For you, I'll risk it all

XXIII

As the night faded away giving space to the morning light, Steve, Bucky, Iris, and Sam moved with a quiet urgency as they started to pack, a loud silence hovering over the cabin.

Steve received a crypted message from Tony during the night letting him know they left for Siberia and a jet was waiting for them at the base to join them.

"Are you sure you want to come?" Steve's question was directed to Bucky as he scrutinized him from the rear mirror, his face impassible as he just nodded.

Bucky gave a curt nod, his jaw clenched tight. Steve glanced at Iris, who sat beside him. "You don't have to come," he continued. "You can stay at the base. Bruce and Clint will still be there. Or Iris could—"

"I'm coming," Iris cut in, her voice firm. Her gaze burned with a fierce determination. "I want them to see my face when we shut down the Winter Soldier program once and for all."

"So do I," Bucky murmured, his voice barely audible over the hum of the engine.

Sam piped up from the backseat. "I'll volunteer to stay behind." Steve shot him a wry look. "No, you're coming too. Wouldn't want you to miss out on getting your butt frozen."

With a final check of their gear, they piled out of the SUV and onto the waiting jet. Tony had arranged for a cargo plane to keep a low profile, but it was still equipped with everything they'd need. The automatic pilot would give them a chance to rest and prepare for what lay ahead.

As the jet soared through the skies, the tension inside the cabin grew thicker. Iris sat on top of a crate, her fingers moving nimbly as she sewed up the tears in her shirt. Souvenirs from her run-in with the Winter Soldier. Sam crouched beside her, Redwing disassembled in his hands. "How's the shoulder?" he asked, his brow furrowed in concern.

"It could be worse," she replied, her voice tight.

Sam glanced over at Steve and Bucky. They sat across from them, their voices hushed as they talked. Or, at least, Steve talked. Bucky just listened, his eyes fixed intently on Iris. He then turned back to her "Do you think it's a good idea for him to be here, so soon?" he asked quietly.

Iris didn't hesitate. "Yes. He needs this. But he needs to be angry if he's going to be any use to us." With a swift movement, she yanked off her tank top, leaving her in just her bra. The scars on her abdomen were a brutal reminder of what they were up against. Sam's eyes darted down to her chest, then quickly away, his cheeks flushing. His gaze then followed the direction of four piercing blu eyes shooting daggers at him. "Well, I think you're on the right track for that," he muttered.

Steve's gaze flicked between them, his eyes narrowing. Bucky, couldn't tear his eyes away from Iris, knowing that that was the picture of the damage he'd inflicted. "None of this is your fault," Steve whispered, his voice full of sincerity.

Bucky's gaze never wavered. "She told me about...about your time together," he murmured "She doesn't blame you for what happened, now or ever"

A harsh laugh tore from Bucky's throat"I stabbed her, Steve. Me. The Winter Soldier. I'd do it again in a heartbeat if someone decided to say ten words" His eyes, haunted, anguished eyes, finally met Steve's. "Am I supposed to be grateful I survived?"

"Don't say that Buck" Steve's heart nearly shattered hearing his best friend talking like that.

Before he could continue, with a surgeon's precision bucky metal arm reached in front of Steve blocking a knife.

His eyes locked with Iris's as he stood up meeting her in the centre of the jet.

"Iris, what the hell?" Steve's voice sliced through the tense air behind his friend's back, his tone a mixture of surprise and concern.