Edge of Night

11

"Help my wife," Howard said. "Please. Help." The Winter Soldier and the Crimson Nyx walked over and the former hoisted him up by his hair. They stared at Howard's bloody face. Howard stared back pleadingly.

"Sergeant Barnes? Miss Alexeyev?" Howard realized.

"Howard!" Maria called. Tony glared at Bucky and Irina. The Winter Soldier pounded Howard hard in the face with his metal fist while the Crimson Nyx hit him hard in the back of the head.

"Howard!" In grief, Tony closed his eyes for a moment. His father slumped dead. The Winter Soldier put him in the driver's seat with his face against the steering wheel. Tony stared in horror. Maria was in the passenger seat with blood streaking down her face. The Winter Soldier and the Crimson Nyx walked around and he gripped her throat while she held Maria's hands. Expressionless, he strangled Maria. Tony watched the screen, stunned. Bucky and Irina watched with tears in their eyes, shamed by their past actions.The Winter Soldier and the Crimson Nyx walked up and aimed a gun at the surveillance camera. Steve watched Tony anxiously. Tony lunged towards Bucky and Irina, but Steve stopped him.

"No, Tony," Steve said. "Tony."

Tony, consumed with grief and tears glistening in his eyes, turned and looked at Steve before asking, "Did you know?"

"I didn't know it was him."

"Don't bullshit me, Rogers! Did you know?"

"Yes."

Tony stepped back, his chin jutting upwards and twitchy. Tony reengaged the Iron Man helmet. He punched Steve to the floor and deflected gunfire from Bucky and Irina, disarming them. He grabbed Bucky and Irina and they flew across the chamber. He slammed them onto the floor, then jumped on their arms. Steve's shield hit Iron Man, distracting him. Steve barged him backwards. Iron Man shouldered him to the floor and shackled his ankles. Bucky and Irina punched Iron Man who just lifted them and slammed them against a machine. Iron Man raised a fist, but Bucky twisted it. A rocket shot out of Iron Man's arm and a fireball exploded. Steve sliced his shackles as a towering structure of pipework collapsed. Tony, Irina and Bucky were thrown down a level as twisted metal fell around them, showering sparks. Bucky dove to cover Irina, protecting her.

Steve said to Bucky, "Get out of here! Get Rina out of here!" As Bucky and Irina bolted, Iron Man fired, but missed. Steve landed in front of him. Bucky hit a control panel and the silo-styled door overhead started to open. Steve continued. "It wasn't them, Tony. HYDRA had control of their minds!"

"Move!" Tony ordered.

"It wasn't them!" Steve yelled before he grabbed Iron Man's ankle in mid-air and smashed it. Iron Man blocked Steve by shooting down rubble, then falteringly flew up the tower.

F.R.I.D.A.Y. said, "Left boot jet failing. Flight systems compromised."

"Ah crap," Tony muttered.

Above him, Bucky and Irina leapt from platform to platform. With stuttering jets, Iron Man gave chase, then kicked Bucky and Irina and took aim, but the energy bold rebounded off Steve's shield onto himself. Iron Man dropped like a stone and landed on a lower platform.

"He's not going to stop," Steve told his friends. "Go."

As Iron Man soared upwards, Steve leapt and shot a wire which wrapped around Iron Man's neck and dragged him back down. He deflected Steve's shield, then tried to target Bucky and Irina.

"Come on, come on," Tony said.

F.R.I.D.A.Y. informed, "Targeting system's knackered, boss."