BERLIN - DAY
Traffic rolled around the victory column. A police convoy drove beside the river Spree. Amidst the convoy was a gray armed truck. Inside, Bucky wore restraints inside a prison pod. Three armed guards sat on the other side of the glass-walled pod. A police motorbike stopped traffic and a van driver looked affronted. The convoy turned a corner onto a bridge across the river. In an SUV, T'Challa sat in front of Steve, who was next to Anneliese.
"So, you like cats?" Sam asked.
"Sam," Steve called.
"What? Dude shows up dressed like a cat and you don't wanna know more?"
"Your suit... it's Vibranium?"
T'Challa's eyes narrowed as he glanced sideways and said, "The Black Panther has been the protector of Wakanda for generations. A mantle, passed from warrior to warrior. And now, because your friend murdered my father, I also wear the mantle of king. So, I ask you... as warrior and king... how long do you think you can keep your friend safe from me?" Steve was stone-faced as the convoy headed underground.
---
In a light gray walled bunker, Bucky's pod was carried away by a forklift. Nearby, Steve and Anneliese got out of the SUV and glanced across at Bucky who didn't spot them. Steve, Sam, Anneliese and T'Challa approached Sharon who was standing with a diminutive, gray-haired man.
"What's gonna happen to him?" Steve and Anneliese, who signed, asked.
"Same thing that ought to happen to you," Everett Ross replied. "Psychological evaluation and extradition."
"This is Everett Ross, Deputy Task Force Commander," Sharon introduced.
"What about our lawyer?" Steve asked.
"Lawyer," Everett repeated. "That's funny. See their weapons are placed in lockup. Oh, we'll write you a receipt."
"I better not look out the window and see anybody flying around in that," Sam said.
As they went, Steve and Anneliese looked back and caught Bucky's eye.
COVERED SKY WALK
"You'll be provided with an office instead of a cell," Secretary Ross said. "Now, do me a favor, stay in it?"
"I don't intend on going anywhere," T'Challa retorted.
"For the record, this is what making things worse looks like," Natasha stated.
"He's alive," Steve shot back.
Tony, on his phone, said, "No. Romania was not Accords-sanctioned. And, Colonel Rhodes is supervising cleanup."
"Try not to break anything while we fix this," Natasha told Steve and Anneliese.
"Consequences? You bet there'll be consequences. Obviously you can quote me on that 'cause I just said it. Anything else? Thank you, sir."
"'Consequences'?" Steve repeated.
"Secretary Ross wants you each prosecuted. Had to give him something."
"I'm not getting that shield back, am I?" Steve realized.
"Technically, it's the government's property," Natasha replied. "Wings, too."
"That's cold," Sam stated.
"Warmer than jail," Tony shot back.
Anneliese huffed. 'Bucky has been through more than enough. Why does he have to go through more?'
POWER STATION SURROUNDED BY TREES
The van with the driver who was affronted by the police convoy pulled up by the open gate. Scowling, he put the parking break on and picked up a clipboard.
The Delivery Truck Driver said, "Das kann nicht richtig sein. Was zum Teufel?
(This can't be right. What the hell?)
SECURED CHAMBER
A guard connected a pipe to Bucky's prison pod. The lights inside dimmed for a moment.
GLASS-WALLED OFFICE
Tony found Steve and Anneliese inside overlooking the control room and said, "Hey, you wanna see something cool? I pulled something from Dad's archives. Felt timely." He showed them two pens in a black presentation box. "FDR signed the Lend-Lease bill with these in 1941. Provided support to the Allies when they needed it most."
"Some would say it brought our country closer to war," Steve returned.
"See? If not for these, you wouldn't be here. I'm trying to... what do you call it? That's an olive branch. Is that what you call it?"
"Is Pepper here? Lisie and I didn't see her."
"We're kinda... well, not kinda..."
"Pregnant?"
"No. Definitely not. We're taking a break. It's nobody's fault."
"I'm so sorry, Tony. I didn't know."
"A few years ago, I almost lost her, so I trashed all my suits. Then, we had to mop up HYDRA... and then Ultron. My fault. And then, and then, and then, I never stopped. Because the truth is I don't wanna stop. I don't wanna lose her. I thought maybe the Accords could split the difference." Tony stood and paced. "In her defense, I'm a handful. Yet, Dad was a pain in the ass, but he and Mom always made it work."
"You know, I'm glad Howard got married. Lisie and I only knew him when he was young and single."
"Oh, really? You three knew each other? He never mentioned that. Maybe only a thousand times. God, I hated you."
"I don't mean to make things difficult."
"I know, because you're a very polite person."
"If I see a situation pointed south... I can't ignore it. Neither can Lisie. Sometimes I wish I could."
"No, you don't."
Steve smiled thinly before replying, "No, I don't. Sometimes..."
"Sometimes I wanna punch you in your perfect teeth. But I don't wanna see you gone. We need you, Cap. We need you too, Anneliese. So far, nothing's happened that can't be undone, if you sign. We can make the last 24 hours legit. Barnes gets transferred to an American psych-center... instead of a Wakandan prison."
Anneliese narrowed her eyes. 'Sentence an innocent man to prison? I won't do it.'
"Is he really that innocent?"
Her eyes narrowed further. 'In this case, yes. Why can't you people see the truth?!'
Steve glanced at his friend and frowned thoughtfully before picking up one of the fountain pens. He stood and paced, then turned to Tony. In the control room beyond, there were multiple screens on the walls. "I'm not saying it's impossible, but there would have to be safeguards."
"Sure. Once we put out the PR fire, those documents can be amended. I'd file a motion to have you and Wanda reinstated..."
"Wanda? What about Wanda?"
"She's fine. She's confined to the compound, currently. Vision's keeping her company."
"Oh God, Tony. Every time. Every time I think you see things the right way..."
"What? It's a 100 acres with a lap pool. It's got a screening room. There's worse ways to protect people."
"Protection? Is that how you see this? This is protection? It's internment, Tony."
"She's not a US citizen."
"Oh, come on, Tony."
"And they don't grant visas to weapons of mass destruction."
"She's a kid!"
"Give me a break! I'm doing what has to be done... to stave off something worse."
Steve nodded faintly. "You keep telling yourself that." He put the pen down and said, "Hate to break up the set." He left the office, followed by Anneliese, and rueful Tony, who had put on his glasses, watched Bucky on one of the control room's screens.
---
Helmut Zemo sat at a desk facing Bucky's pod. Inside, Bucky was still restrained. "Hello, Mr. Barnes," Zemo greeted. "I've been sent by the United Nations to evaluate you. Do you mind if I sit?" He sat across from Bucky. "Your first name is James?"
---
Sharon, in an office with Sam, Anneliese and Steve, said, "The receipt for your gear."
"'Bird costume'? Come on," Sam protested.
"I didn't write it," Sharon shot back as she pushed a button which stopped the restriction on the audio from Bucky's evaluation.
Zemo said, "I'm not here to judge you. I just want to ask you a few questions. Do you know where you are, James? I can't help you if you don't talk to me, James."
"My name is Bucky," he retorted, finally looking up.
POWER STATION
The van driver honked and looked impatient while watching the custodian's hut's front door.
The Delivery Truck Driver called, "Hallo?" The custodian came outside and the driver came out of his van. "Hey. Ich hab eine große für dich." He opened the van's back doors and removed a large wooden crate. "Ja. Okay, hier unterzeichnen."
(Hello? ; Hey. I have a big one for you. ; Okay. Here. Just sign here.)
"Hier?" the custodian asked.
(Here?)
"Ja."
(Yeah.)
The custodian signed for the crate.
UN BUNKER
Steve studied the blurry photograph of the man who bombed the congress in Vienna.
"Why would the Task Force release this photo to begin with?" Steve asked.
"Get the word out, involve as many eyes as we can?" Sharon guessed.
"Right. It's a good way to flush a guy out of hiding. Set off a bomb, get your picture taken. Get seven billion people looking for the Winter Soldier."
"You're saying someone framed him to find him."
"Steve, we looked for the guy for two years and found nothing," Sam reminded him.
"We didn't bomb the UN. That turns lots of heads."
"Yeah, but that doesn't guarantee that whoever framed him would get him," Sharon said. "It guarantees that we would." Her gaze fell on the evaluator in the screen and her eyes narrowed.
Steve and Anneliese frowned and looked around before the former said, "Yeah."
SECRET CHAMBER
"Tell me, Bucky," Zemo said. "You've seen a great deal, haven't you?"
"I don't wanna talk about it," Bucky replied.
"You fear that... if you open your mouth, the horrors might never stop. Don't worry." Zemo got a message on his screen: 'message inbox:1' and touched it; 'status: package delivered'. "We only have to talk about one."
POWER STATION
The custodian opened the crate. Finding Zemo's large device inside, he looked confused. The driver was at the back door of his van.
"Hey, was ist das?" the custodian asked.
(Hey. What is this?)
The Delivery Truck Driver replied, "Ich weiß es nicht."
(I don't know.)
The device erupted. A bubble of energy engulfed the power station and sparks flew. In the city, traffic lights failed. In the bunker, the lights went out.
BUNKER
"Great," Secretary Ross muttered. "Come on, guys, get me eyes on Barnes. Go."
"F.R.I.D.A.Y., get me the source of that outage," Tony ordered.
OFFICE
"Sub-level 5, east wing," Sharon said.
T'Challa, who had been looking at his phone, spotted Steve, Anneliese and Sam bolting.
BUCKY'S POD
"What is this?" Bucky asked.
"Why don't we discuss your home?" Zemo suggested. "Not Romania. Certainly not Brooklyn, no. I mean, your real home." Zemo removed his glasses, then walked towards Bucky reading from the red book by flashlight. "Желание."
(Longing.)
Bucky shut his eyes. "No." His head snapped back.
"Ржавый."
(Rusted.)
"Stop."
"Семнадцать."
(Seventeen.)
Bucky's metal arm trembled in its restraint. "Stop." He sneered angrily.
"Рассвет."
(Daybreak.)
Bucky screamed, clenched his fist and ripped free of his restraints.
"Печь. Девять."
(Furnace. ; Nine.)
Bucky thumped the inside of the pod.
"Добросердечный."
(Benign.)
Bucky punched harder.
"Возвращение на Родину. Один. Грузовой вагон."
(Homecoming. ; One. ; Freight Car.)
Bucky battered the front of the pod with his metal fist and the glass screen flew clear. Zemo slowly rounded the pod with the book and the flashlight in hand. He stood before Bucky who straightened, a dark frown on his face.
"Солдат?"
(Soldier?)
"Я готов отвечать," Bucky replied.
(Ready to comply.)
"Mission report. December 16, 1991."