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They wanted immediate signatures because Ross is an asshole.

[That just comes out tired. He'd known exactly who he was dealing with, he'd just hoped that he could get around the worst of Ross' bad habits. That will show him.]

I know it wasn't great. But it was something we could have worked with, made better. The other options coming down the pipe...were not as malleable. This was supposed to head the worse options off.

Ross.

[Oh. Oh, now he's got an idea of what happened. It's honestly probably still the wrong one, but Steve's anger has shifted away from Tony and onto the real frustration that always seems to want to control and contain the good along with the bad. Not just Thaddeus personally, but what he represents.]

...Tell me.

[For the first time Steve is actually asking for information. And maybe it not being his own home actually helps him step down enough to ask, but it's still a step toward resolution.]

What were the other options?

[Something about the way Steve says the name makes Tony flick a considering look at him. So his universe has to deal with one of those too, huh? Pity.]

You name it, it was suggested. [Tony blows out a long breath like he's trying to force some of the tension out of his body.] Containment. Confinement. 24 hour tracking. None of it was sustainable, but that doesn't stop some yahoo from floating the idea. It was...

[If we don't do this, it will be done to us. Tony could only wish it was that easy.]

The Avengers were supposed to be SHIELD's pet project, but when SHIELD fell no one really knew what to do with us. And things just kept getting worse.

[Steve catches the look, meeting Tony's eyes with something alert and familiar, like he's expecting that sort of look out of him. It's instinctive for him to wait for Tony Stark to give him subtle, silent cues. He's not even sure Tony always realizes he does it, but Steve catches them. He doesn't blink. Ross is an obstacle. He's used to jumping over those.

What he isn't ready for is the news of SHIELD coming down. It's not entirely a shock -- It's SHIELD, and the risk is always there. But this is his first time hearing it. He tenses slightly.]

The Avengers don't belong to SHIELD. I understand that you wanted to help, Tony. You did what you could. But the Avengers aren't the government's task force. And they shouldn't be. Not when there are people who want to throw that on the table to begin with. Pretty soon, they realize they've got their pet superheroes that they can lead around or else and the or else gets tighter. What did they tell you? That you'd all get free movement eventually? That you weren't the threats, but they still wanted you to stay close?

[And he sounds irritated again. Restless. But he doesn't raise his voice.]

It's not your fault.

It's not that simple.

[But Tony just shakes his head slightly. He's so tired of this argument, and it's abundantly clear that it's never something they're going to agree on. Though every time Steve brings something up it sounds a lot worse than anything the Accords themselves have suggested. Which sort of makes him wonder if that's Steve's own worst case scenario's talking or...what?

Who knows. He rolls his shoulders a little, then makes himself drop them down.]

You realize SHIELD started us, right? The Avengers Initiative. And I wasn't even supposed to be part of it.

Sometimes it has to be.

[Of course it's not simple, he wants to say. It never is. But they have to draw a line somewhere or they'll always be driven back, put in their boxes and locked into things they don't believe in. He does look openly confused when Tony keeps going.]

Avengers Initiative?

[There's no recognition as he echoes that back.]

Who came up with that one?

[One of Tony's eyebrows lifts slightly at the blank look he's getting. So apparently this is one of those things that didn't go quite the same. Interesting.]

I don't know, Fury? Whoever was in charge of fancy project names? It was in place before I ever got involved. Apparently.

[Lord only knew what Fury had been intending to do with it.]

[Yeah, things are definitely different. Steve is realizing just how different too, with the way Tony treats the Avengers like someone else's project.]

That doesn't make sense. I couldn't imagine the Avengers existing without you. And with or without SHIELD, they still belong to us first.

[Tony pauses like he's not entirely sure what to make of that, then shakes his head a little.]

There is no SHIELD anymore, technically, so moot point now. It's just...different, for us, I guess. Different worlds.

[Imagine that. There's a certain amount of wryness to his tone, but he is slowly coming to realize just how different they really are.]

Different worlds. Different people.

But the problems don't sound so different from here.

[And now that he's not going through a knee-jerk defense, he's starting to realize what that really means.]

SHIELD is still going strong in my world. In fact, it was going too strong. A lot of conflict had been kicked up recently, with the Avengers falling apart and superhumans being put in the spotlight for problems that they weren't necessarily the cause of. And the government decided they needed someone to be the scapegoat. That was going to be everyone that was potentially dangerous. Kids. Civilians. People with families who just found out how different their lives were going to be.

Tony, he was helping them enforce registration. Keeping tabs on everyone whether they had a history or not. I'm sure you can guess why I didn't agree with that.

[There's still that hard note in his voice, but it doesn't become anger or accusation this time.]

But maybe if we'd talked, if we'd stopped fighting for long enough, things would have turned out different.

Maybe.

[ There's a slight edge to the word that says Tony wishes he knew. He'd tried, god knew he'd tried, but apparently they were just destined to fight in every universe. He honestly can't tell if that's a relief or not. That it's not just his failure. ]

I mean, the fight was more complicated than that. But yeah. Maybe.

It's always more complicated than we want it to be. But maybe we should be trying that much harder to remember why we started this in the first place.

I guess I don't know about your world, but it sounds like if SHIELD and everything else is coming apart, then what you need is friends to rely on. Someone to help, because we all need a hand. Even if you fight, I'm sure you still have that in common.

[ It startles a laugh out of Tony, but there isn't much humor in the sound. ]

Yeah. It'd be nice.

[ But it sounds more tired than bitter. He does know Steve would be there if he needed him, the man has said as much. It's just...hard to remember sometimes, in the mess of everything else that had gone on. ]

Anyway. I'm sure you don't need to hear me bitch about it any more.

[ The laugh is sharp, but Steve doesn't flinch or draw back from the way Tony takes it. There is a lot hanging between him and the rest of the Avengers, so Steve can't really hold it against him. ]

I don't mind. Sounds like you needed to clear the air.

Maybe.

[ He considers it for a moment, then shakes his head. ]

But, no offense, you're not really the one I need to clear it with. Much as I appreciate the ear.

No, I'm not.

[ He pats Tony on the shoulder. ]

But you'll work it out with him. I have faith in you.

[ It earns a slightly owlish blink, Tony clearly not sure what to make of that. ]

Thanks. I think.

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