𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐃 ᵂᵃⁿᵈᵃ ᴹᵃˣⁱᵐᵒᶠᶠ ³

¹⁴. ᵀʰᵉ ᴸⁱⁿᵉ ᴵⁿ ᵀʰᵉ ˢᵃⁿᵈ

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

"You're saying they'll come for me," Wanda spoke up.

"We would protect you," Vision said resolutely, looking to Carter who still hadn't lifted his head. Only able to see the man's Adam's apple bob.

"Maybe Tony's right."

Most of the team turned to Natasha, perplexed by the assassin's agreement. Primarily Nova, who couldn't shake the dumbfounded look off her face. "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 reminded, frowning.

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

"Focus up. I'm sorry. Did I mishear you or did you just agree with me?" Tony asked, leant on the arm of the couch.

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

"No, no, no. No, you can't retract it," Tony announced. "Unprecedented. Thank you."

Nova scoffed, staring at her girlfriend like she'd grown a second head. "And when they throw us into a war?" She questioned, earning the attention of everyone in the room. "When they have us tasked to kill people in a war we want no part of? What then?"

Tony shook his head. "It won't come to that."

"Then please, Tony, explain to me how you know?" She asked, waving a hand toward him, raising a brow. "Please. The floor is all yours to tell us how you plan to speak for us. Because as far as I am concerned, this is guilt weighing on you. As it does for all of us. But we've found a way to keep moving forward and trying to do right by the people we've failed. You want to stand for an entity that countless times jumps to conclusions and fucks up. But who pays the price? Us!"

Her eyebrows scrunched together, looking between Natasha and Tony with a scoff. "I don't know what I expected from either of you, but this isn't it."

"I have to go." Steve's unannounced departure had caused the group to grow silent. Watching him leave before Tony looked amongst the group. Waiting for someone to speak up until he pushed away from the couch with a hum.

But he couldn't get too far before Natasha spoke up. "Carter? What is your decision?"

The collective remaining members turned to Carter, who held his head in his hands. Exhaling in exasperation as he lifted his head, clasping his hands and pursing his lips with a faint shake of his head. Looking up at Natasha, he smiled.

"I'm done."

They stared at him, confused by the defined statement and by how simple of an answer it had been. No build-up. No devil's advocate. Just a simple response of him checking out. "I'm not... I'm not doing this," he laughed, looking amongst the team in defeat. "For so long, I disregarded human life for my desires. It was only after Sokovia that I realized how obligated I'd been to keep people safe, and it nearly cost my life."

Waving his hand toward Wanda, he said, "It wasn't Wanda's fault for what happened in Lagos. It also wasn't our fault for what happened in Sokovia." His face scrunched up, hands clenching together. "But I am given a second chance here to be with each of you and be proud of everything we've sacrificed to keep our world safe. And that..." He shook his head. "That I won't allow to be tarnished by picking sides in a fight that we shouldn't even be thrown in."

Standing to his feet, Carter stuffed his hands in his pockets and shrugged. "So, I'm done. I'm leaving," he announced, shrugging. "I won't ruin my memory of each of you by fighting you."

And without warning, he teleported away. Their last look of the man being shimmering sparks before silence. Nova stared wide-eyed with her gaze flickering to Wanda, who bit her bottom lip, bolting to her feet and sprinting out of the room despite Nova's calls.

Wanda panted, nearly tripping over her feet as she raced down each hall and slid into each wall when taking a corner. But despite her heart hammering against her chest, she forced herself farther and faster.

Please, don't go. Please.

Making it to Carter's bedroom door, she was surprised to find no sign of him. Only the remnants of his presence by drawers pulled open, clothes astray and small belongings missing. "No. No, no, no," she muttered, looking around in childish hopes that he was just hiding from her.

But her gaze fell to a small ripped piece of paper resting on his bed. She picked it up and stared at it for a few moments, chest tightening as a sob fell from her lips.

I know you won't leave him, but if you ever do, I'll be waiting.