Resurrection: Part 1 of 5.
Six months from now.
A purple figure who'd given everything he had, fell to the ground that had bore witness to the ends of a thousand men just like him.
He was a hero, a champion who'd given everything for everyone on numerous occasions. Not only had he saved countless people over the years from a variety of cultures and countries, but his actions had left behind a legacy that would span generations. A legacy of heroism that would pay tribute to their champion's legend.
He was Zemo, a soldier. A scientist first and foremost... and he was dying.
"This is my world." The man with the shield said as the Baron began to draw his final breath. "And you don't belong in it."
A small, empty chuckled flowed upwards from Zemo's mouth, still hidden beneath the fabric he'd been forced to wear for the majority of his life. With one final effort, Baron Zemo said one final sentence that would remind his killer of his current status.
"It's... not... yours... yet."
A cold wind drifted over the green field where the soldier lay, and as he finally closed his eyes, the Baron felt a swell of pride upon realizing how he would be remembered.
Not as a murderer, or a killer. Not a man who's mistakes had lead to the deaths of thousands, but as a good man who'd spent his every waking moment try to make up for his past.
A thud echoed across the grounds, and the man with the shield checked for a pulse on the side of the Baron's neck.
"He's dead."
_____________________________________
Present day
The first rays of sunlight began to appear over the horizon, illuminating grass covered land and shining skyscrapes that covered the quiet streets below like a blanket. From his vantage point near the top of a steel tower, Baron Heinrich Zemo could overlook the peaceful sanctuary he had created, a haven far from the idiots in America and its surrounding countries.
"Refuge." He whispered while plucking at the skin just below his neck with old, frail fingers. Turning away from the balcony, the Baron silently stepped into his chambers, where his wife slept peacefully in his king sized bed. Glancing at a nearby mirror, Zemo took note of the image he saw. An old man with wrinkled skin stared at him from beneath a purple mask, cold, pupiless eyes reminding him of the monster that had inhabited his past. Beneath the fabric, a sharp eyed passer by could make out the outline of the Baron's face, but in truth it had been a lifetime snce Zemo had last truly gazed upon himself.
Sometimes his scalp would begin to itch, and with his face covered in an insulated fabric, Heinrich would be unable to remove the irritation. Eating and drinking had become an ordeal, and sometimes when Zemo woke up screaming in the middle of the night he almost suffocated on his own 'skin'.
"Lord Zemo?" The voice of Daniel Iver called from behind the fibreglass doors leading from Zemo's room into the hallway of his tower. "There's an issue that requires your attention!"
With an audible sigh, Zemo moved towards his wardrobe and unlocked it with the electronic DNA scanner, the doors opened, revealing his personal armour and equipment.
"I'll just be a moment." He answered before donning the fur chest piece that had been passed down by his family since the 16th century. He clipped his ceremonial sword to the chest's leather strap and donned the golden head band that symbolised his status as the head of his family. In Zemo's nation of Sokovia it was a tradition for royalty to wear such a head piece. Once again he checked his reflection, and upon feeling unsatisfied he prepared to greet the day, taking care due to his body's frailty.
"Mmm... Heinrich?" A feminine voice called just as the Baron was about to leave. Zemo's wife sat up on the bed, body shielded by the covers. "Where are you going?" She was by no means young, only slightly younger than her husband, yet her beauty had remained mostly intact, even as she began to enter her twilight years.
"I'm just running an errand, Isabella, my love." Zemo answered softly, gloved hands slowly unlocking the doors to his room. "I won't be long."
A small smile appeared on the woman's lips, with a little chuckle she fell back into her soft pillow and closed her eyes. "No more than an hour." She instructed. "Or there'll be hell to pay."
This time it was Zemo who chuckled, quietly he opened the exit before turning back to his wife.
"I've already paid it."
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The sound of a pounding heartbeat filled the Baron's ears as his body began to shift and alter into something more suited for the stress of the day. After a short moment, Zemo realized the beating heart was his own.
"An... 'ice-man'?" Heinrich repeated from inside the gass chamber where he was being bombarded with some kind of strange energy. "Surely you're mistaken, Daniel. We're in the middle of the Atlantic."
Daniel's face turned bright red with embarassment at the statement, almost making the Baron laugh at his overreaction. Nervously the tuxedo suited man stepped forward and shuffled the files in his hands to make himself seem more official.
"That's what they said, sir. A group of fishermen from one of the nearby villages found him drifting in the ocean."
With a loud screech the door to Zemo's chamber opened, letting the Baron return his focus to more important matters that didn't revolve around his age. While his body was completely hidden beneath his armour, Heinrich already felt more powerful. His hands felt like they could tear apart entire armies with ease, and the skin on his fingers had been turned into that of a middle aged man.
"Ah... the Vita-Rays." He mumbled to himself. "A shame Doctor Erskine neglected to share their secrets with me before that maniac murdered him."
Seeing an opportunity to grow in stature, Daniel eagerly seized his chance to stroke the Baron's ego.
"I'm sure you'll find a way to make them permanent, sir." He said. "It can't be impossible."
This time Zemo gave off a laugh like the man had just cracked a joke. Yet it wasn't negative in intent, in fact it was quite the opposite. It was like an old man chuckling at the youthful enthusiasim of the new generation before him.
"Nothing is impossible, my friend." Zemo said as he strapped his sword back around his torso. "Now let's go investigate this capsicle."
___________________________________
With recent advances in technology, the 15 mile journey to Zemo's destination could be completed in mere minutes through the use of the Baron's modified jeep. It resembled the kind used by the military, yet its hardware was a grade above all others around the world. Even the ones published by STARK Industries and other similar corporations. Heinrich passed through the streets of Refuge's captial city, ignoring the hustle and bustle of the people he protected while driving through the clean, spotless streets. It was like a utopia, one that had gone largely unnoticed by the rest of the world.
"Identification, sir?" A guard asked as Zemo pulled up alongside the toll station just on the outskirts of the city. He was young, probably new to the job, evidenced by his lack of knowledge to the owner of the island.
"Really?" The Baron chuckled while reaching for the wallet in his pocket, his assistant smiled nervously from behind the wheel, somehow feeling the situationw as all his fault.
"Everything seems in order." The guard said, handing the wallet back quickly upon realizing who he was talking to. "Have a nice day, sir."
Quickly the jeep entered the thick jungle forest that covered the majority of the island, from beneath the trees it became almost impossible to see the sunlight... and Zemo couldn't help byt shiver from the sudden breeze that had appeared.
"We're here, sir."
The sounds of hundreds of people going about their day filled Heinrich's senses as he jumped down to the ground, scattering burning dust everywhere. As Heinrich brushed himself clean, a pair of villagers stepped towards him, both dressed in somewhat casual clothing and both seeming unsure about the member of royalty staring at them.
"Lord Zemo! It is an honour to see you."
When the Baron had first created Refuge he'd made an alliance with the island's natives, offering them riches and medicine in exchange for their help in building a sanctuary for anyone tired of the outside world. Once Refuge had been completed, Zemo had kept his promise, letting the villagers into something much more than what the universe had planned.
"You found someone frozen." Heinrich said, ignoring any traditional formalities. "Why do you want me to see it?"
"It is hard to put into words." One of the villagers said in a naturally strong accent. "It will be best if you just come see."
Zemo did just that, as the villagers turned towards a nearby hut he stepped right behind them, keeping close and ignoring the bumbling of his assistant as he stumbled quickly from the jeep.
"The man had no pulse when we thawed him out. But we recognised him from your tales." The first villager explained as they neared the building. "But we found something on him. A... a..." The man paused and frowned, struggling with the language that wasn't his own. "I can't remember the word." He admitted.
Heinrich frowned as they stepped into the hut, the sudden change in light temporarily blinded the man, and in the back of his mind he went over the possible ending to the villager's sentence.
"Where is it?" The other villager asked upon stepping inside the seemingly empty hut. While there was a table covered in water, there was no body. Just a few items that seemed to have been knocked out of place.
"If this is a joke, it's not very amusing." Baron Zemo sighed, arms folded around his fur covered chest.
"This doesn't make sense! It was right here!"
"Dead bodies don't get up and walk around." Zemo's assistant pointed out, practically shaking from the embarassment caused by the whole affair. "Where is it?!" He hissed.
Than something clicked inside Heinrich's mind, a stray thought that quickly evolved into a theory. The villagers had said this man was carrying something, presumably a weapon from the way the villager had sounded when he mentioned it... and it was a man who could seemingly restart his heart at will.
There was only one man who could do the latter.
"This man." Zemo said carefully and slowly, any amusement at the situation having completely disappeared. "Was he carrying... a shield?"
Baron Zemo felt the wind shift and heard an all too familiar sound like the noise a crane made when it was turning... like the noise a battleship made when it was being torn apart for parts. It was a sound he'd prayed to never hear again. The wall right beside the Baron exploded in a shower of wooden debris, and what appeared to be a large, red, metal disc smashed into the skull of one of the villagers, smashing the man into the ground with a sickening crunch, than with a loud ping the device returned to its owner.
Instinctively, Heinrich drew his sword and stepped in front of his attacker, a tall man dressed in blue combat armour emerged through the hole in the wall, a large, white star upon his chest. His chiseled jaw slowly morphed into a smug grin as he saw the lone man standing against him.
"Captain America." Zemo growled, sword held straight as he stared into the eyes of his hated enemy.
"Zemo." The Captain replied. "I didn't realize you were planning to die today."
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