7/29/22-7/30/22
1991, a HYDRA base in a snowy landscape. A man enters a bunker and removes a red book marked with a black star.
A technician raised a cylindrical chamber, revealing Bucky Barnes, aka the Winter Soldier.
Bucky was secured in a chair, a mechanical device either side of his head causing him to scream in pain.
"Longing. Rusted. Seventeen. Daybreak. Furnace. Nine. Benign. Homecoming. One. Freight car. Good morning, Soldier." Karpov said and Bucky hesitated.
"Ready to comply." Bucky said.
"I have a mission for you. Sanction and extract. No witnesses."
Later that night a car was driving down a dirt road alone. The Winter Soldier was waiting at the side of the road with his motorcycle. As the car passed, the Winter Soldier followed and came alongside the car and disabled it. It slammed into a tree. The Winter Soldier brought the motorcycle back around and climbed off. Then he walked to the car trunk and ripped it open, revealing a silver case containing several blue packets.
Back at the HYDRA base.
"Well done, Soldier." Karpov said.
At Lagos, present day Wanda added sugar to a cup and stirred it then looked around.
"All right, what do you see?" Captain America asked on the radio.
"Standard beat cops. Small station. Quiet street. It's a good target." Wanda said.
"There's an ATM in the south corner, which means . . ."
"Cameras."
"Both cross streets are one way."
"So, compromised escape routes.
"Means our guy doesn't care about being seen, he isn't afraid to make a mess on the way out. You see that Range Rover halfway up the block?"
"Yeah, the red one? It's cute."
Meanwhile Black Widow was sitting two tables from Wanda.
"It's also bulletproof, which means private security, which means more guns, which means more headaches for somebody. Probably us." Black Widow said on the radio.
"You guys know I can move things with my mind, right?" Wanda asked.
"Looking over your shoulder needs to become second nature."
"Anybody ever tell you you're a little paranoid?" Falcon asked.
"Not to my face. Why? Did you hear something?"
"Eyes on target, folks. This is the best lead we've had on Rumlow in six months. I don't want to lose him." Captain America said.
"If he sees us coming that won't be a problem. He kind of hates us." Falcon said.
A garbage truck was pushing its way through traffic, with no regard to pedestrians or other vehicles.
"Sam, see that garbage truck? Tag it." Captain America said.
From the back of Falcon's jet pack, a small drone, launched and flew down to scan the garbage truck.
"Give me X-ray." Falcon said and a weight analysis: Cargo Weight: 13825 kgs. Max capacity read. "That truck's loaded for max weight. And the driver's armed."
"It's a battering ram." Black Widow said.
"Go now." Captain America said.
"What?" Wanda asked.
"He's not hitting the police."
INSTITUTE FOR INFECTIOUS DISEASES.
A man was sitting in the guard station. He looked over as the garbage truck was coming towards the gate. The driver jumped out, and the truck slammed into the gateway. Two trucks rushed into the compound through the newly-made entrance.
Soldiers in black armor emerged from the trucks, firing their rifles around the courtyard. Four soldiers fired gas canisters into the building and they entered wearing gas masks.
Then Captain America arrived and took out several of the soldiers.
"Body armor, AR-15's. I make seven hostiles." he said.
Then Falcon flew in and up to a rooftop, spinning and using his wings to block gunfire took out two soldiers.
"I make 5." Falcon said.
Then Wanda arrived and flew over the rooftop and into the courtyard, blocking fire with her powers. She took control of one soldier and lifted him upward.
"Sam." she said and he glided down from the rooftop, catching the soldier on one of his wings.
"Four." he said and his drone flew by, scanning the inside of the building. "Rumlow's on the third floor."
"Wanda, just like we practiced." Captain America said.
"What about the gas?" Wanda asked.
"Get it out."
Wanda used her powers to lift him up and through the window. He grabbed a soldier and pulled off their gas mask.
Rumlow was inside, punched down the door, knocked aside a technician and entered a room with a container labeled "bio-hazard."
"Pack it up." Brock said.
In another area, Captain America was behind a pillar. He threw his shield, and it bounced off the soldier and back to him.
Meanwhile, Wanda was using her powers to remove the gas from the building and Falcon was exchanging fire with several soldiers.
Then Brock walked outside onto a balcony and saw Captain America's team was here.
"He's here." he said.
Inside the building, Captain America saw the vial missing.
"Rumlow has a biological weapon." he said.
Meanwhile Black Widow was riding in on a motorcycle.
"I'm on it." she said on the radio and jumped off the motorcycle getting it to skid toward a soldier.
Then she took out soldiers through hand-to-hand combat. Brock came up behind her and grabbed her collar, dragging her onto an armored vehicle but she electrocuted him.
"I don't work like that no more." he said, threw her through the roof hatch into an armored vehicle, dropped in a grenade and shut the hatch. "Fire in the hole."
"No!" Mercenary said and Black Widow took out the soldiers inside, then grabbed one to shield herself from the grenade.
The doors blew open and she was thrown out.
Then Captain America ran out onto the balcony and saw Brock.
"Sam. He's in an AFV heading north." Captain America said.
Inside the AFV, Brock secured the biological weapon and handed it to a soldier.
"Take this to the airstrip. We're not gonna outrun them. Lose the truck." he said and the truck crashed into a nearby structure and he and the soldiers emerge.
"Where are you going to meet us?" Mercenary 1 asked.
"I'm not." Brock said and Falcon landed on the roof of a structure.
Then he scanned the area with his goggles.
"I got four, they're splitting up." he said.
Black Widow rode through the crowd, back on her motorcycle, abandoned it again and ran across the hoods of cars, in pursuit.
"I got the two on the left." she said.
Captain America was also running across cars and saw a vest in the middle of a crowd.
"They ditched their gear. It's a shell game now. One of them has the payload." he said.
Then someone threw a bomb at him. It stuck on his shield and Captain America threw it in the air and the bomb detonated safely away from citizens. Then Brock came up behind him and punched him in the back.
"There you are, you son of a bitch. I've been waiting for this!" Brock said.
Meanwhile, Falcon was still chasing the other mercenaries. He flew up and took out his two, then searched their bags for the payload.
"He doesn't have it. I'm empty." he said.
Meanwhile Black Widow was chasing the soldiers through the crowd.
"Out of the way!" she said, tackled a soldier and engaged him in combat.
When the other soldier arrived, she hurled a basket at him to distract him and used her skills to fight them ending up face-to-face with one soldier. They pointed their guns at each other. A moment passed . Then, the other soldier produced the vial.
"Drop it. Or I'll drop this. Drop it!" Mercenary 1 said.
"He'll do it!" Mercenary 2 said.
Then Redwing descended and fired at the soldier with the vial. He dropped, and in the moment of distraction, Black Widow fired at the other soldier, then caught the falling vial.
"Payload secure. Thanks, Sam." she said.
"Don't thank me." Falcon said.
"I'm… not thanking that thing."
"His name is Redwing."
"I'm still not thanking it."
"He's cute. Go ahead, pet him."
Meanwhile Captain America and Brock were still fighting, neither one seeming to have the upper hand.
"Come on!" Brock said, pinned Captain America to a building and extended a blade from one of his gauntlets. "This is for dropping a building on my face."
Captain America grabbed his arm and pulled the gauntlet off, only for Brock to reveal another knife. But Captain America best him. Defeated, on his knees, Brock removed his mask, revealing a scarred face.
"I think I look pretty good, all things considered." he said.
"Who's your buyer?" Captain America asked.
"You know, he knew you. You pal, your buddy, your Bucky."
"What did you say?"
"He remembered you. I was there. He got all weepy about it. Till they put his brain back in a blender. He wanted you to know something. He said to me, "Please tell Rogers. When you gotta go, you gotta go." And you're coming with me." Brock said, activated his bomb vest and Captain America flinched as Brock's armor ignited, but Wanda kept the blast contained around him who grimaced in agony.
She lifted him into the air before she lost control, and the explosion finally blossomed, devastating entire floors of a nearby office building. She saw what happened and was scarred by it.
"Oh my . . ." Captain America said and stared up. "Sam . . . We need . . . Fire and Rescue . . . on the south side of the building. We gotta get up there."
Soft piano was playing and Tony's mother, Maria, sat at a piano and a young Tony was on the couch.
"Try to remember the kind of September. When grass was green . . ." Maria said and stopped singing as Howard walked in, but kept playing. "Wake up, dear, and say goodbye to your father."
"Who's the homeless person on the couch?" Howard asked and Tony, wearing a Santa hat, staggered to his feet and chuckled.
"This is why I love coming home for Christmas . . . right before you leave town." young Tony said.
"Be nice, dear, he's been studying abroad." Maria said.
"Really, which broad? What's her name?" Howard asked.
"Candice." young Tony said and Howard pulled off his hat.
"Do me a favor? Try not to burn the house down before Monday."
"Okay, so it's Monday. That is good to know. I will plan my toga party accordingly. Where you going?"
"Your father's flying us to the Bahamas for a little getaway." Maria said.
"We might have to make a quick stop." Howard said.
"At the Pentagon. Right? Don't worry, you're gonna love the holiday menu at the commissary." young Tony said and Maria stopped playing the piano.
"You know, they say sarcasm is a metric for potential. If that's true, you'll be a great man some day. I'll get the bags." Howard said, walked out of the room, and Maria stood up.
"He does miss you when you are not here. And frankly, you're going to miss us. Because this is the last time we're all going to be together. You know what's about to happen. Say something. If you don't, you'll regret it." she said and Howard walked back in.
"I love you, Dad. And I know you did the best you could."
Maria leaned in to kiss Tony on the cheek, and when she leaned back, an older Tony was standing in the room. Howard and Maria walk out, leaving the two Tonys.
"That's how I wished it happened. Binarily Augmented Retro-Framing, or BARF. God, I gotta work on that acronym. An extremely costly method of hijacking the hippocampus to . . . clear traumatic memories. Huh." Tony said, blew on a candle and everything around him shimmered, then started to dissolve. "It doesn't change the fact that they never made it to the airport . . . or all the things I did to avoid processing my grief, but . . . he said and took off his glasses. "Plus, 611 million dollars for my little therapeutic experiment? No one in the right mind would've ever funded it." he said standing on a stage in front of a large crowd.
There was a sign reads MIT Alumni Honors: Tony Stark.
"Help me out, what's the MIT mission statement? "To generate, disseminate . . . and preserve knowledge. And work with others . . . to bring it to bear on the world's great challenges." Well, you are the others. And, quiet as it's kept . . . the challenges facing you are the greatest mankind's ever known. Plus, most of you are broke." he said and the crowd chuckled. "Oh, I'm sorry. Rather, you were. As of this moment . . . every student has been made an equal recipient of the Inaugural September Foundation Grant. As in . . . all of your projects have just been approved and funded." he said and the crowd broke out in applause and cheering. "No strings, no taxes… just re-frame the future! Starting now."
The teleprompter above the audience read. 'Now I would like to introduce the head of the foundation: Pepper Potts.' and Tony stared at it sadly.
"Go break some eggs." he said and left the stage.
"Wow. Wow. That uh . . . that took my breathe away. Oh, Tony! So generous. So much money! Wow! Out of curiosity . . . will any portion of that grant be made available to faculty? I know, "Ooh, gross," but hear me out. I have got this killer idea for a self-cooking hot dog. Basically, chemical detonator embedded . . ." an MIT teacher said but Tony wasn't listening.
"Restroom's this way, yeah?"
"Yeah. Embedded in the meat shaft."
"Mr. Stark, I am so sorry about the teleprompter. I didn't know Miss Potts had cancelled. They didn't have time to fix it." Tony's assistant said.
"It's . . . fine. I'll be right back." Tony said.
"We'll catch up later." the MIT teacher said and he stepped into a quiet corridor.
He loitered by the men's room, then glanced back at the stage door before walking towards the elevator. A woman in sober clothes was also waiting. Tony stopped and turned his back to the wall.
"That was nice, what you did for those young people." Spencer said.
"Ah, they deserve it. Plus, it helps ease my conscience." he said.
"They say there's a correlation between generosity and guilt. But if you've got the money . . . break as many eggs as you like. Right?"
He narrowed his eyes and half smiled, then turned to face the elevator looking surprised to find the button unlit and pushed it himself.
"Are you going up?" he asked.
"I'm right where I want to be." she said and dug in her handbag then Tony grabbed her wrist and realized what he's done.
"Okay, okay. Hey! Sorry, it's an occupational hazard."
"I work for the State Department. Human Resources. I know it's boring . . . but it enabled me to raise a son. I'm very proud of what he grew up to be." she said and shoved a photo at him. "His name was Charlie Spencer. You murdered him. In Sokovia. Not that it matters in the least to you. You think you fight for us. You just fight for yourself." she said and he shook his head. "Who's going to avenge my son, Stark? He's dead . . . and I blame you." she said, turned and walked away, leaving him standing by the elevator with a grim frown.
At the Avengers Compound Steve caught Wanda watching a news report on the Lagos attack and how they blame her for it.
"11 Wakandans were among those killed during a confrontation between the Avengers and a group of mercenaries in Lagos, Nigeria, last month. The traditionally reclusive Wakandans were on an outreach mission in Lagos when the attack occurred." News anchor 1 said.
"Our people's blood is spilled on foreign soil. Not only because of the actions of criminals, but by the indifference of those pledged to stop them. Victory at the expense of the innocent, is no victory at all." King T'Chaka said.
"The Wakanda king went on to . . ."
Then Steve, who was watching the news, turned his computer off, but sound drifts toward him from another room.
"They are operating outside and above the international law. Because that's the reality, if we don't respond to acts like these." News anchor 2 said while Wanda sat on her bed, watching the news on her TV. "What legal authority does an enhanced individual like Wanda Maximoff have to operate in Nigeri -"
Then the TV turned off and Steve set the remote down and leaned on the door frame.
"It's my fault." Wanda said.
"That's not true." Steve said.
"Turn the TV back on. They're being very specific."
"I should've clocked that bomb vest long before you had to deal with it." he said and walked over. "Rumlow said "Bucky" and . . . all of a sudden I was a 16-year-old kid again, in Brooklyn." he said and sat beside her. "And people died. It's on me."
"It's on both of us."
"This job . . . we try to save as many people as we can. Sometimes that doesn't mean everybody. But if we can't find a way to live with that, next time . . . maybe nobody gets saved."
Then Vision materialized through the wall and Wanda started.
Vision interrupted them by walking through the wall into Wanda's room.
"Vis! We talked about this." Wanda said.
"Yes, but the door was open so I assumed that . . ." Vision said, gestured at the door and stopped. "Captain Rogers wished to know when Mr. Stark was arriving."
"Thank you. We'll be right down." Steve said.
"I'll . . . use the door. Oh, and apparently, he's brought a guest."
"We know who it is?"
"The Secretary of State."
The Secretary of State, Thaddeus Ross, was standing at the head of a table and Rhodey, Natasha, Steve, Tony, Sam, Vision, and Wanda were gathered around.
The Secretary of State Thaddeus Ross had summoned the Avengers to a meeting.
"Five years ago, I had a heart attack. I dropped right in the middle of my back-swing. Turned out it was the best round of my life, because after 13 hours of surgery and a triple bypass . . . I found something 40 years in the Army had never taught me: Perspective. The world owes the Avengers an un-payable debt. You have fought for us, protected us, risked your lives . . . but while a great many people see you as heroes, there are some . . . who would prefer the word "vigilantes"." Ross said.
"And what word would you use, Mr. Secretary?" Natasha asked.
"How about "dangerous"? What would you call a group of US-based, enhanced individuals who routinely ignore sovereign borders and inflict their will wherever they choose and who, frankly, seem unconcerned about what they leave behind?" he said, activated a screen behind him and news footage from past Avengers and SHIELD matters flash on the screen as he speaks. "New York."
A Chitauri leviathan. Terrified citizens. A soldier firing a gun. The Hulk smashed into a building and sent a dust cloud to engulf the camera.
Rhodey looked regretful and glanced behind him at Natasha.
"Washington DC." Ross said and the showed three Insight helicarriers, firing on each other.
The destroyed Triskelion. A helicarrier crashing into the Potomac and throwing up a massive wave, engulfing citizens and the camera.
Sam looked down.
"Sokovia." Ross said.
Terrified citizens, running. The city rising. A building falling over.
Wanda stared at the screen, as did Tony.
"Lagos." Ross said.
The burning building. Paramedics moving a body. A dead girl.
Wanda was particularly affected by the footage from Lagos and Steve saw this and intervenes.
"Okay. That's enough." he said and Ross nodded to an aide and the images disappear.
"For the past four years, you've operated with unlimited power and no supervision. That's an arrangement the governments of the world can no longer tolerate. But I think we have a solution." Ross said and put a thick document on the desk and passed it to Wanda.
An aide handed him a thick book, which Ross slid across the table to Wanda. She picked it up, then slid it to Rhodey.
"The Sokovia Accords. Approved by 117 countries . . . it states that the Avengers shall no longer be a private organization. Instead, they'll operate under the supervision of a United Nations panel, only when and if that panel deems it necessary." Ross said.
"The Avengers were formed to make the world a safer place. I feel we've done that." Steve said.
"Tell me, Captain, do you know where Thor and Banner are right now?" Ross asked and Steve looked up and met his eyes. "If I misplaced a couple of 30 megaton nukes . . . you can bet there'd be consequences. Compromise. Reassurance. That's how the world works. Believe me, this is the middle ground."
"So, there are contingencies." Rhodey said.
"Three days from now, the UN meets in Vienna to ratify the Accords." Ross said and Steve glanced at Tony. "Talk it over."
"And if we come to a decision you don't like?" Natasha asked.
"Then you retire." he said and she stifled a smile.
In Cleveland Vasily Karpov sat, eating at the table in a cluttered house then heard the sound of something crashing outside and peered through drawn blinds. Outside, Helmut stood by his car, the front end crumpled against Karpov's car.
"Hello? Is this your car out front?" Helmut said and came to the door. "I jumped the curb." he said and Karpov eyed his gun nearby. "Maybe we could take care of it ourselves. If you wanna call the cops, tha-that's okay too, I guess."
"No. No cops." Karpov said.
"Thank you."Helmut said si Karpov slid a heavy duty lock and opened the door and Helmut punched him.
Helmut was using a sledgehammer to smash a hole in the wall. He retrieved a large box from inside the hole and tipped the contents onto a table. Karpov was hanging upside down, tied to pipes in his basement. There were various documents and the red book with the star on the cover. He held the red book for a moment then opened a file and inside was a photo of Karpov in his military uniform and beret.
"You have kept your looks, Colonel. Congratulations." Helmut said and Karpov's head was in a sink, filling with water. ""Mission report: December 16, 1991.""
"Who are you?" Karpov asked.
"My name is Zemo. I will repeat my question. Mission report. December 16, 1991."
"How did you find me?"
"When SHIELD fell, Black Widow released HYDRA files to the public. Millions of pages much of it encrypted, not easy to decipher. But . . . I have experience. And patience. A man can do anything if he has those."
"What do you want?"
"Mission report. December 16. 1991."
"Go . . . to . . . hell."
Then Helmut went to lean on the sink as water kept flowing into it. He turned off the tap and studied Karpov's upside down face.
"HYDRA deserves its place on the ash heap. So your death would not bother me. But I'd have to use this book . . . and other bloodier methods to find what I need. I don't look forward to that. You'd only be dying for . . . your pride." he said and stared at Karpov then nodded resignedly.
He turned the tap back on and the water was up to Karpov's eyes. Helmut watched the water level rise.
"Hail HYDRA." Karpov said and Helmut walked away holding the red book.
Karpov twitched and struggled in his bindings.
The Avengers were gathered at HQ. Steve was sitting, studying the Accords, while Rhodey and Sam argued behind him.
"Secretary Ross has a Congressional Medal of Honor, which is one more than you have." Rhodey said.
"So let's say we agree to this thing. How long is it gonna be before they LoJack us like a bunch of common criminals?" Sam said.
"A 117 countries want to sign this. 117, Sam, and you're just like, "No, that's cool. We got it. ""
"How long are you going to play both sides?"
"I have an equation." Vision said.
"Oh, this will clear it up."
"In the eight years since Mr. Stark announced himself as Iron Man, the number of known enhanced persons has grown exponentially. And during the same period, the number of potentially world-ending events has risen at a commensurate rate."
"Are you saying it's our fault?" Steve asked.
"I'm saying there may be a causality. Our very strength invites challenge. Challenge incites conflict. And conflict . . . breeds catastrophe. Oversight . . . oversight is not an idea that can be dismissed out of hand."
"Boom." Rhodey said.
Meanwhile Tony was lying on the couch.
"Tony. You are being uncharacteristically non-hyper-verbal." Natasha said and he looked at her.
"It's because he's already made up his mind." Steve said.
"Boy, you know me so well." Tony said, got up and winced, rubbing the back of his head. "Actually, I'm nursing an electromagnetic headache." he said, walked to the kitchen and grabbed a mug. "That's what's going on, Cap. It's just pain. It's discomfort. Who's putting coffee grounds in the disposal? Am I running a bed and breakfast for a biker gang?" he asked put his phone in a basket and tapped it.
The phone projected an image of a smiling young man and he looked down, then back up, and pretended to notice the picture for the first time.
"Oh, that's Charles Spencer, by the way. He's a great kid. Computer engineering degree, 3.6 GPA. Had a floor level gig at Intel planned for the fall. But first, he wanted to put a few miles on his soul, before he parked it behind a desk. See the world. Maybe be of service. Charlie didn't want to go to Vegas or Fort Lauderdale, which is what I would do. He didn't go to Paris or Amsterdam, which sounds fun. He decided to spend his summer building sustainable housing for the poor. Guess where, Sokovia." he said and the others looked affected by this. "He wanted to make a difference, I suppose. I mean, we won't know because we dropped a building on him while we were kicking ass." he said and took a pill with some coffee, then faced the others. "There's no decision-making process here. We need to be put in check! Whatever form that takes, I'm game. If we can't accept limitations, if we're boundary-less, we're no better than the bad guys."
"Tony, someone dies on your watch, you don't give up."
"Who said we're giving up?"
"We are if we're not taking responsibility for our actions. This document just shifts the blames."
"I'm sorry. Steve. That - that is dangerously arrogant. This is the United Nations we're talking about. It's not the World Security Council, it's not SHIELD, it's not HYDRA." Rhodey said.
"No, but it's run by people with agendas, and agendas change." Steve said.
"That's good. That's why I'm here. When I realized what my weapons were capable of in the wrong hands, I shut it down and stop manufacturing." Tony said.
"Tony, you chose to do that. If we sign this, we surrender our right to choose. What if this panel sends us somewhere we don't think we should go? What if there is somewhere we need to go, and they don't let us? We may not be perfect, but the safest hands are still our own."
"If we don't do this now, it's gonna be done to us later. That's the fact. That won't be pretty."
"You're saying they'll come for me." Wanda said.
"We would protect you." Vision said.
"Maybe Tony's right." Natasha said and Tony looked at her, surprised. "If we have one hand on the wheel, we can still steer. If we take it off -"
"Aren't you the same woman who told the government to kiss her ass a few years ago?" Sam asked.
"I'm just . . . I'm reading the terrain. We have made . . . some very public mistakes. We need to win their trust back."
"Focus up. I'm sorry, did I just mishear you or did you agree with me?" Tony said.
"Oh, I want to take it back now."
"No, no, no. You can't retract it. Thank you. Unprecedented. Okay, case closed- I win."
Then Steve's phone buzzed and he pulled it out to check it.
'She's gone. In her sleep.'
"I have to go." he said, got up sharply, dropped the Accords on the coffee table, and went downstairs.
He stopped at the bottom of the stairs, leaned against the banister and bowed his head.
In London a cathedral, packed with mourners. A choir was singing. Steve was one of six pallbearers carrying a coffin draped with the Union Jack. His eyes were red.
At the altar, a candle burns by a framed photograph of Peggy Carter in a military uniform. The label read "Margaret 'Peggy' Carter". The priest addressed the mourners.
"And now, I would like to invite Sharon Carter to come up and say a few words." the priest said.
Then Agent 13, Steve's "neighbor" from DC, stepped up to the podium.
Steve sat beside Sam in a pew at the front looking down and didn't see Sharon walk up. Sam was watching, and nudged him. He looked up to see Sharon, who glanced at him and took a breath.
"Margaret Carter was known to most as a founder of SHIELD . . . but I just knew her as Aunt Peggy." she said and he realized who exactly Sharon is and took a surprised breath. "She had a photograph in her office. Aunt Peggy standing next to JFK. As a kid, that was pretty cool. But it was a lot to live up to. Which is why I never told anyone we were related." she said and looked directly at him. "I asked her once how she managed to master diplomacy and espionage in a time when no one wanted to see a woman succeed at either. And she said, compromise where you can. But where you can't, don't. Even if everyone is telling you that something wrong is something right. Even if the whole world is telling you to move . . . it is your duty to plant yourself like a tree, look them in they eye and say " No, you move.""
Later, Steve stood alone in the isle, still dressed in black. Natasha to him and he turned to her.
"When I came out of the ice, I thought everyone I had known was gone. Then I found out that she was alive. I was just lucky to have her." Steve said.
"She had you back, too." Natasha said.
"Who else signed?"
"Tony. Rhodey. Vision."
"Clint?"
"Says he's retired." she said and smiled slightly.
"Wanda?"
"TBD. I'm off to Vienna for the signing of the Accords. There's plenty of room on the jet." she said and he sighed and bowed his head. "Just because it's the path of least resistance doesn't mean it's the wrong path. Staying together is more important than how we stay together." she said and almost seemed to be convincing herself.
"What are we giving up to do it?" he asked and she sighed and he shook his head, unconvinced. "I'm sorry, Nat. I can't sign it."
"I know."
"Then what are you doing here?"
"I didn't want you to be alone." she said and pulled him in for a hug. "Come here."
At Vienna the United Nations, a modern complex of interestingly-shaped high rise buildings.
"At a special United Nations conference 117 countries have come together to ratify the Sokovia Accords." news anchor #3 said.
T'Challa wore a sharp suit and stood, looking through a glass wall.
"Excuse me, Miss Romanoff?" UN staffer asked.
"Yes?" Natasha asked.
"These need your signature." UN staffer said and T'Challa looked over at her. "Thank you."
"Thanks."
"I suppose neither of us is used to the spotlight." T'Challa said.
"Oh, well, it's not always so flattering."
"You seem to be doing alright so far. Considering your last trip to Capitol Hill . . . I wouldn't think you would be particularly comfortable in this company."
"Well, I'm not."
"That alone makes me glad you're here, Miss Romanoff."
"Why? You don't approve of all this?"
"The Accords, yes. The politics, not really. Two people in a room can get more done than a hundred."
"Unless you need to move a piano." T'Chaka said.
"Father."
"Son. Miss Romanoff."
"King T'Chaka. Please, allow me to apologize for what happened in Nigeria." Natasha said.
"Thank you. Thank you for agreeing to all this. I'm sad to hear that Captain Rogers will not be joining us today."
"Yes, so am I."
"If everyone could please be seated. This assembly is now in session." man on speakers said.
"That is the future calling. Such a pleasure." T'Challa said.
"Thank you." Natasha said and went.
"For a man who disapproves of diplomacy, you're getting quite good at it." T'Chaka said.
"I'm happy, Father." T'Challa said.
"Thank you."
"Thank you."
"When stolen Wakandan vibranium was used to make a terrible weapon, we in Wakanda were forced to question our legacy. Those men and women killed in Nigeria, were part of a goodwill mission from a country too long in the shadows. We will not, however, let misfortune drive us back. We will fight to improve the world we wish to join. I am grateful to the Avengers for supporting this initiative." T'Chaka said. "Wakanda is proud to extend its hand in peace." he said and T'Challa saw something outside.
"EVERYBODY GET DOWN!" he said and an enormous explosion went off between two buildings destroying the conference hall.
T'Challa found T'Chaka lying on the floor with his eyes closed. He grabbed his wrist and felt for a pulse, but T'Chaka lied still. Devastated T'Challa lied across him, lifted him up and rocked him in his arms.
At a hotel.
"My mom tried to talk me out of enlisting, but, um, not Aunt Peggy. She bought me my first thigh holster." Sharon said.
"Very practical." Steve said.
"And stylish." she said and they waited by an elevator standing and facing each other.
"CIA has you stationed over here now?"
"In Berlin, Joint Terrorism Task Force."
"Right. Right. Sounds fun."
"I know, right?"
He nodded and smiled at her.
"I've been meaning to ask you. When you were spying on me from across the hall . . . ." he said.
"You mean when I was doing my job."
"Did Peggy know?"
"She kept so many secrets. I didn't want her to have one from you." she said and the elevator arrived. "Thanks for walking me back."
"Sure." he said and Sam came over.
"Steve. There's something you gotta see." Sam said.
"A bomb hidden in a news van . . ." News anchor 4 said.
"Who's coordinating?" Sharon asked.
". . . ripped through the UN building in Vienna."
"Good. They're solid. Forensics?"
"More than 70 people have been injured. At least 12 are dead, including Wakanda's King T'Chaka. Officials have released a video of a suspect who they have identified as James Buchanan Barnes, the Winter Soldier. The infamous HYDRA agent, linked to numerous acts of terrorism and political assassinations along with his sidekick Winter Spider."
"I have to go to work."
Fire crews hose down the buildings. A red and white medical chopper flew overhead.
"Call MI-6, see if we can get Micro Forensics to hurry this up. We need the whole team here in two hours or it's not worth it." Sharon said and stride through with a man in a green jumpsuit.
They passed T'Challa sitting on a bench looking stunned. There's a cut on his head. Natasha saw on the next bench along.
"I'm very sorry." Natasha said and T'Challa glanced at her holding an ornate silver ring which he toys with between his fingers.
"In my culture death is not the end. It's more of a . . . stepping-off point. You reach out with both hands and Bast and Sekhmet, they lead you into the green veldt where . . . you can run forever." he said.
"That sounds very peaceful."
"My father thought so." he said and puts the ring on his finger. "I am not my father."
"T'Challa. Task force will decide who brings in Barnes."
He clenched his fist.
"Don't bother, Miss Romanoff. I'll kill him myself." he said and walked away.
Then Steve phoned Natasha. He was standing on the street in a cap and dark glasses.
"Yeah?" Natasha said.
"You alright?" Steve asked.
"Ah, yeah, thanks. I got lucky." she said frowning and looked around, then stood up. "I know how much Barnes means to you. I really do. Stay home. You'll only make this worse. For all of us. Please."
"Are you saying you'll arrest me?"
"No. Someone will. If you interfere. That's how it works now."
"If he and the kid are this far gone, Nat, I should be the one to bring them in."
"Why?"
"Because I'm the one least likely to die trying." he said and not far away ended the call.
"Shit."
Meanwhile Steve approached Sam sitting at the counter of a coffee shop.
"She tell you to stay out of it?" Sam asked in a cap and shades. "Might have a point."
"He'd do it for me and have the kid do it to." Steve said.
"1945, maybe. I just want to make sure we considered all our options. The people that shoot at you usually wind up shooting at me." Sam said and Sharon arrived by Steve.
"Tips have been pouring in since that footage went public. Everybody thinks the Winter soldier and Winter Spider go to their gym. Most of it's noise. Except for this." she said and slid Steve a file. "My boss expects a briefing, pretty much now . . . so that's all the head start you're gonna get."
"Thank you." Steve said.
"And you're gonna have to hurry. We have orders to shoot on sight."
Helmut sat in a hotel room and read from Karpov's red book.
"Homecoming. One. One. Fright Car." Helmut said and heard a knocking at the door.
He put the book in a drawer and went to the door. He reached for a gun tucked in the back of his trouser and cocks it.
"Mr. Müller. I have your breakfast." a German innkeeper said and Helmut opened the door.
"I could smell it before I opened the door. Thank you."
"Side of bacon and black coffee. Again. I can make you something different, if you like."
"It's okay. This is wonderful."
"I'll put this on your . . ."
"No, no. It's okay. I can manage. Thank you Mrs. Leiber." Helmut said and closed the door.
In the room was a large device with a cage at the bottom and a drum of coppered wire on top.
At Bucharest Bucky and Peter were in civvies at a fruit store buying some plums.
"How are they? Are they good? Give me six, thank you." Bucky said to the vendor in Romanian.
In a black caps and casual jackets they walked along scanning around. Across the street they saw a vender at a news-stand watching them. They glanced away, then looked back at the vender still watching them. The vender ran from his kiosk and they went over and picked up a paper. On the front page there was surveillance-photos of a man and the head line: 'Winter Soldier and Winter Spider cautat pentru Bombardmentul din Viena'. They glanced around tensely.
In his dark blue, armored suit with his shield on his arm Captain America was in a small apartment looking around found a notebook on top of the fridge. He picked it up and opened it. There were tabs of varying colors sticking out from amongst the pages.
"Heads up, Cap. German Special Forces, approaching from the south." Falcon said on the radio.
"Understood." Captain America said then saw Bucky and Peter standing behind him and slowly turned around to face them. "Do you know me?"
"You're Steve. We read about you in a museum." the Winter Soldier said.
"They've set the perimeter." Falcon said.
"I know you're nervous. And you have plenty of reason to be. But you're lying." Captain America said.
"We weren't in Vienna. We don't do that anymore." Winter Spider said.
"They're entering the building." Falcon said.
"Well, the people who think you did are coming here now. And they're not planning on taking you alive." Captain America said.
"That's smart. Good strategy." the Winter Soldier said.
"Yeah. Not bad." Winter Spider said.
"They're on the roof. I'm compromised." Falcon said and armed cops ran upstairs.
"This doesn't have end in a fight, Buck, kid." Captain America said.
Outside the door a cop readied a battering ram.
"It always ends in a fight." the Winter Soldier said.
"5 seconds." Falcon said.
"You pulled me from the river. Why?" Captain America said.
"I don't know." the Winter Soldier said.
"3 seconds!" Falcon said.
"Yes, you do." Captain America said.
"Breach! Breach! Breach!" Falcon said and a grenade crashed through the window.
The Winter Spider kicked it to Captain America while Winter Spider set up his webshooters, and Captain America smothered it with his shield.
"Shoot the door!" GSG-9 Soldier said and the cop slammed the battering ram against the door.
The Winter Soldier shield them with the mattress against an attack from the window. Winter Spider blocked the door with a table as cops swung in on cables. Captain America pulled the rug from under a policeman, sending him flying and the Winter Soldier slammed another policeman into the wall.
"Buck, stop! You're gonna kill someone." Captain America said.
"We're not gonna kill anyone." the Winter Soldier said and slammed him down and punched a hole in the floor.
Winter Spider grab beda backpack from under the floorboards and threw it out of the window. Then they got behind Captain America's shield to avoid gunfire and the Winter Soldier shoved Captain America and he knocked a cop over. He held up his metal hand and repelled bullets, then slammed a cop into shelves. Then Winter Spider picked up a large cement brick and slammed it into a cop. Captain America fought a cop on the balcony. A cop shot around the door outside. The Winter Soldier punched through the wall beside door and laid into the cops. A cop descended through a sky-light on a zip wire. Then Winter Spider came and grabbed the cop's gun and slammed him into the wall. Then he bashed a couple of cops with the battering ram. More of the police team hurry up the stairwell. Winter Soldier and Winter Spider jumped on the zip-line-guy and swung down a level.
"Suspect has broken containment! They're headed down the east stairwell!" GSG-9 Soldier said.
Captain America grabbed the radio and crushed it then jumped down a level as the Winter Soldier and Winter Spider kept punching the cops. Then Winter Spider tossed one of them over the railing and Captain America caught him, stopping the cop from falling. He looked at the Winter Soldier and Winter Spider wearily.
"Come on, man." Captain America said and threw the cop up onto the landing.
The Winter Spider broke a banister, set off a web, grabbed Winter Soldier and they swung down on it. Captain America hurled a cop over his shoulders. The Winter Soldier and Winter Spider laid into jet more cops and took them out. A cop aimed at Winter Soldier and Captain America knocked the gun from his hands with his shield which stuck in the wall. Then the Winter Soldier and Winter Spider leapt down the stairwell and caught onto a railing and Captain America pulled his shield out of the wall. The Winter Soldier and Winter Spider climbed up then ran along a corridor and leapt off a balcony. They tumbled onto the lower roof of the neighboring building where they found where his backpack, picked it up and ran.
Then Black Panther slammed into Winter Soldier from behind, knocking him down. Then Black Panther extended his fingers and sharp claws popped out and he attacked him with sweeping kicks and slashes. The Winter Soldier fought back but was kicked into a wall. Black Panther swiped his claws and spun gracefully. The Winter Soldier narrowly avoided being slashed and held up a metal bar to protect himself.
Meanwhile Captain America looked down at them as Falcon swooped from the sky.
"Sam, southwest rooftop." Captain America said.
"Who the hell's the other guy?" Falcon asked.
"About to find out." Captain America said and leapt from the balcony down onto the neighboring building as a chopper flew up.
Black Panther lunged at the Winter Soldier with his claws, but Winter Spider grabbed his wrists. A soldier fired a machine gun from the chopper. The ammo bounced off Black Panther's armored suit.
"Sam." Captain America said.
"Got him." Falcon said, flew down and shoved the chopper off course.
Then he swooped towards street level.
The Winter Soldier broke free from his attacker, slung his bag on his back, ran and jumped down a level with Winter Spider following. Black Panther slid down the wall using his claws for traction. Back landed at street level and the chase continued. Captain America followed and landed rolling along the ground. Gunfire from the chopper tore up the sidewalk. The Winter Soldier jumped down through an opening and landed in an underpass, he ran through the traffic with Winter Spider swinging with his webs and Black Panther and Captain America dropped down and chased after them. Then a Special Forces Vehicle pursued them.
"Stand down! Stand down!" GSG-9 Driver said and the vehicle closed in, blue lights flashing.
Captain America leapt onto the vehicle and splintered the windshield. The driver stopped, Captain America yanked him from the vehicle and kicked the windshield out, then drove off.
The Winter Soldier ran over the top of a speeding car, outpacing it. Black Panther was a few cars behind, keeping pace with him. He leapt on the back of the 4x4 that Captain America's driving. Captain America swerved from side to side, trying to throw him off.
"Sam, I can't shake this guy." Captain America said.
"Right behind you." Falcon said.
Several police cars join the chase. Captain America side-swiped another car and drove on.
Up ahead the Winter Soldier reached a fork in the road and faced oncoming traffic. Winter Spider grabbed him and went over a barrier. Captain America drove through the barrier.
A motorbike sped towards the Winter Soldier and the Winter Soldier jumped out of Winter Spider's hand, grabbed the handlebar and spun the bike around in mid air, throwing the rider off. Then he got on the bike and rode away sending cars careering out of the way with Winter Spider following. Captain America kept on their tail with Black Panther holding onto the back of the 4x4. They all rocket through another underpass. Falcon flew into the underpass. Black Panther leapt off the front of the 4x4 onto the Winter Soldier's motorbike. The Winter Soldier flung him over his head and the bike leaned down on its side. He kicked his assailant away, straightens up and rode on. Black Panther caught a ride on Falcon's leg and Falcon tried to kick him away. The Winter Spider threw a sticky bomb and blew up the roof at the end of the underpass, bringing down tons of rubble. Black Panther leapt off from Falcon and threw the Winter Soldier off the motorbike then the same with Winter Spider. Captain America swerved the 4x4 through the rubble, leapt out and pulled Black Panther away from the Winter Soldier. Captain America stood, facing sleek and muscular Black Panther. Armed police arrive and surround them, guns aimed. Then War Machine leapt down from above and raised both hands.
"Stand down, now." War Machine said and the Winter Soldier and Winter Spider stood beside Captain America who put his shield on his back. "Congratulations, Cap. You're a criminal." he said and police moved in and force the Winter Soldier and Winter Spider to their knees.
Black Panther raise his hands. A cop moved Captain America's arms behind his back. Black Panther retracted his claws and pulled off his mask revealing his face. It's T'Challa. Captain America and Rhodey looked curious.
"What's the order?" GSG-9 Soldier asked.
"Your highness." War Machine said and the Winter Soldier and Winter Spider's hauled flat on the ground.
At Avengers HQ Vision followed a recipe.
"A pinch of paprika.' A pinch." he said and added a pinch then Wanda strolled in.
"Is that paprikash?" Wanda asked.
"I thought it might . . . lift your spirits."
She chuckled and stirred the ingredients in the pan with a spoon. Then she lifted the spoon to her lips, blew, had a taste and smiled.
"Spirits lifted." she said.
"In my defense, I haven't actually ever . . . eaten anything before, so . . ."
"May I?"
"Please. Wanda?"
"Hmm."
"No one dislikes you, Wanda." he said and she frowned curiously.
"Thanks."
"Oh, you're welcome. No, it's a . . . involuntary response in their amygdala. They can't help but be afraid of you."
"Are you?"
"My amygdala is synthetic, so . . ." he said and she laughed.
"I used to think of myself one way. But after this . . ." she said and her fingers glow. "I am something else. I'm still me, I think, but . . . that's not what everyone else sees." she said and he touched the mind stone in his forehead.
"Do you know, I don't know what this is?" he asked and it glowed. "Not really. I know it's not of this world, that it powered Loki's staff, gave you your abilities, but . . . its true nature is a mystery. And yet, it is part of me."
"Are you afraid of it?"
"I wish to understand it. The more I do, the less it controls me. One day . . . who knows? I may even control it." he said and she looked at the food.
"I don't know what's in this but it is not paprika. I'm gonna go to the store. I'll be back in 20 minutes."
"Alternatively, we could order a pizza?"
"Vision, are you not letting me leave?" she asked and he blocked her way.
"It is a question of safety."
"I can protect myself." she said and he held her arm.
"Not yours. Mr. Stark would like to avoid the possibility of another public incident. Until the Accords are on a . . . more secured foundation."
"And what do you want?"
"For people to see you . . . as I do." he said and she looked at him gravely.
At Berlin traffic rolled around the victory column. Police convoy drove beside the river Spree. Amidst the convoy was a gray armed truck. Inside the Winter Soldier and Winter Spider wore restraints inside a prison pod. Three armed guards sat on the other side of the glass-walled pod. A police motorbike stopped traffic and a van driver looked affronted. The convoy turned a corner onto a bridge across the river. In an SUV T'Challa sat in front of Captain America who sat in front of Falcon.
"So, you like cats?" Falcon asked.
"Sam." Captain America said.
"What? Dude shows up dressed like a cat and you don't wanna know more?"
"Your suit . . . it's Vibranium?"
T'Challa's eyes narrowed as he glanced sideways.
"The Black Panther has been the protector of Wakanda for generations. A mantle, passed from warrior to warrior. And now, because your friend murdered my father, I also wear the mantle of king. So, I ask you . . . as both warrior and king . . . how long do you think you can keep your friend safe from me?" he asked and Captain America was stony faced as the convoy headed underground.
In a light gray walled bunker Bucky and Peter's pod was carried away by a forklift. Nearby Steve got out of the SUV and glanced across at Bucky and Peter who didn't see him. With Sam and T'Challa Steve approached Sharon standing with a diminutive, gray-head man.
"What's gonna happen to them?" Steve asked.
"Same thing that ought to happen to you. Psychological evaluation and extradition." Ross said.
"This is Everett Ross, Deputy Task Force Commander." Sharon said.
"What about our lawyer?" Steve asked.
"Lawyer. That's funny. See their weapons are placed in lockup. Oh, we'll write you a receipt." Everett said.
"I better not look out the window and see anybody flying around in that." Sam said.
As they went Steve looked back and caught Bucky's eye.
On a covered sky walk.
"You'll be provided with an office instead of a cell. Now, do me a favor, stay in it?" Everett said.
"I don't intend on going anywhere." T'Challa said.
"For the record, this is what making things worse looks like." Natasha said.
"He's alive." Steve said.
"No. Romania was not Accords-sanctioned. And, Colonel Rhodes is supervising cleanup." Tony said on his phone.
"Try not to break anything while we fix this." Natasha said.
"Consequences? You bet there'll be consequences. Obviously you can quote me on that 'cause I just said it. Anything else? Thank you, sir." he said still on the phone.
"'Consequences'?" Steve said.
"Secretary Ross wants you both prosecuted. Had to give him something."
"I'm not getting that shield back, am I?"
"Technically, it's the government's property. Wings, too." Natasha said.
"That's cold." Sam said.
"Warmer than jail." Tony said.
At a power station surrounded by trees the van with the driver who was affronted by the police convoy pulled up by the open gate. Scowling he put the parking break on and picked up a clip board.
"This can't be right. What the hell?" he said.
In a secured chamber a guard connected a pipe to Bucky and Peter's prison pod. The lights inside dim for a moment.
Then Tony found Steve in a glass-walled office overlooking the control room.
"Hey, you wanna see something cool? I pulled something from Dad's archives. Felt timely." Tony said and showed him two pens in a black presentation box. "FDR signed the Lend-Lease bill with these in 1941. Provided support to the Allies when they needed it most."
"Some would say it brought our country closer to war." Steve said.
"See? If not for these, you wouldn't be here. I'm trying to . . . what do you call it? That's an olive branch. Is that what you call it?"
"Is Pepper here? I didn't see her."
"We're kinda . . . well, not kinda . . ."
"Pregnant?"
"No. Definitely not. We're taking a break. It's nobody's fault."
"I'm so sorry, Tony. I didn't know."
"A few years ago, I almost lost her, so I trashed all my suits. Then, we had to mop up HYDRA . . . and then Ultron. My fault. And then, and then, and then, I never stopped. Because the truth is I don't wanna stop. I don't wanna lose her. I thought maybe the Accords could split the difference." Tony said, stood up and paced. "In her defense, I'm a handful. Yet, Dad was a pain in the ass, but he and Mom always made it work."
"You know, I'm glad Howard got married. I only knew him when he was young and single."
"Oh, really? You two knew each other? He never mentioned that. Maybe only a thousand times. God, I hated you."
"I don't mean to make things difficult."
"I know, because you're a very polite person."
"If I see a situation pointed south . . . I can't ignore it. Sometimes I wish I could."
"No, you don't."
"No, I don't. Sometimes . . ." Steve said smiling thinly.
"Sometimes I wanna punch you in your perfect teeth. But I don't wanna see you gone. We need you, Cap. So far, nothing's happened that can't be undone, if you sign. We can make the last 24 hours legit. Barnes and the kid get transferred to an American psych-center . . . instead of a Wakandan prison."
Steve frowned thoughtfully and picked up one of the fountain pens. Then he stood up and paced, then turned to Tony. In the control room beyond there were multiple screens on the walls.
"I'm not saying it's impossible, but there would have to be safeguards." he said.
"Sure. Once we put out the PR fire, those documents can be amended. I'd file a motion to have you and Wanda reinstated . . ."
"Wanda? What about Wanda?"
"She's fine. She's confined to the compound, currently. Vision's keeping her company."
"Oh God, Tony! Every time. Every time I think you see things the right way . . ."
"What? It's a 100 acres with a lap pool. It's got a screening room. There's worse ways to protect people."
"Protection? Is that how you see this? This is protection? It's internment, Tony."
"She's not a US citizen."
"Oh, come on, Tony."
"And they don't grant visas to weapons of mass destruction."
"She's a kid!"
"GIVE ME A BREAK! I'm doing what has to be done . . . to stave off something worse."
Steve nodded faintly.
"You keep telling yourself that." he said and put the pen down. "Hate to break up the set." he said and left the office and rueful Tony watched Bucky and Peter on one of the control room's screens.
The evaluator sat at a desk facing Bucky and Peter's pod and they were was still restrained.
"Hello, Mr. Barnes, Mr. Parker. I've been sent by the United Nations to evaluate you. Do you mind if I sit? Your first name is James and yours is Peter?" Helmut said.
In an office with Sam and Steve.
"The receipt for your gear." Sharon said.
"'Bird costume'? Come on." Sam said.
"I didn't write it." she said and pushed a button stopping the restriction on the audio from Bucky and Peter's evaluation.
"I'm not here to judge you. I just want to ask you a few questions. Do you know where you are, James, Peter? I can't help you if you don't talk to me, James, Peter." Helmut said.
"My name is Bucky." Bucky said.
"Only dad can call me Peter." Peter said.
At the power station the van driver honked and looked impatient watching the custodian's hut's front door.
"Hello?" the delivery truck driver said and a the custodian came outside and the driver came out of his van. "Hey. I have a big one for you." he said, opened the van's back doors and removed a large wooden crate. "Okay. Here. Just sign here."
"Here?" the custodian said.
"Yeah." the driver said and the custodian signed for the crate.
At the UN-bunker Steve studied the blurry photograph of the man who bombed the congress in Vienna.
"Why would the Task Force release this photo to begin with?" he asked.
"Get the word out, involve as many eyes as we can?" Sharon asked.
"Right. It's a good way to flush a guy out of hiding. Set off a bomb, get your picture taken. Get seven billion people looking for the Winter Soldier and Winter Spider."
"You're saying someone framed him to find them."
"Steve, we looked for them for two years and found nothing." Sam said.
"We didn't bomb the UN. That turns a lot of heads." Steve said.
"Yeah, but that doesn't guarantee that whoever framed them would get them. It guarantees that we would." Sharon said and her eyes gaze fell on the evaluator in the screen, her eyes narrow.
Steve frowned and looked around.
"Yeah." he said.
In the secure chamber.
"Tell me, Bucky. You've seen a great deal, haven't you?" Helmut said.
"I don't want to talk about it." Bucky said.
"You fear that… if you open your mouth, the horrors might never stop. Don't worry." Helmut said and got a message on his screen: 'message inbox:1' touched it 'status: package delivered'. "We only have to talk about one."
At the power station the custodian opened the crate. Finding Helmut's large device inside, he looked confused. The driver was at the back door of his van.
"Hey. What is this?" the custodian asked.
"I don't know." the delivery truck driver said and the device erupted.
A bubble of energy engulfed the power station and sparks flew. In the city traffic lights fail and in the bunker the lights went out.
"Great. Come on, guys, get me eyes on Barnes and Parker. Go." Ross said.
"FRIDAY, get me the source of that outage." Tony said.
In the office.
"Sub-level 5, east wing." Sharon said and T'Challa saw Steve and Sam bolting.
In Bucky and Peter's pod.
"What the hell is this?" Bucky asked.
"Why don't we discuss your home? Not Romania. Certainly not Brooklyn and Queens, no. I mean, your real home." Helmut said and removed his glasses then walked towards Bucky and Peter reading from the red book by torchlight. "Longing." he said and Bucky and Peter shut their eyes.
"No." Bucky said and his head snapped back.
"Rusted."
"Stop." Peter said.
"Seventeen." Helmut said as Bucky's metal arm trembled in its restraint.
"Stop." he said and sneered angrily.
"Daybreak." Helmut said and they screamed, Bucky clenched his fist and ripped free of his restraints then Peter did the same with his strength. "Furnace." "Nine." he said and they thumped the inside of the pod. "Benign." he said and Peter punched harder. "Homecoming." he said. "One." "Freight car." he said and Bucky battered the front of the pod with his metal fist and the glass screen flew clear.
Then Helmut slowly rounds the pod with the book and the torch in hand. Then he stood before Bucky and Peter who straightened, a dark frown on his face.
"Soldiers?" Helmut said.
"Ready to comply." they said.
"Mission report. December 16, 1991."
Steve and Sam arrived outside the chamber. Red emergency lights flash all around. There were many agents slumped on the floor. All of them out cold.
"Help me. Help." Helmut said.
Steve found Helmut in a heap inside the chamber.
"Get up." he said, grabbed Helmut and shoved him against the wall. "Who are you? What do you want?"
"To see an empire fall." Helmut said.
As Sam entered Bucky swung his fist which smashed through the wall as Sam ducked. Peter grabbed him by the jaw and threw him at the open pod. Steve lurched into the fight and landed a punch which Bucky barely felt. Bucky kicked and punched him out of the chamber. A punch from Bucky went through the elevator door. Steve blocked the next one but the power of Bucky's fist sent him tumbling into the darkened elevator shaft.
In the chamber Sam came around and saw Helmut looking down the elevator shaft.
"The east wing is compromised. I repeat: the east wing is compromised." the man on PA 1 said.
"Hey." Sam said and Helmut bolt and Sam raised.
At the bottom of the shaft Steve pushed himself off the floor.
In the control room.
"Evac all civilians. Get me a perimeter around the building, and gunships in the air." Ross said.
"Please tell me you brought a suit." Natasha said.
"Sure did. It's a lovely Tom Ford, three-piece, two-button. I'm an active-duty non-combatant." Tony said.
"Follow me." Sharon said and ran past Tony and Natasha.
Sam chased Helmut up a stair well.
Steve started to climb the elevator shaft.
Bucky and Peter stalked through the building's ground floor and battered two guards. With tech-glasses on Tony took cover behind a pillar.
"We're in position." Natasha said on the radio.
Tony tapped a wrist-control which became his Iron Man-glove. He zapped Bucky with a stun-burst before Bucky could shoot a guard. Iron Man rushed him, firing again. Bucky ducked the blast then trades blew with Iron Man, firing the gun. Iron Man had the Iron Man-glove over the barrel, blocking the bullet. He pulled the gun barrel loose then Peter smacked him backwards. Sharon rushed Bucky, then Natasha rushed him. They both landed kicks and punches, then Bucky flipped Sharon head over heels. She smashed onto a table then Natasha leapt on Bucky, legs around his neck. He slammed her onto another table and grabbed her throat.
"You could at least recognize me." Natasha said.
Then T'Challa came from nowhere and kicked Bucky off. He fought with Bucky, landing lightning fast kicked and some punches. Bucky got a counter punch in and T'Challa fell, but quickly recovered. Bucky and Peter hurried up some stairs and T'Challa leapt the levels and vaults a railing, landing in front of them. Limber T'Challa spin-kicks and grabbed Bucky's metal arm which he tried to twist then looked worried as he realized it wasn't going to work so threw Bucky backwards and kept hold as they both tumbled down the stairs. They resume fighting on the small landing and a leg sweep sending Winter Soldier over the railing. T'Challa leapt down after him but found the wide reception empty and scanned around.
Peter watched, glared at him and took out his backup webs.
Outside staff flee the building en masse. Falcon was among them and quickly saw something on the ground and picked it up.
"Damn it." he said, looked around the wide courtyard and scowled.
Meanwhile the Winter Soldier was on the rooftop helipad. He marched up to a blue chopper and pulled the lock off the door and got in the pilot seat. Then Captain America rushed outside and sprints toward the rising chopper. He leapt, grabbed the landing gear and pulled hard and the chopper struggled to gain height. Captain America's feet kicked for traction then he got them flat on the helipad. The chopper dragged him onto the weak looking mesh framing the helipad. Captain America grabbed the railing with one hand and clung to the landing gear with the other. He grit his teeth and his neck strained with the incredible effort. The Winter Soldier glowered from inside the chopper then threw the joystick left and the chopper's nose slammed into the edge of the helipad. Then Winter Spider used his web and the rotor-blades were smashed to pieces and Captain America ducked as the tail swung around. The chopper lied twisted on the mesh at the edge of the pad and Captain America rose beside the canopy. the Winter Soldier's arm smashed through the glass and growling he grabbed his throat. The chopper started listing over the edge and the tail broke off and fell into the river below. The Winter Spider kept hold of Captain America as the whole vehicle dropped and slammed into the river. The impact seemed to knock the Winter Spider out cold and he let go of Captain America. The body of the chopper sunk quickly to the riverbed along with other debris and Captain America surfaced with the Winter Spider in his arms and Winter Soldier next to him.
At an airport Zemo listens to a phone message.
"He asked me again if you were going to be there. I said I wasn't sure. You should've seen his little face. Just try, okay? I'm going to bed. I love you." Zemo's wife said.
Frowning Zemo ended the call and a TV news report was playing nearby:
"James Barnes and Peter Parker, the suspects in the UN Vienna bombing escaped custody today. Also missing Avenger Captain Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson." news anchor 5 said.
Zemo eyed the TV screen and stood in line at a departures gate. The screen above the gate reads: 'Gate 06 | Berlin Flughafen | AEM2103 | 14:10 | Moskau/Moscow'.
In a huge abandoned warehouse Bucky came to with his metallic left arm clamped in a huge industrial vice followed by Peter. Captain America peered through a gap at a chopper flying overhead with Falcon over by Bucky and Peter.
"Hey, Cap!" Falcon said and Captain America went over to join Falcon by Bucky who sat with his arm in the vice and they stare at him.
Peter sat next to him and held him close.
"Steve." Bucky said with his other arm around Peter's shoulder.
"Which Bucky am I talking to?" Captain America asked.
"Your mom's name was Sarah... You used to wear newspapers in your shoes." Bucky said and Peter snickered.
"Can't read that in a museum."
"Just like that, we're suppose to be cool?" Falcon asked.
"What did we do?" Peter asked.
"Enough." Captain America said.
"Oh, God, I knew this would happen. Everything HYDRA put inside us is still there. All he had to do was say the goddamn words." Bucky said.
"Who was he?"
"I don't know."
"People are dead. The bombing, the setup. The doctor did all that just to get 10 minutes with you. I need you to do better than "I don't know.""
"He wanted to know about Siberia. Where we were kept. He wanted to know exactly where."
"Why would he need to know that?"
"Because I'm not the only Winter Soldier."
"But I'm the only Winter Spider because of how I got my powers." Peter said, shivered and Bucky gently rubbed his back.
1991, at night Bucky rode alongside the car and somehow caused the car to crash. He circled back, pulled up and climbed off the motorbike. He was filmed on CCTV as he approached the car's trunk. He yanked it open, breaking the lock. Inside he opened a metal case containing five clear drip bags filled with bright blue fluid.
Four young men and a young woman sat up in hospital beds and the blue fluid was fed intravenously into their arms. The drip bags hang on stands beside them. One man, Josef was screaming, dragged into a cell and left on a bed.
"It hurts!" Josef said and struggles in leather bindings.
Karpov was sitting at a desk in a corridor, making notes and listening. He opened the door to a lab and switched on the light. Josef was sitting on a bed and looked up at him.
Bucky and Josef fought each other in a barred chamber and the four others who were given the blue liquid were there. Josef kicked with enormous power, sending Bucky flying. Watching Karpov folded his arms.
"Good work." Karpov said.
Then a medic took Josef's pulse and Josef slammed him onto the floor. A soldier clubs him onto the back with no effect. Karpov got behind Bucky and aimed a gun.
"Get me out of here." Karpov said and Josef and the other four Winter Soldiers effortlessly dispatch a squad of Soldiers.
Bucky escorted covering Karpov from the barred chamber, batting guards aside.
"Who were they?" Captain America asked.
"Their most elite death squad. More kills than anyone in HYDRA history. And that was before the serum and spider bite." Bucky said.
"They all turn out like you?" Falcon asked.
"Worse."
"The doctor, could he control them?" Captain America asked.
"Enough."
"Said he wanted to see an empire fall."
"With these guys he could do it. They speak 30 languages, can hide in plain sight, infiltrate, assassinate, destabilize, They can take a whole country down in one night. You'd never see them coming." Peter said.
Then Falcon stepped up to Captain America.
"This would have been a lot easier a week ago." he said.
"If we call Tony . . ." Captain America said.
"No, he won't believe us."
"Even if he did . . ."
"Who knows if the Accords would let him help."
"We're on our own."
"Maybe not. I know a guy."
"I don't suppose you have any idea where they are?" Ross asked.
"We will. GSG-9's got the borders covered. Recon's flying 24/7. They'll get a hit. We'll handle it." Tony said.
"You don't get it, Stark. It's not yours to handle. It's clear you can't be objective. I'm putting Special Ops on this."
"What happens when the shooting starts? What, do you kill Steve Rogers?" Natasha asked.
"If we're provoked. Barnes would've been eliminated in Romania if it wasn't for Rogers. There are dead people who would be alive now. Feel free to check my math."
"All due respect, you're not going to solve this with boys in bullets, Ross. You gotta let us bring them in." Tony said.
"How would that end any differently from the last time?"
"Because this time, I won't be wearing loafers and a silk shirt. 72 hours, guaranteed."
"36 hours. Barnes. Parker. Rogers. Wilson."
"Thank you, sir." Tony said and slumps, exhaling. "My left arm is numb, is that normal?"
Natasha pat him on the shoulder.
"You alright?" she asked.
"Always." he said. "36 hours, jeez."
"We're seriously understaffed."
"Oh, yeah. It'd be great if we had a Hulk right about now. Any shot?"
"No. You really think he'd be on our side?"
"No."
"I have an idea."
"Me too. Where's yours?"
"Downstairs. Where's yours?" she asked and he smiled slightly.
Miles walked out of an elevator with his backpack on his shoulder. Then he walked their an apartment and his mom was sitting on the couch with Tony.
"Hey, mom." Miles said.
"Mmm. Hey. How was school today?" she said.
"Okay. This crazy car parked outside . . ." he started then saw Tony and his eyes widen.
"Oh, Mr. Morles (?)." Tony said.
"Um . . ." Miles said and took out his earphones. "What-what are you doing . . .? Hey! Uh, I'm-I'm-I'm Miles."
"Tony."
"What are . . .what are you-what are you-what are you doing here?"
"It's about time we met. You've been getting my e-mails, right?"
"Yeah. Yeah."
"Right?"
"Regarding the . . ."
"You didn't tell me about the grant." Miles' mom said.
"About the grant."
"The September Foundation." Tony said.
"Right."
"Yeah. Remember when you applied?"
"Yeah."
"I approved, so now we're in business."
"You didn't tell me anything. What's up with that? You keeping secrets from me now?" Miles' mom asked.
"Why, I just, I just . . . I just know how much you love surprises, so I thought I would let you know . . . wh . . . anyway, what did I apply for?" Miles said.
"That's what I'm here to hash out." Tony said.
"Okay. Hash, hash out, okay."
"It's so hard for me to believe that she's someone's aunt."
"Yeah, well, we come in all shapes and sizes, you know?" Miles's mom said.
"This walnut date loaf is exceptional."
"Let me just stop you there." Miles said.
"Yeah?"
"Is this grant, like, got money involved or whatever? No?"
"Yeah."
"Yeah?"
"It's pretty well funded."
"Wow."
"Look who you're talking to. Can I have 5 minutes with him?"
"Sure." Miles' mom said.
A few minutes later they were in Miles' room and Tony bolted the door and spit out the walnut loaf.
"As walnut date loaves go, that wasn't bad." Tony said.
"Look, um, I definitely did not apply for your grant."
"Ah-ah! Me first."
"Okay."
"Quick question of the rhetorical variety." Tony said and pulled out his phone and projected a video of Miles in his Spider-verse outfit. "That's you, right?"
"Um, no. What do you. What do you mean?"
"Yeah. Look at you go. Wow! Nice catch. 3,000 pounds, 40 miles an hour. That's not easy. You got mad as good as the other spider kid but still good."
"That's all- That's all on YouTube, though, right? I mean, that's where you found that? Because you know that's all fake. It's all done on the computer."
"Mm-Hmm."
"It's like that video. What is it?"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah . . . oh, you mean like those UFOs over Phoenix?"
"Exactly."
"Oh, what have we here?" Tony said and Miles hid his Spider-Verse suit.
"Uh . . . that's a . . ." Miles started.
"So. You're the . . . Spider . . . ling. Crime-fighting Spider . . . you're Spider-Boy?"
Miles folded his arms petulantly.
"S . . . Spider-Verse." he said.
"Not in that onesie, you're not."
"It's not a onesie." he said and Tony picked up the suit. "I don't believe this. I was actually having a real good day today, you know, Mr. Stark."
"Who else knows? Anybody?"
"Nobody."
"Not even your . . . unusually attractive mom?"
"No. No, no. No, no. If she knew, she would freak out. And when she freaks out, I freak out."
"You know what I think is really cool? This webbing. That tensile strength is off the charts. Who manufactured that?"
"I did."
"Climbing the walls, how you doing that? Adhesive gloves?"
"I uh . . ."
"Lordy! Can you even see in these?"
"Yes. Yes, I can! I can."
"You're in dire need of an upgrade. Systemic, top to bottom. 100-point restoration. That's why I'm here." Tony said as Miles sat on his bed and looked at Tony. "Why you doing this? I gotta know. What's your MO? What gets you outta that twin bed in the morning?"
"Because . . ." Miles said and fiddled with his fingers. "because I've been a fan of Winter Spider's powers."
"Mm-Hmm."
"I read books, I build computers . . . and-and yeah. I would love to play football. But I couldn't then so I shouldn't now."
"Sure, because you're different."
"I can't tell anybody that, so I'm not." Miles said and Tony leaned closer.
"So you wanna look out for the little guy? You wanna do your part? Make the world a better place, all that, right?"
"Yeah. Yeah just looking out . . . for the little guy. That's-that's what it is."
Tony slowly stepped over to Miles whose leg was stretched out on the bed. Then he looked down at it.
"I'm gonna sit here, so you move the leg." Tony said and Peter moved along and Tony sat beside him and raised his hand then hesitantly clasped Miles' shoulder. "You got a passport?"
"Uh, no. I don't even have a driver's license."
"You ever been to Germany?"
"No."
"Oh, you'll love it."
"I can't go to Germany!"
"Why?"
"I got . . . homework."
"I'm gonna pretend you didn't say that."
"I'm-I'm being serious! I can't just drop out of school!"
"Might be a little dangerous. Better tell Aunt Hottie I'm taking you on a field trip." Tony said and Miles webbed his hand to the door.
"Don't tell mom."
"Alright, Spider-Verse." Tony said and they shared an earnest look before Tony returned to his usual attitude. "Get me out of this."
"Sorry, I'll get the . . ."
Night, at Avengers' HQ. Vision floated above the floor. Then an explosion in the distance lit up the room for a moment. Vision and Wanda looked out of the window.
"What is it?" Wanda asked.
"Stay here, please." Vision said and went.
Suddenly Wanda compelled a knife across the room and stopped dead in front of Clint's head.
"Guess I shoulda knocked." Clint said.
"Oh my god! What are you doing here?" Wanda asked.
"Disappointing my kids." he said and shot arrows to both sides of the room. "I'm supposed to go water-skiing. Cap needs our help. Come on."
"Clint!" Vision said and Wanda and Clint stopped. "You should not be here."
Clint turned around.
"Really? I retire for, what, like five minutes, and it all goes to shit." he said.
"Please consider the consequences of your actions."
"Okay, they're considered. Okay, we gotta go." Clint said and Vision was held in a force field, crackling and sparkling between the two arrows. "It's this way."
"I've caused enough problems." Wanda said.
Frowning Clint ran back from the door.
"You gotta help me, Wanda. Look, you wanna mope, can go to high school. You wanna make amends, you get off your ass. Shit." he said and Vision broke the force field with his mind stone and punched Clint to the floor but Clint recovered quickly. "I knew I should've stretched." he said, extended a baton and tried to hit Vision, but the blows went through him.
Clint resorted to punched, then tried the baton again. It broke and he tried to kick Vision, but his leg went right through him and Vision got him in a headlock.
"Clint, you can't overpower me." Vision said.
"I know I can't. But she can."
"Vision, that's enough. Let him go. I'm leaving."
"I can't let you."
"I'm sorry." she said and held her hands apart, glowing with energy and Clint slipped from Vision's grasp.
"If you do this . . . they will never stop being afraid of you." he said and faltered.
"I can't control their fear, only my own." she said and moved closer.
Vision glowed from within and crashed through the floor, and several floors beneath. Wanda and Clint stood over the holes in the floors.
"Oh . . . come on. We got one more stop." Clint said.
Back at the Joint Counter Terrorist Centre.
"It's just a matter of time. Our satellites are running facial, bio-metric, and behavioral pattern scans." Attache said.
"Move, or you will be moved." security chief said to Natasha standing in their way.
"As entertaining as that would be . . ." T'Challa said.
"You really think you can find him?" Natasha asked.
"My resources are considerable."
"Yeah, it took the world 70 years to find Barnes . . . so you could probably do that in about half the time."
"You know where they are."
"I know someone who does."
Under an overpass.
"Not sure you understand the concept of a getaway car." Sharon said.
"It's low profile." Steve said.
"Good, because this stuff tends to draw a crowd." she said and opened the trunk of her car, revealing Steve's and Sam's gear.
"Can you move your seat up?" Bucky asked and sat behind Sam in the getaway car with Peter next to him.
"No." Sam said.
"I owe you again." Steve said.
"Keeping a list." Sharon said and glanced at Bucky. "You know, he kinda tried to kill me."
"Sorry. I'll put it on the list, too. They're going to come looking for you."
"I know." she said and they kissed.
"Thank you, Sharon."
"That was . . ."
"Late."
"Damn right. I should go."
"Okay."
On the 6th level of a parking garage at the Leipzig/Halle airport. Steve drove into the parking lot in the battered, old car. He parks by a grey van and gets out.
"Cap." Clint said.
"You know I wouldn't have called If I had any other choice." Steve said.
"Hey man, you're doing me a favor. Besides, I owe a debt."
"Thanks for having my back."
"It was time to get off my ass." Wanda said.
"How about our other recruit?"
"He's rarin' to go. Had to put a little coffee in him, but… he should be good." Clint said.
"What timezone is this?" Scott asked.
"Come on. Come on."
"Captain America." Scott said and shook Steve's hand with an amazed look.
"Mr. Lang." Steve said.
"It's an honor. I'm shaking your hand too long. Wow! This is awesome! Captain America." Scott said and looked at Wanda. "I know you, too. You're great!" he said, turned back and felt Steve's shoulders. "Jeez. Ah, look, I wanna say, I know you know a lot of super people, so . . . thinks for thanking of me." he said. "Hey, man!" he said to Sam.
"What's up, Tic Tac?" Sam asked.
"Uh, good to see you. Look, what happened last time when I . . ."
"It was a great audition, but it'll . . . it'll never happen again."
"They tell you what we're up against?" Steve asked.
"Something about some . . . psycho-assassins?" Scott said.
"We're outside the law on this one. So, if you come with us, you're a wanted man."
"Yeah, well, what else is new?"
"We should get moving." Bucky said.
"He's right." Peter said.
"We got a chopper lined up." Clint said.
"This is an emergency. All passengers must evacuate the airport immediately." man on OA 2 said.
"They're evacuating the airport." Bucky said.
"Stark." Sam said.
"Stark?" Scott said.
"Suit up." Steve said.
Captain America wasn't in his uniform striding through an underpass, then jogged onto a private runway, heading for a grounded chopper. An electro-disabler slammed onto the chopper and he looked up. Iron Man and War Machine decanted.
"Wow, it's so weird how you run into people at the airport. Don't you think that's weird?" Iron Man said.
"Definitely weird." War Machine said.
"Hear me out, Tony. That doctor, the psychiatrist, he's behind all of this." Captain America said.
Then T'Challa leapt over a truck.
"Captain." he said.
"Your highness."
"Anyway, Ross gave me 36 hours to bring you in. That was 24 hours ago. Can you help a brother out?" Iron Man asked.
"You're after the wrong guy."
"Your judgment is askew. Your old war buddy killed innocent people yesterday."
"And there are five more super soldiers just like him. I can't let the doctor find them first, Tony. I can't."
"Steve . . . you know what's about to happen. Do you really wanna punch your way out of this one?" Black Widow asked.
"All right, I've run out of patience. Underoos!" Iron Man said and Spider-Verse shot a web, stealing Captain America's shield and binding his hands. "Nice job, kid."
"Thanks. Well, I could've stuck the landing a little better. It's just the new suit… Well, it's nothing, Mr. Stark. It's-it's perfect. Thank you." Spider-Verse said.
"Yeah, we don't really need to start a conversation."
"Okay. Cap . . . Captain. Big fan, I'm Spider-Verse."
"Yeah, we'll talk about it later. Just . . ."
"Hey, everyone."
". . . Good job."
"You've been busy." Captain America said.
"And you've been a complete idiot. Dragging in Clint. 'Rescuing' Wanda from a place she doesn't even want to leave, a safe place. I'm trying to keep . . . I'm trying to keep you from tearing the Avengers apart."
"You did that when you signed."
"Alright, We're done. You're gonna turn Barnes and Parker over, you're gonna come with us. NOW! Because it's us! Or a squad of J-SOC guys . . . with no compunction about being impolite." Iron Man said and Captain America looked aside. "Come on."
"We found it. Their Quinjet's in hanger five, north runway." Falcon radioed Captain America.
Captain America held his hands up and Clint shot the web off.
"Alright, Lang." he said.
"Hey, guys, something . . ." Spider-Verse started but was cut off.
"Whoa. What-what the hell was that?" War Machine asked.
"I believe this is yours, Captain America." Ant Man said and took Captain America's shield.
"Oh, great. Alright, there's two on the parking deck. One of them's Maximoff, I'm gonna grab her. Rhodey, you want to take Cap?" Iron Man said.
"Got two in the terminal, Wilson, Barnes and Parker."
"Barnes and Parker are mine!" T'Challa said.
"Hey, Mr. Stark, what should I do?" Spider-Verse asked.
"What we discussed. Keep your distance. Web 'em up." Iron Man said.
"Okay, copy that!"
"Move, Captain. I won't ask a second time." T'Challa said.
"Look, I really don't want to hurt you." Ant Man said and faced Black Widow.
"I wouldn't stress about it." Black Widow said and kicked him in the groin and he miniaturized, throwing her head over heels.
Then she zapped him off her wrist and he slammed into a nearby truck, laving a small dent.
"What the hell is that?" Bucky asked in the terminal.
"Everyone's got a gimmick now." Sam said.
Then Spider-Verse swung through the glass wall and kicked Sam backwards. Bucky threw a punch but Spider-Verse caught his fist.
Bucky had asked Peter to stay as back up for now so Peter watched fighting the want to get Spider-Verse himself.
"You have a metal arm? That is awesome, dude!" Spider-Verse said and Sam hit him. "You have the right to remain silent!" he said and in mid-air fended Sam off, then swung after him using his webs.
'This kid is pathetic. Those webs aren't lasting for long.' Winter Spider thought.
Spider-Verse swung through the rafters in the terminal, chasing Sam who flew backwards firing shots and Spider-Verse stopped on a high beam.
"Oh god." Spider-Verse said and Winter Soldier threw something at him. "Hey buddy, I think you lost this!" he said, threw it back and Sam kicked him off the beam and he fired a web sending Sam crashing to the floor.
Then he webbed Sam's wrist to a balcony railing.
"Those wings carbon fiber?" he asked.
'Pathetic again.' Winter Spider thought.
"Is this stuff coming out of you?" Sam asked.
"That would explain the rigidity-flexibility ratio, which, gotta say, that's awesome, man."
"I don't know if you've been a fight before but there's usually not this much talking."
"Alright, sorry, my bad." Spider-Verse said then swung down and Winter Soldier jumped in the way and he and Falcon fell through the glass down onto the next floor and Spider-Verse webbed them. "Guys, look. I'd love to keep this up but I've only got one job here today and I gotta impress Mr. Stark as much of a fan of Winter Spider is, so, l'm really sorry." he and redwing dragged him through the glass wall. "Wwahhhh!"
"You couldn't have done that earlier?" Winter Soldier asked.
"I hate you." Sam said.
Then Winter Spider came and let them free.
"Thanks buddy." Winter Soldier said.
"That kid was pathetic. Not even close to as good as I was in the beginning!" Winter Spider said.
"He had trouble even holding what I threw at him."
"He's got some practice to do." Falcon said and they nodded.
"I'm gonna go help Cap." Winter Spider said and they nodded.
Then he went to find Captain America.
Outside Captain America kicked War Machine out of the air, then sent T'Challa reeling. War Machine's mace was broken.
"Great." War Machine said.
"Hey, Cap, heads up!" Ant-Man said and threw Captain America a miniature truck. "Throw it at this. Now!" he said and Captain America threw it and the truck enlarged, tumbling towards War Machine.
"Oh, come on!" he said and the truck landed and exploded.
"Oh, man. I thought it was a water truck. Uh . . . sorry." Ant-Man said and he and Captain America ran off.
"Alright. Now, I'm pissed."
"Is this, part of the plan?" Black Widow asked as Iron Man helped her up.
"Well, my plan was to go easy on them. You wanna switch it up?" Iron Man said.
"There's our ride." Hawkeye said to Wanda as he saw the Quinjet.
"Come on!" Captain America said.
Captain America's team ran towards the Quinjet. A fizzing stream of energy sliced across the runway and they stop. Vision hovered overhead.
"Captain Rogers. I know you believe what you're doing is right. But for the collective good you must surrender now." Vision said and Iron Man's team arrived.
"What do we do, Cap?" Falcon asked.
"We fight." Captain America said.
"This is gonna end well." Black Widow said and the two teams stride towards each other with grim determination etched on their faces.
"They're not stopping." Spider-Verse said.
"Neither are we." Iron Man said and everyone broke into a sprint.
Captain America blocked a punch as Iron Man landed. Hawkeye fired an arrow at Vision. War Machine flew after Falcon and Winter Soldier traded blows with T'Challa. An explosive arrow hit Iron Man. Black Widow threw Ant-Man, as Spider-Verse swung through the air, struggling to evade vehicles projected by Wanda. Winter Soldier landed punches on T'Challa, Hawkeye and Black Widow battle with batons and Hawkeye pinned her down with his bow.
"We're still friends, right?" Black Widow asked.
"Depends on how hard you hit me." Hawkeye said and she spun him with her legs.
As was about to kick his head, her foot stopped and glowed bright red. Wanda projects Black Widow down.
"You were pulling your punches." Wanda said and Hawkeye nodded sheepishly.
Meanwhile the Winter Soldier and T'Challa have each other by the throat.
"I didn't kill your father." the Winter Soldier said.
"Then why did you run?" T'Challa said, pulled Winter Soldier's hand off his neck, then spun him and fly-kicked him backwards.
He sprouted claws and aimed for Winter Soldier's neck, but Wanda stopped his hand, then waved her arms sending T'Challa crashing into a passenger gangway.
Spider-Verse swung past and Captain America snapped the web with his shield.
"That thing does not obey the laws of physics at all." Spider-Verse said.
"Look kid. There's a lot going on here that you don't understand." Captain America said.
"Mr. Stark said you'd say that. Wow." Spider-Verse said, fired webs sticking to Captain America's shield and ankle then pulled and Captain America slid towards him.
Then he kicked him backwards and rolled clear. "He also said to go for your legs." he said as Captain America ran to get his shield, Spider-Verse webbed his hands and pulled.
Captain America gritted his teeth, spun and somersaulted, propelling Spider-Verse through the air.
"Clint, can you get him off me?" Falcon asked evading fire from Iron Man.
"Buckled in?" Hawkeye asked.
"Yeah. No, I'm good. I'm good, Arrow Guy. Let's go. Let's go!" Ant Man said, miniaturized and was on the tip of Hawkeye's arrow.
As he fired it, the head split and Tony shot the shards then Scott dove between his splayed fingers and slipped inside the Iron Man Suit at the shoulder joint.
Meanwhile Winter Spider came and caught a web and tugged Spider-Verse towards him, knocking him down with the shield. Then Spider-Verse recovered and pulled himself up on top of a gangway.
"Stark tell you anything else?" Winter Spider asked.
Spider-Verse stood there in shock then came back.
"That you're wrong. You think you're right. That makes you dangerous." he said, swung down and Winter Spider leapt kicked him backwards onto the gangway's leg.
"Guess he had a point." he said, Captain America threw his shield at the leg and the gangway fell and Spider-Verse jumped to get away.
"Pathetic." Winter Spider said.
"You got heart, kid. Where're you from?" Captain America said.
"Queens."
"Same." Winter Spider said.
"Brooklyn." Captain America said and left Spider-Verse getting up.
Winter Spider looked at him.
"You got some work to do on the hero crap kid. Even I'd be better than you." he said and left to follow Captain America.
Meanwhile Clint fired arrows at hovering Iron Man whose arm-lasers malfunction.
"Friday?" Tony said.
"We have some weapon systems offline." F.R.I.D.A.Y. said.
"They what?"
"Oh, you're gonna have to take this into the shop." Scott said.
"Who's speaking?"
"It's your conscience. We don't talk a lot these days."
"Friday?"
"Deploying fire suppression system." F.R.I.D.A.Y. said.
"Uh -oh. Oh boy. Whoa!" Scott said.
Inside the suit he sprinted through narrow banks of components, chased by a rolling cloud of CO and ejected from the suit.
"We gotta go. That guy's probably in Siberia by now." Winter Soldier said to Captain America.
"He's right." Winter Spider said.
"We gotta draw out the flyers. I'll take Vision. You two get to the jet." Captain America said.
"No, you get to the jet! All three of you!" Falcon said being chased by War Machine. "The rest of us aren't getting out of here."
"As much as I hate to admit it, if we're gonna win this one, some of us might have to lose it." Hawkeye said.
"This isn't the real fight, Steve."
"Alright, Sam, what's the play?" Captain America asked.
"We need a diversion, something big."
"I got something kind of big, but I can't hold it very long. On my signal, run like hell. And if I tear myself in half . . . don't come back for me." Ant-Man said.
"Wait what?" Winter Spider said.
"He's gonna tear himself in half?" Winter Soldier said.
"You're sure about this, Scott?" Captain America asked.
"I do it all the time. I mean once . . . in a lab. Then I passed out. I'm the boss. I'm the boss. I'm the boss. I'm the boss. I'm the BOSS!" Ant-Man said then leapt from mobile stairs and landed on War Machine's back as he flew past.
Then he operated his suit's wrist, shut his eyes and activated a remote getting him to grow into a towering Behemoth and grabbed War Machine's leg.
"Holy shit!" Spider-Verse said.
"Okay, tiny dude is big now. He's big now." War Machine said.
"I guess that's the signal." Captain America said.
"Way to go, Tic Tac!" Falcon said.
"Give me back my Rhodey." Iron Man said and Falcon flew feet first into him.
"I got him!" Spider-Verse said and Scott sent War Machine flying and Spider-Verse caught him with a web.
Ant-Man kicked a bus towards T'Challa. Then Vision descended and braced himself, splitting the bus in two and protecting T'Challa from harm. T'Challa saw Steve, Winter Soldier and Winter Spider sprinting past. Chasing Sam, Tony evaded Scott swinging the wing of a plane at him.
"Okay, anybody on our side hiding any shocking and fantastic abilities they'd like to disclose, I'm open to suggestion." Tony said.
Then Sam arrowed towards him, firing Red Wing which cracked into Tony's helmet. Scott blocked T'Challa's path.
"You wanna get to them… you gotta go through me." Scott said and swept his gigantic foot through the crated T'Challa's standing on, smashing them to pieces.
Then Scott was engulfed in explosions as War Machine swooped towards him with Spider-Verse clinging to a web stuck to War Machine's back. Then he fired more webs and wrapped them around Scott's over-sized arms.
Clint fired arrows at T'Challa who caught two right in front of his face. After the arrowheads explode he dropped them and raised extending his claws.
"We haven't met yet." Clint said, flattened his bow and spun it around. "I'm Clint."
"I don't care." T'Challa said wielding the bow like a staff Clint attacked him who acrobatically ducked then countered with a high kick.
Giant Ant-Man punched War Machine in the air and swung a gangway towards him as he recovered. War Machine opened fire and the gangway disintegrates. Scott tried to stamp on him but he dove clear evading a lunge of Scott's hand. War Machine was struck by something.
"Ahhh!" Rhodey said and Wanda waved her hands flinging vehicles into War Machines path.
"Get off." Scott said and distracted by Spider-Verse didn't see Vision curling into a ball and ramming into him.
Vision spotted Captain America, Winter Soldier and Winter Spider approaching the hangar as Ant-Man wavered and simply floated through Ant-Man's chest.
"Something just flew in me!" Scott said and Vision fired a shining beam of energy from his mind stone and the control tower collapsed towards the entrance of the hangar.
Then Wanda struggled to slow its collapse. Then War Machine descended behind her fires a sonic disruptor. Wanda held her head and screamed. The tower fell all around Steve and Bucky, but they made it into the hangar where Natasha was waiting for them.
"You're not gonna stop." Natasha said.
"You know I can't." Captain America said.
"I'm gonna regret this." she said and stunned T'Challa who's arrived behind them. "Go." she said and Captain America, Winter Soldier and Winter Spider ran for the Quinjet as she kept T'Challa at bay.
"Hey, guys, you ever see that really old movie, Empire Strikes Back?" Spider-Verse asked outside.
"Jesus, Tony, how old is this guy?" Rhodey asked. "He sounds even younger than Winter Spider!"
"I don't know, I didn't carbon-date him. He's on the young side." Tony said while Spider-Verse swung towards Scott.
"You know that part . . . where they're on the snow planet . . . with the walking thingies?" Spider-Verse said and wrapped webs around Scott's legs.
"Maybe the kid's on to something."
"High now, Tony. Go high." Rhodes said.
Then Spider-Verse swung around and around Scott's legs as Tony and Rhodey power towards his head, both landing blows together.
"YES! Ha ha! That was awesome!" Spider-Verse said while giant Ant-Man toppled.
Then a flailing limb caught him and knocking him flying just before Scott slammed into the ground on his back. He returned to normal size and removed the face-plate of his helmet, grimacing.
"Does anyone have any orange slices?" Scott asked.
Then Tony landed by Spider-Verse who's in a heap. Retracting the helmet Tony looked concerned.
"Kid, you alright?" he asked.
"Hey! Get off me!" Spider-Verse said.
"Same side. Guess who. Hi. It's me."
"Oh. Hey, man."
"Yeah."
"That was scary."
"Yeah. You're done. Alright?"
"What?"
"You did a good job. Stay down."
"No, I'm good. I'm fine."
"Stay down."
"No, it's good I gotta get him back!"
"You're going home or I'll call your mom! You're done!"
"Wait. Mr. Stark, wait! I'm not done, I'm not . . ." Spider-Verse said and slumped down. "Okay, I'm done. I'm done."
In the partially wrecked hangar the Quinjet's engines fire and the guns blast debris from the entrance. Black Widow kept T'Challa held until the jet raised. Black Panther leapt, but couldn't keep hold and the Quinjet flew out of the hangar. War Machine flew after it.
In the hangar.
"I said I'd help you find him, not catch him. There's a difference." Black Widow said.
Outside Vision knelt beside Wanda and gently held her in his arms. She panted for breath.
"I'm sorry." he said.
"Me, too." Wanda said.
"It's as I said. Catastrophe."
Piloting the Quinjet, Captain America looked over his shoulder and saw War Machine encroaching to the right. Captain America pushed forward on the thrusters and Iron Man flew beside War Machine and Falcon followed them.
"Vision, I got a bandit on my six." War Machine said and Falcon fired small explosives which erupt and buffet War Machine. "Vision! You copy? Target his thrusters, turn him into a glider." he said and Vision took aim and fired his head laser.
Falcon saw it coming and tucked into a tumble. The laser overshot and sliced through the core on War Machines chest plate. War Machine lost power and went into a spinning free fall.
"Rhodey!" Iron Man said and along with Falcon dove.
"Tony, I'm flying dead stick." War Machine said.
As he plunged the suit emits black smoke. Iron Man swooped down towards him. War Machine's eyes started to close.
"RHODES!" Iron Man said and War Machine smacked into a wide, grassy field just before Iron Man landed nearby. His helmet retracted and he pulled off War Machine's face plate. War Machine's eyes are closed and had blood on his face. "Read vitals."
"Heartbeat detected. Emergency medical is on its way." FRIDAY said.
Then Falcon swooped down and landed on his feet. His wings retract.
"I'm sorry." he said and Iron Man zapped him backwards with a blast of energy from the palm of his suit.
Vision glided to the ground just in front of Falcon. Iron Man's faced Tony remains with his arms around War Machine.
Somewhere in Siberia, Helmut made a phone call.
"Good morning. Room service." a German innkeeper said.
"Good morning, Mrs. Leiber. This is room 201." Helmut said.
"Ah, Mr. Müller. Bacon and black coffee again today?"
"You know me so well."
In his room in Berlin, Germany.
"Hello? Your breakfast is here. May I let myself in? Oh God!" she said, came in and discovered the dead body of Dr. Theo Broussard in the bathtub.
Captain America flew the Quinjet towards mountains and Winter Soldier and Winter Spider sat behind him.
"What's gonna happen to your friends?" Winter Soldier asked and Captain America stared ahead, heavyhearted, sighed and shook his head.
"Whatever it is… I'll deal with it." he said and Winter Soldier looked thoughtful.
"I don't know if I'm worth all this, Steve." he said and Captain America glanced around at him.
"What you did all those years . . . it wasn't you. You didn't have a choice."
"I know. But I did it."
"Same here." Winter Spider said.
At a hospital Rhodes lied inside an CT-scanner in a blue gown covering his body. Tony paced up to Vision who watched Rhodes grave faced.
"How did this happen?" Tony asked.
"I became distracted." Vision said.
"I didn't think that was possible."
"Neither did I." Vision said and Tony left him looking in on Rhodes.
Along the corridor Tony saw an equally concerned Natasha.
They stood on a balcony looking towards a row of trees.
"The doctors say he shattered L4 through S1. Extreme laceration in the spinal cord. Probably looking at some form of paralysis." Tony said.
"Steve's not gonna stop. If you don't either, Rhodey's gonna be the best case scenario." Natasha said.
"You let them go, Nat."
"We played this wrong."
"'We'? Boy, it must be hard to shake the whole double agent thing, huh? It sticks in the DNA."
"Are you incapable of letting go of your ego for one goddamn second?"
"T'Challa told Ross what you did, so . . . they're coming for you."
"I'm not the one that needs to watch their back." she said and walked away.
Then Tony activated holographic images appearing on his wrist device.
"What am I looking at, Friday?" he asked.
"Priority upload from Berlin police." FRIDAY said.
"Fire up the chopper." he said and flew over a stormy sea in the chopper.
Then he looked surveillance images on a tablet computer.
"The Task Force called for a psychiatrist as soon as Barnes was captured. The UN dispatched Dr. Theo Broussard from Geneva within the hour. He was met by this man." FRIDAY said.
"Did you run facial recognition yet?"
"What do I look like?"
"Uh, I don't know. I've been picturing a red head."
"You must be thinking of someone else."
"Must be."
"The fake doctor is actually Colonel Helmut Zemo, Sokovian Intelligence." she said and he projected the image. "Zemo ran Echo Skorpion, a Sokovian covert kill squad."
"So, what happened to the real Broussard?"
"He was found dead in a Berlin hotel room. Where police also found a wig and facial prosthesis approximating the appearance of one James Buchanan Barnes."
"Son of a bitch. Get this to Ross."
"Yes, Boss."
A wide and flat, snow covered landscape. A mountain loomed on the horizon. A caterpillar truck stopped on the windswept mountain plateau. Helmut got out of the vehicle. Set on rocks was an entrance with huge, rusted double doors. He hacked away at the wall beside the doors, uncovered a control panel and keyed in a code whilst referring to the red book. The huge, curved double doors broke open a crack. He pulled them open wider, shone a flash light and pulled down the hood of his coat.
Inside was a vast, gloomy space cramped with shelves stacked with filing boxes. Helmut moved a ladder along and searched the boxes. He climbed up the ladder and removed a filing box labeled: December 1991.
Then he walked along a tunnel which opened into a cavernous chamber with a high ceiling. He carried a VHS cassette and a flash light. Standing around the chamber a five large, clear sided capsules. They glow a gold yellow inside. Frowning he walked up to one of the capsules and shone his flash light inside. In the capsule, motionless in a state of suspended animation was the enhanced soldier Josef.
Tony flew the shopper low over the broiling sea. He operates the chopper with a touch screen computer in a wall panel.
"This is the Raft Prison Control. You're clear for landing, Mr. Stark." a guard said on the radio.
The sea swelled and surged as Raft Prison raised up from beneath. A huge, fortified, circular structure with small lights around the sides. Two semi-circular doors opened up in the flat circular top and the chopper landed on a helipad and the doors closed above it. Tony, his left arm in a sling walked up to Ross.
"So? You got the files? Let's reroute the satellites, start facial scanning for this Zemo guy." Tony said.
"You seriously think I'm gonna listen to you after that fiasco in Leipzig? You're lucky you're not in one of these cells." Ross said and looked at him sternly and lead on through a thick, steel security door.
Soldiers stood guard in an operations room. Tony looked at a surveillance screen showing Wanda, sitting hunched and bedraggled in a cramped prison cell.
Another security door opened and Tony walked into a chamber surrounded by large, bared windows. Beyond the windows were a number of prison cells. Tony took in his surroundings.
"The Futurist, gentlemen! The Futurist is here! He sees all! He knows what's best for you, whether your like it or not." Clint said clapping.
"Give me a break, Barton. I had no idea they'll put you here. Come on." Tony said.
"Yeah, well, you knew they'd put us somewhere, Tony." Clint spit.
"Yeah, but not some super-max floating ocean pokey. You know, this place is for maniacs. This is a place for . . ."
"Criminals?" Clint said and stood up. "Criminals, Tony. Think that's the word you're looking for." he said and eyed Tony through the bars. "Right? That didn't used to mean me. Or Sam, or Wanda. But here we are."
"Because you broke the law."
"Yeah."
"I didn't make you."
"La, la, la, la, la . . ."
"You read it, you broke it."
"La, la, la, la la…"
"Alright, you're all grown up, you got a wife and kids. I don't understand, why didn't you think about them before you chose the wrong side?" Tony asked and walked away.
"You gotta watch your back with this guy. There's a chance he's gonna break it."
"Hank Pym always said, you never can trust a Stark." Scott said.
"Who are you?" Tony asked.
"Come on, man."
"How's Rhodes?" Sam asked.
"They're flying him to Columbia Medical tomorrow. So . . . fingers cross." Tony said and Sam shook his head. "What do you need? They feed you yet?" he asked and Sam raised his eyebrows.
"You're the good cop now?"
"I'm just the guy who needs to know where Steve went."
"Well, you better go get a bad cop, because you're gonna have to go Mark Fuhrman on my ass to get information out of me."
"Oh, I just knocked the 'A' out of their 'AV'. We got about 30 seconds before they realize it's not their equipment."
In the operations room.
"What did you do? Get it back up!" Ross said.
Back in the cell.
"Just look. Because that is the fellow who was supposed to interrogate Barnes." Tony said and showed a holographic image of Doctor Broussard. "Clearly, I made a mistake. Sam, I was wrong."
"That's a first." Sam said.
"Cap is definitely off the reservation but he's about to need all the help he can get. We don't know each other very well. You don't have to…"
"Hey, it's alright." Sam said and Tony leaned closer to the window and Sam sighed and looked uneasy. "Look, I'll tell you… but you have to go alone and as a friend."
"Easy." Tony said and walked to his chopper.
"Stark? Did he give you anything on Rogers?" Ross asked.
"Nope. Told me to go to hell. I'm going back to the compound instead, but you can call me anytime. I'll put you on hold, I like to watch the line blink." Tony said and Ross stared at him who smiled as he got in the chopper and the door slid shut.
The chopper rises off the helipad and flies away. The doors close on the prison roof.
Sitting in the chopper Tony un-clips the sling holding his left arm. He cradles his arm in his hand for a moment. He slowly reaches out the injured arm and presses a button on a panel. The Iron Man Suit wraps itself around Tony, a hatch opens and he flies out of the chopper as Iron Man. He speeds through dark clouds. Close behind T'Challa is at the controls of a Quinjet.
Captain America brought his Quinjet into land besides Helmut's caterpillar truck on the remote icy mountain top. The jet's wings fold up beside the fuselage.
On board the Winter Soldier pulled out rack of guns labeled 'Romanoff' and took a light machine gun. Then he, Winter Spider and Captain America stood together, waiting for the exit ramp to descend.
"You remember that time we had to ride back from Rockaway Beach in the back of that freezer truck?" Captain America asked.
"Was that the time we used our train money to buy hot dogs?" the Winter Soldier asked.
"You blew three bucks trying to win that stuffed bear for a redhead."
"You did what?" Winter Spider asked and laughed.
"What was her name again?" Winter Soldier asked smiling a little that Peter was happy.
"Dolores. You called her Doll." Captain America said.
"She's gotta be a hundred years old right now."
"So are we, pal." Captain America said and clamped his hand on the Winter Soldier's shoulder.
"This guy here is only fifteen." Winter Soldier said smiling and patted Winter Spider on the back.
Winter Spider smiled.
Now wearing his helmet Captain America walked with the Winter Soldier and Winter Spider up to the entrance set in rock. The door was still open.
"He can't have been here more than a few hours." Captain America said.
"Long enough to wake them up." the Winter Soldier said and Captain America lead them into the cast bunker.
They traveled down into the depths inside a caged elevator. it stopped in the bowls of the bunker, doors slide open. Captain America nodded to the Winter Soldier and Winter Spider and heaved up the cage door. The Winter Soldier readied his heavy duty machine gun while Winter Spider ready his webshooter and they walked along a corridor, keeping close to a wall. They looked into an alcove full of junk then they moved on up some stairs. At the sound of a loud thud they spun around, aiming down the corridor.
"You ready?" Captain America asked.
"Yeah." the Winter Soldier said and Winter Spider nodded.
Double doors part, forced open by Iron Man. Captain America stared in surprise and Iron Man walked towards them and retracted the suit's helmet.
"You seem a little defensive." Tony said and the Winter Soldier kept his gun up and Winter Spider kept his webshooter ready while Captain America walked to meet iron Man with his shield covering his body.
"It's been a long day."
"At ease, Soldier. I'm not currently after you."
"Then why are you here?"
"Could be your story's not so crazy. Maybe. Ross has no idea I'm here. I'd like to keep it that way. Otherwise, I gotta arrest myself."
"Well, that sounds like a lot of paperwork." Captain America said. "It's good to see you, Tony." he said and lowered his shield.
"You too, Cap." Tony said. "Hey, Manchurian Candidate, you're killing me. There's a truce here. You can drop . . ." he said to the Winter Soldier and Winter Spider.
Captain America signed the Winter Soldier to lower his weapon and he does while Winter Spider lowered his webshooter.
They cautiously walked along a corridor. T'Challa in his Black Panther Suit was hiding around a corner, watching them.
With his helmet and face plate reengaged Iron Man lead Captain America, Winter Soldier and Winter Spider towards the enormous chamber with the capsules standing in it.
"I got heat signatures." Iron Man said.
"How many?" Captain America asked.
"Uh, one."
As they entered the vast chamber the lights came on and hazy, yellow mist descended within the capsules. As well as Josef, each one contains an enhanced soldier from the 1991 experiment. Captain America and the others looked around, bewildered.
"If it's any comfort, they died in their sleep." Helmut said on speaker. "Did you really think I wanted more of you?" he said and all the enhanced soldiers have been shot in the head and the Winter Soldier stared at Josef's corpse.
"What the hell?" the Winter Soldier said and blocked Winter Spider for protection.
"Dad?" Winter Spider said quietly.
"I'm grateful to them, though. They brought you here." Helmut said and appeared in a control room. Captain America hurled his shield but it flew back. "Please, Captain. The Soviets built this chamber to withstand the launch blast of UR-100 rockets."
"I'm betting I could beat that." Iron Man said.
"Oh, I'm sure you could, Mr. Stark. Given time. But then you'd never know why you came."
"You killed innocent people in Vienna just to bring us here?" Captain America said.
Meanwhile Black Panther watched from the shadows as Captain America looked at Helmut through a window.
"I thought about nothing else for over a year. I studied you. I followed you. But now that you're standing here, I just realized . . . there's a bit of green in the blue of your eyes. How nice to find a flaw." Helmut said.
"You're Sokovian. Is that what this is about?" Capitan America said.
"Sokovia was a failed state long before you blew it to hell. No. I'm here because I made a promise." Helmut said and Captain America studied him.
"You lost someone?"
"I lost everyone. And so will you." Helmut said, looked grave and clicked his tongue. "An empire toppled by its enemies can rise again. But one which crumples from within? That's dead . . . forever." he said and played surveillance footage from December 16th 1991 and Captain America stepped over to the screen.
Iron Man looked at the freeze frame of a secluded road and the date, December 16 1991 and his eyes rove, anxiously.
"I know that road. What is this?" he asked.
The video plays.
That car that the Winter Soldier forced off the road crashes into a tree. Tony watched intently as the Winter Soldier rides up and gets off his motorbike. Steve watches Tony's increasing unease. The driver lies on the ground beside the car. It's Tony's father, Howard.
"Help my wife. Please. Help." Howard said and the Winter Soldier walked over and hoist him up by his hair and stared at Howard's bloody face and Howard stared back pleadingly. "Sergeant Barnes?"
"Howard!" Marie said.
Tony glared at Bucky.
The Winter Soldier pounded Howard hard in the face with his metal fist.
"Howard!" Maria said.
In grief Tony closed his eyes for a moment.
Howard slumped dead. The Winter Soldier put him in the driver's seat with his face against the steering wheel. Tony stared in horror. Maria's in the passenger seat with blood streaked down her face. The Winter Soldier walked around, gripped her throat and expressionless strangled her. Tony watched the screen stunned. The Winter Soldier walked up and aimed a gun at the surveillance camera.
Captain America watched Iron Man anxiously. Tony lunged towards Bucky who blocked Peter and Steve stopped him.
"Tony. Tony." Captain America said.
Iron Man consumed with grief and tears glistening in his eyes he turned and looked at him.
"Did you know?" he asked.
"I didn't know it was him."
"Don't bullshit me, Rogers! Did you know?"
"Yes."
Iron Man stepped back, his chin jutting upwards twitchy and reengaged the Iron Man helmet. He punched Captain America to the floor and deflected gunfire from Winter Soldier, disarming him. Then he grabbed him and flew across the chamber.
"Dad!" Winter Spider said.
Iron Man slammed Winter Soldier onto the floor, then jumped on his arms. Captain America's shield hit Iron Man, distracting him and Captain America barged him backwards, Iron Man shoulders him to the floor and shackles his ankles. Winter Soldier punched Iron Man who just lifted him and slammed him against a machine. Iron Man raised a fist but Winter Soldier twisted it and a rocket shot out of Iron Man's arm, a fireball exploded. Captain America sliced his shackles as a towering structure of pipework collapsed. Iron Man and Winter Soldier were thrown down a level as twisted metal fell around them, showering sparks.
"Get out of here!" Captain America said to Bucky.
As Winter Soldier and Winter Spider bolted Iron Man fired, but missed. Captain America landed in front of him. Winter Soldier hit a control panel and the silo-styled door overhead started to open.
"It wasn't him, Tony. Hydra had control of his mind!" Captain America said. "Just like he did with Peter!"
"Move!" Iron Man said.
"It wasn't him!" Captain America said, grabbed Iron Man's ankle in mid air and smashed it.
Iron Man blocked him by shooting down rubble, then falteringly flew up the tower.
"Left boot jet failing. Flight systems compromised." FRIDAY said.
"Ah crap." Iron Man said.
Above him Winter Soldier leapt from platform to platform. With stuttering jets Iron Man gave chase, then kicked him and took aim, but the energy bold rebound off Captain America's shield onto himself. Iron Man dropped like a stone and landed on a lower platform.
"He's not going to stop. Go." Captain America said.
As Iron Man soar upwards, Captain America leapt and shot a wire which wrapped around Iron Man's neck and dragged him back down. He deflected Captain America's shield, then tried to target Winter Soldier.
"Come on, come on." Iron Man said.
"Targeting system's knackered, boss." Friday said.
"I'm eyeballing it." he said and his helmet retracted and he shut one eye, taking aim at the opening hatch.
He fired and hit the giant hinge which exploded, cutting off Winter Spider and Winter Soldier's escape route. He flew up, blocks two swings from an iron pipe from him, then grabbed him around the neck from behind.
"Do you even remember them?"
"I remember all of them." Winter Soldier said and pushed them both from the walkway, Captain America jumped into them to deflect their fall. "Peter does to. Even though he only did a few and with me." he said and landed on a platform while Iron Man and Captain America landed on the concrete floor besides opening in the wall where snow drifts in from outside.
"This isn't gonna change what happened." Steve said.
"I don't care. He killed my mom." Iron Man said.
They trade punches and Iron Man ended up pinning Steve down. Winter Spider picked up Captain America's shield and leapt down to help. As the two super soldiers and Winter Spider fist fight with Iron Man the shield changed hands between them until Iron Man managed to zap Captain America who was thrown back into the wall. Winter Soldier struggled to hold Iron Man at bay as he unleashed an energy beam, then he forced Iron Man against the opposite wall and gripped the glowing core in the chest of the Iron Man Suit. A blast of energy knocked Winter Soldier down, metal arm completely blown away. Iron Man zapped him again. Captain America rushed him with his shield up and Iron Man fired right at it.
Helmut was outside, listening to a phone message.
"You should've seen his little face. Just try, okay? I'm going to bed. I love you." his wife said.
Then T'Challa snuck up behind him.
"I almost kill the wrong man." he said.
"Hardly an innocent one." Helmut said.
"This is all you wanted? To see them rip each other apart."
"My father lived outside the city. I thought we would be safe there. My son was excited. He could see the Iron Man from the car window. I told my wife, "Don't worry. They are fighting in the city. We're miles from harm." When the dust cleared . . . and the screaming stopped. It took me two days until I found their bodies. My father . . . still holding my wife and son in his arms. And the Avengers? They went home. I knew I couldn't kill them. More powerful men than me have tried. But, if I could get them to kill each other . . . I'm sorry about your father. He seemed a good man. With a dutiful son." Helmut said and deleted the message.
"Vengeance has consumed you. It's consuming them." T'Challa said, blinked ruefully and retracted the claws in his gloves. "I am done letting it consume me." Justice will come soon enough."
Helmut held a gun and smiled thinly.
"Tell that to the dead." he said and tried to shoot himself but T'Challa grabbed him just as he fires.
"The living are not done with you yet."
Iron man and Captain America were still fighting in the silo.
"You can't beat him hand to hand." FRIDAY said.
"Analyze his fight pattern." Iron Man said.
"Scanning!" she said and his HUD flashed red as Captain America landed blow after blow. "Countermeasures ready."
Iron man grabbed Captain America's shield.
"Let's kick his ass." he said and flung the shield away then zapped Captain America backwards, head over heels.
Captain America raised and Iron man blocked his punches then zapped him to his knees, right in front of Winter Soldier who's lying on his back with Winter Spider next to him.
"He's my friend and his son." Captain America said.
"So was I." Iron man said and punched him then threw him back towards the gaps in the wall. "Stay down. Final warning."
Captain America struggled to his feet, his face bloody and his gate weary and raised his fists and stared Iron Man down.
"I can do this all day." he said.
Iron man raised his left palm ready to fire. Winter Soldier grabbed his leg and Iron Man spun, kicking him in the face. Winter Spider with him. Captain America grabbed Iron Man and lifted him over his head, then threw him down, punched him and bashed his mask off with his shield before striking down hard on the suit's core. Iron Man looked horrified and glowered fearfully at Captain America who panted or breath. Both have blood spattered across their faces. Captain America looked back at Iron man then shut his eyes and slumped down. The shield remained upright, stuck upright in the center of the Iron Man suit. When Captain America struggled up again he took hold of the shield, gripping the edge and pulling it free. He stepped away from Iron Man who rolled painfully onto his side. Winter Soldier and Winter Spider lied bloodied but conscious, Captain America reached out and pulled him to his feet, holding him up as Iron Man looked on.
"That shield doesn't belong to you." Iron Man said and Captain America turned his back. "You don't deserve it. My father made that shield!" he said and Captain America stopped, raised his chin, then dropped the shield and walked away with Winter Soldier's arm around his shoulder and Winter Spider on the other.
In a secure chamber at the Berlin UN bunker Helmut's contained in a prison pod, his ankles cuffed to his seat. Everett Ross entered the chamber.
"Meals at eight and five. Toilet privileges twice a day. Raise your voice, zap. Touch the glass, zap. You step out of line, you deal with me. Please, step out of line. Hmm?" she said and Helmut just stared. "So how does it feel? To spend all that time, all that effort . . . and, to see it fail so spectacularly?"
Helmut looked up to meet Everett's gaze.
"Did it?" he asked.
Back at Avengers HQ, Tony was with Rhodey as he tentatively walked beside parallel bars with tech on his legs.
"It's just the first pass." Tony said.
"Give me some feedback. Anything you can think of. Shock absorption. Lateral movement. Cup holder?"
"You may wanna think about some AC down in . . ." Rhodey said and fell onto his hands.
"Let's go. I'll give you a hand."
"No, no, don't. Don't help me. Don't help me." Rhodey said and raised to his hands and knees, turned to sit on the floor beside Tony. "138. 138 combat missions. That's how many I've flown, Tony. Every one of them could've been my last, but I flew 'em. Because the fight needed to be fought. It's the same with these Accords. I signed because it was the right thing to do. And, yeah, this sucks. This is . . . this is a bad beat. But it hasn't change my mind. I don't think." he said, gave a crooked smile and took Tony's hand.
"You okay?"
"Oh yeah."
Then a FedEx driver knocked on the window with a packet in his hand.
"Are you Tony "Stank"?" he said.
"Yes, this is-this is Tony "Stank". You're in the right place. Thank you for that! I'm never dropping that, by the way. Table for one, Mr. "Stank". Please, by the bathroom." Rhodey said.
Tony was alone and opened the package to find an envelope and a phone inside.
"Tony, I'm glad you're back at the compound. I don't like the idea of you rattling around a mansion by yourself. We all need family. The Avengers are yours, maybe more so than mine. I've been on my own since I was 18. I never really fit in anywhere, even in the army. My faith's in people, I guess. Individuals. And I'm happy to say that, for the most part, they haven't let me down. Which is why I can't let them down either. Locks can be replaced, but maybe they shouldn't. I know I hurt you, Tony. I guess I thought by not telling you about your parents I was sparing you, but I can see now that I was really sparing myself, and I'm sorry. Hopefully one day you can understand. I wish we agreed on the Accords, I really do. I know you're doing what you believe in, and that's all any of us can do. That's all any of us should . . ." Steve said and as he read his letter it's indicated that he broke his team out of the Raft.
"Priority call from Secretary Ross. There's been a breach at the Raft prison." FRIDAY said.
"Yeah, put him through." Tony said.
"Tony, we have a problem." Ross said.
"Ah, please hold."
"No. Don't . . ."
"So, no matter what. I promise you, if you need us, if you need me, I'll be there." Steve said.
At Wakanda, medical facility.
"You sure about this?" Steve asked.
"We can't trust our own mind. So, until they figure out how to get this stuff out of our head I think going back under is the best thing . . . for everybody." Bucky said, looked at Peter and put his arm around him. "Come on squirt. Let's go get fixed." he said, Peter nodded and they went back into cryo.
Peter had only been on one once and was a little nervous.
Steve stood staring through a window and T'Challa walked towards him.
"Thank you for this." Steve said.
"Your friend, his son and my father, they were all victims. If I can help two of them find peace…" T'Challa said.
"You know, if they find out they're here . . . they'll come for them."
"Let them try."
In Miles' room on Queens his mom spoke to him from somewhere in the apartment.
"So. Who was it? Who hit you?" she asked.
"Some guy. So itchy, man. God." Miles said and fiddled with a wrist band.
"What's "some guy's" name?"
"Uh, Steve."
"Steve? From 12-C? With the overbite?"
"No, no, no. You don't know him, he's from Brooklyn." he said and his wrist band emitted a red beam which he hid when she came into the room. "Ouch."
"Well . . . I hope you got a few good licks in."
"Yeah, I got quite a few in, actually. His friend was huge. Like huge." he said and she gave him ice in a towel. "That's way better. Thank you."
"Okay, tough guy. she said and smiled broadly then left."
"Love you, mom. Hey, can you shut the door?" he said, shone the red beam onto his bedroom ceiling and grinned looking up at a glowing image of Spider-Verse's mask.
