9

Chapter 9Notes:

Utata = Father

ястреб = The Hawk

бог мой = My God

Chapter Text

"I see…" Nat nodded slowly. "Should I call you grandpa?" She threw a teasing look at Barnes.

"Do and I'll tan your hide, girlie." Barnes mocked glared back.

~~~

May 11th 1998

"And I'm in the early stages of a version of the drones that are humanoid shaped and are controlled remotely, primarily for personnel extraction in hot-zones, as they'll be bullet-proof."

"Humanoid?" An admiral asked, blinking. "Like robots or a suit of armour?"

"Pretty much." Tony nodded. "I've had to buy an experimental design for a possible power source off of dad, batteries just won't cut it with the suits."

"Possible power source?" Westbourne (USAF) asked.

"Experimental?" Mitcham (USAF) asked at the same time.

"The arc-reactor," Howard said. "Tony believes that he can modify the design so that the output is not impacted with miniaturisation."

"Is that possible?" One of the Army generals asked.

"Unknown, at this point." Howard replied.

"The idea is sound, but getting the thing to work…?" Tony shrugged. "If it does? One could power the suit for maybe… a hundred hours…? Depending on flight time and weight demands." Tony wasn't going to tell the DoD that he'd miniaturised the arc-reactor in a cave in Afghanistan, he wasn't.

"How much weight are you planning on making it carry?" The same general asked.

"Not so much 'make it carry', as knowing what it can carry." Tony said. "I'd like it to be able to carry the equivalent of two adult males, one inside the suit and a second outside the suit, as an emergency extraction option. Whether that will happen or not? Like I said, I'm still in the early stages of planning." At least of the planned alterations, based around the Man Mk5 suit.

"Can this… suit… be weaponised?" Westbourne asked.

"Probably, but I wouldn't recommend altering it." Tony grimaced. "I can try and make one that is weaponised from the start but, it would require an internal operator and that's… tricky…"

"How so?" A White House rep asked.

"The pilot would have to be a pilot." Tony explained. "Flight ready, I mean. They'd have to have either combat experience or be proven proficient in combat simulators. They'd have to be compact, be under 5ft 10 and 175 pounds, or the power-weight-distance ratio is going to be unstable. They'd have to high levels in CQC, as they'd possibly be in frontline confrontations. The ability to multi-task is essential, as is strength. I mean no disrespect to any women officers but few of them would have the physical strength to use the suit. If I get it working the way I want, it will weigh over two hundred pounds. On the ground, it would be cumbersome and require a lot of strength to move it. In the air, it would operate much like a single seat aircraft, although the actual flight mechanics are considerably different." The physical 'requirements' were pretty much based around his and Rhodey's stats but there was no need to tell the brass that.

"Ah." Westbourne grunted.

"But the big drawback is that any weaponised suit would have one user and one user only, they would have to be fitted to the pilot and each pilot would have to be trained in how use it." Tony went on. "This would limit the viability of the suit, especially when you take into account the cost."

"The cost?" Westbourne asked, already wincing.

"Well into the millions, probably." Tony replied. "Which for a suit that only one person can use? Costly. That's why I'm focusing more on the extraction suit and working with dad on more extraction drones, as both can be operated remotely."

"Yes…" Westbourne nodded. "Although, I think the Air Force might be interested, anyway." The Air Force officer looked at his colleague, who nodded.

"Perhaps one or two for back up and solo missions." The second Air Force general nodded.

"On a separate matter?" One of the Army generals asked. "I've had a request for your Head of Security to give a demonstration to a specialist sniper class. Would he be interested?"

"I can only ask." Tony blinked. "Give me a moment, please." He pulled out his phone and send off a text message. Tony also glanced over his shoulder at Barnes, they'd discussed the matter a few times and while Barnes had been a little hesitant he had agreed, if a situation arose that suited them, he was prepared to go public with who he really was, with a variant on the truth of how it was possible, of course.

Barnes met his eyes and sighed as he nodded.

"If you had the chance," Tony asked the generals, "of having any sniper, anyone at all, demonstrate to your people, who would it be? Ignoring time, history, death, country of origin or any other factor. Who would be your ideal sniper demos, the top five?"

"Absolute top five?" The Army general asked.

"Absolute top five." Tony nodded.

"Hmm…" The Army general leant over to talk to his colleague, who gestured for the two Marine generals to join the debate. The hushed conversation went on for a few minutes, before the four sat back.

"Our dream sniper demos are… touchy…" A Marine general said. "Wordsworth, Milton, Simms and I are a little disappointed that only one of our top five was American and that the only living person is in his 90's."

"And he's not American." The other Marine muttered.

"Yes, yes, Simms. We get it." The first Marine sighed.

"Just pointing it out." Simms (USMC) huffed.

"Enough." An Army general said. "Harrison's right. We're all a little disappointed that Americans don't rank as highly as some other countries."

"So? What's the verdict?" Tony asked, he was a little nervous about this, exposing Barnes to the military could go two ways. Very good or very bad.

"Häyhä, Sidorenko, Barnes, Dyachenko and Pegahmagabow." Harrison answered, naming four of the world's highest ranking snipers to have ever lived.

"Right." Tony nodded. "That's an… ambitious list."

"You did say our top five." Simms shrugged. "All of them have kill-rating of over 400."

"I did." Tony agreed. "I'm a little surprised that Barnes isn't higher up. Being US Army and all." He avoided looking at Barnes, he was fairly sure the man wasn't pleased with his needling.

"He's right in the middle." Simms replied. "Both he and Pegahmagabow have lower official kill-counts. 372 in Barnes' case and 378 for Pegahmagabow, but Barnes' unofficial tally is likely to include another 150, possibly 200. His reports didn't list exact numbers, just 'eliminated sniper's nest' or 'removed enemy targets'. His reports tended to be rather vague on numbers."

"Ah." Tony nodded. "So, while we wait for Barton to talk to his wife and respond to my text, could Generals Wordsworth and Milton clear a few things up for me?"

"That depends on what they are?" Milton replied.

"Details about the Howling Commandos, seeing as you pair are the current authorities on the Commandos' history." Tony said and waited for the two soldiers to nod. "Is my information correct, in that… after the rescue of the 107th from Azzano, Dugan, Barnes, Morita, Jones and Sawyer were given honourable discharges and joined the SSR?"

The two Army generals nodded. "That's correct. All of the 107th were offered honourable discharges and transport back to the US, some took it and some didn't."

"But Dugan, Barnes, Morita, Jones and Sawyer did?" Tony asked. He wanted one of them to say the actual words.

"Yes, that's correct." Milton (USAR) said. "Those five took the discharge but opted to join the SSR."

"Right, good." Tony hid his smirk. "And the SSR was a purely civilian organisation, that was only contracted to the DoD?"

"That's correct." Milton nodded, a frown building.

"And it was completely disbanded in 1948?"

"It was." Wordsworth nodded. "All staff were given the option of transferring to the newly created Strategic Homeland, Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division when it was created."

"Did all of them take that transfer?"

"No, some wanted out."

"Of those I mentioned, did any of them accept the transfer?"

"Yes. Dugan, Jones and Sawyer did." Wordsworth replied.

"So Barnes and Morita didn't?"

"Morita opted to return to Fresno after the war and Barnes was declared KIA." Wordsworth said.

Tony let his smirk out. "Let me tell you a story." He paused when his phone chimed and he quickly read Clint's assent to the request. "Right, so Barton says, he can do your class, you just need to give us a time, date and location."

"Excellent." Milton smiled. "Please continue with your… tale…?"

"So, way back when… Dad used his own plane to transport himself, Peggy Carter and Steve Rogers, across enemy lines. Rogers parachuted out when they hit flack and dad returned to base, earning himself and Carter a lecture from Colonel Phillips, who wasn't pleased with their actions. Rogers returned with the missing 107th, who were... as you stated... offered medical treatment and honourable discharges. Some took them and were sent back to the US. With me so far?"

"Yes…?" Milton tilted his head a little.

"Just laying a little ground work, it'll all become clear in a few minutes, general." Tony grinned brightly. "Dugan, Barnes, Jones, Morita and Sawyer accepted the discharges but instead of returning to the US, they accepted SSR's offer of positions with the Howling Commandos, with Colonel Phillips as the liaison to the Army and the one giving the orders." Tony took a sip of water from the bottle in front of himself. "They worked under Rogers, in the field, and Phillips, in planning, for some months before the mission that acquired Arnim Zola. The mission that saw James Barnes and Peter Fawkner fall from a train in the alps." Tony felt Barnes tense behind him and let out a silent but pained breath. "Rogers completed the mission and returned to base, his report was filed, stating the loss of two men, Barnes and Fawkner. Later that same day, a raid was undertaken on Schmidt's mountain-cavern base and Rogers had to board Schmidt's plane to try and apprehend the man. Rogers is reported to have killed Schmidt and been forced to ditch the plane into the arctic. Still with me?"

"We know this, Stark." Simms said. "What's your point?"

"Ah, well, here is where the official documents are missing some information." Tony shrugged. It now depended on how good an actor he really was, as to whether he could sell the generals on the history that he and the group had come up with. It was a combination of truth and fiction, just enough truth that if someone went looking, they'd find what Tony wanted them to find and reach the conclusion he wanted them to reach. "Dad took a couple of the 107th guys that hadn't yet been transported back to the US, to retrieve the bodies of Barnes and Fawkner. Both had been tortured by HYDRA at Azzano and dad felt that they'd earnt the right to be buried in American soil. Fawkner was… found in a couple of places… Dad said it was the gruesomest thing he'd seen during the war."

"And Barnes?" Milton leant forward. "I recall reading something about Fawkner's funeral, but not Barnes'?"

"No, no funeral for Barnes." Tony said. "He was found. Badly injured and really close to death. Dad figured that whatever Zola had done to him at Azzano, kept him alive." This was all true, unfortunately it wasn't Howard that found Barnes, but the Russians. And Howard's theory wasn't mentioned until the group's last planning session.

"Alive? He survived the fall?" Milton gasped.

"He did." Tony nodded. "Badly hurt, but alive. Shock, blood loss and hypothermia were the biggest threat to him, not including the fact that, where he fell was in enemy territory. After a cursory assessment, the chance was taken to freeze him completely. Theorising, that he'd not be able to survive transportation without significant medical intervention, which wasn't going to happen in the alps, in winter, in the middle of a war." Barnes remembered the Russians finding him and that it was only minutes after that, that he was first frozen, albeit in icy water and not a cryotube.

"Oh, God…" Wordsworth whispered.

"It was elected to keep things hush-hush, as how the hell do you defrost someone after encasing them ice? Was Barnes going to survive the thawing process? And did they treat his wounds before or after thawing? Dad planned return to the US and continue to research the matter, he figured that taking the time to get his facts right was better for everyone." Tony sighed. "Then he was told Rogers ditched the plane and suddenly Barnes is thrust to the back of the freezer."

One of the admirals winced at his phrasing.

"The search for Rogers went into overdrive, the moment that it was announced that the war was over." Tony went on. "For weeks, dad and his crew searched for Rogers without success. Weeks that turned into years. Outside of running SI, dad spent hours every day, pouring over the radar reports and interrogating Carter over the readings from Schmidt's flight control area. Which meant that Barnes stayed frozen."

Wordsworth made a wounded groaning sound.

"It wasn't until just a few years ago that, I found out about all this and… well…?" Tony shrugged. "Technology has progressed significantly since 1945. Shortly before my twenty-second birthday, Barnes was unfrozen and we brought him into the fold." 

"You…" Milton whispered.

"Gentlemen…" Tony smirked. "May I present my bodyguard, Sergeant James Buchannan Barnes?"

The six generals, two admirals and two White House aids, just gaped and blinked, while Barnes lightly smacked Tony over the back of the head.

"Show off." Was all he said.

~~~

November 29th 1998

The young man opening his eyes and blinked in confusion. What was he doing in this room? He hadn't slept in this room since he'd taken his father's throne.

He rose from the bed and crossed to the familiar bathroom, he stilled as his reflection in one of the full-length mirrors caught his eye. Oh sweet Bast. How is this possible? He thought to himself. I look to be… twenty? Certainly no more than twenty-five. How?

He went through his usual routine of his morning ablutions and after dressing, left his rooms. He nodded to the Dora Milaje at his door and turned towards the corridors that housed his father's office. "I wish to speak with my father, on matters of the crown." He said and Okoye nodded and strode away.

As he approached the doors of the king's office, Okoye nodded to him. "The king will see you." She opened the door and stepped through it, with him at her heels. "Prince T'Challa, your majesty." She waited until the king nodded before letting T'Challa go any further than the door. With the king's consent she withdrew and closed the door.

"My son, what troubles you?" TChaka saw the discomfort on his son's face.

"Utata, there is much for me to tell you." T'Challa never even thought of not telling his father, he needed help and he knew it.

It took him four hours to explain everything that had happened between his twenty-first birthday until he went to sleep on his fifty-first birthday, in 2026. So much had happened to the world and Wakanda had been right in the middle of it.

~~~

The young girl lifted her head and studied the room. Why was she in a dormitory? She subtly lifted her head enough to look around the room, noting the fact that most of the other beds were occupied. She let her head rest back on the pillow, while her mind raced. She knew this place, but it wasn't possible that she could be in this place. She and the other Widows had destroyed it after…

Her racing thoughts came to a halt.

She'd listened to her sister's ястреб, as he lay gasping and crying on the ground, after she'd put a bullet in his shoulder. He'd explained what the Avengers had done and how. And how Natalia's sacrifice wasn't so much for him as for everyone she loved. How he'd tried to stop her but how she'd taken the choice away from him.

"Time." Yelena whispered, her eyes wide. "They went back in time."

Was that what had happened to her? She blinked as she thought about it and began to study the room once again. She silently climbed from the bed, only to freeze in shock.

"бог мой…" She whispered. "It's not possible…" She was a child, again. Had something gone wrong? She narrowed her eyes and made a plan, she wasn't going to stay here. There was nothing she could do for the other girls in this room, all of them were drugged and by morning none of them would be alive, many were already dead. It was simply a stage in finding girls suitable for the Black Widow program, as far as the handlers were concerned. Only those that survived the drugs would progress and Yelena knew she was the only one from her group to move to the next level.

But this was good news for Yelena, as girls were haphazardly placed throughout the room, the handlers weren't interested in them and wouldn't be until morning. This was the perfect time to remove herself from the Widow program. The question remained, though.

Where should she go and what should she do?

"ястреб." She whispered. "He will find her. One day, he will bring her to his nest." She nodded. That was the plan.

She was going to America. Now, she just had to work out how and how to find the man, once she got there.