The Sokovia Accords
Going to Pietro’s room to talk after the meeting was never in the timetable. As the Avengers all pulled together into one of the living areas. Everyone exchanging their words and issues or agreements with the accords.
Basically, the biggest mom and dad arguments to ever happen.
“Secretary Ross has a Congressional Medal of Honor which is one more than you have.” Rhodey said, arguing with Sam.
“Alright so, let’s say we agree on this thing. How long is it gonna be before they LoJack us, like a bunch of common criminals?” Sam shot back.
Tony was sitting in a chair sinking in it and his hand over his eyes. Him shaking his head as the yelling kept up. Steve is staring at the book of the Sokovia Accords and Natasha is watching him. Wanda and Vision were sitting next to each other, Wanda sitting criss-crossed in her chair. While Veronika sat on the floor next to Pietro, who was standing against a wall, because there were no chairs.
“117 countries want to sign this!” Rhodey said, pointing out the obvious. “117, Sam, and you’re just like, ‘No, that’s cool. We got it’.”
“How long are you going to play both sides?” Sam asked a bit of venom in his words.
“I have an equation.” Vision broke into Sam and Rhodey’s conversation.
“Oh, this will clear it up.” Sam said exasperated.
“In the eight years since Mr. Stark has announced himself as Iron Man. The number of known enhanced persons has grown exponentially.” They started. “In the same period, the number of potentially world-ending events” they looked around at everyone. “It has risen at a commensurate rate.”
“So, you’re saying it’s the Avengers’ fault?” Veronika asked quietly, looking at them.
“I’m saying there may be a causality.” They paused. “Our very strength invites challenges. Challenges incites conflict. And conflict…breeds catastrophe.” They said looking at Steve who looked still very quizzically at the Accords. “Oversight…oversight is not an idea that can be dismissed out of hand.”
“Boom.” Rhodey smirked at Sam who kind of just glared.
“Stark has been very quiet.” Pietro said, tearing his eyes away from alternating between his sister and girlfriend.
“Yeah, that’s unusual for you Tony, to be very uncharacteristically non-hyperverbal.” Natasha looked at him as he removed his hand and arm from his eyes.
“It’s because he’s already made up his mind.” Steve said, looking at his friend.
“Boy, you know me so well.” Tony said, sarcastically of course, while getting up from his chair almost tiredly. “Actually, I’m nursing an electromagnetic headache. That’s what’s going on, Cap. It’s just pain.” He grumbled walking into the little kitchen near where they were sitting, “it’s discomfort.” he started messing with the sink when he smacked his hand slightly on the side. “Who’s putting coffee grounds in the disposal? Is it you Speedy Wonder? Or are you not old enough to have that yet?” he said just shrugging.
“Like I need coffee I can barely stop moving already.” Pietro mumbled.
Tony seemed agitated and Veronika felt how horrible it was in his head. He brought out his little device and suddenly a picture of a young man, couldn’t have been too much older than Wanda, Pietro, and Veronika. Tony huffed and pretended to act like he just saw the picture of the boy.
“Oh, this is Charles Spencer, by the way. 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 for the rest of his life. You know wanted to see the world. Maybe even be of service.” Tony named all these things solemnly.
“Charlie didn’t want to go to Vegas or Fort Lauderdale, which is what I would do. No, he didn’t go to Paris or Amsterdam, which sounds fun. He decided to spend his summer building sustainable houses for the poor, in guess where…” he aggressively poured out a bottle he had and just flung his hand. “Sokovia!” Wanda and Pietro exchanged glances and Pietro stood straighter. “He wanted to make a difference, I suppose, we’ll never know because we dropped a BUILDING on him while we were kicking ass.” He said traces of immense guilt, and pain in his tone. He shook his head.
Veronika watched him then turned her head to Steve who was looking down and had solemn eyes.
“There’s no decision-making process here guys. We NEED to be put in check!” He said loudly at all of them. “Whatever it takes, I’m game. If we can’t accept limitations. If we’re boundaryless we are no better than the bad guys.” He stared at all of them.
Wanda and Veronika share looks at each other.
It was obvious they were both scared. These accords are basically because of them.
Then Steve spoke up. “Tony, someone dies on your watch, you don’t give up.”
“Who said we’re giving up?” Tony stared at Steve.
“We are if we’re not taking responsibility for our actions. This document just shifts the blame.” Steve explained looking at the papers.
“I’m sorry, Steve. That is dangerously arrogant. This is the United Nations we’re talking about.” Rhodey said, looking around. “It’s not the World Security Council, it’s not S.H.I.E.L.D., it’s not HYDRA.” He said, looking now directly at Steve.
“No, but it is run by people with agendas, and agendas change. They’ve been fighting on this for years, but they put it into action now? It seems odd.” Steve said.
“No, this is good. That’s why I’m here. When I realized what my weapons were capable of in the wrong hands…” Tony said, and Wanda and Pietro glanced at each other. “I shut it down and stopped manufacturing.”
“Tony, you CHOSE to do that. We sign this, we would be surrendering our right to choose.” Steve said, looking around. “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 said strongly and Veronika looked at him as he gave them all a look. She nodded knowing he was right.
“Basically, these Accords just want control of us? Control our decision, nothing will be our own?” She asked.
“According to what I see no Ver it won’t. Tony, you have to see this thing won’t make things better…” Steve said.
“If we don’t do this now, it’s gonna be done to us later.” Tony said, shaking his head. “That’s the fact that won’t be pretty.”
“So you’re saying they’ll come for me. Come for Veronika.”
“We would protect you.” Vision said mainly at Wanda.
“And you know I would.” Pietro bent slightly, saying it to Veronika. She smiled slightly and looked down at her hands.
“Steve, maybe Tony’s right.” Natasha looked at her own semi-secret lover. “If we have one hand on the wheel, we can still steer. If we take it off…” She trailed off, he stared at her, a little hint of betrayal behind his eyes.
“Aren’t you the same woman who told the government to kiss her ass a few years ago?” Sam asked honestly, baffled by what she said.
“I’m just reading the terrain.” she answered “We have made some very public mistakes. If anything, we need to win their trust back.”
“Wait a second. I’m sorry. Did I mishear you or did you just agree with me?” Tony said kind of cockily.
“Oh, I want to take it back now.”
“No, no, you can't retract it. Thank you. Unprecedented. Case closed I win.”
“I need to go.” Steve said, looking at his phone and getting up quickly. Veronika and Nat’s eyes went to him as they saw his retreating figure out the door.
“What’s up with him red or purple tell us?”
“He lost someone.” Wanda said knowing Veronika has a thing against reading Steve and Nat’s minds. “Someone named Peggy-”
“Oh no.” Nat said as she stood and started to go to where Steve went.
“Peggy…” Veronika whispered knowing that name sounded familiar.
“Alright you three should go now I know the last place teens want to be is stuck in this area so go on.” Tony said as he looked at the door Steve went through.
Veronika hesitantly stood as Wanda did and walked to her and Pietro. Veronika turned to her boyfriend, and they all went to their housing area. Wanting to just go sit in their kitchen. They were all quiet as they walked, staying close.
Her thoughts dwelt on the accords. Her thoughts lingering on one that caused her the most strife.
We’d be controlled.
I’d be controlled again…
I’ll be a human weapon again. Worse Wanda and Pietro will have to be too…
She hated that. The mere thought of being controlled by a higher power again. The government wanted to control her and that thought terrified her,
“What do you think they’ll decide?” Wanda asked.
“I don’t know…” Pietro answered. “Tony sounds prominent about wanting to sign.”
Wanda shrugged her thoughts wondering now. Veronika just stayed silent the whole walk. Pietro, noticing her, stopped telling Wanda to go ahead without them. Once she kept doing so he looked at Veronika again.
“You good prinţesă?” he asked quietly.
She just shrugged her thoughts, still swallowing her. “I don’t know.” She admitted and looked anywhere but at him.
“What is wrong?”
“Why do they want control of us now? Steve said they thought about this throughout the years. Why are they pushing now when there’s three enhanced persons? Does that not seem odd to you?” She asked, looking at him.
“Well maybe that’s more reason we need limitations because of Wanda, you, and I.” He suggested.
“No, they want to control us because we’ll have to do whatever they say. We’ll be worse than bombs they have. Doesn’t that scare you?”
“All the countries want this signed. You’re saying every country will use us like this?” He asked, tilting his head. “They’re not giving one country the reins.”
“How do you know that? How are you SURE that they won’t do something to own it?” She asked, looking at his eyes. “I’ve worked for political people…I know more than you do Pietro they–ALL of them–will do anything to get the best weapons.”
“You’re saying that they'll use living, breathing people as weapons. They won’t do that-”
“Yes they will. You and Wanda will be their weapons.”
“Why would they do that to us, Ver?”
“Because it’s government! They always want hands on best weapons! They do not care who it hurts. They are all exactly the same!”
“What if you’re wrong? I want you and Wanda safe if this is what it takes-”
She cut him off. “You’re not thinking of signing it are you? Please tell me you’re not that blind-”
He cut her off a little offended by her words. “What does that mean!?”
“It means I don’t think you’re thinking this through! Pietro you don’t know how evil governments are. Yes you were in H.Y.D.R.A. you know some of it! But I grew up in a place that dealt with ALL forms of government, I’ve seen it all. They always have their plans, agendas…I just think for once you should slow down and think about-”
“Veronika the more we think about this the worse it could get for Wanda and you!” he argued.
“How? Worse has happened Piet! Wanda and I killed people! We’re already monsters in their book. You could never understand what that feels like!” She said pain poking through in her voice. “All you have is super speed and fast metabolism. Me and Wanda to them are dangerous, walking bombs!”
“That’s not fair.” He said, giving her a look.
She narrowed her eyes and shook her head, turning away. “Just never mind forget I asked.”
“Ver-” he tried talking. But she just walked away from him to her room and letting Artemis run out she went in. He stared at her door and sighed as the dog came up to him. “How long do you think this will last?”
*BARK*
“Yeah, good point…I'll just leave her be…” He sighed “You don’t hate me, right?” He knelt to Artemis.
*BARK*
Then she licked his chin and he laughed. “Good to know. Alright, come on.” He stood and just went to the kitchen pup close on his heels, knowing she would get something because well, Pietro is known for it.
Veronika just sitting there and thinking.
You’re the monster here.
All over again.