I completely forgot to say last chapter, but Rikki Barnes is a real comic book character! I've tweaked the character a little for this story. Also we are in the wrap-up stages of this story, I'm not sure how many chapters we've got left but probably 2-4 I'd say. Enjoy!
The fallout of Maggie's speech had not been simple.
There were thousands, hundreds of thousands of reactions to it from across the globe, ranging from anger to support to dismissal to agreement. Governments across the world were forced to make statements in response, and the UN was forced to act. News reporters and English teachers and political analysts dissected Maggie's every move and word. Newspaper cartoonists made dozens of depictions of her. Fashion magazines dissected her outfit. Memes and articles and videos circulated social media.
The fallout was not simple. But the outcomes of what she had done… Maggie was able to put those in very simple terms.
First, those Avengers still languishing in prison were released on parole, 'subject to review'.
Sam, Scott, and Clint wanted to go straight to see their families after being released, so Maggie and the others arranged a brief reunion with them all at a privately-booked restaurant in Queens.
When Maggie, Tony, Rhodey (in a wheelchair), Vision, and Natasha in heavy disguise walked in, the four paroled Avengers were already waiting for them, sitting at the main table that had been arranged in the middle of the restaurant. Scott and Sam had been wolfing down food, but at the arrival of the others they froze.
It was awkward at first.
"Thanks for springing us, guys," Clint said from where he was sitting beside Wanda, his arm around her shoulders. Wanda looked a little less dead-eyed than she had in the Raft, but she was thinner, more sunken in on herself. She looked much older than the girl Maggie had met during the Ultron mess.
No one seemed to know what to say after that. Natasha walked over to Clint, who stood up to embrace her, but neither of them said anything.
"I'm sorry I left you," Maggie finally blurted.
Sam, Clint, Scott, and Wanda's eyes all fell on her. Her skin crawled with shame. She dropped her gaze.
"I… I am so sorry." She wanted to say more, but that was all she could manage. Bucky had been helping her work through her panic and her guilt all morning, but now she was faced with their thin frames, and the borrowed clothes they wore, and she could not speak.
Clint was the first to speak, again. "You didn't leave us, kid."
Her eyes darted up. "I did," she argued. "Tony and I had this plan" - she glanced at him - "this terrible plan, and it wasn't supposed to end up with you guys in prison. And we knew we could get me out, but just me, and I've been trying so hard to get your guys out but it's been weeks-"
"You did get us out," Sam interrupted, and some of the hardness to his face faded a little. He eyed her, then looked around at the others. "All of you did, if my guess is right. And it wasn't your fault we were in there in the first place. We made the decision to throw that fight."
"Right," Clint nodded, now with Natasha's arm around his waist. "And I can't speak for these guys, but… I'd do it again." He looked up at Maggie and Tony. "You got that doctor guy from Vienna, right?"
Tony nodded. "Got him. And… we're on the same side now, too. I hope you guys can find it within yourselves to be with us as well. Don't blame you if you tell me to go to hell, though."
Scott blinked, his mouth still full.
"Wanda?" Vision asked, the first thing he had said so far. A few seats down from Scott, Wanda's eyes shifted. Vision broke away from the others and walked over to her, where she sat alone. He approached slowly, cautiously, as if she might attack him. He stopped a few paces away and stared at her for what felt like an hour. Maggie could practically see the cogs working in his brain.
Wanda looked up at him. Her face was inscrutable, somehow dignified in the closed-off, calm way she watched him.
"I am sorry," Vision murmured. He bowed his head. "You were right."
Wanda continued to look at him for a long time, like a queen before a supplicant. Then she stood, her chin lifting, and she turned to look at Tony.
Maggie saw a flash of something in Wanda's eyes, the barest hint of scarlet, and she stepped in front of Tony.
But Tony grabbed her arm and gently pushed her aside. He walked forward, right up to the other side of the table from Wanda. Maggie watched with clenched muscles.
"I was wrong," Tony said.
Wanda's brow hardened. "In the end, you were afraid of me too," she said. Even her voice sounded older. "That's why you tried to lock me up."
Tony shook his head. "Okay, no, now you're wrong." Anger flashed over Wanda's face. "I was scared, but not of you. I was scared I'd lose the Avengers. I was scared they'd… well, I was scared that you and everyone else would end up somewhere like the Raft. That's why I did what I did." He leaned both hands on the back of a chair and sighed. "And I was wrong. I should've stood by you, instead of trying to stand you down."
Behind him, Maggie stared at Tony. And in that moment she realized just how much he had grown. She could not imagine the Tony of ten years ago - hell, even the Tony of a year ago - giving that kind of a speech.
Tony had learned to take accountability for his mistakes many times in the past, but this… this complete honesty and vulnerability with someone other than her or Pepper took her by complete surprise.
Wanda was clearly surprised too - her shoulders lost some of their stiffness, and the hardness to her face faded.
"Now I'm not much of a one for grovelling," Tony continued, "but you tell me what you need from me to make this right and I'll do it." He glanced at the others. "All of you. I want to fix this. And I haven't said it yet, and Pepper tells me that drives her crazy, so I'll say it now; I'm sorry."
Wanda stared at him for another long moment. Then, finally, she nodded.
Sam scratched his newly-grown beard. "The way I see it," he said, "you've done a lot to fix this already. And… it's not like you're the only one who messed up." He sighed. "We all did."
Natasha cleared her throat and patted Clint's shoulder. "We've got a lot to catch you all up on. But can we agree we're not going to mess up this lovely restaurant by trying to hit each other again?"
Clint nodded. "Sure." He pulled out his chair and sat again. "I'm definitely retiring again, though."
Sam chuckled under his breath. "So you say."
Wanda nodded as well, and took a few deep breaths. "It is going to take me some time to… to come to terms with all of this." She looked down at her hands and flexed them, and Maggie remembered the straight jacket she had been in for weeks. "But I don't think I'm angry with any of you anymore." She looked to Vision. And to Maggie's astonishment, she reached out and took his hand. They sat down together.
Tony glanced at Scott, who had uncharacteristically not said a word so far. "Sorry you ended up in the clink, Lang. You kinda got caught up in our mess."
"Hey, I signed up," Scott shrugged. Maggie didn't imagine he could really shrug off the Raft that easily. "And I learned some cool magic tricks from my cellmate in Rikers." He held up one of the napkin rings from the table, closed both fists, waved his hands, and when he opened them again the ring was gone.
"Wow, real magic," Natasha said wryly as she took a seat beside Clint. "Imagine that." She shot a glance at Wanda, and despite herself Wanda smiled.
They all took a seat, and things were easier after that. The others asked about Rhodey's injury and he bragged about the praise he'd gotten from his physiotherapist. Maggie hugged Clint, Sam, and Wanda, and they all ate, and Maggie passed on Steve and Bucky's apology that they couldn't come. Natasha's a master of disguise and didn't want to miss seeing you, but Steve and Bucky are still a little too high-profile.
"Speaking of which," Natasha said after a few minutes of conversation, and elbowed Clint. "You owe me ten dollars."
He frowned. "Why? Also I just got out of prison, Nat, give me a break."
"I said before August, you said after August," she said, with a significant look at Maggie. Maggie's smile turned into a scowl. "Pay up."
Clint's eyes widened and he leaned across the table toward Maggie, noodles dangling from his fork. "Really?"
"Really what?" Scott asked, and Wanda and Sam, distracted from their conversation with Rhodey about conditions in the Raft, looked equally curious.
Maggie pursed her lips. "I'd like it on record that I do not approve of the two of you taking bets on my love life."
"Oh, congratulations!" Wanda said, finally understanding. She smiled a genuine smile, far wider than the small ones she'd been shooting Vision over the course of the meal. "Clint had to tell me many times not to interfere, but sometimes it was infuriating being in the same room as you both-"
While Maggie reeled from that information, Sam cut in:
"Really? You and Barnes?" His eyebrows rose.
"Yes, why?" Maggie shot back, suddenly defensive of Bucky.
He held up both hands. "Hey, I'm not - I only want the best for the guy. It's just a surprise."
"You're telling me," Tony mumbled into his cup, and Maggie glared at him.
Hotly, she began: "I don't see why it should be so surprising that-"
"Relax," Clint smiled. "I'm really happy for the two of you, Maggie. I can't imagine anyone better for you. You're well balanced."
Mollified, Maggie sat back in her chair.
"Yeah, you know what, I can see it," Sam nodded. "Scary, dark haired, with metal bits attached, adept at handling trauma. Plus a secret soft side."
"How do you know about Bucky's secret soft side?" Maggie laughed.
"True, he doesn't really let me in on it," Sam grinned. "But I see it. More often, I realize now, with you."
Maggie smiled, trying not to go all soft at that. "I think Bucky might have misjudged you, Sam Wilson. You're really a very good friend to him." Sam had, after all, been one of Bucky's first advocates in those tumultuous first days in the Tower.
Sam rolled his eyes. "Want to pass that on to him?"
"No, I don't think I will." She leaned across and hugged his arm. "I'm going to keep you as my friend."
Natasha murmured something in Clint's ear, and he smiled.
Scott Lang looked up from his plateful of food and said, through a full mouth: "Wait, you're dating Bucky Barnes? From the World War Two comics?"
Maggie's scowl returned as the others laughed.
The second outcome of Maggie's speech was widespread public and governmental support for the Accords First Amendments. A full copy was finally leaked to the public. The United Nations admitted publicly that something had to change. A new wave of lawyers and analysts came on board, more willing to spend time on the finer points, rather than bring in lightning fast knee-jerk legislation. Willing to ask the Avengers what worked for them, and what didn't.
The Sokovia Accords Committee's power were suspended, officially 'temporarily', though everyone knew a new committee would have to be formed.
This led to the third outcome of Maggie's speech: official pardons were announced for Captain Steve Rogers and Ms Natasha Romanoff.
(Conditional pardons, of course; they had to have routine checkins with the Accords team, similar to a parolee setup, and agreed to comply with ongoing talks with the UN).
They 'returned' publicly in Berlin, where they met with the United Nations Secretary General, Secretary Ross (who did not smile and was not good enough of a politician to pretend that he didn't hate every moment), Everett Ross of the JTTF, and a few heads of law enforcement groups. Nat and Steve shook hands and accepted their pardons, then hopped on a Stark Industries jet back to the States.
For the first time in over a month, Steve walked through the front door of the Avengers Facility. He stood in the foyer, looking around for a moment to take it in; the high vaulting space, people busily walking through both the lower and upper levels. More than a few cast wide-eyed looks his way. He'd brought a duffle bag and everything to really sell that he was returning from being on the run, his shield tucked under one arm.
"Captain Rogers!" Steve glanced over to the source of the voice as it hurried down the stairs to the lower level of the foyer. Happy Hogan, in a dark suit and with a tablet in his hands, cast him a quick smile as he approached. "Great to have you back, Captain." He winked.
"Thanks, Happy," Steve nodded, reaching out to shake Happy's hand. "Glad to be back."
"I'm here to sort out your security arrangements, passcodes and whatnot, you know the drill," Happy said. He jerked his head. "Come on, let's show you to your room."
Steve followed Happy's direction, saying hello to all the Avengers staff he'd been hiding from for weeks, and thanking those who'd known he'd been here all along. To his surprise, he was met with a warm welcome across the board.
It would have been easier with Nat with him, but she'd decided to go direct to Clint's farm for the weekend.
An hour later, with his belongings put back away and his hellos said to the rest of the team, Steve went in search of Maggie. He hadn't seen her yet, and the last few days had put him in a thoughtful frame of mind. So he waved off Rhodey's offer to watch some game or other, and went looking. Maggie was nowhere to be found in the common room, the analysts and scientists he spoke to said she wasn't in any of the engineering bays or facility labs, and he was met with silence when he knocked on the door to her suite.
So he went to the last place he could think of: Maggie's private workshop. The walk there was a familiar journey, and as usual the glass doors slid open as soon as he approached. There was music playing inside; a newer song he didn't know. He looked up, mouth opening, and-
Maggie wasn't alone. She was half-sitting on a spare lab table, her arm hooked around the back of Bucky's neck as he was thoroughly engaged with her mouth - his only hand was snared in her hair, his shirt was hiked right up his back, and Maggie's other hand was tucked in the back of his trousers. Her knee was up against his ribcage, the prosthetic lined against his exposed back. They were a mess of snared dark hair and movement, apparently having not heard him come in. Thankfully they were both still wearing pants.
"Gah!" Steve said, a noise that had never left his mouth before, and he backed up so quickly he slammed into the already closed workshop doors. Maggie's head jerked up and he met her eyes over Bucky's shoulder. He closed his eyes and turned around just as Bucky looked over, and in the next second F.R.I.D.A.Y. opened the door for him again and he fled. "Sorry!" he called back.
As he fled he heard Maggie say, in a breathier voice than usual: "F.R.I.D.A.Y., I told you to lock the doors-"
"You did no such thing."
"Well I for sure did in my mind, at least."
Bucky's low laughter echoed up the corridor.
"Alas-" F.R.I.D.A.Y. began, but then the doors closed again and any further words were cut off. Steve scrubbed his hands over his face and didn't slow down until he was outside again.
Maggie tracked Steve down a few hours later. It took a while, since he wasn't in any of the usual places, and F.R.I.D.A.Y. finally told her that he was on the roof, of all places.
So she climbed the stairs up to the roof of the Facility, opened the door to a brisk wind, and looked across to see Steve sitting on one of the electrical access boxes, looking out over the Facility grounds.
He heard her footsteps as she grew close and looked up, and his ears instantly went red when he saw her.
"Bucky said you'd be too embarrassed to speak to me," she said, coming to a halt by his impromptu seat.
It was a dare, and it worked. Steve's chin lifted. "I'm fine. It was - you know, you're two consenting adults, and-"
"Enthusiastically consenting," she added, because she couldn't help it, and his ears went red again. She smiled and sat down on the unit next to him. "Don't worry though, we'll double check our locks next time. What did you need?"
He seemed thankful for the change of subject.
"Right," he nodded. He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, and looked out at the Facility. It looked nice from this high up, on the roof, with sweeping green lawns and shiny buildings glimmering in the summer sun. "I owe you… a thank you."
"For the pardon?" she asked, and waved a hand. "No worries. Enjoy your newly regained freedom."
"No," he said, then hesitated. "Well, yes," he amended, hurriedly, then stilled. She stilled too, alarmed by his sudden gravity. The wind whisked over her, plucking strands of hair out of her bun.
"But I meant…" Steve's head bowed. "After Peggy, and then the mess with the original Accords and Bucky being blamed for Vienna… I was ready to burn all my bridges. Even in Siberia, after I realized you and Tony weren't actually trying to attack us, I'd already written the end of the story in my head." He sighed and looked up, squinting a little in the sun. "I would go on the run, because the world didn't have space for me any more. I'd look after the people I loved, and I'd keep working to protect people, but… that was all I saw for myself. And Natasha has pointed out to me, in many ways, that I was being self-destructive. Says it's a character fault." His mouth quirked, and he turned to meet her eye. "But you stopped me."
She swallowed.
"I don't even… I didn't really think you could fix anything, but there was no way I could argue with you, so I went along with it, and before long…" he spread his hands, gesturing to the Facility. "I found myself with my life back. The pardon, yes, but also… I've got the Avengers back. I've got Bucky back. I've got you to thank for that, and I haven't yet. So… thank you."
Maggie blinked a few times, trying to fight away the tears burning her eyes. She swallowed, hard, and leaned across to hug him. He was warm to touch from the sun. "You're hard to out-stubborn, Steve Rogers, but it's worth it to try. Thank you for going with me on this. I couldn't have done it without you." She pulled back and squeezed his shoulder. The sun shone gold in his hair, and he looked… so much more relaxed than she'd seen him in months. "From the day we met, I wanted you to find your place in this world. I'm glad you have."
He took her hand and squeezed it.
"Also," she added seriously. "I feel I should reassure you that I'm going to treat Bucky right." Steve's eyes gleamed with amusement. "He's your best friend and I know you'd do anything to protect him. Just wanted to reassure you. I can't handle smoke from Captain America."
He laughed, head tilting down. "You're safe from me." He looked back up with a smile. "I'm glad you two ended up together. Makes sense. Before I knew he was alive, I always thought that you reminded me of him."
"It's the good looks, isn't it."
He laughed again.
She tilted her head. "Anyone 'round the Facility catching your eye, these days?"
He cast his eyes heavenward. "Yep, you definitely remind me of him."
Behind them, the roof access door scraped open.
"Why the fuck are you two on the roof?"
Maggie glanced over to see Bucky, squinting in the sun and fixing his sleeve, which had come untied. He smiled at her.
"Hey, doll." His eyes darted between them. "Talking about me?" He winked at Maggie.
"Wouldn't you like to know," she said. "No, actually, I was just thinking about setting Steve up on a-"
"No," Steve cut in, but Bucky grinned.
"Now there's an idea."
There was one minor hiccup as the Amended Accords made their way through the negotiations and meetings necessary to make them possible: Natasha went missing.
This wasn't hugely unusual. Natasha disappeared all the time, usually off doing her own thing or setting up new safe houses. But she missed one of her regular checkups with the UN. The rest of the team played it off - a scheduling error in the midst of a busy timetable of meetings, they said, and promised Natasha would be there for the next one, in a few days. No need to reconsider her pardon.
Natasha didn't answer their calls. And finally Maggie took it upon herself to properly hunt for the Widow, stepping away from her meetings for a few days. It wasn't actually as hard to find Natasha as she'd expected. Because shit was going down.
The Russian Far East
Maggie had watched the giant metal aerial facility come crashing down to the earth from afar, her mouth open. It was enormous, the size of half a dozen helicarriers all in one, raining debris and fire as it came down to the earth with a bone-shuddering boom.
It had crashed down in a forest, with debris raining down on the surrounding empty fields, and as far as Maggie could tell the area was uninhabited.
Now she jogged through a grassy field strewn with huge chunks of debris, half of it on fire. Smoke rose in great plumes, turning the sun watery in the sky, and Maggie did her best to stay downwind of the biggest smoke plumes.
"F.R.I.D.A.Y.?" Maggie murmured into her earpiece, looking around. She had no idea what she was looking for here. This was far beyond anything she'd expected…
"Life forms detected half a mile to your east."
Maggie broke off at a jog again. She felt so out of place in her jeans and leather jacket - she hadn't been expecting combat, she'd just been following the intelligence about the strange trail Natasha had been leaving across Europe, from Budapest to Russia, never expecting it could lead to this. At least she had the Iron Wyvern suit on standby.
After some jogging, Maggie spotted four figures in the distance - one a distinctive redhead in a dark combat suit. They stood in a loose clump between a few massive pieces of twisted metal, wearing a strange assortment of clothes; as Maggie jogged closer she saw a young blonde woman in a white combat suit with a green canvas vest, and an older couple; a dark haired woman in a similar white suit, and a man in a vibrant red jumpsuit with a star on the chest, and a sizeable beer gut. Natasha smiled around at them with familiarity, the sun illuminating her face.
"What the fuck?" Maggie called by way of greeting as she jogged closer. They all looked over, and she spread her hands. They stared at her, she stared back, and then she gestured around at the burning fields and forest, her eyebrows raised at Natasha.
"Oh, right," Nat said, as if suddenly placing her. There was grime and blood on her face. She waved. "Hey, Maggie."
"An American," the man said in a heavy Russian accent, lifting his chin as if sizing her up.
Maggie shot him an incredulous look as she trudged closer, then turned back to Natasha. Behind her, a huge plume of fire went up in the forest. "What the fuck is this? Where have you been?"
Natasha waved a hand. She looked tired. "It's… a long story."
"Do I need to fight some people?" Maggie asked, catching her breath. She pointed at the three strangers. "Who are they?"
"This is…" Natasha glanced at the others assessingly. They looked equally beat up and tired; the older woman in the white combat suit leaned heavily on the bizarre long-bearded man. The younger woman looked to Natasha for her lead, an almost deferential gesture. Like they knew each other well.
Natasha nodded and shot Maggie a quick smile. "This is my family." She pointed. "Melina, Alexei, Yelena… this is Maggie."
The blonde woman - Yelena - stuck out her hand and leaned forward, grey eyes gleaming. "Big fan. Do you have your wings?" she asked in an excited Russian accent. "I love the wings."
"No, they're broken," Maggie said distractedly, taking the woman's hand. She was strong. "I've got a suit… thing." Yelena looked crestfallen. Maggie shook her head and turned back to Nat. Sparks flew in the air around them. "You're risking a lot being out here, Nat, doing this, while the Accords are still being negotiated," she said in a low, anxious voice.
"I know. That's why I didn't press the big red button and bring all of you in." Nat winced as she shifted, clearly triggering an injury. "Kinda wish I had, now. But…" she glanced at Yelena, who smiled. "It's family, y'know?"
Maggie's eyebrows rose again.
There was another loud roar from the forest as the fire intensified.
"This is so not environmentally friendly," Maggie said, wiping her brow.
"We weren't exactly thinking about our carbon footprint when we were bringing down the Red Room," snapped Melina, in an equally thick Russian accent.
"Ah," Maggie said, glancing at Natasha. The Red Room. "No worries, I'll uh… invest in a few more Arc Reactor plants on your behalf."
Melina shot her another derisive look. Distantly, the rumble of incoming vehicles became audible.
"Here comes the cavalry," Natasha murmured. She glanced around.
"So what's our plan?" Melina asked.
"You guys go," Nat called, walking a few steps away. "I'll stay."
"That's insanity, we fight," argued Alexei, gesturing. "We fight with you."
"I'll hold them off," Natasha murmured, and the others all started arguing with her, demanding to stay and fight.
"How about no one fights?" Maggie suggested, and they all ignored her.
"You guys, go," Natasha finally finished the argument. She glanced around at them. "Besides, if it can work out with the four of us, you know, there may be some hope for the Avengers." She made a pinching gesture and smiled at Maggie. "Little bit."
Maggie could see that the others had realized they needed to leave. "I'll, uh… give you guys some space," she said, touching Natasha's arm briefly before she took a few steps away. She squinted around at the burning pockets of fires, the sky thick with smoke. The Red Room.
From a distance, she watched Natasha… say goodbye to her family. She and the younger woman Yelena smiled and joked, and Yelena unzipped her green vest and handed it over to Natasha. Maggie smiled as she watched them - she'd only ever seen Nat like this with Clint, and his family.
Then a whole jet full of young women in combat uniforms arrived, making Maggie tense up, but it appeared Natasha knew them too. Nat gave Yelena some kind of flashdrive, and then Yelena, Alexei, and Melina took off toward the jet.
Maggie waved to them as they headed away, squinting in the smoke. Alexei shot her the finger, which made her eyebrows raise, but Melina and Yelena both waved.
Natasha began trudging over to Maggie, her footsteps crunching in the ash and pebbles. Until a whistled note from the others made her glance back.
Over by the jet, Yelena had whistled a long, low note. Natasha whistled back in an answering melody, and Yelena smiled.
A minute later, when the jet had blasted off into the sky, Natasha turned back. The sirens of the oncoming vehicles were close now.
Natasha had a smile on her face.
"Hey," Maggie called. "Family, huh?"
"Turns out I've got a lot more of it than I thought," Natasha came to stand by Maggie. There was grime and streaks of blood on her face, but the smile remained.
There was a whir and a clank as the Iron Wyvern suit landed right behind Maggie. She'd called for it a few seconds ago. Natasha raised an eyebrow at the new colors, the different design.
"It's temporary," Maggie said. She cocked her head at her friend. "I'm glad you… were with your family. You should invite them 'round to visit - well, you should invite Yelena 'round. She seems nice." Natasha's lips quirked. "Coming home now, though?"
Natasha glanced over to the line of incoming vehicles. "That or get arrested for real."
"You've just been pardoned. Not a good look." Maggie tsked.
Natasha spread her arms and rolled her eyes. "Come on, are we going or what?"
"Yes, ma'am." Maggie took a step back and the Iron Wyvern suit absorbed her, metal opening around her and closing over her front until she was encased in the suit in seconds. She took a step forward and wrapped her arms around Nat. "Hold on tight, Widow."
"Wyvern."
Maggie fired up her repulsors and they went jetting off into the smoke-clogged sky.
August, 2016
One month later, the Sokovia Accords: The First Amendments were passed through the United Nations.
All the Avengers were there in Vienna to sign it, and they had a bunch of official photographs taken of them all together, in their suits, standing proudly and united with the signed document. Maggie punched Tony when she realized he'd bunny-earsed her in the United Nations official photo.
The newly formed Accords Committee (larger than the first, with experts from a range of disciplines, and less focus on military might) were sworn in. Maggie knew the Avengers Facility was about to get a whole lot busier.
Tony and Steve gave a joint speech, and when the official signing ceremony was over, they all let loose a little at the party afterward. It wasn't quite as relaxed as their post-HYDRA Avengers Tower party, since this was hosted by the United Nations, but it was such a relief to drink and laugh with her friends again, that Maggie could almost get over her disappointment that Bucky couldn't be a part of the day. Almost.
Her day was made a little better when she slipped out of the official party to call Bucky privately, only to find Tony and Pepper shamelessly making out in the middle of a corridor.
Maggie watched them for a few seconds, her eyebrows raised, until she said:
"My my, this is very friendly." They broke apart, Pepper letting go of Tony's suit lapels, and both looked over at her. "For two people who've both been insisting to me for weeks that they're just friends now, thank you very much." She hit her own forehead. "I don't know why I haven't been making out with all my friends, if this is how we show affection these days-"
"Piss off, Maggot," Tony said, then put his hands on Pepper's cheeks and went right back to kissing her. Pepper laughed into the kiss, arms falling around his shoulders.
Maggie watched for a few more seconds, hands on her hips, until she smiled and walked back in the other direction.
When Bucky picked up the phone, she started with: "You owe me ten dollars."
The next day, the Wakandan delegation arrived at the UN Vienna Headquarters.
It was a hurriedly-arranged visit. T'Challa had apparently been dealing with some kind of succession crisis in Wakanda, and had been out of contact for a while, which had concerned the Avengers. But he'd got back in touch a few weeks ago, confirmed that all was well, and then told them that he was planning on speaking at the UN. He was cagey about what he wanted to say, though he did reassure them he was still putting his complete support behind the amended Accords.
"My name is King T'Challa, son of King T'Chaka. I am the sovereign ruler of the Nation of Wakanda, and for the first time in our history we will be sharing our knowledge and resources with the outside world. Wakanda will no longer watch from the shadows. We cannot, we must not. We will work to be an example of how we as brothers and sisters on this Earth should treat each other. Now more than ever, illusions of division threaten our very existence. We all know the truth; more connects us than separates us.
"In times of crisis, the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers. We must find a way to look after one another, as if we were one single tribe."
A French delegate cleared his throat. "With all due respect, King T'Challa, what can a nation of farmers offer to the rest of the world?"
The king smiled.
Maggie had known, logically, that King T'Challa had access to some pretty futuristic technology - his Vibranium suit, for one thing, as well as the strangely engineered jet he'd flown around in.
Maggie had maybe not been in the right frame of mind when she'd met him to make the link that Wakanda as a nation was years - lightyears - ahead of the rest of the world's technological and scientific abilities.
She didn't know whether she was furious or ecstatic as T'Challa revealed Wakanda's abilities to the world, through a series of holographic displays, as well as showing them examples of Wakandan technology - a Kimoyo bead loaded with medical knowledge and communication abilities, maglev technology, a collapsible Vibranium shield. Maggie and Tony watched on the edge of their seats.
Later, after the media storm and questions and T'Challa's protective team (the Dora Milaje, Maggie learned they were called) corralling him through the gobsmacked UN, T'Challa met with the Avengers in a private meeting room.
"Oh my god," was the first thing Maggie said to him, her hands half-outstretched toward him.
"Seconded," Tony said, and Maggie thought he was going to say more, but he was still apparently just as overwhelmed as her.
T'Challa laughed. "I predicted that this might be your reaction." He glanced at the woman beside him, in a yellow dress. "Didn't I?"
She smiled. "Yes. Much like Shuri."
T'Challa reached out to shake their hands. "It is good to see you all again. And I promise that Wakanda's pledge to share knowledge and resources will extend to you."
"Thank god," Maggie breathed.
"Any chance of getting access to some Vibranium?" Tony asked. "All we've got is Steve's shield and, well, Vision, and Steve'll kill us if we touch his shield. And we like Vision."
T'Challa chuckled again. "We will see."
Tony opened his mouth again, and Maggie elbowed him in the ribs. She shot him a look. All things come to those who wait. He shot her a frustrated look in return.
"Ms Stark," T'Challa said, breaking their staring match. "I was actually hoping to speak with you and Captain Rogers. Alone."
Maggie glanced over her shoulder at Steve, who'd come in his best suit. He nodded.
T'Challa nodded back. "If you'll follow me."
Maggie and Steve followed T'Challa and his two Dora Milaje guards into a smaller adjoining room, leaving his companion Nakia to mingle with the other Avengers.
Maggie tried to think of a polite way to say I think you're incredible to the two tall Dora Milaje women with strongly corded arms and bald heads, but managed only a brief nod instead. They both stared at her like she'd vomited on their feet.
"What did you need?" Steve asked once the door had shut on the meeting room. He looked relieved for the interlude - diplomacy was not his strong suit.
"It is not something I need," T'Challa says with a polite smile. "I… have an offer."
"If it's coming to Wakanda, sign me up," Maggie blurted. The Dora Milaje on the left's eyebrow rose.
"Well." T'Challa laced his fingers together. "I have a sister, Shuri. She is young, but she is head of the Wakandan Design Group, and the architect of most of the technology you have seen today. In Wakanda, technology and medicine are not so separate as outside, so she is also something of a healer. I have been speaking with her, and… she would like to try to help Sergeant Barnes."
Maggie's throat instantly closed up.
"Oh," Steve said.
T'Challa watched their expressions. "He would need to come visit her labs in Wakanda. We would make every accommodation for him, he would be most comfortable. I know he has been ill treated in the past and we have no wish to trigger further trauma. Shuri… she makes no promises that she can help, but I described to her the… programming, that Barnes suffers from, and she believes that if anything can help, it is our technology. She would like to try."
Ears ringing, Maggie fumbled for one of the nearby chairs and sat down hard.
"Are you alright?" T'Challa asked, leaning forward.
She nodded mutely.
T'Challa looked back up at Steve. "Captain?"
"I…" Steve cleared his throat. "I'll tell Bucky. But if it were my decision, yes. Yes. And thank you. You don't… you don't know how much this means."
T'Challa smiled a little softer and he reached out to grip Steve's shoulder briefly. He turned back to Maggie. "Ms Stark? I know… Obviously it is Sergeant Barnes's decision, but I know you are close."
Maggie raised a hand to cover her eyes for a few moments, shaking her head wordlessly.
"No?" T'Challa said, hesitantly.
"No," she gasped. Her voice came out strangled. "No, I'm not saying no. God no. I just… I don't know what to say." She sensed Steve move, and a moment later his hand landed on her shoulder. She took a deep, forceful breath. It was all too much - the Accords amendments being accepted, and them all being back together, and now this. "I have been trying," she enunciated. "For years. To help him. And I've failed. The neuroscience, the psychology of it… it always eluded me. I didn't think we had the technology. HYDRA was so good at breaking things, they never intended for it to be healed. And I-"
"My sister can make no promises," T'Challa said hurriedly.
"I know, I know," Maggie said thickly, and pressed her hand harder over her eyes when she realised she was crying. "That's not it. I just…" She dropped her hand and looked up at T'Challa with red-rimmed and tear-filled eyes, making his expression shift. She swallowed. "The world has been so cruel to Bucky, for so long. Hardly - hardly anyone since he's become a person again has reached out their hand to help. Even I started off trying to kill him." She fought against her throat trying to close up again. "So I just… thank you. Thank you, T'Challa."
He held her gaze for a long moment, and she felt so grateful that he seemed to see all she could not say - all her love and grief and worry and hope for Bucky. T'Challa held out his hand, and Maggie took it, and the Dora Milaje didn't even try to kill her a little bit when she launched out of her chair and wrapped her arms around him.
Bucky was so quiet on the phone when Steve and Maggie called him that Maggie thought he'd hung up, or passed out, or something.
"It's not guaranteed," Steve said finally, to break the silence, as if they hadn't said it about ten times already.
"Well, shit," Bucky's voice finally came, a little strangled, and Maggie's heart twisted. "How am I getting to Wakanda?"
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Strawberrycheeze: A few people guessed that Tony could be Rikki's dad ;)