Redemption's Lifeline

13

"Help my wife," Howard said. "Please. Help." The Winter Soldier 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 Bucky. The Winter Soldier pounded Howard hard in the face with his metal fist.

"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 walked around and gripped her throat. Expressionless, he strangled Maria. Tony watched the screen, stunned. Bucky watched with tears in his eyes, ashamed by what he'd done. The Winter Soldier walked up and aimed a gun at the surveillance camera. Steve watched Tony anxiously. Tony lunged toward Bucky, 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," Steve answered.

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

"Yes."

Tony stepped back, his chin jutting upwards and twitchy. He reengaged the Iron Man helmet. He punched Steve to the floor and deflected gunfire from Bucky, disarming him. He grabbed Bucky and they flew across the chamber. He slammed him onto the floor, then jumped on his arm. Steve's shield hit Iron Man, distracting him. Steve barged him backwards. Iron Man shouldered him to the floor and shackled his ankles. Bucky punched Iron Man who just lifted him and slammed him 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 and Bucky were thrown down a level as twisted metal fell around them, showering sparks.

Steve said to Bucky, "Get out of here!" As Bucky 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 him, Tony. HYDRA had control of his mind!"

"Move!" Tony ordered.

"It wasn't him !" 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 leapt from platform to platform. With stuttering jets, Iron Man gave chase, then kicked Bucky 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. "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.

"Come on, come on," Tony said.

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

"I'm eyeballing it." His helmet retracted and he shut one eye, taking aim at the opening hatch. He fired and hit the giant hinge which exploded, cutting of Bucky's escape route and Bucky fell. Iron Man flew up, blocked two swings from an iron pipe from Bucky, then grabbed him around the neck from behind. "Do you even remember them?"

"I remember all of them," Bucky replied as he pushed them from the walkway.

Steve jumped into them to deflect their fall. Bucky landed on a platform while Tony and Steve landed on the concrete floor beside an opening in the wall where snow drifted in from outside.

"This isn't gonna change what happened," Steve said.

"I don't care," Tony retorted. "He killed my mom."

They traded punches and Iron Man ended up pinning Steve down. Bucky picked up Captain America's shield and he leapt down to help. As the Super Soldiers fist fought with Iron Man, the shield changed hands between them until Tony managed to zap Steve who was thrown back into the wall. Bucky struggled to hold Iron Man at bay as he unleashed an energy beam, then forced Iron Man against the opposite wall and gripped the glowing core in the chest of the Iron Man Suit. A blast of energy knocked Bucky down, metal arm completely blown away. Tony zapped again, and Bucky got hit a second time. Steve rushed him with his shield up and Iron Man fired right at it.

---

Zemo was outside, listening to a phone message from his wife. "You should've seen his little face. Just try, okay? I'm going to bed. I love you."

T'Challa snuck up behind him and said, "I almost killed the wrong man."

"Hardly an innocent one," Zemo replied.

"This is all you wanted? To see them rip each other apart."

Zemo deleted the voice message. "My father lived outside the city. I thought we would be safe there. My son was excited. He could see the Iron Man from the car window. I told my wife, "Don't worry. They are fighting in the city. We're miles from harm." When the dust cleared... and the screaming stopped. It took me two days until I found their bodies. My father... still holding my wife and son in his arms. And the Avengers? They went home. I knew I couldn't kill them. More powerful men than me have tried. But, if I could get them to kill each other... I'm sorry about your father. He seemed a good man. With a dutiful son."

"Vengeance has consumed you. It's consuming them." He blinked ruefully and retracted the claws in his gloves. "I am done letting it consume me. Justice will come soon enough."

Holding a gun, Zemo smiled thinly. "Tell that to the dead." He tried to shoot himself, but T'Challa grabbed him just as he fired.

"The living are not done with you yet."

---

F.R.I.D.A.Y. said, "You can't beat him hand to hand."

"Analyze his fight pattern," Tony ordered.

"Scanning!" Iron Man's HUD flashed red as Steve landed blow after blow. "Countermeasures ready."

Tony grabbed Captain America's shield. "Let's kick his ass." He flung the shield away then zapped Steve backwards, head over heels. Steve rose and Tony blocked his punches then zapped him to his knees, right in front of Bucky, who was lying on his back.

"He's my friend," Steve said.

"So was I." He punched Steve then threw him back towards the gaps in the wall. "Stay down. Final warning."

Steve struggled to his feet, his face bloody and his gaze weary. He raised his fists and stared Iron Man down before saying, "I could do this all day."

Iron Man raised his left palm, ready to fire. Bucky grabbed his legs and Tony spun, kicking him in the face. Steve grabbed Iron Man and lifted him over his head, then threw him down, punched him and bashed his mask off with his shield before striking down hard on the suit's core. Tony looked horrified and glowered fearfully at Steve who panted for breath. Both had blood spattered across their faces. Steve looked back at Tony then shut his eyes and slumped down. The shield remained upright, stuck straight up in the center of the Iron Man Suit. When Steve struggled up again, he took hold of the shield, gripping the edge and pulled it free. He stepped away from Tony who rolled painfully onto his side. Bucky lay bloodied, but conscious.

Steve reached out and pulled Bucky to his feet, holding him up as Tony looked on.

"That shield doesn't belong to you," Tony said and Steve turned his back. "You don't deserve it. My father made that shield!"

Steve stopped, raised his chin, then dropped the shield and walked away.

Tony spit on the ground and sat up a moment before slumping down.