Rumors and Ghosts

vii. the soldier attacks

Steve, Anastasia and Sam arrived outside the chamber. Red emergency lights flashed all around. There were numerous agents slumped on the floor. All of them were out cold.

"Help me," Zemo begged. "Help."

Steve found Zemo in a heap inside the chamber and ordered, "Get up." He grabbed Zemo and shoved him against the wall. "Who are you? What do you want?"

"To see an empire fall."

As Sam and Anastasia entered, Bucky swung his fist which smashed through the wall and he ducked. He grabbed Sam by the jaw and threw him at the open pod. Just before he could attack Anastasia, she ran backwards toward Sam and pointed a gun at him with a shaking hand. But shooting the man she loved was the last thing on her mind.

Steve lurched into the fight and landed two punches which Bucky barely felt. Bucky kicked and punched Steve out of the chamber. A punch from Bucky went through the elevator door. Steve blocked the next one, but the power of Bucky's fist sent Steve tumbling into the darkened elevator shaft.

Anastasia ran towards the elevator shaft. "Steve!"

"I'm okay!" Steve said. "Go save him, Anastasia!"

Sam came around to Anastasia shaking him and spotted Zemo looking down the elevator shaft.

A Man on PA #1 said, "Der Ostflügel ist kompromittiert. Ich wiederhole: Der Ostflügel ist kompromittiert."

(The east wing is compromised. I repeat: the east wing is compromised.)

"Hey," Sam called.

Zemo bolted and Sam rose. At the bottom of the shaft, Steve pushed himself off the floor.

CONTROL ROOM

"Evac all citizens," Secretary Ross ordered. "Get me a perimeter around the building and gunships in the air."

"Please tell me you brought a suit," Natasha said.

"Sure did," Tony replied. "It's a lovely Tom Ford, three-piece, two-button. I'm an active-duty non-combatant."

"Follow me," Sharon instructed, running past Tony and Natasha.

Sam chased Zemo up a stairwell.

Steve started climbing the elevator shaft.

Bucky stalked through the building's ground floor. He battered two guards. With tech-glasses, Tony took cover behind a pillar.

Natasha said over the radio, "We're in position."

Tony tapped a wrist-control which became his Iron Man-glove. He zapped Bucky with a stun-burst before he could shoot a guard. Tony rushed him, firing again. Bucky ducked the blast, then traded blows with Tony, firing the gun. Tony had the Iron Man-glove over the barrel, blocking the bullet. He pulled the gun barrel loose then Bucky smacked him backwards. Sharon and Anastasia, who entered, rushed Bucky, then Natasha rushed Bucky. They both landed kicks and punches, then Bucky flipped Sharon head over heels. She smashed onto a table and Natasha leapt on Bucky, legs around his neck. He slammed her onto another table and grabbed her throat.

"You could at least recognize me," Natasha managed to say.

Anastasia tried pulling Bucky away. "Bucky, stop! Please!"

She was knocked to the ground and let out a groan as she hit the ground.

T'Challa came from nowhere and kicked Bucky off Natasha who gasped for air. He fought with Bucky, landing lightning fast kicks and some punches. Bucky got a counter punch in and T'Challa fell, but quickly recovered. Bucky hurried up some stairs. T'Challa leapt the levels and vaulted a railing, landing in front of Bucky. Limber T'Challa spin-kicked and grabbed his metal arm which he tried to twist then looked worried as he realized it wasn't going to work. He threw Bucky backwards and kept hold as they both tumbled down the stairs. They resumed fighting on the small landing and a leg sweep sent Bucky over the railing. T'Challa leapt down after him, but found the wide reception empty. He scanned around.

Outside, staff fled the building en masse. Sam was among them and quickly spotted something on the ground. He picked it up.

"Damn it," Sam muttered as he looked around the wide courtyard and scowled.

---

Bucky was heading up to the rooftop helipad. He marched up to a blue chopper and pulled the lock off the door. He got in the pilot seat. Steve and Anastasia rushed outside and sprinted toward the rising chopper. He leapt and grabbed the landing gear. Muscles bulging, Steve pulled hard and the chopper struggled to gain height. Steve's feet kicked for traction, then he got them flat on the helipad. The chopper dragged him onto the weak-looking mesh framing the helipad. Steve grabbed the railing with one hand and clung to the landing gear with the other.

Steve gritted his teeth and his neck strained with the incredible effort. Bucky glowered from inside the chopper, then threw the joystick left and the chopper's nose slammed into the edge of the helipad. The rotor-blades were smashed to pieces and Steve ducked as the tail swung around. The chopper laid twisted on the mesh at the edge of the pad. Steve rose beside the canopy. Anastasia jumped in next to her friend. Bucky's arm smashed through the glass and growling, he grabbed Anastasia's throat. The chopper started to list over the edge. The tail broke off and fell into the river below. Bucky kept hold of Anastasia as the whole helicopter dropped and slammed into the river. The impact knocked Bucky out cold and he let go of Anastasia. The body of the chopper sunk quickly to the riverbed along with other debris. Steve surfaced with Bucky in his arms. Anastasia surfaced moments later, coughing and brushed Bucky's hair back.

AIRPORT

Zemo listened to a message from his wife. "He asked me again if you were going to be there. I said that I wasn't sure. You should've seen his little face. Just try, okay? I'm going to bed. I love you."

Frowning, Zemo ended the call. A TV news report was playing nearby.

A reporter said, "James Barnes, der mit dem Bombenanschlag auf die UN in Wien in Verbindung gebracht wird, ist heute aus der Haft entflohen. Ebenfalls vermisst werden die Avengers Captain Steve Rogers, Anastasia Romanov, und Sam Wilson."

(James Barnes, the suspect in the UN Vienna bombing, escaped custody today. Also missing Avengers Captain Steve Rogers, Anastasia Romanov, and Sam Wilson.)

Zemo eyed the TV screen. He stood in line at a departure gate. The screen above the gate read: 'Gate 06 / Berling Flughafen / AEM2103 / Moskau/Moscow'.