Howard Stark

Unfortunately, no matter what happened, it was likely that Bucky would never be able to stop the Winter Soldier from anything he did which would include killing Howard Stark. Once they found themselves inside, Bucky waited until it felt appropriate to speak. “I didn’t die. When I fell.” He chose to begin where it felt made the most sense, the beginning. “Zola tried his own version of the super soldier serum on me, tried to go further too but Steve saved me before he could. That was what stopped me from dying. I lost my arm first and then my freedom. Hydra took me and they started slow because they realized no one was looking for me.” That was speculation on his part. In fact, a lot of it felt more like a dream in the first few days but eventually, he was snapped right back into reality.

Howard navigated through the streets, unsure why he was really bringing the other back to his apartment. He wasn’t only risking his safety, but Peggy’s. What if she was home? What would she say about this? Peggy was not fragile by any definition of the word, but he worried how she’d react seeing Barnes... and if Barnes was here... he couldn’t think about the possibility that maybe Steve had been found, or was brought back. 

Luckily, when he let himself in, nobody was home. Which meant she might be out seeing her son and that she’d be gone for awhile (he hoped). He hadn’t even had a chance to offer the man a place to sit or... some tea, or whatever else Peggy stocked up on in the kitchen. He was already talking, sending Howard into an uncomfortable corner of his mind as he listened. Everything went back to fucking HYDRA. When he and Peggy came up with SHIELD, he had hoped... that maybe in this day and age, for example, they wouldn’t be a worry anymore. He was so wrong. That’s what he got for being optimistic.

“We didn’t think there was a chance. The way the commandos explained the fall and the setting... there shouldn’t have been a chance in hell that you survived. You’re must have offended the reaper at one point,” he tried to joke to break the tension. “Steve wasn’t the same after he came back from that mission. It took... a lot of coaxing from Peggy to get him back,” he didn’t know why he was telling the other this. But, he supposed, if he had died in front of everyone, he’d want to be reassured that people cared or something.

Howard gave her a look at the words. He honestly didn’t care if she was chasing someone in the streets. That wasn’t an excuse for running into people or trying to push past them to keep up with whoever she was stalking. “Atta girl, maybe there’s some hope for you yet.”

“social parties are usually a bore,” she nodded before signalling for the bartender to bring her another drink, “way to make a girl feel special,” barbara commented before shrugging one shoulder up, “got caught in a altercation.”

“Not with the right company. My wife has a talent for spicing the life up during them,” Howard claimed. “Or, you could start drama around you. It’s quite easy. Just say one person called another’s suit a knockoff and you’ve got an argument,” he explained. He lifted his glass to take a sip, savoring it for a moment before answering, “An altercation? Did you get in a spot of trouble for it?”

“Knowing Maria, I am quite certain she is doing just fine.” Peggy pointed out. “She and I have both been in our fair share of squabbles and you would be surprised at how well she has held her own.”

“I know full well that she can handle her own. The woman can drop me with one punch. That isn’t the point, it’s not the same...” Howard stressed. “She could be giving birth any day now and I’m... here,” He gestured around them. “I have to find a way back in case she needs me. You know how hard it was for us to get this point and if anything happens to her or the baby... I have to get home to be with her.”

Howard gave her a look at the words. “I can throw them away and buy new clothes,” he pointed out simply. Clothes weren’t so important to him. If he needed anything in his pile, he could also take it to an express cleaner. She was overreacting. “I have to get back to work, Peggy. Maria -- I can’t be away from her for too long. What if she needs me?”

“You need to rethink your work schedule, Stark.”

Even if he wound up ARRESTED after this, he owed so much to Howard. An apology to begin with and an explanation to follow. He hadn’t had any sort of outstanding relationship with Howard around the time he enlisted. They worked together and for the most part, it was a neutral pairing. Still, though, he had never wanted him dead. “I need to talk to you but it can’t be here.” He figured someone like Howard Stark probably had several private places to discuss matters at. Which could also be places that could easily cause Bucky to be easily detained. He kept his wits about him as he waited, certain that he would have to plan an escape route as they went.

Howard, surprisingly, waited for a response. He wasn’t exactly the definition of a patient man. It showed from the way he could talk a million miles an hour and the frustration he showed when one couldn’t keep up. He didn’t have time for pauses. Especially now -- especially here. He had a wife and son to get back to. Which was a weird thought, because he reckoned he should be more worried about the business. But, he figured Obie could care for the company in his place for a little awhile.

Once he heard the man’s voice, though. Well, it might as well had been over. Howard dipped just a bit so he could get a good look at the man’s face. His blood might as well had turned to ice at the realization. He wasn’t close to Barnes, not by any definition. And, there was no way the man before him was a carbon copy nephew of his. Not the way he was acting. He shouldn’t have been surprised, though, considering he was brought right out of ‘69 to this... this mess of a new world. 

𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄'𝐒  𝐀  moment  where  she  pondered  on  asking  what  juvi  was  .  but  laura  kept  her  question  for  herself  ,  instead  huffed  at  the  man  .  she  might’ve  been  shorter  , but  the  brunette  refused  to  back  down , body  aching  for  the  claws  to  come  out  !  show  this  guy  what  leverage  looked  like  .  “  sure  .  but  not  with  everyone  around  me ,  just  assholes  dressed  in  secondhand  suits  with  egos  bigger  than  their  heads  .  ”

“Oh, darling, it must be worse than I thought if you think this is a secondhand suit. You can’t tell the difference between the real deal and a fake? I suppose I can check off ‘petty burglar’ off my assumption of what you could possibly do because I know you’re the type who isn’t an academic.”

“you obviously know a bit about your whiskey,” she commented with a tilt of her head before downing the glass, placing it back on the counter, “bad day at work,” barbara smirked softly at her words.

“You’d be surprised how quickly talk goes from business to alcohol at the parties I attend,” Howard claimed as he turned his glass in his hand. He was definitely going to have to slow down, especially if he was hoping to get any work done in the lab tonight. “Feel free to vent, if you need to. I’ve nothing else to do, might as well be an ear-lender.”

lost in her own thoughts, it took her a moment to register that someone was speaking to her before she turned her head to look at the male. “do i seem like the kind of girl that would not know good liquor?” she spoke with a raised eyebrow before accepting her drink from the bartender, drinking it straight, “rest assured, it is whiskey. tonight definitely calls for something strong.”

“Hopefully the year is good, then. I do not recommend the scotch,” Howard claimed as he lifted his newfound glass to take a sip. Even though the bartender was surely a step away from poisoning his drink or worse: snatching it from him to toss. “Received bad news? Or just a bad day overall?”

the night had been rough for the young woman as she had spent some of the time patrolling before getting into a fight, leaving her sore and annoyed. accepting the glass of straight whiskey from the bartender, she knocked it back before slamming the glass on the bar, “another.”

Howard had always enjoyed a nice glass of scotch. Whether it was during a stressful time or just before a fun night out. But, he hadn’t drunk like this in awhile. One drink turned to two, then three and now he was pretty sure he was near the end of the bottle from the glares he was getting from the bartender who looked one shot away from cutting him off. 

At the end of his glass, he was pushing his limit, eyes scanning the bar until they landed on the woman two seats from him. She hardly looked old enough to drink, but in this time? It was near impossible to tell a sixteen-year-old from a twenty-four-year-old. They all dressed the same. 

“A glass of what she’s having,” he told the bartender, only throwing her a little grin at the once-again glare before turning his attention back to the young woman. “I hope you’re not a piss-drinker. That’s whiskey, I’m hoping?”

His thoughts caused his eyes to tear up involuntarily and he cursed the nausea that threatened the base of his throat as he continued to feel the flutter of his chest in the utter agony of PANICas he did his best to retreat. His voice was too soft and a little broken, “I didn’t mean to.”

Howard eyed the people passing him, a few gave him a dirty look for the snap, others... didn’t care. It was the streets of New York. A man yelling at another or even a fist-fight wouldn’t cause the majority to bat an eye. It took a lot to get a reaction out of them. Not that anyone is daring to snap back and give them some action. 

The only one who actually did say something, barely managed it himself. Howard’s eyes fell on him to look him over. And, he was rushed by a strange wave of familiarity. “Do I know you --,” Howard began before pausing in his sentence. The thought going through his head made him feel crazy. With that said, the man from his past... a very dead man, did have a sister and maybe... it was coincidence that he’d run into Barnes’ nephew or... great-nephew?

He really needed to find out what year it was exactly. “What’s your name?”

      ❛ jeez …  sorry, guy.  i just thought i spotted a … friend!  —  if it was on purpose, you’d know it. ❜  bouncing up onto her toes, to look over the man’s shoulder, through the crowd of people, disappointed, naturally …. ❛  && thanks to you, looks like i lost ‘em. ❜

“Then you try to call for them, not bulldozer into people to make your way through the crowd,” Howard chided her. He tried his best not to roll his eyes dramatically, but failed at it. “Oh, how ever sorry am I that you lost the person you were stalking in the streets. I’m sure for some unknown reason to them, they’re beyond relieved.”

Howard still had his eyes narrowed, even after he emotionally calmed down. Of course it was a child who ran into him, they were so unfocused. He wasn’t sure how he was going to tend to his own. Actually, he supposed that he needed to start getting... better at that. His expression dropped for a moment at the realization before he slowly let out a sigh. “I didn’t mean to... yell. My apologies. Are you alright?” Maria would have been proud at how sincere he sounded.

“Watch where you’re going,” he found himself barking at the stranger as he whirled back around to face them.