Hold On Soldier ✔️ | marvel

75. Accords

When Ross leaves I'm pacing while everyone could watch me. Steve is sitting, studying the Accords. I'm itching my arms and each step created a thin layer of ice. Slippery footprints were all over the room but I was too anxious to prevent them.

"Secretary Ross has a Congressional Medal of Honor, which is one more than you have." Rhodey was saying as I left a long scratch from the itching.

Sam argued, "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?"

"A 117 countries want to sign this. 117, Sam, and you're just like, "No, that's cool. We got it."" Rhodey snapped.

"How long are you going to play both sides?" Sam clicked his tongue in anger.

"He's just trying to view our options." I murmur but Sam gives me a look.

Vision interrupted, "I have an equation."

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

"In the eight 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 calculated.

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

"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 explained.

Rhodey commented confidently, "Boom."

"Let's not make anyone mad." I politely remind, tired of the bickering.

There's a pause where we avert our attention to Tony who has a strained hand over his face, "Tony. You are being uncharacteristically non-hyper-verbal." Nat notices.

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

"Boy, you know me so well." Tony sounds tired as he replies, standing to his feet, "Actually, I'm nursing an electromagnetic headache."

When he grabs a mug I ask quietly, "Because of everything that's happening?"

"That's what's going on. 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 rants making me stiffen. I've never seen him this expressive. He lays his device in a basket turning on a projection picture of a bright smiles young man.

"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."

My heart sinks as he continues, "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 sips his coffee after emphasizing ass, "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 advices.

"Who said we're giving up?" Tony raises an eyebrow defensively.

"We'd be giving a lot of our freedom up." I remind crossing my arm and hugging my arm against the bloody scratch.

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

Rhodey gets pissy, "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 S.H.I.E.L.D, it's not Hydra."

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

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

Steve made this accessible to his point, "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 is somewhere we need to go, and they don't let us? We may not be perfect, but the safest hands are still our own."

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

"You're saying they'll come for me." A strain pulled at Wanda's voice and I winced.

Vision side commented, "We would protect you."

"Maybe Tony's right." Nat surprised us with, "If we have one hand on the wheel, we can still steer. If we take it off.."

Sam called out, "Aren't you the same woman who told the government to kiss her ass a few years ago?"

"I'm just . . . I'm reading the terrain. We have made . . . some very public mistakes. We need to win their trust back." Nat told.

"They should trust in us because the villains are the ones at fault." I argue.

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

"Oh, I want to take it back now." Sitting straight up Nat joked.

"No, no, no. You can't retract it. Thank you. Unprecedented. Okay, case closed--I win." Tony rejoiced sarcastically.

Steve's phone buzzes, and he pulls it out to check it. After a moment his features slump and his words are brief, "I have to go."

Steve gets up sharply and drops the Accords on the coffee table, "I'll go see what's up..." I say before I follow him downstairs. He stops at the bottom of the stairs, leans against the banister, and bows his head.