THE OLDEST MAXIMOFF | Stephen Strange

2.1

Nadia sat next to Wanda as the Secretary of State had arrived at the compound with Tony Stark. "Ah, five years ago....I had a heart attack," Ross started as he held his hands in a position as if he was going to swing a golf club. "And 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 had never taught me. Perspective. The world owes the Avengers an unpayable debt. You have 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'."

"What word would you use, Mr Secretary?" Nat asked Ross.

"How about 'dangerous'?" The Secretary suggested to her on what he thought the Avengers were. "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?"

Ross walked away from the head of the table to show the Avengers footage to prove that he was right. "New York. Washington, DC. Sokovia," When Nadia heard the name of her home country, her eyes trailed away from the screen where the videos were playing and looked to her lap and fiddled with her hands from her nerves and guilt. She felt Wanda's hand grip onto her twitching hands for comfort. Nadia tightened her hold on Wanda when Secretary Ross showed clips from what happened in Lagos about a month ago.

"Okay. That's enough," Steve directed toward Ross after seeing how uncomfortable and guilt ridden Nadia and Wanda were.

"For the past four years, you've 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," Ross informed the Avengers and placed a thick binding of pages next to Wanda. "The Sokovia Accords. Approved by a hundred and seventeen countries....it states that the Avengers shall no longer be a private organization," Nadia peered over Wanda's shoulder before Wanda slid it over to Rhodey across the table. "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 interrupted Ross from explaining what the Sokovia Accords were. "I feel we've done that."

"Tell me, Captain, do you know where Thor and Banner are right now?" Ross asked Rogers about the whereabouts of the two missing Avengers. "If I misplaced a couple of thirty megaton nukes....you can bet there'd be consequences. Compromise. Reassurance. That's how the world works. Believe me, this is the middle ground."

Rhodey patted his hand onto the accords in front of him. "So, there are contingencies."

"Three days from now, the UN meets in Vienna....to ratify the accords," Steve looked over his shoulder to glance at Tony. "Talk it over," Ross advised them before heading to the exit of the room.

Natasha stopped him before he could leave. "And if we come to a decision you don't like?" She asked.

"Then you retire," Ross told her plainly before leaving the Avengers to think over what they should do.

Nadia watched and listened as Rhodey and Sam went back and forth, already knowing what sides the two were going to pick. "Secretary Ross has a Congressional Medal of Honor....which is one more than you," Rhodey pointed out to Sam, using his hands for emphasis.