Part 3: The Debate
Location: Briefing Room – Avengers Facility
Time: Two hours after Riven's breakdown
The mood in the room was grim. The kind of silence that builds like a storm before anyone dares speak.
Steve stood at the head of the table, arms folded. Natasha sat back, fingers steepled in front of her face. Wanda leaned against the wall near the monitor, eyes down. Sam and Vision exchanged silent glances. Tony hadn't returned yet.
The room door opened with a soft hiss.
Charles Xavier rolled in calmly, followed by Logan, Jean, Cyclops, Rogue, and Beast. Logan's face was unreadable. Jean's was still pale. Rogue looked quietly furious. Cyclops looked ready to argue. Bobby Drake — Iceman — had his arms crossed behind them.
Beast cleared his throat. "We need to discuss custody."
Steve raised an eyebrow. "He's not a criminal."
"No," Cyclops snapped, "but he's not stable either. You all saw what he did. That kind of rage, unchecked? It's dangerous."
Wanda looked up at him sharply. "You saw what they did to him. We all did. That wasn't rage. That was survival. That was justice."
Xavier's voice was measured, calm. "We understand Riven's situation better than most. But placing him in an environment where his trauma might fester unchecked—"
—"You mean like your school?" Natasha interrupted, deadpan.
Jean stepped forward. "We have trained trauma counselors, psychic shielding. He wouldn't be alone. We've helped others before."
Natasha shot back, "Neither would he here. He'd be protected. Watched. Cared for."
Logan finally spoke, voice low but direct. "He's not a kid anymore. You saw how he fought. You really think a bed and a few lectures are gonna help him sleep at night?"
Sam leaned in. "And you think a mansion full of hormonal teenagers is the answer?"
Cyclops bristled. "We're not offering comfort. We're offering control."
"Control?" Steve repeated. "That what you call it?"
Rogue slammed her hand on the table. "He's not a damn weapon!"
Wanda crossed the room and dropped into a seat. "You're all missing it. He didn't want to fight. He begged them. He broke trying to protect those kids. And then he shattered himself to save the rest."
Beast adjusted his glasses. "He also killed over fifty Hydra agents. Brutally. Efficiently. That kind of precision under trauma indicates deeper conditioning."
"Monsters," Natasha said flatly. "Each one of them. If anything, he was merciful."
Vision finally added, "We cannot decide based solely on threat assessment. Nor compassion. We must weigh his will — when he wakes again."
Jean nodded slowly. "Let him choose?"
Steve turned to Xavier. "Will you accept that?"
Xavier looked thoughtful, eyes kind but unreadable. "If Riven Dax wishes to remain with the Avengers, I will not interfere. But I would ask you allow him to speak with me first. There may be more in his mind than even he understands."
Natasha gave a rare nod of approval. "And if he chooses us, we'll make sure he gets the support he needs."
Bobby, silent until now, spoke up. "The guy didn't just survive torture. He carried kids out of a burning hellhole. We owe him that much."
Wanda looked up, eyes gleaming. "Then it's settled. We wait. We let him wake up and speak for himself."
Logan, arms crossed, added under his breath, "Hope you're ready for what's coming. That kid's got hell bottled inside him."
Steve waited until the discussion began to settle. Then he looked directly at Xavier.
"What about the kids he saved? The ones from the facility. Where are they now?"
Xavier met his gaze. "The mutant children have been transported to our school. They are being cared for by our most trusted staff. The others — those without powers — have either been returned to surviving family, or... in some cases, have chosen to stay with us."
Steve nodded slowly, absorbing that. "Just make sure they don't get lost in all of this. They've already been through enough."
Xavier's eyes softened. "I assure you, Captain. We will not fail them."
And somewhere, a hallway away, Riven slept — dreamless for now. But not for long.