THE AVENGERS ALL TOOK THEIR SEATS AT THE TABLE, Carson glanced over at Tony as he slipped into the room but as soon as Tony met Carson's eyes he looked away, which didn't help ease up his doubts about this meeting. Secretary Ross then walked into the room and looked around at everyone before taking his spot at the head of the table and beginning his speech.

"Five years ago, I had a heart attack." Ross started. "Dropped right in the middle of my backswing. Turned out it was the best round of my life. Because after thirteen hours of surgery and a triple bypass... I found something that forty years in the army had never taught me. Perspective."

Sam and Carson both shared a look, confused to the relevance of this section of the story.

"The world owes the Avengers and unpayable debt. You have fought for us..."

"You think you fight for us? You just fight for yourselves." Carson thought back to the encounter with the woman at the elevator.

"...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 questioned, smiling curiously. 

"How about dangerous?" Ross challenged. "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 stepped aside and turned on the monitor which started to play some footage.

"New York." The clip showed Hulk jumping over to a building, destroying it as he slid down, along with some footage of the Chitauri army wreaking havoc in the city.

"Washington, D.C" Helicarriers were shown crashing to the ground and into the water, the impact knocking people off their feet and the water engulfing them. Sam looked down at the table, not wanting to want anymore.

"Sokovia." More clips appeared on the screen. People were running away, buildings were falling down, the city was shown being raised off the ground, a clip of Carson blasting multiple robots also being shown.

"Lagos." The screen changed once more, displaying a video of the building that Wanda had destroyed a few days prior. It then cut to a clip of paramedics wheeling out a body on a stretcher, sirens could be heard in the background, more injured people being escorted out of the building. And the final clip... a dead girl on the floor with rubble surrounding her.

Carson's gaze instantly snapped over to Wanda who was sat on the opposite side of the table. She looked away from the screen and faced away, biting the inside of her cheek as she tried to hold back tears, her face full of guilt.

He looked back over at Ross and narrowed his eyes at the man. "Turn it off. Now." Carson warned, his hand clenching into a tight fist.

Ross gave the man behind him a nod and the monitor was tured off. "For the past four years, you've operated with unlimited power... and no supervision. That's an arrangement the governments of the worlds can no longer tolerate. But I think I have a solution." He took a thick document from the hands of his assistant and placed it down on the table, sliding it over to Wanda.

"The Sokovia Accords."

Wanda glanced down at the document but didn't bother to open it, she huffed and passed it across the table over to Carson.

Ross began walking around the table as he started his explanation. "Approved by 117 countries, 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."

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

"Tell me, Captain." Ross stopped in front of Steve. "Do you know where Thor and Banner are right now?"

Steve glanced over at the document that was still being passed around the team then looked up at Ross, staying silent.

"If I misplaced a couple of thirty megaton nukes... you can bet there'd be consequences." The secretary shrugged before walking back over to the top of the table. "Compromise. Reassurance. That's how the world works. Believe me, this is the middle ground."

"So," Rhodey spoke for the first time. "There are contingencies."

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

Carson looked over his shoulder at Tony, who only held the eye contact for a few moments before looking down at the floor once more. He rolled his eyes and turned back towards Ross, catching his attention before he could leave.

"And what if we come to a decision you don't like? What happens then?" Carson opposed and raised a brow.

"Carson..." Tony shook his head.

"What? I'm asking a question." He brushed him off.

Ross scoffed and stopped in the door way, everyone in the room now looking between him and Carson.

"So? Go on."

"You retire."

~~ ᗢ ~~

well then...

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