Chapter Text
Nick Fury was not a happy man. It seemed like every time he turned around things went to shit. Frankly, he was tired of dealing with all the bullshit people kept pilling on one on top of the other. Fucking aliens, Hydra, Ultron, and now this Civil War. It was one fucking disaster after another, and there was still more to come.
He’d gone to ground for a while after the Hydra fiasco, needing some time to wrap his head around it and regroup, and do some damage control over the information released (what a dumb idea that had been – if he hadn’t just been shot to fucking hell, hadn’t been so doped up on painkillers that he could hardly think straight, he might have been able to figure out a better plan. At least he’d managed to warn Stark, who had mitigated the fallout somewhat). In retrospect, it was obvious that there was something very wrong with SHIELD, and while he had known there were issues (he’d never trusted the World Security Council, for one thing), at the time he hadn’t realized how deeply the problem went. It was hard to say now if the things that had gone wrong had been the result of unfortunate circumstances or deliberate manipulation and sabotage. Fury hated not knowing, and he hated it even more that he hadn’t seen it coming, not like that. As the saying went, no fool like an old fool, and fuck it if he didn’t feel like the biggest fucking fool of them all.
The latest clusterfuck though… It was enough to make a guy despair of humanity (if he didn’t already). What in the world Rogers had been thinking was still a mystery – or rather it wasn’t, because clearly he hadn’t been thinking at all. When Fury had heard about Lagos he’d found it hard to believe that such a fuck-up of a mission had actually happened. He’d contacted Romanoff immediately and she’d said that things had gotten out of hand (well, no shit), but that they would work it out. And then the Accords were brought back to the table for discussion, and Fury had focused on keeping his eye on how that was going, trusting that the Avengers would, as she’d said, do their part. Obviously he had seriously overestimated their ability to handle non-world-ending crisis. In hindsight, he really shouldn’t have been surprised by that – after all, the only one of them with an eye on the big picture had always been Stark, the others just dealt with shit one thing at a time (long term planning was not their thing). Still, Fury had thought they’d at least have the good sense to lay low and wait for the worst of it to blow over before going out there to fuck things up again. But then Barnes had gotten involved and it had all gone downhill from there.
As soon as it had been announced that Barnes was a suspect, Fury had gotten his people looking into it. It didn’t add up that Hydra would do something so sloppily. Barnes had gone unnoticed for decades, it didn’t make sense that he’d get himself recognized so easily. And if Hydra was no longer controlling him he’d have no reason to attack anybody, much less the UN. So there had to have been more to the story. Unfortunately, rather than letting the investigation dig up anything useful, Rogers had gone in guns blazing and made everything worse, derailing all efforts to get to the bottom of the matter for both the official team and Fury’s own, who had been forced to scramble for damage control.
He had thought of reaching out to Stark many times during that whole mess, but shit kept happening and he never actually managed it. He wasn’t sure now whether it would have made any difference, though he still regretted it. Truth was, Fury had always had a soft spot for Stark, and not just because he was Howard’s kid. The man was a mess, no question about it, but he was also brilliant and a genuinely good guy. Not a goodie-two-shoes like Rogers, but someone who knew how the world worked and who knew when to fight and when to back off and come in from a different angle. What made him special was not the Iron Man suit itself, but the fact that he’d made it in the first place – that he could create stuff, and understand stuff, and pretty much work a miracle out of his ass if the situation called for it. And underneath his sarcastic and arrogant façade he was a truly caring person who had gotten screwed over a lot. Howard had been a smart guy too, but the man had been a crap father and had left his kid with a ton of issues.
In the end, by the time Fury had contacted Stark it had been far too late, the fight was over. He’d considered talking to Potts, but the woman had had enough on her plate and would probably not have helped him much anyway. He had no illusions about where her loyalties lied, despite her break-up with Stark. The first time he’d seen Stark after he’d gotten out of the hospital in the aftermath of the ‘Civil War’ had been on television and the man had looked like shit. He hid it very well, certainly – he did know how to put on a public mask, after all – but Fury could see beyond the carefully applied make-up and casual attitude to the fact that the man was a wreck. And, really, who could blame him?
After a great deal of thinking, Fury had finally decided against getting in touch with him just then. It would be better to wait, he thought, see how things were going to develop before getting himself involved. Unsurprisingly, Stark handled the fallout as well as could be expected, Potts and Rhodes beside him. Then Hope van Dyne had gotten involved and in a relatively short time they managed to get a better version of the Accords approved – no doubt using every bit of influence and political power they had, which was considerable. Stark had also won over public opinion with honesty and sheer charisma – they guy could be incredibly charming when he wanted to be. The fact that he had stayed and put himself under scrutiny also helped. That and the fact that, outside the US, people pretty much hated Rogers and his group after all the crap they’d pulled. At the end of the day, as far as the average citizen was concerned, Stark had listened while Rogers had said a big fuck you to the world. To say people were pissed would be a huge understatement.
Unfortunately, shit still kept happening, with more and more weirdoes popping up all the time. Stark had reformed the Avengers, yes, but it wasn’t enough. There was still the matter of the alien army that had descended on their heads not too long ago and which might be back at any moment to finish them off. Fury absolutely believed Stark when the man said the invasion wasn’t over (and if not that army, then another one, since apparently the universe was full of them, fuck it all), so they needed to prepare. And for that he needed to see Stark and start talking strategy. The Accords seemed to be well in hand (and Ross was on his way to a long prison sentence), but the Avengers themselves were depressingly understaffed. And the last thing they needed was to have Rogers and his buddies show up in the middle of a crisis to fuck shit up again.
*****
Fury walked into the lobby of Stark Tower and went directly to the elevators, waving his security pass at the guard. He got off on the 40th floor and proceeded past the security checkpoint to the private elevators, putting his hand on the scanner. He waited, not sure if Stark had revoked his access or not. The light flashed green and he got in. He looked directly at the security camera, knowing he was being watched.
The floor he got off on was not the penthouse (he wasn’t expecting that), but what seemed to be an office floor.
“Please proceed to the last door on the right, Director Fury,” Stark’s AI said. This one had a female voice, with an Irish accent for some reason. “Boss will be with you shortly.”
Fury did as he was told. There was no reason to antagonize Stark; he was here to work with the man, not against him (it would be a stupid move to go against Stark, even if Fury was so inclined, which he definitely wasn’t). The office he entered was simple, just a large oval table with several chairs and a television screen in one wall. He sat down and affected a bored air, wondering how long Stark would make him wait. Probably quite a while, he figured. Well, Fury could be patient when necessary.
It was nearly forty minutes later when Stark came in, followed by Rhodes, Banner and Vision. It was the first time Fury had ever seen the android in person and he found him slightly unsettling. He nodded a greeting to them.
“Sorry to keep you waiting,” Stark said, not sounding sorry at all.
“You’re a busy man and I did show up unannounced,” Fury replied, trying for a friendly tone.
Stark narrowed his eyes, obviously not buying it.
“So what brings you to my not at all humble abode?”
They all took seats across from Fury. Rhodes and Banner didn’t look friendly and while Vision was hard to read, Fury would bet he was just as suspicious. He waited, aware that Stark hated silence and would end up being the first one to speak. He needed to get a feel for him before he could decide how to approach him.
“If you want me to help you get Rogers and his minions back I’m afraid I’m gonna have to disappoint you,” Stark said after a short time. Rhodes and Banner’s expressions tightened. No, they weren’t happy with Rogers.
“That’s not what I’m here for.” After the disaster of the so-called Civil War, Fury thought they’d be more of a hindrance than a help. While they had considerable skills, none of them were indispensible or even irreplaceable. Maximoff’s power was unique, certainly, but considering her poor control of them and the overall distrust in her (including his own), she was pretty much useless. Why she’d even been put on the team in the first place was still hard to understand.
“So what are you here for?” Banner asked.
“The threat you told me about is still out there,” Fury answered, addressing Stark. “And we need to make plans to deal with it. Plans that work.”
No one said anything for a few moments.
“Right, so you want to… what exactly? And why come now? I told you about that ages ago, right after the fucking battle.”
Fury let out a small sigh. “You’ve had other problems to deal with.”
Banner’s hands clenched into fists and Rhodes and Vision shifted slightly in Stark’s direction, as if to protect him. Fuck. Rogers and his stupidity had done a number on them.
“If you’re going to blame Tony–” Rhodes started and Fury raised a hand before he got going.
“I don’t. I’m just saying there’s been other things going on, and a lot of fallout from them, and that was why I decided to get the ball rolling on my court first before getting back in touch.”
“Instead of helping Tony actually deal with any of it.” Rhodes was still pissed.
“There was little I could do about it that Stark couldn’t do better on his own.”
“Your new-found faith in me is so touching.” The sarcasm was not lost on Fury.
Not for the first time, Fury regretted the way he’d dealt with Stark in the beginning. Things might have been a hell of a lot easier if he’d been more forthcoming with the man. But Fury had not known Stark that well at first and there had been too much at stake to take that chance without more information. It had also been a mistake to send Romanoff for the initial assessment, he now realized. She was too jaded to truly see beneath Stark’s masks, because what he hid away was not the kind of thing she was used to seeing. She couldn’t help but always see the worst in people, especially people in a position of power. At the time, however, a negative evaluation served his purposes, so he’d let it slide. It had given him a better chance at assessing Stark himself and how far he had been willing to go to be a part of the Avengers. Unfortunately, as it had become abundantly clear in the ‘Civil War’, that strategy had backfired. He had never wanted Stark too involved with SHIELD for several reasons, but he’d ended up too isolated within the Avengers, which had not been the plan.
In hindsight, it was clear that it was Rogers who had been the problem. The man was too short-sighted and too full of himself. Fury shouldn’t have given the man as much freedom as he had. He should have kept a closer eye on the Captain and made more of an effort to get him caught up with the modern world. He’d thought pairing him with Romanoff would get him started on it, but it’d had the opposite effect. And the fucker had ended up compromising Romanoff and Barton, dragging them into his blindness and arrogance. To say he was disappointed in his agents would be an understatement. Coulson would have been able to keep the lot of them in line, but fucking Loki had put an end to that. Hill had tried, he had to give her that, but she didn’t have the kind of people skills that Coulson had, she preferred to deal with administrative duties over agents. And she had perhaps been too impressed with Rogers herself and too biased against Stark to be very effective in that regard.
“Look,” Fury said, “things got out of hand with this Civil War business.” The others snorted, Rhodes and Banner looking almost murderous. “But you’ve done a good job getting things back on track.”
“Oh, wow, a compliment. Be still, my heart.” Stark even put a hand over his heart, sarcasm dripping from his voice. “So glad you think so. Oh, wait, I don’t actually. I don’t give a crap what you think and if you could please get to the point of this little visit that would be great, because we all have better things to do.” There was a hard edge to his tone as he glared at Fury with barely contained anger.
“I’m not here to pick a fight, Stark.” He kept his voice calm and non-threatening, though it didn’t seem to have much effect on any of them. Right. Time to change tactics. “The truth is that Rogers fucked up big and yeah, that’s partly my fault. I didn’t think he was that out of control. But we have to face facts. The Avengers are still necessary.”
“And the Avengers are still here,” Banner said, waving a hand at the others.
“Yes, I know that. But you really think you can fight off an army with just the five of you?”
“We did it just fine with six before,” Stark pointed out. “And this team is better.”
Well, he was right about that. “What I mean is that we need more people, we need to prepare. Like you two were trying to do before.” He wasn’t sure bringing up Ultron would be a good idea, but it got the point across.
“Rogers isn’t going anywhere but prison,” Rhodes said firmly staring Fury down.
Fury thought Rogers probably had no idea what he would be in for if he ever showed his face again. These people were out for blood, and Fury couldn’t honestly say he blamed them.
“I’m not talking about Rogers. I’m talking about extending the Avengers under the new Accords.” He paused for a moment before continuing. “Under your leadership.” He looked at Stark, who let out a bark of laughter.
“Really? You suddenly trust my leadership? Whatever happened to ‘Tony Stark not recommended’?” There was bitterness and hurt underneath the anger and Fury once again felt bad about how he’d handled things. That damn report had done a lot more damage than he’d realized at the time.
“That report was a load of crap and we all know it.”
His statement was followed by stunned silence. Stark’s eyes widened then he frowned. “What? You think I’m gonna fall for that? Kissing up isn’t like you, Nick. Are you really that desperate?” The anger was back, and from the others as well.
“I had my reasons for letting it stand at the time, but I never actually believed it.”
“Bullshit.”
“If that’s true,” Banner said, hands balled into fists, “than you’re an even bigger bastard than we thought. The others based their opinion of Tony on that thing.”
Fury couldn’t help a sigh. “I thought they’d see past it eventually, especially after the battle ended. I miscalculated their ability to see past your bullshit. And overestimated their ability to see past their own.” He hadn’t realized they would all buy so deeply into the Captain America propaganda.
“And what were these reasons?” It was Vision who asked, speaking for the first time. “For you to allow that report if you knew it to be untrue?”
“I knew there was something going on in SHIELD. Not the extent of it, but that we had some bad apples, and that I couldn’t trust the World Security Council. I thought that would keep them from being too interested in you, that keeping you at a distance would be in everyone’s best interest.” He looked directly at Stark.
The man seemed to mull it over, his gaze locked on Fury’s. “Say I believe you. After SHIELD fell that was no longer an issue and you still let things play out to put me as the convenient scapegoat for every fucking thing as far as the rest of those assholes were concerned.”
“After SHIELD fell I had other shit on my plate.” He sighed again, feeling so fucking tired of all the bullshit he had to deal with. “And I didn’t realize it had gotten that bad. Romanoff never said anything about it.”
“And you actually trusted Romanoff? The one who fucking wrote that fucking report in the first place?”
“I thought that she had understood that she’d been wrong about you.” Fury wasn’t sure who he was more disappointed in, her or himself.
Stark started laughing. “Oh my god, this is gold. Romanoff hated my guts from day one.” He sobered up. “She took every fucking opportunity to remind me of my ego and my mistakes, as if her shit didn’t stink, while ignoring Cap’s enormous fucking ego. She’s shit at figuring people out, and you trusted her to keep you in the loop? I hadn’t pegged you for an idiot, Fury, but I guess you learn something new every day.”
Fury wanted to be angry at that, but unfortunately the man was right. He had been an idiot to let things happen as they did. And now they were all paying the price.
“What’s done is done. What we have to focus on is what to do now. You need a bigger team.”
“And what? You’re gonna help me recruit? No offense, but I wouldn’t trust anyone you picked out. How would I know they won’t fuck me over like the rest of the assholes you saddled me with? Excluding Bruce here, of course.”
“Because I have no interest in seeing you screwed over, Stark. On the contrary, I have an interest in keeping the planet from being blown to bits, and I need you to make that happen.” He leaned forward and looked each of them in the eye. “I may be a bastard as you said, but I’m a pragmatic one. You guys can help defend the planet, but not alone, so I’m gonna help you do it. Not necessarily by recruiting people, but by sharing information and coordinating efforts.”
“And Rogers and his buddies?”
“For now they would do more harm than good. But,” he continued, “at some point we might need all hands on deck, and that might mean getting them to do something.”
“I wouldn’t trust them not to fuck things up,” Rhodes said. “Or to have our backs.” The others nodded and Fury couldn’t help cursing Rogers. Though the Avengers Initiative had always been a gamble, Fury had expected to have external problems much more than internal ones. Funny that it was the civilians who kept their shit together and the military/agents that screwed things up (well, except Rhodes). It was almost hard to believe that Rogers, who supposedly had command experience, could make such a mess of his team and tear them down so efficiently. Hydra was probably laughing their fucking heads off, the fuckers.
“If it comes to that, I’ll deal with them, keep them away from you. But they are not the issue here, the world’s safety is. So, can we focus?”
They might not like him, but they were smart enough (and professional enough) to put that aside and listen. It was a start.