7058/Housing the Winter Soldier

Housing the Winter Soldier
Date of Scene:	24 July 2021
Location:	Avengers Mansion - First Floor
Synopsis:	Steve Rogers approaches several members of the Avengers to broach the topic of formally adding Bucky Barnes to their roster. Concerns are raised, but the Avengers decide that he's worth the risk.
Cast of Characters:	Steve Rogers, Thor, Natasha Romanoff, Henry McCoy, Sam Wilson

---

Steve Rogers has posed:
Steve Rogers doesn't like the conference room.

It's great for conferences and whatnot, but it's too stiff. Too formal. People have to sit weirdly in their chairs, the room echoes a bit, and the mood in it is too somber.

So an informal evening meeting has been called to discuss Steve's oldest friend: Bucky Barnes. First of the Howling Commandos, then of HYDRA, and most recently of SHIELD. Once a wanted international terrorist and now a man not just without a plan, but without a good past.

"I'm just gonna cut to the heart of this," Steve tells the assembled friends and allies. He's dressed informally; boots, jeans, button-down shirt in dark navy blue that looks vaguely military. "I think everyone here knows what Bucky means to me personally. This is one of those decisions where the entire team needs to be in on this. He's got a bad past. He's doing better. I think if he moved in here, lived with us, trained with us-- I think he could become the guy he used to be. It'd be a big gesture from us, to the entire world-- showing that Bucky's not who he used to be."

"And I'd trust him with my life. Wouldn't think twice about it. For what that's worth."

Thor has posed:
Thor is always dressed casually! He has his Asgardian cloak, armor, and his hammer slung comfortably in his belt. This was his casualwear. And his combat wear. And his...well, let's just say, he always wore it. Standing as he always did, his hands crossed across his chest, and his infuriating smile on his face. The only thing missing was food or drink!

"Yes!"

Thor looks left, and right at those present. "What? The good Captain vouches for him, so i vote yes. Barnes holds his drink well, and knows how to get things done without too much talking. So. My answer."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
    Natasha has managed to go this long without ever seeing Bucky in person. She'd probably feel a lot more strongly about this if she had, considering. But as it is, she thinks about it in purely practical terms; arms crossed as she leans back in her seat. Out of courtesy, she is allowing herself to visibly frown. Having your poker face as the default setting in your motor skills can... put people off.

    "You want us..." she says slowly, chewing on each sentence fragment, "... to let a brainwashed Russian asset... A *Hydra* asset... come live *here*... where one of the biggest barriers between order and chaos literally *sleeps*. To say nothing of Stark, Banner, and..." Natasha splays her arms, "Everyone's work happening here."

    Thor gives his ringing endorsement, and Natasha just looks at him for a moment before gesturing in his general direction, asthough to say 'there you go, then.'.

    Natasha sighs, "Cap... I know this guy's important to you. I *can't* endorse this."

Henry McCoy has posed:
Having shown up for a meeting, Henry was dressed in khakis and a polo shirt. His reading glasses hung from the front of the shirt, folded neatly. He had taken a seat, finding a comfortable position near the others to listen in. He was all smiles, giving everyone a polite greeting. There's a glance to Steve as he brings up the subject of the Winter Soldier. There's a slight frown that crosses his face, but still - he thinks on it.

A wry smile to Thor - the mutant nodding to the Asgardian. His eyes go then to Natalie, canting his head to the side as he listens to her. There's a nod to her concerns, the man then looking to Steve. "Cap, I don't have too much of a dog in this race - I have some quarters here, but most of my time is spent teaching elsewhere." He starts out. "I can understand and agree with many of Natasha's points - they are certainly to be considered." Another smile and nod. "I am one for second chances, notably. But you do have to consider the safety of your comrades."

Sam Wilson has posed:
    This is Steve's show, for sure, and Sam is just here as backup. As Cap's wingman in a semi-informal sense, fitting for an informal meeting. He stands towards the back, hands tucked into the pockets of his jeans as he nods his head at appropriate points while Steve talks. Going into this, he really didn't have any plans of speaking up. Mostly he's just here to add another "yes" vote to weigh the scales in Bucky's favor.

    But best laid plans, etc etc etc.

    "Bucky isn't a Hydra asset any more," he says, shoulders bunching up slightly. "I'm with Steve," and that's probably not shocking to anyone here, "And not just because that's my usual stance."

    The way he smiles is vaguely self-deprecating but in a humorous way. Just a little meta acknowledgment of how he usually gets written about in the press. Even the ones that are nice to him. "I've been working with Bucky pretty closely the last month and a half on SHIELD business. I'm not going to pretend the man doesn't annoy the hell out of me sometimes, but he's put in a lot of work to find some sense of normal after what Hydra did to him. And I think he'd have a better shot if he was working with the Avengers."

Steve Rogers has posed:
Thor's effusive approval is welcomed with a flash of a smile. When Natasha speaks up, Steve listens thoughtfully-- to her, and to Henry when he voices support for her fears.

"You're right," he tells Natasha. "Both of you," he says, nodding at Henry.

"I'm willing to take that risk. But that's why I called this meeting. Your mental math is different than mine. I'm not going to ask you to risk your life or the team's well-being just off my judgement call. Especially someone as close to me as Bucky is." One hand lifts and rises, palm up, a silent plea.

"Like Sam said, I think Bucky is out from under HYDRA. But he's not rid of all the baggage yet, either," he concedes. "They spent a long time inside his skull. He was always a hard-nosed soldier but deep down, he regretted what we had to do during The War." There's only ever one war Steve refers to this way.

"You were under their control for a long time, too," he reminds Natasha. Steve seats himself on the arm of the sofa, facing her with a relaxed body language. "It wasn't easy to get out, but you did it. Bucky's spiralling out of control, he doesn't have a support network besides me 'nd Sam." Steve's head tilts towards the Falcon. "Security risks aside, do you think that having a team, a-a family," he clarifies, gesturing at the Avenger's mansion, "might help him regain some of the footing he's lost? Find a new place in the world?"

Thor has posed:
Thor's eyes glance sideways at Natasha, and they grow slightly larger in respect. "Good points Widow. Always. I would expect no less from you." His words were of respect for a "shield maiden" of the Avengers.

Next, Thor looks over at McCoy, and nods, leaning up against the wall. "Yes. Second chances. Third perhaps, if too much mead was involved." A pause. "What? It happens..."

Last Thor regards Sam for a few seconds, before nodding once. "I agree with Falcon. The Captain has excellent judgement, and I trust his instincts. After all, when has the man been wrong?"
Looking back at Cap, Thor adds, "I agree. Having him here will help. I could use another drinking partner after battle! Are we agreed?" Thor's eyes look at each person present and takes a moment before moving to the next. Lastly to Cap.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
    Natasha listens thoughtfully, closing her eyes partway through Steve's appeal. She didn't know about the Red Room's links to Hydra until very recently, and she doesn't know when that became a thing. Likely after she was taken in, but not neccessarily after she left. "Steve." She sighs softly, leaning forward and opening her eyes, peering 'up' at Steve past her brow, "... We call them miracles because it makes no sense for it to happen. A sleeper agent can wait for *so* long, and they don't even need to know that's what they're doing. Not with these people."

    She carefully doesn't add 'it's insane that you let me back in here.'

    Mentioning the Avengers in terms of family legitimately catches Natasha off guard, though. She straightens up slowly and frowns as she... reflects briefly on her time here. How she was, versus how she is. The differences are... subtle... but she'd talked them up a great deal when she was fighting Yelena.

    Granted, she was trying to disrupt the foundation of Yelena's core beliefs, at the time. To win a fist fight. But still.

    "It would... help." She says begrudgingly, while rubbing her closed eyes with a thumb and forefinger. "... If he's for real, it... has the potential to be..." she practically has to say this word through gritted teeth, "... positive."

Henry McCoy has posed:
The Beast doesn't really react too much to the arguements provided. "Cap, trust me, I know how it is to be suddenly allied with people who were friends some time ago who had gone rogue." A smile. "Intentional or not on their behalf, of course." He says, lacing his three fingered hands together in front of him on his lap. "Like I said, second chances are something I am a fan of. I don't generally have concerns with your judgment - you tend to have impeccable taste." A wry grin.

A nod to Sam and Natasha at their comments. "It is a risk - there is no telling if there was something so deeply implanted that standard methods would notice. There are others who have capabilities to look beyond your standard psychological profiling."

Sam Wilson has posed:
    "How much damage would Bucky have to do to Hydra to prove that he's not a sleeper agent? Is there really ever a point where we can conclusively say that?" Sam asks. He shakes his head. "I mean, the reality is we've painted such a huge target on our backs that we're always going to be under some kind of threat."

    Which is something Sam seems to be grappling with a little bit himself, judging by the undercurrent of tension in his voice.

    "But I'm not going to spend my life worrying about it. I can't. All I can do is try my best to be prepared for it if it happens. And Bucky has already put himself in harm's way for me more than once, so I think he's worth the risk."

    He crosses his arms over his chest and looks off to the side, eyes narrowed at nothing in particular. And then he exhales, and nods. "I'm working on something for that, Dr. McCoy. There are some experimental treatments out there that might be a good fit for Bucky's, uh, issues."

Steve Rogers has posed:
Steve makes a 'so there you go' gesture at Natasha, but refrains from pouncing on her grudging admission. He just nods, a simple gesture and expression of gratitude.

"Henry's right. But Sam's right, too," Steve remarks. "HYDRA's outfoxed us before. But--" he holds up a finger briefly. "But let's assume that Bucky *is* compromised in a way we can't detect or identify yet. Something that we can't find. What's the math on him getting reactivated?"

Steve looks around the room. "Every one of us has put ourselves between civilians and harms way. Bucky's... -if- Bucky is dangerous, then the safest place for everyone concerned is as close to us as possible. He's less likely to bump into a rogue HYDRA agent in the Mansion, and if he did get reactivated, he'd come after us-- well, me and Sam, probably-- first. And that would pit him against the entire team, here in the mansion. A controlled tactical environment with minimal civilian occupation."

"I hate even saying it," Steve grimaces. "The idea that Bucky could be forced to do a heel-turn. But if he ever did, the safest place for everyone is to have him right here. With people who are best equipped to slow him down, or..." he moderates a heavy inhale through his nose. "Stop him."

Thor has posed:
Standing up straight, dropping his arms at his side, and looking at Widow seriously, Thor says, "You have been through much my friend." Thor smiles sheepishly. "Can we not offer the same to this man who has suffered as well? Together, we can show him the path to Valhalla, as a true warrior!"

"I would expect you to be his toughest mentor, Widow. You have the experience to help him best. Show him the path." Thor then turns, nods once to Henry. Then to Sam, and finally to Cap.

"If we have to stop him, we will. In the meantime, Captain. We must trust that he will do the right thing." Thor smiles. "In his heart, he is a warrior. As is everyone in this room. We are heroes, and we will die to protect others. Valhalla awaits my friend! I truly feel that Barnes is one of us."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
    "There's not." Natasha bluntly answers Sam. "That's why you don't take in super spies from intelligence agencies that have turned into cults." She says with no small amount of irony.

    Natasha looks to Thor as he speaks, and then subtly turns her head away from him. "... Yeah." Is all she says. She doesn't have the heart to tell him that 'the path' so far is mostly taking advantage of people too kind for their own good.

    Natasha Romanoff is... not accustomed to losing arguments, and she somewhat pragmatically stops affecting normal expressions at this point, her face going largely blank. She at least puts some resignation in her voice when she says: "... Seems I'm outvoted anyway. But just... on the record..." Natasha reclines back into her seat properly and finishes, "... I don't like this."

Henry McCoy has posed:
After a moment or two, Henry nods. "I think then, it seems to be settled? I can keep an eye on him when he's here, and if worse comes to worse - I will help to stop him. I earnestly hope we don't need to go down that route, however." He says, quietly. "I empathize with him. I do. I've been experimented upon by unscrupulous individuals. I understand the pain there, truly."

A look to Natasha, and a nod. "Well, if it goes poorly - you can say you told us so?" A cheeky grin. "Sam, if you have thoughts on it, I'd love to offer some advice or get experts involved if needed?" He taps his nose when Thor mentions that Widow will be the harshest mentor and critic. "You will be better suited to spot the inconsistencies that might give us advanced notice."

Sam Wilson has posed:
    The situation Steve puts forth, even as a hypothetical, very obviously makes Sam uncomfortable. There's tension in his shoulders, and his mouth has flattened into a grim line as he looks briefly into the middle distance. Then he rolls his neck with a sigh, and his arms swing down to his sides where his left hand spasms in and out of a fist a couple of times.

    "I think it was a pretty great decision the first time around," he says, steadily. "And I'm willing to put in the work to see that we get an outcome with similar results this time too. So is Barnes."

    He takes in a slow breath, holds it, and lets it out just as slow. "That's probably a good thing, Nat. I don't think Steve would have any issues admitting he might be a little biased when it comes to Bucky," and then Sam pauses, scrunches his eyes shut, and then lets out a faintly annoyed noise in the back of his throat before he continues on in the most grudgingly accepting tone of voice possible, "And I am willing to admit that I am *probably* the same way."

    Sam looks over at Natasha, and then to Henry, who gets a nod from Sam as they seem to be thinking along similar lines. "Having someone with an opposing viewpoint might be a necessary counter to that."

    "That might be a good idea. I have a colleague who has a lead on some experimental technology that was originally prototyped to convert enemy combatants for intel purposes before it was abandoned by the military. Turns out it's better at undoing brainwashing than the other way around," he says with a weary shrug of his shoulders. "Guess that's why it never got fully-funded."

Thor has posed:
"Indeed! It is settled then!" Thor claps his hands together. "If that is all Captain, Widow, Falcon and Beast, I must be off! I have to be somewhere else." As in, somewhere to drink and enjoy life. "If you need me further, I will be there!" A nod to each member in the room. "It was great to see you all!"

With that, Thor turns, and heads out the door towards the exit.

Steve Rogers has posed:
Steve stands when Thor departs, and offers a clasp of the wrist to the brawny Asgardian. "Appreciate it, Thor," he murmurs. "It means a lot to me. I mean it." He makes eye contact with Thor, nods once, and lets the god take his leave as he wishes.

"I'm not saying, 'go through his garbage, bug his room'," Steve cautions Natasha. "But if there's anyone who can spot some HYDRA programming kicking in, it's you. If something comes up before Sam and Henry can get a handle on it, you're the best equipped of all of us to intervene early. Maybe if you conk him on the noggin hard enough, he won't start speaking Russian." Steve grins lopsidedly, posture and tone clearly trying to lighten the mood a little with some dark humor.

"But if this blows back on anyone, I want it to be just me standing in the blast zone. I owe Bucky a lot-- but I owe the rest of you that much, too." He looks around the room at the other Avengers. "I won't let you take any heat on this if I can help it."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
    Natasha effects a dry look to Steve and answers "Eto neumestno." in her native language, in sort of a good humored gesture. "But... noted."

Henry McCoy has posed:
Getting to his feet as Thor makes his announcement to leave, Henry offers a wave and a smile. "Drink well, Odinson!" He beams. Hank watches the continued back and forth with Natasha and Steve, he chuckles. "I am still hoping for no blowback and a pleasant resolution to all of this. There are things at our disposal that can truly help Mr. Barnes. If we're in this, I suspect we'll bring everything to bear to resolve his issues."

Sam Wilson has posed:
    Sam lifts his chin towards Thor in a quick nod as the Asgardian announces his leave, and then a moment later Sam pushes away from the wall. He doesn't have anything else to add, though he does aim a quick shake of his head towards Steve at that last part.

    And then he's on the move, phone out of his pocket and typing up a text as he heads for the second floor and his room, which probably needs some airing out after his extended absence. "If someone drank the wine I had delivered while I was gone, I'm gonna be the one who turns on you all!" he calls out as he takes the stairs two at a time.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
    "Ha ha..." Natasha laughs weakly, humoring Sam until he's out of sight, when her face goes blank, and she softly tells Steve, "We may have to shoot him."