Chapter 49

July, 2016

Avengers Facility, Upstate New York

A few days later, Maggie woke up screaming. She flung herself out of bed and scrambled until she collided with the wall on the other side of the room, gasped, and slid to the floor.

"My name is Maggie Stark," she sobbed, curling in on herself and tucking her head between her knees. "I'm in the Avengers Facility, I'm safe, I'm not… I've got control of my own mind." She slammed her fist into the floor twice, punctuating her words, and forced herself to follow her breathing techniques even though it felt like her lungs were constricting, burning, unable to take in any oxygen. Her heartbeat roared in her ears, and her whole body was shaking.

After ten minutes she'd calmed her breathing enough to be able to raise herself on shaky legs, and stumble toward her false wings by the window. She propped her back against the unforgiving metal, and ground the heels of her palms into her eyes.

"Ms Stark?" F.R.I.D.A.Y. had lowered the volume of her voice, but Maggie still flinched. "Would you like me to call for assistance?"

Maggie let out a shaky laugh. "No, F.R.I.D.A.Y., don't worry about it. It was just… just a compilation of my all-time greatest hits, cooked up by my brain to torture me in my sleep." She tapped two fingers against her temple as she sat curled up against the false wings. "Nothing I don't know how to deal with."

Still, it had been a bad one. Old tortures blended with the pain of her wing being torn away, mixed up with her victims and Bucky limp on the ground and Tony's betrayed face. A blade forged in memories that drove right into her core.

Now that her heart didn't feel like it was about to implode, Maggie was calm enough to notice that it was just past dawn – the pale grey light outside filtered into the forest and illuminated condensation on the lawns below. She pushed her bare feet against the glass window and hissed at the cool temperature.

"Ms Stark?"

Maggie still wasn't quite used to the disembodied voice, particularly in her room. "Yes, F.R.I.D.A.Y.?"

"In the future, would you like me to intervene in cases of psychological distress?"

She tipped her head back and swallowed. "You'd do that?"

Softly, F.R.I.D.A.Y. replied: "It's one of my functions, yes."

Maggie closed her eyes, and nodded to herself. "It can be good, y'know. To hear another voice. Takes you out of your own head."

"Is that permission?"

"Yes, it is," she sighed. She cracked her eyes open, watching the waking forest. "If you could remind me… if you could remind me who I am, where I am. When I am. Let me know that everyone's safe… that would help." She was glad the A.I. had asked, first – it would have probably made things worse if she'd heard a voice she wasn't expecting in the midst of a nightmare.

"Consider it done, Ms Stark."

The corner of Maggie's mouth lifted. She didn't know how Tony had managed to make his A.I. sound so damn compassionate. She'd have to look into that. "Thank you, F.R.I.D.A.Y."

She knew that Tony and Pepper had left for Manhattan yesterday evening, for some Stark Industries event, and that Rhodey was meeting with his Air Force bosses, so Maggie settled in for a day alone in her room. As the painful edges of her nightmare slipped away, she stood in the middle of her room and stretched, trying to lose herself in the pull and stretch of muscles, and the unfaltering rhythm of her breaths.

She thought she might spend her day alone going through the backpack of hers and Bucky's things, maybe reading some books. She didn't have any access to Avengers or Stark Industries mainframes when Tony wasn't there, so she couldn't work on anything engineering-related.

When the door swished open Maggie swiveled on her chair to face the newcomer, thinking it might be a food delivery. She certainly wasn't expecting to see a maroon android in trousers and a blue sweater walk into her room.

Maggie could only stare at him as he hesitated in her doorway, his human-looking eyes watching her.

"Oh," she eventually managed to say. She'd known that Vision lived at the Facility, had even apparently reconciled with Rhodey after the events in Germany, but she hadn't expected to see him, let alone have him just... wander into her room. "Hello."

"Hello," Vision replied in his smooth British accent. He took in her obvious surprise and said: "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come unannounced, I should have asked first – excuse me." He turned and was halfway out the door before Maggie managed to jump to her feet and call:

"Wait!"

He did, turning on the spot to face her. Maggie ran her eyes over him, taking in his appearance. He really was fascinating, with his synthetic body, the glowing stone in his forehead, and the obvious intelligence and humanity behind his eyes. The fact that he'd apparently chosen to dress like a middle-aged professor was interesting, too.

"It's Vision, right?"

Vision inclined his head. "Indeed. I know you've spent the previous days in company, and given that the others are absent today I thought I might… introduce myself to you."

Maggie tucked her hair behind her ears, still eyeing the android. He was obviously hesitant, awkward even, but unfailingly polite. She hid a smile. "But we already know each other's names," she pointed out. Hell, you tossed me like a tennis ball back in Germany.

Vision nodded. "Indeed, but I'm afraid we've both had… very poor first impressions of one another."

She laughed, surprising herself. She knew very little about the android apart from the circumstances of his creation, and his immense power. She hadn't been expecting jokes, or the self-deprecating smile he shot her. "Alright," she said, cocking her head at him. "But can I ask… why?"

He frowned. "Why?"

She gestured at the space between them. "Why come here? Why introduce yourself at all? I'm a prisoner here, both of us know that, and I fought against you and everything you stand for." Her voice was light, but her eyes were fixed on his. "What about that makes you want to get to know me better?"

"Ah," He nodded his understanding, then took a few steps into her room, looking around at her things. His hands were folded in front of him. "I… have put a great deal of thought into everything that occurred that day," he began, his voice solemn. "Though I firmly believe that what I fought for that day was right, I understand that there were too many forces at play for such a plain battle of wills and arms. Particularly between people who loved each other."

Maggie watched, fascinated, as grief and regret crossed his face. He continued: "I have only been alive for a year, Ms Stark, but I have learned that humanity is… incalculably complex, and inordinately precious. On that day we each did what we believed to be right, and it led to catastrophe." He met her eyes at that, and gave her a small, sad smile. She swallowed. "I found myself to be more human than I had realized. And I learned that I must admit to myself that… I do not have all the answers." He spread his hands, palms facing out, looking defeated, and lost, and so, so, human.

Maggie felt the breath leave her lungs in a whoosh and blinked when she realized tears were prickling at her eyes.

Vision smiled sadly at her. "But to answer your question, Ms Stark… I find myself without much purpose, here at this Facility. I am ready to be called on to fight for humanity at a moment's notice, but largely, I am at odds. And I am curious about you." He leveled his gaze on her. "I know that you are a person who has lost much and suffered much in her short life, and after recent events you may have found yourself just as much at odds as I. I imagine we might find some comfort in one another." He tipped his head at her. "Would you like to get some breakfast?"

Maggie reached up to brush away a stray tear, and sniffed. "Well shit, Vision, yes I would."

Vision had thought ahead and brought the Manacle with him, so once it was on Maggie slipped on some shoes and they left her room. As they walked through the hallways toward the Avengers common room, Maggie looked at the android out of the corner of her eye. He was… well, he was weird looking, but she could see how one could get used to it.

"So," she said. "I know you're only one year old, so I feel like I should warn you that most people don't bare their soul to new acquaintances in their first meeting."

Vision nodded. His footsteps were soundless on the shiny floor. "I'm aware of standard greeting customs, I assure you. I merely felt that you might be a person worth 'baring my soul' to, so to speak."

She smiled at him. "Well, Vision, this might not mean a lot coming from me, but I think your soul is pretty great. And I'm honored."

Vision looked nice when he smiled. "Likewise, Ms Stark," he replied.

"You can call me Maggie."

In the common room kitchen Vision watched Maggie go about pouring herself cereal. She kept looking at him out of the corner of her eye, taking in the strange shapes on his head and the glowing stone.

He smiled at her poorly-hidden curiosity. "You have questions about my form."

Maggie froze on her way to the fridge. "I'm sorry, I'm being so rude-"

"I know you have a scientific mind, so I am sure your questions are academic, rather than impertinent."

She grimaced. "The two aren't necessarily mutually exclusive."

Vision smiled at her again and strolled into the kitchen. As he did his skin rippled and changed, the conventional clothes phasing away to reveal the form he'd appeared in at the airport: synthetic blue suit, red gloves and boots, and a shimmery gold cape. Maggie wasn't too proud to admit that her mouth dropped open.

"Okay, but how do you do that?" Qualms about social propriety forgotten, she hastened toward him. She reached out and poked his shoulder, cocking an eyebrow when she realized he was warm.

Vision gestured to the stone on his forehead. "My body is a synthetic simulacrum of organic tissue and Vibranium, courtesy of Dr Helen Cho's Cradle technology, but I was given life – and powers – by… this."

She stood up on her toes to get closer to the stone set in Vision's forehead, noting that its brightness seemed to depend on how much he was using his powers. Vision, thankfully, seemed bemused rather than offended by her close inspection. "So it's some kind of… power source, from… space?"

"It came from Loki's scepter. Other than that, Maggie, your guess is as good as mine."

Maggie finally realized that she was balancing on her tip-toes, her face only a few inches away from Vision's face as she stared intently at his forehead. "Sorry," she mumbled, backing up and returning to her quest for milk for her cereal.

"It's quite alright," he said, and the stone glowed as he shifted back into his regular clothes. He paced out of the kitchen and took a seat at the table.

"Do you want some cereal?" She shook the box at him, but he merely smiled politely.

"No, thank you."

She squinted at him. "You don't eat, do you?"

His polite smile widened into a genuine one. "No."

"Breakfast was a funny activity to choose, then."

"All humans need sustenance, and I imagine you're no different." She joined him at the table and tucked into her cereal. "Besides," he added, his eyes flicking toward the kitchen for an instant. "I've observed that food serves multiple purposes – it provides sustenance, certainly, but it also brings people together. Brings them comfort." His eyes dropped to his hands resting on the table.

Maggie had only known Vision a few minutes, and she had no experience reading emotion in synthetic eyes, but she knew sadness when she saw it. And Vision had sought her out.

"Who did you lose?" she asked, setting down her cereal bowl.

Vision's eyes flicked up to hers, surprised, and then skittered away. Such a human reaction, and one that Maggie recognized – denial.

She supposed he'd been brave enough to bare his soul to her, she ought to return the favor. "I lost someone," she murmured. His eyes flashed back up, and she swallowed. "Bucky. Sergeant Barnes, I mean. I don't know how much you know about him."

Vision's gaze was open, kind. "I know every shred of data that's ever been recorded digitally about him. I know he is a soldier, a prisoner of war, a man who has overcome great suffering and injustice. I also know what Mr Stark learned about him in Siberia."

"I love him," Maggie said. Vision's eyes widened, his synthetic pupils dilating. She took a shaky breath, and leaned back in her seat. It felt good to finally say it out loud to someone. "We love each other, I should say. We have for a while. That's what we were to each other, we were…" She swallowed. No word was good enough. "He's my mission." She looked down and pushed her cereal away, her face crumpling. "And I lost him."

Vision's hands slid into his lap. There was a long silence between them, though it wasn't tense or uncomfortable. Maggie felt a strange affection for Vision, and she wasn't sure why. Maybe it was that the grief and regret on his face called to something inside her, something that would never go away.

"Wanda Maximoff."

He'd been silent so long that the words almost made Maggie jump. She glanced up at his face. "Wanda?"

His brow lowered. "She is who I lost. We were… friends." His face was calm, his words measured, but Maggie could feel the real, palpable emotion behind them. Oh. He smiled sadly. "I've never had a friend before, so I couldn't say for certain, but Wanda and I… we are each trying to find a place for ourselves in a world that does not understand us. I understand Wanda, as she does me." He shrugged unhappily. "But Wanda needed… more from the world, I think, than I could give her."

And just like that, Maggie realized why she felt such a connection to the strange, synthetic man sitting across from her. She leaned across the table toward him.

"You know, I grew up as a weapon." He glanced up at her, brow furrowed at the shift in conversation. "A few days after we got out from HYDRA, I turned to Bucky and I told him that I had no idea how to be a person. He didn't have much clue himself, at that point, but I cataloged everything he told me. First he said being a person was all about… about 'crying and vomiting and feeling shitty'-" Vision smiled- "then he said it was about making jokes. We added little things to the list as we went on: eating, smiling, remembering, fighting." She leaned back in her seat, eyeing him. "What I'm saying is, it's taken me a long time to get to a point where I feel even vaguely human. I had to learn how to become a person. I think we have that in common."

Vision's eyes softened as he comprehended her point, and he sighed. "I think you may be right."

"So take it from someone who's been doing this person thing a year longer than you have: when you find someone who understands you, who you care about… that's worth holding on to." Her eyes bored into Vision's.

He smiled sadly at her. "And yet you are here."

She knew he didn't mean it to be hurtful, but the comment still stung. She looked around at the Avengers common room, with its comfortable couches and its haunting absences. "I belong here," she whispered. "I'm like you, I don't have the answers. But I couldn't… couldn't leave Tony. Not again, not like that, so I need to be here. And Bucky needed to leave. Right now, there's no place for us." Her eyes threatened to well with tears again, but she resolutely forced them back, and then met Vision's eyes. "Are you sure there's no place for you and Wanda?"

Vision met her gaze for a few seconds before looking down, and she could practically see the thoughts churning in his head. He remained silent, though, and she knew better than to push.

Eventually Maggie returned to her cereal, and their conversation after that was lighter – Maggie asked Vision to tell her about Wanda and he delivered, recounting story after story of her path to become an Avenger, various childhood stories she had told him, and her likes and dislikes. Maggie smiled at him as he spoke, charmed by his obvious fascination with the young Sokovian woman and the way he knew her inside and out. He spoke about her fallen brother with gravity and respect, and Maggie suspected that Vision was one of the few people on the team that Wanda had spoken about her brother with.

Vision was in the middle of describing Wanda's skill with the guitar when F.R.I.D.A.Y. interrupted him mid-sentence, something that Maggie knew she'd normally never do.

"Ms Stark, you need to return to your cell immediately. Secretary Ross just drove into the compound."

Maggie's stomach plummeted. "What?"

But Vision was already standing – he phased through the table to get to her, put his hand on her elbow and steered her out of her seat. "I've just looked at the security cameras, he's arrived with a cohort of soldiers and he's heading for your cell." His voice was low and urgent as he marched her out of the common room and into the nearest hallway. Maggie's brain caught up with the program and she doubled her pace, half-jogging along the corridor toward her cell. Vision kept up effortlessly.

"Why now?" she asked breathlessly, glancing out a window as they turned the corner. Sure enough, she could see four armored vehicles parked on the main driving strip. Her skin prickled.

"He must have known that Mr Stark would be away," Vision told her, his hand surprisingly warm on her elbow. She was really jogging now, and he was floating to keep pace with her. "I believe he wishes to do this without Mr Stark's involvement."

"Do what?" Maggie asked, as they made it to the building her cell was in. She heard distant loud voices and footsteps, and her breathing quickened.

Before Vision could reply, F.R.I.D.A.Y. spoke: "I've alerted the boss about Ross's arrival, he's en-route."

Maggie's cell door swished open as they approached, and they rushed through, just in time - the second the door shut behind them, a group of men appeared in the corridor outside. Inside the room, Maggie offered Vision her arm and he smoothly removed the Manacle, his face calm but his eyes flooded with concern.

"Vision, you should go," she urged as her eyes darted around the room, ensuring that her backpack was hidden.

But Vision didn't move. "One of the last protocols Mr Stark gave J.A.R.V.I.S. was to protect you, Maggie," he told her. "You can count on my protection, whenever you may need it."

Before she could reply the cell door opened once again to reveal the Secretary of State, Thaddeus Ross. He was flanked by six soldiers in U.S. army uniforms, wielding rifles. Maggie swallowed.

Ross hadn't changed since the last time she'd seen him – he was dressed in his high-collared black jacket, looking supremely unimpressed by everything he saw. Particularly by Maggie. His eyes focused on her first, narrowing at the sight of her, then flicked to take in the state of her room: the large window, the poorly-constructed wings, and Vision, who was standing a few feet in front of her.

The soldiers filed into the room and fanned out, covering every angle. They kept their weapons down, but Maggie's heartrate doubled and she couldn't help but lower her center of gravity, eyes darting around. She couldn't keep an eye on everyone at once, and it made her skin crackle. Her fingers twitched.

"Stand down, Wyvern," Ross said, his brow lowering. He turned to Vision. "What are you doing in here? I thought this was a secure room."

"It is," Vision said smoothly. "Ms Stark and I were merely conversing. She poses no threat."

Ross scoffed. "'Ms Stark'," he echoed, then waved a hand. "You're not needed here right now, Vision. Please give us the room."

Vision folded his hands in front of him, his posture purposefully casual. "If it's all the same to Ms Stark," he replied, looking over at Maggie, "I think I'll stay."

Tension crackled through the room, between Vision and Ross, and around the soldiers. Maggie swallowed, her eyes darting from face to face.

"This is an Accords matter," Ross replied. His voice was low. "You signed those Accords, didn't you Vision? What is your word worth?"

Vision's head tilted. "The Accords refer to-"

"It's okay," Maggie whispered, and every head turned to her. "It's okay, Vision, you can go." Please go. She didn't like the way Ross was looking at Vision, as if he was thinking of ways to bring the android to heel. Whatever this was, she needed to face it alone.

Vision seemed ready to protest again, but she shot him a pleading look and he relented. His face tense, he pushed off from the desk and walked for the door, watching each soldier that he passed carefully. He looked over his shoulder at Maggie as he walked out, and in that glance she could see the promise that he had made: you can count on my protection. But she also saw that he didn't know why Ross was there, and it worried him.

The door closed, leaving Maggie alone in a room with Secretary Ross and six armed soldiers. She took a deep breath, set her shoulders, and faced him.

He was watching her with narrowed eyes. "I don't think I like that you're twisting the Avengers around your little finger, Ms Stark."

She wanted to laugh. What Avengers? All three of them that are left? But she didn't say it, and she didn't laugh. She kept her face neutral and silently watched Ross, her hands loose at her sides.

"Right, I forgot how chatty you were," he jibed, and moved further into the room. He ran his eyes over her bed, her desk, over the statue of wings in the corner. Her skin crawled. "I'll bet you're wondering why I'm here," he said, glancing back at her. She stayed silent, but that didn't seem to surprise him. "You and I are going to have a chat, Ms Stark. I believe you're capable of that, isn't that what you were just doing with Vision?" He cocked his head at her. "Or do I need to get a psychiatrist in to evaluate you, too?"

"I can speak," she snapped, her hands balling into fists. She felt rather than saw the soldiers in the room stiffen, and she purposefully uncurled her fingers, taking a long breath in and out through her nose.

Ross's eyes glinted. "Well that's a small mercy. Tell me, what do you know about the recent escape from the Raft prison?"

"I know it happened," she replied, willing herself not to move as Ross paced ever closer, his eyes on her. She felt hopelessly vulnerable, in her scrubs, surrounded by men who wouldn't hesitate to take her down the second she lifted a finger.

"And have you heard anything from the escapees?" he continued. He was holding his hands behind his back, at parade rest, but not being able to see his hands just set Maggie more on edge.

"No," she bit out.

"Well, I'm sure you'll be pleased to hear that Hawkeye and Ant-Man have made deals for house arrest," he said lightly. "It seems they decided to choose their families over traitors, at the end of the day."

Maggie fought not to let her shock show on her face – Scott and Clint had families? – but Ross saw it.

"Surprised that your accomplices aren't quite as dedicated as you?" he asked, misinterpreting her shock. "They saw the light, Ms Stark, there's no future in treason – they had one chance to come back home, to have some semblance of a life, and they made the right choice." He was just a few feet away now, his eyes focused on her face. "I'm going to give you the same choice, right now. Tell me where the rest of them are, and you'll be treated with leniency. It's nice here, right? You've got a nice bed, a room with a view, whatever that is-" he gestured at her wings, not taking his eyes off her. "You'll get to keep all that, and we'll keep your name out of it. You'll live safely and secretly, just like you've always wanted, right Maggie?"

She flinched at the use of her name. He took another step towards her, but she didn't give an inch.

"If you don't cooperate, I've got no reason to protect you. You're a criminal – a murderer, a terrorist. You've had the luxury of secrecy your whole life, but if you don't cooperate with me now, I can strip that away in a second." His eyes were hard. "So tell me, right now. Rogers, Barnes, Wilson, Romanoff, Maximoff – where are they?"

Maggie finally tore her gaze away from his, to glance down at her feet. She smoothed down her scrubs. Ross didn't take his eyes off her face.

When she looked up again, there was a thin smile on her face. "I can honestly say that I'm glad I don't know."

His face hardened into sharp, angry lines. "Is that so."

"It is."

He worked his jaw, glaring at her, and Maggie suddenly wondered if he was a man who'd turn to violence. She wondered if she'd fight back.

"Ms Stark," he began, his voice rigid with anger. "Let's not pretend that either of us are unaware of exactly what kinds of crimes you have committed. So tell me, with that kind of record, what do you think should happen to you?"

She glared back at him and opened her mouth, but before she could say anything the cell door opened again. She glanced up, startled, just as Tony walked in. His eyes darted lightning-fast around the room, taking in the assembled soldiers and Maggie and Ross mere feet away from each other, postures angry.

"Hey Ross, what a surprise! You should have called ahead, I'd have set out a cheese board for you." He was slightly breathless but he played it off, waving cheerily at the startled Secretary of State as he swanned into the room. His words were light, but he glanced at Maggie and she could see the panic and concern warring in his eyes.

"Stark," Ross barked, taking a step back from Maggie. "I thought you were in Manhattan."

"Too many tourists," Tony replied, shoving his hands in his pockets as he glanced around at all the soldiers in the room. "Boy, it's crowded in here. You get seasick cleaning things up at the Raft, Ross? Why're you here?"

Ross's frown deepened. "Ms Stark and I were just chatting," he said, gesturing at Maggie. Tony came up to stand beside her, shooting her a questioning look. She met his eyes with a grim expression. "In fact, you just interrupted her."

"Oh?" Tony said. "Were all these guys chatting with her too?" He wandered toward the nearest soldier and reached up, lighting fast, to tap him on the chin-strap. The soldier scowled, but didn't move.

"Stark, you know exactly why-"

Maggie didn't like this at all. Tony was going to say or do something stupid trying to protect her, the idiot, and he'd ruin whatever already-strained relationship he had with Ross. And as much as she didn't like the guy, he was in charge of the Accords and they were the new law in town.

"We were chatting," she interrupted, holding herself tall as Ross looked back at her. "And in response to your question, Mr Secretary – I doubt what I say will have any impact on what you choose to do to me." She lifted her chin. "So just do it already."

Ross looked at her for a few beats of silence, his brow lowered and his jaw clenched. Finally, he growled out: "Alright."

With that he nodded to his soldiers and they all filed out, without so much as a goodbye. Tony and Maggie watched them go.

When the door shut behind the last of them, Maggie let out a long breath and stumbled toward her bed, her limbs shaky with leftover adrenaline. Tony rushed to her side, his hands hovering over her shoulders without actually touching.

"Are you okay?" His face was pinched with worry.

She nodded, sitting down and reaching up to rub her hands over her face. "I'm okay," she mumbled. "Just… took me by surprise, is all."

He crouched in front of her. "What happened?"

She pulled her hands away from her face and grimaced. "What happened is that he's an asshole."

"I know that," Tony laughed, "but what did he say? Why was he here?"

She waved a hand. "He came to ask me if I knew where Steve and the others were." Tony tensed, but didn't look surprised. "He called me some names, made some ultimatums. I told him the truth." She let out a breath. "I don't think he really expected to get an answer, but now he knows there's no way I can be useful to him." Gritting her teeth, she met Tony's eyes. "He's going to put my name out there."

She half expected him to panic, but he just clenched his jaw. "Yeah, I've kind of been waiting for that," he muttered.

Maggie caught a flash of movement out of the corner of her eye, and her head jerked up just as Vision finished phasing through the wall, his cells going from transparent to solid in an instant. Maggie jumped, and Tony rolled his eyes at the android.

"Door too far away for you?"

Vision ignored the comment, running his eyes over Maggie concernedly. "Secretary Ross and his men have left the compound. They're heading back to D.C."

Tony huffed and got to his feet. "Bastard, waiting until I wasn't here."

Vision spread his hands. "He has jurisdiction over all Avengers matters, including our prisoners."

Tony looked fit to argue, his eyes sparking and his jaw clenching, but Maggie climbed to her feet and held up a hand. "Don't fight," she said. "With each other, or Ross. You need him on your side."

Neither Tony or Vision responded to that, but it seemed to sober Tony, and he gave her a considering look. He reached out and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Come on," he said, "we can… we can try to get on top of this. Let's go get something to drink while we wait for Pepper."

The door hissed open, and Maggie accepted the Manacle from Vision before they walked out into the corridor.

"Didn't Pepper come back with you?" she asked.

"Oh, she's on her way back, but I took the suit."

Maggie blinked and realized that of course, Tony had gotten here far sooner than she'd expected. "You did?"

"Yeah." He shrugged, but he didn't quite manage to come off as nonchalant because of the way he was half-hovering by Maggie's side, as if he expected her to collapse or burst into tears. Vision followed a few paces behind, completely silent.

She swallowed. "Thank you, Tony." She was feeling fragile after her unexpected encounter with Ross, and the reminder that the real world was about to come knocking. She found she didn't mind the way Tony had one hand still resting on her shoulder, a warm point of contact and support.

He shrugged. "It was that or break some traffic laws, which you know, I'm not unfamiliar with, but dealing with speeding fines gets really annoying and Pepper gives me this look-"

"Oh boy, word vomit," Maggie breathed. "I'm really screwed, aren't I?"

"We will protect you, Maggie," Vision piped up as they headed back to the Avengers common room.

Tony glanced over his shoulder at the android. "When did you two get all chummy?"

Maggie rolled her eyes. "We had breakfast."

Tony glanced back at Vision. "But you don't eat."

Vision smiled at him, and Maggie said: "Food brings people together, don't you know."

Tony squeezed her shoulder. "Okay, Socrates."

Pepper arrived a few hours later and met them in the Avengers common room, where they had an impromptu meeting over glasses of ice tea. Maggie had calmed down from her encounter with Ross, but she was quiet, contemplating her future – she'd never been able to form any kind of long-term plan, given the circumstances of her life, and when she looked ahead now she just saw a big question mark.

Pepper had been briefed by F.R.I.D.A.Y. on what Ross had spoken to Maggie about, so the instant she sat down she steepled her fingers and began. "So, Ross hasn't given us any indication of what he's actually going to do, am I correct?"

Maggie wrapped her fingers around her cool glass to center herself. "He strongly hinted that he was going to revoke any pretense of good treatment, or privacy."

Pepper sighed. "So we don't really know what he's going to do, but we can get ready."

"I doubt that Secretary Ross will send you back to the Raft," Vision added. "It has proven to be… inadequate for holding associates of Steve Rogers-" Maggie and Tony both tensed – "and I imagine he will want to have you within easy reach." Tony's face darkened.

"And since we don't know what he will do," Pepper continued, "I'm sorry, Maggie, but there's nothing you can do right now."

Maggie's lips thinned, and she looked down at her feet. She'd never wanted to be helpless again, and yet here she was. Tony's hand landed on her shoulder again.

Pepper continued: "I do know that Ross won't spin this to make the Avengers look bad – after everything that's happened in Germany, he needs to start rebuilding public faith in what's left of the team. It's all politics." Maggie's head rose again, and she shot a surprised glance at Tony. Pepper doesn't pull her punches. He grimaced at her – half smirk, half frown. "So whatever he's going to do, Maggie, it's all going to fall on you."

Maggie nodded, took a breath, and straightened in her seat. "Good."

Tony's hand twitched on her shoulder. "What?"

"I don't want anyone else going down for me. I've done bad things, and he's going to make me accountable for it. Good."

Tony pulled his hand away, and she turned to see the alarmed look he was giving her. "He's not… he's not going to do this for any kind of justice, Maggie, he's doing it to cover his own ass. Right now people are looking for someone to blame – someone who's in reach – and he's going to serve you up like a goddamn… like a goddamn sacrificial lamb!"

Maggie wrinkled her nose at that image, and put her hand on his arm to calm him. "I know that. And I'm sorry you're upset, Tony, but I expected this." She glanced around at the others in the room – Pepper, looking focused and sympathetic, and Vision, standing by the wall with a thoughtful expression in his face. She felt impossibly lucky to have three people who cared enough about her to have an emergency meeting about how to help her. She sighed. "I knew the minute I got found, that that was it. The past few weeks have been… well, they've been something, but this is what I've been waiting for. I'm ready for it, regardless of Ross's political bullshit."

Tony looked distraught, his brow pinched and his eyes dark with emotion. "You can't just give up-"

"There's no fight here, Tony!" she urged, then gave him a small smile to soften her words. "You-you're on the good side, right? The heroes. You've got to stick to the rules, abide by the Accords, and you can save people. I'm…" her throat clogged with emotion, and her voice went hoarse. "I'm proud of you, for that." She swallowed. "I might be living in the Avengers Facility, but I am not like you. I'm everything he says I am – a murderer, a terrorist, a traitor – and he has every right to tell the world about that. I… I want him to tell the world. I don't want to hide anymore." She blinked, and a tear spilled down her cheek. Tony had been shaking his head through her speech. "Ross said I'd had the luxury of secrecy my whole life." Her jaw clenched. "He's such a goddamn moron. I want the luxury of finally living in the open, Tony. Let me have that."

He stared at her for a few seconds of silence, his jaw clenched and the entirety of his focus on her. The emotion in his eyes was overwhelming – she wished she could stop hurting him, but it seemed like this time it was out of her control. Out of his control, too, and she could see the frustration glimmering in his eyes. Pepper and Vision watched silently.

"Okay," Tony muttered, glancing away and pinching his nose. "I mean, it doesn't sound like I could stop it even if I wanted to, so yeah, fine. Why not just… just feed you to the goddamn wolves."

Maggie reached out and took his hand, impulsively. His fingers were callused and scarred, but they tightened around hers. His head bowed.

"Whatever happens," she murmured, "it'll be okay."