Heartbeats √

2 - Arguments

After listening to Secretary Ross, you were admittedly upset. Everyone was arguing. It wasn't going to end well.

The Avengers weren't going to to last.

Was your family going to break up? Like a band? Like the Beatles?

Everyone was gathered at HQ.

Steve was sitting in front you, studying the Accords, while Rhodey and Sam argued next to you.

"Secretary Ross has a Congressional Medal of Honor, which is one more than you have."

"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?"

"117 countries want to sign this. 117, Sam, and you're just like,"No, that's cool. We got it."

"How long are you going to play both sides?" Sam almost shouts.

"I have an equation." Vision says, the whole room quiets.

"Oh, this will clear it up." Sam mumbles next to you.

"In the eight years since Mr. Stark announced himself as Iron Man, in the three years since _____- Excuse me, 'project Telki' was revealed by the government, 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? That it's _____'s fault?" Steve asks him

"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. If someone here...boils over. If anyone decided to go rogue." Vision looks at you from side.

"Boom." Rhodey says.

"What is that supposed to mean?" You say, admittedly offended.

"We're just saying. Some of us here are catastrophes waiting to happened." Vision says, trying to protect your feelings.

"This is supposed to make me feel better?" You scoff.

You glance over at Tony, you want him to defend you like he usually does, but this time he's is lying on the couch, one hand over his face. There is no one to protect you from the truth.

When Natasha begins to speak, only then does he remove his hand to look at her.

"Tony. You are being uncharacteristically non-hyperverbal."

"It's because he's already made up his mind." Steve says.

"Boy, you know me so well." 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 scoffs

He puts his phone in a basket and taps it. The phone projects an image of a smiling young man around your age. 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. I just can't help but think, what if this kid was _____? Would we care then?"

Your heart drops. Tony was doing this on purpose. You look around, the others look affected.

"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" You watch as he takes a pill with some coffee, then faces everyone."There's no decision-making process here. We need to be put in check! Whatever form that takes, I'm game. If we can't accept limitations, if we're boundary-less, we're no better than the bad guys."

He looks to you for support, but you don't know what to say. He was like your father yes, but you'd never had a knack for words like him.

"Tony, someone dies on your watch, you don't give up." Steve instigates.

"Who said we're giving up?"

"We are if we're not taking responsibility for our actions. This document just shifts the blames."

"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." Rhodey pushes.

"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 responds

"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, it's obvious there is no changing his mind.

"If we don't do this now, it's gonna be done to us later. That's the fact. That won't be pretty. They'll send _____ away, Wanda, people will go to prison. Come on guys." Tony begs.

"You're saying they'll come for me too?" Wanda mumbles.

"We would protect you. Both of you." Vision says putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Maybe Tony's right." Nat says, this surprises you. "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 points out.

"I'm just... I'm reading the terrain. We have made... some very public mistakes. We practically stole a human weapon from the government."- Nash looks at you with a kind expression "We need to win their trust back."Nash shoots back.

"Focus up. I'm sorry, did I just mishear you or did you agree with me?" Tony jokes.

"Oh, I want to take it back now."

"No, no, no. You can't retract it. Thank you. Unprecedented. Okay, case closed - I win." Tony says, reverting back to his old ways.

You walk into the hall way to think about everything by yourself. After deciding you walk back in and take a seat next to Steve as everyone else around you argues.

"What about you kid? What are you going to do?" Steve asks.

"Steve...I- I have to. If I don't, they'll take everything away. I won't be able to go to Midtown anymore. I wouldn't be able to use my powers, let alone go out into the field. These accords, Steve they're my only chance. And if I don't choose it now, they'll force me later, with no benefits."

"I understand...take care of Tony, he needs you."

Steve's phone buzzes, and he pulls it out to check it.

"I have to go." Steve gets up sharply, drops the Accords on the coffee table, and goes downstairs. You secretly follow him. You watch as he stops at the bottom of the stairs, leans against the banister, and bows his head.

You pretend not to notice.