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Avengers Compound, one month ago
Night
Wanda sat on the bed in her room, completely numb to the world around her. She kept going over it again and again in her head. If she had sent the bomb up a second, half a second sooner, if her powers had held on for just a second longer, what ifs constantly invading her mind.
So lost in her head was she that she almost didn't notice someone else enter the room. Barry didn't say anything, simply sat down next to her. He wrapped his arms around her and Wanda allowed herself to be drawn into his arms. She buried her head in the crook of his neck and allowed herself to cry. Barry still didn't say anything; he simply held her, kissing the top of her head as she let out all her guilt and shame.
Now
Wanda sat up in bed, looking over to the side that was noticeably absent. It had been three days since Barry had left. Tony had told Rhodey he had tried tracking him down but Barry was being very careful. He had turned off the GPS in his phone and hadn't taken any calls from Steve, Natasha, or Sam. Even Clint, when a concerned Natasha had asked him, hadn't been able to find him.
Wanda pulled her phone to her with her powers and went to contacts. Her hand hovered over Barry's name before she pressed call. She put the phone to her ear but it went straight to voicemail. His phone was off.
London
Same time
Barry had turned his phone off just before he entered the church. He sat down in one of the back rows and regarded the room. He spotted Sam near the front row when someone sat down next to him.
"So, all it takes is a funeral to find you?" Natasha asked casually and Barry sighed.
"What are you doing here Natasha?" Barry asked wearily.
"Same reason you are I imagine," Natasha said and Barry nodded, although he still eyed her wearily, "Wanda's worried about you. You should call her."
"And the moment I do, Tony'll know where I am." Barry said in frustration.
Natasha pulled out a cell phone and handed it to him.
"Burner phone, untraceable. Call your girlfriend when this is over." Natasha told him as the funeral began.
Barry pocketed the phone in his suit pocket as the choir began singing. The entire church quieted, the only sound the choir singing as the pallbearers carried in the casket. Barry noted that Steve looked as though he had been crying as the casket passed their row. Natasha eyed Steve in concern as well. Once the casket has been placed at its destination, Steve took his seat next to Sam as the pallbearers sat down.
"And now, I would like to invite Sharon Carter to say a few words." The priest said from the altar.
A blond haired woman took the podium and Barry saw Natasha smirk as Sam gestured to her at Steve. There was clearly something he was missing here.
"Margot Carter was known to most as a founder of Shield, but I just knew her as Aunt Peggy," Sharon began, "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. I asked her once how she managed to master diplomacy and espionage in a time where no one wanted to see a woman succeed in either. She said 'Compromise where you can. Where you can't, don't. Even if everyone is telling you 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.''"
The rest of the funeral passed in a blur for Barry as he mulled this over.
"How many others have signed?" Barry asked quietly as it nears the end.
"Tony, Rhodey, Vision. Clint says he's retired and Wanda is…undecided." Natasha said and Barry nodded, "you're not signing, are you? No matter what I or anyone else says."
"I can't Natasha," Barry said as he looked over at her, "if we compromise here, if we give up our ability to control our lives, to choose, we win the battle but lose the war. I will always fight for what I think is right. This earth wants to tell me I can't unless I sign a document I don't agree with? Let them try and stop me."
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