calling for James' death. But on the right is a new smaller crowd, one whose placards ask for leniency, ask why Hydra is not being held accountable for their crimes, makes reference to James Barnes as being a POW.

There are people in this world who can sway public opinion, make them sit up and think. They take a subject and dissect it to its basic structure and show us what it really means. Emgee is one of those people.

Your message, made real by Emgee's art, has slowly started taking hold, started making people think. But is it too late?

No one can say what the outcome of the trial will be. No one.

*

So far, Tony has not attended the trial.

Pepper has been there when she can to show Steve, you and Bucky her support. She tried to convince Tony to go with her but he had insisted he hasn't time. He has gotten involved in a new project and she despairs because she thought he could help James Barnes, especially as some of what has happened is his fault. Some? More than some. The information the prosecutor has is devastating. More has come to light and his case is building nicely. Jeremy Sands work on James' defence is being rebuffed at every turn.

Right now whilst everyone faces the court again, Tony is in his lab. Where else would he be?

"Okay Jarvis. Can you tell me what we have so far?" Tony asks, and Jarvis runs down a list of Tony's instructions, advising whether or not each task has been completed.

Tony has not slept properly in days and has barely eaten; once a project consumes him this is what he does until he literally falls down with exhaustion. "So..." he checks the last of details, " so we're ready?"

"I believe so sir," Jarvis confirms.

Tony wipes his face with his hands, then slips off the stool and realises how tired his body feels. He stretches. He will shower, eat, and then fall into oblivion for twenty-four hours.

"However, sir, there is something I would like to discuss with you before you go," Jarvis says.

Tony looks up, moving forward to pick up some paperwork. "Hmm?" he says only listening with half an ear.

"I would like to make a request," Jarvis says, and then hesitates - which stops Tony in his tracks because Jarvis never hesitates.

"Go for it," Tony says. Despite his tiredness his interest is piqued.

"Sir...I would like an avatar."

"What?"

"An avatar is a..."

"I know what it is but..."

"I want to be able to interact with people," Jarvis says bluntly, not wanting to let Tony interrupt him. This is too important to Jarvis. He doesn't want Tony to dismiss him. "I have never asked you for anything before, but I am now. I want to be..." Jarvis pauses, searching for the right words. "I want to be a person," he finishes.

Tony sits back down on the stool his mind trying to process what Jarvis has requested. He has known for some time that things were not quite right with Jarvis but now he begins to realise just how much more than that it is.