ᵈᵃʳᵏⁿᵉˢˢ ▸ 𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐕𝐄 𝐑𝐎𝐆𝐄𝐑𝐒⁴ ✓

two.

DARKNESS.
002. | ❛ then you retire. ❜

"WHAT LEGAL AUTHORITY DOES AN ENHANCED HUMAN BEING LIKE Wanda Maximoff have to operate in Nigera? And don't me started on Kingsley Sisters. What authority does Caroline have after she killed various people back in 2012 and one word could set her off and Kiara, a former controlled assassin, a misstep from the both of them could result in the blood sucking monster ripping out our hear-"

Wanda, Kiara, and Caroline glance over their shoulder to see Steve standing in the doorway. Caroline's eyes meet Steve's and giving a sad smile before turning back to Wanda. Steve takes a seat beside Caroline and placing his hand on her shoulder.

"It's my fault." Wanda sighs

"It's not yours, I should've helped you." Caroline says to her.

"No, it's mine." Wanda says to her before turning to Steve, "If you turn that tv back on, they are going to be very specific about us." Wanda raises her knee up onto the bed and she rests her elbow on it.

"They aren't treating me nicer either because I've been an Avenger longer. Didn't you hear one word and I turn into the blood sucking monster ripping at people's hearts."

"At least you aren't the assassin of Hydra," Kiara chimed in remaining on the floor.

"I should've clocked the bomb." Steve states, both girls glancing towards him. "Rumlow said 'Bucky' and all of a sudden I was a sixteen year old kid in Brooklyn."

Caroline reaches over for his hand and squeezing it tightly, before she rested her had on his shoulder.

"People died... It's on me." Steve says to her.

"It's on all of us." Caroline states as she glances to him

"This job... we try to save as many people as we can, sometimes that doesn't mean everybody." Steve explains to them and Caroline knowing that he was right. " But if you can't find a way to live with that, next time maybe nobody can save it."

Wanda nodded her head before Caroline pulled her into a hug once more. She returns to having her head in Steve's shoulder until Vision walks into the room through the wall.

"Vis!" Wanda scolded him. "We've talked about this!"

"Yes, but the door was opened so I assumed-" Vision motions towards the door with Caroline letting out a small sigh. "Captain Rogers wished to know when Mr.Stark was arriving."

"Thank you, I'll be right down."

Vision glances to them, before over towards the door. "I'll use the door." He walks over towards the door, before turning back to face them again. "Oh, and apparently he's brought a guest."

"Do you know who it is?" Caroline asked

"The Secretary of State." Vision answers

"Guess I was right about the consequences," Caroline groans

_____________

"Five years ago, I had a heart attack. I dropped right in the middle of my back swing." The Secretary of State said to the heroes, Caroline grabbed a hold on Steve's hand, giving her a reassuring look. "Turns out it was the best moment of my life. After thirteen hours of surgery, and a triple by-pass, I found something forty years in the army never taught me... Perspective."

Caroline glanced at everybody present, all of them having straight faces. But Caroline didn't know whether she should worry about what was to come.

"The world owes the Avengers an unpayable 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 prefer the word vigilante." Secretary Ross stated with Caroline tensing up because she knew that none of them where vigilantes.

"And what word would you use Mr. Secretary?" Caroline glanced to meet Natasha's eyes before seeing Steve's small smile.

"How about dangerous? 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 seem unconcerned about what they leave behind." Secretary Ross made his way to the other side of the screen. Caroline slipped her hand into Wanda's, squeezing it a little and giving her a smile before glancing back to the screen.

"New York." Caroline tensed up at everything that came with that battle. Loki, her humanity, Phil's death. The Chitauri flooding New York from the portal in the sky. Caroline looked away not wanting to see what followed.

"Washington D.C." The day that both SHIELD and HYDRA fell. HYDRA hiding beneath SHIELD for years and taking them decades to find out. The images were of the helicarriers crashing into the waves of the water, and exploding. The day where both Steve and Caroline found out that Bucky was alive, and now a super solider for the bad guys.

"Sokovia." Caroline felt an instant squeeze in her hand, practically squeezing the life out of her. She watched as chunks of the land breaking off and collapsing into the rest of the area. The place where she was stabbed and almost died. The voices of the residents screaming and seeing Wanda watching the girl in horror.

"Lagos." Wanda's face harderend as well as Caroline's, with Wanda squeezing her hand harder. She darted her eyes to the Secretary of State, ready to let her fangs peek through. The screams of the people as they ran from the building. People badly hurt, injured, or dead on the the floor.

"Okay, that's enough." Steve said making Scretary Ross turn off the the screen.

"For the past four years. you've 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." Secretary Ross dropped a large book on the table. Caroline glares at the binding of the book and then at the cover. "The Sokovia Accords. Approved by one hundred and seventeen countries. It states that the Avengers shall no longer be a private organization, instead they'll operate under supervision of a United Nations panel, ony when, and if, that panel deems it necessary."

"The Avengers were formed to make the world a safer place." Steve stated, catching Caroline's attention. "I feel we have done that."

"Tell me, Captain. Do you know where Thor and Banner are right now?" Secretary Ross glances over towards Caroline. "And Agent Kinglsey, not to mention-"

"Excuse me, Secretary Ross. But I'm going to have to stop you before you commit a big error of stepping over a line." Kiara growled at him.

"I see." Secretary Ross says turning his attention to the rest of the team. "If I misplaced a couple of thousand megaton nukes, you could bet there would be consequences. Compromise. Reassurance. That's how the world works. Believe me, this is the middle ground?"

"So, there are contingencies?"

"Three days from now, the U.N, meets in Vienna to ratify the Accords, talk it over." Steve turns to Tony, who was sitting in the back with a blank expression.

"And of we come to a decision you don't like?" Natasha questions him.

"Then you retire."