History Has it's Eyes of You

Wanda sat in one of the chairs in Shuri’s large lab, watching as Shuri ran a number of tests on the mind stone. When she wasn’t helping engineer the new shield designs, she was working with it. She had told Wanda about her plan to have Scott Lang smuggle the device that had first made Vision a body across the border, but had made sure to emphasize that it would take time. Until then, she would be preparing the mind stone and trying to gather all the information she could on it. She was also dragging Tony and Bruce into her lab all the time to have them try and recreate Vision’s mind sequence. It was going far from perfectly.
“So, do you think they can do it?” Wanda asked as Tony and Bruce were once again summoned to Shuri’s lab.
“I’m not sure,” Shuri replied. “It was years ago that they first created him, and they didn’t take any notes at all. There is a good chance that the Vision that comes back will be different from the Vision you remember. Are you prepared for that?”
“I have to be,” Wanda replied. Truthfully, she had no idea if she could handle it. She didn’t even know if they’d be able to bring him back. “How are the shields coming?” she asked, changing the subject.
“They are going well,” Shuri replied, bringing up a holographic design. “We have strengthened them, and are now testing them against American missiles. Stark has agreed to help us design the prototype.” Wanda shuddered as she thought about the missiles that Stark could design. She knew he didn’t sell them anymore, and any that he made for Wakanda’s tests would be destroyed, but she still didn’t like to think about it. “They should be up by the end of the day, six o’clock latest,” Shuri was saying, swiping to a different screen to check on the engineering team.
“Well hopefully we’ll be safe till then,” Wanda said.
“I hope so. As long as that team Captain Marvel was warning us about stays back, we should be fine. If they get here before those shields go up though…” she trailed off, leaving what they both knew to be true unsaid. If the team arrived in Wakanda, there would be war. Wakanda would win, as they had much higher technology and were on their home turf, but there would be casualties on both sides.
“Is there any news on Ross? Has he been shut down yet?”
“No, but many people are calling for him to be kicked out of his position. Not just America, their allies aren’t too happy with his performance either,” Shuri replied. “It’s only a matter of time before he’s given the boot. He knows it too.”
“I hope it’s sooner rather than later,” Wanda said. “The sooner this is called off, the sooner we can get back to normal.” They sat in silence until a yell from Shuri cut it like a knife.
“STARK! DON’T TOUCH THAT!” she called, swatting his hand away from some sort of machine. “My lab, my rules! Now go back to fixing Vision’s mind!”

Pepper scrolled through her news feed, a small smile gracing her lips for the first time in weeks. She had just finished giving another press conference to speak out about the war against Wakanda, and the response was perfect. People all over were calling for Ross’s removal, along with other countries. She looked up when F.R.I.D.A.Y alerted her that a transmission was coming through, and quickly hit accept upon seeing it was from Wakanda.
“Hey Pepper,” Tony said, as a hologram popped up to show him, Palmarius, Peter, and Steve.
“Hello Tony, you look tired,” she noted.
“Yeah, it’s been busy here. I just got back from trying to remake Vision’s mind with Bruce and Shuri,” he explained. “Has Scott left with the thing yet?” he asked.
“Yeah, he headed out this morning,” Pepper replied. “It’ll be a while though, he has to sneak through a ton of security.”
“I know, just wanted to know if he was in route,” Tony said. “So, saw the press confrence, great job by the way.”
“Yeah, the response was great,” she replied. “Now, we just have to wait.”
“Do you think we’ll be able to come home soon?” Peter blurted out, eyes wide and hopeful. Tony seemed to droop at his words and Pepper looked at him curiously.
“Peter, there’s something we should really talk about,” Tony started. Oh God, he hadn’t told him, Pepper realised.
“W-what is it Mr. Stark?”
“Even if Ross does get fired, the accords will still stand.”
“So?” Peter asked, nervous energy radiating off him in waves.
“So, according to those damn papers, we’re all war criminals. Not just Cap and the rogues,” Tony explained. “You’ll be able to go back ‘cause they don’t know your identity, but the rest of us will have to stay away. That will also mean no more Spiderman unless you want a S.W.A.T team showing up on rooftops cutting your webbing away and dragging you to federal prison,” Tony explained. Peter seemed to mentally shatter in front of him.
“I-I can’t go home?” he asked in small voice.
“No. No, we’re getting you home. That’s the worst case scenario. We’ll fix this,” Pepper said. “Once Ross is gone, we’ll negotiate new accords. Preferably ones that we write ourselves. Peter nodded, but he seemed unsure.
“Hey, Pepper’s right, kid,” Steve assured him. Even if things do go south and the rest of us have to stay here, you’ll still be able to go back.”
“Yeah, and I’ll still be able to go with you,” Palmarius pointed out, briefly shifting her form to make herself look like her fake identity, Mindy Zafai, before turning back to Palmarius.
“And we can still sneak back into the country if anything really bad happens. Stark’ll just have to get used to staying in crappy hotels instead of privet towers,” Steve said, earning himself an elbow in the ribs from the other man.
“Steve’s right, it’s not like we haven’t broken into countries before,” Tony agreed. “And besides, we’ll get Ross out of power. Now, any word on the alleged elite team of warriors being sent to destroy us?”
“No, Carol hasn’t been able to get any more information, and S.H.I.E.L.D has nothing either. I’m sorry, Tony, but who ever is coming is completely off the radar. I don’t know how, but they are.”
“How is that even possible?” Steve asked. “I mean, how does someone avoid satellite searches?”
“I don’t know,” Tony said. “We’re screwed if they’re close, though. The shields won’t be up until tonight, so anyone can get in.
“I believe you’re forgetting the fact that we have all our troops guarding the borders,” Okoye said, walking into the hologram. “If they think they can just waltz in, they have got another thing coming.”
“Have they seen anything?” Peter asked.
“Not yet, but they are on high alert. We will know immediately if anyone passes into our territory,” Okoye responded. She left what would then happen to the soldiers unsaid, but everyone already knew. They would be slaughtered. Every last one.

“Loki, no,” Thor said, glaring at the snake sitting on his pillow. The snake looked at him for a second before glowing green and shifting back into Loki, who had a dagger clutched in his hand.
“Well, it was worth a shot,” he said with a shrug. “So, who’s coming to kill us now?” he asked, earning a glare from Thor. “Is it still the Americans, who you fought so valiantly to protect?”
“It is not their fault, Ross is just blind,” Thor said, earning a smirk from his brother who was now twirling the blade in his fingers.
“See it as you will, brother,” Loki said, leaning back on the pillows and watching the blade move with keen eyes. “Do you know when we’ll be allowed to leave this accursed building?” he asked next.
“I don’t know, I doubt anytime soon,” Thor responded. Loki groaned and stood up, walking over to the window to gaze mournfully to the outside world.
“Oh quit the dramatics,” Thor grumbled. “Your theatricality grows tiresome.”
“Well, you wouldn’t have to deal with it,” Loki responded. “I’d think that you must have rather enjoyed your break from it when I was dead,” he said casually. Thor narrowed his eyes. So this was Loki’s mood. Bored to the point of picking fights.
“I will not oblige your need for pointless quarles,” Thor finally said, making Loki sigh.
“Well then why are you here,” Loki growled.
“You do realise you’re in my room, right?” Thor asked, gesturing around them.
“Yes, I suppose I am,” Loki said with a sigh. “I must ask though, why do you allow me in here? I have done nothing but annoy you, and that is the best of it,” Loki said, walking back over to the far wall and leaning back against it.
“We have been over this, Loki,” Thor replied, making the God of Mischief groan.
“No, you’ve been over this. I still lack an answer.”
“Because though our blood is not the same, nor is our race, we are still brothers. And brothers don’t abandon each other, no matter what comes to pass,” Thor said firmly. Loki looked at him with an unreadable expression, as he always did when trying to sort through many emotions at once.
“That is not what you said after New York,” he finally said, and Thor flinched at the memory. Of finally going to visit his brother after not having seen him at all. Of seeing the mess that he had become. Of threatening to kill him. Though Loki had grinned it off, he could tell it had shocked him. Thor was the last person he’d expect to end him.
“Well I’m saying it now,” Thor replied with a bit more aggression than he intended. Loki gaze him a calculating look before turning away.
“I shall be speaking with Palmarius if you need me. I believe it is about time I made peace with the infinity stones,” he said, getting up and leaving Thor’s room without meeting his eyes. Thor sighed as he watched his brother leave. It would take a while, but things would get better.

“Mr. Secretary, this is getting out of hand,” the president said. “The people are taking to the streets, Wakanda has yet to fire back but they could decimate the entire country with the press of one button, and the Avengers show no signs of leaving!”
“Mr. President, I can assure you we will get results, we just need some more time,” Ross said. His calm demeanor seemed almost alien to anyone who actually knew the man.
“Fine, Ross. But if this gets worse, I will be expecting a resignation,” the president said, eyes boring into the secretary’s skull. Ross swallowed and nodded jerkily.
“Of course sir.” He was dismissed by a wave of the president’s hand, and walked stiffly out of the room. He had bought himself a bit more time, but he knew he didn’t have long. If Wakanda attempted to fight back, he would be destroyed. If the people began to riot, he would be fired. If the Avengers decided to fight, it was all over. He pulled out a burner phone from his back pocket and hit the only contact, beginning to speak the second that the other person picked up. “Reyna, I need you to alert the teams. We attack at 2400 sharp.”
He didn’t wait for a response before hanging up and getting into his car to drive out to oversee preparations for the attack. This was a war he could not win, but he’d be damned if he didn’t make them suffer with him.