Marci's gaze was fixed on her lap, not paying much attention to Thaddeus Ross who stood before a table that seated the Avengers and herself. "Five years ago, I had a heart attack," he spoke, his raspy voice causing her head to rise. "I dropped right in the middle of back my swing," he acted out the golfing scene. "Turns 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 me: perspective." Those words hit Marci hard, she hadn't realized it before but she also had a life changing event happen that completely changed her perspective. These powers of hers were something that she hated about herself when they first manifested. But now she's learned to embrace them. She's learned to live with them. She's even learned to love them. They make her, her.
"The world owes the Avengers an un-payable debt. You have fought for us, protected us, risked your lives," he paused, she felt a 'but' statement coming, "but while a great many people see you are heroes, there are some who would prefer the world vigilantes." And there it is.
"And what word would you use Mr. Secretary?" Natasha said, her tone laced with an attitude.
"How about dangerous?" He suggested. Marci felt targeted. She was the only one here that was enhanced besides the young girl who she hadn't been introduced to yet. But Marci knew what Wanda could do, it was all over the news. Yet that word, dangerous, was something that Marci knew she was. Even if she didn't want to admit it they both were, unless they can control their powers all the time. Though that thought seemed unlikely no matter how much she wanted to be able to. "What do 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?" Marci glanced around the room, everyone looked upset, for good reason too.
Secretary Ross stepped aside, clearing the view to the large screen that sat before them. "New York," the screen displayed news footage from the day the Chitauri invaded. A leviathan, terrified citizens, soldiers attempting to end the chaos, and the hulk smashing into buildings were the images displayed on the screen. But within seconds the video ended, panning to a photo of a map.
Marci swallowed harshly, she knew what event happened next. "Washington D.C.," Marci felt her stomach drop as the first imagine to appear on the screen was her flaming figure flying above a group of screaming citizens. Marci gasped, quickly pulling her hand to her mouth to conceal the sound. The Shield building burning and hellicarriers falling into the Potomac graced the screen next. Sam, who was seated next to her, grabbed it free hand. She looked to him, but his eyes were in his lap.
"Sokovia," buildings collapsing, people running for their lives, and the entire city floating into the sky. Marci couldn't believe it, she had heard stories but she felt that it was better to not know. That ended now. "Lagos," burning buildings accompanied with emergency sirens and the body of a young women whose life ended to soon. Marci couldn't watch anymore, apparently she wasn't the only one.
"Okay," Steve broke the silence, "that's enough."
Marci watched as the Secretary nodded and his assistant turned off 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," he placed a hefty looking document on the table. Sliding it to Wanda first, who quickly glanced at it before sliding it to another person with a face unfamiliar that was unfamiliar to Marci. She wasn't certain, but she assumed that to be James Rhodes.
"The Sokovia Accords," the large document was passed among the rest of those seated at the table as the Secretary spoke. "Approved by 117 countries, it states that the Avengers shall no longer be a private organization. Instead, it'll operate under the supervision of a United Nations panel. Only when, and if, that panel deems it necessary," he stressed that last part. Marci didn't like where this conversation, that was for sure. But she still couldn't believe she was called here, did the government consider her an avenger? She sure didn't think so herself.
"The Avengers were former to make the world a safer place. I feel we've done that," Steve spoke, yet wouldn't make eye contact with the Secretary.
"Tell me Captain, do you know where Thor and Banner are right now? If I misplaced a couple of 30 megaton nukes you can there'd be consequences." Did he really just compare them to weapons? They are people, Marci thought. "This is the middle ground," he said referring to the Accords.
"So there are contingencies?" Rhodes asked, but it sounded like he already knew the answer was yes.
"Three days from now the UN meets in Vienna to ratify the accords," Ross paused, "Talk it over."
As Ross and his associates began to leave the room, but Natashas voice caused them to stop. "And what if we come to a decision you don't like?"
"Then you retire," he stated.
Marci glanced around, she didn't know what to do. She was in the room with the avengers, earths mightiest heroes, she felt she didn't hold the same status as them. She tried to keep quiet, but as things - arguments - began to pick up between everyone she wasn't sure how much longer she could.
Sam and Rhodes stood on one end of room, shouting back and forth at each other. Steve just sat reading through the hundreds of pages of the accords. While Tony Stark just sat in the corner. She didn't know him well, she didn't know him at all really, but of what she does know about him it seemed very out of character.
"117 countries want us to sign this, Sam, 177! And you're just like 'no it's cool'?" Rhodey was fuming.
"I have an equation," the red man, Vision, said.
"Oh, this will clear it up," you could hear the sarcasm laced in Sam's words.
"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 at a commensurate rate," the Vision spoke his facts, that was something Marci couldn't ignore.
"You're saying this is our fault?" Steve quickly asked.
"I'm saying that there may be a causality," Vision paused before continuing, "Our very strength invites challenge, challenge invites conflict, and conflict breeds catastrophe. Oversight isn't something that can be thrown out," he finished.
"Boom," Rhodey quietly added, liking the fact that Vision agrees with his point of view.
Natasha, who had been sitting quietly much like Marci finally spoke up, "Tony, you're being uncharacteristically non hyper-verbal."
"He's already made up his mind," Steve stayed.
"Boy, you know me so well," Tony stayed quiet from a moment, he eyes looked as if he was deep in thought. Then he pulled a tablet from the small end table that was next to him, on it a picture was projected above the screen. It was a boy, a young man. "Oh, that's Charles Spencer by the way, great kid. Computer engineering degree, honors student, with a intel gig planned out for the fall. But first, he wanted to put a few miles on his soul. Charlie didn't want to go to Vegas like I would have. He didn't go to Paris or Amsterdam, which sounds fun," he paused ever so slightly. "He decided to spend his summer building sustainable housing for the poor, guess where? Sokovia," Tony voice was shaking, sounding as if it could break at any moment. "He wanted to make a difference, I suppose, but we won't know because we dropped a building on him while we were kicking ass." Marci felt her heart clench, poor kid. "There's no decision making process here. We need to be put in check, whatever form that takes. If we can't except limitations, if we're boundaryless, then we are no better than the bad guys."
"Tony, if I may," Marci spoke up for the first time since the meeting began, "Charlie's story is horrible, it's heart breaking, but civilian casualties happen in war. Our situation is no different," Marci said.
"I'm sorry," Tony was quick to retort, "Who are you again?"
Marci jaw clenched, "That video from D.C.? Yeah, I was the flaming person who helped take down Hydra."
"Yeah and think of all the people you hurt with you're firey fists," Tony spat.
"I didn't ask for this," Marci brought her hands in front of her body, letting them ignite with a small flame. "I didn't want to be like this," she let it dissipate, "HYDRA did this to me as a kid, it was not my choice. I know that we caused an insane amount of chaos in D.C. but I don't regret any of it. We took down HYDRA's main base, and I'm proud of that. So before you go an insult me, shame me for my powers, just think about how long your families weapons company was operational and what they aided in."
Marci paused for a moment but only because Steve had grabbed her arm, "Hey, it's okay," he tried to sooth her.
She shook her head, yanking her arm from his grasp, "No, it's not fucking okay," she laughed bitterly. "You don't get it," she said, referring to both Steve and Tony. "You've got your fancy Ironman suit and you're, well you," she said as she turned to Steve, "but you don't get it. You aren't dangerous like me," she spun around to Wanda, "I saw what you did," she said to the young woman, "It's people like me and you, who are dangerous, that this effects the most. Us enhanced people aren't just weapons at the governments disposal, them telling us when we can and can't intervene is just as bad as the bad guys using us as their pawns. Hydra created us to be weapons, and the U.S. wants control of us for the same exact reason," her tone wasn't as calm as it had been, she was getting heated.
"All this accords does is shifts the blame. If I make a mistake I will take full responsibility for it, and I understand that it'll happen. But I'm done being seen only as a weapon. So I say fuck the accords because people have fought for their freedom for decades and I'm not letting this silence me," Marci chest bounced as her anger caused her to be short of breath. No one said anything, everything either staring blanking at the ground or making direct eye contact waiting for her to say more.
She grabbed her jacket that had been laid over the back of the chair she had been seated at. As she made her way towards the door she sent one last longing look to Steve and Sam."So if the Avengers can't see that, then I want no part of it," she spat.
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Whoopsies it's been a while.
Hope everyone is staying safe with everything going on in the world right now. 🖤