Warning: Very mild spoilers for Avengers Assemble, Age of Ultron, Iron Man 3 and Cap 2. Some language.

Thanks as usual to the awesome Irish-Brigid for betaing this story for me.

"What do you mean we need to wear this ugly hoodie?" Tony pouted. He looked around for support from his fellow Avengers but they were too busy looking at their own hoodies to notice. Tony hated this debriefing-after-the-battle thing.

"Haven't I made myself clear? Or do you fail to understand English now after your fall?" Fury stared intensely at Tony.

"And I saved your sorry ass from nuking New York. You're welcome!"

"SHIELD has thanked you properly. And The Avengers have become instant heroes all over the world. I'm sure you have all the thanks you need," Fury said.

"Not to mention the fangirls!" Tony cackled with glee. Natasha cleared her throat. He quickly added, "But of course I'm in a committed relationship with Pepper."

"Director Fury, I don't understand how people could fail to recognize me, Thor Odinsson, if I wear this hoodie. Won't I look the same?"

Clint, who sat next to Thor, clasped his shoulders. "Thor, my friend, you forgot the Clark Kent's effect."

"Who is this Clark Kent? What effect does he have with this hoodie?"

"I'm not quite sure. Isn't Clark Kent a reporter in the Superman comics? I didn't really read the comics but Bucky sometime mentioned Clark Kent and chuckled." Steve looked puzzled.

"Seriously, Clark Kent, Superman's alter ego. A mild guy wearing glasses as a disguise when he was not saving the world." Clint looked insulted. He was met with two sets of confused look. "OK, that's it, Stark, you're out. Now I'm in charge of educating our teammates about pop culture."

Tony shrugged. "Good luck, Barton! I think you need plenty of it."

"Thank you, Eye of Hawk. I can't wait for more information on Midgard's culture of pop." Thor clasped Clint's shoulders a bit too hard which made him flinch. "I still don't understand why we, heroes and protectors of Midgard need to wear hoodies for disguise. Won't we be lauded as such by the Midgardians? Why would we need to hide from them?"

"You raised great points, Shakespeare. Why would I hide from the public? They love me." Tony stood and gave the whole room a bow and sat down.

Natasha, who sat across from him, kicked his shin. Tony bit his tongue not to say anything as it would reduce his cool factor after his grand bow. Natasha just smirked. He could feel the rest of them just rolled their eyes.

Bruce raised his hand timidly. "I'm not against disguise or anything as being on the run has made me a good friend with disguises. However, how am I going to disguise myself with this hoodie when I turned into Hulk?"

"Dr. Banner, if you are at the point that you are forced to turn into Hulk, something bad must have happened that makes a disguise pointless, anyway," Maria answered him in a matter of fact voice.

"I agree." Fury nodded. His succinct answer usually meant that this topic of discussion was over. He still challenged his audience with his stare. "You will need to accept this hoodie as a tool and a welcome kit for the Avengers. When and where you see fit to wear it is certainly up to you. Agent Barton and Romanoff are experts in disguises so they can wear anything they want." Clint and Natasha high-fived. Fury rolled his eye at his supposedly highly-trained field agents. "Any question?"

Tony grumbled softly but could still be heard even by Fury, "I went to save the world and all I got is this lousy hoodie."

Fury stared furiously at Tony. "Yes, Stark?"

"I really love the welcome and care SHIELD gave to us with this grey hoodie. I'd like to have a bet with you when I'm going to need to wear it."

"I'm sure you're going to wear it within one year after today's meeting," Fury replied with a smirk.

"What is the date, JARVIS?"

"It's May 4th 2012, sir, may the force be with you!"

"Cut the Star Wars crap, JARVIS. OK, deal, if I wear this hoodie because I need to be in disguise within one year, you win. Otherwise, I win. What do you want to bet with?"

"How about you set up the Avenger tower and equip all your fellow Avengers with your new inventions if I win? I also want you to set up a briefing room for the Avengers and SHIELD agents within the tower. If you win, you can call me Eye Patch, or any nickname of your choice, for one month and I won't get angry."

"Your loss, Mad Eye Moody. I'm going to do what you requested anyway no matter whether I win. I'll have collected all the jokes related to eye patches this time next year."

"Do we have a deal, Stark?"

"Sure. I hope you won't regret it."

"I'm sure I won't."

One year later

Maria gave Fury a few pictures of Stark wearing his grey hoodie.

"Permission to ask questions, sir."

"Permission granted."

"How could you be sure that Stark was going to wear his hoodie, sir? And it's nearly the end of one year, too. Don't you think you're cutting it a bit close?"

Fury smiled. "Not at all, Hill. As Captain Rogers can confirm, I'm a betting man. If I lost, the worst I'd have to endure is just Stark calling me names. He'll do it anyway with or without permission. However, since I won, The Avengers Initiative will get new equipment without SHIELD funding. We have our new meeting room in the Tower, too."

"After years of following you, you never cease to amaze me, sir." Maria smiled.

"I'm glad I can still manage to surprise you. It's getting difficult as you seem to know all my tricks."

"What if I have managed to finally know all your tricks, sir? I'm not even sure if that's possible."

"You never know. Perhaps you can work for Stark instead?"

Maria shuddered. "I hope not, sir. Unless SHIELD fell and you were not the director anymore."

Nearly two years after the meeting

Fury just smirked when Maria saluted and handed him the picture of Steve Rogers in a hoodie and glasses at the mall with Natasha.

Nearly three years after the meeting

"I don't know how but you did it again, sir. And it's nearly one year apart, too!"

Fury raised his eyebrows.

She handed him the picture of Thor in a hoodie.

Fury chuckled.

"Do you think we expect a picture of Banner in a hoodie within one year, sir?"

"We can only hope."

Note:

-As for the time I listed here, please check on the US showing dates for Avengers Assemble, Age of Ultron, Iron Man 3, and Cap 2. As someone commented at AO3, the release dates for the movies are not linear with the events in the movies themselves, aka Iron Man 3 happened around Christmas. As it was still within one year of the bet, I would just use the release dates to make the joke about the dates funnier."

-Please tell me what you think.