Catch Me If I Fall (PJO/Avengers Crossover)

56

"Five years ago, I had a heart attack," Thaddeus Ross, the secretary of state, had the Avengers in the conference room, sitting around a table. Percy was fidgeting with the ring Loki had gotten him. "I dropped right in the middle of my back-swing. 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: perspective. The world owes the Avengers an unpayable debt. You have fought for us, protected us, risked your lives, but, while a great many people see you as heroes, there are some who would prefer the word 'vigilantes.'"

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

"How about dangerous? What would you call a group of US-based, enhanced individuals who routinely ignore sovereign borders and inflict their will wherever they choose, and who, frankly, seem unconcerned about what they leave behind?" He took a remote and, on the screen behind him, turned on an image of the world. First of all, he zoomed in on New York. "New York."

The screen showed the destruction and devastation New York had faced in 2012, four years ago. Chitauri everywhere, innocent people terrified, injured or even dead, soldiers fighting against Loki's forces, Hulk smashing into a building and completely destroying it. Percy's hands started shaking, and he took a few deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself. The last thing they needed was anything in this room destroyed. Secretary Ross zoomed out, and then zoomed into Washington DC in 2014, two years ago. "Washington DC."

The screen proceeded to show three huge helicarriers firing at each other. It showed the Triskelion, the old SHIELD Headquarters, completely destroyed, no doubt leaving hundreds of dead innocents. It then showed a massive wave, created due to a helicarrier crashing into the Potomac, engulfing innocents and the camera itself. It zoomed out, then zoomed over to Europe, to zoom into Sokovia. "Sokovia."

It showed almost a year ago, Sokovia, with terrified people running for their lives, the city rising from the ground, buildings falling over. Percy clenched his fists, then unclenched them again, repeating this action a few times in order to try to calm himself. It zoomed out again, going over to Africa this time and zooming into Lagos, Nigeria. "Lagos."

He glanced at Wanda, who was beside him, who was visibly uncomfortable at the sight of a burning building and the corpses and paramedics. Steve was first to speak up.

"Okay, that's enough," he said, and Secretary Ross turned the images off.

"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," he said, taking a particularly thick book and putting it on the tale, sliding it to Wanda, who looked at it before passing it to Percy, who then passed it to Rhodey, and it went around 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."

Percy raised an eyebrow at that. Steve, meanwhile, looked down at the book. "The Avengers were formed to make the world a safer place. I feel we've done that."

"Tell me, Captain, do you know where Thor and Banner are right now?" Ross asked. "If I misplaced a couple of 30 megaton nukes, you can bet there'd be consequences. Compromise. Reassurance. That's how the world works. Believe me, this is the middle ground."

"So there are contingencies," Rhodey said, looking up.

"Three days from now, the UN meets in Vienna to ratify the Accords," Ross said. "Talk it over."

"And if we come to a decision you don't like?" Natasha asked, trying not to smile.

"Then you retire."