xp_logs | Operation: зимний солдат

Bucky Barnes comes to the Snow Valley offices, with some unfortunate news.

The Snow Valley lobby wasn't much more than a ten by ten semi-circle in front of the elevator. There were a couple of couches and the tall reception desk with the think tank's logo on the front. It usually held a scowling Cammie bored behind the desk, but when Barnes stepped out of the elevator, it didn't take more than a few words to send her out to fetch one of the more senior members of the team.

Bucky settled himself on his cane, not wanting to take a seat. He hated to admit it, but he was finally starting to feel his age. Maybe not his actual age, but certainly older than he ever had before. Maybe it was the years catching up with him, or maybe it was the burdens. Either way, it was what it was.

The silver-haired woman that stepped out to meet him didn't look surprised, though she didn't look entirely sure why he was there. Still, she smiled warmly as she offered him a hand. "Mr. Barnes, it is good to see you," Ororo said. "Please, won't you join me in my office?"

"Good, yes." He hurumphed, taking her hand and then following along behind her to her office. He kept touching his jacket, over where the inside pocket was. What he liked about the older members of the think tank was that none of them were interested in small talk. He himself used to tell people that small talk was meant for small people, many years ago. It seemed unnecessarily arrogant now.

Ororo waited until the man was seated before taking a seat herself, though she remained perched on the edge as she offered, "Can I get you anything? Coffee? Tea?" The old man looked like he had something on his mind, and frankly she was curious to know what it was, but that didn't mean the pleasantries shouldn't be observed.

"No, no. I'm fine, Ms Munroe. Or should I use a married name now?" Bucky reached into his jacket and withdrew an envelope while waiting for her answer.

It took a sharp eye to see the weatherworker's shocked reaction - a second later it was gone and she was smiling politely again. "Munroe is fine, thank you. What can I help you with today, Mr. Barnes?"

"I have some unfortunate news." He passed over the envelope. "I recieved this from the Fulmer Institute this morning by courier. The institute is a highly secret secure facility that specializes in the internment and treatment of the mentally unbalanced from the covert side of American military operations. Mostly former operatives who have broken down mentally in the field, and who possess skills and abilities that make it too dangerous to seek treatment in normal facilities. Or people who know too much and it is not expedient to disappear."

A brief look at the contents of the envelope was enough to raise Ororo's eyebrows. "This was where Rebecca Barnes was remanded to after her capture. And she is no longer there."

"Sadly, that is correct." Bucky said, leaning back in his chair. "The head of security at Fulmer believes that her escape was supported from the outside. He's promised a full review of security procedures but-" He made a disgusted noise, waving with his hands like painting the side of a house.

"That leaves the fact that she is once again at large, as it were. Thank you for bringing this to our attention, Mr. Barnes. It is certainly a situation that bears monitoring." And possibly a situation that would inspire a few creative Cajun curses, but she left that part out.

"Ms Munroe, Ricky is dangerously unstable. On top of that, after years of conditioning, it would only take the right type of handler to turn her into a weapon again. Considering that there was outside help in breaking her out - well, this might have been a recruitment as much as a rescue."

Ororo's expression betrayed none of the emotion she felt; there was nary a rumble of thunder from the sky outside to hint at her reaction to this news. "We will, of course, do all that we can to find who may have recruited Rebecca, but Mr. Barnes, you must understand that these people, whoever they are, will be doing all they can to keep her a secret. We may not know who has taken her into their fold until they want us to know."

"I believe it to be worse than that. I think we won't know until after she's accomplished whatever mission they want her to do." Bucky leaned back. "To most of the world, she's a thing. As much as I hate to say this, please, find out what only she can accomplish. If you do, you'll know why she was broken out."

"We will do our best to find her," Ororo said as soothingly as she could, though she knew that Barnes knew as well as she that the next time they ran across Ricky a peaceful capture was one of the less-likely possibilities. "Until then... I am afraid you must be patient."

"One of the advantages of getting old, Ms Munroe, is that you learn how to wait for bad news." Bucky said wryly, as he pulled himself up from the chair.