Stairway to the Stars

12

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

"Lieutenant Barnes?" Howard realized.

"Howard!" Maria called. Tony glared at Phillip. 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. Phillip and watched with tears in his eyes, ashamed by what he'd done. Silently, Bea took Phillip's hand and ran circles on the back of it with her thumb while Bucky placed a hand on his brother's shoulder. The Winter Soldier walked up and aimed a gun at the surveillance camera. Steve watched Tony anxiously. Tony lunged toward Phillip, but Steve and Bucky stopped him.

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

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

"We didn't know it was him."

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

"Yes."

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

Steve said to Phillip, "Get out of here! Buck, Bea, go with him!" As Phillip, Bucky and Bea 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, Phillip and Bea leapt from platform to platform. With stuttering jets, Iron Man gave chase, then kicked Phillip 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 Phillip.

"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, Phillip and Bea's escape route. Bucky, Phillip and Bea fell, Phillip holding Bea to shield her fall. Iron Man flew up, blocked two swings from an iron pipe from Rosie, then grabbed Bucky around the neck from behind. "Do you even remember them?"