Chapter 11: Decision

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𝘼𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙏𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧, 𝙉𝙚𝙬 𝙔𝙤𝙧𝙠


"Secretary Ross has a Congressional Medal of Honor which is one more than you have."

"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 to Rhodes.

Steve was reading the accords on a chair in the centre. Sam and Rhodes stood behind, arguing. Tony lied on half the chair to the right, a hand covering his face, Nat sitting at the other end. Vision and Wanda sat on the couch to the left. I sat on the Chair in between the two.

"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?"

"I have an equation." Vision announced, stopping the bickering pair. "Oh, this will clear it up." All eyes were now on Vis. "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."

"Are you saying it's our fault?" I glanced over to Steve as he questioned. "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." Rhodes cheered, looking to Sam.

"Tony. You are being uncharacteristically non hyperverbal." Nat spoke up. "It's because he's already made up his mind."

"Boy, you know me so well." Stark got up, rubbing the back of his head. "Actually, I'm nursing an electromagnetic headache."
"Me too." I mutter to myself as Tony walked to the kitchen.

"That's what's going on, Cap. It's just pain. It's discomfort. Who's putting coffee grounds in the disposal? Am I running a bed and breakfast for a biker gang?" Tony placed down a device, tapping it, showing us pictures of a boy. "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." I looked down, playing with the rings on my finger as he spoke. "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." I looked over to Wanda as we both felt our heart strings pull. "He wanted to make a difference, I suppose. We won't know because we dropped a building on him while we were kicking ass."

"We lost someone too, Tony. Bad things happen to good people. Don't act like you care now about your actions." He scoffed, turning to look at me. "And who had to brag you to the med bay after you refused to treat a cut. Who helped Ultron." I stood up, sapphire turning my eyes. "I was grieving, Stark."

"Calm down, both of you." I looked over to Cap, sitting down and Tony going back over to get his coffee. "All I'm saying is, 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 died on your watch, you don't give up."

"Who said we're giving up?"

"We are if we're not taking responsibility for our actions. This document just shifts the blame." "I'm sorry, Steve." Rhodes interrupts. "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"
"No, but it's run by people with agendas, and agendas change."

"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." I looked to Wanda, both of us thinking it was too 10 years to late when he did.

"Tony, you chose to do that. If we sign this, we surrender our rights 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."

"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 us." Wanda spoke up. "We would protect you both." Vis looked to Wanda, she turning to him.

"Maybe Tony's right." We all looked to Nat, stunned she agreed with him. "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?"

"I'm just reading the terrain. We have made some very public mistakes. We need to win their trust back."

"Focus up. I'm sorry. Did I just mishear you or did you agree with me?" Tony asked, stunned. "I want to take it back now."
"No, you can't retract it. Thank you. What about you, Witchy?" Tony looked to me. "Who do you agree with. Siding vote."

"If the government had its way, me and Wanda would be locked up as their own personal show monkeys. I don't agree with either and I'm not picking sides." Tony sighed just as Steve's phone buzzed

"I have to go." Rogers got up quickly, leaving in a hurry. I got up too, following after him. I stopped when Wan caught my wrist. I looked down to her with a sad smile, telepathically communicating in her head. "I wont let them take you away. We'll be fine." She sighed, letting go off my arm and I making my way to the stairs.

Rogers stood leaning on the rail, a hand pinching the bridge of his nose to stop the crying. I slowly made my way beside him, leaning my head on his shoulder and him letting his head rest on mine.

A few minutes went by without a word, both of us enjoying each others company. "Peggy died." He spoke, moving to stand up straight and I pulling away.

He mentioned her before when he tried to help grieve over Pietro. "I'm sorry." He sent me a sad smile back but I knew it hurt. "If you need me I'm here." I gave him a hug before walking out, leaving him to process by himself for a few minutes.

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