MARVEL/DC: DOCTOR IN THE MULTIVERSE

The detention center's tarmac.

As the Winter Soldier burst through the blast door at the end of the corridor, the tactical officers on the tarmac were already moving into position.

Steve chased him to the edge of the landing area.

He saw Bucky's back disappearing toward the perimeter fence.

Steve accelerated and intercepted him from the side.

He slung his shield across his back and stood directly in front of the Winter Soldier, leaving both hands free.

"Bucky."

The Winter Soldier raised his fist.

The metal of the cybernetic left arm reflected the cold sunlight.

"Bucky."

"Look at me."

The fist stopped in midair.

For a second, nothing happened.

Then the mechanical arm slowly lowered.

The Winter Soldier's eyes flickered.

Steve seized the opening.

He grabbed Bucky by both shoulders and drove him to the ground.

The shield came off his back.

He positioned it horizontally across Bucky's cybernetic arm, using its vibranium construction to pin the limb without allowing it to gain leverage.

"Bucky."

"Look at me."

Wanda arrived from behind.

Crimson energy wrapped around the Winter Soldier's arms and legs, forming a secondary restraint.

She kept the pressure deliberately controlled.

She did not want to break his bones while he was still fighting against the conditioning.

Pietro blurred across the tarmac, intercepting the tactical officers attempting to surround them.

"Captain!"

His voice came from several meters away.

"You'd better hurry!"

"I don't want to become a wanted international fugitive because I helped a Winter Soldier!"

Sam landed nearby in the deployed wingsuit.

He folded the wings behind him.

"You're almost there."

Bucky's breathing gradually changed.

Rapid.

Then heavy.

Then slower.

His eyes regained a trace of recognition.

"Steve?"

Steve exhaled.

"It's me."

Bucky looked around.

The blast door had been smashed apart.

Several tactical officers were scattered across the tarmac, stunned rather than seriously injured.

Broken glass covered the ground.

An armored vehicle had been knocked crooked across the access lane.

Bucky's voice was hoarse.

"What did I do?"

"Don't worry about that yet."

Steve kept one hand on his shoulder.

"Tell me."

"What did that man do to you?"

"Why did he activate the Winter Soldier conditioning?"

Bucky's face tightened.

The aftermath was already beginning to hit him.

His head throbbed.

His vision blurred.

Nausea rolled through his stomach.

Fragments of memory kept appearing and disappearing before he could grasp them.

But one detail remained clear.

"Siberia."

Steve's fingers tightened.

"What?"

"He asked me about the HYDRA facility in Siberia."

Bucky swallowed.

"There's something there."

"More Winter Soldiers."

Sam's expression changed.

"More than one?"

Bucky nodded.

"Worse than me."

His eyes dropped.

"They don't have the part of me that remembered who I was."

"They're completely conditioned."

"If Zemo gets control of them..."

He didn't finish.

He didn't need to.

Steve understood.

His eyes moved toward the detention center.

Beyond the shattered doors and damaged corridors, security personnel were reorganizing.

Tony's armor was already deploying.

Rhodey was being carried away on a stretcher.

More armed personnel were moving toward the tarmac.

Natasha stood at the end of the corridor.

"Steve."

"Don't go any farther."

Steve looked at her.

"I have to go to Siberia."

Natasha's expression remained controlled.

"Then give us everything you know."

"The joint task force can handle it."

Steve shook his head.

"You'll put Bucky back into custody first."

"Then you'll wait for authorization."

"You'll wait for the committee."

"You'll debate jurisdiction."

"And while everyone argues..."

He pointed toward the damaged detention center.

"...Zemo will reach the facility."

Natasha didn't answer.

Because she knew the timing problem was real.

Tony's armor emerged from the corridor.

The faceplate opened.

Tony Stark looked exhausted.

Angry.

And very tired of being forced into this position.

"Rogers."

His voice was low.

"If you take Barnes and leave now..."

"There really won't be any turning back."

Steve turned toward him.

"Tony."

"I don't want to fight you."

"Then don't force me."

Bucky's voice came weakly from behind him.

"Steve..."

"Let me stay."

"Don't do this because of me."

"No."

Steve didn't even let him finish.

Black Panther approached from the opposite side of the tarmac.

T'Challa wore the black vibranium suit of the Panther.

The claws extended from his gloves.

His movements were controlled.

His voice was not.

"He's not going anywhere."

"Not with you."

Wanda immediately raised both hands.

A translucent red barrier appeared between T'Challa and Bucky.

T'Challa stopped.

He looked at Wanda.

"Move."

Wanda's breathing was strained, but she didn't step aside.

"No."

T'Challa's voice hardened.

"Do you know what he did?"

Wanda met his gaze.

"I know what it means to be controlled."

"I know that being turned into a weapon doesn't necessarily mean you chose to become one."

T'Challa stared at her.

"The man who killed my father is standing behind you."

Wanda's voice remained quiet.

"Then find out whether he's actually the man who killed him."

The scene was captured by security cameras positioned around the tarmac.

At the same time, a news helicopter had reached the outer perimeter.

Its telephoto equipment was already aimed toward the detention center.

The image would soon be impossible to control.

Scarlet Witch standing between the Black Panther and the Winter Soldier.

Captain America holding his shield.

The international detention facility in the background.

To the public...

The story would be simple.

SCARLET WITCH AIDS WINTER SOLDIER IN ESCAPE

Steve recognized the narrowing window.

"Go!"

He grabbed Bucky.

Sam moved with them.

The three ran toward a reserve helicopter positioned at the far side of the tarmac.

Clint Barton was already there.

The engine was running.

The rotors had begun turning.

Tony stepped forward.

Wanda gritted her teeth.

She thrust both hands toward him.

Crimson chaos magic wrapped around the thrusters of the Iron Man armor.

The power output fluctuated violently.

Tony's systems immediately registered the interference.

He struggled against it.

For approximately two seconds...

His movement was restricted.

Two seconds was enough.

Pietro became a silver blur.

Three guards blocking the helicopter were disarmed and moved aside before they understood what had happened.

Sam jumped into the cockpit.

Steve pushed Bucky inside.

The helicopter lifted.

Tony finally broke through Wanda's interference.

He looked up.

The helicopter was already gaining altitude.

He could catch it.

Easily.

But attacking it wasn't an option.

Not with Steve, Bucky, Sam, and Clint aboard.

Tony stopped.

Natasha stood at the end of the corridor.

Her pistol remained lowered.

T'Challa had reached the edge of the tarmac.

The helicopter was already beyond his immediate reach.

He watched it disappear into the sky.

He said nothing.

Within fifteen minutes, the global news networks had exploded with coverage.

CAPTAIN AMERICA ASSISTS WINTER SOLDIER ESCAPE

SCARLET WITCH INTERFERES WITH INTERNATIONAL DETENTION OPERATION

AVENGERS DIVISION DEEPENS

SOKOVIA ACCORDS FACE MAJOR CRISIS

Medical Room.

Lynn sat beside Rhodey.

A follow-up neurological scan was running across the medical monitor.

The television mounted on the opposite wall displayed the breaking-news headlines.

Lynn glanced toward the screen.

His expression remained calm.

"Very good."

Tony had just walked over.

He stopped.

"What did you say?"

Lynn looked up.

"I said Rhodey's recovering well."

He rotated the scanner in his hand.

"Follow-up examinations are extra."

Tony's expression stiffened.

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