𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐋𝐘━︎━︎T. Stark ✓︎

𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐫

CHAPTER FOUR:
MAYBE TONY'S RIGHT

THEY ALL SAT THERE, STEVE holding the Sokovia Accords in his hands as he read over them. Rhodey and Sam were arguing behind of the chair Steve was sitting in. Victoria sat beside Tony on the couch, the latter holding a hand over his face as he closed his eyes. Victoria massaged his neck in hopes of helping the headache she knew he was feeling. Natasha was sitting on the other couch, and Wanda and Vision were placed in the other two chairs across from Steve.

"Secretary Ross has a Congressional Medal of Honor, which is one more than you have." Rhodey 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?" Sam shot back, his arms crossed over his chest. Victoria watched as Tony opened his eyes just to roll them, shaking his head slightly before closing them again.

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

"How long are you going to play both sides?" Sam looked at the man, his eyes narrowing.

"I have an equation." Vision spoke up, making them both turn to look at him.

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

"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 explained to the group.

"Are you saying it's our fault?" Steve asked, glancing at the android before turning the page in the accords.

"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." Rhodes said, earning an eye roll from Sam.

Natasha finally spoke up, her eyes on the quiet couple that usually had something to say about situations like this. "Tony. You are being uncharacteristically non-hyper-verbal."

"It's because he's already made up his mind." Steve said, a bitter under tone.

"Boy, you know me so well." Tony snapped at him. Standing up and making Victoria's hand fall from his neck. She frowned as she watched him wince before walking over to the kitchen. "Actually, I'm nursing an electromagnetic headache." He grabbed a cup from the cupboard. "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?" He looked at away from the sink before looking at the group of avengers and then pouring himself a cup of coffee whilst also placing a device on a table that showed a hologram of a young boy. He pretends not to notice before pointing at it and saying, "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."

The group, especially Wanda, looked down at his words. Victoria bit the inside of her cheek as she waited to see where it was Tony was going with this. "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 takes medication before continuing. "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 calmly spoke, looking up at him.

"Who said we're giving up?"

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

"I'm sorry. Steve. That―︎that is dangerously arrogant." Rhodey spoke up. "This is the United Nations we're talking about. It's 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."

"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 stop manufacturing." Tony told him, walking to stand right beside of Steve's chair as he talked directly to him.

"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." Steve quickly defends.

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

"You're saying they'll come after me." Wanda said with a frown. Victoria frowned at the teenaged girl, knowing that she would do anything to protect her.

"We would protect you." Vision assured her.

"Maybe Tony's right." Natasha finally said. Tony looked at her surprised, so did everyone else. Natasha Romanoff agreeing with the Tony Stark? That was unheard of. "If we have one hand on the wheel, we can still steer. If we take it off -"

"Aren't you the same woman who told the government to kiss her ass a few years ago?" Sam cut her off, disbelief clear in his voice.

"I'm just . . . I'm reading the terrain. We have made . . . some very public mistakes. We need to win their trust back." Natasha told them, making her case. Victoria couldn't help but nod her head in agreement.

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

"Oh, I wanna take it back now." Natasha said, lightly shaking her head.

"No, no, no. You can't retract it. Thank you. Unprecedented. Okay, case closed―︎I win."

Suddenly Steve looks at his phone, and Victoria watches his facial expression change entirely. He placed the accords on the table before standing up. "I have to go." With that, he left the room.

"Vic?" Tony asked, wanting to know her opinion. And honestly, she wasn't quite sure. So instead of answering, she stood up and walked out of the room after Steve only to find him crying on the staircase. Almost immediately she understood. Victoria pulled the man in for a hug before softly saying, "I'm so sorry, Steve." And they stood there for a minute in a silence, Steve thinking about the death of his old time lover, and Victoria thinking about what the right decision was.