Winter's Awakening

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2016, Task Force building, Berlin, Germany

After he argued with Tony, Steve left the office, his expression reflecting a mix of frustration and resignation, while Tony watched Marni's image flicker on one of the control room's screens.

On the screens, the evaluator, Ruby, sat at a desk facing Marni's pod, the atmosphere tense as Marni remained restrained inside. She began the evaluation with a polite greeting, "Hello, Miss Rogers. I was sent by the United Nations to evaluate you. Do you mind if I sit? Your first name is Armani?"

In another office with Sam, Steve, and Bucky, Sharon handed over the receipt for their confiscated gear. Sam's response was laced with disbelief, " 'Bird costume'? Come on."

Sharon held her hands up in surrender. "I didn't write it." Slowly, she glanced around the area, ensuring no one was watching. With a subtle movement, she reached down and pressed a button on the table console. The TV suddenly blared to life, and the group turned to look. It displayed the interrogation, with Marni still trapped in that metal and glass cage, while the woman interrogator sat comfortably on the other side of the table. Steve gave the blonde woman a thankful smile before redirecting his full attention to the TV.

"I just want to ask you a few questions," the interrogator said, a folder before her. "Do you know where you are, Armani?" When her only answer was silence, she let out a sigh. "I can't help you if you don't talk to me, Armani."

Finally, Marni spoke up, her voice a low murmur. "My name is Marni." She sounded so sad and defeated, prompting Bucky to press a hand over his mouth.

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2016, Power station, Berlin

Meanwhile, at the power station, the van driver honked impatiently, eager to complete his delivery. The custodian emerged from the hut, and the driver approached him, "Hallo? Hey. Ich hab eine große für dich."

He opened the van's back doors and removed a large wooden crate, prompting the custodian to inquire, "Ja. Okay, hier unterzeichnen?"

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Steve, who'd been pensively looking out the glass, spoke up and looked to Sharon. "Why would the task force release this photo to begin with?"

"Get the word out, involve as many eyes as possible?" Sharon suggested, shoulders moving up to shrug. 

"Right. It's a good way to flush a person out of hiding." Bucky nodded slowly, looking over to Steve for a moment. "Set off a bomb, and get your picture taken. Get seven billion people looking for the Winter Soldier."

Sharon added, "You're saying someone framed her to find her." Steve and Bucky nodded in affirmation. "Steve, Bucky we looked for her for two years and found nothing," Sam said.

 Bucky nodded, then added, "We didn't bomb the UN. That turns a lot of heads."

Sharon pointed out the consequence of such an act. "Yeah, but that doesn't guarantee that whoever framed her would get her. It guarantees that we would." Her gaze shifted to the evaluator on the screen, suspicion evident in her narrowed eyes.

Meanwhile, in the secure chamber, Ruby initiated a conversation with Marni, acknowledging the weight of her experiences. "Tell me, Marni," the interrogator on the TV continued, "You've seen a great deal, haven't you?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Marni replied quietly, prompting the super soldiers to close their eyes. They didn't know the extent of what she had endured, but they could imagine the pain and horrors that plagued her mind, and it made their hearts ache to realize that they were just adding to her burdens at this point. There seemed to be no end to her suffering.

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