The Force -Marvel-

Chapter 11

Lydia had never met the Secretary of State before but had seen him on TV. Until now, she was unaware he even knew of her existence. 

Tony was here but wasn't sitting at the table with them. He was sitting in the back corner. He hadn't said a word. Six months since Lydia had last seen him, and he wouldn't even look at her. She tried not to take it personally.

But she did.

"Five years ago, I had a heart attack," the Secretary said, beginning the conversation. "Right as I started my backswing, I dropped." He mimicked the actions of that day. Natasha was sitting beside her, completely still. Steve was on her other side. "It turned out to be the best round of my life. After thirteen hours of surgery, I found something I was never taught in my forty years." There was a pause, "perspective." 

Lydia watched Sam clench his fists—a sign he was forcing himself to remain quiet. "The entire world owes the Avengers an unpayable debt. All of you have fought, protected, and risked your lives for us. While many see you as heroes, not everyone does. They prefer the word vigilantes."

"And what word would you use, Mr. Secretary?" Lydia wasn't by Natasha's bold tone.

"Dangerous," he was quick to say. "What else would you call a group of enhanced individuals who consistently ignore boundaries and do whatever they please? You don't care what you leave behind when you're done." He took a step to the side and turned on the TV. "New York." 

The city appeared on the screen, showcasing the 2012 incident. When Thor's brother, Loki, came down and tried to take over. The clips were horrible to watch. Spacecrafts chased innocent people through the street, killing many. Right after, the Hulk appeared, destroying a building as he passed through. The sound of people screaming filled the room. 

"Washington, D.C." The map appeared, zooming in on the city, and videos appeared again. The helicarrier was shown plummeting into the sea. People on shore screamed as they tried to outrun the wave. 

"Sokovia." The map zoomed in on the location. Clips of the city rising into the air appeared. Lydia was most attached to this incident, but all of them affected her. Ultron had made his first appearance with her in the room. The following videos consisted of buildings throughout the city tumbling. 

"Lagos." The most recent. There was no map for this one. The videos quickly started. A building was on fire. Sirens echoed down the street, faint cries behind it. People were being dragged from the building. Others were carried out on stretchers. Some were lying dead on the street. 

"Okay," Steve cut him off. "That's enough." The man listened and turned off the screen.

"For the last few years, you have operated with unlimited power. That stops today. The governments of the world will no longer tolerate." Lydia knew where this was going. "We may have found a solution." The man behind the Secretary handed him a large book. He set it on the table and gave it to Wanda first. "The Sokovia accords. Signed by 117 countries." Rhodey held out his hand for the book, which Wanda passed over. "Says the Avengers will no longer be private. Now they will operate under the supervision of all US panel. Only when they deem it necessary."

Natasha had an annoyed expression on her face that she didn't try to hide. "The world created the Avengers to make the world safer," Steve began. "I think we've done just that."

"Tell me, do you know where Banner and Thor are right now?"

"Irrelevant," Lydia let slip out causing him to look at her.

"Excuse me," the Secretary spoke.

"They aren't property. They can come and go," Lydia whispered. "Thor isn't even from the planet. Who made the rule he had to stay?"