Viper's Bite: The Other Rogers

17.

Tony walked Sally into the tower and let her ooh and ahh at everything on the living floors because he knew she had seen a bit of the office floors when she had made herself known originally. He smiled at how she seemed to ask questions about the art Pepper had hung or the awards that were displayed throughout the halls. She laughed at his Iron Man fanart that he had displayed randomly all over the tower. She even had the gall to tell him to get more of the other Avengers and hang it around too. He had looked at her as if appalled before telling her he would consider it.  The pair continued through the tower, saying hello to those she met along the way. Just as they were getting to the top floors, a petite blonde in a sleek black dress appeared. Tony held Sally's hand a little tighter behind their legs, pulling her side flush with his own. 

The blonde huffed annoyedly and rolled her eyes. "Don't expect to stay honey. He is likely to forget your name before you reach his room."

Sally quickly realized what was happening and pulled her hand from Tony's grip to shake the blonde's. "I am Sally and you must be the infamous Pepper Potts. Tony speaks very highly of you. Don't worry, my ego can handle the stabs unlike this big baby. If you need a hand with anything, please let me know. I will be staying in my own room here in the tower."

Pepper reassessed Sally as she spoke and gave her a genuine smile. "No bruised ego with you?"

"Oh it has happened before Miss Potts. The difference is I learned from it and try not to put myself in those situations or at the very least thicken my skin a bit so as not to show any hurt that may occur."

Pepper nodded her head and smiled again. "I may have some work for you later, if you are up for it. It is mostly assistant work since mine quit again. I have my bad days where I seem way too high-strung to be real." Pepper shrugged lightly while Sally gave Tony some side-eye. "I have a feeling it was always cleaning up after this one that made you like that, yeah?"

Pepper looked startled before laughing hard and agreeing with Sally while Tony stared at the pair mesmerized. Speaking up, he turned to face both of them while looking directly at Sally. "How is it that I met you less than two days ago but you fit in not only with me and my friends but my ex too? Yes, I want Pepper back but I was prepared to defend you when it came to her remarks and instead, you two are friends before even leaving the elevator?" 

Pepper sighed and turned to leave the elevator once it sounded that they had arrived at the floor she needed. "I'll only be up here for a few minutes in order to get some files we went over yesterday Tony, then I'll be on my way. Sally, once you're settled, please go down to the reception desk and tell them I asked to see you at your earliest convenience."

Sally agreed politely while secretly hoping she didn't have to deal with Britney again.

As soon as Pepper collected the files and left again, Tony turned to Sally and gave his goatee a frustrated finger brushing before asking her how she always managed to make friends that easily. 

"Maybe it is my own super power. I honestly don't know, realistically. I just am more likeable than you." 

They were both smiling when they hear a cough from the room in front of them. "H-hey Mr. Stark. How are you Ms. Sally?"

"Kid! How come I'm Mr. Stark and She's Ms. Sally?"

Sally laughed and tapped Tony on the chest with the back of her hand. "Oh, be nice to him. He is showing you how much he respects you."

"So, you don't respect me?"

"Nope. I know better than to respect any male with the name Stark."

Peter's eyes widened and he seemed to stutter and want to get away from the sight before him. "Please tell me you two aren't flirting in front of me. Mr. Barnes may actually kill me if I knew about you two flirting."

"Buck wouldn't hurt you Peter. I would severely injure him if he tried."

"Plus, I would never flirt-"

"Whatever you're about to say is a straight up lie, Junior. You would flirt with anything."

Tony feigned hurt but saw the kid trying not to laugh so he let it slide. "I'll get you back for that Elsa."

"Still not Elsa."

Peter left as he saw the two beginning to bicker. The last thing he heard was Mr. Stark asking about why he couldn't call her Elsa.

While the two bickered and Tony showed Sally to her room on his floor, Nat and Clint spoke with T'Challa about his plans for Zemo, whom he had caught on the roof of the base in Siberia while the other three fought below. 

"I will see him imprisoned in my home nation of Wakanda for the deaths at the Summit. My father was a peaceful man who had thought the world was finally ready for us only to be killed for it. I want to see his killer live a long, sad, life."

The two assassins nodded at him, giving him their condolences once again. "I need to speak with Captain Rogers and his friend with the metal arm." He knew he needed to apologize again before he went back to Wakanda. 

After getting the address from Tony Stark's AI, T'Challa found himself in front of the door of an apartment. He knocked gently and waited for a response. When it swung open and he came face to face with both soldiers, he nodded and asked to come in. The three sat and discussed Zemo and how the tower seemed to be getting on with the other Rogers there. T'Challa told them about how Peter seemed to be quite concerned for his safety when it came to Bucky. Steve looked confused but Bucky just laughed. 

"There was this kid at his school on Sally's first day. He thought he was God's gift to humanity when I think he was meant to be a punishment. Anyway, this kid immediately assumed Sally was a new student and tried to get all flirty and close with her. I hadn't even left yet and this kid was all over her. She knew she could take him in a fight, obviously, but given that she was a new staff member and he was a student, she was uncomfortable with his behavior. So, I may have stepped up and overplayed our relationship." Bucky glanced at Steve before continuing. "I may have given the impression that she was my fiance and any special attention she received was a quick way to find oneself among the missing." Steve smacked him in the head before thanking him for being there for his sister. T'Challa looked at the pair and laughed. "You two remind me of my sister and I. We may have a problem if she and Miss Sally meet though. Shuri is almost as much trouble."

T'Challa wanted to learn more about Bucky and the brainwashing he endured. As they went over everything, Steve stayed quiet, thinking of his sister. He was afraid to ask how much she had gone through. It was obvious that she had been through her fair share but he was unsure if he was ready to know how much. 

"So, you have trigger words that override your thoughts and impede your choices?"

"Essentially, yes. Whoever says them, I am forced to obey until the brainwashing fades. Once that happens, I start to remember. It is horrific, like a horror movie that you can't escape."

T'Challa considered the man's words. "Maybe we can find a solution in my home. Wakanda would be happy to help you Bucky."

"I would really like that. I can't hurt anyone else. I need to know I won't hurt Sally again. The look of- Some things can't be unseen and I refuse to cause it again."

T'Challa let them know he would be leaving later in the week and would be more than happy for them to accompany him. "Does Sally have the same conditioning Buck?"

Bucky shook his head, but he couldn't give them more information. Sally hadn't told him anything about her not being brainwashed or why. "She had her memory wiped a few times but no words were ever ingrained in her mind."

Steve and T'Challa nodded before the King bif them both farewell. He needed to get back to the tower for dinner. He was looking forward to getting to know Miss Rogers. 

Just after he left, Steve's phone went off. There was a text from Nat. 

Party at tower tomorrow. Thor is bringing Loki. Need extra hands in case he tries something.