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CHAPTER ELEVEN
avengers debate team
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THE SOFT HUM of her air conditioning was the perfect white noise as she concentrated on the mess on her board. The soft rustling of newspapers flapping slightly from the artificial breeze only seemed to add to the white noise. Diana felt her eyes glued to the photo of Bucky that she nabbed from the file Natasha gave Steve years ago, his smiling face was almost overshadowed by the hat that seemed just a bit too big for his head. The photo was weathered, though it was expected for something that old.

The extra red yarn that connected everything together was in her left hand, the winter soldier's goggles were in her right, the connection she had to the equipment is what kept her thoughts grounded as she reviewed the articles that she knew Bucky had a hand in dictating.

"Are you sure Mr. Barnes assassinated President Kennedy?" The Visions voice made Diana jump as she spun around.

"Vis, I told you, that lady swore up and down to me that she saw a man with a metal arm with a red star on it," Diana replied, turning back to the timeline she constructed, "She may have been eight at the time but that's something you don't just makeup."

Diana's eyes grazed over the new paper article about Fury's accident, the one he was in before he broke into Steve and Diana's apartment. There was no way that Bucky would recognize Steve from that encounter, not with the way Steve described it to her. She continued to rub her thumb over the cracks in the goggles, the texture against her skin was soothing, though Diana was surprised the glass hadn't cut her yet.

"May I ask you a question?" Vision asked, he was now next to her, she glanced over at the android to assess his dress slacks and sweater, she remembered buying him that sweater after people freaked out about him walking the streets with his cape.

"Ask away," She replied, her eyes going back to the board, second-guessing everything she set up after Rumlows words replayed in her mind.

"I understand that Captain Rogers would be keen to find this man considering their past, but from what I recall, he nearly killed you on two separate occasions, are you searching for him or are you hunting him?" Vision asked.

Diana furrowed her eyebrows, she understood that it may look weird from an outside perspective that she wanted Bucky safe, but she couldn't help it.

"When I had my first encounter with the winter soldier on the bridge, sure I was pissed, and yeah, I was angry that I was in crutches because of him," Diana chuckled at the name Tony gave her as she remembered, "But when I look back at those memories, it was hard to not see a man who was a prisoner in his own body, I definitely have a similar idea of what he was going through considering how I was forced to walk myself into HYDRA custody in Sokovia-" Diana looked over at Vision who was listening intently, "- When I think of Bucky all I think is how I wished someone would've put in the effort to get Wanda out of my head sooner. Rumlow has me scared, if I don't figure out when he spoke to Bucky, there may be the chance that HYDRA is still out there, and if they have the Soldier..."

Diana shuddered at the thought and squeezed the goggles in her hand.

"I can go over Rumlow's medical database and compare that to metal arm sightings that came out in the days that followed the fall of SHIELD," Vision offered and Diana widened her eyes.

"Oh, could you?" Diana asked and Vision gave a small smile and a tilt of his head, "Thank you so much, Vis, I gotta clean this up, but please tell me as soon as possible."

Vision had left her room, giving Diana the mental space to prepare to clean the mess she made of newspaper clippings. She was meticulously cleaning up extra pieces of yarn that were cut too short when she heard someone clear their throat from their doorway.

"You've been busy," Steve's voice filled Diana's ears as she straightened up from the floor.

"Rumlow got in my head," Diana shrugged as she shoved the garbage in her miniature trash can that sat next to her desk. Her open laptop showed a news article about their recent failure in Lagos. Steve seemed to see that and swiftly shut the device.

She sighed at the look he gave her, she knew that he was about to give her a speech about opening up, and not so ironically she wanted to shove him out of her room and shut the door.

"Are we going to talk about the stunt you pulled?" Steve questioned, making Diana furrow her eyebrows, that wasn't what she expected to hear from him.

"What stunt?" She was genuinely curious, "Look, Sam said he would give me ten dollars if I jumped off the roof with the glider from the Avatar show."

Steve's brows furrowed as he widened his eyes.

"I meant you jumping in the way of that explosion in Lagos!" Steve exclaimed, "When did you jump off the roof?"

"Never mind the roof," Diana shook her head, "What about the explosion?"

"You jumped in front of me when you thought I was going to die." Steve pointed out and Diana frowned as she set her yarn on the desk and walked over to her dresser, setting the goggles with the rest of her trophies.

She couldn't understand why he was mad, she jumped in front of bullets for him before, what was so different now?

"Steve, are you really shocked by that?" Diana asked, walking over to her bed and plopping down on the plush comforter.

"I- well- you," Steve blanched.

Diana perked an eyebrow up at his stuttering, making the older man sigh in defeat. In the silence of her room, a newscaster could be heard from across the hall where Wanda's room was. Diana didn't have to be in the room to know that Wanda was watching a newscaster berate her publicly on TV. A look between Steve and Diana was all that was needed before Steve was stepping out of Wanda's room to console her.

Diana couldn't imagine the horror that Wanda must feel. She tried shaking off the guilt from Lagos but it was a longshot from that to ever happen for the blonde. All that guilt will pile on for years to come until something finally becomes her demise. It'll only be then that she will be unburdened of the pain that follows her.

She was drawn back to her timeline for one last review when a knock on the door, revealing Wanda, Steve, and Vision in her doorway pulled her attention away.

"Tony brought a guest, come on." Steve stepped away from the doorway to make space for Diana to step out.

The blonde furrowed her eyebrows and walked over, catching up with the group, curious as to who Tony could be bringing to see them when they're trying to recuperate. They found themselves in a meeting room where all the other avengers minus Clint, Thor, and Bruce were. Clint was back at his farm with the kids, helping Laura with little Nathanial and their ever-growing kids, Lila and Cooper. Thor was still searching for the meaning of life in space, and Bruce was still MIA after going stealth mode in a quinjet originally stolen by Ultron during the battle of Sokovia last year.

Tony was here, Diana didn't even know when he arrived, no one had told her, but everyone was probably leaving her to her devices after she got back simply because the second she got back, she got started on her timeline, trying to figure out where the Winter Soldier was once and for all. Rhodey, Natasha, Tony, and Sam were already seated and Diana found herself sitting down next to Wanda, her hand immediately going to her friends to comfort her. She recognized the Secretary of State from multiple press conferences, some about her and how he's condemned her before. Diana doesn't like Secretary Ross, so the sooner he's finished their meeting, the better for her.

He seemed to be gathering himself as the rest of the Avengers got settled in their seats. The two had shared a look and Diana didn't miss the look of disgust he gave her and Wanda's hands. Diana felt her clenched jaw twitch and her gaze harden on the man, hoping the look would urge him to spit it out.

"Five years ago, I had a heart attack. I dropped right in the middle of my back-swing. Turned out it was the best round of my life, because after thirteen hours of surgery and a triple bypass: I found something forty years in the Army had never taught me: Perspective. The world owes the Avengers an unpayable debt." The Secretary started, Diana hated how politicians never seemed to get their point across, she figured if politicians actually got to the point with their grandiose speeches, hours of debating could be cut in half and things could be done a lot quicker, but they don't get that luxury today, "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."

"And what word would you use, Mr. Secretary?" Natasha never seemed to not charm the pants off anyone she interacted with.

Her charisma was something Diana could envy and she wonders how Natasha maintains that so well because all the blonde can do is burn searing holes into the Secretary. She can sense that he's about to yell at them and she was sure that she would get in trouble if he directed any of that on Wanda who was squeezing her hand.

"How about dangerous?" Ross asked, "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?"

Ross activated a screen behind him. What was displayed made Diana's heart stutter and it was her turn to squeeze Wanda's hand, needing the support that the contact gave her. She watched as parts of buildings fell and the echoing screams that Diana fought so hard to forget were projected directly into her ears again. Beth was going to be hearing an earful after this meeting, Diana had half the mind to text her now and set an appointment just to prepare the woman.

"New York."

Diana watched the "Leviathan" as it was later dubbed, flying through the air. Clips of civilians screaming and running, Diana could smell the smoke of the fire and she remembers how it felt to be shot by a chitauri spear, her free hand went to her side to instinctively comfort the phantom pain. The Hulk was shown next, jumping from building to building, the destruction being overpowered by his roar. She missed Bruce, and she tried to suppress the small fear she felt when she remembered that he was missing.

"Washington DC."

Diana's heart rate picked up as she watched the footage of the three helicarriers firing on each other. She remembers how the metal sounded as it fell and crashed around her as she fought to survive the winter soldier. She remembers Bucky's screams when he was trapped under the rubble as they crashed. The way the water felt after she and Steve fell into the river. The burning of her lungs after Bucky pulled her out. Diana was grateful to be unconscious when the helicarriers finally crash-landed because she wasn't sure how she would react if she heard the screams, but now she gets to find out as the clip cut to a witness recording one of the carriers falling into the Potomac and the onslaught wave drawing people nearby. She couldn't watch anymore, gluing her eyes to the table in front of her, forced to suffer and listen to the people she's failed.

"Sokovia."

Diana felt Wanda's hand twitch at the mention of her homeland. Diana could hear the crashing of rubble, be it the ground that was raised or the buildings being ripped apart for simply getting in the way of Ultron's plan. Those clips had no shortage of human pandemonium as the screams seemed to be in harmony with the death that followed.

"Lagos."

Diana squeezed her eyes shut at the mention, the wound still fresh and she could sense this affect Wanda as well, the audio of the terror that Rumlow caused was screaming in Diana's ears, she was reliving the event over and over in her mind and it probably didn't help for Wanda to sense this due to her own guilt.

"Okay." Steve finally spoke up, becoming the saving grace that stopped the "greatest hits" replays, "That's enough."

Diana waited a minute before looking up again, thankful that the screen was gone.

"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." He looked at the person that Diana had finally noticed, she couldn't feel too bad especially since she had to endure those flashbacks the minute she sat down, "But I think we have a solution."

The aide had quickly handed the secretary a thick packet and he immediately slid it over to Diana and Wanda, the two slid it over to Rhodey across the table, after one look at the title, Diana couldn't bring herself to look at it for a second longer. It seemed Wanda had the same idea after she glared daggers into the packet.

"The Sokovia Accords, approved by a hundred and seventeen countries," Diana looked up at Ross as he went on about the packet, "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."

Diana furrowed her eyebrows in sync with her frown. She didn't like the way that sounded as he said it, she trusts that the UN has a less chance of being corrupt compared to the US, but it wasn't by much with, all things considered, she didn't like the idea of going from one government to the next, especially after 2014.

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

"Tell me, Captain, do you know where Thor and Banner are right now?"

Diana narrowed her eyes at Ross's words, pursing her lips, he caught her gaze and inquisitively stared at her, as if he dared her to speak.

"Thor is a prince and warrior of Asgard, his duty requires him to live there," Diana had to be mindful of her tone, if she came off any more abrasive than she already has, he would only make their lives more of a living hell.

"And Doctor Banner?"

"He's on vacation," Diana lied through her teeth, her stoney face unbreakable to hide the fact that she indeed just lied, she didn't glance back at her teammates, she only hoped the looks on their faces were in a blank ones like hers.

"For a year?" Ross asked.

"I think he's earned it since he actually did something to save the world last year, what did you do, Secretary Ross."

There was a silent staredown between the two, Diana's lasted longer against the Vision and he didn't even have to blink, he only chooses to do it to feel more human around the place. There were some things that Diana simply could benefit from after years of what Tom and Celeste put her through.

Ross only sighed and looked back at Steve.

"If I misplaced a couple of thirty megaton nukes, you can bet there'd be consequences." Diana was willing to overlook Ross comparing Bruce to a weapon because him looking away showed that he admitted defeat, she could only hope that wherever her friend was, he was enjoying himself and relaxing, lord knows she would rather be doing that right now, "Compromise. Reassurance. That's how the world works. Believe me, this is the middle ground."

"So, there are contingencies," Rhodey spoke up, his diplomat mode was turned on, and Diana enjoyed watching him speak for the team, he was definitely the best when it came to handling politicians.

"Three days from now, the UN meets in Vienna to ratify the Accords," Ross explained, in turn, answering Rhodey's question, "Talk it over."

"And if we come to a decision you don't like?" Natasha spoke up and asked, tilting her head and she tried to charm Ross once more, though Diana feels she may have ruined any chance of there being no bad blood between The Avengers and Secretary Ross and his little goon who wouldn't keep him watchful stare off Diana.

"Then you retire."

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DIANA COULDN'T STOP pacing in her room, she was sure that if she stopped to take a look at her floor, there would be a path, or a circle, from where she walked. And it seemed like Beth knew exactly what she was doing even through the phone.

"Renfrey," her stern voice cut through Diana's rambling and her racing mind, "sit down, cross those legs and center yourself, and count your breathing, only focus on your breathing."

Diana did as she was told, putting Beth on speaker as she got herself comfortable on her bed. She sat crisscross, her hands resting gently on her thighs as she shut her eyes. She could hear the deep breaths from Beth through the phone as she felt her nerves calm down. After a few minutes, Diana's heart rate went down, her brain began to think more clearly. It began to process everything that just happened. Did Ross really threaten her job?

Would she even call this a job? She never got a paycheck for this. Tony would send her some money after cleaning up the training area and the kitchen each week just to show something to the IRS at the end of the year but that was the extent. Ross can't fire her from Stark Industries.

"Do you want to tell me what gave you such an intense panic attack?" Beth finally asked, reminding Diana that she was still on the phone, "Or do you need another minute?"

"I'm good, I can talk." Diana took a deep breath and got ready to explain herself, "The Secretary of State came to propose these new accords that'll restrict the Avengers, he-" Diana took another deep breath, "-He showed us some footage from our fights, the twenty twelve incident, the one in twenty fourteen and Sokovia."

"We'll get back to the accords situation later." Beth started, Diana didn't mean to start a session with her, but she had no choice but to continue it now, "What I want to focus on is the videos, when he made you watch them, what was your initial reaction?"

"Well, I don't know, it was like I wasn't in the compound anymore, it was like I was back in the field, reliving it, I'm surprised that I didn't blast anything," Diana answered truthfully.

"This would add up with the snow incident back in Christmas, and the nightmares, but this confirmed it," Beth rambled on the phone, she seemed to do this a lot when she and Diana had a breakthrough about something, "I think you have PTSD."

"Well, that would check out," Diana sighed and looked around her room, relief washed over her at the diagnosis, "What do you suggest I do?"

"Well, right now I know you have some things to discuss with your teammates, but after maybe try checking out the VA with Sam Wilson," Beth instructed, "I'm gonna compile a list of treatments we can try to lower the chances of a panic attack just in case the VA doesn't stick."

"Thank you, Beth, I'll bring you some extra cash when I see you tomorrow."

"Don't worry about extra, this is my job, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay, see you."

And with that, the phone beeped, indicating that Beth had hung up. Diana got up off her bed, her shoulders feeling lighter as she walked out of her room. She could hear the argument before she walked into the living room that was connected to the kitchen. It was mainly Rhodey and Sam, a frown found its way to her face as she entered the room, the tension in the air put a sense of unease in her and she looked around to see her friends who all had similar expressions to her.

Natasha heard Diana approach, so she had turned her head over her shoulder, giving a half-hearted smile. Steve was sitting on Diana's favorite seat, it was cream-colored and always cool, so she didn't feel sweaty after sitting in it for a few hours. Sam and Rhodey were behind him but still on either side of him, arguing the loudest. Wanda and Vision sat on the couch and Tony was sat on the leather chaise that was closest to the kitchen. Diana found her way to the chaise on the other side of Steve, furthest away from the kitchen, the view of the outdoors was favorable in that seat.

"Secretary Ross has a Congressional Medal of Honor, which is one more than you have." Rhodey pointed out. Diana looked over at Steve who was thumbing through the accords, skimming the words, Tony looked to be nursing a headache and rolling his eyes at the two men arguing behind him.

"So let's say we agree to this thing." Sam snapped, "How long is it gonna be before they LoJack us like a bunch of common criminals?"

"A hundred and seventeen countries want to sign this. A hundred and seventeen, Sam, and you're just like, No, that's cool. We got it."

"How long are you going to play both sides?"

"I have an equation." Vision chimed in.

"Oh, this will clear it up." Sam nodded, crossing his arms as he turned to the android expectantly, Diana found herself drawing her eyes to him as well, Vision would have the most unbiased opinion since he doesn't process feelings like a human, he would be able to look at it from a logical standpoint.

"In the eight years since Mr. Stark announced himself as Iron Man, the number of known enhanced persons has grown exponentially." Vision began, Diana propped her arms up, holding her head as she listened, using her legs as support, "And during the same period, the number of potentially world-ending events has risen at a commensurate rate."

A twist of Diana's lips had it pointing downwards, she knows that Vision meant no offense, and she knows that he's correct, but the truth still hurts. It's not all one hundred percent the fault of the Avengers, but they aren't innocent, not by a long shot. The past four years only prove that more.

"Are you saying it's our fault?" Steve complained, Diana reached out and gently grabbed his forearm. Steve was getting tense, she could only hope to try and get him to relax a bit.

"I'm saying there may be a causality. Our very strength invites challenge. Challenge incites conflict. And conflict," Vision paused after assessing the dejected looks of the team members, "breeds catastrophe. Oversight- oversight is not an idea that can be dismissed out of hand."

There wasn't a chance for Diana to fully process what Vision was saying before Rhodey gestured to the synthezoid "Boom." She could help but roll her eyes.

Diana found herself looking down at her hands. They were clean at the moment, but if she wanted, just a simple subconscious command in her mind and a yellow energy surrounds them, ready to destroy anything that her hands are pointed at. Those very hands have blood on them, it wasn't intentional, but there are people still dying from her recklessness. That blood will follow her forever, sticking to her like the gum on the streets of New York. So she has to let it tag along despite her desperate cries to be free from her guilt.

"Tony." Natasha spoke like it was a warning, "You are being uncharacteristically non-hyper-verbal."

This was true, even when Tony was riddled with a headache, he still managed to find himself bothering someone with his pester-y moods.

"It's because he's already made up his mind." Steve frowned, leaning back slightly to look over at Tony with a disappointed glare.

"Boy, you know me so well." Tony rolled his eyes.

The brunette man stood up, wincing as he did so, and rubbed the back of his head. Diana furrowed her eyebrows at the man's mannerisms, something was wrong beyond the heated debate among the team. Diana didn't like that. Not at all.

"Actually, I'm nursing an electromagnetic headache," He grabbed a mug, heading over to the sink. "That's what's going on, Cap. It's just pain. It's discomfort. Who's putting coffee grounds in the disposal? Am I running a bed and breakfast for a biker gang?"

Diana glanced over at Sa, who was seemingly avoiding her gaze, even when she narrowed her eyes on him, she saw him do it, yesterday morning. Tony had put his phone down in the basket on the counter and tapped it. A phone of a smiling young man came up in the projection. Tony looked down, then back up, pretending to notice the picture for the first time.

"Oh, that's Charles Spencer, by the way, he's a great kid, computer engineering degree, three-point six 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." Tony went on, Diana could feel where the end of his sentence was going and she didn't like it, it was clear that Charles Spencer was a victim of their collateral, her hands began to fumble with the ends of her t-shirt, it had been untucked from her jeans to do this, "See the world, maybe be of service. 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."

Diana watched as the guilt ran down everyone's faces, it even flashed on Visions for a moment, making Diana tilt her head and make no for after this conversation. She looked back at the photo of Charles Spencer, burning the image into her mind. Her hands began to shake the longer she looked at it but she refused to pull her eyes away. He lost his life, the least she could do is feel guilty for being a part of the reason.

"He wanted to make a difference, I suppose." Tony shrugged, Diana loved her friends, but sometimes they make her want to punch them, "I mean, we won't know because we dropped a building on him while we were kicking ass."

Tony managed to find the Advil in the kitchen, taking a couple of pills before washing it all down with the coffee he poured. That didn't seem like the best combination but Diana didn't feel like scolding him for it at the moment.

"There's no decision-making process here, we need to be put in check!" Tony sternly put it, he glanced over everyone as he said this, Diana hoped he was too upset to notice her state, she didn't need that right now, "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 had given her a speech based on that sentence years ago when Diana woke up from a nightmare about the 2012 incident, It helped temporarily but that guilt stayed and festered.

"Who said we're giving up?" Tony asked, approaching the end of the counter. He leaned his weight against the edge of it, using his hands to hold himself up.

"We are if we're not taking responsibility for our actions." Steve replied, looking over at the man as he did so, he pointed to the document on the table before him, "This document just shifts the blame."

"I'm sorry. Steve, that-" Rhodey scoffed, "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."

"No, but it's run by people with agendas, and agendas change," Steve replied, Diana understood where he was coming from, for the longest time they thought that SHIELD was good and that they were doing good work under them. Everyone was wrong with that one, and 20 million people almost lost their lives because of it.

"That's good, that's why I'm here." Tony said, walking back over to the seating area, Diana looked up at him incredulously, he noticed this and held up his hand, as if he was going to explain his words, "When I realized what my weapons were capable of in the wrong hands, I shut it down and stopped manufacturing."

"Tony, you chose to do that. If we sign this, we surrender our right to choose." Steve was adamant about this, Diana agreed with the both of them, but there was no middle ground, governments are easily corruptible, even the UN, if HYDRA is still out there like the parasite it is, what's stopping them from inside the UN? At the same time, in every battle that they've been in, there have been unnecessary amounts of death, "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."

"If we don't do this now, it's gonna be done to us later." Tony frowned, "That's the fact. That won't be pretty."

"You're saying they'll come for me." Wanda looked down at her hands, making Diana look over at her.

"We would protect you." Vision responded, Wanda looked up at him when he said this, but looked over at Diana after.

"They would have to tear through me before getting to you," Diana spoke firmly. Wanda was one of her best friends, there was no way in hell anyone would lay a finger on her. Not without Diana breaking it as a consequence.

"Maybe Tony's right." Natasha's words were like an ice bucket being dumped on Diana's head. Did she just agree with Tony? They never agreed on anything, the missions the two would have always proved that. "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 interrupted, normally Diana would scold him for doing so like she used to do to Charlie Jr. but he made a point. Diana watched the broadcast from her hospital bed with Steve and Sam by her side. They even applauded.

"I'm just..." She was carefully choosing her words like she always has, "I'm reading the terrain. We have made... some very public mistakes. We need to win their trust back."

Natasha of course, also made sense. If it was a competition, Diana was sure that Natasha would take the trophy when it comes to caring for the public, they all of course care, but there was something with Natasha that made it different. Like it drives her.

"Focus up, I'm sorry," Tony wound his finger like he was rewinding the conversation, "did I just mishear you or did you agree with me?"

Diana rolled her eyes at the same time Natasha's face fell, shaking her head.

"Oh, I want to take it back now." Natasha frowned, Diana would say the same damn thing.

"No, no, no. You can't retract it. Thank you. Unprecedented." Tony rambled, bragging about making Natasha agree with him like it was a trophy to be won, Diana and Natasha agree on something every day, Tony is just arrogant, "Okay, case closed- I win."

A buzz from Steve's lap brought Diana's curious eyes to the device, she couldn't read what was texted to him from her angle but from the fall of his face, it was nothing good. She waited, she watched to see if he would say something or do anything at all.

"I have to go." It was all he said before standing up and dropping the Accords onto the table with a large slap! Steve walked off after that and Diana instantly knew to follow him.

Steve walked out to the emergency exit stairwell. He seemed to be on a mission until he stopped, leaning against the banister, he put his face in his hand. When Diana saw his body shake, she knew he was crying.

"Steve," She whispered, announcing her presence but she knew that he could probably hear her the whole time.

She edged closer to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. He immediately wrapped her in a hug. Diana and Steve have hugged a thousand times before. But there was something about the way he hugged her now that was different. Like he was holding onto his lifeline. His body hunched over to put his head on her shoulder. He hid his face and his tears but Diana felt them soak through her shirt all the same.

She reached into his pocket, unlocking his phone to see what he could've read to make him react this way and she immediately regretted it when she did. The glaring words of "She's gone, in her sleep." screamed at her. Diana's heart fell through her stomach. And suddenly, the pain Steve felt rolled over her tenfold. Bucky is the last person on earth from Steve's days. They needed to find him now. But first. Steve needs to cry. And Diana is going to stay by his side through it all.

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5.7k words

it happened! She died!! sad!!

(little did everyone know,,, Steve pulls some out of pocket shit)

ANYWAYS!! I'm so excited for the action to soon pick up, but first, we need more bonding and that sweet sweet funeral speech that make steve stay stuck in his ways.

I hope y'all are seeing how conflicted Diana is with all this because personally, I wouldn't know what to do. I cant wait for y'all to see what I have in store!

See you at the next update!

-greta