-One way or another-

Zemo hadn't been expecting the Key from mister Wilson, but he knew exactly what he had to do, he needed to get out and fast. Every second James was gone, the more danger not only was he in, but the more the public and himself and Sam were all in a lot of danger. Sharon had him, it wasn't an accident. The moment he saw her footwear. It clicked. Her footprints fell exactly into the ones that had been there previously. No one else would have been able to find them as fast as she did, unless she had already been there and knew they would go there looking for what she had obviously already found.

Her breadcrumbs, they had walked right into a trap. And he had been to madly in love and desperate to help James that he hadn't seen it. Hindsight 20\20 he had known. Her easy involvement in Madripoor and the connections. Everything was lining up.

Sharon Cater is the Power Broker. But now the question was, why and how to get her in the act. They would have to prove she was the power broker without a doubt. They were going to have to be careful and he was going to have to set his emotions aside to get things done.

Getting out was easy enough, a few easily placed hands, stolen key cards. A switch of clothes and he had walked right out the front door. Really the states jail systems where much worse than Europe. It had been like a walk in the park really. He could have made it much more dramatic. But he was on a critical mission now.

You don't mess with the Baron's family. Look what he had done to get revenge against the Avengers for Sokovia. Sharon had picked the wrong person to go after. He was going to bring the hurt. He just wasn't sure how.

He headed for the Smithsonian. The only place he could think of the new captain America waiting for him. He just hoped it wasn't to late for him to get there.

When he entered the Captain America exhibits he took a moment to read up some of the information there about Sergeant James "Bucky" Barnes. He laughed to himself quietly when they had his date of birth listed wrong.

The information there wasn't at all new to him. but it was sweet knowing this was here. He was being portrayed as a hero. The hero he deserved to be recognised as. Not the monster that Hydra had molded him into. What they had done to him was truly a war crime. Hydra, He fought them himself with EKO scorpion on many occasions. He was glad to have never met the winter soldier in combat personally back then. It certainly wouldn't have ended well… for him.

Sam Wilson was in the back of the exhibit overlooking Steve Rogers old uniform.

"I think this was his best uniform he ever wore, don't you agree?"

They both stood there not looking at each other, both looking over the old Captain America's uniform.

"Yeah, it was pretty iconic. I always worry I won't be good enough"

"there's one thing I know, If Steve Rogers gave you the shield. He knew you where good enough"

Sam Wilson had then looked at him.

"Took ya long enough to get here"

"You gave me the wrong key"

"Bullshit… you gonna be okay man?"

"Let's get out of here. We have a lot of ground to cover"

He didn't dignify Sam with an answer to the question. No, he wasn't okay. Every time he closed his eyes for to long, he would see James on the ground over again and again. His screams rang in his ears. Until he found him. nothing would be okay.

Sam took them to an apartment. It was small, but well furnished. Modern but well lived in.

"Been in Dc long have you?"

"Well, when you're the new Captain America they like to have you close enough to call you on a whim… I don't stay here to often anymore actually"

"Let me see your phone please"

It wasn't really an ask, more of a demand. He needed to contact Shuri right away.

Sam had handed him his phone readily.

"Imma go get ready Man, let me know what the plan is"

The plan, ha ha right. He needed a plan and quick.


James woke to a pounding headache and strapped into yet another chair. His mouth hurt something wild. Last he remembered was seeing the floor and screaming till his lungs gave out. Every time Hydra had shocked him, they would have at least put a mouth guard in to protect his teeth. The shocks had always caused him to clench his jaw uncomfortably tight and sometimes almost to cracking his own teeth, thankfully that hadn't happened.

He was in a dark room again. He pulled against the restraints. He figured the military had him in a special lock up of some kind. They knew his strength now. They had the knowledge now of how strong he was, they must have because these restraints weren't budging.

He sat there for so long his stomach began to hurt in hunger. That's when he knew something was wrong. This was the US government. They weren't monsters. They surely would have brought him water at least by now, maybe food. But it had certainly been at least 12 to 24 hours since he had been awake just sitting there. As the Winter soldier he had been used to going up to 48 hours without food. But being back to a normal routine and trying to stay as humanly possible to a regular routine, He ate now in regular intervals. His body wasn't used the deprivation of food. Smaller meals more frequently rather than larger ones few and far between.

He wanted to try and talk, he tried to speak but his throat was so terribly dry and raw from the screaming and lack of hydration. He feared closing his eyes now. As if he did… that's when he would miss something, or someone, anything to give him an idea of what was going on.

A few hours later his eyes began to drift. He was too tired. Exhausted from the events. To week without food to even try and stay awake anymore. He knew his physical health had diminished since Steve had left after the war with Thanos. He hadn't kept himself up. If he had, this might not have affected him as much, but that was then, and this was now. He was in terrible danger, he knew it. He was week, hungry and ready to pass out from hunger pains.

He was woken not moments later by an electric shock yet again. This time applied to the base of his neck making him throw his head further back and his body convulsing heavily, pulling at the restrains. He shook, his hand had a slight tremble to it and his vibranium arm pulsed madly. He knew now it was torture tactics. Sleep and food deprivation. Common tactics that Hydra used.

His nerves buzzed uncomfortably, and his senses taken off guard. He tried to regain himself and his awareness, but his eyes couldn't fixate on anything. This was something he was used to way back when.


Sam avoided every call he could until the secretary of defence had called him while he was getting out of the shower, all he could tell the man was that he was on the case and that he would rest until both Sharon and Bucky had been found. When he had been asked about Zemo's escape and what he planned on doing about that, well he answered that question all to honestly.

"Mr. Secretary, I am sure wherever I find James, I am sure the Baron will also find himself."

It was a blunt and honest answer and seemed the quell the Secretary of defense well enough for now.

All Sam could think of was that it was almost 48 hours after Sharon had taken Buck and from all the crime shows he had watched the first 72 hours where always the most important. If they couldn't find them soon…. Well, he was losing hope.

He had tried to help Zemo a few times, but the man was head deep into papers that Shuri kept sending over. Information on more information. Leads. Every angle they could check.

Zemo had not only commandeered his phone, but now also his tv, laptop and computer. All hooked up together in a makeshift information center in his small living room. The Baron sat cross legged in the middle with the phone on speaker speaking a million miles a minute withy the tech princess herself.

Information and words flew faster than he could keep up. So he did what any good man of the house would do to keep a team running. He set to work in the kitchen and cooked.

He made comfort food. Things his sister would make. He had even called her briefly on the home phone between it ringing from other important military officers trying to reach him.

Simply he called to make sure she was okay, tell her to stay home because gods only knew what Sharon may have Bucky do if she really did have a second set of activation words. And told her to not let the boys out of her sight till Bucky was back with them safe and sound.

She was worried and asked if there was anything she could do.

"Stay safe and test me if anything comes up"

Then he set to cooking. He brought Zemo food and insisted he ate while he worked. The man had bags under his eyes the next morning. He hadn't yet slept, and you could tell.

"Zemo, man you need to get some rest. Let me take over buddy. You aren't doing Buck any good in this state"

All he got back was a grumble before he got up and made his way to Sam's own room, herd the door lock and a loud thump onto the bed. Meer minutes later the soft snore came from the room.

Sam looked over all the info Zemo and Shuri had accumulated in such a short period. There was everything from satellite data to news reports and everything in between.

Sam sat there in silence for a few hours before something dawned on him that he didn't see any information for.

He grabbed for his phone so quickly he knocked over a bunch of papers on the coffee table scrambling in a panic to grab it.

He dialed the number and waited with bated breath for it to pick up.

"Zemo?"

Shuri's voice sounded half asleep and exhausted at the same time.

"No, its Sam, I sent him to bed. But I was just going over everything you both have been working towards and I didn't see something obvious"

There was silence on the other end of the line followed by the hint of feet hitting the floor.

"You are lucky I fell asleep in my lab mister America"

"So, you Made Bucky's arm right, Ayo took it off him in Riga. He wasn't aware you could do that. What else did you build into it that we don't know about"

"Nothing, that was the only thing. It was made modular so that I could fix it without hurting him again if it were damaged."

"So, there isn't any way to track it?"

"No, I did not build a tracker into it Sam, however"

The pause and then the quick taping on fingers on keypads told him he had hit a nerve. Something he said made her think of something.

"Sam you're a genius!"

I can't track his arm. But I should be able to track the signature of vibranium!"

"Almost how they can satellite track ore deposits"

"Yas! Oh my friend it could take a few days but hang in there. Vibranium outside of Wakanda is scarce. So, it shouldn't take to long to find it!"

"You're welcome your highness"

he hadn't meant to sound smug, but it came off a bit that way. He wanted Bucky back just as much as anyone else. well maybe not as much as Zemo. they were going to make this work they were going to find him one way or another. Once Shuri found him, they would just needed a plan. and he would leave it to Zemo to make that plan. He was sure to come up with something better than he could.

"Get some rest, you both will know the moment I do"