Saving the Multiverse | Avengers, DCEU & Arrowverse Crossover

ii. Chapter 29: "To see an empire fall,"

"Here's the receipt for your gear," Sharon says handing Sam a sheet of paper.

His eyes scanned the document before he mumbled, "Bird costume? Really?"

"I didn't write it," she held her hands up in defense, holding back a small smile.

Very subtly, Sharon presses a button on the center of the table, allowing them to hear the audio from whats supposed to be Sarah's and Bucky's psych evaluation.

"Hello, Mr. Barnes, Ms. Rogers. I've been sent by the United Nations to evaluate you. Do you mind if I sit?"

Neither of them answer leaving Zemo to sit down whether they want him to or not, "I'm not here to judge you. I just want to ask you two a few questions,"

"Do you know where you two are, James? Sarah?" Bucky's jaw clenches fighting an urge to snap back. Zemo pauses, waiting for them to respond, "I can't help you if you two won't talk to me, Sarah? James?" Zemo says,

Bucky's frustration finally getting the better of him, "My name is Bucky," he replies.

"I think it's best if you call him Bucky," Sarah states.

Zemo continues to stare before he glances down to his notes, jotting something down.

✪

Steve looks down at the photos of Bucky and Sarah, "Why would the task force release this photos to begin with?"

"Get the word out? involve as many eyes as we can?" Seeming unsure with her answer she forms it as a question,

"Right. It's a Good way to flush someone out of hiding. Set off a bomb, get your picture taken, Got seven billion people looking for My daughter and the Winter Soldier," Steve concludes,

"Someone framed them, to find them," Sam Realizes,

"Yeah, But that doesn't guarantee that whoever 'framed' them would get them, It guarantees that 'we' would," Sharon says, her eyes locking with the monitor.

"Yeah," Steve agrees following Sharon's gaze.

✪

Zemo looked almost pleased with their responses so far, "Tell me, 'Bucky' and Sarah. You two have seen a great deal, haven't you?" Zemo asks.

"I don't want to talk about it," Bucky says slightly uncomfortable.

"Why do you want us to talk about what we've seen?" Sarah questions,

Ignoring her question Zemo continue on, "You fear that... if you open your mouths, the horrors might never stop. Don't worry," Zemo begins to say in a suspicious tone, "We only have to talk about one." he finishes, looking down at his tablet there is a message that reads 'status: package delivered', on cue the power, shuts off,

✪

the room was plunged into darkness for a half a minute. Then the emergency lights came on, syncing up with the alarm that began to blare. Sharon and Steve made eye contact for a moment, "Sub-level five, east wing,"

✪

"What the hell is this?" Bucky asks, Sarah looks through every part of her glass containment in confusion, her eyes landing on Zemo when he stands, walking towards them.

"Why don't we discuss your home? Not Romania. Certainly not Brooklyn, no. I mean, your real home," Zemo says removing his glasses, He pulls out a flashlight and flipped open the book.

"Zhelaniye, (Longing,)" The first Russian word falls from Zemo's lips,

"No," Bucky breaths in defeat, his head falling back against the headrest with a dull thud. Sarah has no choice, but to watch helplessly as Zemo turns him into the Winter Soldier.

"Rzhavyy (Rusted),"

"Stop." Bucky replies once more, His voice becoming more wavered and broken,

"Semnadtsat (Seventeen),"

Bucky's metal arm clenches, "Stop!" Bucky demands.

"Rassvet (Daybreak)," Zemo continues even though Bucky emits a desperate scream from his chest, Sarah watches as Bucky's arm rips through his thick cuff. In less than a heartbeat, his metal fingers had torn through the other restraint freeing his other arm.

"Pech (Furnace),"

"Devyat (Nine),"

"Dobrokachestvennyy (Benign)," Bucky's metal fist drove against the reinforced glass repeatedly, like a battering ram.

He could feel the seal on the door beginning to give way.

"Vozvrashcheniye domoy (homecoming),"

"Оdin (One)," With Zemo's every word Bucky can feel himself losing his mind,

"Gruzovoy vagon." The door finally gave way. Bucky fell forward in a crouch, Sarah was silently staring at bucky, "Soldat?"

"Ya gotov otvechat (Ready to comply)," Bucky says,

Zemo's full attention was now on Sarah, "I didn't forget about you, don't worry," He says, a smile forms as he steps closer to her cell,"

"Please," She begs, "I don't want to be RedStar again,"

"Not my problem, I need 'both' of Hydra's Soldiers," He replies,

"Pererozhdeniye (Re-Birth)," 

"Zhelaniye (Longing)",

"Zvezda (Star),"

"Zamorozhennyy (Frozen),

"Pyat'(Five),"

Sarah closes her eyes, as a "No," escapes her lips, as if she was having an internal battle with her alter ego, Red Star.

"Dobrokachestvennyy (Benign),"

"Devyat (nine)"

"Vozvrashcheniye na rodinu (Homecoming),"

"Vtoroy (second),"

"Doch' (Daughter),"

"Soldat?"

"Ya gotov otvechat (Ready to comply)," Red Star says with a blank stare.

Zemo look's to his now loyal soldiers, "Mission report. December 16, 1991,"

✪

"Great." Colonel Ross mutters pulling out a walkie-talkie, "Come on, guys. Get me eyes on Rogers and Barnes...Use the dampener to trianglate a location,"

"Sir, Sarah Rogers dampener has been de-activated," One of the technician says,

"That's impossible," Ross says,

"Friday. Give me the source of that damage," Tony says,

T'challa looks behind him to see Sam and Steve run out their sanctioned office,

Steve and Sam follows the signs to the lower levels trying to get to Sarah and Bucky in time, but they realized they were too late when they spot the trail of guards blocking there way to the cells, Looks like Bucky and Sarah fought there way out of here.

The pair warily make their way down the corridor, Sam bends down to check some of the fallen men while, Steve moves into the security room beside the cell. Steve pauses, he's in shock to see more bodies, none of them moving or making any type of noise, suddenly a raspy voice "Help me," calls out,

Steve looks up to see the man who was interrogating Sarah and Bucky, clutching his side, the fake psychiatrist whimpers in pain. Steve strode into the room angrily, He reached down towards the man, "Get up," He snaps, grabbing Zemo by the front of his jacket and hauling him to his feet. Steve shoves Zemo into the wall,  "Who are you? What do you want?" He demands,

Zemo's act diminishes, his eyes become cold and dark, "To see an empire fall," He snarles,