𝘈𝘯𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘢'𝘴 𝘗𝘖𝘝

"There was twenty eight of us in total" I declare.

"Twenty eight girls?" Dr Raynor asks.

"No, not girls. We were hardly human after they were done with us" I correct.

"Then what were you, Anastasia?" The Dr inquires.

"Weapons of mass destruction. Merciless killers. Machines that were trained to follow orders, to fulfil their every wish and need" I answer truthfully.

"Is that still how you feel about yourself?" She asks me curiously and I lean back on the sofa, looking at my lap.

"Anastasia" She presses when I don't answer her.

"Sometimes" I answer finally.

"Sometimes?" She questions.

"I know the conditioning that I was trained into has worn off and I have all of my memories back, which is weirdly comforting" I explain.

"But?" She adds.

"But there are times where I remember their faces...How they screamed and begged for mercy, but I didn't listen" I continue, staring off in a daze "I've killed so many people, Doc. Women, men...children"

"How does that make you feel, Anastasia?" Dr Raynor asks.

"Terrible" I answer her truthfully "I feel so fucking guilty"

"That's a good thing. This feeling of guilt shows us that you care. It shows us that you feel remorse. That you can be helped" The Dr assures me and I nod in response.

"Now, tell me about the other girls in the Red Room. Where all twenty eight of you as close as you are with Natasha?" She asks.

"No. We were taught from a young age that every single one of us was replaceable. There wasn't a point to making friends because there's no way to be sure that they wouldn't be taken away. Only one in twenty girls actually made it through the training to become widows" I inform the woman.

"Then how is it that you and Natasha made a connection?" Raynor inquires curiously.

"When I was six years old there was a scrimmage of sorts" I drawl off.

"A scrimmage?" She frowns in confusion.

"It was a contest of skills and strength. We were pitted against each other" I elaborate "It happened often but this time was different"

"How so?" Dr Raynor pries.

"Dreykov joined Madame B in overseeing this particular training session. We all knew something was up but none of us showed any sign that we knew" I explain "The next day, I was taken away"

"Where were you taken, Anastasia?" She asks.

"To Ohio. It was a deep undercover mission where two other girls and I would play the children of a man and woman who worked for the Red Room. Natasha was eight, I was six and Yelena was three" I reply, picking at a loose thread on my ripped jeans "We were there for three years, and it was nice to pretend I was normal for a little while. Yelena, Natasha and I became extremely close and started to call each other 'sister'. Natasha and I knew that one day we'd have to go back but Yelena was so innocent, she was so young"

"What happened when your time in Ohio was up?" Dr wonders aloud.

"We were taken back to the Red Room. Natasha was very protective over Yelena and I, putting in extra work to make sure we wouldn't mess up and get taken away from her. I owe my life to Natasha, that's why we're close" I finish.

"The last time you seen Natasha before 2008 was before you were sent to HYDRA, am I correct?" Dr Raynor states.

"You are correct. Natasha was being sent to the KGB but they didn't want us to stay together so they sent me to HYDRA, Yelena hadn't finished her training yet" I respond, glancing up at the clock.

"Okay, you've made some great progress today, Anastasia. I'll see you next week" Dr Raynor announces and I give her a tight lipped smile.

"Next week, Doc" I reply before exiting the room.

I head outside to see Natasha waiting for me in the car so I climb in, slamming the door closed.

"How'd it go?" Natasha asks as we drive towards the Avengers Compound.

"As good as dragging up the past can go, I guess" I shrug.

"You got something on your mind, маленький?" She then asks.
(little one)

"Do you ever think about her?" I wonder aloud.

"Who?" Natasha asks in confusion.

"Yelena" I answer and my sister frowns.

"I think about her all the time" Natasha answers after a couple minutes.

"Do you think she's happy?" I ask.

"I hope so. She's probably out there with her own little life. Maybe a job, or school even. Possibly a boyfriend" My older sister assures me.

"I miss her" I frown sadly.

"I know, Ana. So do I" Natasha sighs.

‎✪ ‎✪‎ ✪

I sit at the table in the meeting room between Steve and Natasha, Secretary Ross looking around at every Avenger in the room before letting out a sigh.

"Five years ago I had a heart attack and dropped right in the middle of my backswing. 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" Secretary Ross starts to rant "The world owes the Avengers an unpayable 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'"

"What word would you use, Mr Secretary?" Natasha asks curiously.

"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?" The man asks rhetorically.

He then takes a step to the side so we can all see the screen behind him.

"New York" He says before a video plays of the alien invasion of 2012 that Loki caused.

Rhodey looks back at Natasha, Steve and I, the other two keep stoney expressions while I frown deeply.

"Washington, D.C" Secretary Ross declares as the 2014 mess made by HYDRA and S.H.I.E.L.D plays.

My heart aches as I watch the tape of the carriers falling apart knowing what was happening on one of them between Steve, James and I. I glance back at Steve sadly and he discreetly takes my hand under the table, rubbing his thumb over my knuckles in a calming gesture.

"Sokovia" He then states and I look to Wanda in concern, knowing that she lost her brother that day.

"Lagos" The older man says and a video plays of the aftermath of our last mission.

Wanda lets out a shaky breath and looks away from the screen, making me angry at the man for upsetting the young girl who I know blames herself for the incident.

"Okay. That's enough" Steve declares.

"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" Secretary Ross explains, passing a book like stack of papers to Wanda who looks at it before sliding it to Rhodey "The Sokovia Accords. Approved by 117 countries, it states that the Avengers shall no longer be a private organisation. Instead they'll operate under the supervision of a United Nations panel only when and if that panel deems it necessary"

"The Avengers were formed to make the world a safer place. I feel we've done that" Steve tells the man.

"Tell me, Captain, do you know where Thor and Banner are right now?" Ross asks and when Steve doesn't reply he continues "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" The man adds.

"So, there are contingencies" Rhodey says, placing his hand on the accords.

"Three days from now, the UN meets in Vienna to ratify the Accords" Ross announces "Talk it over"

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

"Then you retire" Ross answers sternly.

Secretary Ross leaves and we all get up, moving to the lounge area. Steve sits quietly reading the Sokovia Accords, Tony lays down on one of the sofas with a hand on his face in annoyance as Sam and Rhodey bicker, Vision and Wanda sit peacefully on another sofa while I sit in between my sister and Tony listening carefully.

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

"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 declares.

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

"How long are you going to play both sides?" Sam retorts.

"I have an equation" Vision announces.

"Oh, this will clear it up" Sam says sarcastically.

"In the eight years since Mr Stark announced himself as Iron Man the number of known enhanced persons has grown exponentially. During the same period, the number of potentially world ending events has risen at a commensurate rate" Vision explains intelligently.

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

"I'm saying there may be a causality" Vision corrects "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" Rhodey mutters.

"Tony" Natasha speaks up "You are being uncharacteristically non-hyperverbal"

"It's because he's already made up his mind" Steve states and I look at the dark haired man in confusion.

"Boy, you know me so well" Tony replies, sitting up "Actually, I'm nursing an electromagnetic headache. That's what's going on, Cap. It's just pain. It's discomfort"

Tony walks over to the kitchen and I sigh, using the space on the sofa to stretch my legs and lay my head in my sister's lap. Natasha gently plays with my hair, something she knows relaxes me and god knows I need it after my therapy session this morning.

"Who's putting coffee grounds in the disposal?" Tony asks in frustration and I turn to look at Wanda but she gives me a warning look, making me grin as I turn back to Tony. "Am I running a bed and breakfast for a biker gang?"

The Stark man displays a picture of a young man smiling widely at the camera and I frown in confusion.

"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" Tony rants to us "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 eyes widen and I look up to Natasha in shock but she just strokes my hair, sending me a reassuring smile.

"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" Tony adds "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 argues.

"Who said were giving up?" Tony retorts.

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

"I'm sorry, Steve. 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" Rhodey tells the blonde.

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

"That's good. That's why I'm here. When I realised what my weapons were capable of in the wrong hands I shut it down and stopped manufacturing" Tony says, walking back over to us.

"Tony, you chose to do that. If we sign this, we surrender our right to choose" Steve retorts.

"Not HYDRA my ass" I grumble and Natasha tugs on my hair, warning me to not get involved.

"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?" Steve asks "We may not be perfect, but the safest hands are still our own"

"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 replies, looking at all of us.

"You're saying they'll come for me" Wanda realises.

"We would protect you" Vision assures her.

"Maybe Tony's right" Natasha declares and I shoot up, turning to my sister in disbelief "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 asks in surprise.

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

"Focus up. I'm sorry. Did I just mishear you or did you agree with me?" Tony asks smugly.

"Oh, I want to take it back now" Natasha groans.

"No, you can't retract it" Tony chirps "Thank you. Unprecedented. Okay. Case closed. I win"

"I have to go" Steve abruptly announces, standing up and walking away.

I get up to walk away but Natasha grabs my arm.

"Don't" She warns me.

"He's upset" I retort, pulling my arm out of her grip and running after the blonde.

I find the Rogers man at the bottom of the stairs, leaning against the railing with his face in his hands. Without thinking twice, I tug the man into a hug and he buries his face in my neck, hugging me tightly.

"She's gone, Ana" Steve sniffles and my heart breaks for him.

"I'm sorry, Stevie" I mumble, rubbing his back in hopes of comforting him.