Tearing Relationships Apart (Book Eleven of The Bad Wolf Chronicles)

Chapter Three

Oh, it feels so good to be home! And hey, four chapters done on the plane - that's pretty good, considering I watched Doctor Strange twice!

And guess what - you guys got a Startha overload here! :D

Enjoy!

***

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

"So let's say we agree to this thing. How long is it gonna be before they LoJack us like a bunch of common criminals?"

Steve flipped through the Accords, listening to Rhodey and Sam duke it out behind him. Tony was reclining against one of the chairs, hand over his eyes as he listened. Jessie was lying on one of the loveseats, her head in the Doctor's lap, her husband gently running his hands through her tresses. Pietro and Clara were sitting together in another one, the rest of the Avengers scattered throughout the room. "A hundred and seventeen countries want to sign this," Rhodey reminded Sam. "117, Sam, and you're just like 'No, that's cool, we got it?'"

"How long are you going to play both sides?" Sam countered.

"I have an equation," Vision volunteered.

Sam snorted. "Oh, this will clear it up."

"Go on, Vision," Jessie said quietly.

"In the past years since Mr. Stark announced himself as Iron Man, the number of known enhanced persons has grown exponentially," the android said. "And 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 raised an eyebrow.

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

"Boom," Rhodey pointed at Vision.

"Tony," Natasha looked over at the man. "You're being uncharacteristically non-hyperverbal."

"It's because he's already made up his mind," the Doctor shook his head.

"Boy, you know me so well," Tony said sarcastically, standing up with a grimace. "Actually, I'm nursing an electromagnetic headache. That's what's going on, Doc. It's just pain. It's discomfort." He walked over to the sink, scowling when he saw it. "Who's putting coffee grounds in the disposal? Am I running a bed and breakfast for a biker gang?" He ran the sink, pulling up a holographic image in the process of a smiling young man. He looked up, then nodded as if he had just noticed it. "Oh, that's Charles Spencer, by the way. He's a great kid. Computer engineering degree, 3.6 GPA. Had a floor level gig at Intel planned for the fall, 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, 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!" Wanda flinched and Pietro clenched his fist; the Doctor's hand stilled in the middle of Jessie's hair. "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!" He popped a pill in his mouth and downed it with some coffee. "There's no decision-making process here," he announced, turning to them, folding his arms. "We need to be put in check. Whatever form that takes, I'm game. If we can't accept limitations, we're no better than the bad guys."

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

"Who said we're giving up?"