Captain America Arrested
It had been three years since what the leeches in the press called “the Avengers Civil War”. Three years since the Avengers had been broken up over the government’s unjust laws and Tony Stark’s ego! Three years since the life he had managed to build in the future had been so abruptly imploded.
Life had gone to hell from there.
Almost, directly afterwards Clint and Scott had split returning to America unwilling to be apart from their children. Steve respected their decisions even if he disliked it and felt that they could be useful. He would have done the same if he could be with Peggy but that was an impossibility.
Then Bucky had chosen to go into cryofreeze until he was safe from ever harming anyone ever again. That had hurt and he had tried to talk his old friend out of it. However, Bucky was as stubborn as Tony and refused to be swayed. T’Challa and his sister had accepted his choice and refused to take Steve’s feelings into account.
Then he, Wanda and Sam had been expelled from Wakanda. Apparently, his people and council refused to house the people who were responsible from their kin’s deaths. Nor could Wakanda survive the political repercussions should it be found they were harbouring wanted fugitives. Steve had understood that the young King was in a very difficult situation politically but thought that he should have stood firm – if you did not you would always be walked over.
Wanda, Sam and Steve travelled across the continent never staying in one place for very long. They really struggled as there was a massive language barrier even without the fact that only Sam could really blend in with the locals. And with their faces on every international news station, it was dangerous to go into large towns and cities. They usually tried to claim they were “backpackers” which Steve understood to be young people who would rather holiday than work.
Thus, they chose to travel through Asia and into Eastern Europe. In Turkey Natasha somehow managed to track them down about two years after. After a few tense moments thinking she was with the Avengers. It turned out after her helping them at the airport she had been forced to run or be arrested.
‘Not suprised Stark betrayed you,’ sneered Wanda.
Natasha shook her head, ‘Tony is the only reason I got the chance to get out – he gave me warning and covered my tracks.’
Steve doubted that that would happen again now that he knew that both he and Natasha had kept the truth about his parent’s from him. Steve had seen Tony’s look of betrayal and anger after the truth that Steve had worked hard to keep a secret had come out. Tony didn’t understand that he had to protect Bucky.
Still things became a lot easier then as Natasha knew how to lay low and was passable in multiple languages. They actually got a permanent base in a small village in the Hungarian mountains which didn’t even have running water. Still because the locals had little outside communication, they didn’t know their faces which were plastered all over international news.
As things became more settled, they heard rumours about a Hydra base on one of the smaller Greek islands – one based on human experimentation. Steve did not reject the Accords to protect himself but so he could protect others. Thus, he decided he was going to and save those imprisoned there.
Then things got worse.
When they arrived, there were already powered individuals there. Not what remained of the Avengers, but although their suits were different somewhere on it there was an AI – the A much like the Avengers A and the I smaller. These people were efficient and worked well together to take out the Hydra operatives and protect the victims. Although Steve didn’t like that they let the Hydra operatives go in favour of protecting the victims.
Steve thought these people could be allies – maybe new Avengers so started trying to work with them. He started rallying them – ordering the giant man with a giant hammer into position. However, the group turned on them without any warning. Maybe, he was wrong about them, and they were Hydra too. It could easily be an inner power struggle that they had wandered into.
However, soon he and Wanda found themselves back in the RAFT – officially the superhuman prison for those who could not be housed in regular prisons. There were regular meals, and they were not in solitary, but they were still in prison. Wanda may not be in the straight-jacket Clint had told him about, but she was still in a red collar which inhibited her powers and left her angry and lost without the powers that she relied upon.
It had been about a day before he was led into an interrogation room. He was forced to sit at a cold hard chair and handcuffed to the metal bench. There was a wall made of glass separating his side from the other.
On the other side a middle-aged woman with long blonde hair cut into a short bob at her shoulders. She didn’t look upon Steve with the respect and awe many modern people looked at him with which was good as it always made him uncomfortable. Nor did she look at him with the disgust that the AI team looked at him with when they arrested him. Her look was instead cool and calculating which reminded him of Natasha, hopefully she too would come to understand Steve’s stance in this mess.
‘Hello, Mr Rogers, I am you attorney Philippa Zimmer,’ the woman spoke with a sharp, clear voice.
‘I don’t need a lawyer, I have done nothing wrong, I have been unlawfully imprisoned-‘Steve began.
‘I will stop you there – Captain Ajax of the Athens branch of Avengers International has said that he read you your rights in English as well as Greek,’ Zimmer said sharply. ‘Is this untrue?’
‘No,’ Steve admitted. ‘Wait, what do you mean the Athens branch of the Avengers – there is no such thing.’
‘You have been out of touch for a while haven’t you Mr. Rogers,’ Zimmer said blandly. ‘In the last three years the UN with Doctor Stark’s and Colonel Rhodes assistance, have expanded the Avengers into the Avengers International run by the United Nations. There are now bases around the world with enhanced and highly trained individuals who are trained and vetted. Things run much more smoothly now.’
‘Why am I here? If this is because I refused to sign-‘Steve began.
‘There’s nothing illegal about not signing the accords as long as you do not operate as international vigilantes,’ Zimmer said. ‘No, but you are under arrest for twenty-six counts of manslaughter in Lagos.’
‘We were there to stop something worse happening,’ Steve said.
‘You were operating illegally, and your actions killed twenty-six people,’ Zimmer said tone sharp and uncompromising. ‘Your intentions may have been noble but you did not warn the local authorities-‘
‘I couldn’t trust that none of them were Hydra,’ Steve explained. ‘If they had tipped off Hydra they might have acted sooner.’
‘They didn’t have the bioweapon then, correct,’ Zimmer said looking down at her notes. ‘Therefore, them knowing would have either changed nothing or would have forced them to abandon their mission rather than face yourselves thus saving lives.’
Steve didn’t answer not wanting to admit half of his drive to target Hydra was the need for information on the Winter Soldier. He doubted that that the lawyer would understand that he needed to find and protect his best friend. That stopping a bioterrorist attack was just a by-product of his hunt for Bucky.
‘Then a further fifteen counts of manslaughter in Bucharest when you and your friends caused a pile up on the highway,’ continued Zimmer.
‘I was trying to protect Bucky,’ argued Steve.
‘In expense of civilian and law enforcement lives?’ asked Zimmer sharply.
‘They were going to kill him,’ Steve argued.
Zimmer snorted looking down at her notes, ‘strange that they had a containment vehicle, psychologist then and that their orders were apprehend if at all possible and only to respond with lethality if there was no other choice.’
‘I was told that they had a kill on sight order,’ Steve said weekly.
‘Then you had faulty information,’ Zimmer said in a no-nonsense tone reminiscent of Pepper. ‘Does not negate the harm you cause on that faulty information. Then there is property damage in Lagos, Bucharest and Leipzig, multiple counts of assault, crossing country lines illegally, and conspiracy after the fact. Do you deny those charges?’
‘Conspiracy?’ asked Steve.
‘Did you not help to cover up the murder of Howard and Maria Stark,’ Zimmer said coolly.
‘I had to protect Bucky,’ Steve said. ‘He was innocent.’
‘Maybe, which if true will be proven in a court of law, but so were his victims – do their families not deserve closure?’ asked Zimmer.
Steve looked away, ‘where are Natasha, Wanda and Sam? Don’t they get a lawyer?’
‘Mr. Wilson’s mechanical enhancements have been removed and returned to their lawful owners. He and Miss Romanoff are being processed in a mundane prison as the Raft Island Prison is only for those that cannot be housed in a normal prison such as yourself,’ Zimmer said. ‘As for Miss Maximoff she too will be seeing an independent lawyer before questioning can proceed.’
‘Questioning?’ asked Steve.
‘You surely don’t think you would be charged without the authorities questioning you?’ asked Zimmer dryly. ‘Due to the international nature of your crimes an interpol investigator is being flown out to question to you. I would advise you to say no comment to all questions put your way as they have plenty of evidence – we do not want them to be forewarned of the defence we will be using in court. I would suggest a plea of diminished responsibility due to PTSD – given World War II, New York, Ultron and everything else it would be a fair defence.’
‘No, I’m not a coward!’ Steve said thinking of those who ran from the war and the modern day labelled them as victims rather than cowards. ‘My defence is I was protecting the people.’
Zimmer shook his head, ‘I would really advise against that, Mr. Rogers. Saying you were only there to save lives does not negate that what you did was illegal – intentions don’t matter, only actions.’
Steve opened and shut his mouth.
‘Either, plead guilty or plead diminished responsibility,’ urged Zimmer. ‘Or you will be given a worse sentence.’
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Steve went to the common area ignoring the sneers and threatening looks from the other enhanced inmates. Instead looking for Wanda hoping that she was not in her cell which was in the female side of the RAFT because, although, the common areas were gender-neutral the cells were not. Steve was relieved when she was led out by RAFT guards.
‘Are you okay?’ Steve demanded immediately.
Wanda nodded, ‘my lawyer recommended me to agree to the plea deal that I’m being offered – guilty on all charges of manslaughter.’
‘You can’t give into them!’ Steve said immediately. ‘If you give into them, you’ll never stop.’
‘The Nigerians want to push for the death penalty,’ Wanda said pale faced.
‘They can’t,’ Steve said sharply. ‘You’re just a kid!’
Wanda smiled weakly, ‘they don’t see it that way. Gonzales said my history as Hydra volunteer and the fact that Africans were killed would look really bad. I don’t want to die!’
Steve put an arm around her, ‘I won’t let that happen!’
Wanda gave a watery laugh, ‘you’re as powerless as I am!’
Steve grimaced – he had tried to escape but the second he had thrown the first punch he had been drugged and only woken hours later with Starkenium cuffs on his legs and arms. Steve had been unwilling to try anything again. But if it was for Wanda’s life he would have to win!
‘They won’t get away with this, you’ll see,’ Steve said.
‘They hate me,’ Wanda said. ‘If I don’t agree to the deal, they’ll kill me! I’m not you the American’s blonde-haired, blue-eyed poster child! They want me dead!’
‘Tony won’t let that happen,’ Steve said.
Wanda snorted, ‘all of this is because of Stark! He made the things that killed my whole family – I suppose he just wants my whole family dead!’
Steve doubted that but knew that Wanda was angry and scared and had lost a lot at least in part thanks to Tony’s mistakes so he let it go. Steve would just have to hope that Tony came through as he always had. But he remembered Tony’s look of anger and betrayal when the video was played and wondered if he would or had he effectively burnt that bridge.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next day found Steve once more in the interrogation room. Instead, this time there were another two people alongside Attorney Zimmer. A tall black military looking man in a dark blue suit, and a petite curly dark-haired woman in black trousers and a white shirt.
‘Hello, I am Agent Samson Buchanan, this is my partner Greta Neri,’ the interpol agent introduced themselves.
‘Hello, sir, ma’am,’ smiled Steve. ‘So, what is it you would like to know so we can get this all straightened out.’
Both interpol agents shared a look that Steve couldn’t quite interpret but it wasn’t agreement which worried Steve.
‘Right,’ Buchanan said. ‘Well then, Mr. Rogers, let’s start at the beginning. What were you doing in Nigeria?’
‘You don’t have to answer that, Mr Rogers,’ Zimmer said.
‘We were tracking a high-profile Hydra operative,’ Steve said simply. ‘We realised that they were planning on stealing a bioweapon, so we reacted accordingly. I am sure you can understand the time-sensitive matter of the threat.’
‘And yet you failed to alert the local authorities,’ Buchanan said.
‘That is not a question,’ Zimmer said sharply.
‘Okay, why did you not alter the local authorities who could have aided you and evacuated the local area so limiting the danger to civilian life?’ asked Buchanan.
Steve gritted his teeth remembering Tony and Rhodey asking him the same question afterwards. Steve hadn’t wanted any Hydra moles to get a hold of their plans. Never mind if there was any information of Bucky, he wanted information before anyone else could get a hold of it and hurt Bucky again.
‘Again, Mr Rogers, you don’t have the answer that,’ Zimmer said.
‘I was wary of any potential Hydra moles giving our plans to the enemy,’ Steve said simply.
‘Do you have any evidence of corruption in the Nigerian authorities?’ asked Buchanan.
‘No,’ admitted Steve.
‘So, it was just your own paranoia,’ Buchanan summarised.
‘No, look at how many political and military bodies Hydra had managed to infiltrate-‘Steve began.
‘But your data dump had all of them revealed leading them to being arrested or fleeing,’ pointed out Buchanan.
‘They could have re-infiltrated,’ Steve said.
‘Again, this is only your paranoia speaking no evidence to back up your fears,’ Buchanan said. ‘Okay, so you got Lagos, and then what happened?’
‘We surveyed the area,’ Steve said. ‘At first we thought they were hitting a local police station.’
‘Then why did you not warn them – after all if they were the intended target, they should have been made aware?’ Neri – she spoke with an Italian accent and seemed more kind than her stony faced partner.
‘We didn’t have a chance before I realised that the police were not the target – they were using a garbage truck as a battering ram to gain access to the Institute for Infectious Diseases,’ Steve continued.
‘I followed them in and took out the Hydra operatives on the ground. Sam and Wanda took out those on the roof. Wanda used her powers to throw me into the building and remove the gas. I took out several more of the Hydra personnel inside and realised there was a missing tube marked biohazard which must have been Rumlow’s intended target.
‘We tracked Rumlow to a busy market street. He marked me with a bomb which a threw into the air – no harm came to anyone. Natasha managed to acquire the bioweapon whilst I fought Rumlow. He had a suicide vest on – I had not realised until he activated it. Wanda tried to stop him, but she failed and accidentally drove him into a building. It was an accident. We remained to try and evacuate as many civilians as possible from the scene.’
‘Which may not have been necessary if you had notified law enforcement who would have removed civilians from the area and been on high alert for anyone acting suspiciously,’ Buchanan said. ‘As it was nobody was prepared and there were casualties almost directly caused by your and Maximoff’s intervention.’
‘Was there a question somewhere,’ interrupted Zimmer.
‘It was an accident, she tried her best,’ Steve said.
‘So, why then did you take an improperly trained individual out into the field?’ asked Buchanan.
‘It was supposed to be just a recon mission,’ Steve said. ‘Things escalated.’
‘Twenty-six people died,’ Buchanan said. ‘And it was not the first time she harmed civilians, was it?’
‘I don’t know what you are talking about,’ Steve said.
‘Don’t you?’ asked Neri sounding surprised. ‘Did she and Doctor Stark not inform you of the nature of the deal worked out with the US immigration and courts to allow Maximoff to become an avenger? Because, according to her plea deal worked out by Doctor Anthony Stark and his lawyers for her to work off her crimes as an Avenger and you were to be her parole officer – she was Hydra, she controlled the Hulk and set him on Johannesburg – another African city where over a hundred people were killed. Then she joined forces with the android known as Ultron and attacked a facility in Seoul – killing most of the workers there and kidnapping Helen Cho. But, I am sure you jnew nothing about that.’
‘It seems where Wanda Maximoff goes people of colour have a habit of getting killed,’ Buchannan said.
‘That’s not,’ Steve tried. ‘It was an accident.’
‘But she was Hyrdra?’ asked Buchanan.
‘She was misguided, she’s just a kid,’ Steve said.
‘Only, a couple years younger than your physical and mental age,’ Buchanan said dryly.
Steve gritted his teeth.
‘So, after the incident what happened?’ asked Neri.
‘We attempted to help, but the law enforcement were more interested in taking us in, so we felt the need to return home before things got more complicated,’ Steve said.
‘So, you escaped arrest?’ asked Buchanan.
‘Don’t answer that,’ Zimmer said.
‘And when you got back, what happened?’ asked Neri.
‘Tony and his people were there to meet us,’ Steve said. ‘He removed my access to the quinjet and told us not to leave the compound until he had sorted things out.’
‘You were on house-arrest until an investigation could be completed,’ Buchanan said.
‘Then Secretary Ross introduced the Accords,’ Steve said frowning. ‘I disagreed with them – I do not like the idea of people with agendas choosing who we help.’
‘Is that regardless of whether the people want you or need you to help them?’ asked Buchanan.
Steve scowled, ‘it’s not the people I worry about but their corrupt leaders.’
‘All law enforcement and military organisations have some form of oversight-‘Buchanan said frowning.
‘The Avengers are different, we shouldn’t be constrained from helping people,’ Steve said. ‘The safest hands are our own.’
‘I doubt the people of Lagos would agree,’ Buchanan muttered. ‘Besides, Avengers International seem to be able to work within the constraints of the Accords effectively.
‘So, when you disagreed with the direction that the Avengers were going in you decided to retire?’ asked Neri.
Steve gave them a disgusted look, ‘I would not let them push me out!’
‘So, then what did you do?’ asked Neri.
‘A … I heard of rumours that the Joint Counter Terrorism Taskforce had a hit out on Bucky,’ Steve said. ‘I couldn’t let that happen! So, I used my intel to track him down and get him to safety.’
‘Why did you not convince him to turn himself in?’ asked Neri.
‘They would have killed him!’ Steve said.
‘Aside from rumours did you have evidence of that?’ asked Buchanan.
‘Did they show any evidence of a kill on sight order?’ asked Neri.
‘No,’ admitted Steve.
‘So, the carnage you and your friends caused in Bucharest which got fifteen people killed all over a rumour!’ Buchanan said sharply.
Steve gritted his teeth like that, ‘I had to protect Bucky!’
‘And did other people’s friends and family not deserve the same level of protection?’ asked Neri.
‘Of course, they weren’t in any danger,’ Steve said.
‘They were when you and your friends appeared,’ Buchanan said sharply. ‘Okay, so you put your friend’s welfare over innocent lives rather than work with the system. Then what happened?’
‘Rhodey arrested us,’ Steve admitted. ‘Tony lectured me and tried to convince me to sign the accords.’
‘Ah, the deal worked out that you would not be charged with all your crimes should you become an official member of the Avengers under the UN,’ Buchanan said. ‘Why did you choose not to sign it?’
‘I considered it, but I found that Wanda was being locked up under the terms of the Accords,’ Steve said.
‘She was under house arrest until a proper investigation could be conducted,’ Buchanan said. ‘After all she was a parolee who had broken parole by crossing international borders without a passport. And that is without the manslaughter charges. It’s only because of Doctor Stark and his lawyers that she was under house arrest and wasn’t put in prison for breaking parole.’
‘I didn’t know that,’ Steve admitted.
‘You thought that you were facing no consequences without an army of lawyers and Stark calling in a lot of favours?’ asked Neri dryly.
Steve looked down.
‘Then what happened?’ asked Neri.
‘The psychologist activated the Winter Soldier,’ Steve said. ‘I stopped him and got him out of there. Made sure he was in his right mind. He told me that the psychologist was interested in the other Winter Soldiers.’
‘Why did you not inform the other Avengers or the UN?’ asked Buchanan.
Steve hesitated – the truth was that he didn’t want to expose Bucky to living representation of all of his regrets. And it would only complicate things if Tony found out the truth which Tony’s reaction only proved. But he had a feeling that Buchanan at the very least would not approve.
‘I was worried that they would be constrained by the accords,’ Steve said instead.
‘So, you thought that the UN would want anymore Winter Soldiers running around after seeing the damage that James Barnes caused?’ asked Neri dryly.
‘The psychologist proved that I couldn’t trust the UN,’ Steve said.
‘I would hardly say that a hydra imposter is a good representative of the UN,’ Buchanan said.
‘Where there’s one there might be others,’ Steve said.
‘Maybe,’ agreed Neri. ‘So, you decided that you couldn’t trust the Avengers or the UN, so what did you do?’
‘We needed transport, so we went to a German airport to acquire transport,’ Steve said.
‘By acquire did you mean steal?’ asked Buchanan.
‘Don’t answer that,’ Zimmer said.
‘No, I’m an Avenger – I had access to a quinjet,’ Steve said.
‘Just because you worked for the Avengers does not mean you have unlimited access to Avengers’ property,’ Buchanan said sharply. ‘Especially, not after you have spent the past week committing crime after crime whilst complaining at how unjustly you have been treated!’
Steve scowled.
‘So, what happened when you got to the Airport?’ asked Neri.
‘Tony, Rhodey and Vision were there to greet us,’ Steve said. ‘Tony once more tried to convince me to stand down. I tried to tell him about the Winter Soldier threat – he did not believe me. There was a fight. Bucky and I were able to escape on the quinjet and headed to the base on Siberia.’
‘Did you hold back – after all this was you team, your allies, who had a political disagreement, so surely you wouldn’t treat them as enemies?’ asked Neri.
Steve looked down, ‘no.’
‘Why?’ asked Neri.
‘They were trying to stop me,’ Steve said simply.
‘So, your response to anyone trying to stop you is to use your enhanced to plough through them?’ asked Neri.
‘That’s not what I meant,’ Steve said.
‘So, you went to the Winter Soldier base with your only backup a Winter Soldier who could go from ally to enemy with a few words,’ Buchanan said. ‘So, what happened when you got there?’
‘Tony had discovered I was telling the truth so followed us,’ Steve said. ‘We found all the soldiers dead and there was a video-‘
‘What was on the video?’ asked Neri. ‘Mr, Rogers what was on the video?’
‘No comment,’ Steve said.
Buchanan snorted and removed a laptop from his bag and placed it facing Steve. Steve swallowed as the familiar road appear. Steve hated to see Bucky in full Winter Soldier mode and killing an old friend was horrible!
‘Can you see the screen?’ asked Buchanan.
‘Yes,’ Steve grit out. ‘We don’t need to see it – I’ve already seen it.’
Buchanan nodded, ‘okay, then when did you realise the Winter Soldier a.k.a. James Barnes was responsible for Howard and Maria Stark’s deaths?’
‘You don’t have to answer that,’ Zimmer said again.
Steve nodded, ‘no comment.’
‘Why did you decide to cover up the crime?’ asked Buchanan.
Steve shrugged.
‘When Doctor Anthony Stark saw the recording, how did he react?’ asked Buchanan.
‘He was angry at me, at Bucky – he punched me, tried to kill us,’ Steve said.
‘And what was your response?’ asked Buchanan.
‘I couldn’t let him hurt Bucky,’ Steve said calmly, ‘so I responded in kind.’