Lagos, Present Day

Wanda adds sugar to a cup of coffee and stirs it while looking at the passing people and cars.

Steve's voice crackles to life over the radio, "All right, what do you see?"

Wanda surveys the surrounding people and buildings, "Standard beat cops—small station. Quiet street. It's a good target."

Nikolina prompts the learning woman, half annoyed that Steve is making her teach the other telekinetic woman, "There's an ATM in the south corner, which means…."

"Cameras."

"Both cross streets are one way." Steve notices the flow of traffic and informs his team members.

Wanda understands, "So, compromised escape routes."

Nikolina tells the woman, "It also means the asshole doesn't care about being seen; he isn't afraid to make a mess on the way out." Nikolina shoves some chips into her mouth from the bag she pulls out from her coat. Seeing the action from the corner of her eye, Natasha does a double take and scans the other woman's frame to figure out how Nikolina always seems to have food on her.

"You see that Range Rover halfway up the block?" Steve draws attention to the car.

Wanda's eyes snap to the vehicle and confirm Steve's visual, "Yeah, the red one? It's cute."

Natasha sits two tables from Wanda and beside Nikolina; both women wear sunglasses. Natasha has her long red hair loose around her shoulders, while Nikolina's black hair is tied in a long, elaborate braid covered with a beanie. Natasha's hand tries to grab a couple of chips only to receive a slap on the back of her hand and an angry grunt from Nikolina.

Natasha announces over the comms, "It's also bulletproof, which means private security, which means more guns, which means more headaches for somebody. Probably us."

Wanda stews over the older Russian woman's words, "You guys know I can move things with my mind, right?"

Nikolina rolls her eyes at the comment, "So can I; you ain't special."

"Looking over your shoulder needs to become second nature."

"Anybody ever tell you you're a little paranoid?" Sam decides to weigh into the conversation.

Natasha teases back, "Not to my face. Why? Did you hear something?" Nikolina laughs through her mouthful of food, and Natasha smashes her hand into the bag, grabs a chip, and pops it into her mouth, ignoring the look of annoyance from her younger fellow Russian.

"Eyes on target, folks. This is the best lead we've had on Rumlow in six months. I don't want to lose him." Steve chimes over the comms, seeing the interaction between the two.

Sam chimes in, "If he sees us coming, that won't be a problem. He kind of hates us."

A garbage truck is pushing through traffic without regard to pedestrians or other vehicles.

Steve's attention is on the truck, and he gets suspicious, "Sam, see that garbage truck? Tag it."

A small drone launches from the back of Sam's Falcon jet pack and flies down to scan the garbage truck. "Give me an X-ray." The high-tech glasses give him a weight analysis: "Cargo Weight says, 13825 kgs—Max capacity."

Sam quickly informs the team of the new data, "That truck's loaded for max weight. And the driver's armed."

Natasha and Nikolina share a look before Natasha voices the obvious, "It's a battering ram."

Steve doesn't hesitate to order the team, "Go now." Nikolina shoves the rest of the chips into her mouth as she jumps to her feet.

"What?" Wanda asks, not understanding why the two women are running and the urgency that Steve's voice is exhibiting.

"He's not hitting the police." Steve and Nikki chime together, though while Steve's tone is kind, Nikki's tone is exasperated.

INSTITUTE FOR INFECTIOUS DISEASES

A man is sitting in the guard station. He looks over as the garbage truck is coming towards the gate. The driver jumps out, and the car slams into the gateway. Two trucks rush into the compound through the newly made entrance. Soldiers in black armor emerge from the trucks, firing their rifles around the courtyard. Four soldiers fire gas canisters into the building. Soldiers wearing gas masks enter the building, causing panic to erupt.

Steve arrives and takes out several soldiers, "Body armor, AR-15s. I make nine hostiles."

Sam flies to a rooftop, spinning and using his wings to block gunfire. He takes out a soldier, but the other dodges, causing him to attack again, "I make 7."

Wanda arrives and flies over the rooftop and into the courtyard, blocking fire with her powers. She takes control of one soldier and lifts him upward. "Sam."

Sam glides down from the rooftop, catching the soldier on one of his wings. "Six."

Sam's drone flies by, scanning the inside of the building – the scan reveals a body, "Rumlow's on the third floor."

Steve turns to the more inexperienced telekinetic, "Wanda, just like we practiced."

"What about the gas?"

Nikolina stops dead when she hears Wanda's question, "Well, I think we should just leave it there so more people can choke on it. What do you think, dumbass?"

"Quiet, Nikki." He turns back to Wanda, who looks slightly embarrassed due to Nikki's words, "Get it out."

Wanda uses her powers to lift Steve up and through the window. He grabs a soldier and pulls off their gas mask. Rumlow is inside the building and quickly closing in on his destination – he punches down the door, knocks aside a technician, and enters a room with a bio-hazard container. Brock Rumlow says to the other men, "Pack it up."

In another area, Steve is behind a pillar. He throws his shield, which bounces off the soldier and back to Steve. Meanwhile, Wanda uses her powers to remove the gas from the building, and Sam exchanges fire with several soldiers. Rumlow walks outside onto a balcony, sees that Steve's team is there, and quickly takes out the soldiers. "He's here."

Inside the building, Steve sees the vial missing. "Rumlow has a biological weapon."

Natasha rides a motorcycle through the streets and tells Steve, "I'm on it." She jumps off the bike, and it skids toward a soldier, knocking off his feet and hitting the ground hard. "Nikki, wanna help?" Nat's voice comes over the comms as she realizes the number of men in the armored cars.

"Yeah, one second."

Natasha takes advantage of the situation she created and engages the soldiers through hand-to-hand combat, making her way through the large group of soldiers as she waits for Nikki. As she throws Widow bites, punches, kicks, and flips the soldiers in her way, one guy raises his gun to shoot, and as his finger pulls the trigger, the bullet stops midair and falls to the ground. Natasha turns at the round's tiny tink sound as it connects with the cement. Seeing the bullet on the floor, Natasha smirks as the soldier stares confused at the bullet. It doesn't last long as Nikolina emerges from the shadows, grabs the guy's head, and twists, breaking his neck. Nikolina runs to the next soldier and smashes his head against the vehicle before turning to Natasha, "I got this. Go."

Confident that Nikolina can handle the other soldiers, Natasha fights through the men, trying to get to the weapon. Rumlow comes up behind Natasha and grabs her collar, dragging her onto an armored vehicle; she tries to electrocute him with one of her bracelets. Natasha freezes momentarily, seeing that Rumlow isn't reacting to the electricity. "I don't work like that no more."

He throws Natasha through the roof hatch into an armored vehicle, drops in a grenade, and shuts the hatch. "Fire in the hole."

Natasha looks at the grenade before she stares at the two men sitting in the vehicle, who realize what Rumlow has done and jump forward, "No!"

Natasha takes out the soldiers inside, then grabs one to shield herself from the grenade just in time as the bomb explodes and the doors blow open, and she flies out with the soldier taking a majority of the blast. Natasha lays on the ground in pain and coughs, trying to clear her lungs from the smoke. Hearing the explosion, Steve runs out onto the balcony and spots Rumlow. "Sam. He's in an AFV heading north. Nikki, follow them."

Nikolina sighs before responding, "Aye, aye, Captain." She takes off in a sprint after the vehicle.

Inside the AFV, Rumlow secures the biological weapon and hands it to a soldier. Rumlow orders the soldier, "Take this to the airstrip. We're not gonna outrun them. Lose the truck."

The truck crashes into a nearby structure, and Rumlow and the soldiers emerge.

The lead mercenary asks Rumlow, "Where are you going to meet us?"

"I'm not."

Sam lands on the roof of a structure and scans the area with his goggles, "I got five; they're splitting up."

Natasha rides through the crowd on the back of her motorcycle. She abandons it again and runs across the hoods of cars in pursuit. "I got the two on the left."

"I'll take the other two; Sam, take the last one," Nikolina announces as she sprints through the crowd, shoving people out of her way physically and with her powers – uncaring about the shouts of anger and fear.

Steve is also running across cars; he spots a vest in the middle of a crowd, "They ditched their gear. It's a shell game now. One of them has the payload."

Nikolina sees two men running and changes course, chasing after them and quickly closing the distance. Getting fed up with everyone uncaring about the chase, Nikolina pulls out her gun and fires three warning shots into the dirt. Screams of terror ring in the air as everyone pushes and shoves their way out of the road and away from the enraged woman.

"Nikki? What was that?" Steve's concerned voice comes over the comms, worried about the gunshots and the number of people screaming and crying from the direction Nikki ran in.

She shoves the hot barrel into her waistband and continues the chase, "Mind your own business."

Nikki approaches the men while people run away from the group and snatches a knife from her thigh. Flinging the weapon with deadly precision, the blade soars through the air and hits one of the mercenaries in the back of the neck – causing the man to stop dead in his tracks forever.

His partner also halts, upset at Nikolina. The mercenary slowly pivots on his foot to face the Russian assassin whom he has heard many horror stories about. Nikolina stays in her place calmly, unafraid of the rage coming from the man. That seems to anger him even more as he pulls out his gun and aims it at Nikolina; no one is quite sure what happens next, aside from the assassin, but all the public knows is that the man's veins pulse black, and then he starts screaming in agony.

The sounds are guttural and so loud that his voice cracks. The mercenary writhes on the ground, twitching uncontrollably while bending in ways no one thought possible – all the while, Nikolina is still in her stop, eyes trained on the man but with no expression.

There is a loud, sickening snap, and the bystanders realize that the man's back has snapped in half. Lying stone still, Nikolina walks calmly to the man and squats beside him. Her eyes scan the blood pouring from the man's eyes, nose, mouth, and ears before patting down his belongings and doing the same to the partner. However, she pulls her knife from his throat and wipes the blood onto the deceased man's uniform.

Nikolina raises her hand to her earpiece, pressing the button to allow her to speak to the team, "My two don't have it."

Someone throws a bomb at Steve, who raises his shield to block the hit, but it sticks to his shield. Steve throws it in the air, and the bomb detonates safely away from citizens. Rumlow comes up behind Steve and punches him in the back.

Brock Rumlow faces off with Steve, "There you are, you son of a bitch. I've been waiting for this!"

Meanwhile, Sam is still chasing the other mercenary. Sam flies up, takes out his guy, and then searches the bags for the payload, "He doesn't have it. I'm empty."

Natasha is chasing the soldiers through the crowd, "Out of the way!"

She tackles one soldier and engages him in combat. When the other soldier arrives, she hurls a basket at him to distract him. She uses her skills to fight them and ends up face-to-face with one soldier. They point their guns at each other. A moment passes before the other soldier produces the vial.

The first mercenary threateningly holds the vial to the side, "Drop it. Or I'll drop this. Drop it!"

"He'll do it!" The partner warns, trying to convince the red-headed Russian assassins to surrender.

At the threat, Nikolina descends and fires at the soldier with the vial. He drops, and in the moment of distraction, Natasha fires at the other soldier, then catches the falling vial. "Payload secure. Thanks, Nik."

"It is what I am here for." Nikolina shrugs at the comment and snatches a nearby apple that is sitting abandoned.

Steve and Rumlow are still trading blows, and Nikolina makes her way forward when she realizes neither seems to have the upper hand.

Brock Rumlow bellows to Steve, "Come on!" Rumlow pins Steve to a building and extends a blade from one of his gauntlets. "This is for dropping a building on my face."

Steve grabs Rumlow's arm and pulls the gauntlet off, only for Rumlow to reveal another knife. But Steve bests him. Defeated, on his knees, Rumlow removes his mask, revealing a scarred face.

"I think I look pretty good, all things considered."

Steve ignores Rumlow's words, "Who's your buyer?"

"You know, he knew you. You pal, your buddy, your Bucky."

Steve falters at the sound of his childhood friend's nickname, "What did you say?"

Brock Rumlow continues, "He remembered you. I was there. He got all weepy about it. Till they put his brain back in a blender, he wanted you to know something. He said to me, 'Please tell him. When you gotta go, you gotta go.' And you're coming with me."

He activates his bomb vest, and Steve flinches as Rumlow's armor ignites, but Wanda keeps the blast contained around Rumlow, who grimaces in agony. Nikolina goes to take a step forward to help the struggling woman when Wanda lifts him into the air before the blast becomes too much for her, and she loses control. Rumlow and the explosion fly into the air before slamming into the side of the building; the force and fire destroy the entire side, with debris falling to the ground. Wanda realizes what has happened and raises her hand to cover her mouth in horror as her eyes take in the destruction.

Steve blinks at the aftermath, "Oh my…" Steve stares up at the burning building. "Sam…We need…Fire and Rescue… on the south side of the building. We gotta get up there."

Nikolina stares at the building as debris and dust fall, "Oh, balls."

At the Avengers Compound.

Nikolina is sitting in the kitchen, the news playing in the background as she shoves one taco after another into her mouth. Her ears listen to the report, but she ignores everything around her until Natasha enters the kitchen.

"Come on; we have a meeting." Nikolina stops mid-chew to look at the older woman before grabbing her plate and moving to the door.

Natasha moves to stand before her, "Leave the tacos here."

"No," Nikolina denies and moves to push past her, only for her to be stopped.

"Leave it, Nik." Nat's hand pushes against the rim of the plate. Nik rolls her eyes and refuses to put her food down – Vision enters the background, watching the two women argue over the plate.

Nat quickly gets annoyed and shoves the plate back to the counter with too much force, causing the plate and tacos to crash to the floor. Nat's eyes widen, and her body stiffens while Vision creeps back cautiously.

Nikolina stares at the food on the floor, "Son of a bitch!"

Steve is sitting in his office, listening to the news report on the explosion in Lagos.

News Anchor #1 announces, "11 Wakandans were among those killed during a confrontation between the Avengers and a group of mercenaries in Lagos, Nigeria, last month. The traditionally reclusive Wakandans were on an outreach mission in Lagos when the attack occurred."

King T'Chaka appears on the scene, giving a press conference, "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. Victory, at the expense of the innocent, is no victory at all."

News Anchor #1 continues with the report, "The Wakanda King went on to…."

While watching the news, Steve turns his computer off, unable to listen or see the accident – only to hear another TV playing the same channel but in a different room. Steve looks to the door, realizing where the sound originates – he rises from his desk chair and heads to Wanda's room. Steve catches Wanda watching a news report on the Lagos attack and how they blame her for the accident. He leans against the door frame, watching the young woman.

News anchor #2 declares to the camera, dramatically stating, "They are operating outside and above the international law. Because that's the reality if we don't respond to acts like these."

Wanda is sitting on the edge of the bed, watching the news on her TV.

News Anchor #2 continues to speak, "What legal authority do enhanced individuals like Nikolina Volkova or Wanda Maximoff have to operate in Nigeria." A clip of Nikolina firing her gun at the ground and the people running away from her screaming and crying while she remains unaffected by the panic she caused. The TV turns off, and Steve sets the remote down on the dresser and returns to leaning on the door frame.

Wanda glances at the super soldier, "It's my fault."

"That's not true." Steve denies this to make the younger woman feel better about what has occurred.

Wanda shakes her head in disagreement, "Turn the TV back on. They're being very specific about Nikolina and me."

Steve sighs before speaking, "I should've clocked that bomb vest long before you had to deal with it."

He walks over and sits beside Wanda; Steve explains, "Rumlow said 'Bucky' and… all of a sudden, I was a 16-year-old kid again, in Brooklyn." He sits beside Wanda on the bed, trying to provide comfort. "And people died. It's on me."

Wanda says, "It's on all three of us." Wanda looks around to the door, not sure if she is expecting to see the frightening woman, "Speaking of which, where is Nikolina? How is she doing?"

Steve hesitates to answer the question, knowing it will do anything but comfort the young woman. Instead, he deflects it, "This job…we try to save as many people as we can. Sometimes, that doesn't mean everybody. But if we can't find a way to live with that, next time … maybe nobody gets saved."

Vision interrupts Wanda and Steve by walking through the wall into Wanda's room.

Wanda looks up at him, "Vis! We talked about this."

The robot looks to the woman with wide eyes before speaking, "Yes, but the door was open, so I assumed that…."

He gestures at the door and stops to explain why he is there in the first place, "Captain wished to know when Mr. Stark was arriving."

"Thank you. We'll be right down."

"I'll…use the door. Oh, and apparently, he's brought a guest."

"Who is it?"

"A Military General." Vision turns to leave before he remembers something and pivots back, "Oh, Captain Rogers, if you could hurry, Nikolina was in the middle of eating when the General arrived, and she is not happy."

Thaddeus Ross is standing at the head of a table that Rhodey, Natasha, Steve, Tony, Sam, Vision, Nikolina, and Wanda are gathered around.

Secretary Ross starts his speech by saying, "Five years ago, I had a heart attack. I dropped right in the middle of my back-swing. It turned out it was the best round of my life because after 13 hours of surgery and a triple bypass…I found something 40 years in the Army had never taught me." The Secretary pauses for dramatic effect while glancing at the people in front of him, his eyes lowering into a glare when he sees Nikolina lounging back with her feet on the table and cutting the ends of her hair, not paying attention.

"Perspective. The world owes the Avengers an unpayable debt. You have fought for us, protected us, and risked your lives… but while many people see you as heroes, some… would prefer the word 'vigilantes.'"

Natasha says, "And what word would you use, Mr. Secretary?"

Secretary Ross looks to her, "How about 'dangerous'? What would you call a group of US-based, enhanced individuals who routinely ignore sovereign borders, inflict their will wherever they choose, and who, frankly, seem unconcerned about what they leave behind?"

"The ones who do what needs to be done while the little men in suits cower behind innocent people and paperwork." The statement from Nikolina draws a glare from the General and the eyes of her team; she remains unbothered and meets the stare head-on.

Ross activates a screen behind him. News footage from past Avengers and SHIELD matters flashes on the screen as he speaks. "New York." Footage of a Chitauri leviathan flying through the air, terrified citizens, a soldier firing a gun, and The Hulk smashing into a building and sending a dust cloud to engulf the camera. Rhodey looks regretful at the scene.

Secretary Ross glances behind him at Natasha and Nikolina, "Washington DC."

The three Insight Helicarriers fire on each other. The destroyed Triskelion. A Helicarrier crashes into the Potomac and throws a massive wave, engulfing citizens and the camera. Sam looks down while Nikolina watches the screen.

"Sokovia." Terrified citizens, running. The city is rising. A building is falling over. Wanda stares at the screen, as does Tony.

"Lagos." The burning building. Paramedics are moving a body—a dead girl. Wanda is mainly affected by the footage from Lagos, turning her head to look at the table.

Steve sees her reaction and intervenes. "Okay. That's enough."

Secretary Ross nods to an aide, and the images disappear. "For the past four years, you've operated with unlimited power and no supervision. That's an arrangement the governments of the world can no longer tolerate. But I think we have a solution."

An aide hands him a thick book, which Ross slides across the table to Wanda. She picks it up and then slides it to Rhodey.

Secretary Ross looks to the table, "The Sokovia Accords. Approved by 117 countries… it states that the Avengers shall no longer be a private organization. Instead, they'll operate under the supervision of a United Nations panel, only when and if that panel deems it necessary."

"The Avengers were formed to make the world a safer place. I feel we've done that." Steve tells Ross using what Nikolina calls his 'Captain' voice.

Secretary Ross pivots to stare at Steve, "Tell me, Captain, do you know where Thor and Banner are right now?"

Nikolina, having enough of the passive-aggressive bullshit, chimes in, "Thor's off-world, making the universe safer. Bruce is MIA, but if there were a Hulk problem, we'd have heard about it by now, so Betty is safe. For now."

There is a sinister undertone to Nikolina's sentence. While most other individuals are confused about whom she is referencing, they can see that it terrifies the General. Secretary Ross powers on, "If I misplaced a couple of 30-megaton nukes…you can bet there'd be consequences."

Nikolina can't resist breaking into Ross' ever-to-power speech, "Awe, you think they are only 30 megatons? You are severely underestimating the literal God of Thunder and Lightning."

Ross continues, trying to keep everyone on track and away from the growing threat that the brunette Russian woman is producing. "Compromise. Reassurance. That's how the world works. Believe me; this is the middle ground."

James Rhodes decides to enter the conversation, "So, there are contingencies."

Secretary Ross confirms to the Colonel, "Three days from now, the UN meets in Vienna to ratify the Accords."

Steve glances at Tony, trying to gauge the millionaire's reaction to the situation he has brought everyone into.

Secretary Ross says, "Talk it over."

Natasha questions in a snarky tone, "And if we come to a decision you don't like?"

Secretary Ross stops at the door to shoot the redhead a look, "Then you retire." Natasha stifles a smile before winking at Nikolina, sending the woman into hysterical laughter.

The Avengers are at Headquarters; Steve sits in his chair at the head of the table, studying the Accords, while Rhodey and Sam argue behind him. Steve glances up and sees Nikki staring at the pages in front of her with a deep look, prompting him to grab a book and slide it over to her, silently telling her to read it. She sighs in annoyance and rolls her eyes but complies with Steve's silent demand.

"Secretary Ross has a Congressional Medal of Honor, which is one more than you have."

"So, let's say we agree to this thing. How long is it gonna be before they LoJack us like a bunch of common criminals?" Sam asks the group, ignoring Rhodey's jab.

"117 countries want to sign this. 117, Sam, and you're just like, 'No, that's cool. We got it.'"

"How long are you going to play both sides?" Sam demands the other man, and it gets on Nikolina's nerves.

"I have an equation."

"Oh, this will clear it up."

"In the eight years since Mr. Stark announced himself as Iron Man, the number of known enhanced persons has grown exponentially. And during the same period, the number of potentially world-ending events has risen at a commensurate rate."

"Are you saying it's our fault?" Steve demands in a harsh voice, not amused by Vision's words.

"I'm saying there may be a causality. Our very strength invites challenge. Challenge incites conflict. And conflict … breeds catastrophe. Oversight …oversight is not an idea that can be dismissed out of hand."

"Boom." Rhodes tries to throw it in their faces.

Nikolina finally reaches her breaking point with Rhodes's talking, "Rhodes, tell me exactly what was just said." There is a moment of silence while Rhodey opens and closes his mouth, no words escaping, "Well, seeing that you can't, take it as a sign to shut the hell up."

Nikolina sighs before looking at the surrounding members, "If I remember correctly, which I do, Loki came here because he wanted to enslave the human race and take over the planet; HYDRA infiltrated SHIELD and were planning on murdering billions of people, and Ultron had a god complex when in reality was a massive toaster and wanted to end the human race, and people are mad because a few buildings fell over? It seems like they need to sort out their priorities." Everyone stares at the brunette, unsure how to comment on the woman's description of their most challenging battles.

"We did what all the other people didn't want to do. We were willing to make the hard choices and do what needed to be done to save the world. Is it terrible that people die in the process? Probably. But there were times in history when people like us didn't get involved, and much more death was involved."

Tony is lying on the couch. When Natasha speaks, he looks at her. Natasha turns her attention to the man dragging them all into this, "Tony. You are being uncharacteristically non-hyper-verbal."

"It's because he's already made up his mind." Steve chimes up as he continues to flip through the pages of the Accord, one of the only people sitting down and taking the time to read the words on the pages.

"Boy, you know me so well." He gets up and winces, rubbing the back of his head. "Actually, I'm nursing an electromagnetic headache."

He walks to the kitchen and grabs a mug. "That's what's going on, Cap. It's just pain. It's discomfort. Who's putting coffee grounds in the disposal? Am I running a bed and breakfast for a biker gang?"

He puts his phone in a basket and taps it. The phone projects an image of a smiling young man. He looks down, then back up, and pretends to notice the picture for the first time. "Oh, that's Charles Spencer, by the way. He's a great kid—computer engineering degree, 3.6 GPA. Had a floor-level gig at Intel planned for the fall. But first, he wanted to put a few miles on his soul before he parked it behind a desk. See the world. Maybe be of service. Charlie didn't want to go to Vegas or Fort Lauderdale, which is what I would do. He didn't go to Paris or Amsterdam, which sounds fun. He decided to spend his summer building sustainable housing for the poor. Guess where? Sokovia."

The others look affected by this, while Nikolina doesn't spare the photo and talking man more than a glance.

"He wanted to make a difference, I suppose. I mean, we won't know because we dropped a building on him while we were kicking ass." Tony pauses for dramatic effect, takes a pill with some coffee, and then faces the others. "There's no decision-making process here. We need to be put in check! Whatever form that takes, I'm game. If we can't accept limitations, if we're boundary-less, we're no better than the bad guys."

Nikolina rolls her eyes at Tony's speech and mutters, "Would he have preferred a city?" Nikolina blinks when she feels a harsh kick to her shin from her side and looks at Natasha, who is giving her a look, obviously having heard the comment.

"Tony, someone dies on your watch; you don't give up," Steve speaks up, trying to diffuse the rising tensions in the room.

"Who said we're giving up?"

Steve says, "We are if we're not taking responsibility for our actions. This document just shifts the blame."

James Rhodes turns to Steve, "I'm sorry, Steve. That - that is dangerously arrogant. This is the United Nations we're talking about. It's not the World Security Council; it's not SHIELD; it's not HYDRA."

"No, but it is run by people with agendas, and agendas change." Steve comments, which causes Nikolina to silently point in his direction, saying she agrees with his words.

Nikolina decides she has listened to enough of this bullshit, "People die every day, Tony. Just because some parent comes up to you and makes you feel guilty about the actions of an overgrown toaster doesn't give you the right to make this decision before consulting us and forcing us to come to this decision. I thought that you would have AT LEAST learned that lesson from Ultron."

Tony glares at Nikolina as she shows little remorse, "That's why I'm here, Nikolina. When I realized what my weapons were capable of in the wrong hands, I shut it down and stopped manufacturing."

Steve says, "Tony, you chose to do that. If we sign this, we surrender our right to choose. What if this panel sends us somewhere we don't think we should go? What if there is somewhere we need to go, and they don't let us? We may not be perfect, but the safest hands are still our own."

Tony Stark says, "If we don't do this now, it's gonna be done to us later. That's the fact. That won't be pretty."

Wanda looks around before asking, "You're saying they'll come for me."

"We would protect you." Vision tries to assure the woman.

Natasha surprises everyone when she says, "Maybe Tony's right." At the announcement, Nikolina looks up from the pages before her to stare at Natasha; their eyes meet in an intense stare.

Tony looks at her with wide eyes as she continues, "If we have one hand on the wheel, we can still steer. If we take it off –"

"Aren't you the same woman who told the government to kiss her ass a few years ago?"

Nikolina raises a brow at Natasha while silently agreeing with Sam's point.

Natasha takes a breath and continues speaking, "I'm just… I'm reading the terrain. We have made… some very public mistakes. We need to win their trust back."

Tony Stark says, "Focus up. I'm sorry. Did I just mishear you, or did you agree with me?"

"Oh, I want to take it back now." Natasha quips back while ignoring the piercing stare she is receiving from Nikolina.

Tony Stark immediately begins to ramble, "No, no, no. You can't retract it. Thank you. Unprecedented. Okay, case closed - I win."

Steve's phone buzzes, and he pulls it out to check it. A text message reads, 'She's gone. In her sleep.'

"I have to go." Steve gets up sharply, drops the Accords on the coffee table, and goes downstairs; Nikolina's eyes watch the man as he leaves the room. He stops at the bottom of the stairs, leans against the banister, and bows his head.

London.

A cathedral is packed with mourners, and the choir is singing as Steve carries the coffin draped with the flag of England. Steve clenches his jaw as he continues down the aisle, eyes red and puffy from the tears.

At the altar, a candle burns by a framed photograph of Peggy Carter in a military uniform. The label reads "Margaret 'Peggy' Carter."

The priest addresses the mourners, "And now, I would like to invite Sharon Carter to come up and say a few words."

Agent 13, Steve's "neighbor" from DC, steps up to the podium. Steve sits beside Sam in a pew at the front. Steve looks down at his hands and doesn't see Sharon walk up, but Sam is watching and nudges Steve; he looks up to see Sharon, who glances at Steve and breathes.

Sharon takes a deep breath and speaks into the mic, "Margaret Carter was known to most as a founder of SHIELD… but I just knew her as Aunt Peggy."

Steve realizes who exactly Sharon is and takes a surprised breath.

Sharon Carter speaks into the microphone, "She had a photograph in her office. Aunt Peggy standing next to JFK. As a kid, that was pretty cool. But it was a lot to live up to. Which is why I never told anyone we were related."

She looks directly at Steve before taking a deep inhale and speaking into the mic, "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. And she said, 'Compromise where you can. But where you can't, don't. Even if everyone is telling you that something wrong is something right, even if the whole world is telling you to move… it is your duty to plant yourself like a tree, look them in the eye, and say, 'No, you move.'"

Later, Steve stands alone in the aisle, still dressed in black. Natasha walks up to him, and he turns to her. He begins to speak without any introduction. "When I came out of the ice, I thought everyone I had known was gone. Then I found out that she was alive. I was just lucky to have her."

Natasha listens to her friend, "She had you back, too."

"Who else signed?"

"Tony. Rhodey. Vision." Natasha informs him with a somber tone in her voice.

"Clint?"

"Says he's retired," She smiles slightly.

"Wanda?"

"TBD. I'm off to Vienna for the signing of the Accords. There's plenty of room on the jet."

Steve sighs and drops his head to his chest, and then a thought crosses his mind, "What about Nikki?" He desperately hopes that she hasn't signed the Accords.

Natasha gives him a little smirk, "In her words, 'Looks like 117 countries are going to be disappointed that they can't control me.'" Steve smiles lightly at the comment, and the redhead continues, "It isn't the first time for her, and it certainly won't be the last."

Natasha allows that to sink in before taking a more serious demeanor, "Just because it's the path of least resistance doesn't mean it's the wrong path. Staying together is more important than how we stay together."

Natasha almost seems to be convincing herself.

"What are we giving up to do it?"

She sighs at his words, and he shakes his head, unconvinced, "I'm sorry, Nat. I can't sign it."

"I know." Natasha sighs to herself, trying to hide her unease and disappointment.

"Then what are you doing here?"

"I didn't want you to be alone." She tells him and pulls him in for a hug, "Come here."

Vienna.

The United Nations is a modern complex of interestingly shaped high-rise buildings.

News Anchor #3 announces to all the broadcast viewers, "At a special United Nations conference, 117 countries have come together to ratify the Sokovia Accords."

T'Challa wears a sharp suit and stands, looking through a glass wall as people walk around the large conference room.

UN staffer approaches Natasha, "Excuse me, Miss Romanoff?"

"Yes?" The redhead turns her attention to the man.

"These need your signature." The UN assistant states while motioning to papers, prompting T'Challa to look at Natasha. "Thank you." The man states as she quickly finishes before walking away.

"Thanks." Natasha looks around the room, staring at all the people there because of her and her teammates' actions.

"I suppose neither of us is used to the spotlight." T'Challa walks up to her, pulling her from her musings.

"Oh, well, it's not always so flattering."

T'Challa smiles lightly, "You seem to be doing all right so far. Considering your last trip to Capitol Hill … I wouldn't think you would be particularly comfortable in this company."

"Well, I'm not."

"That alone makes me glad you're here, Miss Romanoff."

"Why? You don't approve of all this?" Natasha questions the Prince, wanting more information about his thoughts regarding the document tearing her family apart.

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

"Unless you need to move a piano." King T'Chaka chimes in as he approaches his son and Natasha.

"Father."

"Son. Miss Romanoff." King T'Chaka greets the duo while glancing at the Avenger.

Natasha seizes the moment, "King T'Chaka. Please, allow me to apologize for what happened in Nigeria."

King T'Chaka says, "Thank you. Thank you for agreeing to all this. I'm sad to hear that Miss Volkova and the Captain will not be joining us today."

"Yes, so am I." Knowing that Steve and Nikolina will never sign the Accords, she lies through her teeth.

"Miss me that much, Natty?"

Nat peers over her shoulder and sees Nikolina strutting up to her with a black dress and high heels clicking against the tile. A hush washes over the politicians as the infamous assassin strides into the room.

"Nikki?"

"In the flesh," the woman throws her hands out to the side in a very "ta-da" manner.

"Miss Volkova," King T'Chaka calls out in surprise, "I was not expecting to see you here after you disagreed with Accords so vehemently. I am pleasantly surprised."

Nikolina raises an eyebrow and releases a noncommittal hum, "Unfortunately, you will continue to be disappointed. I have not signed the Accords."

Natasha looks to Nikolina, keeping her blank face in place while King T'Chaka lets his smile fall and stiffens his posture.

"Then, why have you come?" The King demands in a harsh tone, not liking the flippancy from the brunette Russian woman.

Nikolina stares into the King of Wakanda's eyes, "To watch these little boys whine about me." Nikolina, noncommittally, gestures her hand to the other occupants as if dismissing them.

"Miss Volkova, this is a way to ensure peace and restore order and accountability."

Nikki stares into the King of Wakanda's eyes momentarily as Natasha and T'Challa watch with bated breath. "Save the hypocritical, self-righteous speech for someone who cares, especially if people knew the secrets you carry."

Anger flashes through the King's eyes, who refuses to remove his eyes from her as T'Challa gets a confused look on his face and turns to father, looking for answers, and Natasha slams her heel into Nikolina's foot to make her stop talking. Seeing the reaction, Nikolina releases a scoffing laugh before she walks past the King and Prince and makes eye contact with Natasha.

The crowd parts like the Red Sea, and everyone watches her claim a seat, unaffected by the stares and whispers. She begins picking at her long nails, and when someone walks up with a copy of the Accord, everyone holds their breath, watching what she will do. She takes the book, looking it over before a pen is placed on the table. She peers around the book to look at the pen and sets the book down to grab the pen. She twirls it between her fingers before looking at the person.

"You can take this," she flippantly gestures to the book, "trash away. I don't need it."

It is deafeningly silent. The man stutters an 'okay' before scrambling to grab the stacks of paper.

A man on the speaker announces, "If everyone could please be seated. This assembly is now in session."

T'Challa turns to Natasha after the announcement ends, "That is the future calling. Such a pleasure."

"Thank you." Natasha leaves and claims the seat that is free beside the brunette Avenger. "Must you piss off everyone we meet?"

"Yes, I must," Nikolina sends a blinding smile to Natasha before grabbing a pen and twirling it around her fingers.

Natasha begins to berate the woman, but before she can, the King of Wakanda takes his spot at the podium, "When stolen Wakandan vibranium was used to make a terrible weapon, we in Wakanda were forced to question our legacy. Those men and women killed in Nigeria were part of a goodwill mission from a country too long in the shadows. We will not, however, let misfortune drive us back. We will fight to improve the world we wish to join. I am grateful to the Avengers for supporting this initiative." T'Challa spots something outside and takes a few steps closer to the window to get a better view. "Wakanda is proud to extend its hand in peace."

Nikolina is already listening to the commotion outside but remains stoic, hearing the people yelling in alarm and the dogs barking while jumping. She hones her ears more and can hear the ticking of a clock, instantly sending a small barrier around the dog. Everything freezes momentarily, and she takes stock of the room and the people in it.

T'Challa realizes what is happening and runs to his father while yelling, "EVERYBODY GET DOWN!"

An enormous explosion goes off between two buildings and destroys the conference hall. When the timer stops, Nikolina throws a protective shield over herself and Nat. Nat grabs the person nearby and shoves them to the floor, feeling the cold air surrounding her, which signals that it is due to Nikolina's powers, while Nikki remains seated as the heat, debris, and smoke engulf the room.

In the chaos, T'Challa finds his father lying on the floor with his eyes closed. He grabs his father's wrist and feels for a pulse, but his father still lies. Devastated, T'Challa lies across his father, lifting the deceased man into his arms and rocking him. Unbeknownst to the grieving Prince, Nikolina slowly rises from her chair and quietly walks closer to the father-son duo. With one look, Nikolina knows that the King is dead, but her eyes flicker to T'Challa as she feels the anger and grief coming from his body.

Nikolina sighs, knowing that the worst is yet to come, walking to the open window and jumping to the crumbled cement below.

Fire crews hose down the buildings. A red and white medical chopper flies overhead. Nikolina is in a nearby building, watching people run around, trying to gain some semblance of control.

"Call MI-6, see if we can get Micro Forensics to hurry this up. We need the whole team here in two hours, or it's not worth it." Sharon orders while she strides through the mayhem with a man in a green jumpsuit. They pass T'Challa, who sits on a bench looking stunned, with a cut on his head.

Natasha sees the Prince and walks over, sitting on the bench beside him, "I'm very sorry."

T'Challa glances at her, holding an ornate silver ring he toys with between his fingers. "In my culture, death is not the end. It's more of a …stepping-off point. You reach out with both hands, and Bast and Sekhmet lead you into the green veldt where …you can run forever."

"That sounds very peaceful," her voice cautious as she listens to the distraught man. Her eyes discreetly scan the surrounding people, looking for Nikolina, having not seen her since the bomb exploded, and she jumped from the window.

"My father thought so." T'Challa slides the ring on his finger. "I am not my father."

Natasha can feel the rage pouring off of him, "T'Challa. The Taskforce will decide who brings in Barnes."

T'Challa clenches his fist, "Don't bother, Miss Romanoff. I'll kill him myself." T'Challa walks away from Natasha, leaving her to stare after him in worry.

Steve phones Natasha; he's standing on the street in a cap and dark glasses – taking stock of the damage while searching for a particular brunette.

"Yeah?"

"You all right? How's Nikki?"

Natasha sighs at the questions, "Ah, yeah, thanks. I got lucky." Frowning, she looks around, then stands up, hiding particular information about the accident. "I know how much Barnes means to you. I really do. Stay home. You'll only make this worse. For all of us. Please."

"Are you saying you'll arrest me?"

"No. Someone will if you interfere. That's how it works now." Her warning to Steve is not headed.

"If he's this far gone, Nat, I should be the one to bring him in."

"Why?"

Steve pauses momentarily, seeing a flashing brown from a small window in a building, "Because I'm the one least likely to die trying." Not far away, Steve ends the call and waits, eyes staring intently at the window.

It takes less than ten seconds for Nikolina to make eye contact with Steve. The couple stare at each other before Steve motions with his head for her to come down and join him. Nikolina nods once before turning away from the window and disappearing into the darkness. Steve feels much better after finding her and returns to the café where Sam is waiting.

Steve approaches Sam, who is sitting at the counter of the coffee shop. "She tell you to stay out of it?" Sam is also in a cap and shades and continues to speak when Steve nods in confirmation. "Might have a point."

Steve defends Bucky, "He'd do it for me." The barista places a steaming cup on the counter between Sam and Steve, who nods in thanks. Still, neither touches it, knowing that the notoriously irritated, sarcastic brunette will need caffeine.

"In 1945, maybe. I just want to make sure we considered all our options. The people that shoot at you usually wind up shooting at me."

Sharon arrives by Steve's side. "Tips have been pouring in since that footage went public. Everybody thinks the Winter Soldier goes to their gym. Most of its noise. Except for this." She slides Steve a file. "My boss expects a briefing, pretty much now…so that's all the head start you're gonna get."

"Thank you," Steve tells Sharon and straightens his back when he catches the scent of Nikolina's perfume, and the smell of ash enters the café.

Sharon Carter informs Steve, "And you're gonna have to hurry. We have orders to shoot on sight."

"That just adds to the fun, Girl Scout," Nikolina tells her as she saunters up to Steve's other side and takes the waiting cup, gulping down the scolding hot liquid without as much as a grimace.