ten : sokovia accords

TRIGGER WARNING: mentions of suicide, wanting to be dead

ELAINE TRIED HER BEST NOT TO SPACE OUT WHILE THE SECRETARY OF STATE BEGAN SPEAKING TO THE AVENGERS. His voice was like the annoying water left in your ears after you go swimming. She couldn't care less about some story he wanted to tell, but she listened anyway.

"Five years ago, I had a heart attack. I dropped right in the middle of my back-swing." He demonstrated what he was talking about, and Elaine nearly rolled her eyes, choosing to look over at Steve and huff. "Turned out it was the best round of my life, because after 13 hours of surgery and a triple bypass... I found something 40 years in the Army had never taught me; perspective. The world owes the Avengers an unpayable debt. 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 asked, feigning interest.

"How about "dangerous"?" Secretary Ross fired back. "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, showing news footage from past Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. matters flash on the screen as he spoke. "New York." A Chitauri leviathan. Terrified citizens. A soldier firing a gun. The Hulk smashing into a building and sending a dust cloud to engulf the camera. It was pure destruction, and Elaine knew that the Avengers were involved. They always were. "Washington DC." The three Insight helicarriers firing on each other, the destroyed Triskelion, a helicarrier crashing into the Potomac and throwing up a massive wave, engulfing citizens and the camera. "Sokovia." Terrified citizens, running for their lives on a levitating rock.

"Lagos." Ross stated. The burning building that Elaine caused. Paramedics moving a body. A dead, innocent girl. Elaine looked away, affecting by the footage more than the others. The tears burned her eyes as she felt her throat close.

Steve looked over to Elaine, seeing her discomfort. "Okay. That's enough."

Secretary Ross nodded to an aide and the images disappeared. "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. But I think we have a solution."

An aide handed Ross a thick book, which Ross slid across the table to Elaine. Her small hands picked it up, then slid it to Rhodes who motioned for it.

"The Sokovia Accords." Ross stated. "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. I feel we've done that." Steve countered, tearing his eyes away from Elaine. He didn't know why he had such a strong pull to her, like she was innocence and yet she was destruction at the same time.

      "Tell me, Captain, do you know where Thor and Banner are right now?" Ross questioned, causing Steve to meet his eyes, not having an answer. "If I misplaced a couple of 30 megaton nukes... you can bet there'd be consequences. Compromise. Reassurance. That's how the world works. Believe me, this is the middle ground."

      "So, there are contingencies." Rhodes said. Elaine didn't really know what she wanted to think about this. Signing this would mean the Avengers would have limits, but when you're in a battle, limits is what gets you killed. Then again, Elaine needed limits. She got over fifty people killed because she didn't have limits.

      "Three days from now, the UN meets in Vienna to ratify the Accords." Ross notified. Steve glanced back at Tony, seeing his face. "Talk it over."

      "And if we come to a decision you don't like?" Natasha challenged.

Ross gave the Russian assassin a simple answer. "Then you retire."

      Natasha stifled a fake smile as he walked out.

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Elaine didn't listen to any of the banter. She thought it was childish how they had to argue over every little thing. She barely heard Tony's rant about a kid named Charles Spencer who died in the events of Sokovia. She knew it was probably her who did it, too.

Steve and Rhodes argued, Wanda talked about the government going after Elaine. Vision sided with Tony on the matter of signing the Accords, along with Rhodes, and surprisingly Natasha as well.

"Aren't you the same woman who told the government to kiss her ass a few years ago?" Sam had said, and that finally got Elaine listening again.

"I'm just..." Natasha tried piecing the words together. "reading the terrain. We have made some very public mistakes. We need to win their trust back."

"Yeah?" Elaine finally spoke, all eyes snapping to her soft and questioning tone. "And what if you can't? What if you, Natasha, make another mistake? What do you think they'll do to you? They'll kill you. Bullet to the head, easy. Now think about what they want to do to me."

"We wouldn't let that happen." Steve firmly told her.

"Well maybe it should!" Elaine snapped, causing Wanda, Tony, and Rhodes to jump slightly. All of their eyes trained on her small figure, now standing with glowing blue fists clenched by her sides. "Maybe when they put a kill order out on me, one of them will be successful in putting a bullet through my head! And then, it's one less problem, and a few less pages in the Accords."

"Elaine—" Wanda began.

"I hate to be that person to make everything about them, but I can't control my powers." Elaine's tone went quiet and soft again. "And when I lose control, take Lagos for example. I killed people. Innocent people. I need to have limits, because I don't think I can live with myself if I kill another person."

And with that, Elaine turned around and walked away. She raced down the stairs, stopping at the bottom and running a hand through her red hair. Not long after, she heard and felt Steve coming towards her. But she felt grief and sadness in the air.

She looked to her left, seeing him leaning on the railing at the end of the stairs. "I'm sorry about Peggy." Elaine offered, causing Steve's eyes to snap to her. "I didn't know her, but she seemed like an amazing friend. I saw her when Wanda used her powers to get in your mind that day."

Steve only nodded, but she could tell he was holding back his emotions. She took the few steps to reach him before wrapping her arms around his muscular body and pulling him into a hug. She could feel him briefly tense before relaxing, wrapping his arms around her small waist.

After a few seconds, they pulled away, causing Elaine to feel cold all of a sudden.

"Can you come with Sam and I?" Steve asked. She raised her right brow, not fully understanding. "To her memorial. I think it'll be more bearable if you're there." Steve froze and cleared his throat before adding. "As well. I think it'll be more bearable if you're there as well."

She didn't know Peggy personally, but from what she saw in Steve's memories, they were best friends, and Peggy would want her to be there to comfort Steve. She gave a small nod.

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The next day, Elaine, Steve, and Sam were in London for Peggy Carter's memorial. They had gotten a good nights rest before the next day came quickly, and they were at the church. The small boys sung a beautiful and peaceful song that resonated in the church as Steve and others carried Peggy's casket with the American flag draped over it.

Elaine wore a black silk dress that smoothed over her waist and flowed at her mid-thighs. She covered her chest with a black flannel Sam lended to her after noticing her shivering.

Steve had sat on the other side of Elaine so that she was sandwiched between the two men. Sam suddenly tugged the sleeve of his jacket, which he probably wouldn't get back from Elaine. She turned her head to him before he nodded his head to the beautiful blonde woman who looked like she was going to start the eulogy. She was introduced as Sharon Carter.

She then nudged Steve, who looked at her before she pointed to Sam, then nodded her head to the blonde. Steve looked up at Sharon, who was also looking at him. Elaine clenched her hands at the way Sharon looked at Steve, but it wasn't her place to be angry about who he might like.

Why was she angry? Was it jealousy?

She didn't listen to Sharon's eulogy, which was probably extremely rude, but she somehow couldn't. Her ears wouldn't focus onto the woman who lost her aunt.

So Elaine sat there, waiting for the memorial to end before she and Sam headed out of the church, allowing Steve to mourn the death of his other best friend alone in the church. Elaine watched Natasha walk in shortly after everyone left, and the two women looked to each other before sending a curt nod and friendly smile.

The wind outside began picking up, and Elaine was left alone with her obnoxiously loud thoughts.

Was she going to sign the Accords in Vienna? She knew Wanda was waiting for Elaine to make her choice, seeing as the sisters wouldn't go against each other. If she bound herself to that contract, she'd be tying her sister to the floor with her.

Tomorrow, the Accords are going to be signed, and she had to decide whether or not she was going to put two more signatures on it.

Elaine was never one to give up so easily.

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Author here! Sorry about the slow updates, I've been jammed with essays. If you've read my Teen Wolf Fanfiction, I'll be updating that very soon! The editing process is super long.

I'm sorry about any triggers! But here is a website with a list of suicide hotlines around the world.

https://www.therapyroute.com/article/helplines-suicide-hotlines-and-crisis-lines-from-around-the-world