"A lot of times freedom doesn't mean being free. It is not a right, but a choice. Anyone can be free if they want to. Telling someone to be free is taking away their choice to be free. You don't take away decisions."
A story in which Lilly Richards...
*follows the events from Captain America: Civil War {gif by mcufam}
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Lilly was sitting on the couch, reading news on the tablet. "Where is Wanda?" Vision asked as he entered the room. "She's with the team. Also she wouldn't be happy seeing you 'walk' through the walls," Lilly said without looking at him. "Sorry," he said and sat down next to her.
She looked at him. There was a short pause. "So, sister of Thor," Vision said. "Yeah, still comprehending it," Lilly said and turned her attention back to the news. "You messaging?" "No." "Oh,..." he said and trailed off.
"I hope he'll come and visit us," she said and put the tablet down on the coffee table. "Will the others come back soon?" Lilly shrugged. "I don't know," she said and stood up. "I'll be in my room," she said and walked away.
——— later ———
Lilly moved away Steve's stuff in the drawer in order to find an album. "He has more stuff than I do," she said and pulled out an album.
She sat on the edge of the bed and opened it. She saw a photo of her and her mother. She smiled. "I love you for eternity, love momma" was written on the back of the photo. She touched a photo with her finger. She sighed. "I love you for eternity too," she said in a whisper as tears rolled down her cheek. She placed the photo in her pocket in the pants and closed the album. She opened the drawer and placed it back.
She felt someone's breath on her neck. She smiled. He wrapped his hands around her from behind. "I'm back," Steve said and kissed her on the neck.
Lilly turned around and wrapped her hands around his neck. "I missed you," she said. He leaned down and kissed her. She really did. He was supportive of her this whole time, dealing with her unknown family and known.
He picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He placed her on her back on the bed and left a trail of kisses from her mouth to her neck and collarbone. "Steve," Lilly said. "Hm?" He looked up. "I love you." He smiled. "I love you too. I'm just trying to finish what we postponed last year." "We didn't postponed anything." "Don't you remember our time at Clint's farm?" "We already finished that,... and not once," Lilly said. He let out a low laugh. "You don't have to come up with an excuse to have sex with me, dummy," Lilly said. "What did you just called me?" "Dummy." He pulled himself over her.
"I dare you to say this one more time." Lilly grinned and opened her mouth, but was surprised with a kiss. He put his hand on her thigh and she wrapped them around his waist. Just as things were heating up, Vision 'walked' through the wall.
"Excuse me but may I—" he said and stopped. "Vision!" Lilly yelled and pushed Steve off her. "What did we talk about earlier?" "Sorry, I just—" "get out," Lilly said calmly. Steve blushed and got on his feet. "This was awkward." She nodded.
"Vision, you may come in now." He opened the door and said, "Wanda needs your help."
All of them walked to her room. She was sitting on the edge of the bed watching new report on the Lagos attack and how they blame it on her.
"What legal authority does an enhanced individual like Wanda Maximoff have to operate in Nigeri—" Steve turned off the TV.
"It's my fault," she said. "That's not true," Steve said to her. Lilly walked inside and sat next to her. "Turn the TV back on. They're being very specific," she said. Lilly put her hand on Wanda's shoulder. Wanda looked at her and shook her hand off.
"I should've clocked that bomb vest long before you had to deal with it," Steve said and joined them on the bed. "Rumlow said "Bucky" and... all of a sudden I was a 16-year-old kid again, in Brooklyn. And people died. It's on me," he said. "It's on both of us."
"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, next time... maybe nobody gets saved," he said to her and looked at Lilly, remembering the Sokovia event.
Suddenly Vision appeared, walking through the wall again. "Vis! We talked about this," Wanda said as she noticed him. "Yes, but the door was open so I assumed that..." he said and gestured to the door. "I told you she won't like it," Lilly said to him.
"Captain Rogers wished to know when Mr. Stark was arriving." "Thank you. We'll be right down," he said to him. "I'll... use the door. Oh, and apparently, he's brought a guest," he added. "We know who it is?" Steve asked him. "The Secretary of State."
——— at the meeting ———
The Secretary of State was standing at the head of a table. Lilly, Rhodey, Natasha, Steve, Tony, Sam, Vision, and Wanda were gathered around.
"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"," he said and looked at everyone. "And what word would you use, Mr. Secretary?" Nat asked him.
After a short pause he said, "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?"
The secretary activated a screen behind him. News footage from past Avengers and SHIELD matters flashed on the screen as he spoke. "New York." A Chitauri leviathan showed on the screen, terrified citizens, a soldier firing a gun. The Hulk smashed into a building and sent a dust cloud to engulf the camera.
Lilly noticed Rhodey's look that he gave to everyone sitting behind him.
"Washington DC." It showed three Insight helicarriers, firing on each other, the destroyed Triskelion and a helicarrier crashing into the Potomac and throwing up a massive wave, engulfing citizens and the camera.
Lilly looked away. Steve squeezed her hand.
"Sokovia." Terrified citizens, running, Sokovia in the air and buildings falling and collapsing.
"Lagos." A screen showed the burning, paramedics moving a body and a dead girl.
Lilly nudged Steve and motioned to Wanda. "Okay. That's enough," he said and Secretary nodded. The footage disappeared.
"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," the Secretary said and placed a thick document on the desk.
He slid a document to Wanda. "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," he said and walked around the table. "The Avengers were formed to make the world a safer place. I feel we've done that," Steve said to him. Secretary stopped behind him.
"Tell me, Captain, do you know where Thor and Banner are right now?" Steve looked at Ross. "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." He walked back to the front of the table.
"So, there are contingencies," Rhodey said. "Three days from now, the UN meets in Vienna to ratify the Accords." Steve glanced at Tony.
"Talk it over," Ross said to them. "And if we come to a decision you don't like?" Nat asked him. "Then you retire." Natasha smiled.
"We need to have a serious talk, guys," Lilly said and looked around the room, "no jokes this time."
