☁︎︎☀︎︎☁︎︎☀︎︎☁︎︎☀︎︎☁︎
『3』
"Five years ago I had a heart attack, I dropped right in the middle of my backswing...it turned out it was the best round of my life because, after 13 hours of surgery and a triple bypass. I found something 40 years in the army never taught...perspective."
Thea gagged at Secretary Thaddeus Ross's words earning a nudge from Natasha and by nudge, I mean a kick to the ankle.
"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 would prefer the word, vigilantes."
"And what words would you use Mr. Secretary?" Natasha asked.
"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 began a visual presentation of the events of the Avengers.
"New York." The screen began footage of the 2012 battle the team faced against Loki but presented most of the damage caused by the Hulk.
"Washington, DC." The clip showed the falling Helicarriers crashing into the water with of course citizens screaming.
"Sokovia." This clip showed the rising city and the collapsing buildings.
"Lagos." Which showed the smoking building and ambulances.
"We've seen enough, you can shut it off," Thea says bluntly as she saw it causing multiple replays of guilt across the room, especially with the Maximoff.
"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." Thaddeus is then handed a booklet which is passed around to everyone else.
"The Sokovia Accords, approved by 117 countries, states that the Avengers shall no longer be a private organization instead they'll operate under the supervision of a united nations panel only when and if that panel deems it necessary." Thea didn't even bother looking through it and passed it on to the next person.
"The Avengers were formed to make the world a safer place, I feel we've done that," Steve stated.
"Tell me, captain, do you know where Thor and Banner are right now? If I misplaced a couple of 30-megaton nukes you can bet there'd be consequences."
"Compromise, reassurance, that's how the world works, believe me, this is the middle ground."
"So there are contingencies..." Rhodey said.
"Three days from now the U.N. meets in Vienna to ratify the accords."
"We'll talk it over," Tony said as the Secretary was on his way out.
"And if we come to a decision you don't like?" Natasha asked.
"Then you retire..."
『THEA』
They're all idiots.
"Secretary Ross has a congressional medal of honor which is one more than you have..." At the moment Sam and Rhodes have been having this disagreement for the time being.
"So let's say we agree to his thing, how long is it gonna be before they low jack us like a bunch of common criminals..."
"117 countries want to sign this, 117, Sam, and you're just no that's cool—"
"How much longer are you gonna play both sides?"
Where did I put my earplugs? I thought to myself.
I wasn't exactly paying much mind to the whole discussion because I had other things in mind;
like the piece of paper, Arina gave me. Can't be something easy, that's just not Arina's way.
Plus it's not like I have much of a say in these accords due to my very contentious history with Hydra I either sign or go to jail.
"I have an equation." Vision said.
"Oh, now that'll 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 commencing rate."
"He's saying it's our fault," Rogers told.
"Practically sounds like it," I mumbled.
"I'm saying there may be a causality, our very strength invites challenge, challenge incites conflict breeds catastrophe. Oversight, oversight is not an idea that can be dismissed out of hand."
"Boom," Rhodes said.
"Thea, what do you think?" Sam asked.
"Well, nothing seeing as I have only one option better than solitary confinement."
"What do you mean by that?" Wanda inquired.
"It means that she either signs or goes to jail," Sam explained.
Rogers sat slowly shaking his head as Romanoff looked towards Stark. "Tony, you're being uncharacteristically non-hyper-verbal..."
"It's cause he's already made up his mind," Steve said.
"Oh, you know me so well, " Stark stood sauntering over to the kitchen.
"I'm nursing an electromagnetic headache..." Aren't we all? I thought.
He got up walking over to the coffee machine.
"That's what's going on Cap, just pain...its discomfort—whos putting coffee grounds in the disposal?" I look away knowing full and well that I was responsible.
"Am I running a bed and breakfast for a biker gang..." He then continues then began projecting an image of a young man.
"Oh, that's Charles Spencer by the way. He's a great kid with, a computer engineering degree, and a 3.6 GPA. Had a floor-level gig intel plan 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." Damn.
"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."
The room was silent with everyone either staring off or looking down avoiding any eye contact.
"There's no decision-making process here, we need to be put in check. Whatever form that takes I'm game..." I couldn't even bring it upon myself to even roll my eyes. The government's idea to control the team of enhanced beings is to nanny them.
"If we can't accept limitations were boundary-less, we're no better than the bad guys." Now it was Stark and Rogers's turn to go back and forth.
"Tony if someone dies on your watch don't give up—"
"Who said we're giving up,"
"We are not taking responsibility for our actions this document just shifts the blame," Rogers said then Rhodes replied with "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—"
"No, but it's run by people with agendas and agendas change," Steve stated.
"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, stop manufacturing," Stark said.
"You chose to do that, If we sign this we surrender our right to choose."
"But if this panel sends us somewhere we don't think we should go, what if there's somewhere we need to go and they don't let us." I couldn't agree more with Rogers's explanation. These are people who didn't even know Hydra was embedded deep in some of the highest positions. Some are still active today but aren't caught yet.
"We may not be perfect but the safest hands are still our own, "
"...If we don't do this now it's gonna be done to us later, that's the fact that won't be pretty."
"You're saying they'll come for me?" Wanda asked. "We would protect you." Vision assured.
"Maybe Tony's right, " We're doomed.
Even Stark himself was surprised at Romanoff's words. "If we have one hand on the wheel we can still see her if we take it off—"
"Aren't you the same woman who told the government to kiss her ass a few years ago..."
"I was thinking the same thing... " I said earning a look from Natasha.
"I'm just...reading the terrain, we have made some very public mistakes. We need to win their trust back..."
"Focus up. I'm sorry did I just mishear you or did you agree with me?" You set yourself up, Romanoff.
"Oh, I want to take it back—"
"No no, you can't retract it. Okay, case close I win."
"I would try to include my disagreement with you but it's not like it'll matter anyway," I said standing up stretching, and heading out the door.
"Thea."
"Nope like it says I don't get a choice. I don't about you all but I'd like to come and go as I please." With that being said I walk out of the room.
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