𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐒, 𝐆𝐎𝐎𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐀𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓.
Charlie is on the road to recovery, and things are starting to look brighter. After Ultron, and the devastating discovery that Bucky and Becca Barnes are on the run to avoid them- sneaky...
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"𝐖𝐇𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐈𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐘 𝐎𝐅 State here?" Charlie demanded, nearly jogging to keep up with Steve's pace.
He didn't answer, just picking up his pace as he rounded the corner. "Go to your room, doll."
Charlie stared at him, hearing both of their shoes pound against the floor. "Pops, seriously-"
"Does it sound like I'm joking around?" Steve asked sharply. He finally slowed down, putting a hand on his hip and falling into the "dad" stance Charlie hadn't seen on him in a while. "Okay, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell. But it's the Secretary of State, Charlie. This is not a meet-up you can be a part of."
Charlie anxiously ran her hands through her hair as they approached the elevator. "Pops, this is freaking me out."
Steve sighed, stepping into the elevator when the doors opened. "Everything's gonna be fine, Charlie. Me or Dad will come get you when it's time for dinner, alright?"
Charlie stood helplessly as the elevator door closed, watching her Pops disappear from view.
The silence in the hallway was deafening.
"Fuck," she whispered. She leaned against the wall, hands over her mouth. "Fuck."
The Secretary of State, upstairs, talking to her parents right now.
Government officials showing up at the Tower was never a good sign- but Thaddeus Ross?
That couldn't possibly mean anything good.
It wasn't worth it to try to sneak down into the meeting that was happening- her dads would never let her in, and she didn't want to disturb any kind of peace they had right now.
She really only had one option. It was what she did best, really.
Snoop around.
She raced towards the stairs and back to her bedroom, feet thundering along the floor. She could almost hear Sam telling her not to run- that the floor was slick and she was gonna lose her balance, but she ignored it.
"V.E.R.O.N.I.C.A, tune me in, will you?" she muttered the second she got into her room. She gestured at the ever-changing wall, closing her door firmly behind her.
More than a little panicked, that nasty dark feeling settling deep in the pit of her stomach, she climbed onto her bed and settled carefully in front of the wall, looking at the display video from the camera feed in the conference room.
The Avengers were gathered in their respective seats, Tony in the corner of the room behind them, fidgeting with his hands. Steve had a dark look on his face, titled his head up to speak to Secretary Ross through a glare.
"Up the volume, sugar," Charlie muttered, and V.E.R.O.N.I.C.A quickly obliged.
She recognized Secretary Ross's voice as soon as he spoke. "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."
