PURE AND TAINTED ( wanda maximoff )

forty-six → you don't just give up

PURE AND TAINTED
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
( you don't just give up )

RUBBING HER FINGER AGAINST HER temple, Aline leaned against Wanda's shoulder and muttered under her breath. "It'd be really great if you just stopped talking," she said, her voice being drowned amongst the others. Her girlfriend had an arm wrapped around her, lovingly rubbing the tribrid's arm. The Sokovian nodded in agreement, watching as Sam and Rhodey continued going back and forth. Ever since Ross had given them the ultimatum hours ago, the team had retired to the living room and talked (more like argued) about whether or not they should allow this to pass and if they should sign it.

For the most part, Aline was completely against it. If the government (or in this case, several dozens) had even the smallest bit of control over her, where would it end? All these different countries, with their different ideas and agendas, there was no way each and every one of them would agree. Her and the rest of the Avengers would be forced to sit on the sidelines, watching the chaos and the public would still harass them for doing nothing. Besides, Aline had just barely managed to escape S.H.I.E.L.D.'s hold over her. Despite the fact that files had been leaked online, Aline's name was still barred from public record. For the most part, people still knew that the girl was of supernatural origin and has been alive for a long time, but they didn't know her exact age or the atrocities she'd committed. She was finally on her own, living with her friends and girlfriend on her own accord, not because some dumb government or organization had their grubby little paws on her. 

"I have an equation." Vision spoke up, and everyone turned to look at him. He was sitting besides Aline and Wanda, leaning back against the armrest of the couch they were on.

Sam scoffed. "Oh, this'll clear it up."

Vision still continued, however, completely ignoring Sam's comment. "In the eight years since Mr. Stark has announced himself as Iron Man, the number of known enhanced persons have grown expediently. And during the same period, the number of world-ending events has risen at a commensurate rate."

The tribrid suddenly sat up, Wanda's arm falling to rest on her lap. "S-so what?" she asked, arching one of her brows. "Are you saying it's our fault?" She leaned towards Vision. It wasn't their fault, she had to believe it 一 she'd been alive for a very long time and there wasn't villains and aliens raining havoc on the planet because of her. There'd been a few catastrophes involving vampires and werewolves and witches, but nothing to end the world.

"I'm saying there may be a causality. Our very strength invites challenge, challenge incites conflict, conflict... breeds catastrophe. Oversight... oversight is not an idea that could be dismissed out of hand."

"Boom!" Rhodey said, gesturing with his hands, and Aline crossed her arms. She scoffed and leaned back into Wanda; this beginning was just childish, and this was coming from her.

Natasha turned to look at Tony, who sat quietly holding his head. "Tony," she said softly, "you're being uncharacteristically nonhyperverbal."

"It's 'cause he already made up his mind," Steve said. Aline turned her dark eyes to look at Steve, who'd been quietly reading the Accords since they stepped foot in the room. In fact, the captain hadn't said a single world since they left the conference room.

"Boy, you know me so well," Tony retorted and stood up, slightly adjusting himself as he headed into the kitchen. "Actually, I'm nursing an electromagnetic headache. That's what's going on, Cap, it's just pain." He started muttering to himself about the putting coffee grounds in the sink, but Aline kept her comments to herself. She was still silent as she watched Tony set his phone down and an image of a young man popped up. He looked to be about college age, just around Aline's physical age, smiling widely at the camera. "Oh, that's Charles Spencer by the way! He's a great kid 一 computer engineering degree, three-point-six GPA, had a floor level gig, Intel plan for the fall 一 but first he wanted to put 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 一 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 一 Sokovia." Tony's fist clenched tightly, and he had an angry look on his face. Guilt flashed in his brown eyes, and Aline dropped her gaze. "He wanted to make a difference, I suppose. I mean, we won't know, we dropped a building on him while we were kicking ass." Tony sipped from his coffee cup.

The billionaire leaned back against the counter, crossing his arm. "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, we're boundary-less. We're no different than the bad guys."

She blinked. What the hell was he talking about? This was Tony, she'd known him for years, but this didn't sound like him. Of course, she did understand that it hurt to have been the cause of a young man's death, but it wasn't their fault; it was Ultron's. "Tony, I get it, you're feeling guilty, but that wasn't our fault," Aline said, nodding her head to the picture. "And what happens if someone just dies on your watch, because these stupid accords said we couldn't save lives? You don't just give up!"

"Who said we're giving up?" Tony asked, giving her a look. 

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

Rhodey, who was still standing, turned to look at him. "Sorry, Steve, but that is dangerously arrogant. This is the United Nations we're talking about; it's not the World Security Council, it's not S.H.I.E.L.D., it's not HYDRA!"

"No, it's run by people with agendas and agendas change."

"That's good, that's why I'm here," Tony sharply said and walked towards the group. "When I realized what my weapons were capable of in the wrong hands, I shut it down; I stopped manufacturing."

Steve leaned forward in his chair, elbows pressed into his knees. "Tony, you chose to do that. If we sign this, we surrender our right to choose. What if this panel sends us somewhere we don't think we should go? What if there's somewhere we need to go and they don't let us? We may not be perfect but the safest hands are still our own."

"If we don't do this now, it's going to be done to us later. That's the fact, that won't be pretty."

From beside her, Wanda gulped. Her eyes drifted down to look at the table. "You're saying they'll come for me," Wanda said, her voice laced with trepidation and anxiety.

Aline immediately turned, staring in her the eyes and grabbing her hands. "They'll have to come through me first," she said and winked, making sure to flash her eyes the golden sheen they've all become accustomed to. She squeezed Wanda's hands gently, who sent a grateful one in return.

On the other side, Vision nodded in agreement. "We would protect you."

Another person spoke up, making Aline snap her head in their direction with wide eyes. "Maybe Tony's right," Natasha said, breathing through her nose. "If we have one hand on the wheel, we can still steer, but if we take it off 一"

From behind Tony, Sam leaned forward. "Aren't you the woman that told the government to kiss her ass a few years ago?"

"I'm just... I'm reading the terrain," Natasha tried, slightly shaking her head. "We have made some very public mistakes. We have to win their trust back."

Aline shook her head, some of her brown hair falling in front of her face. Again, Natasha was one of the last people she expected to have went along and accepted these plans. What the hell was she thinking? Natasha knows what these governments would do, their indecisiveness and own agendas, and yet she was trusting them with her life.

"Focus up," Tony said, leaning towards Natasha. "I'm sorry, did I just mishear you, or... did you just agree with me?"

The Black Widow shook her head slowly, lips parting. "Oh, I wanna take it back now."

"No, no, no, you can't retract," Tony teased. "Thank you, though."

Her ears picked up someone's phone vibrating softly in their pocket, and out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Steve slip his phone out of his pocket. He read whatever message popped up on the screen and his face fell even further, blue eyes darkening with grief. "I have to go," Steve said, standing up and immediately leaving without waiting for a response. 

Aline bit her lip then excused herself, hastily glaring at Tony before he could make some sort of snarky comment, and followed after Steve. She found him a few minutes later, standing in the stairwell and pinching the bridge of his nose. Even though she knew he heard the door open, she took slow timid steps and approached him. When he looked up at her, Aline could see the tears threatening to fall down his cheeks and her heart broke. She knew that look of despair before, she knew it all too well, and quickly pulled him into a hug. His strong arms pulled her into an embrace, his forehead pressed against her shoulder as he gently cried.