May 2, 2016
"11 Wakandans were among those killed 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." The news reporter spoke on Wanda's TV, as the brunette stared intently at it, while Celestia glanced at the girl every few seconds.
"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." King T'Chaka spoke on the TV next.
"The Wakandan king went on to-" Celestia swapped the channels trying to find something else, but it was just another News reporter speaking. She went to reach for the remote again, but red tendrils surrounded it and sent it behind them onto her dresser near the door.
"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-" The TV turned off, interrupting the man.
Celestia turned around, seeing Steve leaning on the doorway.
"It's my fault." Wanda spoke.
"That's not true." Steve denied.
"Turn the TV back on. They're being very specific." She looked to the man at the doorway who was looking down.
"I should've clocked that bomb vest long before you had to deal with it." He started walking over, and Celestia immediately scooched over so Steve could sit next to Wanda. "Rumlow said 'Bucky'... and all of a sudden I was a 16-year-old kid again, in Brooklyn." As he sat, he placed a thankful hand on Celestia's knee, and kept it there as he began talking again. "And people died. It's on me." Celestia looked past Steve to find Wanda looking at him.
"It's on both of us." Celestia wanted to interrupt and say 'it's on neither of you' but she thought that would wreck the moment.
"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." He had squeezed Celestia's knee a couple times as he spoke, squeezing again when all three (Steve the least) jumped at Vision phasing through the wall.
"Vis! We talked about this." Wanda scolded as all three of them looked to him.
"Yes, but the door was open so I assumed that..." he trailed off as he realised his mistake. "Captain Rogers and Ms Cabrera wished to know when Mr. Stark was arriving." Celestia rolled her eyes at the android still calling her 'Ms Cabrera' no matter how many times she told him to stop calling her that.
"Thank you. We'll be right down." Steve said, looking down to his legs quickly.
"I'll use the door." He said, walking but stopping and turning around when he almost reached the doorframe. "Oh, and apparently, he's brought a guest."
"Who?" Celestia asked.
"The Secretary of State." He spoke, before actually leaving.
"Great." Celestia said under her breath looking to her lap.
**
"Five years ago..." Secretary Ross sighed out. "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 nerve taught me. Perspective." Celestia had to hold back her eye roll at his words. She was sitting next to Sam at the end of the long table, furthest (except for Tony, who was in the corner of the room) away from Secretary Ross.
"The world owes the Avengers an unpayable debt. You have fought for us... protected us, risked your lives... but while many people see you as heroes... there are some... who would prefer the word 'vigilantes'." He spoke.
"And what word would you use, Mr. Secretary?" Nat asked.
"How about 'dangerous'? 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." Celestia clenched her jaw, and had to hold back her words, knowing they would do more harm than good. Sam turned to look at her, placing a hand on her arm, shaking his head slightly. 'He's not worth it' he silently conveyed. The blonde inhaled, swallowing, before focusing on the projector.
"New York." He showed a video of the fight and the wreckage. "Washington, D.C." He then showed a video of the helicarrier falling into the water, covering civilians that were running away, in debris. "Sokovia." A video of the country rising into the air and buildings falling was then on then screen. "Lagos." A video of the smoke and the fire on the building, along with people being wheeled out on stretchers appeared as well. Celestia, out of the corner of her eye, saw Wanda look down to the table.
"That's enough." Both Steve and Celestia said, stopping the video.
"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 took a book from one of his aide and places it on the table, sliding it to Wanda first." The Sokovia Accords. Approved by 117 countries, it states that the Avengers shall no longer be a private organisation." As he spoke, Wanda passed it to Rhodey. "Instead... they'll operate under the supervision of the United Nations panel...only when and if that panel deems it necessary."
"The Avengers were formed to make the world a safer place. I feel we've done that." Steve said, looking to the table.
"Tell me, Captain, do you know where Thor and Banner are right now? If I misplaces a couple of 30 megaton nukes... you can bet there'd be consequences."
"With all due respect, Mr. Secretary, but Thor and Bruce aren't 'a couple of 30 megaton nukes'. They are humans and they have every right to go wherever they want. In the past year, you haven't heard of any Hulk or Thor related destruction, no one has. They aren't uncontrollable beasts." Celestia spoke out, swallowing hard after speaking. Sam put his hand back on Celestia's arm, rubbing it.
"Well..." Secretary Ross trailed off, but she knew what he was going to say. Instead of Sam just putting a hand on her arm, he held her hand, trying to calm her down from the outburst that was soon coming. "Compromise. Reassurance. That's how the world works." Ross spoke, continuing what he was saying before. "Believe me, this is the middle ground."
"So, there are contingencies." Rhodey commented.
"Three days from now, the UN meets in Vienna... to ratify the Accords. Talk it over." He went to walk out, but Natasha spoke.
"And if we come to a decision you don't like?" Ross stopped walking.
"Then you retire." Natasha fake-smiled, nodding.
**
"Secretary Ross has a Congressional Medal of Honour... which is one more than you have." Rhodey and Sam stood arguing behind Steve who was reading the Accords. Celestia was sitting next to Wanda, head in hands, trying to drown out their arguing.
"So let's say we agree to this thing. How long is it gonna be before they LoJack us like a bunch of common criminals?" Sam argued back.
"117 countries want to sign this. 117, Sam, and you're just like, 'no, that's cool. We got it.'"
"How long are you going to play both sides?" Sam sassed back.
"I have an equation." Vision said from next to Wanda.
"Oh, this will clear it up." Sam said sarcastically.
"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 his risen at a commensurate rate." Celestia raised her brows, understanding a small amount of his speech.
"Are you saying it's our fault?" Steve asked.
"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." Vision finished.
"Boom." Rhodey bragged, turning to Sam.
"Tony. You are being uncharacteristically non-hyperverbal." Nat said, staring at the man who was slouching in his chair.
"It's because he's already made up his mind." Steve said, knowingly.
"Boy, you know me so well. Actually, I'm nursing an electromagnetic headache." Tony said, walking to the kitchen.
"Oh, yeah. I forgot to ask. How was your puke thing?" Celestia asked, raising her head from her hands.
Tony whipped around. "B.A.R.F." He corrected before turning around and walking again. "Pain. It's discomfort, Cap. Who's putting coffee grounds in the disposal?" He asked, holding a mug. "Am I running a bed and breakfast for a biker gang?" He pulled out his phone, tapping the screen and projecting an image. He left it there for a couple seconds before speaking again. "Oh, that's Charles Spencer, by the way." Celestia sighed, looking up, and seeing the familiar, smiling face of Charlie.
"He's a great kid. Computer engineering degree, 3.6 GPA... had a floor-level gif at Intel planned for the fall. But first, he wanted to put a few miles on his soul..." Celestia looked down to her lap, swallowing. "-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. Just like you, Tia. He wanted to make a difference, I suppose. I meant, we won't know because we dropped a building on him while we were kicking ass." Celestia felt tears in her eyes, but managed to keep them down as she rubbed her forehead.
"There's no decision-making process here." Tony said walking forward, after drinking from his mug. "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." Steve said, looking up the man who was standing.
"Who said we're giving up?" Tony asked.
"We are if we're not taking responsibility for our actions. This document just shifts the blame."
"I'm sorry, Steve. That- that is dangerously arrogant. This is the Unites 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 spoke.
"No, but it's run by people with agendas, and agendas change." Steve tried to convince.
"That's good. That's why I'm here. When I realised what my weapons were capable of in the wrong hands... I shut it down and stopped manufacturing." Tony spoke, walking forward.
"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." Steve spoke, explaining his side. It was silent for a few seconds before Celestia spoke.
"I'm not saying I agree with the Accords, or disagree with them, but who's to say it'll change anything?" She said, looking around at everyone. "I meant, what would they've done in 2012? Because if it was up to the government, New York would exist anymore. Or, the same thing would happen. The same levels of destruction, same levels of death. Or- or what about Sokovia? What would they of done differently? We did what we could, and I think... and I hate to say it because of Piet' and Charlie... but it was the best outcome." She rubbed her arms as she spoke, sighing once she was finished.
Tony looked to her, exhaling. "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 spoke out.
"We would protect you." Vision said, looking at Wanda who looked back at him.
"Maybe Tony's right. If we have one hand on the wheel, we can still steer. If we take it off..." Nat trailed off.
"Aren't you the same woman who told the government to kiss her ass a few years ago?" Sam asked, leaning forward, making Celestia chuckle.
"I'm just- I'm reading the terrain. We have made some very public mistakes. We need to win their trust back." Nat explained.
"Focus up. I'm sorry. Did I just mishear you... or did you agree with me?" Tony asked, leaning on the couch.
"I want to take it back now." Nat said quietly.
"No, you can't retract it. Thank you. Unprecedented. Okay. Case closed. I win." Tony spoke.
"I have to go." Steve said, getting up, and throwing the Accord book on the table. Everyone watched him go, but Celestia immediately stood up, going after him.
Pretty long chapter
Also, two chapters in one night? I surprised myself
Anyway, I love you all, vote and comment if you want, and have a great day/night ♥️