Second Sphere

Hypothetical

*Bucky POV*

"He's just through that corridor." the guard says.

"Alright give us a sec." I say as we stop walking.

The guard nods and walks off.

"I'm gonna go in alone." I tell Sam and Magdalene.

"Why?" Sam asks.

"Cause you're an Avenger. You know how he feels about that." I tell him.

"I was Hydra too." Magdalene points out.

"Look it's not like you two were known for frolickin' in the sun together." Sam adds.

"He was obsessed with Hydra. We have a history together. Trust me. I got it." I retort.

I turn to walk away but Magdalene stops me. "We have a history with him. I'm going to."

"No. I need to do this. Stay here." I tell her. Magdalene would only attempt to stop me from what I'm about to do. I can't let her do that.

She stares into my eyes for a minute before letting go and nodding. While I walk through the security measures.

Zemo is sitting on his bed, his face covered in shadows when I walk up to the window.

Zemo starts in Russian, "Longing. Rusted. Seventeen." Zemo stands up.

Of course Zemo would try, "Those days are over."

"I know." Zemo nods, "I just wanted to see how the new you reacts to the old words." He walks up to the glass and stares deeply into my eyes. "Something is still in there."

I feel my chest tighten as he says that but I don't let him see any fear.

"At least you were not conscious for most of your imprisonment." Zemo says.

"That time wasn't exactly a picnic." I retort.

"For what it's worth I'm sorry. It was never personal. You were simply a means to a necessary end." Zemo gives a fickly apology.

I ignore it. "Someone recreated the super-soldier serum. I need to find out who."

This catches Zemo's interest. "You are assuming Hydra has something to do with this, which is why you came to me, which means you are desperate. Just like your beautiful little dove did once upon a time." He smiles at the last part.

"What are you talking about?" I ask my teeth gritted. How come Magdalene didn't mention she had talked to Zemo?

Zemo ignores my question, "But luckily for you, I know where to begin."

"What's the book you're reading?" I ask Zemo.

"Machiavelli." Zemo goes and picks up the book handing it to me through the small open slot under the glass.

I take it, slipping a keycard in before passing it back. "I'll be seeing you Zemo." I tell him before walking back out to the group.

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"What are you talking about? You wanna break Zemo outta jail?" Sam asks, shocked Bucky would even propose the idea. "Where the hell are we, Buck? Have you lost your mind?"

Our flashlights shine in the dark as Bucky leads us through an old building.

"Zemo should never be let out of his cell." I add.

"We have no leads, no moves, nothing." Bucky defends his idea.

"What we have is one of the most dangerous men in the world behind bars." Sam comebacks.

"And we also have eight super soldiers that are loose." Bucky points out.

"Zemo's gonna need with our minds. Especially yours. No offense." Sam tells Bucky.

Bucky switches on the lights, "Offense. Super soldiers go against everything he believes in. He is crazy, but he still has a code."

Sam sighs, "I've been on the wrong side of that code Buck, and so have you. He blew up the UN, he killed King T'Chaka and framed you for it. Did you forget that? You think the Wakandans forgot about it? It's a rhetorical question. They didn't. I know why this matters to you, but come on it's pushing you off the deep end."

"Bucky there are other ways, we can flash out more Hydra rats. I did it once. We can do it again." I say.

"We don't know how they're getting the serum. We don't even know how many of them there are. Look let me just walk you both through a hypothetical. Can I walk you through a hypothetical?" Bucky asks.

"What did you do?" Sam asks lowly.

"I didn't do anything." Bucky says. He's lying. I know it.