Green Hal37: I know. But why let common sense and canon get in the way of hating a character, right? Most of the people who hold this against Wanda don't seem to have a problem ignoring any events in canon that contradict their narrative that Wanda is just a horrible person.
Why thank you.
Now, onto the chapter.
The recording continues as a woman with greying blond hair was playing the piano, singing the lyrics to 'Try to remember'.
Pain shot through Tony's heart as he saw his mother, so alive and well. Although he wondered how he was seeing this.
She finished playing as Howard Stark walked in, rousing the person sleeping on the couch. The person got up, revealing a younger Tony Stark.
"Hey man, isn't that you?" Rhodey asked as he looked over at Tony.
However, Tony did not answer and had gone a ghostly white. He realized what he was seeing. This was the last time he had seen his parents alive.
Steve eyed the version of Howard on screen. Try as he might, it was difficult for him to imagine this as his friend from1945.
Tony and Howard bicker as Maria tries to gently play peacemaker. Tony jokes about throwing a toga party before inquiring about where his parents are heading. Mario says Howard is taking her to the Bahamas and Howard says they will need to make a stop beforehand. Tony, angry at his father always putting work before family, makes a sarcastic comment. Howard responds in kind before walking out of the room to grab something.
Tony winced, filled with regret. He wished he could go back; make things right with his father before it was too late. Rhodey put a hand on his shoulder, knowing Tony well enough to sense where his thoughts were headed.
Steve looked back and forth between his friend and the screen sadly. Like him, it seemed Tony was also filled with regret over things he couldn't change.
Maria stands up, telling Tony that Howard misses him when he's not home and that Tony will miss them, as this will be the last time they're all together.
Those not in the know (Everyone but Tony) wondered what that meant as Tony again flashed back to the first scene. He shook his head, told himself he was being paranoid.
Maria pointed out Tony would regret it if he didn't say something as Howard reentered the room. Tony tells Howard he loves him and knows that Howard does the best he can. Howard and Maria walk out and young Tony stares after them as the current Tony is seen standing behind him.
"Wait, how are their two of you?" Rhodey asked confused as Tony understood.
"It's a little something I've been working on. Binaurally Augmented Retro-framing. Helps people go back to moments they'd like to relive, clear traumatic memories," Tony explained.
"I am not sure that is wise Stark," Thor said with a frown.
"Helping people go back and fix things they regret? How is that a bad thing?" Tony asked, not seeing the obvious issue.
"Because people could lose perspective on reality. By opening the door to the past, you may decide to sacrifice the future in order to stay in the past. People may be unable to move forward as they become stuck in the past," T'Challa pointed out and Tony frowned, considering the words of warning.1
Tony ends the hologram, talking about the project, BARF as he calls it. The crowd of MIT students cheered as Tony reveals that the September Grant Foundation has funded and approved all their projects. However, Tony pauses as the teleprompter tells him to introduce Pepper. Tony quickly gathers his bearings and tells them to 'go break some eggs' before walking back stage as the crowed broke into cheers.
Tony winced, a wounded look on his face that Steve, Vision, and Rhodey noticed. However, they chose not to comment on it. Wanda felt a blast of turmoil and pain from him as well, causing her to give him a curious look.
The MIT liaison tried to talk Tony into giving him some of the funding but Tony ignored him, walking passed him and rebuffing the apology of the stage director who didn't know Pepper had canceled. Tony walked off, into the back hall. As Tony took a moment to gather his bearings, a woman was by the elevator. As Tony walked up to the elevator, she strikes up what appears to be a casual conversation with him. As Tony presses the button, she reaches into her purse. Tony instinctively grabbed her hand, startling her.
Tony apologizes as he releases her. She tells him that she works for the State Department's Human Resources Division and it allowed her to raise a son. She pulls a picture out of her purse and slams into Tony's hands, explaining that her son, Charles Spencer, was one of the casualties of Sokovia. She blames Tony for his death and claims Tony only fights for himself before storming off.
The room was silent as Tony winced, his guilt over creating Ultron coming full surface.
"I'm sorry," Wanda said so softly they almost didn't hear it.
"What?" Tony said confused as they all looked over at her.
"It was my powers that made you create Ultron. I'm sorry," Wanda said in shame.
"It's not your fault kid. Knowing me, if it wasn't you, it would have been something else that made me decide to bring Ultron out of retirement. It was a flawed program and I knew that but I still plugged it into Loki's scepter," Tony sighed tiredly. "I've got to own up to my own mistakes. Because whatever I did after you were done messing with head, well, that's on me, not you."
The scene changes to the Compound. Steve is watching a news report on the incident from Lagos, with the reporter revealing that eleven Wakandians were killed in the explosion.
T'Challa closed his eyes, a pang of grief hitting him as Wanda looked down.
"I'm sorry your highness," Wanda said in shame, unable to look at him.
"As I told you before, many more would have died if you had not intervened," T'Challa said after taking a few moments to compose himself. "My people are dead, which I cannot forgive. But I choose to blame the hand that activated the bomb rather than the hand that tried to save lives."
Wanda looked away, guilt still eating at her. Clint placed a hand on her shoulder, hoping to offer her some measure of comfort and support.
Steve turns off the news report, unable to watch as T'Chaka calls The Avengers 'indifferent' to the lives lost. However, Steve hears another news report on the same incident. Steve stands up and follows the sound, finding Wanda in her room watching the news on the incident.
"You shouldn't watch that. It's not healthy," Clint told Wanda softly.
Wanda simply shrugged and his concern grew. Clint glanced over at Steve and Natasha, both of who looked equally as frustrated and helpless as he felt.
"People are always gonna judge you," Tony said and Wanda looked over at him. "You don't even want to know about the bad press I got when I announced I wasn't going to be making weapons anymore. The media, the politicians, they see something they can't control and that bothers them. You can't let what they say get to you."
Wanda looked away, a thoughtful look on her face as Clint shot Tony a grateful look.
Steve turns off the TV as Wanda continues to blame herself. Steve sits down on her bed, pointing out she would never have been in that position if he hadn't gotten distracted by Rumlow. It's on him, he insists but she disagreed, saying it's on both of them. Steve points out that people die in their job but if they aren't able to live with it, the next time they might not be able to save anyone.
"How do you live with it?" Wanda inquired as she looked over at Steve.
"I surround myself with people I trust. You've got that to you know," Steve said pointedly as Clint's hand on her shoulder tightened ever so slightly.
Vision suddenly phases through the wall, surprising Steve and Wanda. Wanda chides him, reminding him they've 'talked about this'.
"And how often have you talked about that?" Clint demanded.
"Too often," Steve, Natasha, Rhodey, and Sam said.
"I see," Clint said as he eyed Vision, wondering if his arrows could pierce Vision's body.
Wanda, getting a blast of his thoughts, laughed and elbowed him. Clint let it go…for now.
"I'd watch your back buddy. Trust me, you do not want to piss Clint off," Tony said with a wince, having flashbacks to bad experiences.
"I remember," Vision said, remembering the incidents from his time as JARVIS.
Vision says Steve wanted to know when Tony arrived. Vision awkwardly goes to use the door but pauses, telling Steve Tony has brought a guest: the Secretary of State.
"Thaddeus Ross? They guy who chased Banner across the world? Why would you bring him to the Compound?" Clint asked incredulously as they all looked over at Tony.
"I don't know," Tony said, seemingly as confused by his actions as the others.
The scene changes to the conference room. All the Avengers are seated as Ross tells them a story about having a heart attack before getting down to business. He starts by sugarcoating them before he pointedly points out that, while most of the world consider them heroes, some consider The Avengers vigilantes. At Natasha's question, Ross admits he sees them as dangerous, declaring they 'routinely ignore sovereign borders, inflict their will, and, frankly, seem unconcerned about what they leave behind'.
"Oh sure, next time we'll just let the terrorist steal the bio-weapon and kill hundreds of people. Can you believe this guy?" Sam asked disgusted.
"How he became Secretary of State, I'll never know," Natasha agreed with the sentiment.
Ross then shows them clips on a monitor of The Avengers past battles in New York, Washington, Sokovia, and Lagos. Specifically, the civilians caught in the crossfire.
"Were we not trying to save lives then?" Thor asked confused.
"People still died," Steve said hollowly.
"Thor's right though Cap. What exactly is Ross' point, that we should have stood back and allowed Loki, Hydra, and Ultron to kill thousands of people?" Clint demand angrily.2
"A man like Ross seems only interested in power, if what you say about him is true," T'Challa noted.
Ross turns off the clips and reveals the true reason for his visit. The governments of the world are no longer willing to allow The Avengers to operate on their terms. Ross then hands them a copy of The Sokovia Accords, explaining that they will sign and will them operate under the supervision of the UN panel. Only if and when they deem it necessary.
"Oh, I get it," Tony said as he leaned back in his seat.
"Get what Mr. Stark?" Peter asked confused.
"Well, remember how I said politicians don't like things they can't control? Well, Ross can dress it up however he likes, but what this document is really about is controlling The Avengers. As if we'd ever allow that," Tony said, laughing at the thought.3
"But shouldn't we all abide by the government?" Peter said confused.
"Not like this kid," Clint told him.
"If we have to wait around for a bunch of politicians to agree, we'll never be able to do our job and people will die," Sam explained.
"It's not impossible son, but there would have to be safeguards," Steve explained.
In the lab, Fitz and Barton exchanged a glance of amusement mixed with uncertainty.
"How do you think Stark will react to his decision?" Fitz inquired.
"He'll probably be horrified. I don't know who that guy who did all those things was, but it wasn't my friend. The guy sitting in there, watching all this…that's the real Tony Stark," Barton said confidently.4
Steve argues that The Avengers were made to make the world safer. Ross demands to know if any of them know where Thor and Hulk are, which they admittedly do not. Ross then makes a comparison between the two absent Avengers and Nukes.
"Did this Ross just call me a weapon?" Thor asked a low voice that had everyone on edge.
"Yes," Natasha said wearily.
"Where is my hammer?! I will find this Ross and show him I'm not a weapon to be wielded!" Thor exploded as he got to his feet.
"Easy Point Break! Remember, we're In the future. Besides, I don't think you going Terminator on the Secretary of State is going to help us right now," Tony reasoned.
"We're here to change this Thor. So calm down," Steve added.
Thor took a few deep breaths before sitting back down, grumbling threats against Ross.
Ross again tries to play them, telling them The Accords are a compromise.
"Right," Clint scoffed.
"Only a politician could say that with a straight face," Natasha added disgusted.
Rhodey asks about contingencies but is ignored. Ross says The Accords will be signed in three days in Vienna.
"Three days? From the size of that book, we'd each need weeks, at least, to read it all and understand it," Tony said stunned.
"They don't want us to know what we're signing," Steve noted grimly. "Which means they know we won't agree to it but they're trying to back us into a corner."
"So what do we do?" Rhodey asked but none of them were sure they had an answer.
Ross tells them to talk about I and Natasha inquires if he doesn't like their decision. Ross tells them they'll be retired before leaving.
"Retire? Try and make us!" Tony barked out a laugh.
"Indeed, what will they do if another Ultron appears, make us sit on the sidelines!" Thor laughed as well.
"Retirement might not be a bad idea," everyone stopped and stared at Steve as though he had grown another head. "Temporarily at least."
"What are you thinking Cap?" Sam asked.
"The UN is never going to change their minds about this. At the same time, if any of us sign, we'll lose our leverage because we'll no longer have a united front. The fact is they need us a lot more than we need them. More than that, as Tony said, they want us under their control. We can't let that happen. But, if we retire, as Ross suggested, then it'll send a message."
"And buy us the time we need to get The Accords amended until it's something we all agree with," Cling caught on.
"Not a bad plan cap," Tony said with a smirked.
"Well, I'm already retired, so let me show you the ropes," Clint leaned back in his chair.
1: BARF is, in my opinion, a horrible invention. In a perfect world, it would work exactly as Tony intends, remove regret and help people move on from traumatic experiences. But the world is not perfect. Like the Resurrection Stone and Mirror or Esired from Harry Potter, people could easily lose sight of reality, wasting away in torment of a loved one they have lost but are unable to be with anymore.
2: Honestly, the standard applied by Ross in the scene that he shows those clips was ridiculous. Every clip he showed was of The Avengers trying to save lives. And in every situation, if they had not intervened, more people would have died. People lost their lives, which is a tragedy, but what did Ross and the UN want them to do, sit back and let people die? By their twisted logic, anytime a firefighter is unable to save people from a burning building or a doctor is unable to save a patient, even if they do everything humanly possible, the deaths are their fault. It's an impossible and ridiculous standard that no one could possibly live up to.
3: The concept of The Accords is a good idea, it is. But, as written, The Accords are a horrible document that should never see the light of day. They do not offer compromise, oversight, accountability or anything we are told they do. They are a means to control not just The Avengers, but government organizations such as SHIELD and even regular powered/enhanced individuals who just want to live normal lives. This is shown not just in the films, but in the Agents of SHILED TV series.
4: So, let me get this straight Civil War writers. Tony Stark, who told the government in Iron Man 2 that he was never going to let them have his suits and is notorious for not blindly following orders, is going to let the government tell him how and when he can use his suits and save lives. That's pretty laughable. From the moment Tony decided to back The Accords, it was pretty obvious whoever was writing this film did not understand the character of Tony Stark.