Thank you for your patience and support. Here, in this chapter, we'll be touching on the beginnings of the movie, Captain America: Civil War. Enjoy.


Colleen and Tony were walking down a tight hallway. Rookies were running past, though some slowed to eye the pair. It was becoming increasingly common to catch sight of the head of Stark Industries as of late, but still rare. They were currently in the Avengers Facility, heading to one of the numerous conference rooms. Tony had arrived on site a couple minutes ago and Colleen had managed to find him among all the hubbub. She had been vying for his attention, hoping to dwindle his patience down enough to let her in the "need-to-know." "Do not do this to me, not now. I've been watching the news and I know things are not on the up and up." He continued to ignore her, fiddling with articles on his phone. He really loved that thing. Clips of the battle in Sokovia flew by as he flipped from page to page. She quickened her pace so that she could stop in front of him. "Tony," she started. He swerved around her, but as he did, she quickly swiped the device out of his hand. The hologram immediately disappeared from the air. "Don't even think about it," she pocketed the phone when she saw him reach for it. He almost pouted.

"Alright," he sighed before quickly mumbling "kids" to himself. "The Secretary of State is coming," he walked past her. She quickly followed. "He wants to meet with us." He shoved his hands in the pocket of his dark suit pants.

"What for?" she asked quietly.

"I have an idea," he murmured, turning the corner. There were some suits standing outside a conference room's door, guarding it. Their stance didn't change as Colleen and Tony approached. "Boys," he nodded, before quickly dipping into the room. Colleen squeezed past just before the doors closed.

"Guards? Huh, nice touch," Colleen commented before taking in the interior of the room. She had been here a couple of times before in her explorations.

"No, bad idea," he started, turning around to the sound of her voice. She had already taken a seat on an orange couch, opposite of the table. There was a lone-standing piece of glass, the meeting monitor, with the Avenger's logo etched into it between her and where all the members would sit. Three chairs lined each side of the table and two sets, consisting of a water pitcher and glasses, rested on top. A couple of chairs were strewn about behind the set-up. A line of short railings replaced the northern wall. Behind the couch was a fully kitted out kitchen with an expensive coffee machine and the newest of appliances. There was even a dainty, picturesque bowl of fruit sitting on a counter. "The press would have a field day if he decides to mention you outside of this building," he crossed his arms.

"Do you know how many people see me every day?" Colleen looked up at him. "So many that I can't even count. They are bound to find out soon, and you know it, especially since you've sent me to Midtown, which was absolutely lovely, by the way," she gave him a strained smile. "Thank you for that." She nodded towards him as she got comfortable. "I don't even know how you've managed to keep me hidden so long. I wonder, do you pay them all off? It's definitely not the intimidation factor. Actually, I'm not going to question it. Just like how you're not going to question me about this decision."

"Fine, but no talking during the meeting. Just listen. And by the way, I'm the parent, so I get to make all the calls."

"You have me doubting that most of the time," she retorted as Vision phased into view. Her attention quickly turned towards the male. He was wearing a dark sweater and matching pants. The collar of a white dress shirt peaked behind the v-line of the garment.

"The others will be arriving promptly," the android took the middle seat on one side of the table. Tony nodded in thanks and proceeded to head towards the table. Instead of taking a seat, he swerved to the side to lean on the railing. He peaked down below for a moment before looking back at her. "Fine, we'll play by your rules today."

"Don't you mean, every day?" she said cheekily, pulling out his phone from her pocket. She waved it teasingly in the air before lightly tossing it over. Its trajectory didn't follow the laws of physics like it should've. Instead, it seemed to catch itself on the way down before floating over to Tony's waiting hand.

"We still need to talk about that," he stated as he took the device back, shooting her a finger gun in the process.

"We've talked about it all my life," Colleen mumbled. She kicked off her shoes to pull her legs up on the couch with her. The smooth leather material was cool against her skin.

"Well, if you want to sit at the adult's table, we'll need to have a serious conversation about the whole embodiment of renewable energy thing. Ah-Steve, Wanda, don't be shy," Tony looked up towards the pair that appeared in the doorway. They shuffled in, both dressed in their comfort-casual attire. "Take a seat at the table. It's like kindergarten all over again," the billionaire joked. Wanda gave a small smile despite seeming quite anxious. She sat down next to Vision. Steve gave Tony a nod before taking a seat on the other side of the two, towards the back. He raised an eyebrow when he caught sight of Colleen on the couch, across the room. "Yeah, don't worry about Pipsqueak, she's cleared for this one," Tony answered Steve's building question before he was able to say it. "Figured it was time. Baby bird's got to fly at some point, right?"

"I hope you mean metaphorically, because I still haven't figured out how to do that quite yet," Colleen piped up from her spot. She was mindlessly poking the couch as she waited for the meeting to adjourn.

"Maybe Tony can build you a suit to help you out," Sam smiled as he walked in, Rhodey trailing in behind him. Sam took the last chair beside Vision while Rhodey sat across from Wanda. That left one seat open between the American hero and War Machine. "Not a bad idea, right?"

"Maybe," Tony agreed. "Is she usually late?" his eyes stared pointedly at the door.

"Natasha?" Steve asked.

"No, the Queen of England," Tony rolled his eyes. His attention was suddenly diverted when a man walked in, followed by a guard. He seemed to be in his later years with his graying hair and mustache. He was wearing a simple navy-blue two-piece suit with a dark red and blue tie to match. His eyes carried determination but was laced with the weary years and past hardships of a retired soldier. Walking in with a confident stride, he stopped at the head of the table where he proceeded to analyze those seated.

"Stark," he acknowledged with a nod.

"Ross," Tony replied simply.

"This is a nice facility," the Secretary of State complimented.

"I know," Tony headed to the back of the room to sit down. He didn't sit with the others at the table. There was a moment of silence.

"Sorry about that," Natasha snuck in and closed the door behind her. She gave a polite smile to the guest in the room. "Had to break up a fight," she took the last available seat.

"A fight?" Ross asked incredulously.

"Friendly in nature," Natasha responded with a small smile.

"Did they break anything?" Tony asked, ignoring the man. The red-haired assassin shook her head no. "Good," he finished.

"Well," Ross cleared his throat, seeing that the quick conversation was over. "Let's begin the meeting, shall we?" He smiled at the Avengers in the room. The Avengers only gave him solemn looks in return, his presence did not bode well. Colleen observed from the couch. It was unclear whether the Secretary of State knew she was there or not since he had yet to turn towards her, but, for now, she would work with that. This was her first Avengers meeting and she didn't want to risk getting kicked out. Tony waved his hand for Ross to begin.

"Five years ago," Ross sighed. He clasped his hands together into a fist in front of him, like he was holding something. Colleen tried to get a good look at what he was doing but could only see the side of his hands. "I had a heart attack." The teen watched as he got into a golfing position, his hands drawn up high near his head. "And dropped, right in the middle of my backswing." He let his hands fall and stepped forward to rest them on the edge of the table. He let the opening words sink in for a second. Colleen wasn't sure where he was going. Straightening up, he continued, "Turned out, it was the best round of my life." Wanda crossed her arms and leaned back against her chair. He had the sole attention of everyone in the room, which some would call an honor. "Because after 13 hours of surgery and a triple bypass, I found something that 40 years in the army had never taught me." He paused for a moment, looking at Tony. "Perspective." Colleen watched as her guardian began fidgeting with his suit cuff. In the silence, Tony slowed to a stop and let his hand rest on the opposite wrist. Colleen's brow furrowed at his behavior. He seemed off and curiously enough, he's been that way for the last month or so. She had inquired about his situation multiple times, but he had yet to open up to her. "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 that would prefer the word "vigilantes."" He nodded, acknowledging what most of those in the room already knew. The news was drowning in "hero vs. villain" stories and the Avengers were under the spotlight. Many didn't know who to turn to when it came to city repairs for the damage battles have caused. Others were still stricken with grief over lost loved ones, the ones who ended up as a mere statistic of war.

"What word would you use, Mr. Secretary?" Natasha asked with a curious look. The others remained quiet, mulling over their thoughts. None were too ecstatic when it came to that double-edged sword of their duties.

"How about "dangerous?"" Ross responded without missing a beat. Wanda seemed to shrink into her chair. Colleen watched as she tried to seemingly disappear from the meeting. She knew the telekinetic was reliving the memories of the recent incursion in Sokovia. It had been on her mind ever since it happened, and despite what the others do to try and keep her mind off it, she would always fall back into her thoughts. Steve had told Colleen at one point that it is an experience everyone goes through in the field. The teen didn't want to believe that was true, knowing that one day, it would be her turn. "What would you call a group of US-based, enhanced individuals who routinely ignore sovereign borders and inflict their will wherever they choose," Ross asked. Steve's eyes met Colleen's for a second before dropping to his lap. "And who, frankly, seem unconcerned about what they leave behind?" Colleen was about to say something, despite her unknown presence, but a look from Tony quickly denied those plans. She was to keep quiet while the Secretary of State was here. Ross moved to the side, and suddenly her view of the table was obstructed. The Secretary had pulled up a map of the world on the glass monitor, causing the once clear screen to become translucent. She could only make out their figures from where she sat. Wanting to be more included, the blonde pulled herself off the couch and began walking towards the other side of the room. "New York," Ross said quietly, lowering his head. The map zoomed into the city's location and faded into the videos taken years ago. People were running away in terror while buildings collapsed. Soldiers were fighting against the Chitauri while Avengers ran wild, trying to contain the invasion. Rhodey's eyes were downcast as the videos continued. It was a hard thing to experience and even a harder thing to watch. Colleen was quick to sit down near Tony as Ross continued. "Washington, D.C." More footage was brought up of burning buildings and a fallen helicarrier. The somber atmosphere began to deepen as civilians were shown dying by the aftermath. "Sokovia." It was clear, by now, what message Ross was trying to send. Most of his presentation consisted of the damage and destruction the Avengers caused to infrastructure and the people. "Lagos."

"Okay, that's enough," Steve said calmly, eyeing a crestfallen Wanda. She had turned away after watching the building she destroyed go up in flames. Ross quickly nodded to the guard beside him and the monitor shut off. It was eerily silent for a moment as everyone was reminded that despite their heroic actions, many suffered in the wake of their victories.

"For the past four years, you've operated with unlimited power and no supervision." Colleen perked up. This was sure to be what the Secretary actually came here for. "That's an arrangement that the governments of the world can no longer tolerate." He emphasized the last few words. "But I think we have a solution." The guard handed him a rather thick book with a blue spine and a plain white cover. Ross gratefully accepted it before laying it gently on the table and sliding it over to Wanda. "The Sokovia Accords." The Sokovian gripped the booklet in her hands, scanning the front. The teen couldn't read the font from where she sat. "Approved by 117 countries, it states that the Avengers shall no longer be a-," Ross began to walk slowly around the table. Wanda slid the bound pages over to Rhodey to examine. "Private organization." Rhodey looked up in surprise at Ross's words. Natasha's face was scrunched up as he continued, her brows furrowed. "Instead, they'll operate under the supervision of a United Nations panel, only when and if that panel deems it necessary." Colleen was still processing the magnitude of this information when Steve began to speak. Could this really happen to them? There would be no way the Avengers could do what they needed to do, in the time needed to do it, if there was a whole room of people arguing over whether or not they could even attempt a plan of action.

"The Avengers were formed to make the world a safer place. I feel we've done that." The super soldier looked up as Ross rounded the back end of the table.

"Tell me, Captain, do you know where Thor and Banner are right now?" Steve remained silent. Banner was still missing after the defeat of Ultron and the god hadn't made contact after leaving to find the other infinity stones. To say the Avengers were worried and concerned about them would be an understatement, and the fact that Ross brought it up was a slap to the face. "If I misplaced a couple of 30 megaton nukes, you can bet there'd be consequences." Everyone continued to stay quiet as Ross spoke. "Compromise. Reassurance. That's how the world works. Believe me, this is the middle ground." He pointed towards the lengthy document.

"So, there are contingencies." Rhodey spoke with a hint of caution. He placed his hand on top of the book, inching it closer. Colleen stared at it, wishing it would disappear.

"Three days from now, the UN meets in Vienna to ratify the Accords." Steve turned to look at Tony after hearing the news. "Talk it over," Ross eyed the pair.

"And if we come to a decision that you don't like?" Natasha tested when she noticed the Secretary of State and his guard beginning to leave. The others waited with bated breath.

"Then you retire," Ross replied. As if it could ever be that simple.