Chapter 21. The Worthy Fight

"What is it, what's happened?" asked Rhodey, grabbing Sam to face him. "Why are we turning away?"

"Bucky's backup plan," answered Sam, his voice breaking. "We should be feeling it any second now."

Before Rhodes could ask about the plan a flash lit up the sky and moments later the aircraft was heavily shaken by a blast wave. Clint was able to keep control but everyone swore and were shaken by the event, all asking Sam to explain what had just happened. Going to the visual displays he brought up the rear facing view and they all saw it, the mushroom shaped cloud that signified a possible nuclear explosion.

"Fuck," swore Rhodes, then turned to Sam. "Bucky did that?"

"Yeah, he came up with a theory before the wedding and made a backup plan," said the shaken Captain America. "He called me on a secure comms just moments ago to tell me that he was right. They had a sorcerer, that Karl Mordo guy that Strange and Wong have been looking for. Bucky's theory was that the sorcerer would turn him and the other enhanced beings, then capture us to turn us as well. That's why Ross opposed the formation of the Avengers. He always wanted us working for him. With all of us under his control ..."

"He could take over the world, turn it all into a kleptocracy," finished Rhodes. "With all of us under his control, Wakanda wouldn't have a chance, even with their technology and the Dora Milaje. That Ghost woman could go in, turn off the shields and it would be the battle of Wakanda all over again, with Ross as the victor, instead of Thanos."

There was a sound of someone crying and both men turned to see Kate Bishop in tears, with Peter trying to comfort her. Thor and Valkyrie's faces were grim, and the big man looked up at them from his seat.

"Buck is in Valhalla now," he stated. "A worthy addition to the great hall of warriors. He was the champion of Midguard. When we return we will drink in his honour."

"Can the quinjet get close enough to take radiation readings?" asked Rhodes. "Is it shielded to keep us safe?"

"Yeah," answered Clint. "I'm pretty sure. You want to, uh, confirm the explosion took out the ship?"

Rhodes nodded. "I want to see it with my own eyes before I report it to the President." He looked at Sam. "You better contact Shuri, tell her what happened."

Sam nodded and sat down. He began to activate the call feature on his suit then broke down and wept. Joaquin put his hand on Sam's back, feeling like he wanted to be sick.

"I can make the call if you want," he offered, wanting to do something.

"No, it's okay," replied Sam, straightening up, and calming himself. "I just needed the moment."

He placed the call and saw by her face that she already knew something had happened. Before he could say anything she spoke.

"Tracey felt his presence while she napped," she said. "He said goodbye before ... She's in shock, and we've given her something to help. Tell me again why he did it, all the details this time."

"He suspected that Ross and Fontaine had engaged the services of a dark sorcerer, one who could turn minds, including ours," said Sam. "He wasn't certain when he asked Rocket to make the bomb but he called me just before he activated it to confirm the sorcerer in question was there. You know that he would have reasoned everything out first and only did it because it was necessary. In his opinion with the enhanced humans they already had and the Avengers all turned, Ross could have successfully taken over Wakanda. He never wanted to see that happen."

"But to kill so many, after he vowed to never kill again," argued Shuri, "and the Racoon making a small nuclear bomb. I know that's what it was as we're getting readouts now for the strength of the explosion. I wouldn't have agreed to give the raccoon the arm if I knew this is what he built."

"Shuri, Bucky only did it because there was no choice," said Sam, gently. "We're going there to confirm it was nuclear and read what the radioactive fallout was but he did specify to Rocket that no sea life be harmed. Hold on and connect to our scans before you decide."

She nodded her head reluctantly and connected to the instruments on the quinjet. As the readings came she looked at Sam with puzzlement.

"No radioactivity, but the strength of the explosion equaled a small nuclear device, a fraction of the intensity of Hiroshima," she said. "No one on or close to that ship above water level would survive but it wasn't nuclear. How did Rocket do it?"

"That's why Bucky asked him," said Sam. "He had the knowledge. Wait a minute, are you seeing this? What the hell is happening? Shuri?"

She was just as perplexed as they watched an unthinkable event happening on the visuals they were getting. Sam and the others got up to see it from the cockpit window as they approached the coordinates, and began to have hope.

Flashback

He was in Brooklyn, 1928 by the looks of it. Below him he saw the dark-haired boy with blue eyes, tying the shoelaces of the smaller, sickly-looking blond-haired boy. Both of them wore shoes that had seen better days, and their socks weren't that clean. Considering they had just spent the last ten minutes in a scuffle with a couple of bigger boys it was no surprise that they also had blood on their shirts and the smaller boy was bleeding from his nose. Bucky smiled as he saw the smaller boy look up at the other bigger boy, remembering this very moment when he first met Steve.

"We sure showed them, didn't we?" asked the smaller boy breathlessly. "I had them on the ropes but until you came, I didn't know if I could take them on my own."

"You're a punk, kid," said bigger boy. "Whatever made you think you could take on Wally Webster and Vinnie D'Agostino by yourself? You crazy or somethin'?"

"No, I just don't take shit from bullies," sulked the smaller boy. "Tell me that didn't feel good, kickin' their asses. I bet they're runnin' home to their mamas, right now. What's your name, anyway?"

"Bucky, what's yours?"

"Steve, Steven Grant Rogers, if you want to know all of it."

With a sigh Bucky told him his full name. "James Buchanan Barnes, but everyone calls me Bucky. Come on, my ma will clean you up."

He put his hand out to the smaller boy and helped him up. Together they walked out of the alleyway and the scene faded, leaving Bucky in a dark void that should have felt empty but didn't. Instead, it felt full, like something was waiting in the darkness, ready to happen.

"That was the beginning, wasn't it?" said a voice and Bucky turned in the direction of the voice to see Dr. Strange standing beside him. The sorcerer looked at him with compassion. "That was a big sacrifice you made to save the team and Wakanda."

"I did it more for Tracey and my son ... how did I know she's having a boy? She's only a few weeks along."

"At a moment like this time and space do strange things," said the sorcerer. "I was with my predecessor when she experienced a similar moment and we watched a bolt of lightning slowly cross a stormy sky. I learned a lesson that day, one that you already seemed to know." Bucky raised his eyebrows slightly. "It's not about you. You didn't hesitate to make this decision, knowing what was at stake. Regardless of whether it was just for your wife and your son, your choice saved many people, including a whole country."

"It was my time, I guess," said Bucky. "No regrets, except that I won't see him grow up and become a man. Tracey will find love again. She's so full of love that it will touch someone who needs it like I did."

"You're a lucky man," stated Dr. Strange. "If you had to live your life over again and could change one thing, what would it be?"

"Jesus, Stephen, you're asking the former Winter Soldier what he would change?" Bucky gave a short, almost bitter laugh then his face grew soft. "For more time with Tracey and Rebecca. I survived the other stuff, dealt with my issues, helped stop a conspiracy from destroying a country that I owe so much to. But if I could have had more time with them, I would die a happy man."

"Well, let's see if giving you a couple of minutes over can give you more time," said Strange with a confident smile. "I'll be there with you this time. Together, we can probably stop this conspiracy in its tracks."

"Will it change everything, everywhere?" asked Bucky. "I was with Tracey just before and she knows what I did."

"No, I have to limit it to the ship, and everyone who was in the vicinity close enough to the blast to be destroyed," said Strange. "Everywhere else time will continue unchanged. We can go to Wakanda after we secure the ship."

"Before you do," interrupted Bucky, "can you grant me a favour? I would like to see my parents. Never did see them again after I shipped out. It would just be nice to see them from before I fell."

"I can do that," replied the sorcerer and he pulled out the Time Stone, the one he had "found" during his exploration of the multiverse, changing a setting on it and bringing up another vignette in the darkness.

Flashback

"Bucky!" called his mother from the bottom of the stairs. "Get up son, you're going to be late."

"Aw, Ma, just a few more minutes," came his sleepy voice, muffled as he was still in bed.

"I'll get him up, Ma," volunteered Rebecca, her hair a mess. "He has to do my hair before he leaves for work."

"Go on then," smiled the older woman. "Knock on the door for your dad as well. Like father, like son."

Bucky smiled as he watched Rebecca, all of eight years old, march up the stairs with purpose. She stopped at the door to to his parents bedroom and knocked on it.

"Dad, Ma says it's time to get up," she called out.

"Alright, thank you, darlin'," came the response and she heard him groaning as he got out of their double bed.

With a smile she crept to Bucky's door and listened, hearing nothing. Slowly, she turned the doorknob and crept inside, closing the door behind her. Pulling the desk chair over to beside the bed she stood on it and with a yell launched herself onto her brother. A laugh escaped Bucky's throat as he watched his younger self curl up in self defence from his sister's assault. Then young Bucky grabbed her and tickled her sides until she was screaming with laughter before stopping and looking at her with feigned exasperation.

"Brat," he huffed.

"Sleepyhead," she retorted. "Ma says you have to get up now and you still have to do my hair. You might as well get it done now as Dad is probably already in the bathroom."

"Fine," he answered. "One braid, two, or seven?"

"Two," she said. "Let me get my ribbons and comb."

She jumped off the bed and young Bucky yawned, then smiled at his sister when she returned with her comb and ribbons. Sitting on the desk chair she sat quietly as Bucky stood behind her and combed out her tangles then divided her hair evenly into two sections, then began the braids.

"Are you going dancing tonight?" she asked. "I could polish your shoes for you after I get home from school."

"Probably," replied young Bucky. "A quarter okay?"

"50 cents?" she asked, hopefully. "Izzy Weinstein asked if I wanted to come with her to the movies tomorrow. I want to splurge on some popcorn."

He smirked. "Splurge, is that your new word of the day?"

"It was on our vocabulary test yesterday. Splurge, to indulge oneself extravagantly. I liked it."

"It is a good word," he said as he finished off the first French braid and took the first ribbon from her, winding it around the bottom and tying it off then curling the last couple of inches of hair around his fingers so they looked pretty. "50 cents it is."

Quickly he finished the second braid then went to the bathroom which was now empty. After taking care of things and washing his hands and face he debated about shaving and decided against it, wanting a smoother face for dancing tonight. He would shave after work.

"That was the night Irene Malone and I ... never mind," smiled Bucky, looking at Dr. Strange. "I had a lot of girlfriends. Let's just say it that way."

After dressing in his work clothes and putting his work boots on he headed down the stairs, to the kitchen where his mother had breakfast ready for all of them. It was an ordinary day for the Barnes family as his dad read the morning newspaper, commenting on the news and discussing other things with the whole family. His mom bustled between the table and the coffee pot, continually topping up his father's cup and his own. Rebecca told corny jokes that made them either laugh or groan. As the older Bucky watched he felt that strange feeling in his throat, the one that made him think he was going to cry. Then the vignette faded away and was gone again. He felt good inside, happy to see that day again, just a normal day from 1938.

"Thank you," he said to the sorcerer. "So what do I have to do?"

"Nothing, I'll do it. Just be ready to call the others back to the ship although they may notice the explosion reversing. I'll take care of Mordo. You guys take care of the rest. Remember that Walker is coming in on that helicopter."

"Then Wakanda after?" asked Bucky.

"Yes, I'll set up a portal for you so you can be with Tracey," he said. "I'm sorry I missed the wedding. By all reports it was a good time."

"You're here now," replied the super soldier. "Let's do this."

Strange reset the Time Stone and Bucky watched, fascinated as Dr. Strange wove his hands around it, making it glow. Then they were in the air, travelling towards the explosion that destroyed the ship, only it was reversing itself. When they reached the ship Bucky was repositioned to the moment he fell out of the portal generated by Karl Mordo, except this time he was standing. Dr. Strange stood beside him, watching the other sorcerer with an intense look in his eyes. Activating his comms Bucky called Sam.

"You guys still coming?" he asked. "Could use some help dealing with all the mercenaries on this ship, especially since I'm down an arm."

"Bucky, you're alive?" exclaimed Sam. "How?"

"A certain doctor in possession of a Time Stone," replied Bucky, already assessing the crowd approaching him. "Just get your asses here. Oh, and Walker is mine."

"No arguments about that, we'll be right there."

Seconds later two winged men and a War Machine flew overhead. The first of several mercenaries began firing at Bucky but Dr. Strange put up a force field that deflected the bullets, sending some of them back towards the men who fired them. As Bucky ran forward to engage the closest man the three men in the air began firing at the others who were coming up onto the carrier deck. There were many, leading Bucky to wonder if Ross had hired all the mercenaries in the world for his attempt to take over control of Wakanda's vibranium. A lightning bolt hit the deck, spreading out and scattering many of them but avoiding Bucky as Thor and Valkyrie landed beside him.

"Valhalla couldn't keep you away from the fight, Buck," said Thor, a big grin on his face. "You're too mighty a warrior. You are a worthy man."

Bucky smirked. "I was just given the opportunity for a do over," he said. "But I do like the fight when it's worth it."

Thor clapped him on the back, smiling broadly, then turned and swung Mjolnir at a group of men who rushed towards them. Both he and Valkyrie waded into the melee. The sound of a quinjet landing was followed by the sound of approaching helicopters. Bucky focussed on the helicopter he had jumped from expecting Walker to leave the confines of it early, and he did just that, leaping onto the carrier deck from about 50 feet up. With a grim look on his face Bucky approached him and focused on the man.

"That was quite the party trick," Walker said. "Too bad our sorcerer deposited you on the carrier anyway."

"You missed part of the show, John," replied Bucky as the two men circled each other, both of them shutting out the battle raging around them. "I destroyed the ship, and your helicopter. We both died in the process."

"You're delusional," replied the other man. "Nothing's happened except you're right where we want you."

"Take another look," said Bucky, glancing briefly towards Dr. Strange and Karl Mordo as they also circled each other. "My sorcerer has a Time Stone. He rewound time, just for me, you, and the ship. You'll get to live this time, maybe, but you'll end up in the Raft, like the criminal you really are."

"You have only one arm," laughed Walker. "You think you can defeat me?"

"Well, I held my own training with the Dora Milaje in Wakanda when I only had one arm," replied Bucky, "unlike you."

That did it and Walker made his move, leaping towards Bucky then tackling him. Rolling with him Bucky bent with the impact grabbing one of Walker's arms and twisting it hard enough for the other man to cry out and attempt to pull away. Using that same twisted arm for leverage Bucky swung one leg at Walker's head, connecting and sending him flying into several mercenaries, scattering them like bowling pins. There was the sound of another aircraft approaching and Bucky smiled, recognizing it as coming from Wakanda. Several fighters descended on ropes from openings including two blue clad figures. One of them, carrying a back pack, approached him and the head covering opened, revealing Okoye.

"General, you're joining the fight?" he asked.

"Just Okoye now, Sergeant," she said, scanning the battleground. "It is good to see you alive. We feared the worst."

"I would do it again for Wakanda," he stated. "You don't have a spare arm with you, do you?"

"I took a portal here with your original arm, but it has changed slightly in appearance," she said. "Try not to damage it as its new owner wouldn't be pleased."

"I'll keep that in mind," he replied, watching as she removed the backpack, and pulled his original arm out, now bluer in colour, and the gold portions a deeper hue. Bucky shrugged at the changes.

Expertly she held his limb close so that the socket in his shoulder unit opened, accepting the arm. Once it was locked into place he reset it by swinging it backwards in a full circle. Turning he noticed Walker was slowly getting up from where he kicked him. Behind him he saw Dr. Strange and Mordo grappling with each other as they rose into the sky. Their spells were flying at each other from their hands and he almost wanted to watch them fight instead, thinking it was like seeing Gandalf battle against Saruman in real life. He looked back just in time to be tackled by Walker, stopping their momentum only by dragging his metal hand into the carrier deck and tearing into the metal surface as it slowed them up. The two men traded blows staggering each other but each got up and kept going. Wanting to finish the fight Bucky ran at Walker, flipping his body over him to grasp him from behind. Jumping up high into the air while holding Walker he scrambled to strengthen his position, circling his metal arm around Walker's neck, and putting him into a choke hold. Both men fell back to the carrier deck with Bucky underneath and he wrapped his legs around Walker's immobilizing him while tightening his hold around his adversary's neck. Walker flailed around with his free hand but was losing strength as he struggled against the lack of oxygen. A moment later Peter Parker came over and patted Bucky's arm.

"He's out, I can wrap him so he can't get out," he said. "Cap needs you."

Releasing Walker, he watched as Peter spun out a different web from his usual ones, wrapping Walker as if he were a mummy with only his head uncovered. Nodding his approval Bucky activated his comms.

"Sam, where are you?" he asked.

"Bridge," came the word. "Get up here."

Running towards the tower portion of the carrier deck Bucky didn't take the stairs. Instead he leaped up and climbed to the bridge from the outside, breaking in through the window. He was joined right after by Dr. Strange who had obviously disabled Mordo. When he got up there he wasn't surprised to see Thaddeus Ross holding everyone at bay with a live grenade, the pin already pulled out but his hand holding the lever in place. The man glared at Bucky as he joined Sam and Rhodes who had a bedraggled Fontaine between them. Several men in suits, also looking a bit battered, who he assumed were the financial backers of this operation stood fearfully at the side between Ross and the others, unsure of what to do.

"I see your arm has magically appeared," said Ross, in a low but threatening voice. "Won't protect you from this grenade. You're definitely more trouble than you're worth."

"I tried telling you that," replied Bucky, putting himself in the middle. "Sam, take Fontaine and these misguided financial geniuses off the bridge."

"Anyone tries to leave I'll let go of the grenade and we'll all go up," said Ross. "Even you can't stop the laws of physics."

"He can't but I can," said Strange. "I can open a portal behind you that will suck you into it and deposit you over the ocean before you take another breath."

Bucky put his hand up. "No, we're not going to do that because this man needs to be accountable for everything he's done."

"I've only ever served my country," roared Ross. "Even this is to make sure the United States remains the strongest nation on Earth."

A smirk erupted from behind Bucky and Rhodes stepped forward. "You've always served yourself. We have the files, Ross, and a couple of photographs as well. You were there, in the basement of the Ideal Federal Savings Bank, a guest of Alexander Pierce, as he demonstrated the workings of the memory suppression machine on his Asset, one James Buchanan Barnes, except you didn't know his name then. You coveted that, killers that you could control, that wouldn't question, wouldn't deviate from their orders, and would eliminate anyone who questioned your methods. That's why you wanted Bucky from the moment you recognized him when he reappeared in 2014. You just fooled yourself into thinking he went along with what they did to him because the results were worth it to you."

While Rhodes revealed this bit of information Bucky's demeanour underwent a shift as he focused his gaze on Ross. That man's face set itself in defiance.

"America has been at war for a long time," he stated. "We needed men who delivered results, who would do the job on a regular basis. I'm not going to apologize for the collateral damage. All wars have that."

Bucky's hand went up to the collar of his jacket. Noticing the gesture Sam put his hand on Bucky's shoulder.

"Don't, he's not worth it," he said gently. "He'll be a permanent resident of the Raft, the prison he helped build but we'll make sure he's in a brand new cell."

"He doesn't deserve to live, Sam," snarled Bucky. "I could have been free a lot sooner if not for men like him, men who knew but kept me a prisoner in my own country. He tried to deny me justice, tried to impoverish my sister, take our home, deliberately put my family into danger. I want to kill him, to get satisfaction with my hands around his throat, choking the last miserable breath out of his body."

Ross smiled. "There's the killer. Told you he was still there."

Dr. Strange made a motion with his hands and everyone froze. Only Bucky and Strange were unaffected.

"Now's your chance," he said to Bucky. "Take the grenade and toss it out over the ocean, then come back and get your pound of flesh. I won't stop you. You're right, he deserves to die, and you have every right to be his executioner. Then what? I send you to Wakanda with blood on your hands, to face that gentle woman who loves you, the woman you would die for, that you did die for. What will you tell her? Will you describe the feeling you had as you squeezed the last bit of life of out of him? Will you admit that you liked it, liked the symbolism of killing the man who would have enslaved you, proving his point that you will always be a killer?"

"I am a killer!" yelled Bucky, looking at Strange with a combination of rage and fear on his face. "Look how easily the urge came back when I pressed this button. I don't deserve her love. She's better off without me."

"No, I'm not," said a voice and he turned to see Tracey, standing on the bridge where she had just entered via a portal provided by Wong, who waited uneasily.

"Tracey," whispered Bucky. "Ross is right. Once a killer ..."

She went to him and placed her fingertips on his lips, silencing him. "No, he's so wrong. You did what you had to in World War II because you took responsibility to keep your men safe. What you did today you did to protect a whole country. When you were the Winter Soldier you fought them because you weren't a killer. The lengths they took to force you to comply just meant that they couldn't wipe their hands of you, as they invested so much time and trouble that they had to keep expending that energy on keeping you that way. They spent billions of dollars on you, Bucky. One man, billions of dollars, to keep you compliant."

"I still want to kill him," he admitted.

"So do I," she said. "Does that make me a killer? He tried to rip us apart and he failed because even in death you came to me, to make sure I knew that our son was loved by you, and that I was the centre of your universe. That's the man I want to grow old with. Don't make your sacrifice meaningless because you want to expend any more energy on his worthless soul. He's not even worth a dollar."

She placed her hand on his cheek and caressed it, studying his eyes with hers. Bucky enclosed her in his arms and held her, shaking at how close he came to losing everything for vengeance. She could feel hot tears coming out of his eyes onto her cheeks and pulled back to look at him with all the love in her heart, stroking his wet cheeks with her hands before kissing him softly. Releasing her he went over to Ross and carefully took the grenade out of his hand, then went outside and threw it as far as he could. When it exploded he knew Strange had restarted time. Returning to the bridge he saw Sam had already put cuffs on Ross. His friend turned to him with a puzzled look.

"When did Tracey get here?"

"We'll talk," answered Bucky, opening his arm to hold Tracey against his side. He looked towards the outside. "Do we have control of the ship?"

Strange nodded. "I used some magic while everything was stopped to bind the mercenaries. It's over." He looked at Wong. "Who's minding the store?"

"We have hundreds of sorcerers in our discipline," replied the other man, defensively. "With you holding the Time Stone, it's not like we were a target. I chose to be where I was needed."

"Well, let's send you two back to Wakanda," said Strange, to Bucky and Tracey. "I believe your arm is needed there to fulfill a contract. Before you go, let me get rid of your little collar attachment."

Bucky looked to Sam and Rhodes who both waved their assent to him. Then he turned back to Strange who used magic to gently extract the explosive device from Bucky's collar. Opening a small portal he sent it in there, explaining he sent it to a void. Without further delay he opened a portal to Wakanda, then stepped back to allow Bucky and Tracey to walk through to the other side. After it closed he and Wong both went out to a walkway on the control tower where they watched Karl Mordo, suspended about 100 feet up in a glowing tangle of magic, struggling.

"Sam?" Dr. Strange called back inside the tower. "Do you know if he managed to turn the others that were captured?"

"No, he didn't," replied the winged man, joining him. "Apparently, it was to be done all at once after Bucky arrived and we landed. Ross and Fontaine wanted a big ceremony about it. Why?"

"Mordo tested the process on at least one individual," replied the sorcerer. "I suspected he was involved in all of this. That's why I came back just after Bucky activated the device. I had to make sure it wasn't him who was turned."

"Who was it, then?" asked Sam.

With the look that Dr. Strange and Wong gave him the current Captain America knew who they meant and looked down onto the flight deck to where his immediate predecessor was just coming to, where he was encased like a mummy in a web cocoon.

"Do you know when it was done? Walker asked for help in getting out of his contract with Fontaine but when he went to see Matt Murdock a few days later he had the feeling the man was lying. That's when we figured they weren't going to give up trying to get Bucky."

"I can find out if it's important to you," replied Strange. "Wong and I can undo it. Might be able to help him in a few other areas, like getting him to accept some counselling. He is a super soldier who may have been turned against his will."

Sam sighed. It had been so easy to believe that Walker was always morally corrupt but if he was turned without his consent, then he deserved the same chance that Bucky got. A pardon conditional on him cooperating with the authorities and agreeing to counselling that might help his issues. For now, the immediate task was to get this aircraft carrier back to port, and everyone into custody. Rhodes came out onto the walkway.

"The President is pleased with the results of the first official mission of the reorganized Avengers," he said. "He accepts that our presence is needed to prevent things like this from happening again. He wants to give Bucky the Medal of Honour, for his sacrifice." He looked down at Walker. "I overheard what Dr. Strange said about him. Do you think there's really a good man underneath all that PTSD and misplaced loyalty?"

Sam shrugged. "He did help with the Flag Smashers at the end, without being asked. I think his partner kept his shortcomings in check. Without him he floundered, and both Ross and Fontaine took advantage of that. If he cooperates and agrees to undergo counselling he should get the same chance Bucky got to prove himself. I saw them fighting and Walker seemed to be holding back, a little. Maybe that was his conscience coming through. Or maybe Bucky really is the stronger one."

With a pat on each other's back both men returned to the task at hand. There would be a reckoning for all the participants in this conspiracy. They would both make sure everyone involved in this faced justice in a court of law.

Author's notes: I believe in redemption arcs. John Walker, even though I find him to be most irritating on FATWS, gets another chance to be good.