Ch 70 Siberia

"Reaching the final stretch here." Benjamin said.

"Just get it over with." Tony sighed, knowing what was coming.

The scene changed to Siberia. Steve landed the Quinjet next to Zemo's Snowplow. Bucky grabbed a rifle as Steve lowered the ramp.

"You took my gun." Natasha said as Bucky smirked.

"Other couples exchange clothes. You two exchange weapons." Hill said and everyone laughed while the two shook their heads.

Steve and Bucky reminisced about having to ride home from Rockaway Beach in a freezer truck because Bucky had blown his money trying to win a bear for a redhead. Bucky struggled to recall her name and Steve reminds him it was Dolores, who Bucky had called 'Dot'.

Steve and Bucky smiled sadly.

Bucky mused she's probably a hundred and Steve jokingly pointed out so are they as he clasped Bucky on the shoulder.

For a moment, the tension broke, everyone smiling at the banter between the two. Thor and Loki were reminded of themselves.

Steve and Bucky exited the Quinjet and headed towards the door to the base, Steve pointing out that Zemo had already been there for a few hours. Bucky grimly noted this was enough time to activate the other Winter Soldiers.

"Did he?" Peter asked.

"Just watch, kid." Logan said.

Steve and Bucky entered the base and rode the elevator. Once it stopped, Steve lifted the door up and he and Bucky began to make their way through the base, looking for any sign of Zemo or the Soldiers. Suddenly, they heard a loud thud. Steve whirled around as a door starts creaking, warning Bucky to be ready. He began making his way towards the door as it opened, revealing Tony.

"Oh! It's you!" Scott said.

"Yeah it's me." Tony sighed.

Upon seeing Steve, Tony retracted his helmet as he began walking towards Steve, jokingly saying Steve looked defensive. Steve wearily said it's been a long day, not lowering his guard.

"You didn't lower your guard, that's smart." Rhodey said as Tony winced.

"I learned from the best." Steve joked and Natasha smirked.

"I remember when you were a sweet, naïve superhero who trusted everyone. Now look at you. I'm so proud." Natasha said in a fake motherly voice and Steve rolled his eyes.

"You know what Romanoff!" Steve said mock threateningly as everyone chuckled at their antics.

Tony told Bucky to be at ease because he's not after him, causing Steve to demand to know why that is. Tony admitted Steve's story might not be so crazy, which Steve simply acknowledged with 'maybe not'.

"Well, at least the tension is gone for now." Sam said.

Tony said Ross didn't know he's there, which Tony would like to keep secret, jokingly saying he'd have to arrest himself. Sounded like a lot of paperwork, Steve noted dryly. Steve lowered his shield as both of them acknowledged it was good to see each other.

"So….truce?" Thor asked and they nodded.

"For now." Steve said grimly.

Seeing Bucky still had a rifle on him, Tony pointed out there was a truce and Steve gestured at Bucky that Tony was okay. Bucky nodded, finally lowering his gun.

"Now it's a truce." Hope said.

The now united trio began to move through the base, looking for Zemo or the Soldiers, unaware of T'Challa trailing them.

"You are really good at stealth." Natasha told T'Challa.

"Thank you, Miss Romanoff." He said graciously.

Tony picked up some heat signatures. Steve asked how many and Tony said only one.

"But how?" Aunt May asked.

"Zemo has played an intricate game. I know it." Loki said.

The trio entered the chamber with the Soldiers, all of them seemingly still in Cryo sleep. Zemo's voice came over a speaker, assuring them that the Soldiers died in their sleep. As the trio walked further into the chamber, they saw that each Soldier had been killed execution style with a single shot through the glass into the head.

"Holy crap." Peter said shocked as they all stared in stunned disbelief.

"He had a different plan." Fury said.

Zemo asked the shocked Bucky if he thought he wanted more of him. But Zemo was grateful, because it brought the three of them here.

"How did he know that right after finding out about him, Tony would've gone straight to The Raft?" Fury asked.

"And that I would've trusted him enough to tell him where Steve was going?" Sam added confused.

"Must be a lucky guy." Bruce said. [1]

A light came on, revealing Zemo in a sealed room. The trio turned their weapons on him and Steve threw his shield. The shield harmlessly bounced off the wall and back into Steve's hand as Zemo pointed that the Soviets built the chamber to withstand the blast of UR-100 rockets. Tony confidently said he could beat that. Zemo agreed, if Tony was given the time. But then, he'd never know why he came here, Zemo taunted him.

Everyone glared at Zemo.

Steve angrily approached the chamber, saying Zemo had killed innocent people in Vienna. This stunned T'Challa, who had entered the chamber unseen to everyone else. Zemo said he'd thought about nothing else for over a year.

"You could have used your dedication for something better." Odinson said.

He'd studied them, followed them, Zemo said. "But now that you're standing here...I just realized...there's a bit of green in the blue of your eyes. How nice to find a flaw." He said.

"He still planned out a lot." Clint said.

Steve noted that Zemo was Sokovian, asking if that's what this had been about. Zemo said Sokovia had been a failed state long before Ultron blew it to hell.

Wanda flinched, painful memories of living in orphanages, poverty, staving for scraps of food flashed through her mind. Zemo wasn't wrong, she mused sadly.

Vision put a hand on her shoulder.

He's here, Zemo said, because he made a promise. Steve asked if he lost someone and Zemo said he lost everything. And so will they, Zemo taunted as he pressed a button. Steve turned around as a video began to play on the TV set Zemo had set up.

Steve, Tony and Bucky tensed, knowing what was coming.

"An empire toppled by its enemies can rise again. But one which crumbles from within? That's dead. Forever." Zemo said. Steve and Tony walked over to the TV set, seeing it was a video of a road at night. A disbelieving Tony said he knows that road.

Tony paled as Pepper held his hand for comfort.

Tony looked at the date and demanded to know what this was but Zemo only smirked. The car crash from the beginning of the recording happened and The Winter Soldier rode up on his motorcycle. Steve looked at Bucky, who had shame on his face as Tony continued to watch the recording in stunned disbelief. In the recording, Howard Stark had fallen out of the car on his knees, begging The Soldier to help Maria.

The room was completely silent as Tony and Bucky were both almost shaking for several reasons. Natasha and Pepper were both there for them though.

The Soldier walked up to Howard and grabbed him by the hair, lifting him up onto his knees. Howard was shocked to see Bucky before The Soldier punched him with his robotic arm.

Steve had a pained look on his face as Tony and Bucky let out a shaky breaths, this being difficult for them both to watch.

Tony seemed in shock as he heard his mother call for his father. Tony looked over at Bucky, who met his gaze with a look of shock and shame. Tony turned back to the video as The Soldier punched Howard one last time before letting go. Howard's lifeless body fell to the ground as Maria continued to cry out for him. Tony had a gutted look on his face as he saw this.

A single tear dropped from Tony's eye as Bucky was shaking while Steve held his head. Clearly, this was horrible for all three of them.

The Soldier dragged Howard's body over to the car and placed him in the driver's seat; positioning him as though he'd been killed in the crash as Maria watched in horror. Tony then watched in horror as The Soldier walked over to the other side of the car. The Soldier reached in and grabbed Maria by the throat.

Tony clenched his hands into fists, his entire body trembling with grief and horror as the room was completely silent. However much they may have been angry for his actions in these recordings, no one deserved to see their parents murdered in cold blood. Everyone felt their greatest sympathies going out to him.

The Soldier then walked over and shot the Traffic Cam, covering up the crime. Steve stared at Tony, shock on his face as Tony stared at the now blank screen, shock, horror, and grief on his face. Tony moved to head towards Bucky but Steve grabbed his arm, stopping him as Bucky raised his gun on instinct. Tony turned back to Steve, "Did you know?" "I didn't know it was him-" Steve started. "Don't bullshit me, Rogers. Did you know?" Tony asked again. After some hesitation, Steve said in shame, "Yes."

Steve could feel some looks on him. Not of anger though. Just looks. Mixed looks.

"I should have told you. You deserved to know." Steve simply said in shame as Tony managed to nod a bit.

Tony let Steve go, stepping back as if he'd been burned, devastated. Then, Tony punched Steve, sending him flying back.

Tony winced as everyone looked at the screen, tense.

Bucky raised his rifle but Tony blasted it out of his hand. Bucky tried to punch him with his robotic arm but Tony stopped him with his gauntlet. Zemo smirked, leaving through a door as Tony flied Bucky across the room, slamming him onto the ground. Stepping on Bucky's robotic hand, Tony prepared to blast Bucky execution style when Steve threw his shield. It hit Tony's helmet, distracting him and causing his blast to miss Bucky's head by mere inches.

Everyone watched the screen sadly, horror written on their features. It was impossible to take any side in this. Steve was sparing himself but Tony also had every right to know. And he was too emotional right now.

The shield returned to Steve as he rushed Tony, tackling him and forcing him off Bucky. Tony flied back at Steve, punching the shield. The force of it sent Steve flying back and Tony then fired off some electric clamps, which clapped around Steve's ankles, restraining him. Bucky sent a punch to Tony's helmet but this didn't faze Tony. Tony then grabbed Bucky and flied him into the wall. Bucky quickly grabbed Tony's gauntlet, crushing the repulsor beam focuser. Angrily, Tony tried to fire a missile point blank but Bucky moved his hand, causing the missile to wildly hit the wall. Steve broke free of Tony's clamps as the chamber began to come down around them.

"Damn!" Sam muttered as they all watched this, all of them growing even more horrified.

"Oh no!" Peter said.

This was worse than the airport. The airport had been about a misunderstanding, it hadn't been personal. But this, this was personal. And it was painful for everyone to watch.

In the resulting chaos, Steve rolled out of the way of the debris as Bucky and Tony were both knocked down. Tony ended up pinned under some debris, Steve shouted at Bucky to get out of there. Bucky started to run for the exit as Tony freed himself. Tony tried to head after Bucky, shooting at him as Steve jumped in his path, standing in his way. Outside the chamber, Bucky activated a hatch, which lifted as inside, Steve attempted to reason with Tony. However, Tony was past listening to reason at this point, ordering Steve to move as he lifted into the air.

"It wasn't you!" Tony said to Bucky, still shaking with sadness.

"I'm sorry." Bucky simply said again, feeling shame.

Tony now didn't have anyone to take out his anger on. Which made this even worse.

Tony attempted to fly past Steve only for Steve to grab onto his leg. Steve damaged the thruster in Tony's boots with his shield before letting go and Tony landed outside the chamber. Tony then used a laser to cut out some rocks, locking Steve in the chamber as the rocks blocked the exit. Tony tried to fly after Bucky as he saw him running up towards the hatch but the damage to his thrusters had compromised his flying ability, FRIDAY alerted him. Frustrated, Tony flied up as quickly as he could and kicked Bucky down. Tony attempted to fire a blast at Bucky but Steve jumped down to Bucky, deflecting the blast back at Tony with his shield.

Steve flinched, guilty at harming Tony filling his heart.

Tony was knocked down to a lower level as Steve warned Bucky to leave, as Tony wasn't going to stop. Bucky began climbing onto a higher level as Steve pulled out a wire. As Tony flew up towards Bucky, Steve jumped; wrapping the wire around Tony's neck and the two fell below.

Steve and Tony flinched at this, avoiding looking at each other.

They landed on separate levels and Tony prepared to shoot at the hatch as Bucky neared it. Steve threw his shield at Tony but Tony blasted it, sending the shield falling down below. Tony resumed trying to blast the hatch but his targeting system had been damaged during the fight. Tony retracted his helmet, relying on his own aim. Tony fired a missile, which hit the lever, forcing the hatch closed. Bucky barely managed to avoid getting squashed as the hatch slams closed when Tony flied up to him. Bucky grabbed a metal pipe and struck Tony's helmet but Tony knocked the pipe out of his hands before putting Bucky in a choke hold.

Everyone stared at the screen silently, horror filling them. Everyone could tell Tony was about to turn into a murdered. Tony himself too, as he was looking at the screen in horror.

"Do you even remember them?" Tony snarled. "I remember all of them." Bucky said.

Bucky and Clint flinched, remembering everything they had done under mind-control as everyone shot both Bucky and Tony looks of sympathy.

Tony began flying him down and Steve jumped, tackling Tony. Tony was forced to let Bucky go and all three of them fell, Bucky landing on a level as Tony and Steve both landed on the ground. They stood up as Bucky looked down. "This isn't gonna change what happened." Steve tried to reason. "I don't care. He killed my mom." Tony said coldly.

Tony shivered. He sounded so…cold blooded, like a murderer. The callousness of his actions and in his voice chilled Tony to the bone.

Tony then lunged for Steve, the two of them engaging in hand to hand. Steve managed to get behind Tony and put him in a choke hold but Tony fired a repulsor beam, knocking himself and Steve back. Steve was knocked off and Tony attempted to bash Steve's face in but Steve dodged.

Tony couldn't believe what he himself was doing.

Bucky saw Steve's shield and picked it up. Tony was still not managing to get Steve as Bucky jumped down with a cry, striking him with the shield in the back, knocking him off Steve.

Tony let out a breath.

Tony sent a blast at Bucky but Bucky used the shield to block it. Bucky threw the shield to Steve and it became a two on one brawl as Tony attempted to fight them off but they managed to put him on one knee. Tony sent a blast towards Steve, which sent Steve flying into the wall. Tony and Bucky continued to fight. Bucky grabbed Tony's hand as he sent a repulsor blast, which now harmlessly shot into the stone ceiling. Bucky punched him, sending him into the wall before attempting to claw out Tony's Arc reactor. Tony then unleashed a Unibeam, which completely destroyed Bucky's robot arm from the shoulder down.

Bucky almost couldn't watch at this point as he closed his eyes and panted while Tony was ashamed of himself.

Bucky fell to his knees in pain before Tony fired a blast, which hit him. Steve then rushed forward, using his shield to deflect a repulsor blast as they tried to overpower each other.

Everyone watched the scene with heavy, sad breaths.

Outside, Zemo was listening to the message on his phone as T'Challa approached from behind. T'Challa removed his helmet, setting it on the ground as he announced his presence, declaring he almost killed the wrong man. Zemo noted Bucky was hardly innocent and T'Challa demanded if this is what he wanted, to see The Avengers tear each other apart. Zemo explained he took his wife and son to his father's when Ultron attacked Sokovia, assuring his wife they'd be safe as they were miles from the city. But he had been wrong, as his father, wife, and son had all been killed during the battle of Sokovia. It took him two days to find their bodies.

Wanda, Tony and Bruce flinched at this, shame filling both of them.

"It's not your fault, either of you." Steve said as he looked at them.

"I helped him." Wanda said hollowly.

"And I created him. What was I thinking, plugging alien tech into an interface?" Tony said in self-loathing.

"And I helped you do it." Bruce said guiltily.

"Okay, that's enough with the martyr crap." Clint said, at his wit's end, "Yeah, you all messed up. Yeah, it had consequences. But you know what? So do all of us. None of us are perfect, so stop feeling sorry for yourselves and get off your asses or go home!"

For a moment, it was completely silent in the room, he only sound Clint's heavy breathing. Then, the silence was broken by a laugh.

"Well said Barton." Thor said before looking over at Bruce, then Wanda and then Tony, "My friends, I know guilt. Wallowing in self-pity will give you no peace. If you wish for redemption, you must earn it through action."

Zemo knew he couldn't kill the Avengers, so he instead opted to have them kill each other. Zemo apologizes for T'Chaka's death. "Vengeance has consumed you. It's consuming them. I am done letting it consume me." T'Challa said, retracting his claws, "Justice will come soon enough."

"A wise choice, Your Highness." Odinson told T'Challa who nodded, "Vengeance can be dangerous."

"Tell that to the dead." Zemo said as was about to shoot himself. However, T'Challa placed his hand over the barrel, the suit taking the bullet. T'Challa tackled him and they landed on the ground. "The living are not done with you yet." T'Challa told Zemo as he held him in a chokehold.

"You won't get off easy." Natasha sneered.

Back in the facility, Steve and Tony were continuing their fight. Steve was winning as FRIDAY told Tony he couldn't win hand to hand. Tony ordered her to analyze Steve's fight patterns. Tony took a few more hits from Steve's shield as FRIDAY analyzed Steve. When she finished, Tony grabbed Steve's shield, stopping it as he said 'let's kick his ass'.

Everyone watched with wide eyes.

Tony blasted the shield away and exchanged a few more blows, striking Steve in the face before sending a repulsor blast to Steve's abdomen. Steve fell to his knees, overwhelmed before looking up at Tony, "He's my friend." Tony reminded coldly, "So was I."

Tony and Steve both flinched at this, guilt and regret swelling in both of them at having it come to this.

Tony slugged Steve twice, making Steve double over before Tony grabbed him and threw him aside. Tony ordered Steve to stay down but Steve crawls back to his feet, ready to continue, "I could do this all day."

It was sad, seeing Steve say this line to Tony instead of Red Skull or the bully in the alley.

Tony raised his hand to blast him again when Bucky grabbed his foot. Tony kicked Bucky and Steve pushed him. Picking Tony up, he threw Tony down and jumped on top of him. He punched Tony before picking up his shield and slamming it down on Tony's helmet. Steve knocked Tony's helmet off and raised the shield, as if to take off Tony's head. Tony raised his hands to shield himself and Steve smashed the shield into Tony's Arc reactor, completely destroying it.

Tony had tensed; half convinced Steve was going to kill him in that moment. But he had later realized Steve only wanted to disable the suit.

Tony stared in shock as Steve got off him, falling to his knees, exhausted before he removed the shield from Tony's suit. He climbed to his feet and walked over to Bucky, helping him up. They were about to leave, Steve supporting Bucky when Tony said, "That shield doesn't belong to you. You don't deserve it. My father made that shield!" For a moment, it was silent. Then, to the shock of Tony and Bucky, Steve dropped the shield to the floor.

The room was completely silent, shock on the faces of almost everyone in the room. The stole exception was Steve, who seemed completely indifferent. Even those who knew Steve had left his shield seemed shocked at his reasons.

"You know I didn't mean that. I was just trying to hurt you." Tony told Steve gently.

"Doesn't mean you were wrong. I kept this from everyone Tony, even myself." Steve said with a sigh, "I became Captain America not because I wanted to, but because it's what I needed to be. The world needed a Captain America. Maybe now, it needs me to be something different."

"What are you then?" Natasha asked.

"I don't know." He said finally.

Tony then watched as Steve and Bucky walked out.

"Then Your Highness met us and helped us." Bucky said and all nodded.

The scene changed to a cell at the Joint Terrorism Task Force base. Zemo, held in a container similar to the one Bucky had been held in, was greeted by Everett Ross. Everett told him he has toilet privileges twice a day and would get meals at five and eight. Everett mocked Zemo, daring him to step out of line and asked how it felt to know after all his planning, his plan failed. With a smirk, Zemo asked, "Did it?"

The Avengers all looked at each other solemnly, knowing Zemo had a point. While no one was dead, The Avengers as a whole had been broken. And only now had they almost dressed their fatal wounds.

At the Compound, Tony drove up and got out of his car, his wounds from Siberia still fresh. Tony stared at the Avengers symbol before taking off his glasses and walking inside. Vision was in the longue, staring solemnly at the chessboard, playing with a piece absently as Tony was walking with Rhodes, who was sporting a brace on his leg.

Everyone relaxed as Sam sighed in relief.

Tony and Rhodey joked about upgrades for the brace, Rhodey cracking about adding some AC before he fell.

Everyone looked at Rhodes in sympathy again.

Tony knelt down to help him but Rhodes waved him off. Rhodes noted he flew 138 combat missions, all of which could have been his last, but he still flew them because the fight had needed to be fought. Rhodes likened them to signing The Accords, saying he signed because it was the right thing to do, and his injury hadn't changed his mind.

"Okay, what the hell is wrong with me?" Rhodes asked, realizing how he had the most ridiculous reasons for signing the Accords. At least Tony, Natasha and Vision had good points. He didn't.

Everyone simply chuckled.

Their conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door. Tony and Rhodes look over to see an old man with glasses in a FedEx suit, "Are you Tony Stank?"

"Tony Stank!?" Scott said as everyone laughed.

"Oh my god, that is never going away!" Sam said in amusement as everyone snickered at Tony's expense.

"So the old Watcher agent gave us a nickname for you as well." Hope laughed.

Rhodes was greatly amused, walking off as he declared he's never dropping that as Tony laughs.

"Never." Rhodes said cheekily as Tony laughed for the first time in a while.

Later in his office, Tony opened the package, finding a letter from Steve. Tony read it and Steve's voice was heard. "Dear Tony, I'm glad you're back at The Compound. I don't like the idea of you rattling around a mansion all by yourself. We all need family. The Avengers are yours. Maybe even more than mine." Steve said as the scene changed to The Raft, showing Wanda, Scott, Clint, and Sam in their cells, "I've been on my own since I was eighteen. I never really fit in anywhere, even the army. My faith's in people I guess. I'm happy to say, for the most part, they haven't let me down. So I can't let them down either." The security at The Raft was shown to all be knocked out.

"Prison break huh!" Hope said.

"Now all we need is Lincoln and Michael." Scott joked and they all snickered, except Steve, Bucky, Thor and Loki who looked confused.

"You need to catch up on more stuff." Sam told them as he noted their expressions.

"Locks can be replaced but, maybe they shouldn't." Steve's letter continued as the scene flashed back to Tony reading it, "I know I hurt you Tony. I guess I thought by not telling you about your parents, I was sparing you but I can see now that I was really sparing myself. And I'm sorry. Hopefully one day you can understand."

"Well, this experience has finally made me." Tony sighed.

"I wish we agreed on The Accords. I really do," Steve's letter continued as Tony was shown pulling a flip phone out of the package, "I know you're doing what you believe in, and that's all any of us can do. All any of us should do." FRIDAY alerted Tony to a call from Ross, telling him there was a breach in The Raft. Tony had FRIDAY patch him through but hung up on Ross when he did. "So no matter what, if you ever need us, if you need me…I'll be there," Steve's voice finished as, at the Raft, Sam smirked as Steve walks up to his cell.

"So you saved them after all." Aunt May said.

"I had help." Steve said as he looked over at T'Challa and nodded gratefully.

"And you hung up on Ross. That was great!" Pepper said to Tony who smirked while everyone snickered.

The scene then changes to Wakanda. Bucky was being seen by some doctors as he eyed a Cryo chamber. Steve walked over once the doctor was done, asking if Bucky was sure about this. Bucky pointed out he couldn't trust his own mind, so it's best for everyone he go back under until they could get Hydra's programing out of his head.

"You are an honorable man, Barnes. To put yourself in prison for safety of others." Thor said to Bucky who nodded in appreciation.

Steve then watched silently as Bucky was put in the chamber, Bucky closing his eyes as it froze.

Steve, Natasha and Bucky all flinched at that.

Steve was then seen staring out a window as T'Challa walked up to him. Steve thanked T'Challa, who said Bucky and T'Chaka were both victims. If he could help one of them find peace, T'Challa said. Steve pointed out if they found out Bucky's here, they'll come for him. "Let them try." T'Challa said as a statue of Black Panther was shown outside.

"The incidents with Klaue and Killlmonger happened sometime after this." T'Challa remembered.

"Oh we're seeing them next." Logan said and everyone nodded while T'Challa sighed.

The scene then changed to the Parker apartment. Peter, sporting a black eye, was toying with a new gadget Tony gave him.

Steve winced, knowing he is the one who gave Peter that black eye.

May was outside his room, asking who gave him the black eye. Peter said a guy named Steve from Brooklyn as he activated the device.

"Not bad kid. Not exactly a lie but not the whole truth either." Clint said.

Hearing May come in, Peter covered the device and held his black eye as if in pain. May said she hoped Peter got in a few good licks, which he said he did but his friend was 'huge'.

"Of course." Scott said as all chuckled a bit but May gave him a glare and all shut up.

May gave Peter ice wrapped in a towel and he put it on his eyes as she left. He asked her to close the door and she did. Peter then took the ice off and activated the device, seeing a beacon with his new mask shining on the ceiling.

"Wow! You really gave the kid a lot of toys." Rhodes said to Tony.

"But what he needs is better training." Tony said.

"Well, now that we have seen our mistakes properly, we must never repeat them ever again." Steve said, "They are what destroyed us. If Thanos is the threat you saw Tony, we need to be together."

"Damn right we do!" Tony said, "We have to move past our issues now."

Getting up, he walked up to Steve and raising his hand asked, "Do you trust me?"

Steve got up and said, "I do."

And then they shook hands as all smiled at them happily while Benjamin, Odinson and Logan smirked at the irony.

Tony then walked back to his seat as Steve sat down.

"So now me?" T'Challa asked and Benjamin nodded.

"Your country is pretty cool." Logan said and he smirked, "And you have some nice toys."

"Let's just start it then." T'Challa said and Logan started the recording.