Aoi Dragon: Here is another chapter of the trial. I hope you enjoy it!
*FMttM*
When the Avengers returned to the Tower, the tension was palpable. Tony was the first to speak once they got to the residential floors. He turned on Diana, "What the hell was that?"
She was actually glad he hadn't confronted her at the courthouse. The people didn't need to know how close they'd come to being face-to-face with the Winter Soldier after a complete reset. She crossed her arms, "Those were the series of words used to reset the Winter Soldier to a blank slate before a wipe and cryo."
"And you didn't think to, I don't know, tell us?"
"I didn't know that the prosecution would be able to find some Soviet HYDRA agent who knew the codes! I barely know the words myself! I only know they're a series of Russian words from the Red Book, something I told you to search for!" She snapped back, "I'm not omnipotent, Stark!"
"But you still knew, and you didn't say anything!"
"You know, this wasn't supposed to come out until two years from now." She pointed out, "In the original timeline, Bucky spent two years regaining his memories by himself while hanging out in Romania. He did well enough until some asshole decided to make a mask of his face and blow up the UN in Vienna. He'd already found the Red Book by the time he came at the Avengers, and used the words to wipe Bucky and make him look more guilty when he escaped custody." Diana snarled, "That's the only reason I know about the words. I had no idea there was anyone else alive who might know them!"
"Okay, everyone just needs to calm down." Steve put out his hands in an appeasing motion, "Nothing bad happened."
"Oh yeah, nothing bad happened this time." Tony snarked, "What about next time? Denisov didn't say the words fast. What if next time someone just rattles off the words in quick succession? What then?"
"Then I'll bring Bucky to the astral plane." Diana said, "It undid the reset before in Belgium. I could do it again."
"And you didn't do that this time because….?"
She hesitated, "I… I wasn't thinking about magic. I…"
"You won't always be around to send me to the astral plane during an attempted reset." Bucky said quietly, "What you did was give me something real to focus on other than the words. It helped more than you know."
Tony scoffed, "Right. Well, I'm going to my lab to intensify the search for that Red Book and maybe do a side search for all of the Winter Soldier's handlers who might know the codes. You know, actually do something useful." He turned on his heel to the elevator and left the floor.
"You okay, Diana?" Steve asked, putting a hand on her shoulder.
She sighed, "Yeah, I guess so. Tony just needs to cool off. He doesn't like it when information is kept from him."
"I'm sorry." Bucky murmured.
"What?" Diana stared at him, and so did Steve, "What have you got to be sorry about?"
"The conditioning, the codes, they're still in my head." Bucky bowed his head, "I'm a danger to everyone as long as they're in there."
"No, Buck." Steve went over to his best friend, "It's not your fault. We just haven't had enough time to deal with that stuff. We will, though. We'll figure out a way to get rid of those codes so you don't have to feel like that ever again."
"I just… I don't think I deserve all of this after what I've done." He looked up, but didn't meet anyone's eyes, "I should be locked up in a jail cell."
"Don't say things like that." Diana took his hand, "Those codes prove that you weren't you during your missions. Denisov also proved that HYDRA viewed you as a thing and not a person by continuously calling you an 'it' and not a 'he.'"
"How can you guys be so good?" Bucky asked, "After everything we've seen and done, how can you be so hopeful?"
Steve spoke first, "I've always wanted to see the good in people." He smirked a little, "It's why I put up with Tony. He's a bit rough around the edges - actually really rough around the edges - and he lashes out like a spoiled child when things don't go his way or at least the way he thinks they should, but he is a good man. I didn't really see that until he nearly sacrificed his life during the Battle of New York. So, yeah, I have hope that people are inherently good and will do the right thing if given the chance."
"All good things start with hope." Diana told Bucky and then smiled, "You just have to look for it and take the risk. It'll be worth it in the end."
"I guess I just don't see the world the way you do."
"Let me tell you a story, then." She said, and tugged Bucky over to a couch, "Sit. You too, Steve."
Diana paused and thought for a few moments, trying to sort out the timeline in her head, "Okay, this story isn't actually mine. It was a TV show in my universe called Once Upon a Time. It doesn't exist here, although I don't know why. I mean… David and Jefferson could've easily been recast, or Fandral could simply have Zachary Levi's face the entire time, but that's neither here nor there." She waved off the thought tangent and gave the two super soldiers an embarrassed look, "So, this story actually starts over three hundred years ago.
She began telling Rumpelstiltskin's story from his mother Fiona trying to change his fate when he was a baby all the way through six plus seasons of television to his happy ending with Belle and Gideon and beyond to Hyperion Heights. Through those three hundred plus years of murder, blood, sorrow, and pain, Rumpelstiltskin - a horrible and feared villain through most of his long life - had found hope and love and gained his happy ending.
"If someone like that, who killed more people in his long life than anyone in this room received a happy ending, I don't see a reason why you shouldn't get one too." She told Bucky. He still looked unsure, "Do you need another story? One that's a bit closer to yours? Because I have at least two more."
"No. You've given me a lot to think about." Bucky told her.
"Okay." She nodded, "We're always here for you, Buck, because we love you for who you are." His gaze shot to hers and the look in those fathomless blue eyes made her heart stutter, and she started blushing. She'd said the 'L' word.
Steve cleared his throat, "We'll get rid of those codes, Buck. We have both technology and magic at our disposal. I think one or the other will be able to help you."
Bucky nodded, "Thank you."
*FMttM*
Diana made her way down to the lab where JARVIS had told her Tony was still tinkering. She knocked on the door frame.
Tony glanced up from what he was working on, "What?" He then looked back down.
"I'm not going to apologize for not saying anything about the reset words because I didn't know they'd be a problem without the Red Book," she told him, "but there's an actual problem that I think should be looked into from a business world standpoint."
"Yeah? Talk to Pepper." Tony brushed her off.
"I doubt you'd want Pepper anywhere near a cult of chi-manipulating ninjas that dates back to Constantinople." Diana said wryly.
That got the billionaire's attention, "What the hell are you talking about?"
"The Hand. It's an organization that's been around for a while, Constantinople, like I said." Diana told him, "One of the fingers of the Hand is a businesswoman who currently calls herself Alexandra. She has her own corporation - Midland Circle - and she works with or will be working with the Rand Corporation through Harry and Ward Meachum. Her underlings also work with Union Allied Incorporated. So that's two businesses under the thumb of the Hand."
"I don't see the problem yet."
"Her plan, or at least the one that's closest to home and coming up soon, is to implode Hell's Kitchen and much of Manhattan once they retrieve a dragon skeleton from beneath the surface."
"A dragon skeleton? Really? You're joking."
Diana crossed her arms, "I'm not joking. Not many dragons exist. They're usually challenged and defeated by an Iron Fist of K'un Lun, a hidden magical city in the Himalayas."
"You're serious."
"Anyway, the dragon skeleton itself doesn't matter. It's a McGuffin. Search the history of Midland Circle's financials. You'll probably find a very interesting trail of assets passing from company to company throughout the years. You'll also find that the name on the transfer is the same handwriting."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"A bit of a peace offering. I don't like it when my friends are mad at me," she replied, "and anyway, I know you can actually do something about this because business is your world. The Hand is trying to play in it. I just want to see them fail, epicly fail. Plus, Danny Rand isn't dead, and when he comes back, he'll need a bit of guidance since he has the education and relative personality of a twelve year old." Diana smirked, "You could call him a 'thundering dumbass.'"
"You really want me to mentor some adult kid in business?" Tony arched an eyebrow.
"Well, it's either that or Danny bumbles through business and sucks at it. It also helps that you're a superhero. He'll be able to identify with that too."
"I'll think about it." The billionaire turned back to his tinkering. It was his dismissal.
*FMttM*
The trial started up again the next day. The prosecution had another witness that would hopefully overshadow the disaster that was Alexei Denisov.
"I call Dr. Helene Weller to the stand." Mr. VanderKampen said.
A dark-haired woman strode confidently to the clerk and was sworn in. She then primly took her seat in the witness chair.
"Dr. Weller, you've spent your life studying Captain America, the Howling Commandos, and the super soldier serum, have you not?"
"Yes. I have. I have PhDs in several related areas in order to analyze exactly what the serum did to Captain Rogers, looking at his full physicals pre- and post-serum."
"And according to the files which have been made public, what exactly does the serum do?"
"It enhances everything about a person, not just their physical prowess, but their mental abilities and personality. If a person has a temper, they will go into rages. If they have a penchant for self-sacrifice, they will be near altruistic. The variations go on."
"So you would say that the trait must be present in a subject in order for it to be enhanced?"
"Yes."
"Have you analyzed the results for Captain Rogers?"
"Yes, I made comparisons between accounts of his physicality, his mental processes, and his personality. When he became famous as the Army's bonds seller, many people gave accounts of what he'd been like growing up. They're all now at the Smithsonian, of course, for anyone to read, but prior to that, the diaries, interviews, and journals were kept for scholars at New York University's library."
"Did you analyze anyone else?"
"Of course. I did analyses of all of the Howling Commandos' profiles from before, during, and after the War. Missions that were declassified could give an in-depth view of how the Howling Commandos worked together to be one of the most successful units on the Eastern Front."
"Did you study Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes?
"Yes, I did.
"How would you describe him?"
Dr. Weller thought for a moment, "Unfailingly loyal. So much so that some scholars had theories that he and the Captain were lovers. Sergeant Barnes is also extremely protective of the people he cares for. It shows in his actions and reactions as a sniper for the Howling Commandos: his viciousness when dispatching an enemy - usually head-shots when Captain Rogers was involved."
"So even before HYDRA took him, Sergeant Barnes had an inclination toward violence?"
"I wouldn't say that. According to accounts outside the military, Sergeant Barnes would never start a fight, only finish them, and they were usually with people who were picking on others like Captain Rogers before the super soldier serum. Again, his protective streak runs deep."
"Could this protective streak, as you call it, be twisted into something more violent?"
"Yes, it could. A person might inform Sergeant Barnes of an incident where he would feel justified in his fight even if said incident never occurred or the opposite was true. A twisted story could mislead anyone to act on behalf of people they care about."
"In the case of the Winter Soldier, do you see this characteristic in the Soldier's missions?"
Dr. Weller paused, "There are similarities between the way the Winter Soldier holds himself and the way Sergeant Barnes is seen to hold himself in the films and photos. I cannot conclude much on the personality end as, according to the documents pertaining to conditioning in the Winter Soldier program, he seems to be remade new each time and molded for one specific purpose before being erased again at the end of each mission. However, the base instincts are those of Sergeant Barnes. HYDRA trained him to see them as his masters, his family, and so, his loyalty was to them, his protection belonged to them."
"So the Winter Soldier was doing this to protect HYDRA because the Soldier was loyal to them?"
"The blank slate, the Winter Soldier, was told to be loyal to them, yes. He was told that HYDRA needed protecting, that it was paramount, so that protective streak he had for Captain Rogers was transferred to HYDRA. He knew nothing else and so believed them."
"At the most basic of instincts, as the 'blank slate' as you called it, would the Winter Soldier do anything for HYDRA?"
"Yes."
"Even kill?"
"Yes, he would and has."
"Thank you, no more questions."
Foggy took this witness, "Dr. Weller, what differences have you seen between the Winter Soldier and Sergeant James Barnes?"
"Now that's a difficult question to answer. As I said before, the Winter Soldier is all the very basic instincts of any human being with a personality type like Sergeant Barnes's. The Winter Soldier is told something is a danger and sent out to get rid of it. That aspect of Sergeant Barnes is unhindered by conscience because HYDRA told him it was the right thing to do, just like Hitler told his Third Reich that exterminating the undesirables was the right thing to do. HYDRA made sure that the Winter Soldier didn't know anything BUT their point of view with the conditioning and continuous memory wipes to prevent the forming of self, personality, and conscience. They would not allow him to think for himself, only follow orders. That's what makes the Soldier dangerous. He will follow whoever controls him, especially after a memory wipe."
"And Sergeant Barnes?"
"The Sergeant was similar in his loyalty to Captain Rogers. He was offered full medical discharge after Azzano, but, as we all know, he followed his best friend and continued to fight in the War. This decision has brought us to where we are now."
"Thank you. I have no more questions." Foggy nodded.
Mr. VanderKampen stood, "No redirect. The Prosecution rests."
*FMttM*
Foggy took the lead for the Defense because most of the evidence they would present was visual, photos and videos. Since Matt was impaired in that department, according to Foggy's knowledge, Matt would only interview the witnesses for the Defense, all of whom were going to be personal references for Bucky's previous and current frame of mind.
"Our first witness has known James Buchanan Barnes since they were children. They played together, fought together, saved each other. I call Captain Steven Rogers to the stand."
Steve stood and made his way to the witness stand. He was sworn in and sat in the chair. Bucky was watching his best friend intently.
"Captain Rogers -"
"Just Steve, or Mr. Rogers, I guess." Steve replied, "Captain America is a symbol of the military and not who I want to be at this time."
Foggy nodded, "Very well, Mr. Rogers, how old were you when you first met James Barnes?"
"We were both about 12 years old." Steve replied with a nostalgic smile, "I'd just gotten beat up by some bullies, and Bucky came to the rescue and chased them away."
"Why were the bullies attacking you?"
"Objection!" Mr. Ellison stood, "Relevance?"
"Goes to character of the witness," Foggy defended, "and illustrates why Mr. Barnes intervened."
"I'll allow it. Mr. Rogers?"
Steve thought for a moment and a small, embarrassed smile crossed his face, "You know, I got into so many fights as a kid for defending girls' honor, stray animals, and stuff like that… I can't be sure what it was that time."
"That's okay." Foggy said, "It's not necessary to know. Just an anecdote. How would you describe Mr. Barnes as you grew up together?"
The Captain's smile widened, "Bucky was a real charmer. Everyone liked him. He was smart, athletic, and talkative - especially with girls. You'd probably call him flirty nowadays, but he always treated the girls he took out dancing with respect. He had a younger sister, you see, so he treated the girls how he'd want boys to treat Rebecca." He huffed a laugh, though, "He was stubborn as an ox, though. Once he put his mind to something, he would make it happen.
"Considering people like me were usually considered unworthy of life at the time, I was amazed that he even wanted to hang out with me in the beginning. After he continued to come after me and help me get out of fights, I never took Bucky's friendship for granted."
Bucky had a small smile on his face, "Stupid punk."
"Then, when my mother died…" Steve swallowed, "When my mother died, he was there for me. Said he'd be with me to the end of the line. That promise kept me going because I still had family, even if they weren't blood.
"When the War came around, I tried to enlist. Of course, Bucky didn't want me to," Steve couldn't help but smirk, "because of all my medical issues. That didn't stop me, though; I'm more stubborn than he is. Then, Bucky got drafted and left for the war, I knew I had to try again and enlist in the army. I couldn't stand by and just… do nothing. The rest, as you know, is history."
"Once Mr. Barnes left for the War, when was the next time you saw him?"
"I was in Azzano, Italy with the Captain America USO troupe, performing for the 107th Infantry." Steve explained, "I'd half expected Bucky to start shouting at me about how I'd changed and enlisted during the performance. When there was no commentary from the peanut gallery," a fleeting smile was sent Bucky's way, "I had to know what happened to him. Found out his squad had been captured by by the Nazi Applied Science Division or HYDRA and decided to go on a rescue mission. I found him in that facility on a lab table. We got out, and we were safe. That's all I really cared about."
"Did you notice anything different about Sergeant Barnes after he came back?"
"Well, he was a lot more serious, but so was everyone. It was war." Steve said, "It's difficult to be as carefree as we were when we were kids or in the States before the War. He was a lot more intense, too, but I chalked that up to him having a personal vendetta against HYDRA. Some of the other Commandos were like that too, though, so I didn't think it was unusual. Even I got like that when we were on a mission - focused, intent on finishing the mission, and going home.
"Things didn't change until…" Steve hesitated, his eyes darting to Diana as if asking permission to talk about her. She gave him a nod.
"Until?" Came the prompt.
"Private James Morita, our medic, was wounded during a patrol. Diana Larson had just joined us as a nurse, and so, since we were so far removed from, well, anywhere, she replaced the site medic. She helped patch us up when we got into firefights."
"Expand on how things changed for Sergeant Barnes." Foggy said.
Steve smiled a little, "Well, Diana and Peggy, that is Agent Carter, were the only women on base. They were both tough as nails. Although Peggy was more fiery and unyielding, Diana, she's calmer but just as vibrant. When she was with us in the mess hall or spending time with the Commandos, I could see Bucky from before the War." Steve looked a bit wistful, "She brought a lightness to our group that seemed to be missing before then. We were lucky to have her with us."
Foggy glanced at Diana too. That story, how she'd been a part of the SSR in World War II, was not something that had been in the files. All she could do was shrug. Foggy turned back to Steve, "Before the Winter Soldier was revealed to be Sergeant Barnes during the Triskelion Incident, when was the last time you saw your friend?"
A grimace of pain crossed Steve's face, "In the mountains in Austria. We were on a mission to capture Arnim Zola on his personal train. The side of Zola's train got ripped open by an explosion from HYDRA canons. Bucky got thrown out after being hit by a second blast, and when I got to him, he was barely hanging on. I… I couldn't get to him before he lost his grip. He fell. If anyone is at fault for the actions of the Winter Soldier, it's me… because I couldn't save him."
"Thank you, Mr. Rogers. No more questions." Foggy returned to his seat as Mr. VanderKampen stood and approached the witness stand.
"First of all, Mr. Rogers, I'd like to thank you for your service during World War II," He said, "and for your further service during the Incidents in New York and Washington DC."
"Just doing my duty for my country." Steve nodded.
"Now, you said you were present when the defendant fell from the train. What exactly was the original plan?" The prosecutor asked.
"The mission objective was always to capture Zola by any means necessary. We'd been scouting the tracks for weeks to find the perfect place to board his train. The boarding party consisted of myself, Bucky, and Private Gabriel Jones. We split up, Gabe staying on the roof of the train and heading toward the engine to find Zola while Buck and I dropped inside to be distraction and infiltration. We fought a few HYDRA soldiers with their specialized cannons, and things went downhill pretty fast from there. That was pretty much as far as our strategy went as planned."
"Who planned this mission?"
"I did."
"How long did you have to plan?"
"With the travel, scouting, and preparation, about a few weeks or so once we had our location for boarding."
"And you didn't think to plan for the weapons HYDRA had, these 'cannons'?"
"We didn't know how many soldiers were on the train for sure." Steve explained, "We didn't know what they'd be equipped with either. I trusted my Commandos with my life, Bucky most of all. We were all pretty good at improvising, too."
"So you felt prepared for the mission?"
Steve hesitated, "As prepared as anyone can be when there were so many variables. It was war. Pretty much anything could happen when it came to HYDRA."
"After the defendant fell from the train, why didn't you go find his body after you returned to base?"
"We returned from the train to report in hours later." The Captain stated, "We were in the Alps in January. There were miles of tracks that we'd have to cover, and we didn't have the manpower or the resources to find him." He paused, "I wish I'd listened to Diana, though. She wanted to go out and find him, even without SSR help. I don't know what her plan was, but I convinced her not to go through with it because I didn't want to lose anyone else. And Colonel Phillips never would've let us leave anyway. We would essentially have been abandoning our posts. Desertion."
"Alright. On to the Triskelion incident. When did you find out that the Winter Soldier was your former friend James Barnes?"
Steve's eyes narrowed, "He's still my friend. No 'former' about it."
"I'll rephrase: when did you find out that the Winter Soldier was your friend James Barnes?"
"Natasha, Diana, Sam Wilson, and I were driving Agent Jasper Sitwell, whom we figured out was HYDRA, to the Triskelion building when the Winter Soldier attacked us on the highway. We fought and his face mask got knocked off. That's when I realized that the Winter Soldier was Bucky."
"And how did you feel? Betrayed, I suppose?"
"Objection!" Foggy stood up, "Leading the witness!"
"I'll rephrase." Mr. VanderKampen said, "Mr. Rogers, how did you feel when you discovered that the Winter Soldier, who had just killed the Director of SHIELD, Nicolas J. Fury, was, in fact, your friend James Barnes?"
"I was shocked. I didn't know that he'd…" Steve paused, his expression twisted with a mix of grief and guilt, "It was devastating, seeing him like that and having him not recognize me or even his own name."
"How do you know he wasn't faking it?" Mr. VanderKampen asked.
"Bucky's always had an expressive face and eyes. It's something the girls always commented on. Buck's also never been a good actor or liar, at least not to me." Steve explained, "And when he looked at me that day, there was nothing. Everything about him was blank with maybe a few flickers of confusion that caused him to hesitate in the mission HYDRA had given him."
Mr. VanderKampen frowned, "When do you think the Winter Soldier recognized you?"
"I don't think he really remembered me until we were fighting on the helicarrier, right before I plunged into the Potomac River. I saw the recognition in his eyes before I passed out."
The Prosecution was getting nowhere. Diana could see what they were trying to suggest - incompetency by Bucky's superiors, negligence in the retrieval of a fallen soldier, hinting that maybe Bucky had been HYDRA all along and that his memories had never been erased. None of those tactics had worked (probably because Steve saw right through them).
Mr. VanderKampen sighed, "No more questions."
Matt called for a recess to prepare a witness, which the judge granted. As Matt passed where she was sitting and Bucky was led into a separate waiting room, the lawyer tapped in front of her and muttered, "Follow us."
Foggy and Matt met with Diana in a side room. She gave a sigh, "I bet you're going to need me to testify, right?"
"Yeah." Matt replied.
"Okay, I don't get it." Foggy said, "How were you present in World War II and still here not looking ninety years old? Does it have something to do with your magic?"
"Well, yes and no." Diana shifted, "My life up until five years ago was really ordinary. I was studying for med school in college, and I fell asleep at my desk while writing a term paper - you know what that's like. Then… Poof! I'm in France in 1944."
"You time travelled?!"
"Not just that. I hopped universes."
"Bw... What?" Foggy looked flabbergasted.
"Foggy, only a few people in the world actually know where I'm from." Diana told him, "Steve knows. Bucky knows. Peggy Carter knows. Tony knows a bit. And Nick Fury knows - knew. Those're pretty much the only people who know that I'm from a different universe." She left out Matt because then she'd have to explain why she had told him and not Foggy.
"Okay, so… what's that mean?" Foggy asked, "I mean… how is it possible?"
"I don't know. I have suspicions on who could be powerful enough to pull from other realities, but I can't confirm."
"You're serious? You're not playing a joke on me?"
"Foggy, I don't think she's lying." Matt told his best friend. The blonde lawyer knew his best friend had a sixth sense about lying; it's what made Matt a good lawyer.
Foggy frowned, "You're sure?"
"I'm sure."
The heavy set lawyer blinked, "Wow… I mean... " Then his eyes brightened, "What's the other universe like? Are we around? What am I saying, you probably never met us. We're probably just nobodies that -"
"I've never met you guys, but not because you're nobodies." She told Foggy with a smile.
"Are we big shot lawyers then? That would be awesome!"
"Actually, Matt's English. And he can see." Diana replied, "He's an actor."
"An actor? Am I an actor? Who else do we know that's an actor where you're from?" Foggy looked a bit eager.
Her smile widened, "Yes, Foggy, you're an actor. You're probably most famous for being one of the Mighty Ducks from that Disney movie trilogy with Emilio Estevez. It exists here, but your part was recast with Sean Astin."
The blonde lawyer was gobsmacked, "Are you serious? Those movies were my favorites when I was a kid!"
"Foggy, we need to prepare Diana for her testimony. We don't want her to commit perjury if anyone ever finds out about this." Matt told him, although he was trying to hide an amused smile.
"Right, right, but aren't you the least bit fascinated?" Foggy asked, "She just proved multiverse theory! There are other universes, Matty! Why aren't you more interested?"
"I am, but we really can't take too much time for this recess. We need to prepare Diana for questioning."
"Okay, okay. We'll continue this conversation later."
"That's fine." Diana told him, "Although I prefer to play my origins pretty close to the chest. If HYDRA or anyone else with evil intentions ever found out about where I'm from… well, I don't need to tell you how disastrous that would be."
Foggy took a breath, "So, maybe we leave the alternate universe thing out of it completely and just go with time travel. Something sent you back in time."
"They'll probably ask how I'm not ninety years old, so I might as well mention that I knew about magic from my timeline and was able to find the sorcerers and have them put me in a magical stasis."
"Good enough." Matt nodded, "We should run through what we're going to ask and try to prepare for what the Prosecution might try to dig up."
*FMttM*
Matt stood at the front of the courtroom with both his hands on his cane, "I call Diana Larson to the stand."
As Diana stood, she glanced toward Bucky, who met her gaze looking apologetic for putting her in that position.
"Please hold up your right hand and answer the following question truthfully." The clerk said to her when she reached the stair to the witness stand, "Do you swear to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth?"
"I do." Diana answered and the clerk stepped back to allow her access to the witness stand. She climbed the couple stairs and sat in the uncomfortable seat.
Matt turned to her, "How did you first meet Captain America and his Howling Commandos?"
"The Commandos found me in the snow in France as they were returning from a mission. I woke up in one of their barracks buildings. Colonel Chester Phillips interrogated me about why I was there."
"And why were you there?"
"I don't know how I got to France. I was unconscious when they brought me in, and they didn't know how long I'd been knocked out for. I don't even know how long I was knocked out for!"
"Captain Rogers said you became the SSR's secondary medic. Is this true?"
"Yes."
"Who did you treat and for what wounds?"
"I did mostly shrapnel removal, stitching, and setting bones for the SSR soldiers and the Commandos." Diana explained.
"Was Sergeant Barnes ever one of your patients?"
"Yes. He had a gut shot as well as bullet lacerations to the leg and shoulder after a mission. I removed the offending object in his stomach and stitched up his wounds."
"And what was he like during this time?"
"Unconscious most of the time." She smirked a little. The jury laughed a little, "Sorry, couldn't help it. Once the Sergeant awoke, he was grateful. I knocked him out again with some medications once I got him to admit he was in pain. Colonel Phillips did pull him to temporary off duty to train me to shoot their military firearms, though. My Colt is actually at the Smithsonian, un-labelled by the way, but that's not unexpected. Anyway, Sergeant Barnes wasn't happy about being taken off the front lines while he was healing. He was worried about Captain Rogers's welfare because of his history of getting into trouble. He'd wanted to immediately go back out onto the front lines to keep his friend safe. Still, the Colonel ordered him to train me, and he was actually a good teacher."
"Prior to his fall from the train in Austria, how did Sergeant Barnes act towards you?" Matt asked.
"Well, like Steve said, he was flirty, but respectful. We actually got to know each other a bit on the drive from France to Belgium and then while he was training me. He even asked me out dancing on our next official furlough." She answered, "We never did get to do that, though. Still, even in the end, he was polite, funny, compassionate, loyal. He still is. We actually talked a lot about home before the big mission to capture Zola. When he didn't come back, it was devastating. It's why I sought out the sorcerers to see if they could help me, and as you can see, they did because here I am; so's the Captain, and so's Sergeant Barnes."
"Since you've brought us up to present day, we'll skip to more recent events." Matt continued, "Since the Triskelion incident, you have been in contact with the Winter Soldier while he was under HYDRA control and after he broke free. What differences, if any, have you noticed between the Winter Soldier and Sergeant Barnes from before his fall from the train?"
"Well, of course there's a difference." Diana replied, "Bucky's a lot more quiet now whereas before he was a more outgoing and flirty. He smiled a lot more before too, although I'm sure Steve and I and the other Avengers can get him to do that again if everything works out." She thought for a moment, "He has a much wider skill set, of course, because of the training HYDRA forced him to go through, and he speaks more languages than he did before. Everything he does is more calculated and intense," She thought about how he was during the third Captain America movie, "but he's more careful with how he uses his strength and skills."
"Do you think he's a danger to society?" Matt asked.
"I might be a little biased." She gave him a sheepish smile, "Still, Bucky Barnes is only dangerous if you get on his bad side or if someone like Denisov gives the reset codes. It's something we're working on - the Avengers, I mean."
"I see. Thank you. No more questions."
As Matt sat back in his chair, Mr. Ellison stood, "Miss Larson, your story seems a bit fantastical. How exactly did you get to France in the middle of winter during World War II?"
"I don't actually know." She said, "I thought I was going crazy or in a dream for a while."
"That doesn't answer my question. According to documentation, you were found not far from a HYDRA base clad in clothes unfit for winter. So, I ask again, how did you get there? Were you a HYDRA prisoner? Or are you actually HYDRA?"
"Objection! Badgering the witness!" Matt called out.
"Sustained. Please refrain from asking too many questions in a row, Mr. Ellison." The judge sent a look of displeasure at the prosecution table.
"I apologize." Mr. Ellison said, and glared shrewdly at Diana, "HYDRA is known to create sleeper agents -"
Diana cut him off, "I am not affiliated with that damned Nazi organization!" She growled, "I'd rather die."
"Then, I repeat, how did you get to France?" Mr. Ellison asked.
"I told you, I don't know. I have theories, but no one would ever believe them because what I know and what you know about the universe are extremely different." Her hands clamped around the arms of the charm, her knuckles turning white, "And my knowledge is classified to the point where nothing about me was even written down. Colonel Phillips, Peggy Carter, Steve Rogers, and Bucky Barnes were the only ones who knew back then, and I know they didn't tell anyone."
"Are you sure?" Mr. Ellison mocked, "The Winter Soldier could've easily told HYDRA all about your mysterious appearance."
"I'm still alive," Diana pointed out, "and HYDRA never viewed me as a threat - my SHIELD profile didn't have a high threat level, and the Winter Soldier didn't take me seriously until I demonstrated that I was, in fact, a good fighter who could pack a punch."
"Very well. What is your theory on how you managed to get to a war zone in France in 1944?"
Diana sighed, "You know that I learned magic, and through my meditations, I've been able to give my appearance in France a lot of thought and reflection. There are entities out there that watch over the various inhabited planets of the universe; they call themselves the Watchers. They do just that - watch… and record. The Watcher of this planet I believe is called Uatu. He usually takes the form of an elderly, mustachioed man with tinted glasses. I've taken to calling him 'Stan Lee.'" She paused and a sad smile flitted across her face, "Still the Watchers don't usually have the kind of power that brought me here. I'd probably look to the entities called Eternity or Infinity or one of its brethren. I haven't seen or met anyone like Eternity, but I'm pretty sure they exist."
"What you're saying sounds ludicrous." Mr. Ellison said, "Perhaps your time in Belgium has addled your mind."
"What did you say?" Diana's eyes focused on the prosecution lawyer. He paused and paled a little. Diana's gaze hardened, "How do you even know about that?"
"I -" A light sheen of sweat appeared on his forehead, "I'm the one asking questions here."
"No," Diana was standing from the chair, Eldritch magic sparking at her fingers, "I'm not answering any more of your questions when you know something that you shouldn't. My travels with Steve and Bucky were never recorded. Our phones' trackers weren't even on! Who are you?! Who do you work for?!"
Mr. Ellison blanched and backed up a few steps, away from the angered sorceress, "I - I… Your Honor, I call for a recess."
"Now I recognize you." Bucky's soft voice echoed in the courtroom, "You're HYDRA. You were on Pierce's payroll, one of his personal lawyers. I've seen you before, although it was a decade or so ago." The Soldier's blue gaze was flinty and cold, "You haven't aged well."
Suddenly, chaos erupted in the courtroom, and Mr. Ellison jumped the barrier and made a run for the door. Suddenly his back arched, and he let out a short-lived shriek before collapsing into a heap on the floor. Everyone froze.
Black Widow had stood up from her seat in the back of the courtroom, a scowl on her red lips. She'd sent one of her Widow Bites at Mr. Ellison. Natasha looked up at the Judge, "I think we should probably arrest this man."
The recess was granted as the unconscious Mr. Ellison was cuffed and taken away.
*FMttM*
Aoi Dragon: Okay, so that just happened. I hadn't planned for Mr. Ellison to be HYDRA, but as I was writing, his character insisted on mentioning Belgium. I got writer's block after he mentioned it to Diana, and I had to think long and hard about why he would know about that incident. Then it hit me: HYDRA... he was HYDRA! And I gawked at my story for a few moment before writing down the fact that Mr. Ellison was affiliated with HYDRA. This also explains how the prosecution was able to find Mr. Denisov. Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter! Please R&R!