Chapter Text
Zemo stared at the files from the fall of Shield. He’d gone into them wanting to learn more about the Hydra operatives, particularly the ones that had infested his country when he came across a very specific group of files. The Winter Soldier files. It started as a one man experiment, a prisoner of war from what he could tell, before it was expanded in the early 90’s thanks to the assassination of Howard Stark and the murder of his wife. Mr Stark had been attempting to recreate the formula and when Hydra tested it on some of their best assets it was clear the man had succeeded.
It sent a shiver through his chest as he read the files. The assassinations of the original Winter Soldier paled in comparison to the other operatives, they were loyal to the cause whereas the original soldier had to undergo memory wipes and be lied to in order to get him to do what they wanted.
The original Soldier had escaped from Hydra following the fall of Shield whereas the five loyalist soldiers were cryogenically frozen, he supposed that would make them easy to handle. He couldn’t let an organisation that had clawed its way into the heart of his country and the world to keep access to a group with confirmed kills numbering in the thousands. He would put the rabid dogs down and make it so they could never recreate them again.
“You seem stressed.” His wife, Heike, said as she stepped behind him and took his shoulders in her hands.
He sighed and leaned his head back after he closed his laptop screen, the top of his head resting on her stomach as he looked up at her. “I have a mission to complete.”
“Ah.” She said with a knowing smile as she leaned down to kiss his forehead sweetly.
He let his eyes flutter shut as he smiled at his wife’s affections. “I am hoping it will be simple enough.”
“Will you be taking the Scorpions?” She asked as she lightly massaged his shoulder.
“It’s more of a solo mission.”
Heike frowned, she didn’t like when he was gone without someone to protect his back. “Are you sure?”
He nodded as he pulled away before turning around and pulling her hips to meet his chest. “I’m sure.”
“Very well.” She muttered as she stroked some of his hair back from his face as he looked up at her. “When do you leave?”
“Tomorrow.” He whispered.
“Make sure you say goodbye to your son before you leave.”
Zemo nodded as he watched his wife walk away from him.
***
He smiled as he watched his son sleep. He did what he did to make the world a better place for his son, he didn’t want him to grow up a world where the shadows were infested by Hydra. It was early but he never left for a mission without saying goodbye to his wife and son. He smiled as he thought the through goodbye he’d given his wife before he got dressed. He tiptoed to his sons bed and sat besides him.
“Papa?” His son whispered as he woke.
“It’s me.” He whispered as he brushed some of his sons messy hair back. “I’ll be leaving for a few days.”
His son stretched and reached for him, Zemo smiled as he leaned down to grip his boy in a hug. “I’ll miss you.”
“I’ll miss you as well son.” He whispered before he kissed his sons forehead. “Will you be a good boy for mama?”
His son nodded sleepily as he settled back into the pillows. He smiled softly as he laid another kiss to his son's forehead as he tucked him in.
***
The facility where the cryogenically frozen soldiers was surprisingly empty, Hydra obviously thinking the remoteness of the facility making it unlikely to be found. There were six cryogenic tanks, five of which held super soldiers while the sixth remained empty. He supposed that meant that Hydra had not likely recovered their rouge asset. A quick bullet to the head and heart ended the winter soldiers that Hydra had in their possession. He copied all the information on the hard drives as he moved to burn the soldiers bodies where they sat. He couldn’t allow Hydra to rebuild the program off the corpses, he stayed until the fires had died before he left.
***
He groaned as he tried to blink the dizziness away.
He was in his car.
It was on it’s side.
He gasped and scrunched his eyes closed as he jerked to the side.
His arm and chest hurt.
He looked to the side.
Heike was hanging limply in the passenger seat.
“Heike.” He whispered softly as he undid the seat belt.
He fell against the drivers door and hissed as pain radiated up his arm.
He could hear sirens in the distance, closing in.
He reached up to his wife and let out a sob as he gripped her wrist.
He felt no pulse.
He shuffled so his back was against the door, ignoring the protests of his body as he turned to face the back seat.
His son hung just as limply as his mother.
He let out a sob as he reached back for his son.
His arms falling just short as he tried to reach him.
“Please.” He whispered. “Please not you too. Please no.”
***
He came to, to the sounds of a heart monitor and a busy hospital. The hustle and bustle muted by the fact he was in a private room. He blinked his eyes open against the harsh fluorescence of the lights.
“Sir?” Came the soft and caring voice of Oezink.
“Heike?” He whispered hoarsely. “My son?”
“I’m sorry sir.”
Zemo screwed his eyes shut. “Leave.”
“As you wish sir.” Oezink said, his voice tinged with concern.
***
He downed another brandy as he read the police files, they were useless. The file from his Scorpion team however was much more informative, it was a hit. Revenge against him for ending their precious super soldiers.
“Sir.” Zemo looked over to Oezink with his blood shot eyes. “The doctors advised against drinking while on the pain killers.”
“I don’t care.” He muttered as he poured himself another brandy.
“I will not stand here and watch as you destroy yourself.” Oezink spoke forcefully, he couldn’t remember a time since he’d become an adult that his butler had talked to him in such a manner. “Your wife and son would not want you to destroy yourself.”
Zemo growled and threw his glass against the wall. “They would want to be alive! And they’re not.”
“That doesn’t mean that you should endeavour to join them as you are.” Oezink sighed as he moved to pick up the broken glass. “Find a cause to fight for. I’ll return with a cloth.” He finished with a nod as he turned to take the broken glass from the room.
He sighed as he watched his old friend leave. Perhaps the man was right, fighting for a cause as opposed to wallowing in self pity and loathing till he passed. His original mission should be sufficient to hold his focus and keep him alive till it was his time to join his family in the afterlife. He pulled his laptop to him as he brought up the files he’d found on the various politicians.
He squinted as he looked over the list of names, some he recognised like that of the current Prime Minister of Sokovia. Others he recalled as having been members of society he’d interacted with when he was younger at society events. He’d need to be careful in how he operated.
***
Sokovia’s new Prime Minister
Sokovian Broadcasting Network
After the fall of international intelligence agency Shield the former Prime Minister of Sokovia was found to have strong Hydra ties; he was swiftly arrested and is currently awaiting trial.
The campaign for a new Prime Minister has been difficult for us as many of the existing government have been found to have strong ties to the Neo-Nazi organisation.
Baron Helmut Zemo was one of the few people who threw their name in the ring for Prime Minister that had no Hydra ties and was aggressively against them.
Approximately 5 months ago the new Prime Minister's wife and young son were killed in a car crash. Their deaths have reportedly driven Baron Zemo to step into the political arena and make a real difference to his country.
In his first speech Prime Minister Zemo had this to say:
“I have lived in this country my whole life. I have loved it with my whole heart as I did my wife and son. I have watched as it was torn apart by itself. I have strived to make it better in any of the ways I could be that with the military missions I accomplished or the Charity work I conducted with my wife. And now. As your Prime Minister I will make this country a better place. It will return to its former glory. But most importantly Hydra is not welcome within our borders.”
We wish the best to our new Prime Minister.
***
Zemo sighed as he loosened his tie and poured himself a drink. Sokovian whiskey, a gift from a politician trying to save themselves from his Hydra purge, it was too fine of a whiskey to simply dispose of so he’d had it tested for poisons instead. He was somewhat glad the man had been too confident in his attempts to curry favour to think an attempt at killing him would be a better plan. He heard a rustle at his office window as he went to take a sip, he paused and turned to meet the desperate eyes of the original winter soldier.
“Good evening Soldier.” He greeted as he downed his drink and set the empty glass down. “To what do I owe the pleasure? I was under the impression that Hydra had yet to capture you so I assume you’re not here on their orders.”
“No.” He replied hoarsely as if he hadn’t spoken in a while.
“So what are you here for?” Zemo asked as he poured himself another glass and one for the soldier. He took a sip of his own as he offered the glass to the Soldier.
The soldier took the drink and remained silent.
“What do you hope to accomplish by coming to my offices?”
“Peace.” He said after a moments thought.
Zemo narrowed his eyes at the man. “Are you hoping I’d put you down?” The soldier didn’t reply, just tilted his head slightly as he took a sip of the whiskey. “I’m not sure I’d see the point. You are not like the other Soldiers that Hydra created. You were a prisoner of war who was experimented on and tortured into doing their bidding. Not a master assassin for them who was then enhanced voluntary.”
“I still killed people.” He whispered softly.
“As have I.” He sighed as he set his glass down, he was no longer in quite the same mood now. “I lead a black ops team before all of this.” He said with a wave of his hand. “I’ve killed many people, mostly for my country though some for my own personal ideals.”
“What personal ideals?”
“That anyone who willingly supports Hydra or takes an enhancement are on a dangerous path to supremacy over their fellow man.”
“Why not kill me then?”
“Did you take your enhancement willingly or were they forced upon you?” The soldier looked down at his metal hand. “Exactly. I am not in the habit of killing people who’ve been tortured into oblivion to do cruel tasks on behalf of a Nazi born organisation. And I don’t plan to start now.”
“What do you plan to do then?” He asked.
“Clean you up for a start.” Zemo said as the open window blew the smell of the soldier over to him. “You can stay here. I will be keeping Hydra out of our borders to the best of my ability. You could be free from their hold here.”
The soldier contemplated it for a moment before nodding.
“Follow me then.”