Notes:
This story marks the beginning of Phase 2 of the Coulson Lives series. (If you haven't read the rest of the series this might seem odd. The story chronology list is on my profile.) This is the official point at which we go MCU canon divergent. The timeline divergence takes place about 30 minutes into Age of Ultron, after the team has recovered Loki's scepter but before the scene in the lab. Since the helicarrier never comes into play, Agents of Shield, which was never fully compliant with this universe to begin with, diverges in 2-20: "Scars" and as a result Phil Coulson never loses his hand in 2-21,22: "S.O.S." though most of that episode plays out the same way. I could get all Meta about why I feel this is the point at which the writers stop being true in their portrayals of the characters but it kind of boils down to "No, Tony is smarter than that and SCIENCE!" So I'm just going to go with that. What you need to know for the next round of stories is that Phil still has all his remaining limbs, Jiaying is dead, the infinity scepter and von Strucker are locked up tight, the world outside Wakanda has never seen Black Panther, and Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver are in the wind sporting grudges against the Avengers. But we'll come back to that later, I promise.
"I said I was never coming back here, Jemma, and I meant it!"
Phil Coulson choked down a smile of amusement at the irate Highland lilt coming from the lab ahead of him. He paused near the threshold, peering in to find Leo Fitz sprawled out in one of the chairs, staring at the ceiling with an unnecessarily violent expression.
"Fitz, the facilities are very nice," Jemma Simmons replied cajolingly, her hands unconsciously caressing a scanner of some kind that Phil couldn't quite identify. She cradled it to her chest like a priceless relic but most of her attention remained on her partner. "And Mr. Stark insisted we could have absolutely anything we needed. It's the best lab we've had since we started at SHIELD."
"Oh, Mr. Stark," Fitz snorted mockingly. "That man is a menace."
"You used to be quite a fan," Jemma reminded gently.
"That was before this Tower of Terror nearly got us both killed," Fitz said with a huff, leveling a finger at her. "And do not bring up how Scottish I sound right now, Jemma."
"Settling in?" Phil asked when he was certain he'd schooled his face into a properly disaffected expression.
"Oh, yes sir!" Jemma replied, fairly snapping to attention as Fitz rolled out of his chair, nearly knocking it over in his haste to get his feet under him.
"Very nice lab," Fitz added, nodding. "Still unpacking."
"Well don't take too much time acclimating," Phil said, carefully keeping his serious expression in place. "I'm going to need a medical threat assessment on that new target."
"End of the day sir," Jemma promised, nodding enthusiastically. Phil gave her a nod in reply, turning back down the hall to hide his smile.
"I already hate it here," Fitz grumbled petulantly, his chair letting out a creak of protest as he flopped back into it.
"I'm going to requisition you some of those new micro-arc reactors," Jemma said decisively. "You can take them apart, won't that be fun?"
"Do not try to bribe me with emergent science-fiction technology, Jemma," Fitz replied, but he sounded far less hostile.
"Here," Melinda May emerged from one of the doors on his right, falling into step beside him with an emotionless expression on her face as she held out a secured folder to him. Phil took it with a satisfied hum, tucking it under his arm as they continued down the corridor. He spared her a glance out of the corner of his eye.
"You look," Phil paused, only a beat, surprise flitting across his face before he could mask it. "Pleased." May shot him a cold, withering gaze and he tamped down the smile that tugged at his lips.
"It's a good look on you," he observed as her eyes narrowed menacingly.
"I put Bobbie in charge of sorting out the training facilities," May said as if she hadn't heard him. "The equipment's all first rate but the configuration isn't going to work."
"Pepper gave us ten floors to work with, I'm sure we can come up with something," Phil replied trying not to show his amusement as May gave a huff of assent. "I thought you would have objected more to having all our eggs in one basket."
"I might," Melinda replied, her tone dry. "If all our eggs were actually in one basket. Speaking of, Do you really think it was the best idea to put Selvig in charge of the new Playground facility?"
"He's brilliant," Phil said with a shrug. "He stopped doing advanced math in his underwear." Melinda scowled at him violently.
"Rodriguez can handle security," Phil said with confidence. "You know how paranoid she is; if anything even starts looking off, she'll put the brakes on. I won't risk a repeat of Pegasus."
"She requested a security staff increase of 5%," May stated. Phil drew in a breath to reply. "And Mackenzie."
"I'll bring security funding up in my meeting with the new WSC," Phil nodded, smiling. "But Mack she can't have."
"I'll let her know," May agreed, half rolling her eyes as she peeled off down a side corridor. Phil shook his head, biting his lip to hide his smile.
"You would think," Steve's voice drifted down the hall from the corner ahead. "That an organization that can make flying aircraft carriers could build a cabin in the woods with decent WiFi!" Phil smiled, turning the corner to find Daisy Johnson flapping her arms in indignant agreement.
"I know!" she said, looking personally affronted about the subject. "I thought I was going to go nuts. It had to be ten times worse there for you with all that, you know, history to catch up on!"
"They gave me books," Steve stated, his deadpan expression dissolving into laughter at her look of horror. "Everyone just assumes because I'm old I'm stupid."
"Humans," Daisy said jokingly, shaking her head. "What are you going to do?" Steve held in a chuckle, glancing down the hall in Coulson's direction.
"Hey, Phil."
Oh, great," Daisy rolled her eyes. "And when I call him AC I get the Death Glare." Phil narrowed his eyes at her warningly but she didn't seem particularly intimidated.
"See?" She said, turning to Steve. "Death Glare."
"We were just discussing our mutual internment at The Retreat," Steve explained.
"Or as I like to call it," Daisy said derisively. "Unabomber Central."
"Actually," Phil began but Daisy stared him down.
"No, sir," she insisted, shaking her head as Steve smothered another laugh. "Just, no."
"I thought I'd come down and see if our new backup team needed anything," Steve explained. "If we're going to be working together, Agent Johnson and I should probably get used to coordinating with each other."
"Captain of the first string having a meet and greet with the Captain of the second string?" Phil asked with a pleased smile.
"Is that what I am now?" Daisy asked, following along as Phil motioned them down the hall toward the elevator. "Junior Varsity?"
"I read your case study on the Caterpillars program," Steve admitted. "That's definitely first-level tactical thinking." Daisy gave him a surprised look as they boarded the elevator.
"Thanks, that-" she leaned back against the wall, folding her arms over her chest. "That's something coming from you." Steve only shrugged, looking a little smug.
"It'll be good knowing we can pass off the covert operations to Shield Team 2," Steve said. "The Avengers are just too well-known to be effective."
"We're trying out 'Secret Warriors'," Phil stated as Daisy rolled her eyes.
"I like it, Steve replied, nodding.
"Well I know I'm going to feel better having to worry about having my face plastered all over the news," Daisy huffed. "Totally not my scene."
"I'm not a fan either," Steve replied, sharing a smile with her. "Too late to put in for your team?" Daisy let out a snort of a laugh, shaking her head.
"Are you ready for this meeting?" Phil asked curiously, his eyes flicking over Steve's features as if testing his response. Steve blew out a breath, shaking his head.
"Ready for it to be over," Steve replied with a sigh.
"Big Show above my pay grade?" Daisy asked.
"Something like that," Phil nodded as the elevator doors opened. "How about you? Settling in okay?"
"The crew quarters are obscene," Daisy replied with a happy grin as Phil nodded in agreement. "Little worried about how long it's going to take us to scramble from here out to the hanger on the river. Six blocks is a long way in New York traffic."
"Oh, about that," Steve interjected. "Tony sort of appropriated an abandoned train line from grand central out to the UN and-" Steve drew in a deep breath eyeing Phil's disapproving expression.
"I wasn't really supposed to tell you that," Steve finished, stuffing his hands in his pockets.
"Let's just pretend you didn't," Phil suggested.
"I'm game," Daisy nodded in agreement as they stopped at an opulent set of doors.
"Sit in on this one," Phil suggested, nodding for Steve to go on ahead.
"Me?" Daisy asked curiously as Phil ushered her through the door. "Why."
"You'll see," he answered cryptically. "Pepper, are we ready?"
"You're early," Pepper said with a teasing tone, glancing up from the paperwork she was signing. She straightened with a sigh, handing everything off to Bryn who capped the pen with a decisive click.
"I'll get these sent out," Bryn said, shuffling around Tony who was splayed out in one of the luxurious leather chairs, his sneaker-clad feet propped up on the board room table.
"Training tomorrow, 3 o'clock?" Phil asked Bryn as she pass.
"You got it!" she answered enthusiastically. "Hey Skye!"
"We're doing laser tag this weekend, you want in?" Daisy asked. Bryn flashed her a thumbs up before slipping out the boardroom doors and shutting them behind her.
"What are you doing here?" Steve asked, curious, settling into the chair beside Tony.
"I reserved the right to lurk, it was in my contract," Tony replied with a lazy shrug as Phil took the seat across from him and Daisy cautiously joined him. "What are they going to do, tell me no?"
"I have half a mind to," Nick Fury's voice answered as his holographic image flickered to life in one of the board room chairs. "Don't you have something to do, like, I don't know, fix the long range echo location array?"
"Yeah, yeah, cry me a river, Captain Jack," Tony replied, waving him off. "I'll be up tomorrow, It shouldn't take more than an hour."
"Are you actually here?" Steve asked, his brow furrowing. He reached out, flapping a hand at Tony's shoulder and hitting nothing, the motion disrupting the digital projection.
"No I am not, I am-" Tony paused his smug assessment as if thinking better of what he was about to say, "in a place, a very interesting place full of very interesting things. Mind your own business, Spangles." Steve bit his lip, shooting an amused look at Daisy, who covered her mouth with her hand.
"That's everyone except-" Phil began but before he could finish another 3D projection flickered to life in the chair across from Fury.
"My apologies for my tardiness," the man said, his rich, rolling accent tinted with amusement. "I'm sure you can understand how demanding certain members of the United Nations can be."
"Your highness," Pepper greeted warmly.
"Prince T'Challa, do you have some good news for us?" Steve asked hopefully.
"I'm pleased to report a positive outcome from my meeting with the UN Security Council," T'Challa replied, settling into his chair with a comfortable ease. "Of course some nations have not been forthcoming with their support, but we expected that."
We even expected which ones," Fury observed. T'Challa nodded in agreement.
"However, the promise of trade with Wakanda was quite enough to motivate the major players," T'Challa continued, his lips quirking in an amused smile as Tony folded his hands behind his head in smug satisfaction. "The UN has offered its official recognition of the New World Security Council."
"There's a relief," Steve admitted, letting out a breath. "After everything that's happened with Hydra there didn't seem to be any end to the suspicion and blame being thrown in our direction."
"I can assure you, Captain," Prince T'Challa replied. "There are still many people who regard the Avengers with only the highest respect. This too shall pass, and when it does I believe we will be stronger for it."
"Still, we all appreciate everything you're doing for us," Steve said earnestly, glancing at Daisy. "God knows you didn't have any reason to, Wakanda has never needed the protection of people like us. It's kind of you to stick your neck out for us, especially when you have nothing to gain from it."
"My country has prospered by refusing to involve itself in wider conflicts," T'Challa admitted. "But in the wake of the recent extraterrestrial attacks, the fall of SHIELD, and the reemergence of the Hydra threat, it seems certain that approach cannot remain tenable in the future. Trust me, Captain, my motivations are in no way altruistic. I am thinking of the safety of my own people as well. As I told the UN, I believe the Avengers and their associates are best equipped to ensure that safety."
"And the UN bought that?" Fury asked.
"I was able to impress upon the Security Council the need to get ahead of the problem, so to speak," T'Challa said in a tone that implied it hadn't taken much convincing at all.
"Let me guess, the money helped?" Stark suggested.
"Tony," Pepper said warningly.
"Indeed," T'Challa nodded, his smile amused. "In any case, the Security Council approved both myself and Ms. Potts to Co-Chair the NWSC and agreed that the other members should remain anonymous for their own safety. First responder decisions on the security of this planet from extraterrestrial and extra-human threats will now officially be made by this council." Fury nodded his head in a way that looked like relief, glancing only a moment at Phil who let out a sigh.
"Then as Co-Chair of the NWSC I'd like to call this meeting to order," Pepper said brightly before turning to Phil. "Can I assume you'll be staying on as director of the new SHIELD?"
"You can," Phil nodded, his smile pleased, as she turned to Fury.
"Nick, will you be officially accepting appointment to the Sentient World Observation and Response Department?" she asked. Fury gave a sharp nod, steepling his fingers.
"Jarvis, Black Box protocol," Tony stated, drawing his feet off the table and letting them fall to the floor. "Log the names of the members of the New World Security Council and their biometric access and then lock it down."
"Co-Chair Prince T'Challa," Jarvis replied. " Co-Chair Pepper Potts. Phillip Coulson, Director of SHIELD. Nicholas Fury, Director of SWORD. Captain Steven Rogers, The Avengers Initiative. And Daisy Johnson, Shield Team 2."
"Me?" Daisy asked, turning to look at Phil with a stunned expression as he laid the folder May had given to him on the table in front of her.
"Everyone should have a voice," T'Challa stated, his tone serious. "The unfortunate business aboard the Iliad has left you the de facto leader of the Inhumans. If we are to avoid conflict in the future we cannot marginalize the concerns of any group, no matter how small."
"Was this your idea?" Daisy asked, turning to Phil.
"It was mine," Tony said. Daisy stared back at him mutely as Tony jerked a thumb in Steve's direction. "He's the one that suggested you."
"Tony," Steve said with a sigh.
"We need legitimacy," Tony continued. "Without it we look like vigilantes. But if we're going to expect everyone to respect that legitimacy then we need to be damn sure things are operated above board The only way we're going to beat Hydra or the next scary supervillain down the pipe is to work together."
"We want everyone to be a part of this," Phil said, his fingertips resting on the folder as he pushed it closer to her. Daisy drew in an unsteady breath, blowing it out slowly.
"Okay," she nodded. "I'm not going to promise that I'll be easy to get along with."
"We'll put you in the same time-out corner as Steve," Tony suggested.
"You are so lucky you are not actually here right now," Steve said with a sigh.
"I know, right?" Tony answered with a delighted smile.
"What's going to happen when we disagree?" Daisy asked, tucking her lip between her teeth with a worried frown.
"We'll talk it over like adults," Pepper replied. Tony made a face. "And we will not bait people and call them names."
"Why do you think I don't want to actually be on the council?" Tony demanded, affronted. "I like calling people names." Steve let out a quiet groan, rubbing his eyes with his fingertips.
"Man, I thought my team had some loose cannons," Daisy said.
"You have no idea," Steve replied, slowly shaking his head.
"If we're through with the melodrama can we get on to the fact that my new Deputy Director would like the approval of some sort of engagement craft we can launch from the station?" Fury asked with a hint of impatience.
"Do we even have space-ready combat aircraft?" Steve asked curiously.
"It's not impossible," Tony admitted hesitantly. "Tell Hill it's going to take me a couple of weeks." Fury nodded.
"You're going to build space combat craft in a couple of weeks?" Steve asked incredulously.
"I've been told that lab binges are unhealthy, so yeah, it's going to take me a couple of weeks," Tony replied, his eyes narrowed. "Relax, I just need to work out a stable power supply."
"Well we have Loki's scepter back in our possession, " Phil pointed out. "Any chance we can utilize that?"
"Nope, no, no, no," Tony stated flatly. "Banner and I stuck our fingers in its innards and just no. I deep-sixed it. I thought you'd have learned something from being stabbed with it."
"That's where you are, isn't it?" Steve asked shrewdly. "You're hiding Loki's scepter."
"Shut up," Tony huffed.
"Does anyone else want anything while we're on the subject?" Pepper asked drily.
"My AD wants to pad our security budget," Phil replied.
"Clint wouldn't say no to a new jet," Steve added. He glanced over at Daisy who had her hand cautiously raised.
"Really?" Tony demanded, eyeing her with a disbelieving expression.
"Can I put in a request for those two super-powered maniacs in Sokovia?" she asked.
"You can't requisition what we don't have," Phil said firmly.
"We should go get them," Daisy insisted, turning her grin on Steve. "Unless you want to call dibs. You want to arm wrestle for them?"
"Oh god, I want to sell tickets to this," Tony said with a groan of delight as Pepper covered her eyes with her hand.
"We will go get them as soon as we know where to find them," Pepper insisted, her expression stern despite the fact that the corners of her mouth were twitching. Daisy pointed at Steve, miming a fist fight but he was trying too hard to smother his laughter to notice.
"Perhaps in the future we should have these meetings without actually meeting," T'Challa suggested, his lips curled in mild amusement. Fury gave a snort of agreement.
"Email was invented for a reason," he scoffed.
"Does this mean we're done?" Tony asked cheerfully, pointing between Steve and Daisy. "Because I want to start the pool on the Superhero Civil War here." Pepper let out a huff of amusement.
"Fine," she nodded. "Jarvis will be acting as our administrative assistant, I'm sure he'll facilitate communications."
"You'll find all the pertinent information has already been sent to each of your individual accounts," Jarvis replied cheerfully.
"Put me down for twenty on Rogers," Fury said to Stark, cutting his transmission as Tony shot him a thumbs up.
"You had better give me good odds," Daisy said, popping to her feet a moment after Steve who was already heading toward the door.
"Quake, it's two to one in your favor," Tony replied. Daisy let out a groan.
"Oh that's worse than Mack and his 'Tremors' thing," she replied, grinning.
"I like it," Steve said, holding the door for Phil and Pepper who were already in a deep discussion on lunch.
"Don't think I'm going to go easy on you," Daisy cautioned as the door closed behind them.
"Are you sure it was wise to forego a place on the council?" T'Challa asked when their happy chatter could no longer be heard.
"No," Tony admitted. "But in general it's better if politics and I don't mix." T'Challa nodded in grudging agreement.
"Besides," Tony added with a shrug. "Someone has to take responsibility for the really freaky stuff. Worst case scenario, the NWSC can blame me for the destruction of anything really terrifying."
"I've already told the UN Security council that von Strucker damaged the scepter beyond repair," T'Challa said cautiously. "Hopefully that will buy us enough time to properly secure it. If it were to fall into the wrong hands..."
"Which is why we aren't going to let that happen again." Tony cut him off, blowing out a breath. "I want it somewhere where no one will ever find it. Not even me." T'Challa nodded in agreement.
"I take it you haven't mentioned our... prior collaborative efforts to anyone on your team?" T'Challa asked after a moment.
"You make it sound so professional," Tony said with a teasing grin that made T'Challa chuckle. His expression turned serious and he picked at the hems of his pants. "Just Pepper. That's your secret to tell."
"Neither Fury nor Coulson suspect?" T'Challa asked, his tone surprised.
"I had Jarvis look through everything they have," Tony replied, shaking his head. "As far as SHIELD is concerned it's an old Wakandan folk legend."
"Let us hope it is a story I never need to tell then," T'Challa replied.
"I don't know about you, Your Highness," Tony said with a self-effacing smile, "but I've never been that lucky in my life."