[1.2] SULLEN, james 'bucky' barnes

The Irony of Arguments

Sam and Rhodey stood behind Steve, arguing.

"Secretary Ross has a Congressional Medal of Honor, which is one more than you have." Rhodey said.

Tony sat there with his hand over his face as he rolled his eyes. He had been listening to these two argue for what had seemed like years.

"So let's say we agree to this thing, how long before the LoJack is like a bunch of common criminals?" Sam asked clearly agitated.

"117 countries want to sign this. 117, Sam, and you're just like, 'Nah, that's cool we got it'." Rhodey argued.

"How long are you going to be playing both sides?" Sam asked crossing his arms.

"I have an equation." Vision said interrupting the two.

"Oh, this'll clear it up." Sam said sarcastically.

Everyone looked at Vision, urging him to go on.

"In the eight years since Mr. Stark has announced himself as Iron Man....the number of known enhanced persons has grown exponentially."

"During the same period, the number of potentially world-ending events has risen at a commensurate rate."

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

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

"Our very strength invites challenge, challenge incites conflict. And conflict breeds catastrophe." He said in a slow voice.

"Oversight. Oversight is not an idea that can be dismissed out of hand." He said.

"Boom." Rhodey exclaimed as he looked at Sam, proud that Vision took his side.

"Tony. You're being characteristically non-hyperverbal." Natasha said as she looked at Tony.

Steve took a hand off of his head and looked up. "That's cause he's already made up his mind."

"Boy, you know me so well." Tony said sarcastically.

"Actually, I'm nursing an electromagnetic headache. That's what's going on, Cap. It's just pain. It's discomfort. Who's putting coffee grounds in the disposal? Am I running a bed and breakfast for a biker gang?" Tony rambled as he walked to the kitchen.

"Oh that's Charles Spencer by the way. He's a great kid. Computer engineering degree, 3.6 GPA, had a four level gig at Intel planned for the fall. But first, he went up a few miles on his soul... before he parked it behind a desk. See the world. Maybe be of service. Charlie didn't want to go to Vegas or Fort Lauderdale, which is what I would do. He didn't go to Paris or Amsterdam, which sounds fun. He decided to spend his summer building sustainable housing for the poor. Guess where. Sokovia." Tony kept talking faster and faster as the sentences flew out of his mouth, and as the picture of Charles Spencer got more inside his head as it projected itself against the air.

Everyone looked away or down when Tony said that.

"He wanted to make a difference I suppose, I mean. We won't know because we dropped a building on him while we were kicking ass." Frustration grew throughout Tony as he kept talking.

"There's no decision-making process here. We need to be put in check! Whatever form that takes, I'm game. If we can't accept limitations, if we were boundary-less....were no better than the bad guys."

"Tony, someone dies on your watch, you don't give up." Steve said.

"Who said we're giving up?"

"We are if we're not taking responsibility for our actions. This document just shifts the blame." Steve said.