❨ 𝑽𝑰𝑹𝑨𝑮𝑶                . . .                  𝑏𝘰𝘰𝑘 𝑖𝑖 ❩
﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌
━━━ 𝙱. 𝙱𝙰𝚁𝙽𝙴𝚂 / ❛ i will 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡,
𝙨𝙝𝙚'𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙡 of 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 ❜

━━━━━━━━━━━━ ∘༄⋅°
𝐎𝐍𝐄,                  𝒔𝒐𝒌𝒐𝒗𝒊𝒂 𝒂𝒄𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒔

𝙲𝙷𝙰𝙿𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝙾𝙽𝙴 !

DIANA AND THE others were crowded around a long table, the Secretary of State standing in front of them. "Oh, 5 years ago, I had a heart attack. I dropped right in the middle of my batting swing," Ross demonstrates him swinging his golf club, Diana rolling her eyes at the table. "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 never taught me: Perspective." Diana looks at Steve, who is resting his head on his forefinger and thumb. Tony is sitting in the corner, shaking his foot. "The world owes the Avengers an unpayable debt. You've. . . fought for us. Protected us. Risked your lives. While a great many people see you as heroes. There are some. . . would prefer the word 'vigilantes.'"

"What word would you use, Mr Secretary?" Natasha asks as she cocks her head to the side.

"How 'bout '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 them? New York. Washington DC. Sokovia. Lagos." The board behind Ross changes as it showcases each and every one of the destructions they've caused as he names them all. Diana sees Wanda placing her head in her hands, remembering her brother's death.

"Alright that is enough," Steve tells Ross as he purses his lips. "For the past 4 years, you 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. The Sokovia accords." Ross throws a packet onto the table, giving out a small bang as it hit the wood. Steve takes it and flips absentmindedly through it, his finger on his lip. "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 deems it necessary," Ross continues.

Diana glares at the packet like it's an enemy, her nostrils flared.

"Something wrong, Diana?" Ross takes a look at Diana. 

Diana shakes her head, "No, Mr Secretary." 

"Hmm, alright," Ross looks at Diana sceptically. Wanda takes a peek at the packet, quickly sliding it to Natasha.

"The Avengers were formed to make the world a safer place. I feel we've did that," Steve says.

"Tell me, captain, do you know where Thor and Banner are right now?" Ross asks. "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." He points to the Sokovia Accords, nodding along to his words.

"So, there are contingencies," Rhodes adds, looking at Ross for approval.

 Ross nods, "Three days from now, the UN meets in Vienna to ratify the Accords." Steve and Diana glance at Tony, who is covering his face with his hand.

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

"Then you retire," Ross walks away, his guard soon following after him.

"I've never retired," Diana whispers, heads turning to her. "Yes, I haven't fought before the Avengers were formed except for World War I. But I always had something to do, a job. I don't think I can go back to civilian life once more."

"Why not?" Wanda asks.

"It reminds me of things I don't want to remember. Fighting always takes my mind off of things. I only think about the fight, not everything else," Diana walks to the living room, sitting on a plush sofa. The others followed her, some sitting, others standing.

Rhodes and Sam were both arguing about the Sokovia Accords. "Secretary Ross has a Congressional Medal of Honor, which is 1 more than you have." Rhodes juts his finger towards Sam. "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 asks Rhodes, shaking his head at the dark-skinned man. "A 117 countries want to sign this. 117, Sam, and you're just like, No, that's cool. We got it," Rhodes retorts, throwing his hands into the air.

"How long are you going to play both sides?" Sam asks, shaking his head. "I have an equation," Vision speaks up.

"Oh, this should clear it up," everybody looks at Vision, waiting for what he has to say.

"In the 8 years since Mr Stark announced himself as Iron Man, the number of noted enhanced persons has grown exponentially. And during the same period, the number of potentially world-ending events has risen at a commissive rate," Vision says, waving his hands as he speaks.

"Are you saying it's our fault?" Steve sits up straighter in his chair. Diana just shakes her head. 

"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 could be dismissed out of hand," Vision replies.

"Boom," Rhodes pumps his fist.

"Tony, you're being unusually quiet," Diana takes note of him.

"That's because he's already made up his mind," Steve says.

 "Boy, you know me so well. Actually, I'm nursing my electromagnetic headache. That's what's going on, Cap. It's just pain... it's discomforting." Tony looks into the sink, obviously seeing something they can't. He sighs, walking to the island. "Who's putting coffee grounds in the disposal? Am I running a bed and breakfast for a biker gang?"

He places his phone inside a fruit basket, a picture of a dark-skinned smiling teenage boy projecting from it. Diana's heart aches, remembering his face. She couldn't get to him in time.

"Oh, that's Charles Spencer by the way. He's a great kid. Computer engineering degree. 3.6 GPA. Had a floor level gig. An Intel plan for the fall. But first, he wanted to put a few miles on his soul. Before he parks it behind the desk. See the world, maybe be of service." Tony purses his lips for a second, shrugging. "Charlie didn't want to go to Vegas which is what I would do. He didn't go to Paris or Amsterdam. Sounds fun. He decided to spend his summer building sustainable housing for the poor. Guess where? 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.

"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, we're boundless, we're no better than the bad guys," he takes the photo down, Diana's head drops as she stares at her folded hands across her lap.

"Just because someone dies on your watch doesn't mean you give up," Steve retorts.

"Who says we're giving up?" Tony asks, sitting down. 

"We are, the documents just shifts the blame." Steve takes a look at the Accords, which rests on the coffee table.

"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 SHIELD, it's not HYDRA," Rhodes shakes his head, looking at Steve with an incredulous look.

"This is run by people with agendas, and agendas change," Diana replies, reaching for the Accords. She reads the countries who signed, her heart dropping more and more with each name. She closes her eyes and sighs, a tear rolling down her cheek.

"Charlie, the building, I was close to him. Real close, not even 20 feet away. But it dropped too fast, I couldn't get to him fast enough," Diana sniffles, "it breaks my heart to see his face again. I could've saved him, but I couldn't. I'm sorry."

"It's alright, Diana," Wanda places a comforting hand on Diana's knee.

"It's good, when I realized what my weapons were capable of in the wrong hands, I stopped manufacturing them."

"Tony," Steve starts. "You chose to do that. If we sign these, we surrender our right to choose. What if this Panel sends us somewhere we don't think we should go? What if it's somewhere we need to go, and they don't let us? We may not be perfect, but the safest hands are still our own." Diana nods.

Tony rolls his eyes, shaking his head. "If we don't do this now, it's going to be done to us later. That's a fact. That won't be pretty."

"So you're saying they'll come for me," Wanda says, nodding and staring at her lap.

"We will protect you," Diana and Vision chorus. Diana gives Wanda a warm, comforting side hug. "I agree with Tony," Natasha pauses, thinking. "If. . . we have one hand on the wheel we'll still be able to steer." Diana looks at Natasha shocked. She never agreed with Tony.

"Aren't you the same woman who told the government to kiss her ass last year?" Sam raises his eyebrow. 

"I'm just. . . monitoring. We have made some public mistakes and we need to regain their trust."

"I'm sorry, did I mishear you, or did you just agree with me?" Tony asks Natasha, pointing at his chest. Natasha shakes her head. "I wanna take it back now." Tony shakes his head, wagging his finger side to side. "No, no, no. You can't retract it. Thank you. I'm impressed by what you did. Okay, case closed. I win."

Steve receives a message on his phone, his heart stopping. 'She's gone. In her sleep.' His worst fear came true, and his first love was gone. "I have to go," he leaves, Diana going to her room.

"DIANA, YOU REMEMBER Peggy, right?" Steve asks the Amazonian as he rounds the corner to her room. "Yeah, why?" She asks, nodding. 

"She passed in her sleep. Will you like to come to the funeral with me and Sam?" He crosses his legs, tapping the tip of his boot on the linoleum floor.

"Sure," she replies. "When is it?"

"Tuesday of next week, London." He locks eyes with her. His eyes hold an expression she has had once and seen many times; the eyes of a heartbroken person.

She crosses the room and wraps her arms around Steve. "Hey, it's alright. I understand how you feel." He returns the hug with an equally tight embrace. "Do you?" She nods, thinking of Steve Trevor and Antiope. "Who was it?" Steve takes a step back, holding Diana an arm's length away.

"My aunt Antiope and..." she gulps, tears threatening to spill.

"Diana -" Steve shakes his head. 

"No, no it's okay. His name was Steve Trevor. He had blond hair, blue eyes, you both could be brothers. He was nice, kind. He taught me how a regular person acts, taught me what to wear, and how to be normal. He was taken from me during the first World War."

"How did he die?"

"There was a plane filled with mustard gas bombs in a German base. He needed to get it away from them, so he started to fly it away. He soon realized that they would find it, so he took out his gun and shot the bombs." Diana swallows, trying to get the growing bump in her throat out.

"I'm sorry."

 "It's alright. It isn't your fault," Diana replies. "You need to check up on Wanda. After everything that happened in Lagos."

Steve nods once, walking out before giving a saddened Diana a sympathetic look which she returns. "Go," she mouths to him. He turns and walks away, Diana going back to watching the news.

STEVE SAW THE news playing Wanda's tv, grabs her remote and turns it off. "Turn it back on, they were being really specific," Wanda pinches her bottom lip between her fingers.

"You don't need any more of that talk anymore," Steve walks to the centre of her room, "you did the best you could. You're still new to all of this, you need more training." 

"What training?" She shrugs, dropping her hand. "I'm going against the Accords, so...so there's no reason for me to train anymore. I'm just going to be as normal as I can be. It's all my fault."

"It's not only your fault. He mentioned Bucky, and," he sighs, "and I couldn't see the bomb strapped to him. I became blind."

"This Bucky, who is he?" Wanda asks.

"He's my best friend, but HYDRA got to him and brainwashed him. They replaced his whole left arm with a metal one, made him into something he isn't. They made him kill others against his will." Steve rubs a hand on the back of his neck, taking a deep breath.

"And I used to work for HYDRA. And I thought they were the good guys. I'm sorry," Wanda apologizes, looking at Steve with sorrow.

"Tony isn't going to let this go. He wants everybody on board with the Accords," Steve rolls his eyes.

"What did Diana say?" Wanda asks.

 "Hmm?" Steve hums, eyebrows knitting together in confusion.

 "About the Accords. What did she say?" Wanda clarified. 

"She didn't say anything about it. I think she's either trying to decide on it or trying to avoid it." Steve says. "I gotta go. Have to pack for a flight."

Wanda nods, reading his mind on the matter. She didn't need it to be clarified as he did. "Alright."