Maya Stark

Chapter 62: Prison break

'What the hell do you mean you want to break Zemo out of jail?' I ask as we make our way into a building. Bucky wouldn't tell us where we were going. 'Where are we, Buck?'

'Have you lost your mind?' Sam asked him.

'We have no leads, no moves, nothing,' Bucky said.

'What we have is one of the most dangerous men in the world behind bars,' Sam said.

'We also have eight Super Soldiers that are loose.'

'Zemo's gonna mess with our minds,' I said. 'Especially yours. No offense.'

Bucky turned on the lights of the place and I realized we were in a garage-type place. 'Offense,' he said. 'Super Soldiers go against everything he believes in. He is crazy, but he still has a code.'

'We've all been on the wrong side of that code,' Sam said. '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 it's pushing you off the deep end.'

'We don't know how they're getting the serum,' Bucky argued. 'We don't even know how many of them there are.' I rolled my eyes, scanning the room. 'Let me just walk you through a hypothetical. Can I?'

I turned back towards him slowly. 'What did you do?'

'I—I didn't do anything,' Bucky said. I narrowed my eyes at him. 'The weakest point in any system isn't the software, the hardware, it's the meat ware. The human element. Now, in this lockup, it's nine to one, prisoners to guards. And if two prisoners start fighting, then the protocol says four guards have to respond.'

'So why would two prisoners randomly start fighting at that moment?' Sam asked.

'Why would you even ask that?' I said, shaking my heads.

'Who knows?' Bucky said. 'There could be many reasons. But the point is, these things escalate. Lockdown procedures would have to be initiated, and with all those bodies flying around left and right, wouldn't be hard to slip down a hallway or two.'

'You didn't, Bucky, tell me you didn't,' I said.

'And if the fire alarm got tripped while the prisoners were being separated, someone could use the chaos to their advantage.'

'Oh my god,' I said.

'I don't like how casual you're being about this. This is unnatural. And you...and where are we, man?'

The door opens and I roll my eyes. 'I cannot believe you,' I mumble at Bucky. Zemo appears a second later and I shake my head.

'Woah, woah, woah,' Sam said, walking forward. Bucky stepped in front of him.

'No, listen,' Bucky said.

'What are you doin' here?' Sam said.

'I didn't tell you cause I knew you wouldn't let this happen.'

'What did you do?'

'Oh, come on, Sam, you didn't get what he did from that whole thing?' I ask, glaring at Zemo.

'We need him, Sam,' Bucky said.

'You're going back to prison!' Sam yelled, pointing at Zemo.

'If I may—' Zemo starts.

'No!' we all yell at him.

'When Steve refused to sign the Sokovia Accords, you two backed him,' Bucky said. 'You broke the law, and you stuck your neck out for me. I'm asking you to do it again.'

'I really think I'm invaluable—' Zemo said.

'Shut up,' Sam grumbled.

'Be quiet,' I groaned at the same time. 'Look, Bucky, despite how genius that plan was, is this a good idea?'

'Okay,' Sam said. 'If we do this, you don't make a move without our permission.'

'Fair,' Zemo said.

Sam looked at me and I thought it over for a second. We needed something. We weren't going to get anywhere on our own and Zemo could be helpful.

I sighed. 'Okay, Zemo, where do we start?'