Chapter Text
Peter wondered a little at the crowd gathered on the sidewalk just off school grounds. While most of the mob seemed to be varying shades of amused there was enough hostility there to make the hair on his arms stand on end. As much as most of the crowd saw it as a joke, there were at least a few very angry people mixed in.
He got a little closer and saw a “I Stand with Cap” banner, along with a life-sized cardboard cutout of Steve Rogers in the uniform he’d worn during the Invasion of 2012. ‘Wow, an Accords demonstration and MOST of the people aren’t at each other’s throats? That’s amazing,’ Peter thought.
“The government wants your name! They want your address! Your date of birth! Your picture! They want to know your weight, height and whether or not you wear glasses!” Flash declared. “They want to tell you what you can and can’t do! Where you can go and how you get there! Well I say no more! It’s a violation of your rights. Cap says “No!” and so should we!”
“What’s going on?” Peter asked MJ, who was perched on the wall dividing the school from the sidewalk.
“Flash got a DUI last weekend,” MJ reported blandly. “When his license got suspended it occurred to him that being required to have a license before you’re allowed to drive is just like the Avengers being required to register with the UN before they were allowed to enter a foreign country in pursuit of truth, justice and the Captain America Way.”
“Seriously?” Peter asked.
“He’s actually got a point, not the point he probably thinks he’s making but…” MJ shrugged. “Before you can legally drive you need to prove to the government’s satisfaction that you have the skill and physical ability to do so safely. If you get in a wreck or fail to obey traffic laws, your licence provides the police with your name and address so they know who to penalize and how to get a hold of you. You also need proof of insurance, so if there’s an accident someone’s on the hook for the damages. If you screw up badly enough, they take away your right to operate a motor vehicle.”
“And when Steve Rogers decided to become a fugitive before signing the Accords…” Peter bit back the urge to snicker.
“Yep,” MJ said. “He rejected the requirement that individuals who wished to pursue a career ‘Avenging’ be held to a clearly defined, written standard of qualification. He denied that any regulatory body should know who was involved, how to get in contact with them and who to charge for any damages if things go wrong. He basically insisted that, no matter how badly the Avengers might screw up, no one outside of the Avengers has the right to say they’re unqualified to continue. Conflict of interest much?”
“It’s a civil rights issue,” Peter said and he wished he were as good as MJ at keeping a straight face. “Being required to get a driver’s licence before you operate a motor vehicle is just like Nazi Germany.” He couldn’t help it, he started laughing. After a moment MJ joined in.