Chapter 21
"What's gonna happen to your friends?" Bucky asked, looking out the window of the Quinjet.
"Whatever it is, I'll deal with it."
"I don't know if I'm worth it, Steve," he glanced at his friend. He didn't deserve Allie either, but she made it clear that she wasn't going anywhere. And he needed her. However, Steve had moved on, made new friends and allies. He's already done enough damage.
"What you did all those years, it wasn't you. You didn't have a choice." Steve looked back at him.
"I know, but I did it." Bucky sighed. "And I was supposed to protect her. I failed my most important mission."
Steve swallowed thickly. "I know." He flipped a few switches and landed the Quinjet beside Zemo's caterpillar truck.
Bucky unbuckled his harness and headed to the fuselage. He pulled out a rack of Romanoff's guns, taking the Belgian Minimi M249 light machine gun. He grabbed as much ammo as he could, filling his pockets. Steve picked up his shield and met Bucky by the ramp as it slowly descended.
"You remember that time we had to ride back from Rockaway Beach in the back of the freezer truck?"
Bucky knitted his eyebrows together. "Was that the time we used our money to buy hot dogs?"
"You blew three bucks trying to win that stuffed bear for a redhead."
"What was her name again?"
Steve grinned. "Dolores. You called her Dot."
"She's gotta be a hundred years old right now."
"So are we, pal," he clamped a hand on Bucky's shoulder.
Wearing his helmet, Steve led the way into the building and the cast bunker. They traveled down into the depths inside a caged elevator. When it stopped in the pit, the doors slid open. Steve nodded to Bucky and heaved up the cage door. Bucky readied his weapon as they walked along the corridor, keeping close to the wall. He surveyed the alcove full of junk, then he and Steve moved on upstairs. At the sound of a loud thud, Bucky spun around to aim his gun down the corridor.
"You ready?" Steve nodded at Bucky.
"Yeah."
The double doors opened to reveal Iron Man. He walked toward them, retracting his suit's helmet. "You seem a little defensive."
Steve shielded himself as he inched toward Tony. "It's been a long day."
Tony glanced at Bucky. "At ease, Soldier. I'm not currently after you."
"He won't let you take Allie," Steve warned.
"I'm not here for her either."
"Why are you here?"
Tony explained that everything Steve and Allie had told him was the truth, that he believed them. He didn't tell Ross that he was there, however. If he did, Tony would've had to arrest himself.
"That does sound like a lot of paperwork," Steve teased. "It's good to see you, Tony."
"You too, Cap." Tony turned to Bucky, who was still aiming his gun. "Hey, Manchurian Candidate, you're killing me. There's a truce here. You can drop..."
Steve signaled Bucky to lower his weapon and the trio formulate a plan of attack.
With his Helmet reengaged, Tony led the way down the corridor towards the enormous chamber with a row of capsules. Bucky searched around the room for any sign of Allie, Zemo, or a Winter Soldier. He found nothing.
"I've got heat signatures," Tony said.
"How many?" Steve asked.
"Uh, one."
As they entered the vast chamber, the lights flickered on. The hazy, yellow mist descended within the capsules. Each one contained an enhanced soldier, one of which was Josef, the strongest of them all. Or was, considering the bullet hole in the middle of his forehead. Bewildered, Bucky circled the room. "What the hell?"
"If it's any comfort," Zemo's voice boomed from the speakers. "They died in their sleep. Did you think I wanted more of you? Soon, my sister will share the same fate. I'm grateful for them though. Especially her. They brought you here."
Watching from the shadows, T'Challa overheard everything. An overwhelming wave of guilt hit him. He had blamed the wrong person the entire time. How can he be a good king if he doesn't have good judgment? He needed to do right.
He stealthily walked down the corridor, search for heat signatures. He crawled up a thin iron latter until he reached the top and pulled the latch, ripping it from the door. He walked through the door, which led him to the top of the icy mountain. Then, in the middle of the snow, there was Allie. She shivered and rubbed her arms with her hands. She was sitting with her legs crossed and snow in her shoes. He scurried to her, taking off his helmet and knelt beside her.
"You're the Seer."
She glanced up at him with tears streaming down her face. "He drugged me, I can't move, and I can't see what's to come."
"You don't need to worry, I'm here to save all of you."
T'Challa picked her up, cradling her in his arms as he carried her to his jet. As he helped her to his seat, he told her that Bucky, Steve, and Tony were all there but unsure of what exactly Zemo had planned for them.
"He wants them to destroy themselves," she said through chattering teeth. "Then, when they're all dead, he'd kill the both of us. Reuniting with our family."
"Why? Why would he want both of you dead?"
"He's like us, but he negates my abilities."
"He wants you to die together."
"Despite everything, he's still my brother. I don't want him to die," she grabbed his hand.
T'Challa eyes softened. "If your friends are anything like you, I don't expect any of them dying today."