Rumors and Ghosts

xiv. a gruesome fight and haunting memories

"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. Anastasia took his hand and gave it a light squeeze. The Winter Soldier walked up and aimed a gun at the surveillance camera. Steve and Anastasia, who let Bucky's hand go, watched Tony anxiously. Tony lunged towards Bucky, but Steve and Anastasia stopped him.

"No, Tony," Steve and Anastasia said. "Tony."

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

"We didn't know it was him," Steve answered.

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

"Yes."

Anastasia shot Steve a look and turned back to Tony.

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 and Anastasia, who ran up, barged him backwards. Iron Man shouldered them to the floor and shackled their 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 and Anastasia sliced their 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!" He yelled to his friend, "Anastasia, go!" As Bucky and Anastasia 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 Anastasia 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 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 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 Anastasia's escape route and Bucky fell. Anastasia managed to catch herself and jumped down. 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?"