Warning: This is a yandere Zemo fic. That means that it will have dark content. I do not endorse these relationships and behaviour in real life. This chapter contains mentions of violence, fighting, death, canon-typical events for Civil War, blood, and mentions of injury.
It hadn’t taken you too long to settle into the daily routine at Xavier’s School of Gifted Youngsters. The days flew by especially since the Professor had assigned you to work alongside Storm, Jean, and Scott. There was even a time when you and Logan worked together to teach a Physical Education class.
Most days passed fairly uneventfully. There were, of course, students who tried to push the boundaries while you were teaching, although you noticed with amusement that the students didn’t dare push the boundaries in Logan’s class.
Overall, you enjoyed your time teaching. Some of the older students who knew about the Avengers would often seek you out and ask you questions about your time with the team. They also asked you questions about individual Avengers and how they acted when there wasn’t a crisis.
Everything was running smoothly until one night when the doorbell rang. To your surprise, Logan volunteered to answer it, and you had no clue as to who it could be until you heard Logan’s roar and a loud thud.
“Are you kidding me?” Scott groaned, exasperated. He stood up so quickly that he knocked his chair onto the floor, and as he righted the chair, you could hear him muttering to himself. You shared Scott’s sentiment, and the two of you walked to the doorway of the school.
On one side of the door, Logan had been pinned to one of the walls, and on the other side of the doorway stood Magneto and Mystique, which explained Logan’s previous roar.
“My dear, no one seems to have any manners anymore,” Magneto asserted calmly to Mystique.
“Well, that’s somewhat hypocritical of you to say,” you responded. “Considering you are a guest who is hoping to enter, and you are currently harming one of the inhabitants of the place you and Mystique are trying to enter.”
Magneto regarded you with a neutral expression, which you knew from past experience meant that he was weighing up the pros and cons of listening to your statement. He must have decided that there was too much truth in your words to ignore, or he decided that his reason for coming to Xavier’s mansion outweighed his desire to keep Logan pinned to the wall. Either way, he lowered his gloved hand, and Logan slid down the wall.
The mutant let out a grunt of thanks as he landed on his feet. Defiantly, Logan lit a cigar after using one of his claws to chop off the end and stuck it in his mouth. Magneto wrinkled his nose at the gesture and at the smell.
“May we come in?” Magneto inquired in a sincere tone. Whatever your feelings regarding the older mutant, you grudgingly admitted that, unless he was provoked, he had been polite and truthful when he had interacted with you.
“No. Not until you promise that you aren’t here to harm anyone in these walls,” Scott refused.
Once again, Magneto could be seen weighing up the pros and cons. He came to a decision quickly, “Very well. We swear that we aren’t here to harm anyone in these walls. However irritating they may be,” Magneto narrowed his eyes at Logan as he made his oath.
Logan’s gaze turned wary, and with a flick of his chin, he indicated that he wanted you to follow him into a quiet corridor on his right. He didn’t wait for you to draw level with him before he started walking away from the group of mismatched mutants.
“Say the word and I’ll toss him out on his ass,” the older mutant grunted.
You forced a grin, “I can’t do that.”
“Sokovia was home to two of his kids.”
“And thank you for that reminder, Wolfie.” You snapped. Logan rolled his eyes and continued smoking his cigar. The two of you stood in silence until you couldn’t stand it any longer and pivoted on your heel.
“He wants answers,” Logan continued, flicking the remnants of his cigar out of the window and popping open a container of breath mints.
“Then he can go to Wanda to get them.”
“You know he won’t do that. If you run, he’ll track you down, and he’ll get his answers one way or the other.”
That was it. That was the straw that broke the camel’s back. “WHY?” You cried, “WHY IS IT OKAY FOR PEOPLE TO TAKE AND TAKE FROM ME? I’VE GIVEN ALL I CAN AND THEY STILL WANT MORE? JUST ONCE I WANT PEOPLE TO-” You broke off with a sob, and Logan stepped forward to engulf you in a hug.
You curled into the feral mutant, seeking the comfort he offered. “I can’t face him,” you sobbed. “How can I when I couldn’t save his son?”
Logan’s hand cradled the back of your head, “If Metal-Bender was angry, I’d smell it. He’s not. If I didn’t know better, I’d say he’s worried about you.”
You sniffled, pulled out of Logan’s arms and wiped your teary eyes, “I don’t believe that.”
“He knows a thing or two about bein’ manipulated,” Logan reminded you, arching an eyebrow. “And that blue demon of his has probably heard somethin’ about Ross’ plans for you.” You chuckled wetly at Wolverine’s nickname for Mystique.
Logan sniffed the air and furrowed his eyebrows before sniffing again, “Come on,” he commanded, grabbing your arm and pulling you along as he stormed through the corridors and came to a stop outside the Professor’s study. Knowing Logan as well as you did, you made the decision not to protest because you figured you’d find out the answers to your questions sooner rather than later.
Jean must’ve heard you approaching as the doors slid open when Logan reached out his free hand to push the doors open, “Logan…” The professor began, wheeling himself forward trying to block your view of the television.
But Logan was quicker. Whether he sensed what Charles was planning to do before he did it or because it was his original plan all along, you didn’t know. Logan dropped your arm, shoved you away from him, giving you a full view of the television, and moved to intercept the telepath.
Your mind couldn’t believe what your eyes were seeing. On opposite sides of the tarmac, your teammates and friends were brawling. As you watched, paralysed, the only thought in your mind was that the people on both sides had been busy recruiting.
“Get her out of here,” the professor ordered as the table, chairs, cupboards and windows faded away and were restored at an increasing speed. Jean bravely stepped forwards followed closely by Scott and Kurt. When Jean wrapped her hand around your wrist to try and divert your attention, her fingers and hand began to disappear.
“JEAN!” Scott wailed, his hand going to his visor, “STEP BACK!”
A wave of euphoria washed over you and the unexpected feeling was enough to jolt you back to your senses. Your eyes refocused and you wrenched yourself out of Jean’s grip. Her hand reappeared almost immediately.
Your chest heaving, you stared into Jean’s eyes. There were so many things that you wanted to say. Ways you wanted to apologise but the words just wouldn’t come no matter how hard you tried. The red haired stared at you with only understanding and forgiveness in her emerald eyes.
“Kurt’s powers have come a long way.”
Hearing the underlying meaning in the professor’s words and determinedly not meeting Magneto or Mystique’s inquisitive gazes, you thanked the Russian mutant, and with a clenched jaw, he bobbed his head once. Out of the corner of your eye, you could see the Avengers were still fighting. You caught a flash of a metal arm, a giant man wearing a vaguely familiar suit, someone dressed up as what looked like a panther (with a mask and everything), what looked like spiderwebs being flung at Clint, and a bruise on Nat’s neck.
“What?” You breathed, unconsciously moving closer to the television. The picture froze instantly, and up close, you confirmed that it was indeed meant to look like a bruise on Nat’s neck. The mark didn’t look natural; it was almost like someone was told what a bruise was supposed to look like, but since they’d never seen one before, they didn’t use the right colours.
“What if it’s a reaction to a substance? But then, what was Nat doing to get that mark in the first place?” You wondered as the picture unfroze.
Your throat constricted and your heart sunk to your stomach when you spotted Rhodey plummeting through the air. A good portion of the back of his suit had been scorched off and he was in free fall; it felt like you were twelve years old again watching powerlessly through the crack of the door as your dad informed your mum that your grandpa had passed away.
The air rippled around you and just as you were about to disappear, you were tackled and pinned to the ground.
“Logan, ge’ off!” You ordered, knowing the mutant would be able to hear you clearly despite your words being spoken into the floorboards.
“Can’t.” He grunted, “Metal lunatic’s keepin’ me here.”
“Young people need to learn how to express gratitude properly.”
Logan’s body was pulled off of yours, and you wheezed out a thank you before pushing yourself to your feet. Instinctively, you turned to face the television again, only to see Rhodey hovering in the air, centimetres above the grassy terrain. You whipped around to see the Professor concentrating intently on Rhodey’s form.
Your breath whooshed out of you for the second time in five minutes. “Professor,” you spoke, taking a step over to the man. “Let him go. If he lands now, he’s safe.”
“Iron Man’s got him,” Scott added.
For a minute, you were worried that the professor had fallen too deep into his powers to hear you, and your worry only grew when blood dripped from his right nostril. Jean moved to stand beside you and pressed two fingers to his temple. It felt as if everyone in the room was holding their breath, and you turned to address Kurt, “What you did for me, do it for him.”
Kurt closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. Charles’ body jerked in his wheelchair, and your heart started thumping against your ribcage. “Wake, Professor!” Jean pleaded, still resting her fingers against the man’s temple.
Charles’ eyes flew open, and you heard several sighs of relief.
His blue eyes were still hazy as they fixed unblinkingly on you, “You’re not to leave the Institute.”
Just got a sudden burst of inspiration to continue my Dark Chandler Manning x Avenger! Reader x Dark Eliot Deacon drabble.
This is the drabble I’m talking about: https://www.tumblr.com/iobsessoverfictionalmen/749441510240665600/dark-chandler-manning-x-reader-x-eliot-deacon?source=share
Is this a self indulgent blurb? Yes. Am I ashamed? Not in the slightest. I blame @writingkitten for my obsession with dark Molina charact
I’m thinking that I can tie the fic into the events of WandaVision as well as giving Sharon Carter a bit of a redemption arc.
AN: This is a yandere Helmut Zemo fic which means it will have dark elements as the story progresses. I do not condone relationships like this in real life. This fic takes place after Avengers: Age of Ultron and there are descriptions of canon typical violence. I'm not sure where this fic is going to go but I hope you enjoy the ride!
Helmut Zemo was not an ignorant man nor was he a greedy one. From a young age, he knew that he had been born into wealth and as he grew older, he began to experience the obligations and expectations of being born into wealth.
In time, once he had completed his work in the Sokovian armed forces and as an EXO commander, one of these expectations was becoming Heike’s husband. That led to his pride and joy, Carl Zemo being born. Helmut and Heike both adored their son but as time grew, they realised that they had become different people.
While Helmut still cared about Heike a great deal, he knew that his feelings for her weren’t what they once were. They agreed to stay together for Carl and to stop society’s tongues wagging.
Hearing whispers of an approaching battle and fearing for his family’s safety, Helmut moved them all to the country thinking that they’d be safe from harm. A blast from one of the robotic sentries sent Helmut flying into one of the cottage’s walls and when he awoke, he found that the cottage had been reduced to nothing more than rubble around him.
Injured and weak, he staggered around the ruins of the cottage searching for any indication that his family had survived. After two days of searching, he felt his strength leave him and he collapsed next to what was once the doorway.
A day later, Helmut awoke to see a face peering down at him. His strength returned the instant that he learnt that his family had been rescued by SHIELD and taken to America. Wasting no time, Helmut contacted Oeznik and they flew out of Sokovia that day.
For the first time in days (and under the watchful eye of Oeznik), Helmut ate and rested. Once he felt he had sufficiently recovered, Helmut pushed himself to find out Sokovia’s fate. He learnt that the battle had been started by an AI that Tony Stark had created, named Ultron.
Helmut tempered his rage as he continued to study the battle, promising himself that Tony would pay for what he’d done. Helmut watched the battle play out in the city, sneering at the Avengers’ efforts to save the people.
His curiosity peaked when an Avenger crouched before launching herself into the air and grabbing onto one of the sentry’s legs as it flew. The sentry tried to throw off its unwanted passenger but it was only successful in doing so after it had been badly damaged in mid-air. It crashed to the ground and the Avenger repeated the process three times before disappearing.
“How strange.” Helmut thought lacing his fingers together as Oeznik walked over to him with a tray of food.
Helmut rewound and paused the video just before the unknown Avenger disappeared, “Who is this Avenger Oeznik?”
Oeznik set the tray of food down gently, “This Avenger is known as Phantasm. Reports state that there is more to her than meets the eye. She also has a tendency to appear when needed.”
Helmut listened patiently knowing Oeznik wasn’t finished, “Many of the public only know her by her code name however if one is determined to dig deep enough, they would find that Phantasm’s real name is (Name) (Surname). She appears to be close friends with Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton and if the rumours are to be believed, she was the one who saved your family.”
Helmut nodded and Oeznik returned to the cockpit.
It was too easy to land unnoticed in America. Helmut’s diplomatic immunity ensured that and it was even easier to track down his family. Helmut didn’t miss the unfamiliar distrustful look in Heike’s eyes as he inquired about SHIELD and Phantasm. Sensing that any further questioning would cause Heike’s sudden distrust in him to grow, Helmut bid his family goodbye and as Helmut walked to the door with Heike and his father, Heike handed him a thick, yellow envelope.
“We can start again Helmut and choose who we want to be.” She said.
Helmut met his father’s stern gaze and watched as his father nodded once.
Pivoting on his heel, Helmut left the house and climbed into the car that Oeznik had brought him in. His rage grew but then it gave way to his cunning as his brain reminded him that he was in the same place that the Avengers were in and he could have his revenge on Tony Stark.
Helmut shifted in his seat. If he moved against Tony now, he ran the risk of you getting caught up in his plan. Unless he broke apart the Avengers from the inside and ensured that you were protected as the Avengers imploded.
And with what they had done over the past few years, it would be too easy to sway the public into viewing the Avengers as threats.
“Old friend,” Oeznik’s familiar voice pulled Helmut from his planning, “There are reports of Wanda Maximoff damaging a building with her powers and killing several humanitarian officials from the state of Wakanda.”
Helmut crossed his ankles and leant forward as his mind whirred. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and looked at it contemplatively, “Oeznik, I need you to arrange a car for me. There’s someone I need to track down after Thaddeus Ross has repaid the debt he owes me.”
AN: This is a yandere Zemo fic. That means that it will have dark content. I do not endorse these relationships and behaviour in real life. This chapter contains drugs and non-consensual drugging and canon typical attitudes and behaviours for the X men universe when it comes to mutants.
Translations:
“Нет. Вам не нужно входить.” - “No. You don't have to come in.”
“ты не тот, кого он хочет.” - “You are not who he wants.”
The past few hours had passed in a blur for Natasha. She had half expected Zemo to board a plane with Oeznik and Carl and leave her alone in America to lament her failure to ensure Carl’s safety like she had vowed to Heike.
Instead, she found herself in the back of a car driven by Oeznik with the stoic man not engaging her in any conversation whatsoever. Not that she had expected him to chat with her the second she was alone with him. Zemo followed closely behind Oeznik in a car with Carl.
It seemed every time that she thought about escaping the car that she was in, Oeznik would glance at her in the rearview mirror and shake his head with a small smile on his lips. Natasha heaved a sigh the second time this happened and slouched down in her seat.
They arrived at their destination shortly after and Zemo looked every part the devoted father as he carried a tired Carl through the elegant doorway. Oeznik climbed out of the car and gestured for Natasha to do the same. Unwillingly, she obeyed the unspoken command.
She stepped forward and with surprising agility, Oeznik moved in front of her and blocked her way.
“Нет. Вам не нужно входить.”
“Why?” Natasha demanded in English.
“ты не тот, кого он хочет.”
“Don’t you think I know that?” Natasha fired back, annoyed that he was choosing to speak to her in Russian. Not only did it remind her of a past she had been trying to move on from but it also demonstrated that Oeznik and Zemo had done their research when it came to the Avengers. The two men had to have known that speaking Russian was something Natasha only did with people she trusted deeply.
As Natasha came to that realisation, it dawned on her that the two men must have done their research on you as well.
“That means that they would know how you reacted to the Mutant Registration Act all those years ago.” Natasha thought.
And then a worse thought struck Natasha.
“What if Zemo is the force behind the Sokovian Accords? He clearly has the wealth and power to influence people like General Ross and his home country of Sokovia was devastated by the battle with Ultron’s forces. That would tie in with what Heike and Heinrich discussed when they came to the compound to talk with us.”
Natasha half expected Oeznik to say something else but the man remained silent.
“Perhaps he thinks he’s given away too much information?” Natasha thought hopefully.
Her hopes were dashed when Oeznik returned to her side as the elegant doors opened and Zemo strode out of them.
“I apologise for the delay, old friend,” Zemo addressed Oeznik as if Natasha wasn’t there. “I needed to ensure that I had everything ready.”
Oeznik inclined his head and then looked towards Natasha.
Dread filled Natasha as she noticed the movement.
“It’s not that he thinks he’s given away too much information but the fact that I won’t be able to remember it correctly!” Natasha amended her previous thought.
“Judging by your expression, you have come to the correct conclusion. “You might want to ask your Captain about some of the things that HYDRA were planning in the 40s if you can remember to ask.”
“How long do I have?” Natasha asked fighting the feeling of helplessness that was now clawing at her insides. This was bringing back memories of the Red Room. She figured that it would be a waste of time to demand how he had dosed her.
Zemo tilted his head, “Not too long.” He remarked mildly as if he were discussing the weather.
Figuring that she didn’t really have anything to lose, Natasha addressed Zemo, “You are nothing more than a rat who plays at being a Baron!”
A look of fury overtook Oeznik’s features but Zemo merely looked amused. “Do you really think it upsets me, calling me a rat? I don’t mind it. Rats are very intelligent and they have a strong survival instinct. And I would argue that I am well suited to my role of Baron and am not as you say “playing” a role. Now, you may want to get in the car before you lose consciousness. I estimate that you have about a minute before that happens. Oeznik will ensure that you reach the Avenger’s compound safely without my son and without any trace of the drug in your system.”
Natasha’s vision was starting to go grey around the edges and her legs were beginning to shake alarmingly. Very unwillingly, she climbed back into the car and with fumbling fingers, she managed to click in her seatbelt on her fourth try before darkness overtook her.
AN: This is a yandere Zemo fic. That means that it will have dark content. I do not endorse these relationships and behaviour in real life. This chapter contains spoilers for past Marvel movies and mentions of a panic attack.
The first thing that you heard when your feet touched the solid ground was a frightened yell of “BABA YAGA!”
“No Kurt,” a soothing, familiar voice replied, sounding more than a little exasperated as you opened your eyes, “that is (Name). She is a former student.”
You smiled at the Professor and waved at Kurt.
“You should come inside. We have a lot to discuss,” Professor Xavier stated as he turned his wheelchair around and wheeled himself back inside the school.
Even though the Professor had reassured Kurt that you weren’t Baba Yaga, whoever that was, you still caught the anxious and suspicious glances that Kurt sent in your direction as you walked inside the school.
Growing frustrated with Kurt’s attitude, you spoke, “Who exactly is Baba Yaga?”
Kurt looked embarrassed at being caught but answered you nonetheless, “Baba Yaga is a witch that eats children.” You were pretty sure that he was from Russia, judging by his accent. Kurt wasn’t finished with his explanation, “She come at night and she steal them. If she is hunting you, no lock or door will stop her.”
You raised your eyebrows even as a feeling of nostalgia bubbled up inside of you while you walked through the mansion, “You thought I was Baba Yaga because I appeared from nowhere in front of you right?”
“Da.” Kurt confirmed with a nod. You reached the Professor’s office at the same time and Kurt gestured for you to walk through the doorway first. You murmured a thank you and Kurt followed you.
As soon as you stepped into the office, Storm engulfed you in a hug. “We saw what you did in Sokovia.”
“Magneto and Mystique even dropped by to see if you’d come back,” Logan grunted, “got the feeling they were impressed with you.”
You shifted uneasily at the mention of Magneto once Storm released you. You had a nagging feeling that his visit was more to do with your guess about Wanda’s parentage than him dropping by because he was impressed with how you acted in Sokovia.
“Good to have you back (Name),” Jean greeted as she moved a chair over towards you.
“May I look inside your mind?” Professor Xavier inquired.
You had a feeling this was coming and you nodded as Jean moved to stand behind the Professor. Despite your own nerves, you sent her a reassuring smile once you realised that she would be temporarily projecting your memories into the minds of everybody in the office.
As you exhaled, you felt the Professor’s presence in your mind and you focused on the memory of Ross introducing the Accords and the discussion afterwards.
“Whoa, that was definitely not what I expected,” Scott breathed after the Professor withdrew from your mind.
“Took the words right outta my mouth, One Eye,” Logan agreed.
Jean was visibly trembling and the room was starting to shudder as well. You jumped out of the seat and got Scott’s attention with a quick gesture. Thankfully, his mind was thinking alongside the same path that yours was and he guided Jean across the room and sat her down in the chair.
“Those that do not learn from the past are condemned to repeat it,” the Professor quoted mournfully as Jean’s panic attack subsided.
“I couldn’t stay there and watch that kind of thing happen again,” you revealed, “and there’s also the slight problem of me being offered immunity when no other Avenger was offered that perk.”
“That worries me too,” Scott commented, “don’t take this the wrong way, (Name) but if I was the one handing out immunity for something like this, you wouldn’t be in my top three. Maybe in the top ten but I would only offer you immunity if I had no other choice.”
“I get what you’re saying” you stated before turning to the Professor, “what do you think? Do you agree with what Scott said?”
The Professor frowned thoughtfully, “I’m not sure that the Accords is the only thing going on here. Years ago when Doctor Bruce Banner was working alongside General Ross, a monster called Abomination was created on the General’s watch which forced the General and Doctor Banner to temporarily team up. As the Hulk, Doctor Banner fled after the battle but the General would have been subject to intense scrutiny as a result.”
“You think that someone with more power intervened in that situation and because of that Ross owed them a favour,” Logan suggested.
“I do.” Professor Xavier replied, “I think there are several layers to General Ross’ actions and reactions. I also think that the offer of immunity to (Name) only is a smaller part of a bigger plan. I don’t think that it was a coincidence that this offer of immunity was made at the same time that the Accords were introduced to them. Whichever way I look at this issue, I come to the same conclusion. The intent behind the Accords and the offer of immunity were meant to divide the Avengers. When I think about it, the reasons behind offering (Name) immunity range from benevolent to vengeful. Somehow, I don’t think the intent behind the offer was to harm (Name) but to harm the Avengers and ensure (Name)’s safety at the same time.”
AN: This is a yandere Zemo fic. That means that it will have dark content. I do not endorse these relationships and behaviour in real life. This chapter contains mentions of death, tears, pain, divorce, grief, manipulation, fear, panic, and funerals. Also, please let me know if you like the new mood board!
Steve Rogers who was also known as Captain America was not having a good day. To begin with, General Ross, a man who operated on fear and not respect had introduced the Sokovian Accords to the Avengers. In doing so, Ross had ensured that each one of the Avengers thoroughly understood that an overwhelming majority of the governments around the world supported the Accords and what would happen to anyone who opposed the Accords in any way, shape, or fashion.
Steve wasn’t blind. He’d seen the way that Ross zeroed in on Wanda and heard how he kept repeating and emphasising the complete title of the Accords. He was proud of the way that you and Rhodey had stood up for her.
Steve’s mind was whirring when Ross announced that you had immunity and the other Avengers didn’t. He had just realised that the singular offer of manipulation was part of a bigger, hidden plan when his phone vibrated.
The message that lit up his screen only contained two words. But those words were enough to cause another crack in his heart. Steve’s gaze became unfocused and all he could see were the words, “She’s gone.”
His body trembled as he announced that he had to leave. Steve couldn’t bring himself to turn around to look at any of his team because he feared that they would see the tears pooling in his eyes and the pain in his heart.
Fifteen minutes later, Steve found himself carrying Peggy’s coffin with five other people. He had tuned out the whole service and his gaze had become blurry as he stared unblinkingly at Peggy’s coffin. While there were certainly people in the church that knew of his dual identity, he was sure that none of them would judge him for his grief.
The end of the service came too quickly and not fast enough for Steve and he once again found himself guiding Peggy to her final resting place. Due to the large crowd, it was easy for him to slip away and return to the now empty church.
That was where Natasha found him. Natasha had just finished explaining that Tony, Rhodey, and Vision had already signed the Accords. When Steve asked about Wanda, Natasha replied that Wanda was under house arrest and Tony’s protection.
Steve’s throat felt dry as he gathered his courage to ask Natasha if she had signed the Accords too. He was afraid that her answer would mean that he would lose another friend.
Steve felt his heart constrict as Natasha confirmed that she had signed the Accords. He blew out his breath in a disappointed exhale and bent his head to look at the ground instead of Natasha. Steve couldn’t even find it in himself to reproach Natasha when her phone rang in the church and she answered it.
His head shot up when he heard her tone change.
“Say that again,” the spy commanded, lowering the hand that held her phone to waist level and pressing the speaker button.
“I’d be more than happy to arrange a hearing appointment for you, Widow, although I didn’t think that I’d need to do that for a couple more decades.”
“Tony.” Natasha snapped.
“Not in the mood for jokes I see.” Tony replied smoothly.
“What gave it away?” Natasha asked sarcastically.
“The general tone of your voice, the fact that….”
“Tony!” Steve bit out impatiently.
“Steve. I’m sorry to hear about Peggy,” Tony stated sombrely, “and I hate to be the bearer of more unwelcome news but (Name) is nowhere to be found and a woman claiming to be the ex-wife of Baron Helmut Zemo has arrived at the compound along with Zemo’s father and son. They are insistently demanding to talk to as many of us as they can.”
Steve’s feelings about Natasha signing the Accords were pushed to the side at Tony’s words and he and Natasha shared concerned looks.
“We’ll be there in ten minutes,” Natasha promised.
Steve couldn’t think of a time when he had been more grateful for Natasha’s driving ability even if she was a slightly reckless driver on normal occasions. Neither of them spoke as she sped through the streets arriving at the compound in exactly ten minutes.
Steve’s curiosity and apprehension built with every step. He and Natasha walked in silence through the compound and Steve pretended not to notice her side glances every few minutes. While he walked, he wondered exactly what the Zemo family was doing at the compound. He also worried about the fact that you had disappeared from the compound.
Over your time with the Avengers, Steve had been able to piece together bits and pieces of your history. His mind kept returning to the fact that years ago, you and some others had fought against a bill called the Mutant Registration Act. The reminder of the Act was enough to have Steve fighting a shudder. He’d done some research on that act and he had been appalled at the fact that the Act had even been allowed to enter the Congress chambers.
Steve had also been horrified at the amount of support that the Act had amassed. It seemed that the America he had fought for in the forties was slowly slipping away and being replaced with an unfamiliar, unpredictable, and harsher America.
Three people stood up from their chairs as Steve and Natasha entered the conference room. Tony, Rhodey, Clint, Wanda and Sam all turned to look at them. Vision was the only one who didn’t. His head was cocked to the side and he was gazing at Wanda with concern. While Natasha sought Clint’s gaze for reassurance, Steve looked at Wanda. Her eyes were red and the skin around them was red too and Steve felt sympathy and protectiveness surge through him. He also noticed that Vision was standing close to her.
When Wanda spoke, her voice was firm, “Baron Heinrich Zemo, Heike Párduc, and Carl Zemo, may I introduce Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff?”
Steve frowned slightly as he tried to figure out why Wanda had introduced the three visitors the way she had. The closest he could get to an answer was that Wanda wanted to introduce them as humans not by their job titles. He melted when he saw Carl wave to him and he returned the gesture.
“And your other friend? Phantasm?” Heinrich demanded forcefully, “Where is she? We came to speak with her!”
Steve’s mind registered the with in Heinrich’s sentence and for some reason, that four letter word had his muscles tensing. Steve estimated that Heinrich was in his mid-sixties but the man still had a formidable air around him. Heike seemed to have a similar fire in her eyes. With her styled, curly blonde hair and light blue eyes, Steve could be forgiven for thinking that Heike was a woman he had encountered in the forties.
Heike’s son on the other hand had innocent brown eyes underneath furrowed eyebrows and neatly parted, short brown hair. It was easy to tell that Heinrich and Carl were related just by looking at them and Steve’s heart sank because if he could spot the similarities, chances are that other people could as well and Carl could be used as leverage against his family simply because his grandfather was royalty.
Heike turned to her son, who had sat down again while looking at Steve with an awed expression.
“Show them what you can do,” Heike urged quietly and Carl frowned deeply, closing his eyes. When Carl reopened them, Steve was shocked to see his shield sitting on the table between them.
Without thinking about it, Steve reached forwards to touch his shield but his hand passed through it as if it wasn’t there.
“Carl’s talent appeared the night we left Sokovia.” The Baron rumbled, his voice losing some of its forcefulness as Heike smiled at Carl proudly and the illusion of Steve’s shield vanished when Carl grinned happily up at his mother.
“We think it has something to do with his father’s innate talent of persuading people to see his point of view,” the Baron continued. Steve understood the underlying meaning of the Baron’s words. It seemed that the Baron’s son had no qualms about using words or force to encourage his audience to see his point of view.
“Though that isn’t the only reason why we came,” Heike revealed, “it is a small part of it. We all wanted to thank Phantasm for her actions in Sokovia and we wanted to warn her.”
“Warn her?” Clint echoed, “Why?”
Wanda and Heike looked at each other and then Heike asked Wanda and Vision to take Carl on a tour of the compound. Heike and Heinrich watched them leave and then Heike turned back to face Steve. When she spoke, Steve noticed that her voice had risen slightly and he could detect notes of urgency and panic in it though her tone remained level.
“You must understand that Helmut and I fell out of love a long time ago. We chose to stay together for Carl and because we didn’t want to give the Sokovian media any opportunity to report gossip. I’m sure you understand that concept.”
The present Avengers all made small noises of agreement.
Heike cleared her throat, “When we landed in America and had not heard from Helmut, I began to dream of a different life. In Sokovia, not only was he a former Colonel of the Sokovian Armed Forces but he was a commander of EKO Scorpion, an elite strike force. As a result of his time with those organisations, I began to witness a darker side of the man. There was a ruthlessness to him and so, I quietly made inquires about divorcing him. Heinrich found out about my endeavours and to my surprise, he supported me.”
“People change over time.” Heinrich asserted, “Sometimes it is not for the better.”
Tony nodded, “I’ve had that happen to me once or twice with people I’ve known for a long time.”
Heike nodded, “Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on your point of view, I was able to recover the divorce papers that I had signed before we fled Sokovia. When Helmut arrived unexpectedly on our doorstep, he inquired about your friend and there was a longing hidden in his inquires and I thought to myself, “Why would he hide his intrigue?” All of the answers I considered left a bitter taste in my mouth and so, I took the opportunity and presented Helmut with the divorce papers that I signed. As soon as he left, I felt as if I had played right into his hands and so, we made plans to come here to warn Phantasm. It seems we have arrived too late and she is gone.”
“I have a few ideas where she might have gone.” Natasha spoke up reassuringly and some of the tension left Heike’s body although Steve saw that Heinrich was still unconvinced, “We’ll find her and we’ll tell her what you told us.”
“I will also admit that I am worried about Carl,” Heike continued and Heinrich nodded, “while I know that Helmut would be incredibly protective and if the occasion asked for it, downright wrathful if any of his enemies tried to harm Carl in any manner, Carl is a young boy who adores his father. He knows he has a talent and if he thought he could help his father by using this talent…” Heike trailed off. Steve could see the shock on all the Avengers’ faces particularly Natasha, Rhodey and Tony’s faces at the implication that an innocent child could be manipulated into helping his father simply because they were related.
Heinrich confirmed the hidden message in Heike’s final speech for the Avengers, “It would be best if Helmut never found out about his son’s talent but we do not live in an ideal world. We must be practical. Do you know of a place where my grandson can learn to use his talent safely and without fear?”
“There’s a place called Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters,” Natasha explained “and it would be the first place (Name) would go to feel safe again. On the outside, it appears that the school is academically focused but that is a façade. Its true purpose is to provide a safe environment for children and adults like Carl.”
“Can you escort him there?” Heike pleaded, “I fear that my ex-husband has eyes and ears everywhere and that it will be sooner rather than later that he finds out about Carl’s gift.”
Natasha raised her chin, “I will escort him there and do my absolute best to protect him,” she vowed.
AN: This is a yandere Zemo fic. That means that it will have dark content. I do not endorse these relationships and behaviour in real life. This chapter contains spoilers for past Marvel movies, arguing, General Ross being an ass to everyone especially Wanda, mild coarse language, X men movie spoilers, and implied minor character death.
The atmosphere in the room was incredibly tense when General Ross introduced himself and stated the purpose for his presence, you couldn’t be the only one who noticed that Wanda seemed to be trying to make herself as small as possible.
Ross’ speech began as if he was complimenting the efforts of the Avengers over the past couple of years but something about his tone warned you that that would change very soon. Unfortunately, you were right. Ross spoke about the damage that the Avengers had caused in the past and how one hundred and seventeen governments across the world had agreed on the importance of the Avengers being regulated by the UN. If an Avenger failed to comply with the Sokovian Accords, they would face legal repercussions.
Ross seemed to delight in emphasising the title of the Accords once he’d noticed Wanda’s reaction the first time. Your control over your temper was already thin because the Accords sounded a whole lot like the Mutant Registration Act that had almost become law a few years ago.
When Rogue and Wolverine had been kidnapped from the train station by Magneto, Sabretooth, Mystique, and Toad, you had been in the car with the Professor and Jean. Magneto’s warning about the dangers of the Mutant Registration Act stayed with you to this day. You blinked and refocused on the meeting as Ross finally finished speaking.
“In my experience, I have found that the best way to encourage people to see your point of view is not by insulting them nor is it by pressing on a tender wound, General.” Rhodey’s tone was courteous and his words were polite but everyone present in the room could hear the warning hidden in his words.
Knowing the type of person Rhodey was and how much the armed forces meant to him, you felt your respect for the man grow.
“You are treading on very thin ice, Lieutenant Colonel,” Ross warned, “any further words from you or any other Avenger may be treated as insubordination.”
“And when exactly did the armed forces gain the right to enforce what points of view we can and cannot argue in the United States of America?” Your tone wasn’t as nearly as pleasant as Rhodey’s was.
“In light of the contributions that you have made to the Avengers and SHIELD during your time with both organisations, you have been granted immunity.”
All the Avengers turned to face you and some of them had betrayed looks on their faces. You didn’t blame them in the slightest.
“Hang on Ross,” you stood up straight, “there are people around this table who have prevented far worse tragedies than you or I could possibly imagine. So why then am I being granted immunity?”
Ross placed the Accords on the table with a thud, “I’ll see myself out then, shall I?”
The question was clearly rhetorical and Ross left the room.
“Well that was a mess,” Sam spoke up, casting a weary glance at the large amount of bound papers that made up the Accords.
Wanda’s hands dropped to her lap and she focused on the table as discussion broke out about the necessity of the Accords. Seeing Wanda’s lip trembling, you refrained from shouting at the other Avengers about how they were focusing on the wrong thing at the moment. Instead you walked over to where she was seated and you pulled her into a hug.
Wanda clutched at you tightly as you held her as if you were the only thing anchoring her to the Earth in this moment.
“It’s all my fault,” Wanda’s voice was so faint that you needed to strain to hear it but once her words registered, you shook your head.
“No, it’s not Wanda,” you spoke reassuringly as her tears dampened your shirt, “truthfully, I’m surprised that something like this didn’t happen immediately after New York.”
“There were many politicians arguing for it then,” Tony responded, leaning back in his chair with a sigh, “Pepper fielded quite a few journalists who supported the initial idea and SHIELD fielded the rest. There were of course other politicians against it and it appeared to be dropped and forgotten. Whether that’s because the politicians were associated with SHIELD, HYDRA or they opposed it morally, I don’t care. I care that it’s affecting us now. The pool of politicians supporting us has decreased by a lot and even though they are thankful that we’ve saved family members and communities in the past, the ones that still support us are starting to agree with the necessity of the Accords.”
“What are your thoughts on this (Name)?” Clint asked as you released Wanda but stayed standing by her side.
You grimaced and shook your head, “The only way I could see something like this maybe working and it’s a big maybe is if we had liaison officers who worked with us and the UN but…” you trailed off and sighed, “even that idea isn’t fool proof. Our liaisons could be biased or influenced against the people we’re trying to save and because they’re our liaisons, we can’t go to help those people.”
“Are you seriously suggesting that people in the UN are corrupt?” Rhodey scoffed, “You’re talking about the most powerful body on Earth.”
“SHIELD was once one of the most powerful intelligence agencies in the world and HYDRA managed to infiltrate them,” Sam reminded him.
“Plus, I can’t speak for everyone here but I think it’d be extremely arrogant to think that we’ve managed to catch all the HYDRA members, allies, and sympathisers in such a short time. HYDRA was huge in the 40s and they’ve had half a century to learn from their mistakes and hide in plain sight.” Steve added. You shot both him and Sam a grateful smile.
“That’s the thing,” Tony rebutted, “this is about us learning from our mistakes. We need to be put in check and who better to do that than the UN?”
“Exactly,” Rhodey agreed.
Sam rested his elbow on the table and gestured to you, “(Name)’s got a point. People’s interpretations of the Accords could place us in danger and let’s not forget about the Mutant Registration Act that was almost passed a few years ago. We have quite a few members on the team with powers,” you barely supressed your trembling as you realised where Sam was going with this “and it wouldn’t be much of a stretch for certain people to claim that they’re a danger to society. It’s possible that the UN would act and demonstrate that they aren’t threats but there’d be people who would remain unconvinced and they could refuse assistance from those Avengers and then claim they didn’t do their job properly. There’d be a public outcry to reinstate the Act and overwhelming support for it.”
Vision cleared his throat and looked up from the Accords. You had been so occupied that you hadn’t noticed he was actually reading them, “Our very strength incites challenge. Challenge incites conflict. And conflict... breeds catastrophe.”
“Boom,” Rhodey agreed with a surly tone.
“Once I realised what my weapons were able do and actually doing, I shut down that side of the business and I minimised the catastrophe.”
“You chose to do that Tony,” Steve argued warily, “(Name) and Sam are right. If we sign this, we risk not being able to help the people who really need it and we also risk being puppets. We may not be perfect but the safest hands are our own.”
“You gotta make this hard, don’t you Rogers?” Tony blew out an exasperated breath, “If we don’t do this, it’ll be done to us later. That’s a fact. It won’t be pretty.”
Wanda heard Tony’s unspoken message, “You’re saying that they’ll still see me as responsible and they’ll come for me.”
“We’d protect you,” Vision swore. You felt a stab of jealousy at his promise. Why hadn’t he promised you that when he discovered the parallels between the Act and the Accords?
“Maybe Tony's right. If we have one hand on the wheel, we can still steer. If we take it off...” Nat mused.
You opened your mouth to reply but Sam beat you to it, “Aren't you the same woman who told the government to kiss her ass a few years ago?”
You snorted at the memory and Sam’s language as Steve’s phone vibrated on the table. You knew that it was bad news the second he looked at it. “I’ve got to go.” He announced as he stood up and walked out of the room.
“I need to get some air,” you declared and left the room. You were so distracted that you didn’t realise that you were outside the compound until you felt the wind whistling through your hair. You hadn’t actually intended to go outside.
Your mind was whirring as you inhaled the fresh air. No matter how you looked at it, you were in a dangerous situation and while Wanda may have Vision’s protection if things went south, you didn’t. And while you knew that you could count on the Avengers for support, you knew that the bonds holding the team together had been fractured by Ross presenting the Accords and the following argument, which was probably still ongoing. The way the situation seemed to be unfolding now, it was becoming increasingly clear that the Accords would be pitting your friends and teammates against each other and you had no desire to go down this path again.
Calling on your powers, you reappeared in your room in the compound and packed what you absolutely needed. Taking one last glance around the room and feeling a deep sadness well up inside of you, you swung the backpack with your things over one shoulder and hoisted it so the strap rested comfortably on your shoulder.
You focused on your memory of the partially hidden back pathway of Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters and your powers responded to the image in your mind. Had you left five seconds later, you would have seen an unfamiliar car travelling up the driveway that led to the compound, and perhaps if you had seen that car through the window, you would have met Helmut Zemo under very different circumstances.
