James Barnes—or rather, Bucky Barnes—fell from midair onto a seat, then slid smoothly off it.
His eyes were tightly shut, his breathing even. He slept like a dead pig.
"Tsk!" Aaron couldn't help clicking his tongue. He walked over, swung his right hand back, and slapped Bucky across the cheek.
The crisp smack echoed into the distance, stirring a faint ripple across the golden sea of clouds.
Bucky groggily opened his eyes, instinctively rubbed his cheek, then spat out several bloodied teeth.
"Isn't that a bit too much...?"
"After I got you off the interrogation chair, I kept trying to wake you up. But apparently, gentle methods don't work, so I had to get rough." Aaron showed no embarrassment whatsoever. "Don't worry. Any injuries you suffer here won't leave a trace once you return to the real world."
"So if you want to wake me up for real, you'll have to slap me again after we return to the real world?" Bucky asked uneasily.
"Hmm... that's not impossible."
"Can't you use another method?"
"Physical attacks are the best method I can think of. There are other ways, but they'll hurt more."
"As long as you don't hit my face."
Aaron raised a brow. "What did he do to you?"
"He gave me an injection. Enough to keep me asleep until tomorrow morning."
"Zemo didn't resist. He surrendered without a fight.
"But he showed us surveillance footage—the entire process of you killing Howard Stark couple."
"You all know?"
"Besides me, T'Challa, Scott Lang, and Peter Parker saw it too.
"The four of us saw everything clearly. There's absolutely no way you can keep this hidden.
"So don't entertain any wishful thoughts. Prepare yourself to face Tony Stark—no, more accurately, prepare yourself to face an enraged Iron Man."
"So this day finally