Zemo had his freedom finally.
He had his swords on his belt once more and he strutted a little bit. It was good to finally be free. He had a sense of pride. Was it escape? No. Rather, Zemo had been released on good behavior. He had shown that he had changed himself over the past 10 years. Had he? No. He never had to in the first place. He stepped out of the main door. He took a breath of fresh air. The first time in his ten years. For his part, he reached up and pulled off the mask. It actually had come off quite easily. He ran his hands through his dark locks. He couldn't believe it... it came off but how? How?
Actually why do I care?
It's off.
That's all that matters.
Why am I worried about that?
This is not worth my time.
This was a bittersweet moment though. Steve wasn't here to see him be let out of prison. He wished Steve was here. He grasped at the gold necklace that had been given back to him and sighed. His happiness faded and self-confidence melted away. He walked toward his sponsor, Agent Phil Coulson... the only one who dared to be there for him. Phil said, "Baron Zemo. Out on good behavior without even a life sentence. I gotta say... it may have been a few years since I've seen you, but you don't look a day older than my rookie days. Since you surrendered to me."
"It's goot to see jou again, Phil."
"Good to see you too, Heinrich." He shook the Baron's hand. "I know what you did for Captain Rogers... and America sure owes you one for your work during the war. Risking your life, going against HYDRA the way you did. You got us where we are now. Given we've got some problems but I'm sure you're ready to get to work. Fight HYDRA as per usual."
"Jou could say zhat..." Zemo said, but in truth he really did not want to fight HYDRA not with these scars... not with the marks on his body. In truth, Red Skull had left him with a slight fear of the men who had once controlled him. Definitely less than he had feared his father, but the hatred and fear was a mark on his mind.
"Don't worry... it won't be anything too risky... you'll just be in Operations for now. In fact, we have information that you trained the young general, Nightrider, during the war."
"I did," he responded surprised that SHIELD knew about that, "in sword-to-sword combat. That's not really in the cards of modern warfare these days."
"Actually, it has made a comeback Baron... Nightrider was in a sword-to-sword duel with Johann Schmidt three days ago. She was defending one of our agents, particularly the one who has taken an interest in you. That's why we transferred the agent back to the R.A.F.T. to watch over you. This agent... has taken quite an interest in you. You see that agent has been reading file up on file, all the accounts of you we have... All because of that story you told them... They called it the prologue of their interest."
The Baron actually thought of the young agent quite fondly. He asked, "Vhat is zheir name? I never got it."
"Fury specifically kept their name off SHIELD records. According to most, they don't exist. We don't know much about the agent's personal life, no one does. All we know is that they've been offered SHIELD liaison to the Avengers... and refused." Zemo was curious about this. Someone that had no desire to be an Avenger. These days all the startup vigilantes, from what he had heard from the new prisoners that came in, were vying for that illustrious title. Everyone wanted to be able to call the famous team their allies. Impressing them was considered the easiest way to the top; it also happened to be the only honor, Zemo knew, that would convince the world he was a hero and not a Nazi.
Lost in this momentary thought, that's when it happened. Gunshots. Two. Heinrich had instinctively dove for cover when the first gunshot sounded. Side effect of the war. His cover just happened to be behind Lola, Phil Coulson's red convertible. The second shot closely followed the first and just barely missed Lola. Zemo poked his head up, instinctively reaching for the pistol he always carried. It was not in its holster because Zemo had disarmed himself of everything but his swords before he had been taken in so many years ago. And his melee weapons were not going to do him any good in this situation. He didn't get a good look at the assailant before there was another gunshot and it grazed the side of his head. He mentally cursed in long strings.
One more time. Let's see who this is.
He was more careful this time, fire sounding from both sides. He peeked his eyes just over Lola's hood and gasped in horror. He was looking at a mirror image of himself. He lost his balance in his squatting position and fell backward. It didn't hurt. How could it, when this hurt him so much more? Records always considered Heinrich an only child. This might as well have been true because his father killed his brother. He killed Harmon... his father had shot the older 11-year-old identical twin in the head. Zemo knew because he had been forced to watch because his body had been so badly damaged. So much blood, so many injuries, a broken leg, a cut to the chest, Heinrich should have died bleeding there... but he had defeated his brother during his father's "competition". And so the other boy, Harmon Zemo, the boy who should've been the ruling Baron had been killed. His father hadn't wanted two heirs. Just one soldier. This couldn't be. Harmon was dead. There was no way. He felt this pressure on his chest. Like 100 pounds just sitting on him. Crushing his lungs, suffocating him. He tried desperately to breathe. He could feel his consciousness slipping away from him like death.
In reality, as Coulson and the agent saw but could do nothing about the Baron was having a panic attack. Hyperventilating. They both knew the Baron needed to be calmed and fast, but the assailant, the one that was the perfect mirror image of the Baron had opened fire fully. With an Uzi, he was suppressing the two agents. There was nothing they could do. Let their small defense falter in the slightest... they'd all be dead. But still this man moved closer, with determination in every step. They couldn't help the fallen ally.
~~~~~
Zemo was woken up from his troubled sleep by a knock on the doorframe of his cell. Wearily, he looked up to see that it was the same young agent as before, the one who had first listened to his story. He woke with a start. He gasped for breath. Fear tainted his expression even behind the mask.
"Hello, Zemo. It's been quite awhile since I last saw you." The agent smiled. "It took me awhile to convince the warden to put me in your sector again."
Heinrich said, "It's goot to see jou, friend. I zhought jou had left..."
The agent responded, "They wanted me in the field... but I couldn't do it. Your story.... it intrigued me. I had to hear more. Know more. But that aside, are you alright? You look scared."
Zemo chuckled nervously. "Oh, I'm alright. It vas nozhing really," he responded diverting his eyes. He really didn't want to talk about it. Harmon was alive in his dream. But he hated the idea that his twin brother could potentially be alive and remember that Zemo didn't help him.
The agent smiled and said, "I have good news for you Baron." Zemo looked at the agent curiously. "I know you don't get updates down here... I meant to tell you, but my shift ended too soon... Captain America is alive."
Zemo inexplicably, in the agent's eyes, fell to his knees.
