Second Sphere

TT

When we get to Riga, Zemo walks us through the streets.

"I heard what became of Sokovia. Cannibalised by its neighbors before the land was even cleared of rubble. Erased from the map. I don't suppose any of you bothered visiting the memorial." Zemo looks between us but we don't answer, "Of course not. Why would you? We are here." Zemo stops in front of a building.

"I'm gonna go on a walk." Bucky says.

"You good?" Sam asks.

"Yeah. See you guys in a bit." Bucky responds. I don't ask to go, I can tell by his tone he doesn't want me to. Zemo leads us inside the building.

The place is nice enough and I collapse on a couch, throwing a pillow over my head to block out the light. My side is still incredibly tender but I have dealt with worse.

Zemo is the first of us to take a shower, and he comes out as Bucky arrives back.

"Well, the Wakandans are here. They want Zemo. Bought us some more time." Bucky explains.

"Were you followed?" Sam asks.

"No." Bucky responds shortly.

"How can you be so sure?" Zemo asks, staring out the multi colored windows.

"Cause I know when I'm being followed." Bucky tells him.

"It was sweet of you to defend me at least." Zemo adds.

"Hey you shut it. No ones defending you." Sam reminds Zemo, tired of the sass. "You killed Nagel."

"Do we really have to litigate what may or may not have happened?" Zemo asks.

"There's nothing to litigate. You straight shot the man." Sam argues.

"If I hadn't done it, she would" Zemo gestures to me. I toss a pillow in Zemos direction but it misses.

"Sam." Bucky interrupts.

"What?" Sam asks.

"Karli bombed a GRC supply depot." Bucky tells us and I sit back up.

"What? What's the damage?" Sam asks.

"Eleven injured, three dead. They have a list of demands and are promising more attacks if those demands aren't met." Bucky reads from his phone.

Sam sighs.

"She's getting worse. I have the will to complete this mission. Do the three of you?" Zemo asks.

"She's just a kid." Sam point out.

"You're seeing int something in her that isn't there. You're clouded by it. She's a supremacist. The very concept of a super soldier will always trouble people. It's that warped aspiration that led to Nazis, to Ultron, to the Avengers." Zemo points out.

"Hey those are our friends you're talking about." Sam warns.

"The Avengers, not the Nazis." Bucky clarifies.

Sam continues, "So Karli is radicalised, but there has to be a peaceful way to stop her."

"The desire to become a superhuman cannot be separated from supremacist ideals. Anyone with that serum is inherently on that path. She will not stop. She will escalate until you kill her. Or she kills you." Zemo tells us.

"Maybe you're wrong, Zemo. The serum never corrupted Steve." Bucky says.

"Touché. But there has never been another Steve Rogers has there?" Zemo points out.

"Well, maybe we should give him to the Wakandans right now." Bucky says making his way over to the couch.

"And you'll give up your tour guide?" Zemo asks.

"Yes." Bucky says without hesitation, sitting down next to me.

"From my understanding, Donya is like a pillar of the community, right? So when I was a kid my TT passed away.

Bucky hesitates, "Your TT?" He asks.

"Yeah, my TT, yeah." Sam says like its obvious.

"Who is your TT?" Bucky asks.

Sam shakes his head, "Fine when I was a kid my aunt passed away and the entire neighborhood got together for a ceremony. It was like a week long. Maybe they're doing the same thing for Donya."

"Worth a shot." Bucky says flatly.

Zemo pulls out a jar, "Your TT would be proud of you." He holds up the candy before tossing it to Sam, "Turkish delight. Irresistible."