oh captain! my captain! | barnes

arrest

9:45 pm
the Highway

"I'm proud of you," he stated simply. It seemed unnatural and forced, but it made her face warm. She watched him and he watched the road.

"Why?"

"You're allowing yourself to be taken in. You're owning up to it. It's terrifying, but you're doing it anyway," he glanced at her.

"Thank you," she watched him for a moment or two before watching the road again. "Tony?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

"You already said that," he chuckled.

"I mean for saving Bucky. I know about your history with him and you still saved him, you still worked to save him," she paused. "I appreciate it."

"No man left behind," he replied with a small smile. He took an exit off the highway and it was silent until they pulled into the parking lot of the station.

"Ready?" he asked her.

"Yeah, are you?"

"Yeah," he opened his door and she followed. They made their way up the steps and to the front desk.

Officers stopped. Detectives stopped. The secretary froze. Time stood still, staring her in the face. Seeing her sins. Judging her in silence.

"Good morning. I'm Tony Stark, this is Audrey Rolf. She'd like to turn herself in," he said proudly. She glanced at him from the side and looked back to the secretary.

She didn't want to look around as hands went to pistols in holsters.

"Yes, of course," the secretary choked out. She nodded and began to stick papers to a clip board and slid it to Audrey, who looked down at it. "Fill this out."

She wrote down her full name, her date of birth, her height and weight. Her crime. She looked up to Tony.

"Do I put my actual age or the age I was cryo-frozen?" She whispered. The secretary had gone to the back; the officers went to work with occasional vigil glances in her direction.

"Both," he stated.

"And what about occupation?"

"Avenger."

She smiled briefly and wrote it down quickly. She then looked to him once more.

"Welcome to the team, Audrey. I'll get a bail as soon as I get the amount."

She nodded. Cops came out and handcuffed her. The secretary took the clip board.

The officers began to take her away.

She looked back to Tony, who stayed long after she vanished behind the doors. She was taken to a large glass box, thick plexiglass.

The door was opened and she sat on a chair. Her hands were restrained to the arm rests. Her neck was tied to the back. Her ankles and waist were locked in.

She furrowed her brow in confusion before relaxing. He'll come, Bucky and Tony and Steve will come. They'll bail her.

The officers stepped outside and the door was locked. Soon enough, the wall that was behind her opened. She didn't move as a forklift moved her to a SWAT truck.

The glass enclosure was locked in and four men in heavy suits stepped onto the truck outside her cell.

The truck began to depart.

She was silent. She didn't ask where she was going. She didn't ask how long she'd be there. She didn't ask questions she didn't want answered.

She was silent and she stared straight ahead.

Back at the station, Tony was taken aside to the Sheriff's office. The buff man closed the door and the two sat down.

"I'm prepared to pay any cost to keep this out of the papers and to get her back under our custody."

"Soldier 0324. Audrey Rolf. Served in Germany with allied forces, World War II. Her chronological age 97 but current physical age 25. Dead aim, agent of HYDRA. Same HYDRA that caused the helicarrier attack in New York. Same HYDRA that forged the Winter Soldier. Now we've got a second Winter on our hands. Don't we?" The Sheriff had been scanning a case file on her.

The girl had a file. Of course.

"Soldier 0324, like Winter, aren't the people that are possessed by them. Solider and Winter are parasites. I assure you, Officer, Winter is under control and Soldier is undergoing control. Everyday, Audrey becomes stronger and stronger. Everyday, Soldier becomes weaker. Audrey's a good person."

"Tell me, Mister Stark, was it Audrey or Soldier that shot the sixteen-year-old clerk?"

"Audrey," he was defeated.

"Aside from this, Soldier has more collective kills than Winter ever had. She's an uncontrollable, murderous weapon. She's in my custody now, there she will remain and serve her time."

"How long?"

"Upwards of sixty years."

"Sixty years?" He laughed outward. "That's insane!"

"So is she," the sheriff hissed.

"What happened to 'innocent until proven guilty'?" Tony inquired.

"We have footage, witnesses, funeral records, autopsy reports. She is a murderer," the officer punched each of the last sentence's words. Tony stood.

"Where are you taking her?"

"Why would I tell you?" The sheriff stood. "You can leave."

"I didn't ask," Tony slammed the door shut upon his exit. Everyone watched him leave, just as they watched him enter.

Tony sat in his car, fuming with anger and frustration. He started his car and pulled out, heading home.

There was a last-ditch chance. A Hail Mary.