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It wasn't supposed to go like this, Bucky thought. The mission was supposed to be simple, in and out, gathering what information they could and figuring out where to go from there. But it had gone sideways and Sam's identity had been revealed before any of them had realized what had happened.

Bucky still saw the greaseballs sly smile when he had said Sam's name, promising he and his family would pay for this. They always said that, really but something told Bucky that this time, the slimeball actually meant it.

The minute they got to one of Zemo's many safe houses, Sam had already called his sister to tell them that they might be in danger and had to go into hiding. They had always planned for this but Sam probably never thought it would happen. Or at the least, he must've hoped it would never be an option.

But it was the reality now and Sam was frantic, knuckles going pale from how tightly he was gripping his phone, speaking to Sarah, on the brink of begging her to get herself and the kids safe. Bucky was just as worried, of course he was, but not as much as Sam clearly was.

When he finally did hang up the phone, it was quiet for a beat. Bucky and Zemo had been silent the whole time Sam had been talking, Bucky sitting on the couch, wrapping up a bullet wound to the shoulder that he knew would heal in a day or so and Zemo who had been standing in the kitchen, nursing a cup of tea he had made himself, brows furrowed in thought.

Sam's let out a heavy breath, squeezing his eyes shut tight. He didn't say anything either, simply standing in the one spot, hand now limply holding his phone.

"Well, that did not go as planned," Zemo spoke up quietly, breaking the tense silence.

Sam's eyes snapped open, looking over at the Sokovian. "You think? What the hell happened in there? How could they have possibly figured out who I was?"

Zemo frowned. "You are Captain America and an Avenger. Your face is well known. Surely you must've realized the risk to your family, being in this kind of work? Especially since it seems like you had a plan for this kind of incident."

Sam gripped his phone tight when Zemo nodded towards it, referring to the conversation. "It isn't that simple. I can hide them but I can't hide them forever. We could have stopped him but because of you, he got away!"

"James was shot and you were in shock, I did what needed to happen which was to get the both of you out of there alive," Zemo replied simply, tilting his head slightly. "You cannot help your family if you are dead."

Bucky knew this wasn't helping from the tense atmosphere that could be cut with a knife. But still, Zemo wasn't wrong. "He's right, Sam. Even if you managed to get that guy, it wouldn't be worth it if you died."

"But my family would be safe," Sam muttered, throwing his phone onto the couch, frustration bubbling just under the surface. "Now that fucker is out there and my family is at risk of that asshole. If I had to die to protect my family then I would have taken it."

Zemo placed down his cup that he hadn't even taken a sip of yet. "I understand, Sam-"

"No," Sam snapped, gritting his teeth, his anger bleeding through, his frustration at the whole mission and now for being told someone understood when they so clearly couldn't. "No, you don't understand. My family is in danger. Yours...yours is dead!"

Zemo's hands stilled, face going blank. Bucky tensed on the couch, head turning from Sam to Zemo and back, horrified that those words came out of the man in front of him. Sam at least had the decency to look guilty at his words but it clearly wasn't enough to make him stand down or to even take the words back, anger still prominent.

"Not cool, Sam," Bucky grumbled, said man glancing at the super soldier.

"I didn't..." Sam never finished, seeing out the corner of his eye Zemo moving and glanced back at the Sokovian, wondering if Zemo was angry enough to throw his teacup at him.

He didn't expect to see a gun aimed at his head, freezing in place.

Bucky stood, stepping in front of Sam, noting the way Zemo's hands shook in anger, tears gathering in the smaller man's eyes. Whether from anger or pain, Bucky couldn't tell but he wanted to have it rid of. Lord knows Zemo had suffered enough. This was only the gut punch in a long line of gunshots wounds.

But it seemed, this was the fatal blow.

Because faster then either Bucky or Sam could react, too far to reach Zemo, the gun was tilted up.

The sound of the gunshot was too loud in the quiet.