Chapter 1
Bucky Barnes stood at the entrance of the Sokovian prison, his arms crossed as he waited for his old foe, Helmut Zemo. He had been tasked with escorting Zemo to a high-security prison in the United States after his capture in Sokovia.
As he waited, he couldn't help but reflect on the long-standing conflict he had with Zemo. He had first come face to face with Zemo years ago when he was still the Winter Soldier, on a mission in Sokovia. The two had battled fiercely, but ultimately, Zemo had escaped, and Bucky had been left with a deep searing hatred for the man.
Now, as he saw Zemo emerging from the prison gates, his heart raced with anger, but he concealed it well. Zemo looked different, with his signature fur coat and hat gone, and a prison jumpsuit in their place. His face was uncharacteristically calm and serene, almost at peace despite his confinement.
"Hello, Barnes," Zemo said in greeting, as if they were old friends.
Bucky, taken aback by the casual tone of his greeting, simply nodded in return. They began the long journey back to the United States.
Over the course of the journey, something strange began to happen. They fell into a sort of unspoken truce, neither one trying to escape or harm the other. As they traveled, they talked, revealing their life stories to each other, and eventually even sharing a few laughs along the way.
It was a bizarre situation, and Bucky found himself feeling almost guilty for the years he had spent seeking vengeance against Zemo. In the end, he realized that he had been wrong, and that Zemo was just as much a victim of circumstance as he had been.
When they finally reached the United States and handed Zemo over to his new prison authorities, Bucky said a genuine goodbye.
In the silence as Bucky walked away, Zemo's parting words echoed in his head, "Until we meet again, Barnes."
And for the first time, Bucky felt that it might actually be possible for them to cross paths again, not as enemies, but simply as two men with a complicated and shared history.