Ryan Sciple had readily agreed to show Sam and Bucky the rest of the facilities. If the researcher was surprised or distressed by Sam's request, he didn't let on during the short phone call. Sam shared the results of his call with Bucky, who looked askance at him after learning the request to return to the lab facility had been granted. The next day Bucky's apathy towards Sam's plan was evident.

"What'd you hope to accomplish?" Bucky asked when they arrived back at the lab's parking lot. "They aren't going to hand him over to us."

"We don't know that. Why do you always have to be a downer?

"I'm being realistic."

"No. You're being a grumpy old man," Sam said.

"I'm not grumpy," Bucky protested. Sam raised his eyebrows but then thought better of saying something more to him.

"Why do you want to see the rest of the building anyway? Definitely not one of your big three," Bucky asked.

"For all we know, Sciple is an android."

Bucky's expression of disbelief didn't stop Sam from continuing on with his explanation.

"Why not? People might think you're an android because of the arm, the staring. The way you act, I wonder about it sometimes. If you can be human, why can't he be an android?"

Bucky's sharp retort was interrupted when he spied Walker entering the building.

"What the hell?" Bucky muttered and tapped Sam's shoulder. Sam turned his head as Bucky pointed to the entrance.

The pair quickly exited the car and made their way through the entrance. They peered down the hallway but John Walker was nowhere to be seen. They couldn't go any further because once again, the security guard who had been posted at the desk the day prior stopped them. When he asked for their names, Bucky emphatically reminded the man that they had just been there the day before.

"Your name?" the guard asked.

The guard found their names but only let them go as far as the edge of his desk until someone met them. After receiving a call from the security guard, Zemo came to the desk. He led Sam and Bucky back towards the room they had visited the day before. Sciple was in the room, phone in hand and in deep conversation.

When his call was over, Sciple said a pleasant hello and immediately led Sam and Bucky out of the room to begin showing them around the building. Zemo remained in the lab under the premise of finishing his notes.

Sam carried on a bit of idle chatter as they strolled through the building, while Bucky peered into offices and occasionally glared at Sciple. There was no sign of the Flag Smasher or Walker. When they paused in another larger laboratory, Sciple shared that not all the serum had been destroyed. Some samples were being kept in another part of the building and would be used going forward.

"Why?" Bucky asked coldly when Sciple stated that they would be testing the serum.

"I think what he means is why isn't the government focusing on developing something that's needed right now. A vaccine, or other cure for a disease," Sam tactfully offered.

"The serum is needed right now, especially with the world back to the way it was," Sciple told him.

"You saw what Walker did, right?" Bucky said.

"That was unfortunate, but if your best friend was murdered in front of you what would you do?" Sciple replied. "If the serum is government regulated, things like that won't happen again."

Sam and Bucky looked at each other before focusing back on the scientist. Sam asked Sciple if he truly believed that government oversight would mitigate complications. Sciple nodded and invited them to watch the trial of the latest version of the serum. They agreed believing that the missing Flag Smasher would be the test subject. Sciple seemed pleased the pair agreed to stay and led the way to an elevator.

The trio entered a dimly lit observation room and were surprised to see that Zemo and John Walker were already there. Sciple warmly greeted Walker and expressed how good it was to see him again. Walker then abruptly ended introductions, stating that he was well acquainted with Sam and Bucky and eyed them suspiciously.

While they waited, Bucky moved away from the pane of glass that divided the room they were in from the testing area. Walker on the other hand, looked on eagerly. The doctor performing the trial announced that the test subject was a volunteer just prior to them being wheeled into the room on a table similar to those found in operating rooms. Zemo observed the proceedings on both sides of the glass with intent interest.

Bucky chewed the inside of his mouth and stared straight ahead. He did his best not notice all the details clearly visible from the brightly illuminated room on the other side of the glass. On the other hand, Sam was taking it all in, fascinated and repulsed simultaneously. Sam was also worried about Bucky and kept glancing back to be sure he wasn't about to do something rash.

The doctor announced the experiment would begin and started to injected the serum slowly. For a few seconds, nothing happened. Then the patient on the table began to scream and writhe in pain. Numerous machines were monitoring the test subject and they began beeping. The beeps echoed through the observation room as everyone was silent. Sam watched aghast and asked Sciple if they planned on doing something to help. The researcher replied that they were doing all they could.

"They're watching," Sam stressed loudly. He turned his head to look at Bucky who was now focused on the floor.

"There's nothing they can do." Bucky said solemnly as he clenched his fists.

"Correct," Sciple replied assuming Bucky had meant his remark as a question. "It has to run its course. Once injected, there's no way to reverse it."

"I don't remember it being that bad," Walker volunteered and promptly received a look of disgust from Bucky.

Walker, Sam, and Sciple resumed looking through the glass unable to tear their eyes away. Zemo, on the other hand, fixated on Bucky. The machines' alerts were coming more frequent but the doctor and his assistants only watched. Their patient was not doing well and began convulsing. Not long after, a steady alarm emanated across the speaker. The doctor switched it off and pronounced the patient deceased.

"That turned out well," Bucky snarked in Sciple's direction after a few moments of silence. "Were they given the list of possible side effects?"

"Do you still think this is a good idea?" Sam asked Sciple and the disguised Zemo.

"I think you're just afraid of the competition. Maybe they'll turn out better than you," Walker said while looking at Bucky.

The others watched as the two super soldiers faced each other. For the first time, Sciple took a good look at Bucky, saw the metal hand extending out of his sleeve and made the connection to who he was. Bucky told Walker that he wasn't afraid of the competition; he was just afraid that they would turn out like him. Seeing that the situation was escalating, Sam stepped in between them and attempted to calm both men. Bucky shook his head and glared at Sam before bursting through the door into the hallway.

Ryan Sciple was the first to leave the room after the door slammed. He hurried down the hall after Bucky and called his name. Bucky turned and was faced with the scientist asking if he would provide a sample of his blood for future research. It was all too much. With a look of frustration, Bucky drew his arm back and grazed Sciple's chin with his fist. The blow sent him into the nearby wall.

After confirming that Sciple was okay, Sam left the building and found Bucky leaning against their car. He asked if he was okay. Bucky didn't answer as he stared off into the distance. Sam repeated his question and tried to get Bucky to focus.

"You went through that?" Sam asked. He didn't bring up Sciple figuring the man probably deserved it.

Bucky shrugged. "I guess… maybe. I wasn't conscious for a whole lot of it."

"Probably a good thing," Sam said and Bucky scoffed as he looked off in the other direction.

"If you need to take some time, call Alex to talk, whatever. Do it," Sam told him.

"I'm fine."

"Bucky, we need you at your best. I need you at your best. That wasn't easy for me to watch. I can't imagine what it was like after having gone through it," Sam said. After not getting any response, he then offered, "I'll call her for you."

"I'm fine," Bucky repeated.