Undercover Agent *old*

Chapter 49

June 19th, 2016
New Avengers Facility
Location: New York

"Secretary Ross has a Congressional Medal of Honor..." Rhodey argued with Sam. "Which is one more than you have."

"So let's say we agree to this thing." Sam spoke back. "How long is it gonna be before they LoJack us like a bunch of common criminals?"

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

"How long are you going to play both sides?" Sam asked him.

"I have an equation." Vision interrupted the bickering.

"Oh, this will clear it up." Sam sarcastically commented.

"In the eight years since Mr. Stark announced himself as Iron Man..." Vision began. "...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?" Steve asked, looking up from the Accords.

"I'm saying there may be a causality." Vision clarified. "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."

"Boom." Rhodey cut in.

"Tony." Natasha turned around. "You are being uncharacteristically non-hyperverbal."

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

"Boy, you know me so well." Tony said to him. "Actually, I'm nursing an electromagnetic headache."

"Also known as heartbreak." Mia spoke up. She could hear his thoughts all evening and knew that he and Pepper broke up. It was affecting him.

"Thanks, Mimi." Tony said to her. "That's what's going on, Cap. It's just pain. It's discomfort." Tony looked into the sink. "Who's putting coffee grounds in the disposal? Am I running a bed and breakfast for a biker gang?"

"Quit it." Mia warned him.

Tony placed his phone in the fruit bowl and a screen with the picture of a boy came up.

"Oh, that's Charles Spencer, by the way." Tony pointed at the kid. "He's a great kid. Computer engineering degree, 3.6 GPA... had a floor 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."

"I'm guessing it didn't turn out that way." Mia spoke up.

"No." Tony looked at her. "You see, 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."

Everyone knew where the story was going next, but Tony kept on talking.

"He wanted to make a difference, I suppose." He said. "We won't know because we dropped a building on him while we were kicking ass."