Combustion ✦ STEVE ROGERS² [✓]

17 | THE SOKOVIA ACCORDS

EVEN A MONTH AFTER THE INCIDENT IN LAGOS HAPPENED, KATO STILL FELT GUILTY. And she didn't want to hear about it anymore. She'd heard enough. She'd heard the news reports. She'd read the articles. She'd run the new opinions of the Avengers over and over again in her head, and it kept her up at night.

Many people had died that day, with eleven of them hailing from the small nation of Wakanda. And Kato felt ashamed that she hadn't done more to prevent it. Those people were on an outreach mission in Lagos. And now they'd never return to their families. Wakanda was a traditionally reclusive nation, and didn't have much to offer the world. The explosion had most likely caused them to go into hiding even more.

"Our people's blood is spilled on foreign soil," the king of Wakanda had said at the recent press conference. "Not only because of the actions of criminals but by the indifference of those pledged to stop them. Victory at the expense of the innocent is no victory at all."

Guilt weighed Kato down, feeling heavy in the pit of her stomach. Despite what Steve had told her, she had a part to play in what happened. She should've seen the bomb vest. She should've done more. She should've healed faster. She was Savior, for hell's sake. It was her job to protect people, not hurt them. And it made her think of something Paz had said to her when she revealed herself to the world: "As a hero, our prime purpose in this life is to help people. And if we can't help them, at the very least, don't hurt them."

Kato should have been able to prevent the blast from hurting innocent people. She should've been able to stop Rumlow in one swoop. But she hadn't. She didn't. She messed up. That building exploded because she hadn't been fast enough. Those innocent people died because she hadn't noticed the danger in time.

Now, as Kato wandered the halls of the upstate facility, guilt was eating at her once again. However, as she passed Wanda's room, she heard the television from the open door, which was once again playing a news station with another scathing report on the Avengers.

"They are operating outside and above the international law," one man was saying. "Because that's the reality, if we don't respond to acts like these."

Noticing Steve coming her way, Kato ducked into the hall to hide as he entered Wanda's room. Then, she went back and looked around the doorway to watch.

Wanda continued to watch the news report as the reporter went on, "What legal authority does an enhanced individual like Wanda Maximoff and a goddamn ALIEN have to operate in Nigeri-"

With that, Steve abruptly shut off the television.

Wanda turned to Steve with a crushed expression. "It's my fault."

"That's not true," Steve said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Turn the TV back on," Wanda told him, her voice sounding just as crushed as she looked. "They're being very specific."

Steve shook his head. "I should've clocked that bomb vest long before you had to deal with it." He sighed, uncrossing his arms before sitting next to Wanda on her bed. "Rumlow said 'Bucky'... and all of a sudden I was a sixteen-year-old kid again in Brooklyn." His jaw clenched, but he went on, "And people died. It's on me."

"It's on both of us," Wanda said, looking down as she threaded and unthreaded her hands together. Then, she looked up at Steve. "How's Kato?"

Kato glanced up at the sound of her name to see Steve bite his lip in concern and avoidance. There was no doubt that she was wearing the same expression.

"She'll be alright," Steve replied in a soft tone. "At least, that's what she's been telling me." He sighed, shaking his head. "I know she's lying to me, and to herself. But I've known Kato long enough to know not to push it when she wants to be left alone." He inhaled and slowly exhaled. "This job... 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, then next time..." His next words were hesitant, though, there was no explaining what needed to be done. Wanda understood and so did Kato. "Maybe nobody gets saved."