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(no subject)

Who: Natasha Romanoff + you (+ maybe some Bucky Barnes)
Broadcast: Video
Action: Mostly no, but we could work something out.
When: Now

[The video feed start, focusing tightly on Natasha's face, the only visible backdrop a rather generic portion of cabin wall.]

So checking the date, seems like it's been a while. Nice to see everyone's back in the air. Hopefully in one piece. I see a few people have left.

Anyone want to fill me in on the important details? Or should we let sleeping dogs—

[The sound of a door cuts her off the, and Natasha looks up. Whoever she sees, her expression softens. She smiles slightly, lifting her chin slightly and turning her head to catch a kiss from some loser tall enough that only the lower half of his face makes it in the frame. The stubble on his chin and the shape of his mouth might be enough to identify him though.]

A lot of catching up to d—

[Suddenly the feed cuts out.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It was. We had a lead on Rumlow. He was going after a biological weapon.

We were able to recover the payload, but in the process, Rumlow detonated an explosive. He'd wired himself up with it, meant to take Cap out with him.

Wanda intervened. But... she wasn't able to save everyone.

It was some bad press, and a blow for her.

[Rumlow is a familiar name, one of the higher priorities after the downfall of SHIELD. It isn't so surprising to learn the man hd gone after dangerous weapons. ...or even that not everything had gone according to plan.]

It does not sound as though there would have been any way to make Rumlow go quietly. It is unfortunate, but cannot always be avoided.

Wanda would not have had much experience with that, yet.

[She's young, and new to the work they do.]

How is she now?

When she was here a while, she was doing better. But it was a process getting there.

The media cast a lot of the blame on her. More than she deserved. We were all there, and by the time she could act...

[Natasha wasn't there, but she has had the details.]

Not long after, word came from the UN that we weren't going to be free to operate without oversight anymore. That was one piece in play.

The Sokovia Accords. Probably they've been writing the first draft since Manhattan, but after Lagos, they had the support and motivation to push them through. The Avengers could sign on, or we could retire. Those were the options.

[There are a lot of things Thor has gotten used to on Earth. The people, the sheer size of it, the technology (sort of). Considering the vast difference to what he grew up with, he does well enough for himself in adapting to Earth customs. The idea of a governing body having the right to restrict the Avengers movements, however, is much harder to parse. There had been SHIELD, of course, back in the beginning. That had fallen apart though, and to the best of Thor's knowledge they now operated under their own steam.

Except, apparently not.]

And these accords were... rules, then? How is it we had never heard of this before now?

Something like that. They're... an agreement. Between some of the most powerful countries in the world, about how people like us get to operate.

[Natasha doesn't love it, but she still understands it. She understands the politics that drive it.]

We had other things to pay attention to.

So like a treaty.

[Something he's more familiar with, even if he's never seen one written for this kind of purpose. Odin had made peace treaties with the other realms to stop world-spanning wars and conflict. What the Avengers did wasn't the same as that, to his mind.]

You say there were two options, but it sounds as though neither would allow us to continue as we were.

Yeah, like a treaty. More or less.

[Close enough to get a solid idea of the situation, at least.]

You're not wrong about that, either. We wouldn't be able to choose when or how we acted.

Not legally, at least.

Which didn't sit well with Cap. You know him. I'm sure you can picture it.

Yeah, I can. [Easily. Thor rubs at his chin, bothered by this turn of events.] I don't much like the sound of it either.

[It's not a matter of Thor disrespecting the governments of the world he chose to live in. Far from it. Yet they aren't the ones on the ground doing the work - and Thor isn't used to not being able to choose what to pursue. He's gone so far as to commit treason against his own throne before, after all. If he eventually gets back to Earth, he might be asked to sign it too.]

He chose not to sign it, then?

Correct. Him and Sam both. Clint opted out of the whole situation, at least at first—retirement. Me, Tony, Rhodey and Vision signed on. Not without reservations.

[Natasha probably had the most.]

We might have been able to work something out from there, but there was another factor.

[A split down the middle. It sounds like a real mess, regardless of the UN's intentions. Though he's not surprised to hear which option Vision and Rhodey took.]

And what was that?

Barnes.

[Natasha sighs, because she still doesn't have all the details, though she has the gist.]

He was in hiding. Someone wanted to cause infighting between Tony and Steve, and they used Barnes to do it. Steve couldn't stay out of it with Barnes involved, and Tony and me... we were trying to keep him from making things worse.

[It went about as well as you'd expect.]

[Thor can read between the lines here. The Avengers, for all their virtues, have come to blows before. They argue, they disagree, they go off and do their own thing. Thor himself was guilty of doing that. That was just their personalities clashing, though. This was outside interference.]

How bad was it.

[It must have gotten worse.]

No one died. Rhodey was hurt, probably paralyzed. I don't know the full fallout of that—I had to make a quick exit about the same time.

[He leans back in his chair a bit, letting that news sink in. Rhodey was paralyzed, and no one died... but there was fighting, and it sounds ugly. Even with the details Thor can't quite fathom how it came to this. Nothing had ever seemed that dire from the moment the Avengers were formed.

He shakes his head, and says the only thing that comes to mind.]

I am sorry to hear it.

Me too.

[She wishes that were the end of it too.]

Tony found out Barnes killed his father. That was the end game. It was aired by someone who wanted to capitalize on he divisions within the Avengers to destroy us.

He didn't do half bad, either.

[Thor's brows knit together at that. Separate as he is from most of the other matters, that is something he can relate to. And he sympathises with Tony, whatever else might have occurred and whatever fault might be his in all of this.]

That's an awful thing to learn.

It is. There a lot there to take in. Especially because Steve knew, and didn't tell him.

What? Why not?

I can't say for sure, but can't imagine it's easy to admit that your best friend killed your old war buddy, who's also your new friend's partner.

It's not easy, no, but it would have been the right thing to do.

[A secret like that is explosive, and proved to be exactly that. Thor's had enough experience now with what happens when things like this are covered up to be less accepting of it than he might have been otherwise.

Still, he sighs, pushing some of his hair back.]

But that's no matter now. Is Stark all right?

Depends what you mean by all right. Back home, I haven't seen him since it happened. Here...

[It's a different situation, but at least one Natasha can speak to.]

No. He's not. But I think he will be, with time.

[Thor nods at that, musing. Time is often the only way past the hurdles life throws at you. There's no rushing it either, despite how frustrating it can be. Glancing at Natasha again, he picks up on what she said.]

So you haven't gone back to New York?

I came here before it was all settled back home. Last I remember, I was about to become a wanted woman because I helped Steve avoid getting arrested.

And now you're here.

[Along with Steve and Sam... and Barnes.]

I am. And I have been. It's complicated. But I didn't want any of this to take you by surprise.