Babysitting a Superhero (Stark's daughter X Peter Parker)

50. Bridges Burnt

"Well, that sounds like a lot of paperwork," Steve said, finally lowering his shield, slightly.

Tony scoffed in agreement and Steve took that as his final confirmation, he put his shield to his side, "It's good to see you, Tony."

"You too, Cap," Tony looked up at Bucky who was still holding his gun firmly up. "Hey, Manchurian Candidate, you're killing me. This is a truce here, you can drop..."

Steve held up his hand to tell Bucky that it was okay and he finally put down the gun.

Steve turned back to Tony, "How's the kid?"

"She's upset. But that's to be expected. You guys are her family. She doesn't like how everything's ended up."

"Does she...?"

"Does she what? Know I'm here?"

Steve nodded once.

"Of course she does. She's back at the compound keeping the wraps on this whole..." he gestured between the three of them, "thing. She sends her regards."

Steve nodded.

"What are we waiting for? Christmas? Let's go," Tony said, gesturing for Steve to lead the way.

—————

The three unlikely teammates made their way into a large, dark room. The door was wide open, but the lights had all been switched off.

Unbeknownst to them, the Black Panther also lurked behind a nearby wall, watching as he waited for his perfect moment to strike at Barnes.

"I got heat signatures," Tony said.

"How many?" Cap asked.

"Uh... one," Tony said, unsure.

They stepped into the middle of the room and watched as the suspension chambers for the winter soldiers lit up a sickly shade of orange.

In each chamber, some kind of gas leaked through the top and circulated inside and as they walked closer to the chambers they noticed the bullet holes.

Right in the centre of their foreheads, each and every one of them.

"If it's any comfort," the attention was drawn away from the dead figures and towards the unmistakable voice of Zemo. "They died in their sleep."

They walked around the room, looking at each of the chambers, perhaps it was a trick. But the bullet wounds were very real.

"Did you really think I wanted more of you?" Zemo's voice sounded.

Bucky tightened his grip on his gun, "What the hell?"

"I'm grateful to them, though," Zemo continued. "They brought you here."

Then they heard a click; a light switching on and Zemo's face appearing in a window opposite them.

Tony held up his repulsor and Steve threw his shield without hesitation, but it instantly rebounded off of the wall and back to him.

"Please, Captain," more lights turned on, lighting up the whole room. "The Soviets built this chamber to withstand the launch blast of UR-100 rockets."

"I'm betting I could beat that," Tony said as they all stepped around the machine in the centre.

Bucky averted his eyes from his torture machine, unwanted memories threatening to return to him.

"Oh, I'm sure you could, Mr Stark. Given time. But then you'd never know why you came."

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

The Black Panther looked down, realisation finally taking over. He had been wrong about Barnes.