Frostbite

Fifteen

I could hear them fighting from behind me, but I kept on going, uncaring. The rage I felt slowly taking back over. The doors were still open as I reached the lobby once more. A figure outside caught my eye and I almost stumbled as I realized who it was.

I stalked after Zemo as he made his way out into the snowy terrain. The storm had died down during our time underground but began picking up again as I crossed the plain silently. He sat on one of the rocks overlooking the land below us and pulled out his phone, placing it up to his ear.

Without a sound I pulled out my gun, approaching his back easily. He lowered the phone, and I pressed the barrel to his skull. He didn't try to stop me, didn't even move a muscle.

"Tell me why I shouldn't kill you right here," I spat in a tone that I had never heard come out of me before. Someone should pay, why not him? He had killed plenty of innocent people and known exactly what he was doing.

"I don't think you have it in you to kill me in cold blood," he mused, still refusing to face me.

I chuckled darkly, "That was before I watched both of my parents murdered."

"Don't you mean before you had your heart broken by Captain Rogers? You can accept what happened to them; Sergeant Barnes wasn't of his own mind. But your fiancé... You can't forgive that kind of betrayal."

His words bounced around in my head, jumbling my thoughts. He was right, but I didn't back down. Snow crunched from behind us, alerting me to someone else's presence. I peered over my shoulder, eyes widening at the man there. T'Challa laid his helmet in the snow, holding his hands up to show he came in peace.

"You don't want to do this," he told me softly, "I almost killed the wrong man. I want this one to pay for what he has done, but not like this."

"He was hardly an innocent one," Zemo murmured. I huffed, pressing the gun harder against him.

"This is all you wanted? To see them rip each other apart?" T'Challa asked curiously.

"My father lived outside the city. I thought we would be safe there. My son was excited. He could see the Iron Man from the car window. I told my wife, 'Don't worry. They are fighting in the city. We're miles from harm.' When the dust cleared... and the screaming stopped. It took me two days until I found their bodies. My father... still holding my wife and son in his arms. And the Avengers? They went home. I knew I couldn't kill them. More powerful men than me have tried. But- if I could get them to kill each other... I'm sorry about your father. He seemed a good man. With a dutiful son."

I paused, taken aback by his story. Yet, he had willingly sacrificed innocent lives to fulfill his plan. The monster inside me reared its head again, cold and vengeful.

Without another thought, I pulled the trigger. I was suddenly knocked aside by T'Challa, making my shot go wide. The gun fell into a pile of snow, and I whirled on him angrily.

"Vengeance is consuming them," he gestured toward the facility behind us, "It has consumed me for far too long. Don't let it consume you as well, Miss Stark. I think you are a person who would regret doing something so harsh. Don't let him win," he reasoned with me. I bit my lip, realizing he was right. I took a moment to compose myself again.

"Thank you," I sighed, my shoulders sagging as I backed away from Zemo. T'challa wanted to turn him over, but what would happen to us who broke the accords? There was an explosion from the rocky base and fear crept into me as I realized they wouldn't stop until someone was dead. I'd have to go back and stop them myself. An idea popped into my head.

"Can I ask a favor of you?" I requested half-heartedly, eyeing the new king, unsure if he'd like what I had in mind.

"Yes, just tell me what it is."