The Venom || WTM

Chapter five

"Secretary Ross has a Congressional Medal of Honor, which is one more than you have." Rhodey said.

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

"A 117 countries want to sign this. 117, Sam, and you're just like, "No, that's cool. We got it. " Rhodey said.

"How long are you going to play both sides?" Sam asked.

"I have an equation." Vision said.

"Oh, this will clear it up." Sam said.

"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." Vision said

"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." Vision said.

"Where is Tony?" Thor asked.

"Yeah he's never quite." Clint said. Tony just looks at him with a blank look.

"Boom." Rhodey exclaimed.

Tony is lying on the couch. When Natasha speaks, he looks at her.

"Tony. You are being uncharacteristically non-hyper-verbal." Natasha said.

"It's because he's already made up his mind." Steve said.

"Boy, you know me so well." Tony said at the same time as his future self making people look at him.

"Boy, you know me so well." Tony said. He gets up and winces, rubbing the back of his head.

"Actually, I'm nursing an electromagnetic headache." He said walking to the kitchen and 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 asked.

He puts his phone in a basket and taps it. The phone projects an image of a smiling young man. He looks down, then back up, and pretends to notice the picture for the first time.

"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." He said.

The others look affected by this .

"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." He added as he takes a pill with some coffee, then faces the others.

"Tony you can't keep everyone safe." Rhodey said.

"We are supposed to keep people safe, That's what Avengers are for." Tony said.

"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." Tony said

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

"Who said we're giving up?" Tony asked.

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

"True." Clint nodded.

"I'm sorry. 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." Rhodey said.

"No, but it's run by people with agendas, and agendas change." Steve said.

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

"Tony, you chose to do that. 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." Steve said.

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

Many agreed with Tony.

"You're saying they'll come for me." Wanda said.

"We would protect you." Vision said.

"Maybe Tony's right." Natasha said.

Tony looks at her, surprised.

"Did you just agree with Tony?" Sam asked Natasha.

"Where the sun rise from?" Clint asked dramatically.

"If we have one hand on the wheel, we can still steer. If we take it off -" Natasha said

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

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

"By giving them our freedom to fight?" Lydia asked.

"It's the only way." Natasha said.

"Ms. Romanoff If Avengers signs the Accords the government are definitely going to come after Wanda and Mr. Banner when you guys find him and bring him back. Seeing their powers the government would want to have full control over them. This is the reason I try not to bring Venom out. What do you think will happen when government find about a symbiote that can destroy the world of he wants to." Lydia said making everyone think what she said. 

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

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

"No, no, no. You can't retract it. Thank you. Unprecedented. Okay, case closed--I win." Tony said

Steve's phone buzzes, and he pulls it out to check it. A text message reads: 'She's gone. In her sleep.'

 "I have to go." Steve said

Steve gets up sharply, drops the Accords on the coffee table, and goes downstairs. He stops at the bottom of the stairs, leans against the banister, and bows his head.

Steve looks down knowing what that meant.