Embered Coal ° BUCKY BARNES | VOL. 3

two; the sokovia accords

**********

They were all sitting around a table, listening to the Secretary of State. Well, more like waiting for him to speak. Lara nervously tapped her fingers against the table, waiting for the silence that was among them to be broken. She had been introduced to everyone, and all of them seemed to like her in one way or another. Though, Lara found herself clinging to Steve, since she knew him the best.

"Five years ago, I had a heart attack," Mr. Secretary said, acting like he was golfing. Lara rolled her eyes at the actions, mostly because it was a stereotypical thing for him to do. All politicians golfed. "I dropped right in the middle of my backswing. Turned out it was the best round of my life because after thirteen hours of surgery and a triple bypass, I found something.

"Forty years in the army never taught me perspective," he finished, and Lara noticed the look Tony and him exchanged. Obviously, the two of them knew each other, or else she wasn't sure how he would have found them. Tony was the only plausible answer.

Lara looked around awkwardly, realizing that she wasn't really in the Avengers. She shouldn't be sitting around the table with these people, waiting to hear what this man had to say. The brunette almost teleported out of there, when Steve grabbed her hand. She looked at him, into those blue eyes that she first noticed on a rainy Sunday, and the plead they held. Lara stayed in her spot with a sigh, turning back to Mr. Secretary.

"The world owes the Avengers an un-payable debt. You have fought for us, protected us, risked your lives, but while a great many people see you as heroes, there are some who would prefer the word vigilantes."

"And what word would you use, Mr. Secretary?" Natasha asked, and Lara spotted a little smile on her face. How was she so calm at a time like this? The Avengers was practically getting jailed. Lara knew how to read between the lines.

"How about dangerous?" Mr. Secretary retorted. "What would you call a group of U.S based, enhanced individuals who routinely ignore sovereign borders and inflict their will wherever they choose and who, frankly, seemed unconcerned on what they leave behind."

He moved away from the screen that was behind him, letting the whole group of people see. A location was zoomed in on on a regular map, and Mr. Secretary read the place out. Manhattan, New York. Lara jumped when an alien appeared on screen, roaring and flying around. On the tape, people were running and screaming, the army was shooting, and then you saw the Incredible Hulk. He was jumping, and smashing into buildings, maiming the aliens that were in the buildings.

"Washington, D.C," he said next, and another tape came on. This one showed three of S.H.I.E.L.D's helicarriers crashing, and Lara recognized this as the Fall of the division. The Helicarriers had crashed into the pool in front of the Triskelion, creating a significant amount of damage. Lara had been there. She had been assigned to help with getting people out of the way so any debris wouldn't hit them.

"Sokovia," the tape that came on next made Lara look at Wanda. She hadn't known where her accent had come from, but the way she reacted, her shoulders tensing, Lara deduced it was from there. And Lara watched as it was lifted up into the sky, and destroyed. She had also heard about it on the news when it was happening.

"Lagos," the tape was played, and Lara stared at the screen. It was weird because she was pretty sure she arrived when the group that went had gotten back to the Avengers Facility not too long ago. And she had been baking cookies to ease her nerves everyday.

"Okay, that's enough," Steve told Mr. Secretary, who nodded at his bodyguard, who turned off the screen.

"The past four years you have operated with unlimited power and no supervision. That's an arrangement the Governments of the world can no longer tolerate. But I think we have a solution," the politician was handed a rather thick booklet, Lara looking at it with wide eyes. Was this some sort of contract?

Mr. Secretary walked over to the table in front of Wanda and placed the thick booklet down in front of her, sliding it towards her. "The Sokovia Accords. Approved by a hundred and seventeen countries. It states that the Avengers shall no longer be a private organization. Instead, they'll operate under the supervision of the United Nations' panel, only when and if that panel seems it necessary." While he said this, the booklet was passed around the table, each person glancing at it before passing it to the next person.

"The Avengers were formed to make the world a safer place," Steve said, and Lara noticed the serious look on his face. "I feel we've done that."

"Tell me, Captain. Do you know where Thor and Banner are right now?" Mr. Secretary asked him. Steve just looked up at him, serious look still on his face. "If I miss placed a couple of thirty megaton nukes, you bet there'd be consequences. Compromise, reassurance, that's how the world works. Believe me, this is the middle ground."

"So," Rhodey said, the Sokovia Accords making their way back to in front of him. "There are contingencies?"

"Three days from now the UN meets in Vienna for the Accords," Lara watched as Steve looked back at Tony, who looked back at the blonde with his eyebrows raised. When Mr. Secretary said, "talk it over," Steve looked back forward. That was when the Politician started to leave, until Natasha spoke up.

"And if we come to a decision you don't like?"

"Then you retire."

__________

n.e

lara is such a bean omg. i can't wait for bucky and her to reunite. idk what chapter it's gonna be though /: