I should bury this
Vision expected that being forced through five and half floors of solid concrete ought to hurt more, but the physical pain was a ghost compared to the anguish he felt within.
“If you do this, they will never stop being afraid of you.”
“I can’t control their fear, only my own.”
With Wanda’s last words echoing in his head, Vision hit the second basement level of the compound with an almighty crash. The floor beneath him webbed with cracks upon impact but he made no move to get up. For the first time he didn’t want to move, he didn’t want to go after Clint and Wanda even though they were defecting from the team, even though he ought to stop them. For once Vision wished none of it was his responsibility.
He didn’t know how long he lay there for, only that the agonising seconds went on and on as he ran over and over the hours preceding her departure. She had left him. Of course, she had done more than that, he knew that she was standing up for what she believed in. Vision would expect no less of her.
But she had still left him.
“I’m sorry.”
Wanda had become such a constant in his life, for her to leave so easily hit him harder than her power had.
Minutes, or perhaps hours later Vision became aware that the elevator near him was humming to life, indicating someone was on their way down. The doors opened to the settling dust of the destruction his Vibranium body had caused, and Vision watched Tony step out. His face was grim, an expression usually reserved for battle, but the Mark XLVI was nowhere to be seen. Tony’s dress shoes crunched against the shattered pieces of tile as he made his way to Vision. It amused him that Tony had bothered to take the elevator when Vision’s body had made such a conveniently shaped hole.
“So, they’re gone, huh?” Tony asked slipping his hands into his trouser pockets with a sigh and surveying the disaster of a synthezoid before him.
“One might say that,” Vision said with a heavy sigh.
“And should I ask how you ended up like this?” Tony said walking over and extending a hand to help Vision up.
“Wanda,” Vision said, her name sweet on his tongue despite her betrayal, “threw me through the floor.”
“Lover’s quarrel?” Tony joked, but his smile quickly disappeared at the forlorn look on Vision’s face.
Vision allowed himself to be pulled up, his shoulder’s sagging as he found his feet once more. Never before had he so strongly wished his synthetic body were a little more human, for the hurt on the inside to be reflected equally by the outside. How was he supposed to believe the suffering within when he was so unharmed on the outside?
Tony cleared his throat, sounding uncertain. “So, we get the team together, we go after them.”
“I will not be joining you.” Vision’s voice was soft, but certain. Slowly, he turned away from Tony, brushing the remaining dust from himself.
“What do you mean?”
“Exactly what I said,” Vision sighed, “I cannot…”
He trailed off, disappointed with himself at being unable to finish such a simple sentence. Tony heard the sentiment loud and clear.
“So, I won’t ask you to fight her, you stay as our safety net – I know how you dislike conflict.” Tony strode towards the waiting elevator. “If all goes according to plan, we’ll have her back on the quinjet home before tomorrow night.”
Vision reluctantly followed Tony to the lift, if only so he wouldn’t have to go back up through the damage he had caused to their home.
“I cannot make any promises about fighting her, yet you still want me to come with you?”
Tony’s brow furrowed as he punched in the button for the first floor. “Look, Vision, I don’t know what is going on between you two, but I will not ask you to choose between her and the accords right now. Maybe that’s selfish, but if it means having you in my corner a little longer then I don’t really care.”
Vision glanced up in surprise, but Tony’s gaze was focused ahead. “I get you’re hurting, but I’m only ask that you put your feelings aside for one day so that we can get this situation under control.”
Tony sounded tired and it was then that Vision noticed the darkness shadowing his eyes. He knew there had been much travel between New York, Geneva and the Compound in recent weeks, with Tony spearheading the negotiation. Vision had been so preoccupied with Wanda and himself that he hadn’t seen the extent of the stress Tony had been under. Guilt strummed through him and he hung his head.
“Of course, I will be there if you require.”
“Thank you,” Tony said as the elevator announced their arrival. “This’ll all be taken care of soon enough.”
Vision hesitated to get off the elevator, not liking the tone that Tony used. Could he really be so optimistic to presume that there was any going back now that half of the team had rejected the Accords? Vision tried not to doubt the man beside him as they both headed for the hanger, he was consumed enough with thoughts of trying to bury other, more challenging feelings.
There was plenty of uncertainty waiting for them as they boarded the jet, but through it all there was one thing Vision could be sure of: this would only end in catastrophe.