Sometimes, a doorway wasn't just a doorway. Sometimes, it was the most beautiful doorway in the world, especially if it belonged to your childhood home that would be blown up by a madman in a few years. But for now, Ana was here, looking at the security cam above the front door of the Malibu Mansion, speaking with haste. Then, her eyes tore from the cam for a second, and she turned around. Two men, faces covered by ski masks, guns pointed at her. She wasn't startled. She was expecting them. Maybe not so soon, but she was expecting them.

Two gunshots from one of the guns. Ana felt the bullets pierce her chest, her heart. She felt the searing pain, and welcomed it. She was expecting the pain, too. It was a part of the plan. She looked at the cam again.

"New York. You must be in New York."

When Ana jolted awake, screaming, she was back in her room in Manhattan, New York. Not in Malibu. The doorway she had seen in her dream was no more. But this was how she was going to die. Charles Hinton had shown her. She had been seeing it in her nightmares ever since.

"FRIDAY, what time is it?"

"05.40 AM. Another nightmare?"

"Oh, shut up…"

Instead of going back to sleep, she got out of bed. She might as well start getting ready for work. She was going to need a long shower to calm down anyway.

…

"Going somewhere?" Ana asked her dad when she saw him in a suit—a normal, gray business suit, not an Iron Man suit—on her way out to work.

"Yep, and you're coming with me."

"But—"

"Whatever plans you got for today, they're going to have to wait. Secretary Ross wants you there, too."

Finally, she thought. It had been a month since Lagos. The incident had given the UN the excuse they had been waiting for. It wasn't going to be easy, though, to convince her dad to play ball with the government, especially after all that "I want my father back" diatribe. And the thing was, he was trying. Since that day at MIT, he had attended several parties, and thrown a few himself. To show her support and appreciation, Ana had accompanied him. They had even spent a weekend in Las Vegas. The one thing he refused to do was having one-night stands. One-night stands would be good for him; they would help him remember Potts wasn't the only woman in the world and a committed relationship wasn't a requirement for being a responsible adult, but Ana wasn't being pushy about it either. There was no need for such awkwardness. Other than that, he had been making progress. She didn't want to hinder it and send him back to his apologetic self.

But then, the old Tony Stark was also a man of strategy when the circumstances called for it. Plus, the deal she had made with Ross was for her dad's safety in the long run.

"Me? Why?" she asked, pretending to be clueless.

"He said something about oversight… Is it really hard to guess what this is about, kid?"

She nodded thoughtfully. "They want to put superheroes in check…"

"It was just a matter of time."

"What are you going to do?"

He showed her two files on his phone. The CVs of Miriam Sharpe, and her son, Charles Spencer. "That woman at MIT wasn't an actress, after all."

"Well, working with the government can help you fix your public image."

"I don't care about publicity, Ana. I'm going to work with them because it's the right thing to do. Do you remember how, after Afghanistan, I realized I'd become a part of a system that was comfortable with zero accountability? Well, it's happening all over again. Without some accountability, Avenging is no different from warmongering."

Damn, he was going back to his apologetic self… If it weren't for the deal she had made with Ross, she would tell him to give the middle finger to anyone who tried to guilt-trip him and not to sign the Accords. But getting rid of Maximoff was a more immediate priority. She couldn't cross a man like Ross. Her hands were tied.

"Let's go, then."

…

They met with Ross in a hotel room in Manhattan. He brought security guards, and some of the Stark Industries lawyers were already there by the time the Starks themselves joined. The Accords had become even thicker since Ana had seen the first draft. As for Mr. Secretary himself, he seemed pleased with how unusually easy it had been to convince Tony Stark, probably assuming it was Ana's doing. All she had to do was to let him.

"Okay," her dad said, once Ross was finished explaining. "Count me in."

Ross turned to Ana this time. "And you?"

"Of course."

"If this is about Sokovia, that was an exception," her dad said quickly. "We needed all hands on deck for that one. She's never been an Avenger, and she'll never be. No need for her to sign."

"She knows how to build and operate a suit, right?"

"So, are you going to make everyone with an IQ above 200 sign the Accords?"

"If they have the means to build a nuclear bomb in their backyards, yes. I will."

"Fine," Ana said, seeing no way out. At least signing would make her feel less of a hypocrite. "Let's get this over with. Does anyone have a pen?"

Her dad put a hand on her shoulder protectively to stop her. "No need to hurry, kid. Let the lawyers take a good look at it first."

"If we're done here," Ross interrupted them. "Can we go to the Compound now?"

Her dad got on his feet. "Sure. Cap's expecting me, anyway… Ana, Happy can take you to work—"

"I'm coming with you."

He frowned, but waited until they fell behind everyone else before whispering, "Honey, you at the Compound? Today? I don't think it's a good idea."

"I won't be a drama queen, I promise. I just want to see the look on their faces."

He sighed. "Yeah, I'm not looking forward to that part."

…

Ana wanted to see the look on their faces, because it was the only way to analyze the situation based on their initial response, and come up with a plan to provoke Maximoff. During the discussion, Ana just remained silent, and observed. The truth was, no one was happy about the Accords. But thank goodness, Rhodey had agreed to sign. Much to Ana's surprise, so did Vision and Nat. Rogers didn't. Maximoff and Wilson would follow his lead.

Rogers received a text message before he could make a final decision, though, and left the communal area, saying he had to go. After that, the others dispersed as well. It was just Ana, her dad, and Vision now.

"Listen, I need to ask you a favor," her dad asked Vision under his breath.

"Yes, Mr. Stark?"

"Wanda likes you. Can you keep her company here until this is sorted out?"

"You wish to confine her to the Compound…"

"For her protection. Come on, Vision. She's not a U.S. citizen. You got any idea how many strings I had to pull just to make sure she wouldn't get deported?"

Vision sighed. Not that he needed air, but he had done it anyway.

"Oh, are you worried the princess is going to be offended?" Ana sneered. "I've been under lockdown, too. And it didn't bother me, because I knew it was for my own protection while Stane was out there. I might not be able to move things with my brain, but I still use it more efficiently."

Vision sighed again. "Ana, this is not a competition."

"Of course not. You need an actual rival for a competition."

He ignored the remark. "Well, Mr. Stark is right. This arrangement is for everyone's best interest."

With these words, he, too, left.

"You're not obliged to keep her comfortable, you know," she told her dad once they were alone.

"Why, do you want to find out what happens if we make her uncomfortable?"

"Is this fear, or mercy?"

"Does it matter?"

"Fear is smart. Mercy is stupid."

"Kid, sometimes you scare me."

"Look, I'm glad you decided to sign the Accords. The last thing we need is another conflict with the government. But you're doing this for the wrong reasons. Don't let the guilt control you. You've saved the world, more than once. It is people that owe you a debt, not the other way around."

He gave her a sad smile. "How can you do this? How can you always find a way to defend me?"

"Why, you always find a way to defend your dad. At least you deserve to be defended."

"Unlike my dad?"

She shrugged. "You already know what I think of him."

He put an arm around her shoulders and tugged her closer. "Let's just go home before you jump down someone's throat."

…

The next day, the lawyers called. As a non-combatant, Ana only had to register as a "gifted individual." She was going to prepare a detailed report on the capabilities of every suit she had, and would build in the future. She could use them in case of an emergency, or for self-defense, but if that happened, there would be a hearing. The panel reserved the right to inspect her home and workplace unannounced, meaning she was going to have to hide her secrets very carefully from now on. If she got caught breaking any laws, the consequences would be severe. Even if she earned a pardon, she could continue her experiments only under strict supervision.

She agreed to sign, hoping it would be worth getting rid of Maximoff. For the sake of publicity, she decided to do it in Vienna, with Nat. Nat would represent the Avengers, and Ana, the Stark family. People needed to understand they weren't mutually inclusive.

"You sign, and we're not friends anymore."

The threat was a text from Daisy. "I couldn't care less," Ana typed, hit the send button, and slipped the phone back into her pocket. Yeah, she had just burnt the bridges with her best friend. Hopefully, all these would be worth it in the end.

"Have you been here before?" Natasha asked, coming to stand next to her by the window overlooking the city.

"Vienna? Yeah, for a few vacations… You?"

"For a few missions."

Ana laughed. She actually liked hanging out with her. On their way here, she had come to realize the Black Widow made a cool traveling buddy.

"I was in London yesterday," she said suddenly. "Steve was at Peggy Carter's funeral."

"Oh." So, that was what was going on with Rogers… Ana had met Peggy only once, but Sigyn would tell her so much about the woman. Aside from her connection to Rogers, Ana respected her a lot.

"Steve is really sorry about JARVIS, you know."

"Is he? Because he seems more concerned about Maximoff's mistakes than his own."

"I could blame her for my loss, too."

"You should." There was still no word from Bruce.

"I wouldn't be here if people around me didn't believe in second chances."

"I was twelve when I learned why you shouldn't trust people who wronged you even once. Everything that's happened ever since only bolsters that argument."

"You went to a boarding school, right?"

"Yeah."

She showed her a scar on her left wrist. It was very faint, impossible to notice unless you looked very closely. Ana, for example, had never noticed it until now. "This… didn't happen in a fight."

"How, then?"

"I went to a boarding school, too. They used to shackle us to our beds every night… Not that they had to, but it was an old tradition."

"The Red Room…"

"If I can see the good in people, so can you. I didn't know JARVIS too well, but I'm sure he'd want you to."

"Excuse me, Ms. Romanoff, Ms. Stark," a woman interrupted. "We need your signatures."

They signed the attendance sheet. The woman thanked them and left.

"Ms. Romanoff, Ms. Stark." A young man approached. Ana knew him. After Sokovia, they had been able to recover a small amount of vibranium, and contacted Wakanda. Well, maybe not before Ana had run some experiments… King T'Chaka had then sent his son to retrieve it.

"I suppose neither of us is used to the spotlight," he told Nat. He probably wanted to talk to her about the Wakandans who had died in Lagos.

"Well, it's not always so flattering."

"Ms. Stark, it's good to see you again."

"It's good to see you, too, Prince T'Challa. I'm really sorry about the incident in Lagos. So is Ms. Romanoff."

"Thank you," he said, then turned to Nat again. "You seem to be doing alright so far. Considering your last trip to Capitol Hill, I wouldn't think you'd be particularly comfortable in this company."

"Well, I'm not."

"And that alone makes me glad you are here, Ms. Romanoff."

"Why? You don't approve of all this?"

"The Accords, yes. The politics, not really. Two people in a room can get more done than a hundred."

"Unless you need to move a piano," King T'Chaka himself joined them. The second he did, Ana recognized the bond the two shared, the same kind she shared with her own father.

"Baba," T'Challa greeted him.

"Ms. Romanoff, Ms. Stark…"

"King T'Chaka, please allow me to apologize for what happened in Nigeria," Nat said immediately.

"Thank you. Thank you for agreeing to all this. I'm sad to hear that Captain Rogers will not be joining us today."

"Yeah, so am I."

An announcement was made, telling everyone to take their seats. "That is the future calling," T'Challa said. "Such a pleasure, Ms. Romanoff."

"Oh, and Ms. Stark," King T'Chaka said as the two women were taking their leave. "I've been meaning to thank you in person for returning what has remained of our stolen vibranium."

"I'm sorry we were able to recover only such a small amount."

"I'm also glad that you and your father support the Accords. Decades ago, my father gave your grandfather vibranium as a token of good faith. Now I see that faith wasn't misplaced."

Ana smiled at him politely, then went to take her seat beside Nat.

The assembly began with King T'Chaka's speech. Everything seemed in order, until they heard distant shouts coming from outside, and T'Challa yelled, "EVERYBODY GET DOWN!"

Ana didn't know how it could be possible after everything she had been through, but she couldn't react in time. She just froze. Maybe it was due to seeing, in almost slow motion, a desperate person whose first instinct had been to shield his father from the impact.

She could have died if Nat hadn't pulled her under the desk in time. Ana had seen action before, in Sokovia, but this was different. This time, there was no suit to protect her. She was completely exposed. Only then, she realized the true meaning of the Accords. This was what she was signing up for. To be completely exposed for the rest of your life. To ask for permission from others to use something she created with her own mind and hands. Like a stupid turtle that gave its shell away, to the predators of the jungle… What was worse, she was basically defending the view that others should do the same. No wonder Daisy hated her so much for this. But it was too late to go back now. And she was too proud to openly admit she had made a huge mistake.

There was too much noise, too much smoke, dust and glass shards… Her ears were ringing from the deafening noise of the explosion.

"Nat, I can't breathe," she said, hugging her tightly.

"It's okay. Cover your nose and your mouth. I'll get us out of here."

Ana covered the lower half of her face with her sleeve. Nat pulled her out, and they joined the flood of shocked people fleeing the building. Nat made her sit on the first bank they saw outside. Even here, the air smelled of smoke, but at least it was breathable. Ana didn't even know why she was so afraid; she knew she wasn't supposed to die here. If it was so bad for her, she couldn't even imagine what it was like for people who didn't know what their future held.

"Are you hurt?"

"No. You?"

"I'm fine. Stay here. I'll be back in a minute."

Ana looked around and saw the cameras and reporters… For once, none of them was paying her any attention. The attack was probably on the news already.

Dad… He must have heard it by now. Thankfully, she still had her phone on her. When she looked, there were already six missed calls. She was about to call him back when he tried for the seventh time. She answered with shaky hands.

"Dad?"

"Ana?" He sounded like he was having a heart attack, but it was so good to hear his voice still.

"I'm okay. I was with Nat."

"Oh, thank God…"

"I scared you, didn't I?"

"I'm just glad you're safe. Stay with Natasha, okay?"

"Yeah, sure. But, Dad…"

"Yes, honey?"

"When can I see you?"

"There's a CIA headquarters in Berlin, I'll meet you there."

"Got it."

"I was planning to take the jet, but I can fly faster in the—"

"No, no. This is not a good time for another unauthorized flight." She was desperate to see him, yes, but there was no need to test Ross' patience. Not when she had come so close to getting rid of Maximoff. The show had to go on.

"Ana, there's one more thing," he added gravely.

"Yeah?"

"They say it was the Winter Soldier. You know who that is, right?"

"Bucky Barnes, Rogers' old friend?" She wondered if this attack was HYDRA's doing, or Barnes was an independent contractor now. Both seemed equally possible.

"Yeah. This is about to get really, really messy, and I want you to stay out of it. I gotta see you in Berlin, but after that, you're going home right away. Understood?"

"Understood."

…

In Berlin, they had given her an office to wait in. In the meantime, Rogers had apparently tried to rescue Barnes in Romania. He, the Winter Soldier, Wilson, and T'Challa, who was trying to kill Barnes on his own to avenge his father's death, had been captured, with Rhodey's help. He had called Ana, too, at one point, to make sure she was alright.

The office was made of glass panels, so she saw her dad striding down the corridor hastily. He looked like a mess, but at the same time he had the determined face of someone who was done being a doormat.

Ana stood up and waited for him to enter.

"Kid," he gasped, barging in.

"Hey, Dad."

They hugged. They hugged like they were alone, ignoring the glass walls around them. Death taught you not to give two shits about people you barely knew and their opinions. "You okay?"

"I am."

He took a step back to inspect her better. "You sure?"

"Well, my lungs still hurt a bit. There was too much dust." She wasn't going to tell him how the attack had made her feel about the Accords. Not because she was too proud, but because her opinion was the only thing that could change his. Telling him would make him and Rogers unite against the Accords, despite Barnes.

"Come here. Take a seat." He made her sit back down on the leather couch.

"Dad, by the look of it, you're the one who needs a rest."

"I'll rest when that son of a bitch gets what he deserves. God, I'd gladly kill him with my bare hands… But I guess a Wakandan prison would do, too." He was pacing around restlessly while talking.

"Don't let Captain America hear that," she joked, then became serious again. "What now?"

"Normally, I'd try to reason with Cap, but you were there, kid. Damn, you were there… It's not just about the Accords anymore. It's personal."

"So, you finally decided to act…" If he was going to toughen up, return to his normal self, all that horror she had been through was worth it.

He took a seat, too, and took her hand into his. "Kid, I didn't try to avenge JARVIS, and I know that makes you feel betrayed."

"I never—"

"You never blamed me, I know. But let's be honest: Deep down, it was what you expected from me. And you had every right."

"You had to think of the greater good. Revenge wouldn't have brought JARVIS back. I get it. We can't afford to be petty."

"Not just that. I didn't avenge JARVIS, because I believe there's still hope for him. A part of him is still in Vision. Who knows, maybe one day… Still, things are different now. If Rogers is going to defend a terrorist, it's not something we can tolerate. Not even for the greater good."

Ana's phone started vibrating on the table, again.

85 missing calls from Potts, and counting.

"I know I shouldn't block my CEO's number, but I'm really tempted to do it."

"She was worried sick. We talked."

"You talked?" That wasn't good. Potts shouldn't be giving him any hope.

"She was the one who called me, actually. To know if you were okay, since you ignore her calls. Just let her hear your voice. Please. For me."

He sounded so broken that Ana didn't have a choice anymore. She picked it up.

"Hello, Ms. Potts. This is Golden Goose #2, still alive and kicking. Bye." She hung up, before Potts could speak. "There. You happy now?"

"Well, at least you talked to her. That's progress."

"So, the new king of Wakanda has a vibranium suit," Ana said to change the subject. "How cool is that?"

"You might want to remove yourself from the building before they arrive."

"Are you sure you can handle Rogers? You know how stubborn he is."

"Let me worry about that. And I'll feel a lot better once you're safe at home."

"Okay, then."

"Happy is here to take you."

Indeed, Happy was waiting at the end of the hallway. They got out of the office and went to him.

"Hey, Ana. You look okay."

"Take good care of her, will you?"

"I always do, sir."

They hugged again. "Good luck, Dad. Keep me updated."

"Sure thing. Fly safe. I'll see you soon."

He released her. Ana followed Happy out of the building, and into a rental Audi A8. On the way to the airport, they saw the police convoy with the screaming sirens. Rogers wouldn't rest until he freed his friend. And he was going to need help. Ana didn't think she would even have to get creative to send Maximoff to the Raft.

…

"At times like these, I wish I had a degree in Chemistry…"

"Ana, you're trying to create a new element. I don't think a degree would make it any easier," FRIDAY commented.

One of the best things about having a private jet was you could keep working on your projects during a 9-hour flight. Like, creating a new element based on the Mind Stone. It had been her sole personal project for a while.

"In the meantime, connect to the security feed of the Compound. I want to see what Maximoff is up to."

"I'm afraid I can't do that."

This confused Ana. "Why not?"

"Mr. Stark has removed all your administrative privileges on the Compound network."

"He did WHAT?" Ana cried.

A second later, Happy came in. "Hey, everything's okay?"

"No! Dad locked me out of the Compound, can you believe it?"

He didn't react with surprise at all.

"You knew…"

"Well, yeah," Happy mumbled evasively.

And then, that blinding rage took over again. They were living on borrowed time, and people like Maximoff were ruining it. "He's protecting her… Why is he protecting her?"

"He's protecting you, Ana. You were becoming obsessed with that girl. Tony was worried."

"Leave me alone!"

"That doesn't sound like a good idea right now."

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" she screamed.

Happy left.

"I'm sorry, Ana," FRIDAY said calmly. "But the good news is, your latest simulation has worked. You've created the new element. Well done." She showed her the simulation.

Under normal circumstances, Ana would be celebrating right now. She was one step closer to creating the Nexus. Two down, four to go… If only she were in the mood for celebration. But then, if she had duplicated the Mind Stone, the stone that had given Maximoff her powers… Suddenly, sending her to the Raft wasn't such a tempting idea anymore. Not while she had the power to kill the bitch.

There wasn't a Particle Accelerator on the jet—that would be too dangerous—but she could remotely control the one she had at home. The element would be synthesized by the time she was there. So would the new Arc Reactor that would have not one, but two elements in its core. Now all she had to do was to design a new suit that could harness this power…

"Would you like to report this development to the Committee?"

"And tell them about the Nexus? Hell no. This one stays with me."

"It's been less than 24 hours since you signed the Accords, and you're already breaking the law," FRIDAY complained.

"I won't tell them if you don't…"