The Tragedy of Living

01

1991 - HYDRA BASE IN A SNOWY LANDSCAPE

A man entered a bunker and removed a red book marked with a black star.

A technician raised a cylindrical chamber, revealing Bucky Barnes, aka the Winter Soldier.

Bucky was secured in a chair, a mechanical device on either side of his head causing him to scream in pain.

Vasily Karpov spoke in Russian. "Желание. Ржавый. Семнадцать. Рассвет. Печь. Девять. Добросердечный. Возвращение на родину. Один. Грузовой вагон."

(Longing. Rusted. Seventeen. Daybreak. Furnace. Nine. Benign. Homecoming. One. Freight car.)

"Доброе утро, Солдат."

(Good morning, Soldier.)

Bucky hesitated before replying, "Я готов отвечать."

(Ready to comply.)

"У меня есть для тебя миссия. Санкционируй и Извлекай. Без свидетелей."

(I have a mission for you. Sanction and extract. No witnesses.)

NIGHT

A car was driving down a dirt road alone. The Winter Soldier was waiting at the side of the road with his motorcycle. As the car passed, the Winter Soldier followed. He came alongside the car and disabled it. It slammed into a tree. The Winter Soldier brought the motorcycle back around and climbed off. He walked to the trunk ripped it open, revealing a silver case containing several blue packets.

HYDRA BASE

"Отлично, Солдат," Karpov said.

(Well done, Soldier.)

LAGOS - PRESENT DAY

Wanda Maximoff, aka Scarlet Witch, added sugar to a cup and stirred it. She looked around.

Steve on the radio, asked, "All right, what do you see?"

"Standard beat cops," Wanda replied. "Small station. Quiet street. It's a good target."

"There's an ATM in the south corner, which means..."

"Cameras."

"Both cross streets are one way."

"So, compromised escape routes."

"Means our guy doesn't care about being seen, he isn't afraid to make a mess on the way out. You see that Range Rover halfway up the block?"

"Yeah, the red one? It's cute."

Natasha said over the radio, "It's also bulletproof, which means private security, which means more guns, which means more headaches for somebody. Probably us."

"You guys know I can move things with my mind, right?" Wanda reminded them.

"Looking over your shoulder needs to become second nature."

"Anybody ever tell you you're a little paranoid?" Sam said.

"Not to my face. Why? Did you hear something?"

"Eyes on target, folks," Steve instructed. "This is the best lead we've had on Rumlow in six months. I don't want to lose him."

"If he sees us coming that won't be a problem," Sam replied. "He kind of hates us." A garbage truck was pushing its way through traffic, with no regard to pedestrians or other vehicles.