Iron Boy [Peter Parker x Male Reader]

Chapter Twenty Two

When we made it back to the base it was late, we all immediately went to bed, and woke up the next day refreshed. The first thing I did was go to Wanda's room.
I saw her sitting on her bed, staring at her tv. It was playing a news station, covering the events of yesterday's incident.
I walked up to her and sat down on the bed next to her.
I wrapped an arm around her.
The news continued to talk about the injured and fatalities that occurred during our fight with the mercenaries.
The Wakandan king appeared and began to make his statement.
"A victory won at the expense of innocents...is no victory at all."
He continued to speak about the incident.
When it switched back to the news anchor, he began to speak specifically about Wanda and her out of control abilities.
I sat there hugging Wanda, when the tv clicked off. I turned to see Steve standing in the doorway.
"It's my fault," she said.
"No, it's not," Steve said.
"Then turn the tv back on. They're being very specific."
"I should've clocked that bomb vest long before you had to deal with it...Rumlow said Bucky, and all of a sudden I was a sixteen year old kid again, in Brooklyn. And people died." he sat down on the bed. "It's on me."
"It's on both of us," she said.
"All of us," I said.
"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...then next time, maybe nobody gets saved."
Wanda nodded, as did I.
At the sound of a whoosh, I turned my head to see Vision walk through the wall.
"Vis, we talked about this..." Wanda said.
"Yes, but the door was opened," he gestured to the door. "So I assumed that..." his arm fell as he trailed off. "Captain Rogers wished to know when Mr. Stark was arriving."
"That's right. Thank you, we'll be down." Steve said.
I nodded towards the door, so he knew which way to go.
"I'll...use the door," Vision said, walking towards the door, he stopped just before leaving. "Oh, and apparently, he's brought a guest."
"We know who it is?" Steve said at the same time I said, "Who?"
Vision took a deep breath.
"The Secretary of State," Vis said before walking out of the room.
Steve looked over to me and Wanda, meeting our eyes.
Fifteen minutes later, Steve, Nat, Wanda, Tony, Rhodey, Sam, Vision, and I were all sitting around a table, Secretary Ross standing at the head of the table.
"Five years ago, I had a heart attack... and dropped, right in the middle of my back swing," he raised his arms. "Turned out it was the best round of my life, because after 13 hours of surgery, and triple bypass...I found something 40 years in the army had never taught me...Perspective."
He paused to look at all of us.
"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."
"And what word would you use, Mr. Secretary?" Natasha asked.
"How about 'dangerous'?" he said.
I saw Wanda's hand fall.
"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, seemed unconcerned about what they leave behind?"
"Normal," I mumbled.
Tony quickly glared at me, although no one else heard. I looked away.
Ross stepped to the side and a video played behind him.
"New York."
It showed a video of the Chitauri attacking the city, and several clips of the Avengers leaving destruction in their wake.
"Washington D.C."
It showed the Shield Helicarrier crashing into the city.
"Sokovia."
It showed a clip of Novi Grad being lifted out of the ground and buildings simply slipping off the floating island and crashing onto other parts of the country.
"Lagos."
It showed the building on fire and people being rushed out of the building on stretchers. Even a clip of a dead woman, I saw Wanda take a deep breath and look away.
"Okay. That's enough," Steve said.
"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," A man next to him handed Ross a small, thick book.
"The Sokovia Accords."
He slid the book across the table to Wanda, who began to skim the pages.
"Approved by 117 countries," Wanda slid it across the table to Rhodey. "It states that the Avengers, shall no longer be a private organisation. Instead, they'll operate under the supervision, of the United Nations panel, only when and if that panel deems it necessary."
"The Avengers were formed to make the world a safer place," Steve started.
The book was slid in front of me and I began to flip through the pages, taking pictures with my glasses to review later.
"I feel we've done that," Steve said.
"Tell me, Captain. Do you know where Thor and Banner are right now?"
Steve met his 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. People already think we're irresponsible enough letting a kid fly around in a nuclear-powered weapon," he said, gesturing to me.
Rhodey mockingly raised his hand.
"So, there are contingencies."
"Three days from now, the UN meets in Vienna, to ratify the accords."
I watched as Steve turned to look to Tony, who was looking at the ground, but glanced up to meet his eyes.
"Talk it over," Ross said.
He began to leave.
"And if we come to a decision you don't like?" Nat asked.
He stopped to look at her.
"Then you retire."
She smirked and nodded once.
Once Ross left, we all stayed in silence for a few moments. Until arguing and debate began to spark up.
"Secretary Ross has a Congressional Medal of Honour, which is one more than you have," Rhodey said to Sam.
I saw Tony with his hand covering his face, he looked tired and annoyed, and was unusually quiet.
"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 said.
"117 countries want to sign this. 117, Sam, and you're just like, 'No, that's cool. We got it.'"
"How long are you gonna play both sides?" Sam said.
"I have an equation," Vis said setting down a chess piece and sitting up.
"Oh, this will clear it up," Sam said sarcastically.
"In the eight years since Mr. Stark announced himself as Iron Man, the number of known enhanced persons, has grown exponentially. During the same period, the number of potentially, world-ending events at a commensurate rate."
"Are you saying it's our fault?" Steve 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."
"Boom," Rhodey said.
"Tony," Nat said, causing my father to drop
his hand. "You're being uncharacteristically non-hyperverbal."
"It's because he's already made up his mind," Steve said.
"Boy, you know me so well," Tony said rolling his eyes and getting up. "Actually, I'm nursing an electromagnetic headache. That's what's going on, Cap. It's just pain. It's discomfort." he grabbed a mug and reached into the sink. "Who's putting coffee grounds in the disposal? Am I running a bed and breakfast for a biker gang?"
He fished out his phone and brought out a holographic image of a dark skinned boy.
He paused for a moment.
"Oh, that's Charles Spencer, by the way. He's a great kid. Computer engineering degree, 3.6 GPA," I scoffed at that. "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," he said sharply. "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 took a sip of his coffee. Everyone looked to the floor or made a face of regret. "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."
"Tony, someone dies on your watch, you don't give up," Steve said.
      "Who said we're giving up?"
      "We are if we're not taking responsibility for our actions. This document just shifts the blame."
      "He's right," I said.
      Tony met my eyes, then looked to Rhodey as he spoke.
      "I'm sorry, Steve. That is dangerously arrogant. This is the United Nations we're talking about. Not the World Security Council. It's not Shield it's not Hydra."
      "No, but it's run by people with agendas, and agendas change," Steve said.
      "That's good. That's why I'm here. When I realised what my weapons were capable of in the wrong hands, I shut it down and stopped manufacturing," my father said.
      "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 wanna go? What if they won't sent us somewhere we're needed? We may not be perfect, but the safest hands are still our own."
      "If we don't do this now, it's gonna be done to us later. That's the fact. That's not pretty."
      "You're saying they'd come for me?" Wanda asked.
      "We would protect you," Vis said.
      "We wouldn't let that happen," I said.
      "Maybe Tony's right, if we have one hand on the wheel we can still steer. If we take it off..." Nat said.
      "Aren't you the same woman who told the government to kiss her ass a few years ago?" Sam said.
      "I'm just...reading the terrain. We have made some very public mistakes. We need to win their trust back."
      "Focus up. I'm sorry. Did I just mishear you...or did you agree with me?" Tony said.
      "Oh, I wanna take it back now," Nat said, causing me to smile.
      "No, no, you can't retract it," Tony said shaking a finger. "Thank you, unprecedented."
      I saw Steve look solemnly at his phone, "I have to go." he said standing up and leaving the room.
      After a minute more or so of debating, I followed after him. I found him in the stairway, his eyes slightly teary.
      "What's going on?" I asked quietly.
      He looked over to me.
      "She's gone. Peggy. She died."
      I immediately wrapped my arms around his neck and brought him into a hug.
      "I'm so sorry..." I mumbled.
     He nodded.
     I stayed there a little longer, reassuring him.