The Sapphire Stark (Steve Rogers)

Chapter 18

After a few hours we approach a wide and flat snow covered landscape. Below we see a truck on a windswept mountain plateau. Steve lowers the jet next to the truck and we get out approaching an entrance with huge, rusted double doors. "The door is open...we're too late." Bucky says, pushing the door open.

"Stay alert." Steve walks forward with his shield in front and me protectively behind him. Bucky follows closely with a machine gun. We keep walking until we arrive at a old, caged elevator. It lowers us into a bunker and the doors slide open. "You were kept here?" I nod at Steve who tilts his head to the side, "homey." We keep walking forward until we hear a loud thud. Steve pushes me behind him and Bucky aims his gun at the corridor. The double doors to the elevator are forced open and Tony emerges, "you seem a little defensive Cap." "It's been a long day." Steve lowers his shield and I step out from behind him.

"At ease, Solider. I'm not currently after you." He makes a hand motion at Bucky, who lowers his gun. Tony fully steps out of the Iron Man suit and walks up to me and Steve. He puts his hands on my face, "are you hurt?" "No," I shake my head and give him a hug.

"Why are you here, Tony." Steve asks. He shrugs and keeps his arm around me, "Could be your story's not so crazy. Ross has no idea I'm here. I'd like to keep it that way. Otherwise, I gotta arrest myself and that sounds like a lot of paperwork." "It's good to see you Tony." Steve reaches out and shakes Tony's hand.

The four of us cautiously walk along the corridor, Tony now back in his Iron Man suit. "I got heat signatures." "How many?" "Uh...one?"

We enter a large chamber and the lights come on. We look around at the 5 capsules, each containing an enhanced solider. "If it's any comfort, they died in their sleep." Zemo speaks up over the PA system. I take another look at the capsules and see that each one had been shot in the head. "Did you really think I wanted more of you....I'm grateful to them, though. They brought you here." A light comes on from a distance, reveling Zemo contained in it. Steve hurls his shield but it flies back to him. "Please, Captain. The Soviets built this chamber to withstand the launch blast of UR-100 rockets."

"I'm betting my sister and I could beat that." He lifts his Iron Man mask.

"Oh, I'm sure Ms. Starks powers alone could. She's quite powerful, I read every HYDRA report, truly fascinating. But if you kill me, well, then you'd never know why you came." He states smugly.

"You killed innocent people in Vienna just to bring us here?" Steve questions.

"I've thought about nothing else for over a year. I studied you. I followed you. I didn't expect you to find and fall in love with Taylor Stark in Sokovia, but no matter." Steve studies Zemo through the window for a moment, "You lost someone?"

"I lost everyone Captain. And so will you." Video surveillance footage turns on the small 90's computer screen near us.

Oh my god.

Steve and Tony step closer to the screen. "Tony don't!" I try to grab his arm, but he steps ahead of me.

"An empire toppled over by its enemies can rise again...but one which crumples from within...well...that's dead forever." I keep my eyes focused on Tony as his eyes dart back and forth on the screen. "I know that road. What is this?" He looks to Zemo and then to me, eyes wide.

The video continues playing the crash of December 16th, 1991...when our parents were killed. Tony is getting increasingly uneasy during the video and my eyes start to water. Steve notices and grabs my hand, squeezing it tightly.

On the screen our father slumps dead as The Winter Solder puts him in the driver's seat with his face against the steering wheel. Tony stares at the screen in horror as the Winter Soldier walks around the car, pulling me out and throwing me on the ground before moving to our mother in the passenger seat, strangling her. Tony's eyes never leave the screen. The Winter Solder walks up and aims a gun at the surveillance camera.

The video ends abruptly and Tony turns and lunges at Bucky. Steve quickly stops him. "Tony." Tony turns and looks at me, tears in his eyes, "Did you know?" He directs his question at Steve, eyes never leaving mine. He knows that I knew. That much is clear. "I didn't know it was him Tony." "DON'T bullshit me Rogers!! Did. You. Know.?" Steve lowers his head a little, "yes."

"And you," Tony glares at me, "how could you keep this from me?!" "Tony...please understand...it wasn't him. He didn't have a choice."

"Our parents died at HIS hands...he took you from me. I was left ALONE!" My eyes start to water as he yells. He steps back and reengages the Iron Man helmet on his head. "I'm sorry about this Taylor." He looks at Steve who is standing in front of Bucky, shield in hand, and in a quick motion he blasts me with his repulser sending me flying across the room.

Steve's POV

I watch as Taylor flies across the room and my eyes widen at Tony. He throws a punch at me before quickly deflecting gunfire from Bucky and disarming him. They start to fight and I run over towards Taylor who's knocked out and check her for any injuries. "Tony!" I throw my shield at him, distracting him from Bucky. I run towards him and knock him backwards. He stumbles back as I run over to help Bucky. Tony flies towards us at full speed, knocking both of us down. He keeps blasting until we all fall down a level as metal falls around us.

Taylor's POV

I start to come too and groan as I sit up. I look around and can't see Steve, Tony, or Bucky.

Tony really blasted me with his repulsers. Dick. We are seriously going to need family therapy after this.

"Steve?" I call out. No response. I stand up slowly, a little wobbly, holding onto my side where most of the blast hit me. I look ahead and see Tony flying up quickly towards an exit. My hands start to glow blue as I lift myself up to the platform where Steve, Bucky, and Tony are flighting. I look over and see Bucky laying on the ground with his metal arm blown off and Tony pinning Steve down, throwing punches.

"Tony stop!!!" I yell as I land on the platform next to them. "Please don't make me do this..." I start to cry as I watch Tony repeatedly hit Steve. "TONY!" A huge surge of energy flows through my body and knocks Tony off of Steve and into a wall, the energy damaging his arc reactor. I run over towards Steve and help him up slowly. Tony looks at me horrified, his face bloody and bruised after his fight with Steve. Steve has blood all over his face as well and I place my hand on his cheek. He picks up his shield and walks over to Bucky helping him up.

"That shield doesn't belong to you!" Tony yells from his position on the ground. Steve turns around and looks back at Tony. "You don't deserve it. My father made that shield!" Steve drops the shield and continues walking forward with Bucky's arm around his shoulder.

I stand still for a minute with my back facing Tony, "Taylor..."

I let out a short sob and turn my head back to Tony, "I love you Tony, I'm sorry."

I follow Steve and Bucky out of the exit and onto the jet. Steve sets Bucky down in the back of the jet and rushes over to me. "I'm so sorry." He mumbles over and over again into my hair as I sob into his chest. He keeps me pressed up against him as he leads us into the jet. Steve grabs a blanket from the storage closet in the jet and wraps it around me. I give him a sad smile and he wipes the tears off my face and kisses my forehead, "I love you." "I love you too. I'll be okay." I give him a quick kiss and he goes to the front of the jet to take off.

I sigh and pull out my phone, passing it between my hands for a moment. I sigh and send a quick text.

Taylor
Send someone for Tony.

Fury
Coordinates?

I send Fury the coordinates of Tony's location so that I know he gets home safe. Steve had set the jet in autopilot and came over to me, sitting down next to me. "I spoke to Nat." I lean my head against his shoulder, "what did she say?" Steve sighs and wraps an arm around me. "They have Clint, Scott, Sam, and Wanda at the raft. Scott and Clint are taking a deal from Ross to go home to their families." "Wanda and Sam?" I ask him as I lean further into his side. He kisses my temple, "Well, we're criminals in Ross' eyes anyway...so, we break them out."