Captain America: War on Freedom
Chapter One: Freedom of Guilt
A/N: I was rewatching Captain America: Civil War and it got me thinking. What about a rewrite, to fix the problems I had with the movie? Like what if, instead of ignoring Tony and Pepper's relationship, use it to its advantage? And what if the movies treated Ross like how he actually is? An asshat and I refuse to believe that Tony would agree with a man that made Bruce Banner's life a living shit hole. So I won't reveal everything I have planned, but be aware that Pepper Potts is my favourite character along with Tony Stark, so if you don't like them together than this ain't your story.
Please enjoy, read, review and follow! Disclaimer at the end.
Pepper Potts couldn't help but let her sad smile linger on her face as she watched Tony relive the scene he wanted to happen the last time he talked to his parents. Tony Stark always regretted his actions towards his parents- his mother more specifically. He felt as if he never told her enough that he loved her or didn't show his father some slack. He loved his parents, as much as Howard Stark was a bit of a prick and Maria Stark struggled to keep her husband and son together.
"-Now I would like to introduce, the founder of the September Foundation and the CEO of Stark Industries, my gorgeous girlfriend, Pepper Potts!" Tony announced. Pepper walked onto the stage from the side to a growing applause and Pepper smiled and waved to the crowd. She was so glad she ignored almost everyone and started up this foundation. It was worth it.
"Thank you, Tony and welcome to all of you! Yes, it's true all your projects are now fully funded by the September foundation and yes you will have resources available to help you with your projects. I can not wait to see everything you have in store for the future. Now, before Tony and I leave, you'll have to fill out some paperwork but then you're free to go. Enjoy your day." Pepper announced. The crowd of kids applauded even more as Tony took Pepper's hand and raised it above their heads.
Pepper smiled at her boyfriend as they walked off the stage and Pepper whispered in Tony's ear.
"We have to get back to the compound immediately. Avengers emergency. General Ross has politely declared war against the Avengers." Pepper told her boyfriend. He looked at her in worry and she shook her head slightly as a faculty member walked up to them.
"Mr Stark, Miss Potts, thank you both so much for your generosity. The money will help these kids tremendously and I was wondering, if I may ask, if some of that could go to the faculty? I know, gross, but hear me out. I have this killer idea for a self-cooking hotdog. Basically, chemical detonator embedded-" The faculty member started, and Pepper politely smiled at him.
"I'm so sorry, Tony and I both have a hell of meetings- Avengers and Stark Industries things, but please let my PA know and we'll work something out, I promise." Pepper told him.
"Thank you, madam, thank you so much!" He replied, walking off happily. Pepper rolled her eyes and followed her husband, who was leading them down the hallway and towards the elevator, where a woman was standing, looking at it intently.
"That was so sweet what you two do for those young people." The woman said, with a fake smile. Pepper gave a small smile.
"Everyone deserves a chance to grow their potential." Pepper told her.
"Oh, they deserve it. It helps to ease my conscious." Tony replied. Pepper squeezed his hand and he squeezed it back. Her husband's guilt had multiplied in the past year, since Sokivia and the battle with Ultron and she knew how much it had haunted him.
"They say there's a correlation between generosity and guilt. But you both got the money. Why not help as many people grow their potential? It's brilliant." The woman told them. Pepper felt her heart race. This woman was not here to tell them about how nice it was of Pepper or Tony about the foundation.
"Are you going up?" Tony asked, seemingly ignoring the jab the woman sent to them.
"I'm right where I want to be." The woman told them, now glaring at them. She reached into her handbag and Tony let go of Pepper's hand, pushing her back and grabbed her wrist with his right hand. The woman glared at him, pulling out a picture.
"Hey! I'm sorry. It's occupational hazard." Tony told the woman, seemingly unapologetic.
"I work for the state department. Human resources. I'm sure you can appreciate that Miss Potts. It's boring, I know, but it helped me raise my son. My beautiful boy and I'm so very proud of what he grew up to be. His name was Charlie Spencer. You murdered him, Tony Stark. In Sokovia. Not that it matters in the least to you. You think you fight for us. You fight for yourself- for her. You are both cowards. Who's going to avenge my Charlie, Stark? Potts? He's dead. And I blame you." The woman told them. She slammed the picture in Pepper's chest and stalked off.
Pepper couldn't help but feel tears come to her eyes as she looked at the picture of what she assumed was Charlie Spencer. Tony took the photo from her hand and Pepper looked up to see the woman almost completely out of sight.
"Mrs Spencer!" Pepper called out suddenly. The woman turned around. "Tony did not kill your son. He was trying to save the world from being wiped out completely from existence. Know your facts before you place blame. I'm sorry for your loss, I truly am. But Tony Stark did not kill Charlie Spencer. Ultron did."
"And who created Ultron?" The woman asked.
"Everyone afraid for the safety of this world." Pepper replied simply. The woman walked off and Pepper turned back to her boyfriend. He was still looking at the picture and Pepper grabbed it back from him.
"You did not kill this boy, Tony Stark." Pepper told him. He only nodded slightly.
"We've got to go, we have a meeting with General Ross and the Avengers." Tony told her, walking into the elevator. Pepper sighed and followed him, standing beside him, taking his hand.
"I love you," Pepper told him quietly.
"I love you too, Pep," Tony replied.
When Pepper and Tony arrived back at the Avengers compound, she could feel her headache intensifying. This was going to be a very long day, only to be made worse with a meeting with the Secretary of State, General Ross. In the car ride home, Pepper caught herself and Tony up to speed with what had happened in Lagos just hours before and the Sokovia Accords, in which the meeting with General Ross was about. Tony parked the car in the garage, beside the other cars.
Pepper hoped out of the car, closing the door and followed her husband up to the meeting room the Avengers used to debrief each other on missions. Steve, Wanda, Natasha, Sam, Rhodey, Vision and General Ross were already in the board room and Pepper hesitated.
"Come in, Pepper, I'll tell you everything that happens, anyway." Tony pointed out. She smiled slightly at him before following him into the room.
"General Ross," Pepper acknowledged, nodding in his direction.
"Miss Potts. Mr Stark, I wasn't aware this was a meeting for civilians as well." Ross told them and Pepper hid a scoff with a cough that made both Sam and Rhodey smirk at her.
"Well General Ross, I like to inform my w- girlfriend of everything that happens in my life, and wouldn't you like her to get the best opinion of you in person?" Tony asked him sarcastically. He opted out of sitting in a chair, instead, standing behind Pepper's chair, which was at the end of the table.
"Miss Potts is not supposed to know about missions that the Avengers partake in." Ross pointed out. Pepper rolled her eyes.
"General Ross, I'm sure you're a busy man, with many important things to do. Now, can you please inform us all about what this meeting is about? I have to prepare dinner soon, and I'd hate for us to have a late dinner." Pepper told the General in a cold voice.
"Perspective. Some people call the Avengers heroes. Other call you vigilantes. The world owes you a great deal. An unpayable debt. You've fought for us, protected us. Risked your lives for us." Ross told them, glaring at Pepper.
"And what word would you use, Mr. Secretary?" Natasha asked, leaning slightly backwards in her chair as Pepper sat forward, slightly.
"How about 'dangerous'? What would you call a group of US-based, enhanced individuals, who routinely ignores sovereign borders and inflict their will where ever they choose to and who, frankly, seem unconcerned about what they leave behind." Ross told them.
Pepper closed her eyes as Ross started to show them video footage of New York, Washington DC, Sokovia and Lagos. She couldn't stand to watch the pain that the Avengers were surely going through.
"Okay, that's enough." Steve said, and Pepper opened her eyes, looking at Wanda, who looked like she was about to break down and cry.
"For four years, the Avengers have operated with unlimited power and no supervision. That's an arrangement the governments of the worlds can no longer tolerate. But I think we have a solution." Ross told them and Pepper scoffed loudly again. Everyone turned to look at her and Tony squeezed her shoulder.
"General Ross, if I may interject. These things happened because civilians or the police or whatever you want to call them, were not powerful enough to stop these threats. Loki sent thousands of aliens to invade Earth. Who stopped them? Hydra had infiltrated SHIELD and who stopped them? Ultron wanted to annihilate the world. Who stopped them? And didn't Hydra want biohazardous materials, in which the Avengers stopped? So, I ask you, General. Why do you really want to control the Avengers?" Pepper interjected. Ross looked like he wanted to strangle her, and the others looked at her, impressed by her standing up on their behalf.
"One hundred and seventeen, Miss Potts. One hundred and seventeen countries want to sign the Sokovia accords. The Avengers will no longer be a private organization, their weapons will be controlled and monitored by the United Nations panel, and you will only operate when and if it's necessary, deemed by the panel." General Ross told them, glaring at her.
"My- our weapons monitored by the panel. So, they can steal my technology and use it to create their own weapons? Think of yourself as screwed, General." Tony spat.
"The Avengers, as Pepper informed you, were created to make the world safer. I feel we're doing that." Steve told him.
"Tell me Captain, Miss Potts, Mr Stark, where are Thor and Banner? Where are the god and the Hulk? If I misplaced a couple of thirty mega ton nukes, you'd bet there'd be consequences. Compromise, Avengers. Reassurance. That's how the world works. Believe me, this is the middle ground." Ross told them.
"So, there are contingencies." Rhodey said simply. Pepper rolled her eyes in frustration.
"In three days, the UN meets in Vienna to ratify the Accords. So, I suggest you talk it over." Ross told them, the underlying threat of 'and if you don't' heavily in his voice and mannerisms.
"And if we come to a decision you don't like?" Natasha asked.
"Then you retire." Ross told them.
"And who saves the world when we're retired, General?" Tony asked as Ross was about to leave.
"Better heroes." Ross told them coldly and he left. Pepper looked up at her husband, who was looking at Rhodey and Steve. The Accords now sat directly in front of Pepper and she grabbed the book and stood up.
"Have some time to think about the accords by yourselves, then at dinner we'll hash it out. It'll be okay, if you don't agree with these accords." Pepper assured them. She left the meeting room and went straight for her bedroom.
Today had been a long day, but the next few days didn't look promising either.
A/N: As you can tell, another change is for a stricter Accords, because let's face it, it's completely realistic. Please, read, review and follow! I'll post later chapters but I have no idea, how many chapters there will be. Also it's not an accident that the world thinks that Pepper and Tony aren't married and that Pepper refers to Tony as her husband.
Any suggestions on what you'd like to see? I have another three chapters written up and chapter five is being written now. I'll take any suggestions to inspire my writing.
All grammar mistakes are mine and I do not own Marvel or any of its characters or quotes.