The Secretary of State, Thaddeus Ross, is a finely dressed man with grey hair. He is waiting for us in the conference room. We all took our seats. I sat beside Wanda, smiling back at her.

Dad said we could listen if we wanted to, but to make sure we don't say anything stupid. Sure. I sit back as the man begins on a long tangent. I don't bother to listen to that.

"Five years ago, I had a heart attack. I dropped right in the middle of my backswing." I chew on my gum, trying to remain patient.

"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 unplayable 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.'"

I reflect on the word vigilante. Spider-Man is a vigilante. I'm a vigilante, too. I took the law into my own hands and stopped those bad guys. That's what the Avengers do, but who can blame them? The world needs them, because who is gonna stop the bad things from happening?

"And what word would you use, Mr. Secretary?" Natasha asks Ross.

"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?" Ross replies.

He turns on a screen behind him. There's footage of past missions displayed on the screen.

"New York."

You can see a Chitauri leviathan flying overhead. People are screaming. A soldier is firing a gun and the Hulk smashes into a building, sending a dust cloud to engulf a camera. It's utter chaos. Even if I didn't cause this, I feel horrible.

"Washington D.C."

There are three helicarriers firing on each other. The Triskelion is destroyed. A helicarrier is crashing into a river, the water engulfing citizens and the camera recording it. There is tension building in the room.

"Sokovia."

Terrified civilians are running around. The city is rising by the minute. A building falls over. I can see Lex look away. I know Tony feels guilty for everything.

"Lagos."

A fire rages on in a tall building. Paramedics are moving a body. A young girl lays lifeless on the ground. Wanda's hand finds mine. I squeeze it. She looks down in shame.

"Okay. That's enough." Steve says, intervening. The images disappear. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.

"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." Ross slides a thick booklet to Wanda and me. I look at the cover.

"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 seems it necessary." I look at the Secretary thoughtfully.

"The Avengers were formed to make the world a safer place. I feel we've done that." Steve responds. I agree with him. Sadly, it was at the cost of innocent lives.

"Tell me, Captain, do you know where Thor and Banner are right now?" I haven't seen my favorite uncles Point Break and Green Giant in forever. I hoped they were okay. I hadn't seen them since Sokovia. I know Thor could handle himself, the same with Bruce.

"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."

"So there are contingencies." Rhodey says.

"Three days from now, the UN meets in Vienna to ratify the Accords." I see Steve glance at Tony.

"Talk it over." Ross says.

"And if we come to a decision you don't like?" Nat asks.

"Then you retire."
———
I sit on a couch, watching the argument about the Accords unfold. Tony doesn't say anything.

Rhodey and Sam are facing off in a heated debate. "Secretary Ross has a Congressional Medal of Honor, which is one more than you have." Rhodey yells.

Sam refutes him and they are back at it. Vision intervenes. "I have an equation."

He begins to explain his idea. I drift off into my own mind. I know I didn't have a vote in this, since I wasn't an Avenger, but I felt like I would say no. What if the Avengers needed to stop a threat, but the Accords wouldn't allow them to go and stop it?

Tony begins to talk about a boy named Charlie Spencer. He had his whole life ahead of him. Good grades and a computer engineering degree. He wanted to see the world and build sustainable housing for the poor in Sokovia.

"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."

I stayed silent, looking down. I laid back on the couch, feeling my head pounding.

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

"I know I probably don't have a say in all of this..." I interrupt.

"And you don't." Tony replies.

"I'm just saying, maybe this Accords thing is a bad idea." Everyone looks at me as if I just grown an extra head.

"Okay. There's no decision-making process here. We need to be put in check." Tony argues, feeding the fire.

I groaned slightly. I didn't like people fighting over little things. Guess that makes me a hypocrite. I got up and walked out of the room.
I decided to call Peter and find out what he was doing.

"Hey there, Nic! What's up?" He sounds breathless and tired.

"Hey, Parker." I can hear the wind in the background. "Um...what are you doing?"

"Oh, I'm just taking a jog. Yeah, that's it. And...OH SHIT!" hear Peter yell.

"What happened?! Are you okay?" I ask.

"Heh, I just tripped over my shoe lace." He says. I can hear a commotion in the background. Then, someone is shouting.

"Gotta call you back, Cole. There's just something I gotta do." Peter says.

"Wait!" Then, the call is ended. It was only about a 40 second conversation. Peter has been off lately. He always runs to the danger.

I lean on the railing, reminiscing my life. I hear the door opening behind me. Steve walks out. I turn to face him. He looks at me sadly.

"Oh, Steve, what happened? Is something wrong?" I ask, walking up to my friend.

The man sighs and looks down. "Peggy is gone. She went in her sleep."

I shudder. I hug Steve tightly. "You don't deserve this. I'm so sorry, Steve."

He hugs me back, and then pulls away. He gives me a sad smile. "I wished I was with her. Holding her hand, till the end of the line."

His blue eyes are teary and clouded with emotion. I try to gather my thoughts. "Stay strong for her."

"I know, kid. I'll see you later." Steve says. He walks away, leaving me alone in the hallway.

I sigh. My life is really chaotic right now. Today, I punched Sarah, got myself suspended, finally confessed my feelings for Peter Parker, and my anxiety is bubbling up. I have major issues. What a fucking roller coaster.

I walk back into the lounge. Everyone is still talking about the Accords. End me now.

"Can we go home, like now? I'm bored out of my mind." I groan, resting my head on Tony's shoulder.

"We just got here. You really want to leave us so soon?" Nat pouts. I roll my eyes at my favorite auntie.

"Yes. You guys are so annoying. But really, this grown-up talk is making me tired. Just get it over with." I say, not really paying attention to anything going around me.

"I'm gonna wait in the car." I said to my dad. I walked out of the facility to where the car was at, but I saw nothing. Maybe Dad parked it somewhere else.

I turned around to walk back to the facility, but all I could see was ruins. The sky was a dark black. Smoke and dust filled the air. It was destruction.

The Avengers facility was nothing more than rocks and rubble. Everything was destroyed. I walked through the ruin, looking at the desolate view around me. What the hell?

"Dad? Lex? Hello!" I yelled loudly, trying to find a survivor in this catastrophe. I was somehow still calm, but panic was rising through me. Is this some kind of vision? What the hell is this place...

"Is anyone here?! It's me, Nic!" My voice echoed in the silence. Nothing...no one was here.

I've always been here.

I jerk my head and look around. The voice had a malicious tone to it.

In your head. All this time.

I tried to find the voice, but I couldn't find it. I walked about, looking through the rubble for something or someone. "Who was that?! Show yourself now!"

No one can stop the war.

I saw someone laying against the rubble. Tony's eyes are glassy, his body unmoving. There's blood on his face. I kneel beside him and shake his body.

"Dad? Please wake up." I say, not wanting to believe he is dead. He doesn't answer.

"I'm sorry, Dad. For everything." I try and swallow a lump in my throat. Tears prickle in my eyes. I choke out a sob. "Dad..."

I see blood dripping on to my dad's suit. I wipe my eyes, and find that my tears are blood. Snap out of it. Get out of this. This isn't real.

I feel my dad's hand grab me. I can't get out of his grasp. Get out of my head. I scream as Dad's other hand grips my other wrist.

"Let go of me!" I say, trying to wrench myself from Tony's grasp. Dad's body is laying still, but I can still feel his hands hurting mine. "You're hurting me!"

Nothing is working. I'm trying to snap out of it, but I'm still trapped in my mind.

I hear muffled voices. "She's stuck in that place. I can't get to her." It's Lex's voice.

"Lex! Help me, please!" I scream, my voice echoing in the vast wasteland. "I don't know what to do!"

"Breathe, kid! It's just Dad. Just try and wake up." I close my eyes shut, trying to ignore the sight in front of me.

"Come on, Nic. Follow my voice." I focus on Lex's voice and then I feel myself returning to reality.

"Nic. It's me. You're okay." I open my eyes, wincing at the bright light. Dad is kneeling in front of me. His eyes are filled with concern and worry. I can't help but cry when I see his sad face.

"Dad. You're alive." I whisper. He looks at me, puzzled at my words. I hug him tightly, sobbing into his chest. He embraces me. His warmth comforts me.

"Are you okay, kid?" Tony asks. I shake my head, still holding on to him as if he would disappear. I continue to cry into his chest.

I break away from the hug. "Talk to me, kid. I can't help you if I don't know what's going on."

I get up from the ground and look around. Everything looks normal. Lex, Rose and Zel look at me worriedly. "It's just stress. Life is just throwing another one of its curveballs at me. I'm alright. No need to worry." I say. It's obvious that I'm lying.

No one says anything as we walk to the car. I know my answer doesn't satisfy my dad and sisters, but I don't want to worry anyone too much.

I get in the car, leaning my head on the window. Tony is alive. The Avengers facility is okay. It was nothing. You're okay.

But am I?

I'm still shaken up by that vision—whatever the hell it was... I grab Lex's hand, just to know that she is real. She smiles back at me, and I feel safe.

I can still hear the voice in the back of my head telling me that it's real. Can I see the future? Maybe if it really does happen, I can try and stop it.

You can't.

I rub my wrists. They actually hurt from fake Tony grabbing me. I need to know what's going on in my mind.

Am I going insane? I mean, Dad has panic attacks too. Apparently it was from the Battle of New York.

How am I getting them? I haven't experienced anything traumatic in my life. I have my strange powers which I just discovered like two days ago, but that couldn't be it, could it?

And who is the voice talking to me in that vision? I can't place my finger on it. It said it was always in my head.

And the war. What war is it talking about? No matter...I will never let anything happen to my dad.

I would die before I see it happen. Whatever it takes.

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Okay, I think we all know what's going on here. I know it feels so fast but I'm trying to time it well. Also, sorry if this chapter seems awfully short! I'm going to make it up to everyone soon! Feel free to leave comments on anything you like, or leave a vote if you want. Thanks for almost 200 reads!

sspiderling 🕷