Stars

2: 11

"Help my wife," Howard said. "Please. Help." The Winter Soldier walked over and hoisted him up by his hair. She stared at Howard's bloody face. Howard stared back pleadingly.

"Private Stewart?" Howard realized.

"Howard!" Maria called. Tony glared at Flora. The Winter Soldier pounded Howard hard in the face with her metal fist.

"Howard!" In grief, Tony closed his eyes for a moment. His father slumped dead. The Winter Soldier put him in the driver's seat with his face against the steering wheel. Tony stared in horror. Maria was in the passenger seat with blood streaking down her face. The Winter Soldier walked around and she gripped her throat. Expressionless, she strangled Maria. Tony watched the screen, stunned. Flora watched with tears in her eyes, ashamed by what she'd done. Bucky placed a protective arm in front of her. The Winter Soldier walked up and aimed a gun at the surveillance camera. Steve and Bucky watched Tony anxiously. Tony lunged towards Flora, but Steve stopped him.

"No, Tony," Steve said. "Tony."

Tony, consumed with grief and tears glistening in his eyes, turned and looked at Steve and Bucky before asking, "Did you two know?"

"We didn't know it was her."

"Don't bullshit me, Rogers! Did you and Barnes know?"

"Yes."

Tony stepped back, his chin jutting upwards and twitchy. Tony reengaged the Iron Man helmet. He punched Steve to the floor and deflected gunfire from Bucky and Flora, disarming them. He grabbed Flora and she flew across the chamber. He slammed her onto the floor, then jumped on her arms. Steve's shield hit Iron Man, distracting him. Steve barged him backwards. Iron Man shouldered him to the floor and shackled his ankles. Bucky and Flora punched Iron Man who just lifted her and slammed her against a machine. Iron Man raised a fist, but Bucky twisted it. A rocket shot out of Iron Man's arm and a fireball exploded. Steve sliced his shackles as a towering structure of pipework collapsed. Tony, Flora and Bucky were thrown down a level as twisted metal fell around them, showering sparks. Bucky dove to cover Flora, protecting her.

Steve said to Flora, "Get out of here! Buck, go with her!" As Bucky and Flora bolted, Iron Man fired, but missed. Steve landed in front of him. Bucky hit a control panel and the silo-styled door overhead started to open. Steve continued. "It wasn't her, Tony. HYDRA had control of her mind!"

"Move!" Tony ordered.

"It wasn't her!" Steve yelled before he grabbed Iron Man's ankle in mid-air and smashed it. Iron Man blocked Steve by shooting down rubble, then falteringly flew up the tower.

F.R.I.D.A.Y. said, "Left boot jet failing. Flight systems compromised."

"Ah crap," Tony muttered.

Above him, Bucky and Flora leapt from platform to platform. With stuttering jets, Iron Man gave chase, then kicked Bucky and Flora and took aim, but the energy bold rebounded off Steve's shield onto himself. Iron Man dropped like a stone and landed on a lower platform.

"He's not going to stop," Steve told his friends. "Go."

As Iron Man soared upwards, Steve leapt and shot a wire which wrapped around Iron Man's neck and dragged him back down. He deflected Steve's shield, then tried to target Flora.

"Come on, come on," Tony said.

F.R.I.D.A.Y. informed, "Targeting system's knackered, boss."

"I'm eyeballing it." His helmet retracted and he shut one eye, taking aim at the opening hatch. He fired and hit the giant hinge which exploded, cutting of Bucky and Flora's escape route. Bucky and Flora fell, the former holding her to shield her fall. Iron Man flew up, blocked two swings from an iron pipe from Bucky, then grabbed Flora around the neck from behind while putting a foot on Bucky to keep him from interfering. "Do you even remember them?"