Weightless

Chapter 4

---Avenger's Facility, present day---

---Athena's P.O.V---

The second I walked through the door I was hugged by Nat.

"I'm so glad your back!" she freaked and I giggled. Then Vision came over.

"Hey Vision" I greeted as we shook hands. Then he saw the person who followed Tony and I here.

"I shall go get Mr. Rodgers and Ms. Maximoff" Vision stated and he walked away.

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All of us were sat in the meeting room watching footage that I had nothing to do with besides one incident, the Ultron one.

"Five years ago... I had a heart attack. I dropped right in the middle of my backswing. 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 unpayable debt. You have fought for us... protected us, risked your lives... but while a great many people see you as heroes, there are some... who would prefer the word "vigilantes" the secretary of state, Ross started.

"And what word would you use, Mr. Secretary?" Nat asked intrigued.

"How about "dangerous"? 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?" he asked as he pulled up pictures of our battles.

"New York. Washington DC. Sokovia. Lagos" he said while showing a picture from each one.

"Okay. That's enough" Steve spoke up.

"For the past four years you've operated with unlimited power and no supervision. That's an arrangement the governments of the world can no longer tolerate. But I think we have a solution" Ross instructed as he put a thick stack of documents on the table.

"The Sokovia Accords. Approved by 117 countries... it states that the Avengers shall no longer be a private organization. Instead, they'll operate under the supervision of a United Nations panel, only when and if that panel deems it necessary" Ross continued.

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

"Tell me, Captain, do you know where Thor and Banner are right now? 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!" Ross shouted making me jump.

"So, there are contingencies" James said.

"Three days from now, the UN meets in Vienna to ratify the Accords" Ross started as Steve glanced at Tony.

"Talk it over" Ross insisted.

"And if we come to a decision you don't like?" I asked.

"Then you retire" he threatened as I stifled a smile. The 8 of us were sat in the lounge talking over the matter.

"Secretary Ross has a Congressional Medal of Honor which is one more than you have" James informed while directing the information at Steve who was reading a book. I was sitting on a bar stool while facing my friends.

"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?" Sam asked.

"A 117 countries want to sign this. 117, Sam, and you're just like, No, that's cool. We got it" James fought. Tony had his hand on his forehead while slumped down on the couch.

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

"I have an equation" Vision stated.

"Oh, this will clear it up" Sam complained, he was so over Vision.

"In the 8 years since Mr. Stark announced himself as Iron Man, the number of known enhanced persons has grown exponentially. And during the same period, the number of potentially world-ending events has risen at a commensurate rate" Vision informed.

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

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

"Boom!" James freaked.

"Tony. You're being uncharacteristically non-hyperverbal" Nat pointed out.

"It's because he's already made up his mind" Steve reasoned.

"Same goes for Athena" James added.

"She would follow her boyfriend every where!" Sam stated.

"Stop fighting me on this! I don't follow him everywhere!" I fought.

"I'm right here!" Tony ragged.

"Fine then don't sign!" Steve pressed.

"I am signing! It's best!" I responded.

"Boy, you know me so well" Tony said as he got up and winced.

"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 added. He put his phone on the counter and a image of a young man popped up.

"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" Tony ragged. Everyone looked at him with shocked faces.

"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" Tony went on as he took a pill.

"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're boundary-less, we're no better than the bad guys" I stated.

"Unbelievable! They are finishing each others sentences now" Sam complained.

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

"Who said we're giving up?" I asked.

"We are if we're not taking responsibility for our actions. This document just shifts the blames" Steve stated and I looked at Tony, he winked at me.

"I'm sorry. Steve. That... That is dangerously arrogant. This is the United Nations we're talking about. It's not the World Security Council, it's not SHIELD, it's not HYDRA" James reminded.

"No, but it's run by people with agendas and agendas change" Steve said while looking at him. I didn't want to be involved with this anymore, I got up and left. I went to my room, I knew it was because it looked like my old one. I sat down on the bed and let tears silently fall out of my eyes.

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A/N

So right now I'm just randomly publishing chapters to books, my life is all over the place (including my dog dying, lets get through March) but I'm not going to spew excuses. 

Xoxo,

       Panda