Are You With Me - nilu
Are you with me?
Are you in or are you out?
Are you with me?
Are you drifting through the doubt?
Are you in or are you out
Vision used to wonder why humans were so intent on consuming different kinds of sustenance. Surely you wouldn't eat because you wanted to, but rather because you needed to. That was before he began recognising the different smells of the meals cooked by residents at Avengers Tower.
Living at the tower for almost a year had taught him more about humanity than anything else could have. Especially living with Wanda; she had always been there for him and in return, he had tried to do the same for her.
The last few weeks had been hard for her. Ever since he had met her, he could tell that she carries around significant amounts of grief and significant amounts of guilt. And that had only increased since Lagos.
And now, with the Accords and her own uncertainty about whether or not she should sign, she only feels much worse. Vision had picked up on this and that was why he wanted to try and do something nice for her.
He stood in the kitchen, reading a printed recipe.
"A pinch of paprika," he read. He scrunched his eyebrows in confusion, trying to figure how much a 'pinch' was. "A pinch."
He moved his hand down to the plate where he had poured the paprika. He arranged his fingers as if he was going to pinch someone and then picked up the amount of paprika he guessed he was supposed to and added it to the pot.
Vision went back to reading the next step of the recipe.
Wanda walked into the kitchen, "Is that Paprikash?"
"I thought it might lift your spirits," Vision said.
Wanda chuckled and walked behind the counter to stand next to Vision. She picked up the spoon in the pot and tasted some, while Vision continued to work around her.
"Spirits lifted," she smiled at Vision, placing the spoon back in.
"In my defence," Vision began, "I haven't actually ever eaten anything before, so..."
"May I?" Wanda interrupted, saving him.
"Please," he said and stepped away, watching her smell different spices, deciding which ones to put in.
He walked to the other side of the counter, "Wanda?"
"Hm," she hummed, distracted by her cooking.
"No one dislikes you, Wanda," He tried.
Wanda looked up at him, an amused smile made its way onto her face. She closed the spice jar she was using, "Thanks," she nodded.
"Oh, you're welcome. No, it's a involuntary response in their amygdala. They can't help but be afraid of you," he finished.
"Are you?" Wanda asked.
"My amygdala is synthetic, so," He said sitting down, causing Wanda to laugh.
She looked down at the pot, stirring it, "I used to think of myself one way. But," she held her hand up, a small red ball of energy dancing between her fingers. "After this... I am something else. I'm still me, I think, but..." She put her hand down, extinguishing the ball and looking back up at Vision, "That's not what everyone else sees."
Vision looked at her and then pointed at the gem in his head, "Do you know, I don't know what this is? Not really." Wanda looked at him, inquisitively. "I know it's not of this world, that it powered Loki's staff, gave you your abilities, but... Its true nature is a mystery. And yet it is part of me."
"Are you afraid of it?" Wanda asked.
"I wish to understand it," he clarified."The more I do, the less it controls me. One day... who knows? I may even control it."
Wanda nodded and then drew their attention back to the paprikash. She pointed at it and scrunched her nose, "I don't know what's in this, but it is not paprika," She smiled at him as he looked down at the ingredients in confusion.
"I'm gonna go to the store, I'll be back in twenty minutes," she said moving away from the counter.
Vision quickly got up and stood in front of her, "Alternatively, we could order a pizza?"
Wanda looked at him, "Vision? Are you not letting me leave?"
Vision looked down at the floor, "It is a question of safety."
Wanda nodded, "I can protect myself," she said walking forward. Vision blocked her way with his arm.
"Not yours."
Wanda's face fell.
"It's not just you, Pietro and Amara also... Mr Stark would like to avoid the possibility of another public incident. Until the Accords are on a more secure foundation."
Wanda turned to the side to look directly at him, "And what do you want?"
"For people to see you... as I do," he finished.
Wanda gave him an intense stare, still being held back by his hand.
That was when Amara entered the room with Pietro.
"What's going on?" Pietro asked, narrowing his eyes at Vision. He began to move forwards at Vision, but Amara grabbed his arm, stopping him.
"Vision what are you doing?" Amara asked, suspiciously.
Wanda turned to Amara, answering for Vision, "Your father is keeping us locked up in here."
"What?" Pietro said.
"It's the Accords," Amara said, quietly, almost to herself.
"What is? The fact that we're trapped in here?" Wanda asked Amara.
"No, Wanda. I'm free to leave."
"What are you talking about?" Wanda asked.
Amara placed a large booklet on the counter. "I made my decision. I signed the Accords. Rhodey brought them in today."
Wanda moved towards the thick booklet that had broken the little family she had left. She held it in her hands once again. It didn't feel powerful. Now that she was holding it once again. How could something so small have the power to create as much damage as it had?
Amara came up next to her, "Just sign it, Wanda, everything will be okay, I promise." She looked at Pietro, "Pietro's signing it, too."
Wanda looked at her brother, "You are?"
Pietro nodded, "I'm thinking about it... seriously considering it."
"You should, too, Wanda," Amara added. "Right now, we just have to stay together. Doesn't matter how. You guys are all the family I have left."
Wanda frowned at the paper in front of her.
"My dad's sending a jet for me. Steve, Sam and Bucky were all arrested. They're being taken to Berlin. I'm gonna try and convince Steve that signing is the right thing."
"Amara?" Vision spoke up.
"Yeah."
"Your jet is here."
"Okay."
The four of them walked Amara up to the roof in silence. When they got there, Amara turned to the Maximoff twins, "You both will be okay without me, right?"
Pietro smiled, "Are you kidding? Time away from both Starks? That's a blessing."
Amara laughed, although not wholeheartedly. She was looking at Wanda, who was still holding the Accords. She could tell from the expression on Wanda's face that she was still unsure and Amara had this sinking feeling that she may not sign. And if she didn't sign then Pietro would be left to choose between his best friend and his sister, and if she knew Pietro at all, he would never turn his back on Wanda.
"Wanda?"
Wanda looked up at her.
"Signing is the best thing to do. Trust me, I wouldn't- I wouldn't have signed if I didn't think it was in everyone's best interests. I promise," She said, before turning away. That heavy feeling in her chest telling her that this might be the last time she sees them both, for a long time.
She turned back around and wrapped her arms around Wanda in a tight hug. She hugged back.
"I'll see you in a bit," Amara said.
Then she turned to Pietro and hugged him, too. She buried her head in his neck, then whispered discreetly, "Stick with Wanda no matter what, yeah?"
Pietro nodded and kissed Amara's forehead, like a caring brother.
Amara looked at them both and smiled. She turned away again and patted Vision's back, she knew that he still didn't fully understand the whole affection thing. "I'll see you soon, Vis."
He nodded and Amara climbed onto the Quinjet.
----------
When Amara stepped off the jet, she was met by the familar faces of Natsaha and her father. She exhaled a long breath of relief.
She moved to hug Natasha, quickly as she knew Natasha wasn't too fond of hugs. But to Amara's surprise, she hugged back and held onto her. She must have had a hard time with everyone splitting apart, especially Steve.
When they broke apart, Amara moved on to her father. She stood in front of him and smiled. He pulled her towards him and Amara hugged him with relief. At the very least, she still had her father.
Natasha tapped Amara's shoulder. "They're gonna be here any minute, we better get going."
"Yeah," Amara nodded.
"I'll see you later, kid," Tony said, holding Amara's face in his hands, affectionately, which was strange for him, but Amara guessed that it was because of the guilt he felt about doing what he had in the past week. He kissed the top of her head and Amara walked inside the building with Natasha.
----------
James Buchanan Barnes was locked up in a glass containment cage, strapped to his chair inside a large armoured vehicle. They had driven the whole journey to Berlin with a lot of police backup. Almost too much, considering none of those who had been captured had any wish to try and escape.
Steve and Sam sat in a bulletproof police car, with Prince T'Challa sitting in the front.
Steve remembered the conversation he had with Rhodey when they were apprehended.
They had already taken Bucky and strapped him to the chair in his cage. There was nothing Steve could do.
As Sam and Steve waited to be handcuffed, they stared at the officers around them, none of them, exactly rushing to carry out the task.
"Confused?" Rhodey asked.
"About?" Sam asked.
"About why you're not in handcuffs." Rhodey looked at them both. "You might want to thank the kid for that. She stood up for you, gave us her word that you would comply. It's only on her personal guarantee that we're doing this."
"Is she okay?" Steve asked.
"She'll be waiting for you in Berlin, where we're taking you. You can ask her yourself when you get there. Although I'd recommend you be on your best behaviour. You can't let that kid down. Not after what she's done for you."
Steve looked at Sam then back at Rhodey and nodded in agreement.
Now the two of them sat in the squad car with the prince who had just been fighting them an hour ago.
"So you like cats?" Sam asked T'Challa.
"Sam," Steve reprimanded his friend.
"What? Dude shows up dressed like a cat, you don't want to know more?" Sam said.
After a moment of silence, Steve addressed the prince, "Your suit... It's vibranium?"
T'Challa turned his head slightly so that his voice could be heard by the two men behind him. "The Black Panther has been the protector of Wakanda for generations. A mantle, passed from warrior to warrior. And now, because your friend murdered my father, I also wear the mantle of King. So I ask you, as both warrior and king, how long do you think you can keep your friend safe from me?"
Steve looked on, jaw clenched.
—————
They parked up in the underground garage of the facility they had been brought to. Steve stepped out of the car and saw Bucky's cage being wheeled out of the van it was in. He saw the absence of hope in his friend's eyes.
Steve, Sam and T'Challa walked in the opposite direction to where Sharon was waiting with another agent in a grey suit and three armed guards behind them.
"What's gonna happen to him?" Steve asked, sternly.
"Same thing that ought to happen to you," the man in the grey suit spoke. "Psychological evaluation and extradition."
"This is Everett Ross, Deputy Task Force Commander," Sharon introduced the man to them.
Steve ignored it all, "What about a lawyer?"
"Lawyer. That's funny," Ross remarked. He addressed the guards around him and Sharon, "See their weapons are placed in lockup." He looked at them all, "We'll write you a receipt."
They saw their weapons being taken away in the hands of some soldiers.
"I better not look out the window and see anybody flying around in that," Sam said as the three of them followed Ross and Sharon.
Steve looked back at Bucky one last time before walking out of the room.
They walked through the halls of the building surrounded by guards, in case they got any ideas.
Everett Ross addressed T'Challa, "You'll be provided with an office instead of a cell. Now, do me a favour, and stay in it?"
"I don't intend on going anywhere," the prince replied.
Steve spotted Natasha and Amara walking towards them, confidently from the opposite side. He felt warm inside when he saw them both, again.
They reached them and then continued walking next to them. Amara reached for Steve and Sam's hands squeezing them and smiling at the two of them.
"For the record, this is what making things worse looks like," Natasha said, looking at Steve and smiling, obviously happy to see him again, too.
"He's alive," Steve said.
"Yeah, and so are you guys, for now," Amara said, "Before I kill you both," She said, angrily, letting go of their hands, but Steve could tell she was happy to see them both.
Sam smiled at Amara, who was walking next to them.
"No," they heard Tony's voice. "Romania was not Accords-sanctioned," he was on the phone. "Colonel Rhodes is supervising cleanup."
Amara and Natasha walked forwards, away from Steve and Sam.
"Try not to break anything while we fix this," Natasha said, walking in large strides next to Amara.
"Consequences? You bet there'll be consequences," Tony said, stepping out of the conference room and smiling at Amara who had walked into the room with Nat. "Obviously you can quote me on that, because I just said it. Anything else?... Thank you, sir," he hung up the phone and walked over to where Sam and Steve were waiting.
"'Consequences'?" Steve asked.
"Secretary Ross wants you both prosecuted, had to give him something," Tony said, joining his daughter and Nat.
"I'm not getting that shield back, am I?"
Natasha turned around, "Technically it's the government's property."
"Wings, too," Amara added, also turning around, smiling.
"That's cold," Sam said, shaking his head.
"Warmer than jail," Tony said.
"All this could have been avoided," Amara shrugged, to which Sam just rolled his eyes.
----------
Steve stared at the various screens in front of him, one of them giving him a view of Bucky in his confinement.
"Hey, you wanna see something cool," Tony said, coming in the room, holding a small rectangular box in his hand, Amara following close behind.
"I pulled something from Dad's archives. Felt timely," he opened the box and it revealed two fountain pens. "FDR signed the Lend-Lease bill with these in 1941." He placed it down on the table in front of Steve, where he had sat down. "Provided support to the Allies when they needed it most."
Steve picked up the pens, "Some would say it brought our country closer to war," he fired back.
"See? if not for these, you wouldn't be here... I'm trying to... what do you call it?" Tony sat down at the table.
"Keep the peace?" Amara suggested, also taking a seat as her father nodded and pointed at her.
"That's an olive branch," Tony said, then scrunched his face up, "Is that what you call it?"
He rubbed his face with his hand and looked at Steve, expectantly.
"You and Pepper still, uh...? I didn't see her around here."
"Yep," Tony nodded.
"I'm sorry," Steve said.
Amara reached out to hold her father's hand, comfortingly.
Tony then said something he had only ever told Amara, once while he was drunk, why they had broken up. "A few years ago, I almost lost her. So, I trashed all my suits. Then, we had to mop up Hydra, and then Ultron. My fault... And then and then and then, I never stopped. Because the truth is I don't wanna stop. I don't wanna lose her. I thought maybe the Accords could help things." He stood up. "In her defence, I'm a handful. Yet Dad was a pain in the ass, but he and Mom always made it work."
"I'm glad Howard got married," Steve said. "I only knew him when he was young and single."
"Oh really? You two knew each other? He never mentioned that. Maybe only a thousand times. God, I hated you," he said putting his blazer on, again.
"I don't mean to make things difficult," Steve said.
"I know, 'cause you're a very polite person."
"If I see a situation pointed south...I can't ignore it," Steve looked up at Tony, then at Amara, "Sometimes I wish I could."
"No, you don't," Tony shook his head.
Steve smirked, shaking his head, too, "No, I don't." he looked at Amara. "Thanks for what you did, kid. Rhodey told me. You didn't have to."
"Of course, I had to. God knows you can't stay out of trouble by yourself," Amara smirked.
Steve chuckled and looked down, "Sometimes..."
"Sometimes I wanna punch you in your perfect teeth. But I don't want to see you gone," Tony admitted. "We need you, Cap. So far, nothing's happened that can't be undone if you sign," he pointed at the pens on the table. "We can make the last twenty-four hours legit. Barnes gets transferred to an American psych center, instead of a Wakandan prison."
Steve picked up one of the pens and stood up. He looked at Tony and Amara, "I'm not saying it's impossible, but there would have to be safeguards."
Tony stood up straight and Amara got up from the table.
"Sure," Tony agreed.
"Yeah, there's always room to negotiate," Amara jumped in, excited at the prospect of this whole nightmare being put behind them.
Tony continued, "Once we put out the PR fire, those documents can be amended. I'd file a motion to have you and Wanda reinstated-"
"Wanda? What about Wanda?" Steve asked.
"She's fine. She's confined to the compound, currently. Vision and Pietro are keeping her company," Tony said and Amara winced.
Steve closed his eyes and turned away, "Oh God, Tony! Every time I think you see things the right way..."
"It's a hundred acres with a lap pool. It's got a screening room," Tony began.
"Stevie, she's fine, I was with her a few hours ago," attempted to reassure him.
"There are worse ways to protect people, okay?" Tony said.
"Protection? Is that how you see this? This is protection? It's internment, Tony."
"Steve, come on. You really think we'd let anything happen to her?" Amara said.
"She's not a US citizen," Tony argued back.
"Oh, come on, Tony," Steve talked over him.
"And they don't grant visas to weapons of mass destruction," Tony finished.
"She's a kid!" Steve shouted.
"Give me a break!" Tony shouted back. "I'm doing what has to be done. To stave off something worse."
Steve nodded, "You keep telling yourself that." He looked at Amara, "Both of you."
"Steve..." Amara began.
Steve put the pen down on the table, "Hate to break up the set." Then he walked out of the room, leaving Tony to sigh in frustration.
Amara breathed in, "I'll be back," she said with determination and soon, she was out of the door, too.
"Steve," she called. When he didn't stop she said it louder, "Steve!"
He stopped but didn't turn around.
Amara walked up to catch up with him.
"You're letting him do this to Wanda? She's your friend."
"Exactly, Steve. She's my friend and there's no way I would let anything bad happen to her. Tony's a little misguided, yeah, but his intentions are good. He just wants to protect her. And that's the only way he knows how," Amara explained.
"How long are you gonna keep defending him with the same excuse?" Steve asked.
"Until it stops being true," Amara said, sternly.
Steve scoffed.
"Wanda is fine, Steve. Pietro and Vision are with her. And I'm gonna go back soon, too."
Steve sighed, annoyed.
"Steve, nothing ever works out the way we want it to or the way we expect it to. Life surprises us, at every turn. You, of all people should know that. But... we compromise, we evolve, adapt to new circumstances. That's what this is. The Accords. Something new to adapt to, to evolve. This is the next step, Steve. We're all ready to take it. I don't want to leave you behind. Both of you," she said, referring to Sam. "But if you don't sign, I won't have a choice," Amara finished.
"I don't want to put you in that position, Amara. Having to protect us, to stand up for us, like you felt you had to, today..."
"Then sign," Amara said, pleading with him. "It can't possibly be that bad to sign those papers... I-It can't possibly," Amara said, laughing, dryly.
"What if it is?" Steve challenged.
"Then we revolt. We do exactly what you're doing now, we become criminals, but at least if you sign, there's a chance it could work this way. That's all we need. We just need a chance," Amara countered. She sighed. "Please, Stevie. We all need you... I need you. I need this family. I can't..." Amara trailed off, looking away as tears began pooling in her eyes, but she would not let them fall.
"And what are we giving up to keep this family?" Steve asked.
Amara sighed, helplessly. "How much are you willing to give up for this family? Because I would do anything. That's how important you all are to me. And to my dad. And that's why Tony wants to protect Wanda. And why Natasha is on our side."
Steve said nothing.
"Natasha, Steve. The woman you love. Do you think she's wrong?... Just sign, Steve. I swear to you, if anything goes wrong, I'm with you, all the way."
It looked as though Steve was actually thinking about it. That was until Sharon interrupted them.
"Captain Rogers? Mr Wilson is waiting for you in the conference room," She said, formally.
Amara sighed frustratedly and Steve looked at her. Amara silently pleaded with him to stay. To talk things out. To come back to the room... to sign.
But all he said was, "Yeah, I'm coming." He turned back to Amara and simply said, "Goodbye, Miss Stark," and followed Sharon.
Amara scoffed and walked back to the room her father was sitting in.
(A/N: Ahhhh it's so infuriating! How close they got to coming to an agreement. And how they would have fixed the Accords together! But I guess it wouldn't be a civil war if they just made up.)