Buckle in folks
Jayce POV
"11 Wakandans were among those k*lled during a confrontation... between the Avengers and a group of mercenaries... in Lagos, Nigeria last month. The traditionally reclusive Wakandans were on an outreach mission... in Lagos, when the attack occurred."
I stare at the news Steve has on, watching as King T'Chaka of Wakanda appears on screen at a press conference.
"Our people's blood is spilled on foreign soil... not only because of the actions of criminals... but by the indifference of those pledged to stop them. Victory at the expense of the innocent... is no victory at all."
"The Wakandan king went on to..." Steve sighs and clicks off the television, glancing up at me.
"They failed to mention you saving over 20 people from that building."
I sigh and chuckle, "The news never liked me much. They always tend to show the negative side of things. They always look for someone to blame when things go wrong instead of seeing the bright side, that that situation could've went a lot worse, as in Rumlow blowing up the whole city, killing civilians all over. We did everything we could...she made a mistake."
"I know she did, but she was trying to save my life. I could've clocked that bomb vest long before she had to even deal with it. Rumlow said 'Bucky' and all of a sudden I was a 16 year old kid again in Brooklyn...and people died."
I bite my lip and shake my head, "It isn't your fault either, Steve. Our line of work? It comes with risks. I've been doing this a long time. Ever since I was in high school. I'm 28 years old now, I've been doing this for nearly 12 years."
He chuckles, "That's a long time."
"Very. I've dealt with the press for a while. Daily Bugle, New York Times, Daily Mail, you name it. They see me taking down an enemy but all they seem to write about are the buildings that got damaged in the process, the danger I somehow put civilians in even when I was saving their lives. They fear us because we have these...gifts. It's a scary world, and they want to shut us down and turn the world against us because we have power and they fear that."
He hangs onto my every word and absorbs it, seemingly agreeing with all of it. Before he can say anything else, I hear the news coming from down the hall. Frowning, I turn to where it's coming from and realize it's Wanda's room.
Sighing, "I'll be right back," I say before walking towards her room and pushing the door open quietly, making my way in.
I glance at the screen she is staring at intently and see the newscaster speaking over clips of the Lagos wreckage, "They are operating outside and above the international law. Because that's the reality, if we don't respond to acts like these. What legal authority does an enhanced individual like Wanda Maximoff have... to operate in Nigeri–" I use the remote to turn the television off and lean against the wall, crossing my arms over my chest with a heavy heart for my best friend.
She takes her head off her hand and looks down, knowing it's me already, "It's my fault."
"That's not true," I breathe out and she scoffs, "Turn the TV back on, they're being very specific."
She looks up at me and I notice the anger in her eyes. But it's not anger with the news or anyone else. She's mad at herself.
I walk over and sigh, "I should've gotten there sooner. I could've helped you. I could've grabbed Rumlow with my webs and thrown him far away from everyone in town and let him perish. Steve could've clocked the bomb vest before you had to step in. Natasha could've put a bullet in his head before he hit that button. Sam could've had Redwing shoot him dead. It's on all of us."
Her eyes rest on me, trying to believe me but I can sense the guilt still on her while she looks back down, playing with her fingers anxiously.
Reaching over, I brush the hair away from her eyes, tucking the locks behind her ear and taking her hand in mine. She turns back to me, a small smile on her face but it's weak. Her eyes are already brimming with tears.
"This job...We try to save as many people as we can. Sometimes that doesn't mean everybody. But if we can't find a way to live with that...then next time...maybe nobody gets saved." I shake my head to my words, knowing that it is the sad truth, we can't possibly save every single person.
I know that too well. And Wanda knows I've had my fair share of experience with not being able to save people even when I try my very best.
She nods slowly but still seems a bit guilty.
"You saved a bunch of those people. From my mistake, you were able to save them. You save people all the time. I just wanted to be like you." Her voice cracks at the end, betraying her clear desire to stay strong.
My heart tugs inside my chest and I smile at her, chuckling at her words even though they were beyond sweet, she is wrong about wanting to follow in my footsteps.
"Wanda. You don't want to be like me. I mess up too, all the time. You know what happened with Gwen. I couldn't save her. I make enemies everywhere that I go. You're still learning, you're young. We should've focused more on channeling your power, controlling it. We're just gonna have to work harder."
She wipes at her eyes, nodding while blinking away her tears before she jumps when she sees something, "Vis. We talked about this."
I turn around to see Vision who just phased through the wall, making me raise an eyebrow in amusement.
"Yes, but the door was open so I assumed that..." He trails off, realizing that he has crossed a line and clears his throat, "Captain Rogers instructed me to inform you when Mr. Stark has arrived."
I nod, "Thank you. We'll be right down."
"I'll...use the door," He states awkwardly, walking towards the door but stops before stepping out of the room, turning back to us.
"Oh, and apparently, he's brought a guest."
Frowning, I look at Wanda who seems just as confused as me.
"We know who it is?"
He pauses for a moment, looking between us, his eyes resting on Wanda for a longer beat and sighing, "Secretary of State."
When he leaves I sit in silent and look down, "fuck," I mutter before standing up, scratching the back of my head.
"This isn't going to be good, is it?" She whispers, fear striking her features. I shake my head and help her stand up.
"No, it won't. But we're in this together. It's been me and you for the past 5 and a half years. I'm not leaving your side, you hear me?"
She smiles at me gratefully and we walk towards the conference room together.
When we get to the room, she takes a seat beside Vision and I sit in between Nat and Steve, smiling down at the beautiful redhead who smiles nervously at me.
I place my hand over hers while Secretary Ross starts his boring ass rant.
"Five years ago... I had a heart attack... and dropped right in the middle of my backswing. 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 had never taught me. Perspective. 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.'"
Rolling my eyes at the incompetent words, I lean back in my chair, Natasha placing a hand on my thigh while she leans forward, "What word would you use, Mr. Secretary?"
"How about 'dangerous?'"
"Oh that's rich," I scoff but Natasha squeezes my leg, "Darling. Please."
I glance at her and see her eyes begging for me to behave. Groaning, I lean forward and place my head in my hands.
"What would you call a group of US-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?"
He clicks something, stepping off to the side so the monitor pulls up a map, zooming in on New York, showing footage of the Avengers in New York City when Loki and the Chitauri attacked.
"New York."
Hulk smashes aliens through buildings and breaks things but I remember knowing that they won. Tony saved everyone by going through a wormhole and they closed the portal. They did what they could.
Then it changes.
"Washington DC."
Helicarriers fall into water, causing a large tidal wave. Natasha tenses beside me and I look over, seeing Sam's eyes falling, along with Steve's. Natasha looks down at her hands, pulling her one off my leg to fiddle with her fingers.
"Sokovia."
I snap my head back to the screen, seeing the whole city flying, people collapsing, kids crying. My eyes find Wanda, staring at the screen while her eyes water up intensely. She shoves her hands under the table, telling me that her powers have probably started to buzz at her fingertips nervously.
When I look back at the screen I swallow a lump in my throat, knowing that was the last place Pietro was alive. And I didn't get to say goodbye. Wanda didn't either.
Yet Ross is using this footage to torture everyone in this room, reminding Wanda of her trauma. And there's still one place left I know he is going to show.
It changes again.
"Lagos."
The building is shown, burning and crumbling. Bodies being taken away in bags, officers helping women and children. Then it shows a shot of a dead woman staring into a camera.
Who the fuck films that? A dead person that close up?
Grunting, I ball my hands up into tight fists, setting inside. I feel as if my body is on fire. It's convenient that he's cutting out the footage of me saving those people or Wanda protecting civilians and taking out the agents, Steve protecting people, all of us on that mission.
Wanda drops her hand from her cheek and looks away, shaking her head, the guilt rushing back.
"Okay," Steve starts but I cut in.
"That is enough," I hiss darkly through my teeth, feeling the venom practically dripping off my tongue.
Ross smirks at me, only making me angrier. He knows he's getting under my skin and he fucking loves it. That pathetic mustached son of a bitch.
I could put a web on either side of his skull and pull, snapping his head right off his damn body.
"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."
He reaches towards his mute associate who hands him a thick file, walking over to the table and sliding it to Wanda, "The Sokovia Accords. Approved by 117 countries. It states that the Avengers shall no longer be a private organization." Wanda slides it to Rhodey beside me and I lean over to look at it with him, looking over at Natasha who is staring at Wanda solemnly.
"Instead, they'll operate under the supervision of a United Nations panel...only when and if that panel deems it necessary."
I close my eyes in frustration, feeling like we are being locked in a cage already. Natasha's gaze has shifted to the table, calculating all of the situations that could arise from this. She's going through everything, like she normally does.
It amazes me how she can be so calm about this. And how her brain works. But I can see the worry, I can see the fear residing in that look of hers.
"The Avengers were formed to make the world a safer place. I feel we've done that."
I nod along with Steve in agreement but Ross fires back.
"Tell me, Captain, do you know where Thor and Banner are? If I misplaced a couple 30 megaton nukes...you can bet there'd be consequences." Natasha drops her head at the mention of Banner.
I didn't see him much besides knowing that he's The Hulk. Tony mentioned that Banner and Natasha had a little thing going on...he must've been the one that ditched her. Broke her when she started to open up even the slightest.
"Compromise. Reassurance. That's how the world works. Believe me, this is the middle ground."
"So, there are contingencies," Rhodey says and I scoff, shaking my head at this pathetic discussion.
"Three days from now, the UN meets in Vienna... to ratify the Accords. Talk it over."
I go to say something but Natasha grabs my hand, a signal for me to keep my mouth shut while she speaks, "And if we come to a decision you don't like?"
Ross walks towards the exit but pauses, looking at all of us with a smug ass grin on his face.
"Then you retire."
Natasha's mouth twitches up into a slight smirk, a flash of amusement at Ross going across her face. She knows that will never happen.
We won't just stop.
We can't.
The room is silent when he leaves. I look around, waiting for anyone to say something but not a peep comes out of anyone's mouth.
Scoffing, I stand up, "What a total douchebag."
I walk towards the door, spotting a smile from Sam at my statement and leave the room.
"Jayce, slow down." Natasha follows me out, along with everyone else.
"No, he's a dick. He can't just come in here guns blazing with some bullshit contract! They aren't our parents! We don't work on a fucking schedule. So what, there's going to be people dying and they won't let us help? Hell no. No, not going to fucking happen."
"Webby is right. So let's say we agree to this thing. How long is it gonna take before they LoJack us like a bunch of common criminals?" Sam huffs while Tony lays down on a couch, clearly annoyed.
He's been quiet the whole time.
We all settle in the main room, some sitting. I stand behind Natasha and look at Sam with a slight smile, "Webby?"
He shrugs and Rhodey cuts in, "117 countries want to sign this. 117, Sam, and you're just like, 'No, that's cool. We got it.'"
"How long are you gonna play both sides?" Sam fires back and Vision cuts in, "I have an equation."
"Oh, this will clear it up," Sam scoffs and I can't help the laugh that comes out, earning me a glare from Natasha. I apologize and gesture for Vision to continue.
"In the eight years since Mr Stark announced himself as Iron Man... the number of known enhanced persons has grown exponentially. During the same period... the number of potentially world-ending events has risen at a commensurate rate."
"So you're saying it's our fault?" I tilt my head in annoyance with the synthezoid. Wanda also seems to be somewhat hurt but is listening to Vision.
Biased.
"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."
"Boom," Rhodey smirks at the end of Visions speech and I roll my eyes.
"Tony." Natasha says and I look towards the man who has his hand over his face, clearly stressed out.
"You are being uncharacteristically non-hyperverbal," She states and Steve sighs, "It's because he's already made up his mind."
"Boy, you know me so well." Tony stands up, "Actually, I'm nursing an electromagnetic headache. That's what's going on, Cap. It's just pain. It's discomfort." He reaches for a mug and looks in the sink.
"Who's putting coffee grounds in the disposal? Am I running a bed and breakfast for a biker gang?"
I snort at the comment and nudge Natasha, knowing that she has done that a few times. She glares up at me but has trouble hiding her smile pre-laugh that she stifles. My lips tug upwards while I move over to sit beside her and she makes room, placing her hand on my thigh once I sit.
Leaning over, I press a gentle kiss to the side of her head, seeing the blush form on her cheeks. I see eyes on us, an amused grin from Sam and a slight smile from Wanda, making me blush alongside Natasha.
I look back to Tony who placed his phone down, a holographic display appearing above it of a kid. Probably in college.
"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 wanted to make a difference, I suppose. We won't know because we dropped a building on him while we were kicking ass."
I widen my eyes at the story, looking around to see the guilty faces on everyone. Natasha and Wanda look down, the tears forming in their eyes.
Bouncing my leg, I refrain from grabbing Tony's phone and throwing it out the window. I've been through this. I lost Gwen, I know how much it fucking sucks.
But I also know you can't just stop.
It's horrible, losing people when you're trying to save them. But it is also a terrible cost that we have to pay sometimes. It isn't like we are asking for these threats to the world to happen.
But when they do, we can't exactly just sit back and let the entire world fall apart.
"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, someone dies on your watch, you don't give up," I try to reason but he frowns, "Who said we're giving up, Parker?"
"We are if we're not taking responsibility for our actions," Steve says and I look at him. His eyes are on Tony, his tone sure of himself and confident.
"This document just shifts the blame." He finishes.
"I'm sorry, Steve. That is dangerously arrogant. This is the United Nations we're talking about. It's not the World Security Council, it's not S.H.I.E.L.D., it's not HYDRA." Rhodey states angrily.
"Could've fooled me," I mutter under my breath and feel Natasha turning her head to look at me, making me know she heard me. She tightens her hold on my hand and when I look at her she smiles comfortingly.
"No, but it's run by people with agendas and agendas change," He argues back at Rhodey but Tony jumps back in.
"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 stopped manufacturing."
"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."
I nod with him and clear my throat, "Steve's right. We know how to handle things like this. Like I said earlier, what if they don't let us save people? You really think the governments are going to be able to hand an alien attack if it were to ever happen again? What if they don't want us on it? They don't let us do our job? You say this isn't HYDRA but I've lived in HYDRA, so has Wanda. This feels an awful lot like it."
Tony sighs and places a hand on my shoulder, looking between Steve and I, "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 finally speaks up, the anger and fear lacing her voice.
"We would protect you," Vision says and she looks at him unsure. She feels that the trust level in this room is minimal.
A divide is forming.
"Maybe Tony's right."
Widening my eyes in shock, I turn to look at Natasha, along with everyone else in the room. Even Tony looks surprised.
She meets my gaze but looks away, sighing with a shrug, "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 interjects and she closes her eyes, shaking her head as she looks back at all of us, her eyes desperate.
"I'm just...I'm reading the terrain."
She looks at me again and I stare at her in shock, all my hope shattering right in front of my eyes. I can't believe she's agreeing with this crap.
She has to be joking right? This is a joke. Natasha is the last person I would've ever expected to agree to this. To think this is the right thing to do.
Her eyes tell me that she has thought deeply about this already. But I don't understand.
"We have made some very public mistakes. We need to win their trust back."
I try to translate what she's saying. She wants us to win their trust back? And then what? Go back to what we do? She thinks that Ross is the only one in the government that's an asshole? There are tons of them.
It's corrupt. They're never going to let us do what we want. They want to lock us up, I know it. Like I already knew, they're fucking terrified of us because they know that if we really fought them, we would win.
"Focus up, I'm sorry. Did I just mishear you or did you agree with me?" Tony muses but Natasha shakes her head with her eyes staring at him regretfully.
"Oh I want to take it back now," "No no no. You can't retract it. Thank you, unprecedented. Okay, case closed. I win." Tony smiles brightly, leaning on the arm of the couch.
I roll my eyes at Natasha, pulling my hand away when she reaches for it and standing up, still not understanding why she's doing this but Steve catches my attention quickly. He gets a message and his whole mood seems to drop.
"I have to go," He mumbles, tossing the Accords on the coffee table and getting up quickly, walking out of the room.
Frowning, I watch him curiously but leave him be for now, knowing that it must've been something serious. He'll probably tell me and Sam at some point.
Everyone starts to file out of the room and I go towards my own room but Natasha follows me.
"Jayce–" "Don't."
"Please just listen to me–" "Listen to what, Natalia?" I spit when I turn to her. She jumps at my tone and usage of her birth name but closes her eyes, taking a deep breath before she closes my bedroom door behind her.
"I know you're mad–" "Mad doesn't cover the half of it! I don't understand. You know what this means, you really think this is a good fucking idea? To be their little toddlers that need to get permission to go on the goddamn playground?"
"Calm down," She tries but I just scoff, walking over to the window and leaning against the window seat, staring out at the setting sun as I take a deep breath.
"I know you think this is like HYDRA–" "It isn't like HYDRA, this is HYDRA. This is exactly how they treated Wanda and me. Forcing us to do things the way they wanted. We needed permission to go outside, to do anything. This feels exactly like that because it is exactly like that. I'm not signing those fucking papers. No way in hell."
She sighs and comes over to me, placing a hand on my shoulder but I shrug her off, "No. I can't even begin to understand why you are doing this!"
"Because, I'm trying to read the terrain!"
"Terrain?! Here's the fucking terrain, Natalia! Right in front of your goddamn face! They want us to be their puppets and you are letting them!"
"Don't you dare talk to me like that Jayce Parker," She grunts, pointing her finger at me intimidatingly. Her face is red, eyes blazing with anger as she catches her breath.
I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose, then raise my hands in surrender.
"Okay, I'm sorry. I just don't get it. For someone who was controlled her whole life, one would think she'd be done taking orders and demands from men in suits. Guess old habits die hard, huh?" I chuckle at her, no humor in it at all.
She grunts and raises her hand, slapping me hard across the face, the sound echoing in the room, the force of it making me jerk my head to the side. I hold my now burning cheek and look back at her in shock, now noticing the tears dripping down her cheeks and the absolutely broken look she is giving me.
"Fuck you," She grits painfully and I realize the weight of my hurtful words.
My body buzzes with guilt and I drop my hand, reaching for her but she takes a step back, hugging her body insecurely as she tries to stop her falling tears, looking up at me with the most hurt look I've ever seen her with and it breaks my heart.
"Natasha–" "That isn't what I am doing. But you just had to use my past against me, didn't you? Because that's what you do. When you get upset, you lash out. Well fuck you," She hisses and walks out of my room, slamming the door behind her.
I close my eyes and lean my head back, feeling the frustration bubbling up. Grunting, I kick my body mirror and shatter it, staring at myself in the broken pieces, huffing angrily before screaming again and punching a hole in the wall.
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A/N: Ah ha...
:D
So sorry if that hurt your hearts
Anyways what do you think will happen next?