Mazzy didn't fully understand what she was hearing from her father when he came into her room and told her that they had to go to Berlin immediately.

She didn't understand the urgency. He seemed so incredibly panicked in a way that Mazzy hardly ever sees him. No matter how stern he was when he said to grab a hoodie and put some shoes on, Mazzy wouldn't listen until he explained why they needed to go to Berlin. She couldn't just get ready super fast and wait to get on the plane to hear about why her dad was so panicked about it. She needed to know.

At first, she was horrified that maybe something had happened to Natasha, who was off at the signing of the Sokovia Accords— which Mazzy does not appreciate, though her frustration doesn't make her any less terrified of the idea of Nat dying. Mazzy thought for a moment that maybe Natasha had gotten very hurt, somehow, or maybe died. Or maybe that something changed with the Accords.

But none of that was true.

Only when Tony explained what had happened did Mazzy understand the urgency.

In Vienna, at the signing of the Accords, there was a bombing. Natasha is okay, Tony had clarified before going on to tell Mazzy who isn't. King T'Chaka of Wakanda was killed in the bombing, and it was ruled to be a political assassination.

That wasn't what made Mazzy's heart rate start beating a thousand times faster, though.

Of course, she is sad for the Wakandan King and all of the people who will mourn him, but she doesn't know him personally, and she has no idea why his death would mean that she has to go to Berlin with her father.

What made Mazzy's heart rate start beating a thousand times faster was the fact that the lead suspect was the Winter Soldier.

James Buchanan Barnes.

Cap's old military pal.

Blurry images of a man in dark clothes. Long, dark hair. A mask over his face. A ghost story.

It is all over the news. The search for Bucky Barnes, who was only last seen in Washington DC in his fight against Steve. He is the lead suspect.

Bucky was spotted in Bucharest. The German Special Forces were sent to find him, and they weren't planning on taking him alive. Steve couldn't have that, though. Of course he couldn't.

If it really was the Winter Soldier who assassinated King T'Chaka, then it was the Winter Soldier who assassinated King T'Chaka. The Winter Soldier is not Steve's best friend. The Winter Soldier is not Bucky Barnes. The Winter Soldier is a machine and Bucky Barnes is a person. A real, human being who doesn't deserve to die for things that he can't or couldn't control.

So Steve, with the help of Sam, went to Bucharest and he found Bucky. He found Bucky and helped him run from the police, leading to a fight in the middle of the road that landed Bucky in a cell in Berlin.

Not only are Steve and Sam's weapons going to be confiscated, but so are a third party's weapons; the Black Panther, King T'Chaka's son, had gotten involved, seeking to kill Bucky and avenge his father. It is all very complicated and it all makes Mazzy very anxious.

The thing she's worrying about now, though, as she sits beside her father on a private jet heading to the Joint Counter Terrorist Centre Building in Berlin, is the fact that she is about to be in the same building as the Winter Soldier. The Winter Soldier. The one she's heard so much, yet so little about. The one who might just be the key to all the secrets everyone has been hiding from her for as long as she can remember.

Mazzy is going to see him. She's going to see him in real life. If she gets the chance, she's going to talk to him. Preferably, without anyone else being there, which could be possible if the stress of the situation keeps her dad distracted enough.

Tony is feeling just as anxious as Mazzy is. Probably even more. She's already been slipping through his fingers with each day that passes by, but if he isn't careful, what happens today might be the straw that breaks the camel's back. That's why he's decided to bring Mazzy with him rather than leave her back at the Compound with Vision and Wanda. If he's with her, he has the control. He needs the control.

And he has the control with Mazzy by his side on this jet. So he isn't so panicked yet, still able to keep a cool and calm demeanor.

Mazzy on the other hand?

Mazzy is just about ready to jump out of her seat and run up and down the isles with how much energy she has. Her leg bounces uncontrollably against the floor and her hands can't seem to stop tapping the arm rests of her seat.

This is the most completely amazing, but also terrifying day of her whole life, she's pretty sure, and she hasn't even gotten to the facility in Berlin yet. She just knows she's going to find things out, and she's very excited about that. But it's also scary because it is literally the real-life Winter Soldier who is going to be in the same building as her. That was only a pipe dream, like, yesterday. But it's really real and it is about the change the whole game. Mazzy can feel it.

When they finally land in Berlin, Mazzy is disappointed to find out that Steve, Sam, T'Challa, and most importantly, Bucky Barnes are still being transported. So when they walk inside, through the big empty room where Bucky— or maybe he's the Winter Soldier right now— will be contained, Mazzy doesn't even get to catch a glimpse of him. All she sees is an empty space where his containment cell will be.

As she walks past it, though, she makes sure to save it in a nice, safe little slot in her memory, because as soon as she gets the chance, she will be there. She knows she'll be caught, of course, but that won't matter as long as she gets her answers first.

"Maz," Tony's voice breaks her out of her thoughts. "Keep up. Now's not the time to get lost."

Rolling her eyes, Mazzy picks up the pace to catch back up to him. "If I did get lost, it would be your fault for not paying attention to me," she tells her dad.

"Well, clearly, I was paying attention. And you're not lost," Tony says, raising his eyebrows at her.

"Unfortunately," Mazzy murmurs snarkily.

Tony rolls his eyes, now, too. "Alright, Little Miss Attitude."

✮

Now, Mazzy sits in a chair in a big office room with her feet up on the table, practically suffocating in her own boredom as her dad is on the phone. He's probably talking to some important people, but Mazzy doesn't care. She just wants something to do.

"No. Romania was not Accords-sanctioned. Colonel Rhodes is supervising clean up," her dad is saying to whoever is on the other side of the phone when finally, finally, Steve, Sam, and T'Challa show up.

They're with Nat, too, which is cool, but Mazzy's too busy being mad at her to say hello as she walks into the room. Natasha doesn't stop to say hello, either, probably too focused on figuring out what to do with this whole mess to think about anything else. "Try not to break anything while we fix this," she says to Steve and Sam as she walks past them.

"Consequences? You bet there'll be consequences," Tony says to the person on the phone.

Except he's not really saying it to just the person on the phone. He's doing that thing adults do when they are talking to someone on the phone and say something extra loud just so the other people in the room can hear it. And Mazzy is pretty sure he said the whole consequences things directed at Steve and Sam more than the person on the phone.

"Obviously you can quote me on that, because I just said it. Anything else?"

Mazzy turns to Steve and Sam, who are lingering off to the side. "He's been on the phone forever," she complains.

"Thank you, sir," is the last thing Tony says before finally hanging up the phone and sliding it back into his pocket. He walks over to Steve and Sam, and Mazzy gets up to do the same thing, except she stands on Steve and Sam's side.

Steve raises his eyebrows. "Consequences?" he asks.

Crossing her arms, Mazzy raises her eyebrows and asks the same thing. "Yeah. Consequences?"

Tony ignores her antics, keeping his focus on the two adults. "Secretary Ross wants you both prosecuted. Had to give him something." He keeps walking, joining in by Natasha's side.

"I'm not getting that shield back, am I?" Steve asks them. He's got this small smirk on his face that Mazzy thinks means he doesn't regret what he did in the slightest.

"Technically, it's the government's property," Natasha tells him. She glances at Sam. "Wings, too."

"That's cold," Sam murmurs, shaking his head.

"Warmer than jail," Tony says. He looks at Mazzy for a second, like he expects her to start following him and Nat, but she doesn't. She plants her feet next to Steve and straightens her posture. Tony doesn't feel like arguing with her, and as much as he disagrees with Steve about this whole thing, he still trusts him to keep an eye on his kid. So Tony lets Mazzy be a rebellious, little eleven-year-old and side with Steve.

As soon as Tony is gone, Mazzy tosses away her cold and annoyed demeanor and starts bouncing on her toes. She looks up at Steve. "Is he the Winter Soldier or is he Bucky? Is he Bucky? I was thinking, maybe, that's why you helped him escape. Does he remember doing it? Is he okay?" Mazzy asks very quickly.

"It wasn't him," Steve says.

Mazzy's eyes widen and she stops bouncing. "What? But it was him. That was him on the news. Right?"

"He didn't do it," Steve insists. Mazzy looks at Sam to check if he's also aware of this information. He doesn't seem shocked at all, so Mazzy assumes he knows, too. So she looks back at Steve questioningly. "He wasn't in Vienna. Someone must have framed him."

"Well, that's so totally not even fair at all," Mazzy says decidedly. Steve nods in agreement. "And he's in that big room, in the containment cell, right? All locked up for nothing?"

"Yeah. They're having him psychologically evaluated," Sam answers.

Great. That's all the confirmation Mazzy needs. Bucky is exactly where she thought he'd be. Now she just needs to slip out of there without anyone noticing.

"So he's not the Winter Soldier anymore?" Mazzy asks next.

"No. He doesn't do that anymore," Steve answers.

And just as he says it, TV screens around the room flip to a camera on Bucky in his cell. Cameras are no good for what Mazzy has planned. But if she's fast enough, she can get into the room and get the answers before anyone sees her on the cameras and sends someone to stop her. It takes a few minutes to get all the way down to the room the cell is in, so she might have a good two or three minutes with Bucky before they get to her if she's careful enough.

The anxiety is getting to her, though, and she's scared that if she doesn't go soon, she won't be able to work up the balls to do it later. She's got to go now before her worries get the best of her.

She turns back to Sam and Steve, and their attention is mostly focused on the screens. That's good. "I gotta pee. Be right back," Mazzy says very quickly before rushing out of the room.

Maybe it's too soon. Maybe she's gonna be stopped before she even gets off of this floor. Maybe her dad's going to ground her for three billion years. Maybe she's going to mess this all up. Or maybe it will work, and maybe she'll get the answers she's been so desperately clawing at for as long as she can remember.

It is worth the risk. Mazzy is sure of it.

✮

Tony steps into a glass cubicle where Steve is standing with his eyes glued to a television screen. He has a plan in his head and a set of pens in his hand. "Hey, you wanna see something cool?" he asks, grabbing Steve's attention and holding the set up for him to see. "I pulled something from Dad's archives. Felt timely."

Steve takes a seat at the table, and after setting his coat down, Tony places the set on the table in front of him.

"FDR signed the Lend-Lease bill with these in 1941. Provided support to the Allies when they needed it most," Tony says.

It is very clear to Steve what Tony is hinting at. "Some would say it brought our country closer to war," he says, looking up at Tony, who stands in front of him.

"See? If not for these, you wouldn't be here," Tony says with a bit of an annoyed tone. He's trying, really trying, to be patient with Steve and the other Avengers who are against signing the Accords, but it's hard. He just wishes they could understand. He sits down across from Steve. "I'm trying to... What do you call it? That's an, uh, olive branch. Is that what you call it?"

"Is Pepper here? I didn't see her," Steve says in an attempt to change the subject.

Tony sighs at that. He doesn't want to talk about Pepper right now. "We're kinda... Well, not kinda..."

"Pregnant?" Steve asks with wide eyes and raised eyebrows.

"No," Tony breathes out, shaking his head. "Definitely not."

Mazzy is already enough work as is. Trying to protect her without making her hate him is probably the hardest thing Tony has ever tried to navigate. He doesn't need another kid on his hands until he can get himself sorted out enough to properly take care of the daughter he already has.

On the topic of Mazzy, wasn't she with Steve last? "Where's Maz, by the way?"

"Ran to the bathroom," Steve says. Tony nods, glancing to the big doorway where Mazzy will eventually return. "You and Pepper?" Steve asks, getting back to his main question.

"We're taking a break," Tony answers. "It's nobody's fault."

Steve immediately regrets asking. He looks down at the desk and then back up at Tony. "I'm so sorry, Tony. I didn't know."

"A few years ago, I almost lost her, so I trashed all my suits," Tony says.

It was a whole issue that went down thankfully without Mazzy getting involved. She happened to be on an ice cream trip with Natasha when Tony's Malibu home was destroyed, thank God, and stayed with her until Tony got everything sorted out. If only it were so easy for Mazzy to stay out of all the other things that have gone down.

"Then, we had to mop up Hydra, and then Ultron. My fault. And then, and then, and then, I never stopped. Because the truth is I don't wanna stop. I don't wanna lose her. I thought maybe the Accords could split the difference," Tony explains. He gets up out of his seat, unable to keep sitting still for any longer. "In her defense, I'm a handful. Yet, Dad was a pain in the ass, but he and Mom always made it work."

"You know, I'm glad Howard got married. I only knew him when he was young and single," Steve says.

"Oh, really? You two knew each other? He never mentioned that," Tony says sarcastically. He puts his jacket on over his shirt, avoiding eye contact. "Maybe only a thousand times. God, I hated you."

"I don't mean to make things difficult," Steve says sincerely.

Tony gestures to him and nods. "I know, because you're a very polite person."

Steve sighs. "If I see a situation pointed south, I can't ignore it. Sometimes I wish I could."

"No, you don't."

A small smile spreading across his face, Steve looks down at the table. "No, I don't," he confirms. "Sometimes..."

"Sometimes I wanna punch you in your perfect teeth," Tony finishes for him. "But I don't wanna see you gone. We need you, Cap. So far, nothing's happened that can't be undone if you sign." He gestures to the pens desperately. "We can make the last 24 hours legit. Barnes gets transferred to an American psych center instead of a Wakandan prison, which I'm sure you know isn't what I necessarily prefer."

Steve is torn. He understands why Tony wants this, and the compromise does sound good. He knows that if Tony had his way, Bucky would be far, far away from here. From Mazzy. Steve reaches for the set and takes out one of the pens before standing up out of his seat.

"I'm not saying it's impossible, but there would have to be safeguards," he says, very unsure about what he's agreeing to.

"Sure," Tony says instantly. He will give him anything if it means the papers get signed. "Once we put out the PR fire, those documents can be amended. I'd file a motion to have you and Wanda reinstated, and hopefully, for Maz-"

"Wanda and Mazzy? What about them?" Steve asks, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Wanda's fine. She's confined to the compound-"

"God, Tony," Steve interrupts, shaking his head irritatedly, but Tony only goes on.

"-and for Mazzy, I mean, I'm hoping to keep her prohibited from operating not just until her eighteenth, but for good."

"For good?" Steve asks with a scoff. Tony can't be hoping to stop Mazzy from ever using her abilities for good, can he? Maybe Steve doesn't know Mazzy as well as Tony does, but it's already very obvious to him that, even at an age as young as eleven, Mazzy knows that she wants to help. You can't stop someone who can help and wants to help from helping. He knows that because it was him. "You know, as soon as she finds out, she's gonna want to help even more than she already does, Tony. You don't just find that type of thing out about yourself and move on to live a normal life."

"As long as I keep her out of school, away from the press, away from Barnes, she doesn't have to find out," Tony insists.

"How long do you think you're gonna be able to keep that up?" Steve scoffs, shaking his head and taking a few steps across the room.

"As long as I want to keep it up. She is my kid, Cap. Mine."

Steve turns around to look at him again, his frustration only growing. "She's not just your kid, Tony. She's herself," he reminds him. Tony turns away, shaking his head with his own frustration as Steve continues. "She deserves to know what happened to her. I mean, God, Tony, every time I think you see things the right way..."

"What? She lives in a mansion with her rich dad and all the goddamn popsicles she wants. There are worse ways to protect people," Tony reasons.

"Protection?" Steve asks, a look of shock on his face. He can't even believe the words coming out of Tony's mouth. Tony really just doesn't understand. "Is that how you see this? This is protection? From who? Herself?"

"Yeah," Tony says, as if the answer is obvious. "From herself. From the world. The world from her— or the world from what Hydra made her."

"Oh, come on, Tony."

The two are now overlapping each other as the argument intensifies. The irritated tones turn to shouting and the strained friendship turns to a broken one.

"You didn't see her the way I did that day, Rogers!"

"She's a kid!"

"Give me a break!" Tony shouts. Steve goes silent and Tony leans back in his chair, taking heavy, angry breaths. He wishes Mazzy could be a normal kid more than anything. But there is no going back and he's already come to terms with that. He's come to terms with it and he is moving forward. Doing the only things he can think to do to keep her safe. "I'm doing what has to be done. To stave off something worse."

Holding his tongue, Steve nods. "You keep telling yourself that," he says. He places the pen he took back onto the table, next to the case, showing that Tony's chances of getting him to sign the Accords have dropped to zero. "Hate to break up the set."

Steve leaves the room without another word, choosing to turn his attention back to Bucky, who is being shown on nearly every screen in the room. He wonders if Bucky remembers much of Hydra. If he remembers Mazzy.

Speaking of Mazzy, shouldn't she be back by now?

💫⭐️💫⭐️

Sorry that a whole scene in this doesn't have Mazzy present, but I felt like I needed to include it because it gives some perspective on why Steve and Tony will be doing what they do in the next few chapters, because both of them will definitely be making some questionable decisions.

Anyway, the next chapter is THHEEEE chapter and I am already working on it so it will be out very soon