About You

Accords

"What legal authority does an enhanced individual like Wanda Maximoff have to operate in Nigeria-"

I grabbed the remote from the side of Wanda's room when I left the toilet and switched the TV off. She turned to face me with tired eyes and bit her cheek.

"It's my fault," she whispered.

I shook my head, "that's not true."

"Turn the TV back on," she replied as I walked over and sat next to her, placing my hand on her knee, "they're being very specific."

"We both should've clocked that bomb vest long before you had to deal with it," I told her.

"Whose Bucky?" she asked.

"Steve's- his childhood friend ... the winter soldier," I admitted.

She nodded slowly.

"This job," I started, "we try to save as many people as we can. Sometimes that doesn't mean everybody. But if we can't find a way to live with that, next time ... maybe nobody gets saved."

Wanda hummed and leaned her head on my shoulder as Vision walked into her room through the wall.

"Vis!" Wanda sighed, sitting up, "we talked about this."

"Yes, but the door was open, so I assumed that- Mr Stark has arrived," he told us.

"Thank you," Wanda replied, "we'll be down in a second."

"I'll use the door," Vision smiled weakly, "oh, and apparently he's bought a guest."

"Who?" I asked.

"The secretary of state," Vision replied.

"Fuck," I whispered.

"That's bad right?" Wanda spoke.

I hummed, "yeah ... it's bad."

She bit her cheek and grabbed my hand. I looked over and nodded slowly, snapping my fingers and appearing in the meeting room with the rest of the team, I sat down next to Vision and Wanda sat on my lap, being as close to me as she could get. Secretary Ross stood in front of us looking unimpressed.

"So?" I asked, breaking the silence.

He nodded, "Five years ago, I had a heart attack. I dropped right in the middle of my backswing. Turned out it was the best round of my life, because after 13 hours of surgery and a triple bypass, I found something 40 years in the Army had never taught me: Perspective. The world owes the Avengers an un-payable debt. You have fought for us, protected us, and 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?" he suggested.

I furrowed my brows and linked my hand with Wanda's on her lap.

"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 finished.

I bit my cheek anxiously and looked over at Natasha who looked just as worried as I did. Ross cleared his throat, pulling up projections of our fights over the past few years.

"New York," he started, "Washington DC, Sokovia ..."

Wanda watched the screen intensely, watching her magic dancing around her home town before it fell.

"Lagos," Ross finished.

My eyes shot to Wanda and frowned when her eyes moved off the screen and tears pricked the corner of them.