The Man My Father Always Talked About • A CAPTAIN AMERICA STORY

39

~39~

     Tony, Steve, and Bucky watched Zemo while a video buzzed to life on an old monitor beside Clara. She glanced down at it, not paying it much attention, before her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Tony," She mumbled, not being able to speak any louder. Her brother glanced at her before down at the screen where he held the same expression. "That's..." The words couldn't leave Clara's chapped lips as she saw the date buzzing in white numbers in the corner.

"I know that road." Tony started bluntly. "What is this?" The only thing on the video was the empty road before a car suddenly came crashing into a telephone pole. Clara shook her head softly before slowly looking back at the screen. A motorcycle carrying the Winter Solider drove up beside the car before he dismounted it. Steve watched Clara and Tony's increasing unease as they recognized the driver on the ground. Clara held her hand over her mouth in disbelief as she recognized the driver.

"Help my wife. Please. Help." The audio was faint, but Clara could understand it. The Winter Soldier walked over to the injured driver and picked him up by his hair. Clara grabbed ahold of Tony's hand, feeling like the twelve year old girl as she stood in a black dress in front of two caskets. In the video the Winter Soldier pounded his metal fist into the man's face. Every hit felt like a bullet to Clara's heart, making her flinch and cover her mouth in pure disgust. In grief, Tony closed his eyes for a moment. On the screen their father slumped over dead. The Winter Soldier put him in the driver's seat with his face against the stearing wheel. Clara stared in horror as she watched him try and cover up his crime. Then the Winter Soldier walked around to their mother's side and wrapped his fingers around their mother's throat. Clara turned her head as he shot the camera, glaring at Bucky. She was frozen in her spot, and didn't register Steve jumping in front of Tony to stop him from lunging at Bucky.

"Tony. Tony," Steve started as he stood between the two. Tony was to consumed in grief to do anything as his friend and his sister stood between him and his new enemy. Clara looked at Steve, her eyes full of tears...and anger.

"Did you know?" Clara's voice was low, full of sadness and anger, as she looked her lover in the eyes. His blue eyes softened as he tried to show his sympathy.

"I didn't know it was him." Steve pleaded with the reasonable Stark, but she knew he was lying.

"Don't bullshit me, Steve!" Her voice cracked as she yelled at the man she loved. "Did you know?"

Steve sighed before answering, "Yes." Clara looked at him with betrayal. Tony stepped back, his chin jutting upwards twitchily. Tony reengaged his Iron Man helmet as he punched Steve to the floor and deflected gunfire from Bucky, causing the room to fall into chaos. He grabbed Bucky and flew across the chamber. Steve threw his shield right passed Clara and hit Tony, distracting him for a second. Bucky went to punch Tony, but Clara shot at him. Tony raised a fist to punch, but Bucky twisted it back. A rocket shot out of Tony's suit, causing and explosion and parts of the architecture to fall apart. The impact caused the ground under Clara to collapse, and fall back down a level. She landed on her back really hard before she let out a gasp.

"Get out of here!" Clara heard Steve yell. As Bucky bolted, Tony fired at him again, but missed. Clara shot after him, hitting Bucky in the arm and causing him to stumble back. She ran up to him before sliding under him and punched him forwards. He turned around to fight her as she threw her punches. She caught him twice in the cheek before he punched her straight in the chest and knocked her back. She swung at him again, but he caught her glove and tried to crush it with his metal arm. Clara swung her leg under him and knocked him off his feet, but he grabbed her leg on his way down and pulled her from the platform.

She fell from the lowered platform and hit her back on the concrete floor. She rolled over on her side, wiping the blood from her nose as it continued to bleed. Tony flew down beside her before giving her a hand up. Steve landed in front of the two siblings to try to give Bucky some time to escape. Clara looked up as the top of the building started to open up. "It wasn't him, believe me. Hydra had control of his mind!" Steve started to say, but Tony pushed past him.