American Comics: Multiverse of Madness

216. The Final Chapter of Baron Zemo.

"Zemo!"

Inside the X-Weapon Research Center, deep within the Hydra base, Hawkeye and Songbird fought their way through the ranks. With their combat skills, the Hydra soldiers, who barely had time to react, posed no real threat.

After carving a path to the room where Baron Zemo was, Hawkeye held a knife in one hand and an arrow in the other, eager to announce his presence to the baron. The door slowly opened, revealing a dimly lit room. Baron Zemo's iconic purple battle suit was unmistakable as he sat quietly in a chair, showing no sign of panic at Hawkeye's arrival.

"It's really you!"

Hawkeye's knife pointed directly at Zemo, his clouded eyes filled with complex emotions, and for a moment, he fell silent.

"After all these years, Zemo, I've dreamed of this day, the day we would face each other. I had a long monologue prepared, but now..."

Hawkeye lowered his weapon, his breathing becoming more rapid. "...All I want to know is one thing: Why? Why did you spare me? Why let me live and suffer?"

Songbird, standing nearby, perhaps understood Clint Barton's question better than anyone. She often wondered why Hawkeye spared her when she was also guilty.

Songbird, Hawkeye, and Baron Zemo were all participants in the battle of yesteryear, and now, they might be the only survivors of that fateful clash in Las Vegas.

At this moment, Songbird sensibly refrained from interrupting Barton. She simply stood quietly to the side, giving the two old enemies a chance to put an end to their past grievances. Baron Zemo sat silently in his chair, not making any moves. He didn't speak; he just calmly watched Hawkeye, his eyes filled with both hatred and resignation.

"No words? Are you just going to sit there and mock me?!"

Seeing Zemo's reaction, Hawkeye's emotions became agitated. He raised his weapon again, shouting angrily at Baron Zemo.

"Get up, Zemo! Pick up your weapon, and let's settle this once and for all!"

As Hawkeye's words echoed, Zemo finally made a small movement. He gently activated the switch on his chair, and as the sound of a wheelchair's motor whirred, Zemo slowly emerged from the shadows. It was only then that Hawkeye and Songbird saw Zemo's true condition.

Zemo slumped in his wheelchair, his body connected to numerous tubes leading to a life-support system embedded in the walls. Now, Zemo couldn't even stand on his own.

Years of sitting had left Zemo's muscles severely atrophied. He was now like a shell of his former self, unable to move without the aid of his wheelchair, and even speaking required him to use a keyboard. This was a stark contrast to the tall, imposing figure that had appeared in his previous holographic projections!

(You shouldn't have to see me like this.)

The electronic voice broke the silence, snapping Hawkeye and Songbird out of their shock.

"No, no, this can't be..."

Hawkeye involuntarily took several steps back, only stopping when he hit the wall. All the strength drained from his body, and he slowly slid down to sit on the floor.

"This isn't the scene I imagined."

He couldn't accept what he was seeing. He would have preferred a real fight with Zemo, even if it meant dying at Zemo's hand. But he couldn't accept seeing Zemo reduced to this state.

(I don't need your pity. I am Baron Zemo, the 12th-generation heir to a noble lineage. And you, Clint Barton, you're just a mongrel raised by a circus. You humiliated me and took over my Thunderbolts.)

"Hmph, that's right, that's who I am. But in that pivotal battle, it was you who lost, right there in Las Vegas," Barton replied coldly.

(No, damn it, it was you who lost!)

Baron Zemo's fingers moved with difficulty on his wheelchair's keyboard, typing out his response.

(Maybe it was that 'noble bloodline,' but I had a stroke. Now, I'm the one dependent on tubes to breathe.)

"Justice is served. All these years, I've dreamed of revenge, but now it seems time has beaten me to it. Zemo, you truly deserved this!"

With that, Hawkeye turned to leave. Seeing Zemo in this state, he felt satisfied. Rather than helping him find peace, it was better to leave him to suffer—this was the greatest punishment.

(No! I am still Baron Zemo. I won't let you leave knowing my weakness. Even Red Skull doesn't know my condition, and I won't let you live to tell!)

"Is that so? We'll see," Hawkeye said dismissively.

But as he turned to go, Baron Zemo panicked.

Just as Hawkeye couldn't accept all of this, Zemo himself couldn't bear it. He had waited too long for Hawkeye to arrive. Now, all he wanted was to die at Hawkeye's hands, not to be mocked and then left to die slowly from a stroke.

(I won't let you know my secret and leave alive. Not even Red Skull knows my condition. You can't walk away now.)

"You think I'll let you go after what you did? You'll die by my hand, but not easily."

With Hawkeye preparing to enact his revenge, Songbird entered Zemo's room to investigate some intelligence regarding Hydra.

Baron Zemo had been conducting secret experiments on super-soldiers, which meant the other Hydra leaders were likely also active. She needed to find some information about Hydra's internal operations from here. But when she saw Red Skull's latest declaration on Zemo's computer, Songbird froze in place. Then she turned slightly and called out to Clint, who was still torturing Zemo.

"Clint, you... you need to come and see this!"

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30 advanced chapters on p@treaon
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217. Red Skull's Judgment Proclamation!
218. The Eagle and the Sparrow.
219. Neck and Neck.
220. The Next Step.
221. The Manipulated Agatha.