For you, I'll risk it all

XXI

Tony was held up in the lab, his eyes glued to the screen as he decrypted the data from the USB. It had taken hours but finally, he cracked it. A flood of information about HYDRA's Winter Soldier program and the location of a new base in Siberia appeared on his screen. His heart raced with a mix of triumph and urgency. This could be the lead they had been hoping for.

His relationship with Bucky Barnes was a tangled web of animosity and reluctant understanding.

From the moment Tony learned of Bucky's involvement in his parents' deaths, a searing hatred had taken root in his heart, a hatred so intense it almost seemed to become a part of his identity.

Every encounter between Tony and Bucky was a clash of wills, a battle of unresolved pain and pent-up anger. Tony's fists would fly, his words sharp and cutting, while Bucky would weather the storm with a stoic silence, his own guilt and shame shadowing his every move. They had fought enough to know each other's strengths and weaknesses, to the point where their conflict had become almost familiar, a grim routine that neither could escape.

Despite this, Tony couldn't ignore the bond between Steve and Bucky. Steve's unwavering faith in Bucky was both a source of frustration and a point of grudging respect for Tony. He saw the depth of their friendship, the way Steve would go to any lengths to protect Bucky, to bring him back from the edge of darkness. It was a bond that Tony himself had never truly experienced, a brotherhood that both fascinated and infuriated him.

Tony's relationship with Steve was no less complicated. Their paths had diverged too many times. Yet, beneath the arguments and the clashes, there was a deep-seated respect and an unspoken understanding. They had fought side by side, saved each other's lives more times than they could count, and that shared history made them family in a way neither could deny.

The hatred he felt for Bucky was a constant companion, but it was tempered by the recognition of the man's own suffering, his struggle for redemption.

He watched as Steve and Bucky rebuilt their friendship, saw the way Steve's presence seemed to anchor Bucky, to bring him back from the brink. And slowly, almost imperceptibly, Tony's own feelings began to shift. The hatred was still there, but it was mingled with a reluctant empathy, a recognition of the shared pain that bound them all together.

In the end, it was this shared pain that defined their relationships. Tony, Steve, and Bucky were all haunted by their pasts, by the choices they had made and the battles they had fought. And as much as Tony hated to admit it, he couldn't imagine facing the future without them by his side.

He quickly called the others to the meeting room. "Everyone, get to the conference room please and thank you," he said into the comm system.

Steve, Iris, Natasha, Sam, and Wanda hurried into the room, their faces reflecting varying degrees of curiosity and concern. Steve's eyes met Iris's briefly, a silent reassurance passing between them.

"What did you find, Tony?" Steve asked as they took their seats.

Tony stood by the screen, pulling up the data. "I cracked the USB. HYDRA's Winter Soldier program, a new base in Siberia. Coordinates, files, everything. It's all here." he showed proudly.

Natasha leaned forward, her eyes narrowing. "How fresh is this intel?"

"Pretty fresh. HYDRA's been trying to keep a low profile, but this base seems operational. They're continuing their experiments, creating more serums" Tony explained.

Iris felt a chill run down her spine. She clenched her fists, trying to steady her breath.

Steve noticed and placed a comforting hand on her leg.