After a long while, the ripples in the spacetime passage finally faded, leaving only a low hum in the laboratory.
"They're gone."
Baron Zemo broke the silence. He looked at Steve, then at the small terminal in his hand. "What did he give you at the end?"
"A communicator for contacting Nathaniel Essex." Steve looked at Zemo. "I'm heading back to New York next."
"What for?" Zemo frowned. "The whole world is in chaos, and North America is one of the worst battlefields. Going there is pointless. We should be contacting other Hydra Bases and gathering a resistance!"
Steve did not argue. He merely slung the shield bearing Hydra's emblem onto his back again. The heavy metal struck his spine with a dull thud.
"Not just the other Hydra Bases. There are others too..."
Steve's voice was earnest. "The people who've already taken the field!"
"Naive." Zemo snorted. "You're going there to die!"
"I'm a soldier," Steve replied. "Heading into battle is my duty."
The air seemed to freeze.
Zemo stared at Steve for a long time before shaking his head wearily.
"I'll arrange a transport plane back to North America. But if anything goes wrong on the way, you'll have to handle it yourselves. You know we're preparing to relocate. We can't spare anyone to support you."
"Thank you." Steve nodded.
"And the rest of you?" Zemo turned to the others, his voice edged with mockery. "Anyone planning to go die with this old soldier?"
Before he had finished speaking, metal scraped softly.
Bucky strode over without a word and stood beside Steve. He said nothing, but his choice was clear.
Then Black Widow Natasha stepped forward as well. She studied Steve and asked, "Are you planning to find Stark?"
"That's one of the things I need to do,"