Avengers: Divided We Fall

New Legislation

When Dean woke up, he was on his bed. He lay there for a few seconds as Biscuit, his portly orange cat, lay on top of him and gently kneaded his chest as he purred. Memories slowly trickled into his head. Lagos. The Institute for Infectious Diseases. Terrorists stealing a biological weapon. Explosion. He shot up in the bed, prompting Biscuit to jump off of him.

"It's okay," Natasha said as she moved to sit on the side of the bed. "It's okay," she repeated as she reached out and took his hand in both of hers.

"How long was I out?" Dean asked.

"Couple of hours. You overdid it today."

Dean shook his head and rested it in his hand. "No, it wasn't the explosion that knocked me out. Well, not just the explosion."

Natasha narrowed her eyes. "What else?"

Dean struggled to find the words because he wasn't even sure of what had taken place. Finally, as he woke more he found his footing. "When I landed I could feel all these emotions. Fear, guilt, sadness. It all hit me out of nowhere."

"Well, that situation was a bit of a SNAFU," Natasha validated. "We were all shaken. But you got thrown by the explosion. Through a building. That, along with how awful things were must have-"

"No," Dean said as he stood up and began to pace. "No, it was like those emotions were mine but also not mine. Like I was feeling all of those things far more than I should have. Like...I don't know how to explain it. It was like everyone else's emotions were in my head."

Natasha stood up and moved in front of Dean to keep him from pacing. "What are you saying?"

Dean shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know what I'm saying." His thoughts went back to the civilians he'd rescued. "How many casualties?" he asked.

"Eleven."

"Dammit," Dean sighed. Eleven innocent civilians had died because they hadn't been able to stop a bomb from blowing up. They'd repelled alien invasions, stopped Dark Elves from plunging all of reality into darkness, and thwarted a homicidal artificial intelligence. But a bomb? That was what slipped through their fingers?

"They were Wakandans," Natasha said. She didn't have to say another word to explain the implications. Wakanda was, perhaps one of the most powerful, yet most reclusive, nations in the world. Their people would want answers. The world would want answers. Things had already been tenuous for the Avengers' public image since Sokovia.

"What do you think it is going to happen?" Dean asked.

"Someone has to take the fall for what's happened. People are going to want someone to blame. And all of the most recent disasters have a common denominator."

"The Avengers."

"My money is on some kind of new legislation," Natasha guessed. "Something to keep us in check so that the rest of the world feels safer."

Dean nodded his head and sat back down on the bed. "It makes sense, I guess. People want to feel safe, they want reassurance that the people who are supposed to make that happen will." He looked up at Natasha. "How would you feel about something like that?"

Natasha pursed her lips. "Well. That is a very good question. I guess, above all else, I wouldn't want our team to get broken up. If that means oversight, then I guess I'd accept that."

Dean smiled at her word choice. She said team, but he knew that the Avengers were really a family for her. As guarded as she was, he knew her well enough to know that she felt a close bond with the others. One that transcended just being teammates.