Arachnophobia

5.4

                                  Narrator

The Avengers are sat in the common room, discussing the accords. Steve is sitting, studying the Accords, while Rhodey and Sam argue behind him.

"Secretary Ross has a Congressional Medal of Honor, which is one more than you have." Rhodes argues back to Sam.

"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 says, folding his arms.

"A 117 countries want to sign this. 117, Sam, and you're just like, "No, that's cool. We got it." Rhodes scoffs. " How long are you going to play both sides?" Sam says with a huff.

"I have an equation." Vision says thoughtfully, looking at everyone now.

"Oh, this will clear it up." Sam said with an annoyed scoff. Steve stays silent as he reads through the accords.

"In the eight years since Mr. Stark announced himself as Iron Man, the number of known enhanced persons has grown exponentially. And during the same period, the number of potentially world-ending events has risen at a commensurate rate." Vision says. "Are you saying it's our fault?" Steve says, looking up now.

"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 says. "Boom." Rhode says, smiling to Vision. Tony is lying on the couch. When Natasha speaks, he looks at her.

"Tony. You are being uncharacteristically non-hyper-verbal." Nat says and Steve shakes his head knowingly. "It's because he's already made up his mind."

"Boy, you know me so well." Tony says sarcastically. He gets up and winces, rubbing the back of his head. "Actually, I'm nursing an electromagnetic headache."

He walks to the kitchen and grabs a mug.
"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?" He puts his phone in a basket and taps it. The phone projects an image of a smiling young man. He looks down, then back up, and pretends to notice the picture for the first time.
"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. 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." The others look affected by this .

"He wanted to make a difference, I suppose. I mean, we won't know because we dropped a building on him while we were kicking ass." He takes a pill with some coffee, then faces the others. "There's no decision-making process here. We need to be put in check! Whatever form that takes, 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 with a hint of anger. "Who said we're giving up?"

"We are if we're not taking responsibility for our actions. This document just shifts the blames." Steve sighs, continuing to read the accords.

"I'm sorry. Steve. That - that is dangerously arrogant. This is the United Nations we're talking about. It's not the World Security Council, it's not SHIELD, it's not HYDRA." Rhodes says, exaggerating some. "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 stop manufacturing." Tony said, rubbing his forehead. "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 says, and Tony shakes his head. "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 and Alex." Wanda says densely, looking to Alex. They gave her a confused look and then focused back on the argument.

"We would protect you." Vision says. "Maybe Tony's right." Natasha says, looking up. Tony looks at her, surprised. "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?" Sam says angrily, looking around.

"I'm just . . . I'm reading the terrain. We have made . . . some very public mistakes. We need to win their trust back." Nat finishes and looks to Alex, who stares emotionlessly back at her.

"Focus up. I'm sorry, did I just mishear you or did you agree with me?" Tony smirks.
"Oh, I want to take it back now."

"No, no, no. You can't retract it. Thank you. Unprecedented. Okay, case closed--I win."

"This accord thing- it's not closed. Everyone make own decisions." Alex says, and everyone nods.

Steve's phone buzzes, and he pulls it out to check it. A text message reads: 'She's gone. In her sleep.'

"I have to go" Steve gets up sharply, drops the Accords on the coffee table, and goes downstairs. Sam followed Steve's footsteps and went to find him. Rhodes, Tony, Vision all leave, leaving just Wanda, Natasha, and Alex.

"Why come for me?" Alex says, looking at Natasha confused. "I made a mistake, Alex. A bad one. When we were dumping SHIELD files, something about you was in there. Now people want your identity." Nat says with a sigh.

"They want me.. as in?" "They want you locked up more than out there saving the world." Nat says as Alex looks down.

"We can protect you- you and Wanda we can protect you both if you sign the accords." Nat says as Dr. Cho comes over and removes the oxygen tank and helps Alex up. "Hey what're you doing?" Wanda says.

"They've been breathing on their own for an hour now. The oxygen tank ran out of oxygen and they're fine without it." Helen said as Alex stood up shakily now.

"I'm going to find Steve." Alex said and grabbed onto the wall and made their way down to the stairs, finding Steven there.

"Is it?" "Yeah, gone in her sleep. Her funeral's in London, if you're coming." Steve says, looking up to Alex. "Of c-course." Alex weakly smiles, coming down and hugging Steve.

"I can't sign the accords, Alex." Steve says sadly, looking down to Alex. "I can't.. its bad." Alex sighs.

"Let's go to London, shall we?" Steve says with a weak smile.