REAPINGS

3

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

Rhodes and Sam continued to argue, Steve struggling to block them out as he read his book.

Wanda sent a worried glance to Natasha from where she sat by Vision, the Romanoff merely shrugging as she continued to run her hands through Elina's hair.

Both Tony and the Cartwell girl had their hands over their heads, the tension in the room weighing heavy on them. Tony was laying on the couch, one hand over his face, while Elina sat in the floor with her head pressed to her forearms.

"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 shouted back at Rhodey.

"One hundred-seventeen countries want to sign this. One hundred-seventeen, Sam. And you're just like, 'No that's cool. We got it.'"

"How long are you going to play both sides?"

"I have an equation."

At the sound of Vision's voice Elina looked up, resting the back of her head on Natasha's shins.

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

"Don't," Elina glared at her friend. The archer always seemed to have a soft spot for Vision and Wanda, always quick to defend the two.

"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."

Everyone was quiet for a moment as they processed what Vision had said.

"Are you saying it's our fault?" Steve tried to hold back the anger in his tone.

"I'm saying there may be a causality. Our very strength invites challenge. Challenge incites conflict."

Natasha could feel Elina tense at Vision's words, leaning forward to kiss the girl's temple.

"And conflict breeds catastrophe. Oversight," he sighed quietly. "Oversight is not an idea that can be dismissed out of hand."

"Boom," Rhodes grinned at Sam.

"Rhodey, I love you, but I'm about to punch you in the face," Elina gave a tired smile to the man.

"Tony," Natasha spoke up. "You are being uncharacteristically non-hyper-verbal."

"It's because he's already made up his mind," Steve shared a look with Elina.

"Boy, you know me so well. Did you notice Elina's been deathly silent as well?" Tony asked as he stood from the couch. "No? Well what does that tell you about her?"

At that everyone seemed to understand what the Stark was insinuating. Whenever Elina had an opinion she would never hold back from voicing it, but the sudden quietness she had seemed to tell the others she was still deciding.

"I'm actually nursing an electromagnetic headache," Tony said as he grabbed a coffee mug from the cabinet. "That's what's going on, Cap. It's just pain. It's discomfort," he looked at the sink. "Who's putting coffee grounds in the disposal? Am I running a bed and breakfast for a biker gang?"

Tony scoffed, turning to set something down on the counter as he made his coffee. The object projected an image of a young man, Elina furrowing her eyebrows at the picture.

"Oh, that's Charles Spencer, by the way. He's a great kid. Computer engineering degree, three point six 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."

Elina's head went back in her hands as Tony started speaking, knowing exactly where he was taking the conversation.

"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."

"I can't," Elina mumbled to Natasha softly as she stood. "I'm sorry, I need to think."

Everyone watched as Elina left the room hurriedly, her heels clicking as she went. Sam almost wanted to go after his friend, but he knew the girl needed a chance to collect her thoughts.

Elina paced the room quietly, her fingers threaded through her hair as she took deep breaths.

Falling back onto the bed, she let out a huff of air as her eyes trained in on the ceiling.

"Where's your head at?" Natasha's soft voice came from the door.

"I know what I want to do."

"But?"

"But I know what the people I care about are going to do." Elina sat up on her elbows as Nat sat beside her.

"I hate to say it, but I'm with Tony on this one."

"I go where you go." Elina whispered as she laced her fingers with Natasha's. "You know that, but Wanda and Sam and Steve-"

The brunette cut herself off as she fell back onto the bed once again.

"You're acting like it's going to end in a fight," Natasha mumbled uneasily.

"Do you know who these people are?" Elina asked solemnly. "It always ends in a fight."