Resounding Grace

2: 11

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

"Sergeant Barnes?" Howard realized.

"Howard!" Maria called. Tony glared at Jamie and Bucky. The Winter Soldier pounded Howard hard in the face with his metal fist while Deadnite punched Howard in the gut.

"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 Deadnite walked around and the former gripped her throat. Expressionless, he strangled Maria while Deadnite did nothing to stop it. Tony watched the screen, stunned. Bucky and Jamie watched with tears in their eyes, ashamed by what they'd done. Nia placed a hand on her brother's shoulder and Delia did the same to Bucky. The Winter Soldier and Deadnite walked up and aimed a gun at the surveillance camera. Steve, Delia and Nia watched Tony anxiously. Tony lunged towards Bucky and Jamie, but Steve stopped him.

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

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

"We didn't know it was them."

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

"Yes."

Nia narrowed her eyes. "What the hell, Dad!"

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 Jamie, disarming them. He grabbed Bucky and Jamie 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 and Delia barged him backwards. Iron Man shouldered them to the floor and shackled their ankles. Nia rushed him with a yell, her body on fire, and was kicked back. Bucky and Jamie 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 and Delia's shackles as a towering structure of pipework collapsed. Tony, Jamie and Bucky were thrown down a level as twisted metal fell around them, showering sparks.

Steve said to Bucky and Jamie, "Get out of here! Dedi, Nia, go with them!" As Bucky, Delia, Jamie and Nia 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.

"Don't hurt my son or friend!" Delia yelled. "Please!"

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

"Ah crap," Tony muttered.

Above him, Bucky, Delia, Jamie and Nia leapt from platform to platform. With stuttering jets, Iron Man gave chase, then kicked Bucky, Delia, Nia and Jamie 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 friend and family. "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 Jamie.