Age of Glory | Pietro Maximoff

Chapter Thirty: The Price Of Freedom Is High

Picture is Civil War.

Music is "Archangel" by Confidential Music Group.

All rights go to their rightful owners.

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"I know I'm asking a lot. The price of freedom is high. It always has been, and it's a price I'm willing to pay. And if I'm the only one, then so be it. But I'm willing to bet I'm not." ~Steve Rogers

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CHAPTER THIRTY

"That is a terrible idea," Steve says. "Absolutely terrible, Stark."

"You have any better ideas?" Tony asks, clearly annoyed.

"Yeah, how about we not put the entire free world at risk?"

This bantering has been going on for hours now, and we are no closer to finding a solution than we were three hours ago. We've covered everything from bombing Black Death's lair, to capturing him and putting him on trial, all the way to asking him nicely (thanks for the sarcasm, Clint). No one can agree on anything. No matter what we come up with, someone isn't happy.

I sit silently and watch the news channel. FOX has been covering what happened yesterday since it started. Black Death has stopped infecting people, but now there are mutants everywhere. People who thought they were normal are now having mind control, lazer vision, and super strength. Anyone that had a dormant mutant gene is now a full-fledged mutant.

Black Death hasn't been seen since, but it's suspected that he hasn't left the building. The robotics factor has been turned into an observatory of sorts. He's been building something, something big. Instead of just being an old warehouse, now there is a giant antennae looking device on the roof, a satellite of sorts. Who the realms knows what he plans to do.

Manhattan has been, for the most part, evacuated. Anyone who remains has been told to stay indoors, not that it will help much when doomsday rolls around.

The bickering in my ears is getting on my nerves. My brows furrow together as I try to focus on not blowing everyone in the room to kingdom come. Pietro wraps an arm around my waist and places a kiss on my forehead, sensing my internal struggles. I sigh, leaning into him. Steve and Tony are going full out on the issue.

"Maybe we should just drop a nuclear bomb on him!" Steve shouts, sarcastically.

"Look how well it worked in Japan," Tony says, sipping his coffee as if it's nothing to use weapons of mass destruction.

"You weren't there, were you?" Steve bites back, leaning over the kitchen table. I've never seen him so angry.

"You weren't either. You were too busy being a capcicle." Tony sets his coffee down on the table and crosses his arms. "Nevermind the villain from the 1800s for one minute. What about all the new mutants? Shouldn't they be registered with the inhumans and the other enhanced?"

"They have their rights, just as we have ours."

"Oh, right. Because it's not their fault. Is that it, Rogers?"

I close my eyes and clench my fists, calming my inner Hulk. Don't lose control, Glory. This is not the time for a demonstration on how screwed you are.

"So you want all mutants to register, just because we are more evolved?" Wanda growls, her eyes turning red. "Try me, Stark."

"No one is registering anything," Pietro says, laying a hand on his sister's shoulder. "Right?"

"I don't see the harm," Rhodey says, shrugging. "We may find new enemies before they have a chance to hurt civilians."

"Punishments come after the crime. How many different times and ways do I have to say that?" Steve yells.