Guardian Angel | Steve Rogers

10

"You gotta get me outta here." Bucky begged, taking long deep breaths from exhaustion.

"I will. I promise." Arden replied, pushing back the hair on his sweaty forehead. 

Arden shot up from her bed, waking up in sweat, trying to catch her breath as she covered her chest with her hand. 

She looked over onto the nightstand looking at the time and sighing. It was the 3rd time this week that she woke up in the middle of the night from her dreams. Unable to fall back asleep, she got up and did her daily routine. Coffee, workout, and check the news and the private communication system Tony allowed her access to. 

Standing in the living room, watching the tv in front her of, she listens carefully as footage on the screen shows Steve and Wanda at the scene of the explosion. Showing Wanda using her powers to attempt to make the explosion away from Steve, accidentally moving it to the building near them from last month. Arden shaking her head that they were still covering the story still, and the blame against the Avengers. 

"11 Wakandans were among those killed during a confrontation between the Avengers and a group of mercenaries in Lagos, Nigeria last month. The traditionally reclusive Wakandans were on an outreach mission in Lagos, when the attack occurred." A news anchor announced, panning to a video of the king of Wakanda speaking for his people, and his opinion on the Avengers. 

A call began to ring on her laptop, Arden turning her focus, and taking a seat on the couch and answering it quickly. 

"What'd you do?" Arden asked, teasing him. 

"It's time to come back in, kid." Tony greeted her sighing. 

"Give me 24 hours." Arden pleaded. 

"You have 12." Tony insisted, then hanging up. 

As soon as Arden arrived at the Avengers compound upstate, she was rushed upstairs to Tony's lab. He was sitting there looking a thick contract, rubbing his temples. 

"Tony." Arden announced herself. 

He turned around, closing the booklet and standing up.

"Sit and read. Skim it over if you have to, then meet me in the small conference room, Secretary Ross is waiting for me." Tony ordered, pointing at the booklet, buttoning up his jacket. 

"Secretary Ross? Tony, what's going on?" Arden asked. 

"Just- please, I need you backing me on this." Tony answered, leaving the lab. 

Arden made sure to wait for the door to close, securing the lab before reading it. She skimmed through it as fast as she could just as Tony requested and shook her head. 

"What did you do, Tony?" She whispered to herself. 

Grabbing the heavy contract, she headed towards the conference room seeing Secretary Ross at the head of the room speaking. 

"I think we have a solution." Secretary Ross commented as Arden walked in. 

"Agent Lee, perfect timing." He mentioned, everyone's attention turning towards her. 

She watched as Steve's expression lightened for just a second, before he bunched his eyebrows together again. Even after two years, he still looked amazing but still uptight. 

"No longer agent, sir. Just Arden." She corrected, handing him the contract. 

"What is that?" Steve asked, his eyes not leaving hers. 

"The Sokovia Accords." Secretary Ross answered.

Secretary Ross setting it on the table, sliding it towards Wanda. "Approved by 117 countries, it states that the Avengers shall no longer be a private organization."