dedicated to the one i love | pietro maximoff

the sokovia accords

ALL THE AVENGERS were inside a small conference room with secretary of state, who was explaining a story that i didn't quite understand.

"five years ago, i had a heart attack.. and dropped right in the middle of my backswing. turned out it was the best round of my life, because after thirteen hours of surgery and a triple bypass. i found something forty years in the army never taught me. perspective." he explained and we all observed and listened quietly.

'the world owes the avengers an unplayable debt. you have fought for us.. protected us, risked your lives, but while a great many people see you as heroes.. there are some who would prefer the word "vigilantes".' he said but i noticed after he said the word vigilantes he looked at wanda.

pietro noticed too because he squeezed my hand and i saw his eyes go from wanda to mr. secretary.

"and what word would you use, mr. secretary?" nat asked.

'how about "dangerous"?' he replied without any thought to the question.

"what would you call a group of us-based, enhanced and mutant individuals, who routinely ignore sovereign borders, and inflict their will wherever they choose, and who, frankly, seem unconcerned about what they leave behind?"

none of us responded and the secretary of state stepped aside so he could present a video to us.

"new york."

a video of the chitauri, people screaming and running, the hulk jumping from buildings and making a mess played.

rhodey looked down at the table and looked at steve and natasha in disgust and guilt.

"washington, d.c."

a ship flying into the water, people drowning and screaming. sam looked down at the table this time.

"sokovia."

a video of half of sokovia flying into the air, buildings falling, people crying and screaming.

i rubbed pietro's hand with my thumb. these videos were guilt tripping us, we can't save everyone.

"lagos."

a video of the south side of the building being on fire, bodies being dragged out of the building, and a deceased woman looking at the camera with dust all over her, sirens blaring in the backround.

that one was the hardest to watch.

"okay, that's enough." steve said after he just watched wanda's expression.

"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. the sokovia accords. approved by 117 countries. it states that the avengers shall no longer be a private organization, instead they'll operate under the supervision of a united nations panel only when and if that panel deems it necessary."

"the avengers were formed to make the world a safer place. i feel we've done that." steve explained calmly.

"tell me, captain, do you know where thor and banner are right now?"

steve looked up at him and he continued, "if i misplaced a couple of thirty megaton nukes you can bet there'd be consequences. compromise. reassurance. that's how the world works. believe me, this is the middle ground."

rhodey gestured to the accords, "so, there are contingencies."

"three days from now, the un meets in vienna to ratify the accords. talk it over."

steve looked back at tony. tony just had his head down.

"and if we come to a decision you don't like?" natasha asked hypothetically.