Chapter 38: Whose Side Are You On?
"Eleven Wakandans were among those killed during a confrontation between the Avengers and a group of mercenaries in Lagos, Nigeria last month."
The words from the reporter were all Adora was focused on, as she sat quietly in her room of the compound. It had been a month since the tragedy, and she still felt no better than when it occurred. Her eyes drifted to the headline of the report, 'Avengers Indictment? World Reaction to Violence.' Normally she didn't care what the news had to say about them, but this time as far as she was concerned, they were right. The Reporter continued to drone on, discussing how the normally reclusive people of Wakanda had been in Lagos on an outreach mission. Adora remembered hearing about the Wakandans during the Ultron incident. They sounded like a strong, proud people… and thanks to Wanda's mistake, her failure, many of them were dead. As the Reporter continued, the screen cut to an interview with the leader of Wakanda, King T'Chaka.
"Our people's blood is spilled on foreign soil...not only because of the actions of criminals, but by the indifference of those pledged to stop them." The King stated firmly. Adora silently began to tear up again, as the events of that day continually replayed in her mind. How she could have done things differently, how she could have saved those people. "Victory at the expense of the innocent is no victory at all!" She finally shut the TV off at that moment, wiping her eyes. She knew he was right. Lagos was not victory. It was just the latest in a line of failures Adora had been involved in since the founding of the Avengers.
She stood up and walked into the bathroom to splash some water on her face, and took a long look at herself in the mirror. She wanted to be a hero, to prove she could be better than what Santos wanted her to be. But if she couldn't protect anyone, how could she call herself a hero? She was shaken out of her thoughts by the sound of soft strumming coming from the next room. Drying off, she peeked out the door, and caught sight of Catra. She had clearly let herself into the room to talk to Adora, and was waiting on her bed, calmly strumming a guitar she had been gifted for her last birthday. Adora smiled softly walking back into the room. She leaned into the doorframe and just watched her lover strum out a tune, before finally speaking up.
"You really took to that thing, huh?" She asked.
Catra looked up from her guitar and smiled back at Adora, setting it aside. "Guess it's just a talent." She replied, walking over and taking Adora's hands. "How are you holding up, Adora. Tara tells me you barely left your room all month."
"I don't want to talk about it, Catra…" Adora admitted, pulling the catgirl into a hug. Catra could feel the slight trembling in her arms as they held one another. "I keep...I keep running through my head how we could have done things differently."
"Adora...it wasn't your fault-" Catra began, before Adora looked up at her and suddenly snapped back.
"It WAS my fault Catra. And Steve's, and Natashas….and yours." She wiped at her eyes again. "And especially Wanda's."
"That's harsh, Adora."
"I'm sorry." Adora replied, sitting back down on her bed. "I just need some time. I need to think about it all. We're supposed to be the good guys, protecting people and saving lives."
"That's what we do, Adora." Catra replied, rubbing her back.
"Then how are we doing so far, Catra" Adora asked her straight. "Hundreds dead, the media and public are furious at us…" She sighed, and leaned into Catra. "They honestly have every right to be upset."
Catra sat silently a moment, and then finally asked the first question on her mind. "What do you think is gonna happen to the Avengers?" Adora could only sigh and look at her friend, before answering truthfully.
"I don't know, Catra. I just don't know…" Adora admitted, sighing and looking out the window. The two continued to talk for some time afterward, until they were startled by the Vision phasing through their door. "Vision!"
"Oh, my apologize. I'm still getting used to doors…" Vision admitted, rubbing the back of his head.
"Well, what did you need, Vision?" Catra asked, hoping to break the awkwardness.
"Right. Mr. Stark has arrived with a guest, you and Adora are needed for an important meeting."
"What guest?" Adora asked.
Vision turned to face them as he opened the door the leave. "The Secretary of State."
"Five Years ago, I had a heart attack, and dropped right in the middle of my back-swing." The man before them began, miming a golf swing. His name was Thaddaeus 'Thunderbolt' Ross. Once a General for the US military, Adora knew Ross as a hard-edged man and a blowhard. HE had spent much of his life chasing down Doctor Banner and the Hulk, and made it no secret he disliked Enhanced individuals. However, Some time ago he ended up becoming surprisingly supportive of the Avengers, and even called off his hunt for Bruce. She had a feeling this story he was telling would have had something to do with that. And now he stood before the Avengers as Secretary of State. Adora and Catra were both uneasy at what Ross had called the meeting for, due to his reputation. But both kept silent as he began he speech.
"Turns out that was the best round of my life." He continued, resting his hands on the table in front of them. "Because after 13 hours of surgery and a triple bypass… I found something 40 years in the army never taught me." He looked at the gathered Avengers. "Perspective." Adora nodded silently. She was right about where the story had been leading. "The World owes the Avengers an unpayable debt. You have fought for us, protected us, risked your lives…"
"I'm sensing a 'but' coming on.." Catra quietly deadpanned.
Ross looked at her only briefly, before continuing. "...But while a great many people see you as heroes, there are some who would prefer the term 'Vigilantes.'"
"What word would you use Mr. Secretary?" Natasha asked.
Ross looked over at her, "How about 'Dangerous?'" He replied. Catra gave a small scoff at the end of the table, Ross again looking in her direction. Catra's ears drooped a bit when she noticed Adora giving her a glare, and she quieted down. "What would you call a bunch of US-based enhanced individuals, who routinely ignored sovereign borders and inflict their will wherever they choose…and who, frankly, seem unconcerned about what they leave behind?" Adora silently conceded his point, leaning forward in her seat and resting her hands in front of herself, cupped together. Ross stepped back and showed a map of the Earth. The Map selected New York City and zoomed in.
"New York." Ross stated, playing the footage he had gathered. It was the Chitauri invasion, and Adora's eyes went wide at the images before her. As the Hulk launched his assault on the Chitauri, the rubble of buildings he smashed rained down on the terrified people below, seeming to even kill the person recording the footage. She knew that the battle was bad for civilians, but this was her first time seeing what they suffered in person.
Ross then had the technician select another area on the map. "Washington, DC." He stated. This time it was images of the Triskelion's destruction, and the Helicarriers falling from the sky. Again, the damage was devastating, and Adora was made very clear of more lives lost by her and the Avengers' actions.
Then the next location came up. "Sokovia." This time, footage was of the city raising from the ground. While they managed to save everyone in the city, they were unaware of the trouble the people around the crater were having. Buildings collapsed, debris rained from the sky and crushed onlookers, Then Ross brought up the big guns. "Lagos." He declared, showing footage of the destroyed apartment complex. At the sight of the footage, Wanda looked away and shame and horror, Steve quickly telling Ross they had seen enough. Adora's hands shook slightly as she kept them cupped. She was right about the sheer scale of death that followed in the wake of the Avengers…
Ross quickly caught on to Wanda and Adora's states, and nodded for his technician to cut the feed before either woman suffered any further. Adora could have sworn she saw the smallest hint of regret on Ross's face, but she still refused to ignore his point. "For the past four years you've operated with unlimited power and no supervision."
"Ever since the fall of SHIELD." Adora commented, causing Ross to nod.
"But that is an arrangement the Governments of the world can no longer tolerate." Ross finished, looking around the table. He then turned to his assistant. "But I think we have a solution." The assitant handed Ross a massive Document which he set on the table. "The Sokovia Accords." Wanda slid the book over to herself and began looking through it. "Approved by 117 countries, it states that the Avengers shall no longer be a private Organization." Wanda slid the book over to Rhodey, who began flipping through it himself. "Instead they'll operate under the supervision of a United Nations panel, only when and if that panel deems it necessary."
Catra couldn't believe what she was hearing. This arrogant man was seriously suggesting that command of a team of Superheroes, people with extraordinary powers and skills, should be put under the control of a bunch of governmental pencil pushers. She could already see a myriad of ways this whole situation could go sideways.
Adora on the other hand, flipped through the book she was handed and her face lit up. This is exactly what she felt the team needed. Supervision. Guidance. Accountability. She and Catra hadn't noticed each other's differing opinions on the document, but Adora was very much for the Accords. She slid the document back to Rhodey, her mood improving somewhat by the promise of hopefully preventing another Lagos every again.
Steve was also not entirely thrilled with the arrangement. "The Avengers were formed to make the world a safer place." he stated firmly. "I feel we've done that."
"Well clearly we haven't, dad.." Adora pointed out, sitting back in her chair and straightening her posture.
"Indeed." Ross replied, looking at Steve. "Tell me Captain Rogers, do you know where Thor and Banner are right now?" Steve pointedly couldn't answer Ross's question, so he continued. "If I'd misplaced a couple of 30 megaton nukes, you can be sure there'd be consequences." He began to walk back to his place in front of the table. "Compromise. Reassurance. That's the way the world works. Believe me, this is the middle ground."
"So, there are contingencies?" Rhodey asked, patting the document.
"Three days from now, the UN meets in Vienna to ratify the Accords. Talk it over." Ross finished, before starting to leave the room.
Natasha then pushed the book away from her slightly and asked the question on everyone's minds. "And if we come to a decision you don't like?"
Ross turned to face her, his face cold and neutral. "Then you retire."
Catra paced up and down the halls of the Avengers Compound. The rest of the team had begun debating the Accords, but she wanted none of it. It didn't take her long to just want to leave before she screamed in rage. Tony, Natasha, Rhodey and Vision were pretty dead set on signing. Adora had kept silent the whole time, and everyone else was against it for various reasons. As far as Catra was concerned however, there wasn't any reason to debate what she considered and absolute bullshit law. A Complete slap in the face after everything they had done for the world.
She soon felt a hand on her shoulder, and turned to notice Adora had come up behind her. "Oh, Hey Adora.."
"You stormed out pretty fast, Catra. I was worried about you." Adora said, walking up beside her.
"This is bullshit Adora, you should know that." Catra replied.
"Is it?" Adora asked, "We're basically a private army. Is it so wrong for them to want us to have some form of accountability?"
"This isn't accountability, this is handing the wheel over to a bunch of bureaucrats." Catra retorted. "Putting aside the idea that a United Nations Panel, where each member is probably holding on to their own agenda, and probably hate each other, can ever quit arguing with each other long enough to actually deploy us when we're needed… what happens when they start choosing who's a supervillain FOR us? What if we start getting used as a hitsquad against some Middle Eastern Warlord, or an African leader one of the Panel members hates?"
"We can't. And I understand that." Adora replied, "But that's what we'd have to do."
"We're not soldiers Adora!" Catra yelled.
Adora shook her head. "No Catra...You, me, Dad, Rhodey, Sam...that's exactly what we are." She told her bluntly. "You and I were literally bred for it."
Catra threw up her arms and groaned. "Seriously, I may have only recently joined, but it seemed like you guys were doing just fine on your own for years." She eventually said. "You kicked ass, you saved my life, you destroyed the Followers and stopped an Alien Invasion of New York."
"But we weren't on our own, Catra. We had supervision." Adora pointed out. "We had SHIELD, we had Fury. And then it turned out SHIELD was diseased, infected by HYDRA." The sheer bitterness in her voice at that statement surprised Catra, but she could understand where she was coming from.
"And even then, what did we do without them? We dismantled HYDRA down to the last brick. We blew up Ultron." Catra retorted.
"And then Wanda fucked up severely blew up an apartment complex and killed Hundreds!" Adora snapped back, startling Catra.
"Adora, that was an accident. We couldn't control that…" Catra replied, quieter now.
"But we could have!" Adora retorted. "We could have trained her better, we SHOULD have! She wasn't ready Catra!" Adora began to pace back and forth. "Sam had both those guys, so I should have stuck around Dad and helped take Rumlow down. The minute Rumlow mentioned Bucky I should have blown his goddamn head off before he set off his bomb vest!" She began to clearly get more and more worked up as she spoke. "Wanda failed, The Avengers failed. I. FAILED!" Finally letting her anger get to her and put her fist through the nearest wall.
Catra walked over towards Adora and put her arms around her, trying to defuse the situation. "Adora.. you can't keep blaming yourself like this…." She quietly said. "You can't blame yourself for things out of your control."
The two stood quietly in each others arms before Adora finally took a few steps away. "I understand where you're coming from Catra, I do. But…" She turned away and sighed heavily. "Tony's right. The Avengers need this. If we don't agree now, they'll just force it on us later."
Catra blinked a moment. "Did...did you just say Stark was right?" She asked incredulously."
"I'm being serious Catra." Adora told her. "He showed me this picture. There was this boy, smart young man. Wanted to help people. Can you guess what he did?"
"Where is this going, Adora." Catra asked, getting worried.
"He decided to help the homeless in Sokovia." Adora answered. "And then a building crushed him while we thought we were saving the day. Sure, we saved a lot of people….but it's never enough." She walked over to the enarest window and stared out it for a while, a blank, lost stare. "And we lost Pietro in the process." Catra was at a loss for words after Adora's explanations, and just stood quietly next to her. "I've already made up my mind, I'm signing the Accords, and you really should to. We need this."
"Adora, I love you." Catra told her. "I have always loved you. And I always will. But you're wrong." She finally found the words she had lost and began counting on her fingers. "The Ten Rings were around long before Iron Man. HYDRA existed before Captain America. Loki and the Chitauri would have invaded us with or without the Avengers. If it wasn't for the Avengers, Hydra would have used SHIELD to conquer the world by now. And that doesn't even factor in what mom was doing, and would have done without the Avengers to drag our asses out of that hellhole." Adora looked away, but Catra grabbed her shoulders and turned her back to face her. "Yeah, I get what Vision was saying, Enhanced Individuals have been on the rise since you guys first assembled, but that has LITERALLY nothing to do with you existing in the first place. The Avengers. Are not. At Fault."
"Catra, if you don't sign, Ross will force you retire, or worse consider you a criminal." Adora protested.
"Then I'll hang up my uniform." Catra replied. "If being a hero means rolling over and kissing the ass of bureaucrats, then I'm done." And with that, Catra turned around, her tail in the air, and walked away, leaving Adora alone with her thoughts.
At least, she was alone until she saw Steve headed out of the compound, looking absolutely crushed. Adora quickly ran after him, "Dad?"
"Oh...hey, didn't hear you coming.." Steve said, his voice shaken a bit.
"What's wrong? I've never seen you like this." Adora asked, walking closer to her father.
Steve silently faced her, and looked at her phone. "Peggy's gone Adora." He told her. Adora didn't know what to say. Steve would talk to her about Peggy Carter, a founder of SHIELD and his lost love from the 1940's. "Sharon tells me it was peaceful, in her sleep. I'll...I'll be attending her funeral in London."
Adora had never met Peggy, not in person. She only knew of her through Steve and Agent Sharon Carter. But she knew how much Peggy had meant to her father. And for this reason, she had chosen to accompany him to the funeral. She sat silently in the church as Steve and the family of a few Howling Commandos slowly carried her coffin to the front, draped in the English Flag. She sat to the left of Sam Wilson, who had also chosen to attend for his friend, and listened as Sharon gave her Eulogy.
"Margret Carter was known to most as a founder of SHIELD, but I just knew her as Aunt Peggy." Sharon began, her voice shaking a little but doing well to keep her composure. "She had a photograph in her office. Aunt Peggy standing next to JFK. As a kid, that was pretty cool. But it was also a lot to live up to, which is why I never told anyone we were related." Sharon looked directly at Steve as she said that last sentence, and he quietly nodded in understanding. Adora also understood the intent. She herself had often felt like she had a lot to live up to as a daughter of Captain America and the Black Widow. "I asked her once how she managed to master diplomacy, and espionage, in a time when no one wanted to see a woman succeed at either. She said compromise where you can. But where you can't, don't. Even if everyone is telling you that something is wrong, is something right? Even if the whole world is telling you to move… its your duty to plant yourself like a tree, look them in the eye, and say 'No, you move.'"
After the service, Adora stayed behind with her father, when Natasha walked up to both of them. "When I came out of the ice, I thought everyone I had known was gone." Steve said, looking back at the memorial photo. Adora could very clearly hear the heartbreak in his voice, and she could understand it. "Then I found out she was alive. I was just lucky to have her."
"She had you back too." Natasha said, giving him a comforting smile. "And I'm sure she would have loved Adora too."
"I wish I knew her." Adora added. "She sounds...wonderful."
Steve nodded. There was a silence which filled the church. One that carried tension, as a certain question hung in Steve's mind. "Who else signed."
"I did." Adora admitted, hanging her head.
"Tony, Rhodey, Vision." Natasha listed off.
Steve gave a slightly surprised look at his daughter, then turned back to Natasha. "Clint?"
"Says he's retired." Natasha replied.
"Wanda?"
"TBD." Natasha replied again.
Steve then looked back at Adora. "Catra?"
Adora looked away and shook her head. "She's refusing." She replied, trying to ease the tension with a small chuckle. "She always was too stubborn for her own good."
"I'm off to Vienna for the signing of the Accords." Natasha then said. "There's plenty of room on the Jet." Steve gave a heavy sigh as he looked at the ground.
"Dad, please. Have some sense…" Adora pleaded, worried about what her father would decide. The last thing she wanted was to be forced to arrest him if things got worse.
Natasha took note of Adora's clear concern and continued to try to persuade Steve. "Just because it's the path of least resistance, doesn't mean it's the wrong path." She explained, walking over. "Staying together is more important than how we stay together."
"Do it for me, dad? Please." Adora said, grabbing his hand.
"What are we giving up to do it?" Steve replied, looking between the two of them. "Adora...Nat...I'm sorry. I can't sign it."
"I know…" Natasha replied, gently taking Adora's now tightening grip and convincing her to release her vice grip.
"Then what are you doing here?" Steve asked her.
Natasha sighed. "The same reason as Adora. I didn't want you to be alone." She told him. Both her and Adora then pulled Steve into a group hug, Natasha patting his back as they did.
Upon returning to the states, Adora had left Steve and Sharon to have some alone time, and made her way home to her own love. She walked into the living room and saw Catra sitting on the couch, flipping through channels with a coffee. Her cat ears twitched and she turned to see Adora entering. She sat back up and patted the seat beside her. "Hey...welcome home. Come here Adora, you look like you need a cuddle." Adora took her up on her offer and, putting her luggage down at the door, sat down next to her feline girlfriend and leaned into her, stroking her long hair. "That can't have been easy for you, seeing Captain Rogers like that."
"It wasn't." Adora admitted. "I always saw him as strong, brave, always able to keep his composure. I admired him." She leaned closer to Catra as they put their arms around each other. "To see him so...so broken. It hurt Catra. I didn't even know Peggy but I could understand his pain."
"Losing a loved one is never easy." Catra replied, nuzzling up to Adora and doing her best to comfort her. "But that isn't all, is it." She looked at Adora and their eyes met. "I can read you like a book. He's not signing either is he."
Adora sighed sadly and wiped at her eyes. "No...no he's not." She admitted. "I just hope he stands down peacefully, and doesn't do anything rash. Same with you."
"Hey I got into the Avengers on a SHIELD pardon. I'm not stupid enough to risk jeopardizing that, even if I disagree with a dumbass law." Catra replied back. "You don't have to worry about me."
Adora tried then to change the subject and grabbed the remote. "Anything good on?" She asked.
"Nothing, news reports about the Accords mostly-" Catra began to say, before Adora clicked the channel, and they were left speechless and horrified at the sight before them. Made even worse by the news report that followed.
"A Bomb hidden in a newsvan ripped through the UN building in Vienna. More than 70 people have been injured. At least 12 are dead, including Wakanda's King T'Chanka. Officials have released a video of the suspect who they have identified as James Buchanan Barnes, the Winter Soldier. The Infamous HYDRA assassin linked to several acts of terrorism and assassinations."
To Be Continued….
This chapter took several revisions to finally get to a point I was satisfied with. The biggest problem I found was keeping Adora in character enough despite her mindset, but I feel I have managed that. Not only that, but I kept coming up with more and more to add to the debate until I finally had to say "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH ALREADY!" and stop myself from turning this into a 6k word chapter.
The Sides are chosen. Adora is Pro-Accords and Catra is Anti-Accords. Given their personalities and ideologies throughout the story, I believe these choices are both justified and in character.
Adora – Has always been one to follow the rules above all else, and holds a nearly black and white view on the world. On top of that, her severe Martyr complex, and blaming herself over perceived failures would cause her to take all the collateral damage caused by the Avengers very personally. She's also still holding guilt over her backing of Project Insight during the Winter Soldier Arc. Not only that, but the horrific vision shown to her by Wanda during Age of Ultron has caused Adora to severely mistrust and outright hate her. Because of all this, I believe Adora would side with the Accords in a heartbeat, even if her father would not.
Catra – Catra has always been a bit of a renegade. She never got along with Authority to begin with because of the actions of her Mother Lorraine Santos, AKA Shadow Weaver. She knows better than Adora what it's like to be constantly forced under the thumb of someone who does not have your best interests in mind. She also feels insulted that barely 3 years after gaining her freedom, she's suddenly threatened to go back under someone's control because of circumstances out of the Avenger's control. Lastly, Catra feels that the whole thing is unfair and downright disrespectful and ungrateful to the Avengers she had come to view as a new family. As such, Catra would be Vehemently Anti-Accords. Not to mention, later on, her own personal connection to Bucky Barnes.
Let me know if you all agree to this assessment. Where would you put the two? And which side of the debate are you on personally?
I do not own She-Ra or the MCU.
NEXT TIME: The Hunt for Bucky