"Check this out," Jess said, flipping up a hologram as they flew back for Berlin.
"What am I looking at?" Tony asked as she ran her thumb across the back of his hand.
"Colonel Helmut Zemo, our fake Broussard and the proof that Barnes was famed."
"He's the guy we're after?"
"Yup. Sokovian intelligence. Ran a covert squad called Echo Scorpion. The actual Broussard was killed in a hotel room."
"Which is what you found earlier."
"Kind of. I looked up what hotel he was staying in, searched the cameras. Saw one man leave and him never exit. I leaped to a conclusion and thankfully it was an accurate one. Police who found him also found a wig and prosthesis to make him look like Barnes."
"Did you send this to Ross?"
"I stretched the whole 'in an hour' remark, but I got it to him eventually. The information was ready when we were having our little picnic with the others."
"And you know where we are headed now?"
"Yup. A snow-covered hell, if I'm being honest. Steve and Barnes might already be there. Zemo most definitely is."
"Meaning five very upset Winter Soldiers about to be woken up and controlled by a terrorist."
"Meaning exactly that."
"So, we bring in the others."
"Can't," I sighed. "That fight we did had to be the last meeting. If we drag them back now, they'll be sent to prison."
"What? Why?"
"Because Secretary Ross isn't the nicest guy and no matter what proof I send him, he'll still try to lock them up if he gets the chance." I gave him a look. "We both know about the stupid enhanced prison. I've got things in the works to try and get it destroyed or at least under the restriction of what used to be the Avengers to hold villains alone. Thing is, until Secretary Ross is out of office and someone on our side is put in, we need to be careful."
Tony gave me a snarky look. "You've got plans?"
"I can kick him out, but—"
"Oh, don't worry. I've got someone in mind. You get him out, I'll ensure I have hands on who gets put in."
I chuckled, leaning into him. "What a pair we are."
"You're telling me. Great idea, by the way. The whole backyard rumble. How many birds did you kill with that stone?"
"More than expected."
"And you really don't like the name?"
"Oh, it was you?" I complained, getting off his shoulder.
"What? I thought it was funny. You know, a little play on words. They all agreed to it. The whole rising for the ashes, firebird thing."
"You're terrible."
"But seriously. No help? None?"
"One," I corrected as we started to get suited up in the helicopter.
"Who?"
"The only person practically immune to the laws outside his own country."
"Cat-Man?"
Jess nodded. "Cat-Man."
Steve and Bucky moved as stealthily as they could into the facility, knowing that all of the Winter Soldiers could already be awake and active. There was a loud noise from behind them and Steve hunkered down with his shield while Bucky lifted his weapon over the man's head.
"You ready?"
"Yeah."
When the doors opened though, they relaxed at the two Iron Man suits that stepped through—one red, one blue.
"Hello, boys," Jess said, lowering her helmet with a sigh. "Find anything yet?"
Steve shook his head. "Not yet. Let's move carefully."
"Yup. Goes for you too, Cat Nip," she called back behind her as T'Challa stepped out of the shadows.
"Why do you insist on calling me that?"
"Two reasons. One, I have since lost all respect for your little king title when you threw a tantrum based on one false news report. Two, Black Panther is a bit of a mouth full."
T'Challa sighed heavily.
"Let's just move on, shall we?" Steve said with a small smile, glad everyone was willing to get along for this.
"I got heat signatures," Tony said as they rounded a corner, everyone tensing up.
"How many?"
"Uh, one," Tony replied, confused as the group stepped out into a more open area where the cryochambers were.
Said chambers lit up, revealing that all the heart monitors were flatlined for the rest of the Winter Soldiers.
"If it's any comfort, they died in their sleep," Zemo replied over the speakers as the group moved further in, Jess whispering under her breath.
"Do we have anything to keep Bucky under control? This is the guy who knows how to use the brainwashing against us, and he's now got the speaker system."
"I've got nothing," Tony muttered back. "You, Cap?"
"Nope."
"Oh, you guys would be useless without me," Jess sighed, handing Bucky a set of altered iPod earbuds. "Put these in. Hope you like rock music."
Bucky raised a brow but did as she asked, wincing slightly at how loud the volume was, but understanding the importance of it.
"Did you really think I wanted more of you?" Zemo asked.
"What the hell," Bucky murmured as he looked over the corpses with bullets in their heads.
"I'm grateful to them, though. They brought you here."
"Course, it's a trap," Jess complained as Zemo revealed himself behind a window. "Don't bother. It's probably—"
Tony aimed his fist and Steve threw his shield; it bouncing off harmlessly.
"—reinforced," Jess finished with a sigh, giving them both looks. "Seriously? This was a facility built to withstand not only the harsh weather outside, but the abuse Winter Soldiers would be able to inflict on the unenhanced running the place."
"Your friend is right. The Soviets built this chamber to withstand the launch blast of UR-100 rockets."
"I'm betting I could beat that," Tony challenged.
"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?" Steve snapped as Jess frowned in her suit, muttering under her breath.
"No. He had a plan. This isn't to do anything with Bucky. If it was, he could have had Bucky die anytime. There's something more. Something I'm missing. What's his end goal?"
"He said to take down an empire," Steve muttered back, giving her a glance, knowing that she was working through this better than any of them could.
It was about time they listened to her to figure things out. Even he knew that at this moment, none of them knew what to expect. Steve stepped up to the glass separating him from Zemo.
"I've 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."
"You're Sokovian," Steve declared, trying to give Jess more information to work with. "Is that what this is about?"
"Sokovia was a failed state long before you blew it to hell."
"This is personal," Jess concluded, struggling to think back to the sleepless night she spent trying to study up on everyone. "An empire… What empire? He attacked Vienna, attacked using Bucky in the center of a task force where he knew Bucky wouldn't get away."
"I'm here because I made a promise."
"You lost someone."
"I lost everyone," Zemo clarified with a click of his tongue. "And so will you."
"Oh… Oh, no," Jess breathed as Zemo turned on a computer monitor nearby.
"What? What is it?" Tony asked as Steve moved for the computer.
"This isn't about Bucky. It never was. This is about us, about the Avengers. The attack on Vienna messed with the accords, splitting the Avengers. He brought a brainwashed Bucky into the compound in Berlin to split us up even further with some siding with Steve and others not, because he knew him and Bucky were friends, and he wouldn't not save him. He studied Steve because Steve was what was holding it together. He's the leader. If he gets someone to make everyone go against Steve, then Steve loses everything. The Avengers completely tear apart. He wants us to lose everyone."
"An empire toppled by its enemies can rise again. But one which crumbles from within? That's dead. Forever," Zemo clarified and Tony started to move for the computer, but Jess placed a hand on his arm.
"Tony, you have to remember that going in. I don't know what he's showing us, but it's going to be done on purpose to make someone angry, and I'm betting it's you."
"It'll take a lot more than a video to make me angry," Tony scoffed, but Jess didn't budge, helmet sliding off once more.
"Tony, I mean it. I don't care what it is, you can't let it get to you. And if you do, I will stop you."
Tony paused, eyeing her and the seriousness in her eyes, but he could see it tucked underneath. Just as he could always see the emotions she tried to hide. Jess was worried. No, Jess was scared about what this video held. Scared for him. And she was willing to step in the way and face whatever emotion he let loose because of it. He needed to be careful. He needed to be solid, unmovable in his resolve. And slowly, with a small nod, Jess let him go and he went over to view the footage.
He couldn't believe what he was seeing, watching footage of his parents being killed. A sort of ringing started up in his ears as anger flooded into him. He didn't notice Jess sending T'Challa after the missing Zemo. He only had eyes for the video showing Bucky killing his father and mother. He soon lifted his gaze, eyeing Bucky who had the decency to look upset himself. He hadn't been in control at the time, under HYDRA's control and just following orders. It didn't excuse what he'd done, but he knew that wouldn't matter to Tony. And he was right when Tony lunged towards him, only for Steve to grab his am and Jess to move between them.
"No, Tony," Steve stopped him, and Tony looked to him with betrayal.
"Did you know?"
"I didn't know it was him," Steve tried to argue, making Jess wince and grit her teeth as Tony snapped.
"Don't bullshit me, Rodgers. Did you know?"
"Yes."
Tony jerked out of his grip and Jess knew to give Tony a bit of space for the moment, knowing he was overwhelmed and needed a second to get himself in order. Tony took a deep breath and punched Steve, helmet slipping on and turning to make for Bucky—who'd raised his gun. Jess got in the way though, keeping her helmet off and shoving Buck's gun down as she held out a hand to press against Tony's chest.
"Tony, one punch, then let it go."
Tony pressed against her hand, baring his teeth under his helmet. "I can't. I-I can't, Jess. He killed my mother."
He tried to shove her away, but she continued to stay between them, trying to stop him and get him calm.
"And I get that, Tony. I know you're angry. I know you're furious at what he's done but look at him. Properly, Tony! Don't let your anger cloud you now and look at him! He knows what he did! Mind control or not, he hates what he's done! To you, to everyone he's hurt because of something that was out of his control. You tell me every god damn night not to blame myself for something out of my control, and you want to stand here and blame him? For the same thing? Just think, Tony! I don't give a shit what everyone else has always said about you, but I know you have a heart. You're kind to a god damn fault, so look and understand that he's destroyed by this, just like you. We don't need to fight because some dick of a terrorist is trying to pit us against each other."
Tony was silent for a moment, eyes shifting from Bucky to Jess. "I'm sorry, Jess."
Her eyes widened as his fist flew at her face, slamming into her jaw and knocking her back before he threw himself at Bucky once more. Tony knocked him back, pinning his metal arm to the ground and making to shoot him in the face but he hesitated of a split second when he remembered Jess's expression before he'd hit her. It was just long enough of Steve to throw his shield against his helmet, drawing the fight to him. Tony pinned his legs an attempt to keep him out of the fight, flying Bucky up to beat into him. Steve was able to escape, having to grab Jess and get her out of harm's way when a section of the building began to collapse.
"You all right?"
Jess wiped blood from the corner of her lips, the left side of her face purpling. "I'm gonna kill him."
"Weren't you just saying—"
"Shut up. You worry about getting Bucky out of here. I'll deal with Tony."
"And Zemo?"
"Already taken care of. T'Challa doesn't need to be involved in this mess, just deal with him. I sent him ahead, now, go."
Steve nodded, hurrying after Bucky as Jess took a second to brush off the slight daze Tony's hit had caused. Bucky tried to make a run for it and started opening the hatch above them to escape while Steve tried to calm Tony himself.
"It wasn't him, Tony. HYDRA had control of his mind."
"Move," Tony ordered, ignoring him.
"It wasn't him!" Steve shouted, grabbing him by the leg and using his shield to destroy his booster.
Tony managed to get out of the hold, using his lasers to cause a small cave-in, preventing Steve from chasing immediately after him.
"Move, Steve," Jess grumbled, and Steve moved out of her way as she blasted through the rubble, giving them access to the tunnel where Tony was fighting to gain height and take down Bucky.
Tony went to fire a shot, but Jess gave Steve a hand-hold, allowing him to flip up and block the blast with his shield. Said blast hit Tony in return and Steve got a wire around Tony, hauling him down a few levels until he escaped and shot his shield out of reach. Tony went to fire up at Bucky, having to remove his helmet to do so, but just as he let the shot fire, Jess knocked his arm off. His shot missed Bucky and hit the joint holding the hatch at the top—closing off their escape route.
"Tony, this needs to stop!"
"Stay out of my way, Jess," Tony growled, knocking her aside and flying up to grab Bucky. "Do you even remember them?" He hissed.
"I remember all of them."
The two began to sink down towards the lower levels before Steve threw himself at them, knocking them out of the sky until Jess flew down and grabbed Bucky, managing to soften the landing a little.
"You okay?"
Bucky nodded, glancing at Steve's shield nearby and Jess sighed.
"I was trying to talk him out of it, but he's not listening. I really didn't want to do this."
She scooped up the shield, looking down to where Tony and Steve were fighting, before jumping in and using the shield to block a shot at Steve.
"I tried to play nice, Tony, but I said I would stop you," she muttered, voice sad as she handed the shield back to Steve. "Take care of Bucky."
"I'm sorry, Jess," Steve said, knowing that this whole mess would definitely put a divot in her relationship with Tony.
"He's just hurt," Jess muttered softly, before sighing. "But that doesn't give him the reason to be stupid. Go."
Steve nodded, picking up his shield as Bucky climbed down from above, making to slip out into the snow. Tony tried to stop them, but a heated palm slammed into his arm, knocking the blast off target before Jess grabbed him and threw him over her shoulder into the ground. Tony growled, firing off another shot from his chest and following up with a punch as he moved to get up, clipping her shoulder. She winced but pushed back the pain from her still-healing clavicle and dodged the punch, slamming her own fist into his chest piece with a bit of fire, making his systems spark dangerously.
"Let me go, Jess!"
"No. I tried talking to you, but you obviously can't see through whatever stupid revenge plot you've got running in your head. So, I'll literally have to make you submit because you're being stubborn!" She snapped, forcing back the watery gurgle of emotion that threatened to slip through.
Tony kicked her off him, making for the opening out to the snow, but she tackled him from behind. Fists went flying as snow melted everywhere Jess touched, her fire abilities raging within her along with her emotions as Steve and Bucky made it to the Quinjet. She wasn't angry though, and perhaps that's why Tony was getting so many hits in. A hit to her side, her shoulder, her knee. He'd changed focus now and Jess began to realize that; soon, not fighting back at all. His hits were getting sloppy, weak. His shouts of anger being reduced to cries of frustration and anguish.
He swept Jess's legs out from under her and she fell back into the snow, steam rising off her suit as her helmet flipped off and her red skin cooled. Tony's fist swung out, but she turned her head, making it slide into the snow before she reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck. He struggled against her, trying to pull her off but she held fast and soon, he just sagged and dropped his head against her shoulder with a heartbroken sob.
Tony laid on the bed, tired eyes running over Jess as he reached towards her slowly. She was sleeping deeply, for the first time in a long while, and for once, their roles had changed. She was helping him through the nightmares now, even though she undoubtedly still had her own to deal with. Ever since he'd seen the truth in that video, it would take her practically dragging him to bed to ensure he slept at all. Even now, she had an arm draped over him and her forehead pressed against his bare shoulder as though trying to protect him from his past.
He couldn't help but feel guilty however, as he ran his hand down her arm where dark bruises marred her pale skin. Her cheek was still swollen and was a nasty shade of purple, forcing her to eat only soft foods for the last few days. It seemed that whenever he was involved, she got hurt. A finger traced one of the three lines that were running over her chest from Ultron, and he tried not to think about the others on her back from Vanko's electric whip. What made him the most angry though, were all the scars from a time when he couldn't protect her—from her father.
He let out a soft sigh, reaching out and pulling her closer to him as he closed his eyes and pressed his lips to the top of her head. He vowed he would do better in that moment. He planned on taking a step back from the Iron Man mess, giving her the break she needed. In fact, he'd let her pick someplace to go and run her business for her while she was gone enjoying herself. Yes, that's what he'd do. He wanted to keep her by his side, but he knew how frustrated she would get if he did. So, he'd give her this instead. She needed time to heal and it would give him a chance to come to terms with what he'd just learned about his parents.
Jess let out a soft grumble, tightening her grip on him with a slight furrow of her brows, as he smiled and relaxed, running his fingers gently through her hair until she let out a soft sigh. He really had all the luck to find someone like Jess.