The Soldat, The Captain and The Asset

3.1: The Accords

The Secretary of State, Thaddeus Ross, is standing at the head of a table. The room is brightly lit , the walls a dark blueish colour. Around the table, Rhodey, Natasha, Steve, Tony, Sam, Vision, and Wanda are gathered around, most of which are just wearing casual clothing, having not bothered to get smartly dressed for the meeting. "Five years ago, I had a heart attack." He told them. "I dropped right in the middle of my back-swing. 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, risked your lives . . . but while a great many people see you as heroes, there are some..." He hesitates, looking up at them. "...who would prefer the word 'vigilantes'."

"And what word would you use, Mr. Secretary?" Natasha asked him, sitting back in her chair.

"How about 'dangerous'?" Ross replies firmly, his hands leaning on the table. "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 activates a screen behind him, stepping aside so they can look at it. News footage from past Avengers and SHIELD matters flash on the screen as he speaks. "New York." He lists. He shows a Chitauri leviathan, terrified citizens, a soldier firing a gun, the Hulk smashing into a building and sending a dust cloud to engulf the camera. Rhodey looks regretful. He glances behind him at Natasha. "Washington DC." The three Insight Helicarriers, firing on each other. The destroyed Triskelion. A Helicarrier crashing into the Potomac and throwing up a massive wave, engulfing citizens and the camera. "Sokovia." Terrified citizens, running, the city rising, a building falling over over the edge and crashing into the ground. Wanda stares at the screen, as does Tony. "Lagos." He switches the screen to show the burning building, paramedics moving a body, a dead girl. Wanda is particularly affected by the footage from Lagos, her face falling with shame and guilt.

Steve sees this and intervenes. "Okay." Steve interrupts him, sounding annoyed at the intrusion. "That's enough."

Secretary Ross nods to an aide and the images disappear from the screen. He looks back over at them. "For the past four years, you've operated with unlimited power and no supervision." Ross reminds them. "That's an arrangement the governments of the world can no longer tolerate. But I think we have a solution." He places down a thick document on the desk and slides it over to Wanda. She looks down at it, before handing it over to Rhodey. "The Sokovia Accords. Approved by 117 countries.." Steve looks up at him. "It states that the Avengers shall no longer be a private organisation. Instead, they'll operate under the supervision of a United Nations panel, only when and if that panel deems it necessary."

"The Avengers were formed to make the world a safer place." Steve argues. "I feel we've done that."

"Tell me, Captain, do you know where Thor and Banner are right now?" Ross asked him harshly. Steve looks up and meets Ross's eyes. "If I misplaced a couple of 30 megaton nukes...you can bet there'd be consequences. Compromise. Reassurance. That's how the world works. Believe me, this is the middle ground."

"So, there are contingencies." Rhodey wonders.

"Three days from now, the UN meets in Vienna to ratify the Accords." Ross informs them and Steve glances over at Tony in thought. "Talk it over."

"And if we come to a decision you don't like?" Natasha asks.

"Then you retire." Ross tells her and Natasha stifles a smile.

Ross walks away from the room, leaving the others to discuss it over with each other. Steve picks up the Accords from the table, flicking through it and reading it in depth. The others look at each other, thinking it over. In the back Rhodey and Sam are shouting at each other. "Secretary Ross has a Congressional Medal of Honor, which is one more than you have." Rhodey argues with him.