The Soldier's Luna: Reclamation (Bucky Barnes x OC)

Chapter 15

While everyone was eating the subs I made, we were also reviewing the regulations for the Sokovia Accords. I tried my best to pay attention, but my mind would venture off at what Secretary Ross said about Bucky. When I did focus back to listen to the regulations, I wasn't happy. I didn't like the idea that the UN would be in charge of what the Avengers were doing. In my mind, I could only think about how Hydra used Bucky and me to achieve their plans for global domination.

What if someone from the UN was planning on doing that to us?

Not only will we feel awful for feeling used, but we would also be blamed for causing the chaos. The people would put blame on us when it was the UN that did it. If there were bad intentions, we would only be the pawns. There was the benefit of the doubt that the UN could have good intentions, but all it took was one bad seed that could ruin the whole bunch.

"Secretary Ross has a Congressional Medal of Honor, which is one more than you have," Rhodey argued with Sam. They had been throwing debates at each other after we had finished reading the regulations on the Accords.

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

"A hundred seventeen countries want to sign this. One hundred seventeen, Sam, and you're just like, 'no, that's cool. We got it'."

"How long are you going to play both sides?" Sam questioned Rhodey.

"I have an equation," Vision announced. "In the time since Mr. Stark announced himself as Iron Man, 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."

Steve asked, "Are you saying it's our fault?"

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

Rhodey gestured at Vision, "Boom."

Sighing, I got up from my seat. I grabbed the electric kettle to heat water to make coffee. "Though your theory is insightful, Vision, you're missing something. You're right about more enhanced coming out to play when Tony did his big 'I am Iron Man' moment, but you didn't consider the factors of who have been in the game long before Tony. The ones that were playing under the table." I held up the French press, silently asking if anyone wanted coffee. Tony immediately shot up his hand. As I prepped the French press, I continued, "Does anyone know a William Brooks?" The room remained silent, giving me the answer I expected.

No one knew who he was.

"William Brooks was a military officer who ranked up fast at a young age, had an amazing reputation, and did whatever his officers told him to do without question. I believe he was ranked General at twenty-four. That's pretty young, right? He went above and beyond expectations, received many awards and achievements. I believe it was one more than Secretary Ross. I thought I'd put that out there for you, Rhodey, since awards seem important to you." Rhodey huffed but I continued my story. "Anyway, just like any other out there, he fell in love, had children, and continued to love this country. However, in 1976, a leader of the Colombian cartel, Javier Vargas, acquired a weaponized device, a prototype stolen from Stark Industries. Brooks went on a secret mission with a team to infiltrate and extract the device, which was a mission accomplished.

"But one day while Brooks was in Washington, he received a package. The contents of the package were a female hand...wearing his wife's ring and a video of his family being tortured, along with his wife's hand being cut off. It was demanded that Vargas was to get the prototype back from Brooks in order to save his family. Brooks pleaded with the government to have a rescue mission to save his family, but the government refused. They claimed they had no authorization to be entering Columbia. So, he went to the UN. Again, he was denied. The next package he was sent was the heads of his family—the wife and children."