"Let the record show that the vigilante team known as 'the Avengers' failed to show up before this committee, and therefore are voluntarily surrendering all rights of—"
The doors boomed open, letting in a flurry of sound and camera flashes, and everyone in the room turned to see Steve leading Natasha, Clint, and Thor into the room. All of them but Thor—who'd summoned his armor during that last standoff and kept it on for the flight here—were still in the suits they'd left the house in that morning, and were bandaged and bruised from where Coulson had insisted they be checked out before he would allow them to take a 'jet the rest of the way to the Pentagon.
It didn't exactly match his once pristine Armani suit, but Steve had his shield on his arm. After the morning they'd had, he wasn't taking a chance that he would need it now and it would be uselessly waiting for him on the 'jet. A security guard had tried to stop him, telling him that he couldn't bring it in, but a few moments of a flat stare and a quiet word from the man's supervisor had quelled his concerns.
Likewise, Thor had Mjölnir in hand and Clint had his bow and quiver slung over his back and, though he couldn't see them since she'd surrendered the obvious belt, he was very sure Natasha was well armed as well.
"Ah, Captain Rogers," Stern said with a smarmy grin. "So nice of you to show up. I was told you were a very punctual type of person, but, well, it's understandable that some parts of the story must be inflated a bit, right?"
Steve stopped at the table where Rhodey and several members of the SHIELD legal team, under the direction of Maria Hill, were seated. He remained standing while Clint sank into a seat and Thor followed his example. Natasha remained standing at his side, arms crossed over her chest.
"I apologize for our lateness," Steve said, "but we had some... complications during our drive here."
"I see. You got lost on the way to the Senate hearing in the Capitol building. It happens. You should have Mr. Stark explain to you how Google Maps works. I bet that would have been handy back in the day, right? Speaking of Mr. Stark, would these complications have to do with why two members of your team are missing? The summons was for all six of you, wasn't it?"
"It was," Steve said, "and they do. Mr. Stark and Dr. Banner are currently under medical supervision—"
"Oh," Stern said with faux sympathy. "Stayed up a little too late partying last night?" He tsked. "Well, that's just too bad. Send them my condolences, would you? We'll just have to proceed without—"
"Tony didn't overindulge last night," Steve corrected. "He's in the hospital with injuries sustained in a series of car accidents this morning."
There was a brief swell of chatter at this announcement before Stern restored order to the room.
"A series of car accidents?" he asked, dubiously. "How, exactly, does one become involved in a series of car accidents and why didn't someone stop him from driving after the first or second?"
"Tony wasn't driving the vehicle at the time of the accidents, Senator," Steve said. "I was."
That caught the politician off guard. "Excuse me? Captain Rogers, this is precisely why we asked you to be here, to determine under what aegis you operate and to limit your power if necessary. You cannot act with carte blanche just because you are so-called superheroes—"
Steve turned his head when Maria touched his elbow and told him he could sit. He was feeling just contrary enough to want to stay standing until the end, but his leg wasn't pleased with his stubbornness and the rest of him was tired enough to vote against the plan as well.
He nodded and accepted the chair Clint had pushed forward with his foot, Natasha seating herself after, next to him.
"Senator Stern," Maria said and nodded to the technical specialist at the end of the table, who began typing on her laptop. The television screens around the room lit up, each showing a different news report of the chase, anchor reports interspersed with video of both aerial shots and on-the-ground filming.
"This morning the Avengers were attacked on their way to this very meeting. Captain Rogers utilized his training and superhuman abilities to minimize the damage and threat to civilian life. We are still investigating who is behind this, but we do know that the Avengers didn't seek out this threat. They, however, did contain it, and then neutralize it."
A shaky—but remarkably clear—cellphone video of the Hulk smashing the engine right out of the second SUV played out, the cameraperson pulling back on the shot to show the otherwise empty roundabout.
"Mr. Stark was already in less than perfect health this morning, but he came anyway. During the course of the chase he was injured and had to be airlifted to a secure medical facility."
"Minimized the damage? Minimized. I'm not even going to guess at the number of injuries to innocent bystanders right now, let's just stick to the fact that there are how many miles of New Jersey with damage to the roads, buildings, and public works now? Look at that!" he said and pointed to the screen where it showed the mess Steve'd made of the freshly poured cement sidewalk.
"That is taxpayer money being wasted, right there. And that's not even the worst of the damage that I'm seeing just in these few minutes of footage! How are we meant to justify the existence—the blatant favoritism —being shown these people just because they are stronger and faster than the rest of us mere humans?"
Thor shot to his feet, fingers wrapped around the shaft of Mjolnir, and said, "You would penalize them for being able to do what you cannot? For having the strength to defend you 'mere humans' from threats greater than you are prepared to battle? You should be honoring their courage, not treating them like dangerous beasts let loose among your children!"
"Okay, first of all, you're not even from Earth, so I don't expect you to understand our ways," Stern said. Steve had to grit his teeth at the patronizing tone to keep from saying something that Tony would be proud of.
Thor snorted. "I have seen more ages than you will live and I understand more than you know, councilman."
" And second of all," Stern added, talking over Thor, "that's exactly what it's like. If we don't lay down rules and regulations, it will be just as bad as letting 'wild beasts loose among our children'."
There was a cough from the technical specialist at the end of the bench and when attention went her way she blushed lightly. "Sorry about that. Didn't mean to interrupt you, Senator. Uh, carry on."
A moment later Clint laughed out loud and everyone stared at him until they saw he was pointing at the screens. "He's right though. Oh god, look at that carnage."
A PR event from a few months back where they'd dressed up in uniform and gone to visit children in a hospital was showing on the screen. Thor was lifting his arms with a half dozen children hanging off while Natasha and Clint were doing a tumbling exhibition down the hallway with a few of the older girls clapping and cheering.
Steve, sans his cowl, was laughing at Tony with marker on his face as they sat at a too-small table and fingerpainted with several toddlers. A sprinkling of dots and a bright yellow handprint were drying on the shoulder pauldron where one child had tried to get his attention and then had to hold on when he'd swung them onto his hip.
"Save them," Natasha said dryly. "Quick, save them from the monsters."
"This is cute," Stern said. "This is very cute. But visiting some children in a hospital, while admirable, does not negate the fact that you left a swath of destruction through the state of New Jersey while commuting!"
"Oh come on!" Clint said. "That makes it sound like we went on a bender for shits and giggles during morning rush hour!"
"Hawkeye," Maria said, shooting him a look. He stopped talking, slouching back into his chair, and glared at the ground.
"As I said," she continued, "Senator Stern, this morning's incident was not instigated by the Avengers. They were attacked with the intent to kill them. Why? Because Captain America cut them off on the freeway?"
"Did you, Captain?" Stern asked.
Steve frowned, eyes narrowing, but Maria said, "Oh for God's sake. This was a calculated and coordinated attack involving at least seven vehicles and almost an hour of pursuit."
"And that's another question I have," Stern said. "Why did it take an hour for these heroes to stop and do something about this threat?"
Clint made a sound of outrage and Thor grumbled menacingly, but Steve was the one who said, "I did evade them, several times in fact, and they just kept—"
"Captain, stop," Maria said. She turned back to the senators and said, "This is not the inquiry board, nor are we prepared to discuss exactly what happened today until we have concluded our investigation of events. What I can tell you is this:
"The initial assessment of the incident shows clear and repeated attempts by Captain Rogers to minimize damage and preserve human life, both that of his teammates and of innocent civilians. There have been an as yet undetermined number of casualties, including that of Tony Stark, but there are no verified fatalities, except for two of their assailants. Most damage was minor, the sidewalk you referred to believed to be one of the more costly repairs to be made.
"In fact, according to my last report, that was already being taken care of by New Jersey Department of Transportation workers and should be finished within the original timeline. For a 'swath of destruction', those are some impressively small costs. So far, more vehicular injury, death, and property damage can be attributed to United States Senators last year alone." She leveled a hard look at Stern and held it while he scowled back.
Steve shifted uncomfortably at that, mostly because he was torn between frowning at the possibility that was true and trying to hide a smile at the way Maria had been as blunt as she usually was.
The response on the other side of the bench seemed to be similarly split, and after a beat, Maria continued. "Fortunately, we are not here today to discuss that either."
"How is Mr. Stark doing?" asked one of the senators who tended to be more sympathetic to their cause. Steve thought he might have a daughter who was a big fan of Tony's, but he couldn't be sure if he was confusing the man with someone else.
"I don't believe that's any of your business, sir," she said in a cool tone.
"Agent Hill," Steve said. She turned to give him a look, but he shook his head.
She pressed her lips together, then turned back. "Mr. Stark was already in less than perfect health this morning, recovering from a flu infection. During the course of the chase, he suffered several injuries and was airlifted to a secure medical facility—"
"He has a concussion, a sprained wrist, several broken ribs, and some other minor injuries," Steve said. "He'll be fine, though, thank you for your concern."
"The rest of your team does not appear to have escaped unscathed either, Captain," another senator observed.
"I appreciate your concern, ma'am, but it looks worse than it is. We'll be fine as well. Thank you."
More than one senator leaned to a neighbor and made a comment, murmured discussions popping up all along the table, and while it was clear not all of them were favorable, neither were they all unfavorable it seemed.
"While the discussion of today's events is very relevant to the decision before us, we have, as Agent Hill said, gotten off topic," Stern said loudly, and the other conversations died out in response. "We are here to decide if the Avengers will be allowed to continue their activities and, if so, under what oversight. I am, of course, concerned for their health—"
Steve heard Clint snort behind him and Natasha murmur something quietly to him in response.
"—but that is irrelevant to the—"
"These injuries are a direct result of their actions today that saved lives," one of the other senators said.
"Lives that would not have been in danger if not for the Avengers' presence," another countered.
"I think that depends on why this group was so set on eliminating the Avengers," one said. "It's not inconceivable that a terrorist group would see them as a threat and try to remove that obstacle."
"We don't know that this was a group of terrorists with a greater plan," came the argument.
"We don't know that it wasn't. The Chitauri came to our world from another part of space, but there is no shortage of threats among the people of Earth itself," a senator on the end said.
"The question we have to ask ourselves," Stern said, "is whether or not we're willing to accept the many and potentially grievous risks that come with allowing a group of what are essentially vigilantes to become a sanctioned part of our defense system."
"I move to allow the Avengers to handle threats that the United States military is neither equipped nor prepared to deal with at this time. I move that this status be provisional in nature under the direction of the Secretary of Defense and Joint Chiefs of Staff until such time as more detailed and complete regulations can be enacted."
"I second the motion."
Stern didn't look at all pleased as he called for the vote. "All in favor—"
"With all due respect, Senators," Steve said, standing up, "at this time the Avengers are not interested in becoming directly affiliated with the United States government."
That caused any and all discussion in the room to cease immediately.
"Excuse me?" Stern finally said.
Steve shrugged while Maria glared at him and said, "Senator—"
"No, Agent Hill, I'd like to hear this from the Captain's mouth, thank you." His gaze shifted and he said, "Continue, please."
Steve shrugged. "I have a great deal of respect for the men and women who work within the checks and balances of the United States Congress, the Judicial Branch, and the Executive Branch. I also have a great deal of respect and gratitude for the men and women in uniform who serve this country every day in the military and civil support agencies. I would like to thank all of them for their service and efforts to keep this country and its citizens safe."
Then he shook his head, "But I share the concerns of Tony Stark in regards to putting the control of the Avengers into the hands of the men and women who don't work within those checks and balances, who use the system to cheat it and take and use power that isn't theirs to have. We are are also concerned about what effects affiliations like this might have on our ability to work in response to threats that do not directly affect the United States.
"I bear the name and wear the colors of this country, but neither I, nor my team, are willing to turn a blind eye to the rest of the world's needs. We'd like your cooperation, of course, but we don't need your funding and we're not interested in your direction or regulations. Thank you."
Steve saw one or two smiles, a few glares and scowls, and mostly perplexed expressions on the faces of the committee members.
"You expect us to support the organization of a private army on United States soil?" Stern finally demanded.
"No, sir," Steve said. "The Avengers are hardly an army and I already said we don't need your support." He tilted his head. "If anything, we'd like you to treat us just like all of our fellow citizens."
"Oh yes, because you're just like any group of superhumans who likes to save the world on the weekends."
Steve's smile grew lopsided. "Everyone has to have a hobby."
"Captain Rogers," Stern said, visibly annoyed and quickly losing his temper, "you seem to think this is some kind of game, but let me assure you that this is very serious indeed. It is our job to look out for the best interests of the citizens of the United States—"
"I understand how serious this is, Senator," Steve said, expression hardening. "Believe me, I do. If anyone is under the delusion this is a game we're playing, I'd say it's you."
"Oh please, Mr. Stark—"
"Has spent a considerable sum of his own money and risked his very life on multiple occasions, not because it was a game, or because it was profitable, or even because he wanted the approval of people like you. He did it because it was the right thing to do. That's all any of us want," he said, gesturing to the other three members of the team present. "To use whatever 'special' abilities we have to help people because someone has to. We're not going to try and take over the world or even New York City. We just want to be able to step up when we're needed and pitch in. That's all."
"I move to dismiss the motion to make the Avengers a provisional unit of the United States government," one of the senators said into the ensuing silence.
"Seconded," another called out almost immediately.
"You understand, Captain," a distinguished-looking female senator said, "that this may cause you difficulties in the future. The benefit to being under the direction of a recognized authority is that you are also afforded certain protections for your actions."
"I do," Steve said, "but I think that's more likely to keep us honest than giving us a chain of command. We're not like other teams," he added wryly.
"No, you're certainly not that," she said with a small smile to match his own.
This time Stern looked downright livid as he called for the vote. It wasn't unanimous, or even a landslide, but it passed in their favor. Steve was content with that.
The meeting was adjourned and the conversation level went from a buzz to an only slightly dimmed roar.
"That could have gone better," Maria said sourly as she turned to face him.
Steve smiled and said, "Maybe," he allowed. "But I'm counting it as a victory in my book. Thank you for your help today."
"Doing what?" she asked dryly.
He laughed and said, "Moral support. It's more important than you might guess."
She shook her head, and he thought she might have been amused and just hiding it. "Go. Be moral support for Stark. Just make sure he's not hacking into my mainframe this time," she warned with a pointed finger.
The agents moved out in a group, ignoring the media representatives trying to get a comment or a response.
"Ready?" Clint asked, standing and stretching with a wince when it pulled on sore muscles and other injuries.
"You heard Agent Hill," Steve said. "Let's go support our team."
