Disclaimer - All the usual Yada Yada Yada. I don't own any rights to any characters in this fic save for my OCs. Don't sue me.
Anywho, without further ado - read on.
Earth-6161 [May 2012]
Helicarrier
–Nick Fury–
He watched as Tony flew through the tattered hallways, heading straight to his lab. Sighing, he turned around, looking at Coulson and Hill, who were waiting for his orders. Today had been a very long day and it was not even close to ending.
"How's her condition?" He asked Coulson who looked a little roughed up but nothing too serious. They all were, after the first hostile attack on the Helicarrier. He had a million ideas in his mind on how to prevent this from happening the second time. That could wait after Loki was either off-planet or six feet under.
"She is fine, stable as far as we can tell. She lost too much blood so it is uncertain if she can wake up or not." Coulson reported, with his fists clenched. He sighed internally, the man was always the most easily attached, despite his cool nonchalant demeanor. It was a literal miracle that not a single casualty was reported amongst his people, after an attack of this magnitude but now he knew that Samantha was the reason none of his people were dead, not that it meant anything because she could have intervened at any point, and many of his people would have been saved from permanent bedrest.
"Talk to Stark and the Captain. Barton should be waking up soon, make sure he doesn't do anything drastic. Tell him Romanoff is fine." He ordered Coulson before turning to Hill.
"Tell Webers that we need to talk. Take her to the nearest conference room."
"Sir."
Dismissing her, he turned around, to look at the flickering display on his console. Another thing to replace after this. He rubbed his forehead and he sharply turned and headed to the conference room.
On his semi-working screen was a direct call request from the World Security Council. Another headache of the supreme level just waiting for him.
…..
…..
"As you must know, I am very busy right now so if you could make this quick." That was the first thing that came out of his mouth as he saw the five shadowy figures projected in front of him. He sneered internally as he saw the holograms of all the five people. This was a very expensive project, made only for vanity. There was no need for a massive conference room that could only be used for meeting the World Security Council to be built on the Helicarrier, where space was already at a premium.
Even the place where he stood, was carefully positioned so as to make it look like they were his superiors, which they were technically, and to make him seem small and as if the person standing on it was being judged.
So close, he was so close to figuring out all of their identities. Only a single shadowy person was left and he had tracked them down to Europe but this whole Loki fiasco had set him back, otherwise he would be standing here, talking to them in a position of superiority. After all, their greatest strength was their secrecy.
"Director Fury, we wish to talk to you about the woman we have to know as Samantha Webers. We have received credible reports that you have been in contact with this enhanced person for a long time and have failed to inform the Council of your findings." A number of files appeared in front of him, with most of them having the red classified stamp on them. With Weber's face appearing dozens of times with her latest feats of strength clear for everyone to see.
A clear breach of security as well as a failure in the chain of authority.
You know what? Screw this. He didn't have time to pander to old white men with a superiority complex and nothing better to do.
"With all due respect, Councilman, I do not have time for this. Loki is still on the loose and we have just suffered a–"
"Director Fury, might I remind you that you answer to this body? You will make time to listen to us." Singh said.
Turning to the man, "I make time for no one, Councilman. You will find my reports on your desk once this whole thing is over. Until then, STAY OUT OF MY WAY." Waving his hands, he shut down the broadcast, unheeding of their outraged complaints.
That felt really good.
"Subject S1 is in Conference Room D-13." His comms crackled to life as Hill informed him. That was not the nearest conference room to the deck but probably the only one that was not destroyed. The helicarrier was really not built to be tilted. He would have to put that in the next improvement patch that was scheduled for 2015, which would now have to be done today itself. Everything would have to be reinforced and bolted down just so the next time the hull suffers damage, the rest of the stuff inside should remain relatively unharmed.
Another thing to balance in the budget, another thing to fight over with the Council.
Staving off the incoming headache or at least trying to, he said, "I'll be there in a second. Get me the medical reports of everyone involved."
"Yes, sir."
....
....
"Sir, Barton is awake."
"Ascertain combat readiness, Coulson. We don't have time to let people rest right now. Tell him to meet me on the deck in 15."
"Yes sir."
...….
.....
The door opened and then was stuck as it refused to close, the servos whining. Looking back, he raised an eyebrow at it before turning to Webers with the same look. "Mind closing it?"
She didn't even look at him, instead gazing out the window, as the servos stopped whining and the doors closed with a tortuous metallic groan. There was a good chance that the entire mechanism went up in flames due to her actions but then again, he was the one who asked her.
Sitting down in the chair, he threw the thick stack of files that held all the information about the severely injured agents, documenting their injuries as well as the preliminary conclusion from the doctors onboard about their future as an agent, or realistically any profession that involves physical movement.
"That is the list of all the people you could have saved, Ms.Weber. People who had families, people who might never wake up from their comas or might never walk–"
"They were agents, Fury. Soldiers, they knew what they signed up for." The woman said in the same distracted tone as she continued looking out the window.
"What?" He whispered, his voice dangerously low. "They were people, Weber. They were people who were willing to put their lives on the line but their foe this time was not someone they were equipped to handle. This was out of their league. We got you here so you could help fight–"
"No." One word from her stopped him.
"What?"
"No, I didn't come here to fight people for you, Fury. I thought I was very clear about that." She finally turned around to face him, sporting the same apathetic look but for some reason, a chill ran down his spine as he realised who he was talking to.
Banner and Thor? Both were dangerous, perhaps more so, and yet, he didn't feel this intimidated in front of them, despite both men possessing the power to crush him like a watermelon. For some reason, it was different for Weber.
"What I came here to do was make sure that the Tesseract was buried, for good. You people were not making any progress in finding the damned thing so I let things happen so Loki could escape. He will lead me to the Tesseract anyway." The woman said her piece and then turned away, to look at the window once more.
As soon as she did that, he exhaled heavily, the pressure disappearing. Taking a deep breath, he kept his thoughts and profanities inside and bit out.
"So, do you have his location?"
"Yes. He is moving rapidly, presumably through a jet. Once he stops moving, I'll know where the Tesseract is."
"I see. Just so you know, it was not just my agents that were injured due to your inactions. Thor and Banner, both are MIA, with no sign if they are alive or–"
"They're alive. Both of them."
He blinked at her, "How can you tell?"
"The same way I can track Loki. Loki, Thor, Banner, Captain America, all of them are different from regular humans, as well as from each other. So, it makes it easier to separate their signature from billions of others. Thor is fine, as is Banner. Both of them are unconscious. Captain is tense, with an elevated body activity level, and Loki is injured and exhausted."
His eyes widened as he realised what the woman had just confirmed for him.
He gulped, "H-How far can you sense?"
"Hmm? I've never checked but now that I know their individual energy signatures, I can probably track them across the planet. So, there you have it, Director. Once Loki has stopped, I will go and hunt him down. Your agents need not be endangered needlessly once more."
"I would still like to be–"
Yes, you will be informed. Now, please leave."
He barely resisted the urge to lash out and left the conference room after the door opened with a tortuous screeching noise and then closed once more.
He gnashed his teeth as he sharply turned and headed to the secured medical ward.
He had a world to save and the Avengers were going to do it, not some indifferent relic of the past.
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