The Tragedy of Living

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 and Elsie closed their 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 an Elsie watched the screen, stunned. Bucky watched with tears in his eyes, ashamed by what he'd done. Elsie stepped away from Bucky. The Winter Soldier walked up and aimed a gun at the surveillance camera. Steve watched Tony and Elsie anxiously. Tony lunged towards Bucky, but Steve stopped him.

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

Tony and Elsie, 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 or her, Rogers!" Tony spat. "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. Elsie ran to check on Steve. 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! You too, Elsie!" As Bucky and a reluctant Elsie 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 and Elsie 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 them. "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 and Elsie's escape route and Bucky and Elsie 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?"