The Winter Soldier: Master of Madripoor

49

The man stuck out like a sore thumb in the crowds of Lowtown, not because there was any outward sign he didn't belong, but because he was so obviously uncomfortable in those crowds. The man was dressed in clothes that would fit in anywhere, jeans and a t-shirt, but it was his manner that was completely different from everyone else in Lowtown. He was searching the crowds, but would not make eye contact with anyone, openly shying away from the businesses that most would have sought out in Lowtown. Ordinarily, that would have made him a potential target for any number of the people that lived in that section of Madripoor, but everyone knew to simply let him continue to blunder through the part of the city he never should have visited.

"You know him?" A tall, thick set man asked Zane as Zane lounged near an open-air bar, watching the stranger push through the crowds.

"Yeah, I actually do know this one," Zane replied. "Nathan Tomlind, I had some contact with him back when I was still in Hydra. He was no field operative, just a mid-level clerk."

"Why is someone like that in Lowtown?"

Zane shook his head. "No idea, except from what I've heard, Hydra isn't exactly a cohesive group right now. He could just be here on his own, not actually working for someone."

"If he's working for someone, they chose the wrong guy. If it wasn't for the fact the Winter Soldier wants to take care of this himself, this Nathan Tomlind would be dead already, or trafficked."
"Maybe or maybe not."

"Huh?"

"This might be seen as an olive branch rather than anyone who is able to handle themselves."

"You've lost me man."

"Think about it. Anyone trying to come here to fight the Winter Soldier head on is insane right?"

"Absolutely."

"So, in that case, send someone who isn't a threat to anyone and whoever's behind this may actually be dumb enough to think the Winter Soldier will listen." Zane chuckled at that thought and the other man joined in.

"I can see why they would think the plan may work, but it's fucking ridiculous."

"I can say with certainty that Hydra had some very intelligent people working for them and they had a lot of very stupid people working for them. What can you expect in that kind of group?" Zane shrugged.

"You don't miss them?" The other man asked, smirking.

"I didn't miss them when I left them two years ago and I really don't miss them now that they've been defeated again."

"The Winter Soldier worked for them for a long time if the rumors are true. You worked for the Winter Soldier for the last two years when he was still working for Hydra, and you were okay with that?"

Zane didn't answer immediately. It was a strange situation, he had to acknowledge that, and he debated whether it was necessary to answer at all, but he found he wanted to put it into words. "You're right, I did work for the Winter Soldier when he was still working for Hydra, but I didn't feel like I was working for Hydra."
The other man just frowned and waited for further explanation. Zane continued: "What we've done in Madripoor was not for Hydra, not really, even though he supposedly answered to them. They didn't care about Madripoor enough, so they never had a presence here, only the Winter Soldier did. And I learned something working for him, even though I wasn't in constant contact with him until recently."

"What did you learn?"

Zane watched as Nathan Tomlind came closer and closer, knowing he would want to try and speak to someone he'd known in Hydra. "That even though the Winter Soldier worked for Hydra, it wasn't because he was really working for Hydra."