[The Power Broker]
The Avengers made their way to Berlin, Germany to talk to Zemo. They arrived at a prison and were led down a corridor by a guard.
"He's just through that corridor," the guard informed, looking back to the three.
"Give us a sec," Bucky replied as the guard walked away. "I'm gonna go in alone."
Rosie met her husband's eyes. "I'm going with you."
"Why?" Sam asked, looking Bucky up and down as he pocketed his hands.
"Because you're both Avenger," Bucky reasoned. "You know how he feels about that. Rosie, I don't think that's a good idea."
"It's not like you three were known for frolicking in the sun together," Sam said.
"He was obsessed with HYDRA. We have a history together. I got it. Rosie, stay with Sam, okay? I'll be back soon."
"Buck-" Rosie began.
"For the sake of our child, please."
She sighed and nodded. "Okay. Just don't do anything stupid."
He smiled and walked away.
Bucky followed after the guard and as he continued down the corridor, it grew progressively darker. The guard said codes to the camera to get them further in and the door opened with a buzz. Bucky went into the room. The walls seemed to have barbs sticking out. There was a glass door and wall. A rectangular ray of light shined on the ground, which held Zemo's feet and hands.
As Bucky walked closer to the glass, Zemo began saying in Russian, "Longing. Rusted." He stood, revealing his face. "Seventeen."
Bucky answered in English, "Those days are over."
"I know. I just wanted to see how the new you reacts to the old words." He walked up to the glass and studied Bucky. "Something is still in there. But there is also a light there."
Bucky smiled as he thought of Rosie and their child. "A rose and a miracle among the thorns."
"At least you were not conscious for most of your imprisonment."
"That time wasn't exactly a picnic."
"For what it's worth, I'm sorry. It was never personal. You and your wife were simply a means to a necessary end."
"Someone is recreating the Super Soldier serum. I need to find out who."
"You are assuming HYDRA has something to do with this, which is why you came to me, which means you are desperate. Luckily, I know where to begin."
"What's the book you're reading?"
"Machiavelli."
As he left, Bucky pulled a tiny scroll from his pocket. He tossed the scroll on a table and left.
He rejoined Sam and Rosie and told them about an address he'd gotten from Zemo about a possible lead. The three looked around the warehouse with flashlights.
Bucky glanced at Sam and Rosie before saying, "I want to break Zemo out of jail."
Sam shook his head. "What are you talking about? What do you mean you wanna break Zemo out outta jail? Have you lost your mind?"
"We have no leads, no moves, nothing." Bucky looked around with his flashlight while trying to find a light switch.
"What we have is one of the most dangerous men in the world behind bars," Rosie reminded him.
"And we also have eight Super Soldiers that are loose."
Sam frowned. "Zemo is gonna mess with our minds, especially yours and Rosie's. No offense."
Bucky turned on the lights and he and Rosie turned off their flashlights before retorting, "Offense."
"So tell me. What are you gonna do if he messes with Rosie's mind?"
"I'm not gonna let that happen," Bucky said.
Rosie glanced between them. "Super Soldiers go against everything he believes in."
Bucky met her eyes. "He's crazy, but he still has a code."
"Yeah, and I've been on the wrong side of the code, Buck, so has Rosie, and so have you," Sam shot back. "He blew up the UN, killed King T'Chaka and framed you for it. Did you forget that? You think the Wakandans forgot about it? It's a rhetorical question, they didn't. I know why this matters to you, but it's pushing you off the deep end."
Rosie silently weighed their options, then said, "I don't like the idea, but I think the best thing is to go with Bucky's idea."
"You're kidding, right?"
"No, I'm not kidding. Yes, I'm know he's crazy. Yes, I know he trigged me and Bucky years ago. But he also knows things we don't. Sometimes we have to go with the less pleasurable option to get to the better result."
"Rosie, you also have that serum running through your veins. Who's to say he won't go after you? Or even Bucky?"
"Concern duly noted, but you know as well as I do that this is our best option. I can take care of myself."
Sam turned to Bucky. "Clearly reasoning with Rosie isn't working. I know why this matters to you, but it's pushing you off the deep end."
"Sam, we don't know how they're gettin' the serum," Bucky told him. "We don't even know how many of them there are. Look, let me just walk you through a hypothetical. Can I walk you through a hypothetical?"
"What did you do?" Sam and Rosie asked.
"I didn't... do anything."
"James, what did you do?" Rosie questioned.
"The weakest point in a system in any system isn't the software, the hardware, it's the meatware. The human element. Now, in this lockup, it's nine to one, prisoners to guards. And if two prisoners start fighting, then the protocol says four guards have to respond."
"So why would two prisoners randomly start fighting?" Sam asked.
Bucky shook his head slightly with an innocent look. "Who knows? There could be many reasons..." Bucky left the prison and he tossed a rolled note onto a table that he'd written to one of the prisoners, which said 'He will kill you tonight. Kill him first'. "But the point is, these things escalate. Lockdown procedures would have to be initiated, and with all those bodies flying around left and right, it wouldn't be hard to slip down a hallway or two." Bucky continued after a moment. "And if the fire alarm got tripped while the prisoners were being separated... someone would use the chaos to their advantage."
"I don't like how casual you're bein' about this. And clearly Rosie doesn't either. This is unnatural. Are you... And where are we, man?"
A door opened and someone walked in. Rosie glanced at the plastic curtain as the silhouette moved closer.
"Whoa. Whoa. Whoa," Sam protested, trying to go after Zemo. "What are you doing here?"
"No, listen," Bucky told him. "I didn't wanna tell either of you 'cause I knew you two wouldn't let it happen."
"What did you do?"
"We need him, Sam."
"You're going back to prison!"
"If I may..." Zemo began.
"No!" Sam, Bucky and Rosie yelled, pointing aggressively at Zemo.
Zemo nodded. "Apologies."
Bucky turned back to Sam and Rosie. "When Steve refused to sign the Sokovia Accords, you backed him. You broke the law, and you stuck your neck out for me and Rosie. I'm asking you to do it again. I don't need to ask if Rosie trusts me."
"I really think I'm invaluable..."
Rosie frowned as she and Sam said, "Shut up."
Sam and Rosie shared a look before the former turned back to Bucky and said, "Okay. If we do this, you don't make a move without our permission."
Zemo nodded. "Fair."
"Okay, Zemo, where do we start?"
---
Zemo led the group further into the building. As they walked into another room, he turned the light on to reveal a room full of cars.
Sam frowned and said, "So our first move is grand theft auto?"
"These are mine," Zemo told him. "Collected by family over the generations. I spent years hunting people HYDRA recruited to recreate the serum. Because once it's out there, someone can create an army of people... like the Avengers."
Rosie let out a frustrated sigh. "You do remember that two of the Avengers are Super Soldiers, right?"
Zemo pulled out a purple mask, a coat, and looked between them. "I ended the Winter Soldier program once before. I have no intention to leave my work unfinished. To do this, we'll have to scale a ladder of lowlifes."
"Well, join the party," Sam told him. "We've already started."
"First stop is a woman named Selby. Mid-level fence I still have a line on. From there, we climb."
The four walked out of the warehouse. Rosie shielded her eyes so she wouldn't be blinded. Zemo had changed into a sweater and trench coat.
They walked out to a private jet and Sam asked, "So all this time you've been rich?"
"I am a Baron, Sam," Zemo replied. "My family was royalty until your friends destroyed my country."
Zemo walked up to the older man standing outside the plane and Zemo said in Russian, "Hello, Oeznik."
"Welcome, gentlemen, lady," Oeznik replied, also in Russian.
"Old friend." The two kissed each other on the cheek.
Zemo glanced back to the Avengers. "Please." He led them into the plane.
The four settled into their seats and Rosie sat next to Bucky.
Oeznik appeared with a glass of champagne, handed it to Zemo and said, "Apologies if that's a little warm, the fridge is out. But I will see if there is some good food in the galley."
Zemo smelled the drink and said in Sokovian, "If it doesn't pass the smell test..." he jerked his head towards Sam, "give it to them."
Oeznik chuckled replying in English, "It's good to have you back, sir." He walked into the galley.
Zemo took a sip of his champagne before saying, "You don't know what it's like to be locked in a cell." He glanced at Sam. "Oh. That's right. You do."
Sam let out a sigh. "Why don't you tell us about where we're going?"
"I'm sorry," Zemo replied, shaking his head as he glanced at a pamphlet. "I was just fascinated by this. I don't know what to call it, but this part seems to be important." He picked up Bucky's notebook from the pamphlets. "Who is Nakajima?"
Bucky narrowed his eyes, lunged at Zemo and put a hand to his throat. "If you touch that again, I'll kill you." He took his notebook back.
"I'm sorry," Zemo apologized. "I understand that list. People you've wronged as the Winter Soldier. I imagine your wife would like to make amends for people she wronged as the Temporal Rose."
Bucky and Rosie glared. "Don't push it."
"I've seen that book," Sam noted.
"It was Steve's," Rosie said.
"Yeah, it was his when he came out of the ice. I told him about Trouble Man. He wrote it in that book. Did you hear it?"
Bucky shrugged. "I like '40s music, so..."
Rosie nodded. "I'm especially partial to Frank Sinatra."
"You two didn't like it?" Sam asked.
"I liked it," Bucky said.
"It is a masterpiece, James, Rosie," Zemo told them as he placed his hands in a small pyramid. "Complete. Comprehensive. It captures the African-American experience."
Sam looked between Zemo, Bucky and Rosie. "He's out of line, but he's right. It's great. Everyone loves Marvin Gaye."
"I like Marvin Gaye," Bucky protested.
"Steve adored Marvin Gaye."
"You must have really looked up to Steve," Zemo said as he picked up his drink again. "But I realized something when I met him. The danger with people like them, America's Super Soldiers, is that we put them on pedestals."
Rosie narrowed her eyes him. "Watch it, Zemo."
Zemo continued. "They become symbols. Icons. And then we start to forget about their flaws. From there, cities fly, innocent people die. Movements are formed, wars are fought." He looked at Bucky and Rosie. "You two remember that, right? As a young soldier sent to Germany to stop a mad icon. Do we want to live in a world full of people like the Red Skull?" He shook his head. "That is why we're going to Madripoor."
"What's up with Madripoor?" Sam asked. "You guys talk about it like it's Skull Island."
Bucky and Rosie exchanged a look before the former replied, "It's an island nation in the Indonesian archipelago. It was a pirate sanctuary back in the 1800s."
"It's kept its lawless ways," Zemo added. "But we cannot exactly walk in as ourselves." Zemo looked at Bucky and Rosie. "James, Rosie, you two will have to become someone you claim is gone."
Bucky and Rosie shared a worried look. The furthest thing they wanted to do was become the monikers tainted with so much red.