Stained (N.R)

Chapter 29 + writer's note

I was in my lab, tinkering on Diana when Natalia received Steve's call. 

He said that something bad happened at Lagos, and that a gathering was needed in order for the Avengers to work properly again. 

It sounded serious, a few humanitarian workers had been killed and a building damaged, most importantly, these workers were from Wakanda. 

Wakanda was a place that the American diplomats didn't dare cross. 

They needed someone to take the brunt of Wakanda's anger. 

The Avengers were pushed out. 

"Honestly," I huffed, my arms crossed. "They still don't understand that we are not obliged to protect this planet and its inhabitants, do they? They always think as if you guys owe them, and have to show up, prevent threat, and not leave a trace of damage behind."

Natasha sighed behind the wheel, giving me a soft look. "I do owe it to them, Katya."

"Oh, that's... You....Ты идиот (You idiot)." I agitatedly rubbed my temples. "You don't owe anyone anything, Ilya. Nothing you did back then was by your own free will. Only a fool will blame a sword commiting a murder. If anyone needs answering to those crimes, its my adopted father."

She shook her head and opened her mouth to speak, but I shushed her. "You are kind, responsible, and you are strong. I love you for that, Natalia, but if you are thinking about sacrificing yourself to save the world whenever there is a problem..."

I took a deep breath. "Then it is your mind. It's ill, and it will need treatment. One of the treatment methods can be me kidnapping you and hiding you away to a place so far away that you can not reach any trace of the human world."

She chuckled, shaking her head. "It sounds like heaven."

"Yet you are not willing to come to this heaven with me." I retorted."You can't keep torturing yourself, Ilya."

She was silent after that, seeming deep in thought.

I let her be. 

She needed to play for herself. 

She needed to be the one who held the chess pieces, she needed to start thinking about when and how she will live, live for herself, for me, for our family. 

We sat around the table in gloomy silence, all the 'good deeds' we have ever done was on display on the screen,  Bruce smashing buildings apart, screams, cries for help, shivering figures cowering under his destructive force, then scenes from Lagos, New York, news reports and snapshots of us in battle, snarling and covered with blood and looking more like the bad guys than the Chitauri. 

Everyone had different expressions on their faces, none of them happy. Tony was staring at the screen with his left hand on his chin, seeming deep in thought. 

"Update us." Natasha ordered calmly. 

"How much do you know?" Steve asked, his voice grim and filled with anger. 

"You blew up a building whilst trying to save everyone, some people died and they want to prosecute you." I answered. 

"It was my fault!" Wanda groaned. "I should have... Should have..."

"Left the bomb where it was and let more people get hurt?" Pietro, who was brooding with his arms cross, snapped. "We saved people, a lot of people, but now they want to prosecute us."

"It was our duty that nobody gets hurt..." Steve started. 

"We are mortals, not Gods. Accidents like this happen. We just need to try more and learn from it so it doesn't happen next time." I insisted.