S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier
One kilometer above New York harbor
September
"There's one more person I want on my team."
Phil Coulson, agent, put his hands on the desk of S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nicholas "Nick" Fury and stared at the director.
"Phil. Since it's you, and this team of yours is important, I'll indulge you," replied Fury, leaning back in his chair, hands behind his head. "Let me take a wild guess as to whom this extra person might be."
Fury glanced at the television monitor to his left - ZNN covered the Fantastic Four fighting "mole men" in lower Manhattan.
"Invisible Woman," Fury said. "More suited to your missions than a guy who stretches, a living blowtorch and someone who looks like a ton of rocks."
Coulson shook his head.
"Alright," Fury replied, looking at the monitor, now showing a few S.H.I.E.L.D. agents on the ground, amongst the New York police officers coordinating evacuation efforts. "You want one of the X-Men. I'll tell you again, you can't have Logan, nor Dr. McCoy nor Miss Pryde. They're now with the Avengers Initiative-"
"I realize that, Director," Coulson replied. "You know the person I want."
Fury sighed. He gave Coulson carte blanche to build his team, and hoped that the recently-revived agent wouldn't push to get someone he couldn't have.
As he was doing now.
"She," Coulson said, firmly, hands still on the director's desk, "needs to be on my team."
Fury looked at the monitor, then at his watch. He had to wrap this up and get back on the bridge.
"Let me remind you, Agent Coulson," Fury said, standing up and meeting Coulson's stare with one of his own. "I lead this agency, and I'm your boss, and your team isn't the only one I have to worry about."
Coulson didn't back down an inch.
"Tell me how her not being with my team is the best use of her abilities and the best fit within the agency."
Fury said nothing for several moments.
"Agent Coulson, I don't have to explain anything to you," Fury finally said. "Nor are my personnel decisions subject to your approval or disapproval. My decision is final...you have your team and I suggest you take them down to Manhattan and help bring that situation under control.
"Dismissed."
Coulson moved his hands off the desk and stood straight. "Yes, director," he said, turning around, walking out of Fury's office, headed towards a S.H.I.E.L.D. helicopter, waiting to take him to Manhattan.
Seeing that Coulson was on his way off the Helicarrier, Fury pulled a folder out from one of his desk drawers.
DAVID, ZIVA
IRON MAIDEN INITIATIVE
Attn: Stephen Rogers, Anthony Stark
The folder contained every bit of background info S.H.I.E.L.D. had been able to obtain on the subject.
Her family.
Her father.
Her brother, and his known parallel reality doppelgangers that posed a potential threat to S.H.I.E.L.D., the Avengers Initiative and to her past friends and associates.
Her former 'boss' and coworkers, who Fury knew would be a more immediate pain in the rear much sooner than he liked.
"Phil's wrong on this," Fury said to himself. "This woman needs to be with Stark and his team."
Fury rolled his good eye. "Thought I'd never see the day I'd say any woman 'needed' to be with Tony Stark," he said aloud, tossing the folder back into his desk drawer. He put his forefinger on top of the desk, biometrically locking its contents, then strode out of his office.
Two agents stood guard outside the door, while two more agents escorted Fury to the bridge, where he would oversee the S.H.I.E.L.D. mission in Manhattan.
Manhattan
Stark Tower
Tony Stark - also known as Iron Man - nodded, as the first part of his shield flew towards him.
Ziva David stood, slackjawed and amazed at the sight.
"Should he not be...putting on his suit?" she said to the only other person in the vast workshop located in the building's basement, Stark's assistant Pepper Potts.
Pepper watched each piece of Stark's armor flying at high speed towards its owner, as she had seen countless times before. She munched on an apple.
"Don't worry, Ziva. I'm not going to get my head knocked off!" Tony shouted, as his suit assembled around him. "Every piece flies to me at just the right speed. Fits like a puzzle."
At that moment, the last piece of the puzzle of Stark's armor - his facemask - flew towards his face, hitting just so. Stark's armor was complete, and Iron Man was ready for battle and whatever else the Fantastic Four and the S.H.I.E.L.D. teams needed him to do.
"That would kill a man if it hit him at that speed," Ziva told Stark.
"Yeah, but I'm not using myself as target practice," he replied. "That's how I get this thing on...J.A.R.V.I.S. How're we doing, ol' buddy?"
"I have barely had time to run a preliminary diagnostic check, Mr. Stark," replied the artificial intelligence that operated Stark's Iron Man Mark XXV suit and Stark Tower.
"Make the main diagnostic check quick, then, J.A.R.V.I.S.," Stark replied. "Fury wanted us down there 15 minutes ago. You got the other suit ready?"
"Yes, Mr. Stark," Ziva heard the A.I. say, wondering if Tony Stark was going to bring along a spare suit.
Ziva saw Pepper walk away, towards a wall, away from the row of armors lining part of the workshop. Ziva herself was clad in S.H.I.E.L.D. attire, armed with agency-issued handguns along with the knife she had used since her Mossad days.
Tony nodded to Ziva to step towards the center of the room.
"Is this where you will carry me down to Four Freedoms Plaza?" she asked, speaking of the Fantastic Four's headquarters which served as S.H.I.E.L.D.'s de facto field base.
"This, my dear Ziva," Stark answered, "is where WE will lift off and fly down there. Now stand still, arms wide, legs spread."
Ziva did as she was instructed; then, her eyes grew wide.
"Stay real still," Stark instructed, "and let J.A.R.V.I.S. do the work."
"Do you mean that I will not be climbing into a suit-" Ziva answered, before spotting several pieces of black and yellow armor headed directly towards her.
I am - was - a Mossad officer, and NCIS agent; I will handle this, she thought, as the armor assembled itself around her feet and legs, then torso and arms, then chest and shoulders.
She looked around, for the final piece of armor - her facemask - to come flying towards her head.
Instead, it glided gently above her, then quickly into its groove, clicking into place.
Then, she saw a series of codes, symbols and terms, as the inside of the facemask showed the workshop; Tony walked briskly towards her, givings two thumbs-up, and Pepper threw her fist in the air.
"Way to go Ziva - or should I say Iron Maiden!" Pepper yelled. "Now go kick butt!"
Ziva, for all her training - including the accelerated course Stark gave her in the other suit - wasn't sure what to do.
"Let J.A.R.V.I.S. do the work," Tony said. "You'll get the hang of it soon. Right now, you're there as backup for me. Nobody expects you to fight those clowns off-"
"But ZNN said those...mole men...were major terroristic threats-"
"TV always blows things out of proportion...except during the Invasion. Networks actually got that mess right," Tony quipped. "If they only had their cameras in outer space when I went through that wormhole-"
"Mr. Stark," interrupted J.A.R.V.I.S. "An urgent message from Director Fury is coming through, to your visor."
"Oh, of course," Tony said. "Hey Nick-"
"WHERE IN HELL ARE YOU TWO?" Fury bellowed.
"Headed right down; me and Ziva wouldn't miss that party for the world."
"I expect you two down there yesterday!" Fury shouted. "You're Agent Hill's team's backup, and things are getting bad near the Stock Exchange-"
"Last thing I want is my stock to get affected by those bozos," Stark replied, as the ceiling parted, showing overcast skies. "Don't worry. I'll take care of the probie...J.A.R.V.I.S. End transmission."
"Stark I-" Fury's feed was cut, and Ziva saw the J.A.R.V.I.S. operating system take over her line of sight, even as she saw Tony turn his back to her.
"You're my backup, regardless of what the Director says," Tony said. "You're another week from kicking ass by yourself in your armor...just rely on your training, and on J.A.R.V.I.S., and you'll be fine."
Ziva took a deep breath. "Tony. I am ready. J.A.R.V.I.S. I am ready."
"Let's go," Stark said. "I'm not about to lose that bet with Grimm."
With that, Ziva felt her armor rocket out of the workship and the Midtown-based tower, towards the scene of the battle.
"How're you doing, Ziva," Tony said, flying towards Johnny Storm's flame trail, above the battleground at Broadway and Rector.
"WAAAAAAAHHHHHOOOOOOOOO!" Ziva shouted, flying above the scene, right behind Iron Man.