Rapid Love | P. MAXIMOFF

[14] make it up to you

"Secretary Ross has a Congressional Medal of Honor, which is one more than you have," Rhodes pointed out.

"So let's say we agree to this thing," Sam huffed. "How long is it gonna be before they LoJack us like a bunch of common criminals?"

"One hundred seventeen countries want to sign this," he pointed out. "One hundred seventeen, Sam, and you're just like, 'No, that's cool. We got it.'"

Beatrix and Pietro exchanged wary glances as they approached the group.

"How long are you going to play both sides?"

"I have an equation," Vision announced.

"Oh, this will clear it up."

"In the eight years since Mr. Stark announced himself as Iron Man, the number of known enhanced persons has grown exponentially. And during the same period, the number of potentially world-ending events has risen at a commensurate rate."

"Are you saying it's our fault?" Steve asked.

"I'm saying there may be a causality. Our very strength invites challenge. Challenge incites conflict. And conflict...breeds catastrophe. Oversight - oversight is not an idea that can be dismissed out of hand."

"Boom," Rhodes nodded.

"Correlation does not imply causation," Beatrix stated, announcing her presence. "One could argue that had Stark not done it, someone else would have. Someone with a far less positive intention."

"Boom," Sam countered.

"I didn't say I disagreed," Beatrix pointed out. "All I'm saying is that it's all very complicated and I'm not sure there is a right answer."

"Of course there isn't."

"If we go under government supervision and they are confident that they can handle a situation and can't, then what?" she asked. "Our job is to protect the people, the government might prevent us from doing that."

"See?" Sam said.

"But," she began and Sam groaned. "We have caused a lot of damage. It's also possible that the government could be helpful."

"Tony," Natasha spoke up, "You are being uncharacteristically non-hyperverbal."

"It's because he's already made up his mind," Steve pointed out.

Tony got up with a groan, "Boy, you know me so well." He rubbed the back of his head. "Actually, I'm nursing an electromagnetic headache." He stood up and made his way to the kitchen, grabbing a mug, "That's what's going on, Cap. It's just pain. It's discomfort. Who's putting coffee grounds in the disposal? Am I running a bed and breakfast for a biker gang?"

Tony dropped his phone in a basket and topped it. The phone projected an image of a young man who was smiling, "Oh, that's Charles Spencer, by the way. He's a great kid. Computer engineering degree, 3.6 GPA. Had a floor level gig at Intel planned for the fall. But first, he wanted to put a few miles on his soul, before he parked it behind a desk. See the world. Maybe be of service. Charlie didn't want to go to Vegas or Fort Lauderdale, which is what I would do. He didn't go to Paris or Amsterdam, which sounds fun. He decided to spend his summer building sustainable housing for the poor. Guess where, Sokovia."

Pietro's jaw clenched and Beatrix looked up at him warily. Sokovia was always a sore subject for him and now was no exception.

"He wanted to make a difference, I suppose. I mean, we won't know because we dropped a building on him while we were kicking ass," Tony informed them as he took a pill and drowned it in coffee. "There's no decision-making process here. We need to be put in check! Whatever form that takes, I'm game. If we can't accept limitations, if we're boundary-less, we're no better than the bad guys."

Steve shook his head, "Tony, someone dies on your watch, you don't give up."

"Who said we're giving up?"

"We are if we're not taking responsibility for our actions. This document just shifts the blame."

"I'm sorry," Rhodes apologized, shaking his head. "Steve. That - that is dangerously arrogant. This is the United Nations we're talking about. It's not the World Security Council, it's not SHIELD, it's not HYDRA."

Steve crossed his arms over his chest, "No, but it's run by people with agendas, and agendas change."

"That's good," Tony nodded. "That's why I'm here. When I realized what my weapons were capable of in the wrong hands, I shut it down and stopped manufacturing."

"Tony, you chose to do that," Steve reminded him. "If we sign this, we surrender our right to choose. What if this panel sends us somewhere we don't think we should go? What if there is somewhere we need to go, and they don't let us? We may not be perfect, but the safest hands are still our own."

"If we don't do this now, it's gonna be done to us later," Tony countered. "That's the fact. That won't be pretty."

Wanda shifted uncomfortably, glancing over at where her brother and Beatrix stood, "You're saying they'll come for us."

Beatrix felt the color drain from her face. She had never thought about it that way. Whereas the majority of the others were who they were because of their skill, Pietro, Wanda and Beatrix were all manufactured, making them weapons in the government's eyes, not people.

"We would protect you," Vision pointed out.

"Maybe Tony's right," Natasha stated and Tony turned to her in surprise. "If we have one hand on the wheel, we can still steer. If we take it off-"

"Aren't you the same woman who told the government to kiss her ass a few years ago?" Sam asked.

"I'm just...I'm reading the terrain," she explained. "We have made...some very public mistakes. We need to win their trust back."

"Focus up," Tony interjected. "I'm sorry, did I just mishear you or did you agree with me?"

"Oh, I want to take it back now."

"No, no, no," he shook his head. "You can't retract it. Thank you. Unprecedented. Okay, case closed - I win."

Steve's phone buzzed and he pulled it out. He read whatever it said and addressed the group, "I have to go." He got up quickly, dropping the Accords on the table and walking down the stairs.

Beatrix placed her hands on Pietro's forearm, "I'll be right back." He looked down at her and then over at where Steve had gone and nodded.

She made her way down the stairs after him to find him leaning against the banister, his head in his hands. "Captain," she greeted and he looked up, an unreadable expression on his face. She decided not to question it and went with, "Should we cancel the mission?"

He shook his head, "No. You have until the Accords are signed to finish this legally speaking. Whatever happens after that is up to you and Pietro."

She nodded, hesitating slightly. He was clearly struggling with something but she had to ask. "You don't think they'd actually take us, do you?" Beatrix asked. "Wanda, Pietro and I?"

"I don't know," he answered honestly. "But I know I won't let them take you without a fight."