Sunshine | Pietro Maximoff

CHAPTER 21

The compound had been silent for hours; not another soul was awake. That was why I decided against turning the lights on in the lounge, choosing instead to deploy a small ball of light bright enough to just light up the kitchen. I stood leaning against the counter, a steaming mug of coffee in my hands. 

Whenever I shut my eyes in an attempt to rest, nightmares played on my eyelids. So, I thought it would be best to retreat to the sanctuary of the lounge. The very place where earlier today, we debated the decision that could forever alter this team. The Sokovia Accords could very well spell the end of the Avengers. That is, if we couldn't all come to an agreeable conclusion. What would Clint say, if he were here? Would he stand by my side, would he understand where I'm coming from? Surely. And Banner? After all, he, Tony and I created Ultron together, without whom the catastrophe of Sokovia wouldn't have happened. Charlie Spencer would be a name none of us would know. His mother would be sleeping easily knowing that nothing bad had happened to her son. All would be has it should. 

"What are you doing up?" Asked an accented voice that made my heart quicken so slightly.

I looked up to find Pietro walking over, clearing having just woken up. His icy blonde hair was tousled from sleep and he raised a hand to brush it out of his face.

"I couldn't sleep." I answered with a small shrug.

Half of Pietro's mouth turned up in a smile and he gestured to the mug of coffee in my hands. "That won't help." He said.

I smiled and placed the mug on the counter beside me. "What brings you out here?" I asked. I crossed my arms over my chest, suddenly very cold without the warm drink in my hands.

"I was checking on Wanda and saw the light." He gestured to the orb floating a few feet from us. "I knew it was you."

"How is she?" I asked, rubbing a hand up and down my arm.

"She's fine, she's sleeping."

Pietro gave a half shrug. He studied my face for a moment, looking at me intently. 

"What's on your mind?" He asked. "The accords?" I nodded.

"By what you said earlier, I take it you've made your decision." He said, mirroring me and crossing his arms over his chest.

"There's no decision to be made. Signing the accords is the only way forward."

Pietro looked away from me and I could see the uncertainty in his eyes.

"Don't you think?" I asked.

I noticed his foot tapping rapidly against the floor. During the time we had known each other, I had come to recognize this as a nervous habit of his; a side effect of the super speed, I assumed. He looked up once again to meet my eyes.

"I don't think it's as simple as that." He said. "After what happened in Lagos... Wanda... She's in the firing line. We're not like the others. You're not like the others. These abilities..." He gestured between the two of us and the ball of light floating in the room. "Do you think the government is going to be happy with us walking out in the open? What if one day, they decide that having these powers makes you too dangerous. Say you sign these accords, you go with them willingly; what if they wake up one day and decide to lock you up until they need you to fight a war for them. To be their secret weapon."

I opened my mouth to respond, yet nothing came. My eyes remained fixed on the floor. Pietro's words hung in the air, weighing heavy on my chest. He presented a side of the matter that, in all honesty, I hadn't even thought of. What if the government decided I was too dangerous? Or Wanda, or Pietro... Right now, we were still heroes. But, if they started to see us as a threat... I shook my head to clear those thoughts.

"I... tried to make a difference." I began. "With Ultron. Tony, Banner and I... we wanted to make the world a better place, a safer place. Signing these accords... it'll show the world that we're on their side, that we fight for them and not for ourselves." I looked up at the speedster in front of me. "That's why I'm signing them. Even if I'm the only one."

A moment of silence. Pietro held my gaze, taking half a step forward before stopping himself. He let out a weighted breath before speaking.

"I'm sorry to not be on your side, sunshine. But if signing these accords puts those I care about in danger..." He gestured over his shoulder to where Wanda's room was. I almost thought I saw him gesture to me, too. "Then that's not something I want to support. I'm not putting my name on those accords."