"Things are not as simple as you think,"
"And I just happen to have a sharp mind,"
"So here I am."
Tony tapped his head with exaggerated flair.
Thump, thump, thump, thump…
Just as the three of them relaxed their guard, the sudden sound of an electric motor starting echoed through the space, and all the lights in the laboratory snapped on at once.
"Avengers."
"Superheroes—how are you all doing?"
A dull voice came from deeper inside.
Captain America, Bucky, and Tony moved forward and looked up. Above them was a massive pane of transparent glass, stained and clouded, as if it had been abandoned for a long time. A man stood behind the glass, watching them.
"Yes, that's right, it's him,"
"He was the one who got me out of the interrogation room,"
"That was HYDRA's order."
Bucky grew agitated when he saw the man's face clearly.
"Who are you, and what are you trying to do?"
"You framed me?"
Bucky demanded.
Tony and Captain America were both frowning. Why were all the Winter Soldiers dead except for Bucky? Who was the man in front of them, and what was he trying to accomplish? Was all of this his conspiracy? It felt as though they had been deliberately led here.
"Hahahaha, don't be afraid, don't be afraid,"
"I won't control you anymore, don't worry."
"If you're smart enough, you should have guessed that I lured you here on purpose,"
"You're quite impressive as well."
Tony took two steps forward and replied. Nonsense. You may be smart, but who among the people here is a fool? Reality is not what you imagine—rich people do not necessarily look like idiots.
"Oh hahaha, take it easy, Tony,"
"You know me?"
"I definitely know you. Not only you—I know your father as well."
"Howard Stark!"
"Do you remember how your father died?"
"What the hell are you trying to do!"
…
Captain America seemed to suddenly sense something terribly wrong. He hurled the shield in his hand with full force, trying to shatter the glass and seize Zemo.
However, under Captain America's all-out strike, the glass remained completely intact—not a single crack appeared.
"Oh? Are you running out of breath?"
"It seems I'm telling the truth that certain people want to hide. Hahaha."
After speaking, Zemo switched on a tape recorder beside him. Instantly, the broadcast echoed throughout the entire laboratory.
"Father? J.A.R.V.I.S?"
"Huh? That voice—is that… Bucky?"
From the voices alone, Tony could clearly recognize his father's voice, the voice of his personal butler J.A.R.V.I.S, and Bucky's voice.
And from the sounds, Tony could already guess what had happened—and how it ended. His biological father had actually been killed by Bucky, and Tony had been kept in the dark all along.
"Is what's playing on the recorder real?"
Tony asked Captain America solemnly.
"Oh, listen—shit, Tony. You didn't know your father was killed by your good friend's comrade-in-arms, did you?"
"Let me guess. Steve must have told you your father died in a car accident, right?"
"Why did Steve lie to you? The whole world knows the truth—so why didn't he let you know?"
"My dear, think about it."
After finishing his words, he turned around and left the room directly.
The tape recorder and speakers continued to play on a loop, Howard Stark's screams echoing again and again as he was killed. The air froze instantly. The entire environment felt like it was filled with barrels of gasoline, ready to explode at any moment.
Tony's breathing grew heavier and heavier as he struggled to suppress his emotions.
"Is what's playing here real?"
Tony said calmly, but anyone who knew him well could tell he was already on the edge of fury.
Anyone who learned that their biological father had been killed by a good friend—and that they had been deceived all along—could not possibly remain calm. Tony knew that reaching this point already meant he was barely holding himself together.
If his father were still alive, not to mention how great his achievements might have been, at the very least he would never have let Tony live like this—dependent on an arc reactor just to survive each day, neither fully human nor machine. Tony sometimes even dreamed that one day he would become a complete robot.
"Tony, listen to me,"
"I didn't—"
"Okay, stop talking,"
"It's a pity I trusted you so completely. A car accident? Heh…"
"Since the murderer is right here,"
"Then I'll take my revenge today."
Originally, Tony had been skeptical of Zemo's words. But after hearing Captain America's evasive response, there was no longer any doubt—Zemo had been telling the truth.
The moment the words fell, Tony raised his arm and fired at Bucky.
…
Captain America did not back down either. Everyone has a responsibility to protect their brothers. Shield raised, he blocked the attack, refusing to yield.
"Oh, it's fighting, it's fighting,"
"Perfect timing."
At some point, Blaine had arrived in the laboratory. Once his Shadow Stealth technique activated, he became a dedicated spectator again.
"Mm, yeah—uppercut,"
"Nice, left hook,"
"Hit him, Tony,"
"Oh, Tony, your missiles are useless,"
"Head soldiers, watch out for sneak attacks."
Even without popcorn or soda, this did nothing to dampen Blaine's enthusiastic commentary.
At first, Tony was at a disadvantage against the combined assault of Captain America and Bucky. Bucky nearly managed to claw at Tony's helmet, while Captain America focused on striking Tony's engines and launchers, preventing him from taking off or firing missiles.
The three fought as they moved—from the laboratory, to the outside, and then up onto the rooftop interior. In the end, Tony simply blasted the area with an explosive, sealing off Bucky's path of retreat. At this point, someone was bound to go down.
However, Bucky was ultimately handicapped by the loss of one arm, and his combat strength was greatly reduced. Just as he grit his teeth and lunged for Tony's helmet again, he was struck by a powerful laser beam fired from the reactor on Tony's chest.
Only a groan escaped his mouth as he collapsed to the ground, completely losing the ability to continue fighting.
Seeing his friend incapacitated, Captain America erupted with fury. A relentless combination of punches followed, leaving Tony able only to block, with no chance to counterattack.
"Sir, you can't fight him bare-handed,"
"You should use a weapon…"
"FRIDAY, help me analyze his combat patterns."
"Ding. Analyzing combat gestalt."
As Tony fed Captain America's combat habits and techniques into the system, he instantly gained the advantage of someone who knew both himself and his opponent.
Captain America saw Tony being forced back again and again, finally driving him into a corner.
*************************************
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