Carmine Jewels ║ Wanda Maximoff

Chapter 53 - Two Sides Of The Same Coin

Despite the comfortable position Keira was in, with her head resting in Wanda's lap and delicate fingers running through her hair, she couldn't help but pinch the bridge of her nose in annoyance and squeeze her eyes shut.

The team was bickering like there was no tomorrow and the divide that had started to grow a while back only seemed to grow bigger.

Keira had actually tried to reach the Accords properly, but it ended up with her just skimming through it. All the official words caused her concentration to slip and soon enough, she had read the same line half a dozen times without taking in more than the first few words, which was why she had passed the book over to Steve, who was now sitting down and slowly flipping through the pages.

But the few sentences she had managed to read, were imprinted into her brain.

To provide the UN with biometric data and to submit herself to a power analysis so they could deem how dangerous she was, it was the Index all over again. Not to mention that the Accords wanted those with innate powers to wear a tracking bracelet at all times.

Mutants, Inhumans, and Enhanced would all be treated like animals. Not to mention that they would be incarcerated without a trial if deemed too dangerous for the general public.

"Secretary Ross has a Congressional Medal of Honor, which is one more than you have." Rhodey's heated voice drew Keira out of her head, and she glanced over at him. He was standing across from Sam, clearly having trouble with containing his cool, which was shown by his wild hand gestures.

"So, let's say we agree to this thing." Sam was standing with his arms crossed, not backing down from the military man in front of him. "How long is it gonna be before they LoJack us like a bunch of common criminals?"

The rest of the team was quiet, merely listening in to their squabble. Tony was lying down, a hand over his face as he rolled his eyes. Vision was sitting upright, watching the interaction with interest, his eyes darting between the two men. And Natasha seemed to be deep in thought, her eyebrows scrunched together.

"A hundred and seventeen countries want to sign this. A hundred and seventeen, Sam, and you're just like 'No, it's cool. We got it'."

"How long are you gonna play both sides?"

Keira glanced up at Wanda, gently placing a hand over hers and giving it a light squeeze. She could feel that the brunette was conflicted, the guilt bubbling in the pit of her stomach.

And while Wanda hadn't read the Accords, almost none of the team had the patience to read every word of the thick booklet, she couldn't help but feel that maybe she should be put under control.

"I have an equation." Vision interrupted, stopping things from getting too heated and putting down a chess piece he had been holding. He earned everyone's attention with his statement, even Steve looked up from the Accords to listen.

Sam all but scoffed. "Oh, this will clear it up."

But Vision seemed unperturbed by Sam's sarcasm. "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."

"Are you saying it's our fault?" Steve questioned, almost sounding offended.

"I'm saying there may be a causality." Vision corrected him. "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."

Rhodey turned to look at Sam, an almost triumphant look on his face as he did so. "Boom."

"I do not believe that is true." Keira spoke up, lifting her head from Wanda's lap and pushing herself into a sitting position so she could look at the team properly. Seeing Rhodey's mouth open in protest, she just lifted her hand to silence him. She had already voiced her opinion pretty loudly during the meeting with Ross, but if the team was going to continue to argue, she might as well get involved.