Captain America: Civil War (Charlotte Stark)

Ch. 1 Sokovian Accords

In one of the living areas of the Avengers headquarters, I watched news reports about the disaster in Lagos. "Eleven 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."

The camera cut to the Wakandan king, T'Chaka, speaking at a podium. "Our people's blood is spilled on foreign soil. Not only because of the actions of criminals, but by the indifference of those pledged to stop them. Victory at the expense of the innocent is no victory at all."

The announcer resumed speaking over video of T'Chaka and the burning building in Lagos. "The Wakandan king went on to—"

I turn the TV off and cup my face in my hands. I have so many thoughts and feelings going through my head right now, and I don't know how to process it. I'm angry at myself for not trying to do something about the bomb. Wanda was just a kid, and she was forced to try and contain all that energy. I felt terrible, for all the innocent bystanders that were killed and watched in horror at the events happening in front of them. Then Nat walks in.

"How you holding up?" She asks me.

"It's not exactly a good feeling to loose innocent lives."

"Yeah," she walks over to me and sits down on the bed next to me. "But we've learned to deal with that."

"I know, but it shouldn't be something we have to deal with." I tell her, placing my head on her shoulder. "Remember our days in Russia?"

"Unfortunately, Yes." She answers. I look up to her.

"No, not all the bad." I stand up and walk to the other side of the room and lean against my desk. "The good times we shared. Our long, late night talks, of you helping me through my first kills."

"Of course I remember."

"I never really thanked you properly for that." She stands up and comes over to me, wrapping me in a hug. "So thanks, I guess."

"You helped me plenty, too. Don't give me all the credit." I stifle a laugh and she releases me. "Oh, I'm suppose to tell you that your brother is here. And he brought Secretary Ross."

I roll my eyes. "He's always bringing people with him." We begin to walk to the conference room. "You know, just once I want him to visit without any ulterior motives."

"Yeah, well we don't usually get what we want."

The two of us walk into the room, Tony is there and he greets me with a warm smile and a hug. I sit down next to Nat, Wanda and Steve in front of us. With Sam, Rhodey, and Vision around us. Ross is standing in the front of the room, ready to make his speech.

"Five years ago, I had a heart attack," the secretary said. He liked to frame his policy decisions with stories to put people at ease, especially when he expected people to resist the decision. "I dropped right in the middle of my backswing. Turned out, it was the best round of my life, because after thirteen hours of surgery and a triple bypass, I found something forty years in the army never taught me: perspective."

He paused, the practiced politician giving his opening words a chance to sink in. "The world owes the Avengers an unpayable debt. You've fought for us. Protected us. Risked your lives. But while a great many people see you as heroes, there are some... who would prefer the word vigilantes."

"And what word would you use, Mr. Secretary?" Natasha asked.

"How about dangerous?" Ross shot back. "What would you call a group of US-based, enhanced individuals who routinely ignore sovereign borders and inflict their will wherever they choose and who, frankly, seem unconcerned about what they leave behind them?"

"I don't believe this. You said it yourself, we fought for you, protected you, risked our lives, and this is the Thanks we get?" I say, angered. Steve rests his hand on mine, trying to calm me down.

Ross had a remote control in his hand, and he started a video queued up on a display screen that took up most of one wall. Clips of the Avengers most violent and desperate battles started to play as Secretary Ross listed the names of the cities that were being shown. "New York." Massive Chitauri creatures undulated through Midtown Manhattan, leaving destruction in their wakes. "Washington, DC." A burning Helicarrier plunged into the Potomac River. "Sokovia." Ultron's massive island, intended as a missile, rose into the sky. "Lagos." The wreckage of the burning building.

I look over to Wanda and see her tense up and look down at the mention of Lagos.

"Okay," I said. The Lagos footage hit Wanda especially hard. "That's enough."

"For the past four years, you operated with unlimited power and no supervision. That's an arrangement the governments of the world can no longer tolerate. But I think we have a solution." An aide handed Steve a bound sheaf of papers. "The Sokovia Accords. Approved by one hundred and seventeen countries. It states that the Avengers shall no longer be a private organization. Instead, they'll operate under the supervision of a United Nations panel, only when and if that panel deems it necessary."

"The Avengers were formed to make the world a safer place," Steve said. "I feel we've done that." He was trying to be respectful of the chain of command, but he also needed to be heard.

"Tell me, Captain," Ross said, "do you know where Thor and Banner are right now?" Steve didn't answer. He couldn't. Thor and the Hulk had been off on their own since the battle with Ultron. "If I misplaced a couple of thirty-megaton nukes, you can bet there'd be consequences. Compromise. Reassurance. That's how the world works." Looking around the room, Ross saw the resistance and hostility on the Avengers' faces. He decided to give them a little more context. "Believe me, this is the middle ground."

"So there are contingencies." Rhodey, speaking for the first time since they'd all sat down, didn't look happy.

"Three days from now, they meet in Vienna to ratify the accords." Ross gave us one last sweeping glance, making sure we understood the nature of the situation. "So talk it over."

I asked the question that we were all thinking. "And if we come to a decision you don't like?"

Ross had clearly prepared for that. "Then you retire," he said without hesitation. He left us to our thoughts.