Chapter 3
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When Natasha, Clint, Melinda, Phil, and Maria walk back into the Tower they find the others sitting at the table and so they walk over and sit down too. Tony is at the head of the table, Steve is at the other end and the on the left side is Pepper, Phil, Melinda, Maria then Sam the last on the end closes to Steve; and then on the other side is Rhodey, Nat, Clint, Wanda, and then Vision.
"Finally, I thought you lot were going to stay out there all night." Tony comments.
"We just had some things that we needed to stay to each other." Clint explains.
"For those who don't know this is Phil Coulson and Melinda May. Mel, Phil this is James 'Rhodey' Rhodes, Wanda Maximoff, Vision and Sam Wilson." Maria introduces.
"Nice too met you." Phil says, "Good job with Ultron." He says.
"Thanks." Rhodey says.
"Everyone dig in." Tony says.
"So, Melinda, how do you know our dear Assassin Twins?" Tony asks after a few minutes of everyone eating and Natasha and Clint roll their eyes at the nickname.
"Mel and Phil recruited me for S.H.I.E.L.D, we've been friends ever since." Clint explains, "We've always been close." He explains, deciding that that would be a better explanation than the fact that they basically became a makeshift family.
"We all have." Maria corrects, "Mel was my Supervising Officer after I left the academy and because she had been working with Clint, Phil and Nat since Clint brought Nat in two years earlier I started working with them too. Before too long the five of us were a team." Maria explains with a fond smile.
"When we were a team we only answered to Fury and we took the missions other agents couldn't handle." Natasha explains.
"So what, you were Avengers Light?" Tony asks.
"Kind of." Phil says, being amused by the nickname
"Avenger's Light, I like that." Clint says, "It's a much better name than what other Agents did call us back then." He comments and Phil, Natasha and Melinda smile at that.
"Why? What did they call you?" Sam asks curious.
"Fury's Favourites." Phil explains and everyone else at the table smile or laugh at that, "Admittedly it is slightly true, it's the only way to explain Clint and May not being fired after half the stuff they pulled."
"So true." Natasha says and Maria nods in agreement.
"You say that like you weren't by our side the entire time." Melinda says, "Like you weren't just as bad."
"No one was as bad as you and Clint." Maria points out, "Some of the stuff you used to do was insane, both on and off missions. Hell you even got yourselves and Phil, who did nothing, kicked of S.H.I.E.L.D bunks and I didn't think that was possible." Maria says, "And there was even a pool going around about which one of you would be next to get hurt or disciplined from Fury because of something you did on a mission."
"You got kicked out of S.H.I.E.L.D bunks? How's that possible?" Steve asks shocked as he spent time in S.H.I.E.L.D bunks and saw some of the stuff that occurs there.
"Pranks." Phil explains, "They pulled a lot of pranks that went insane." He explains.
"Okay. Admittedly Mel and I do have a longer track record, but Nat after you joined you were with us most of the time; and yes, Phil and Maria tried to stop us sometimes, but you didn't really try that hard, your hearts weren't really in it." Clint says.
"And the pool Maria mentioned?" Pepper asks, "There must have been a reason for that."
"S.H.I.E.L.D agents love to bet." Melinda explains, "That was why."
"Though we did do some things that could be considered insane on missions, but all five of us did that." Clint points out.
"True." Natasha confirms, "I think most of the time Fury was torn between impressed and the not wanting to encourage us." She comments.
"Sounds about right." Melinda says "And the pool wasn't just me and Clint, it was me, Clint and Nat." Melinda tells Maria.
"It was?" Maria asks.
"Yep." Phil, Clint, Natasha and Melinda answer.
"It sounds like you're a good agent." Sam says.
"She's one of the best. After Nat and I of course." Clint says with a grin and Melinda rolls her eyes at him.
"Then why didn't Fury have you fight with the Avengers in the Battle of New York?" Tony asks curious. As soon as Tony asks his question everyone sees Phil, Natasha, Clint and Maria tense, it being clear that they are concerned.
"I left field work in 2008, I've only recently gone back." Melinda explains.
"Wh…." Tony starts to asks, but seeing the death glares he is getting from Clint, Natasha, Maria and Phil he decides against it.
"So Phil you never said how you and Melinda met each other." Pepper says deciding that a change of subject might be best.
"We started at S.H.I.E.L.D together, we met our first day at the academy. Melinda was seventeen. I was eighteen." Phil explains.
"S.H.I.E.L.D used to accept people that young?" Steve asks surprised.
"It wasn't that common for Operations, May and I are two of the youngest ever accepted." Phil explains, "Maria was seventeen when she started to." He reveals.
"Really?" Pepper asks surprised as she didn't know that.
"Yeah." Maria confirms. "It was more common for sciences. S.H.I.E.L.D recruited gifted individuals that they saw potential in. Like two of Phil's scientists, they were the youngest ever accepted." Maria explains and the room drift into silence while everyone eats.
"So, Agent, you're rebuilding S.H.I.E.L.D. How's that going?" Tony asks curious.
"Depends on the day." Phil answers, "We don't have many agents. I'm currently mainly working with a team of six people, not counting Melinda; and we recently just had a S.H.I.E.L.D verses S.H.I.E.L.D battle as another group of former agents were trying to rebuild S.H.I.E.L.D too after the fall."
"Who was in charge of that?" Clint asks, not being able to help his curiosity.
"They ran by committee, but the boss was Gonzales." Melinda answers.
"I've heard of him. I haven't worked with him but I've heard of him, he's good." Natasha says.
"Yeah, he was." Phil says, a sadness to his voice as even though he and Gonzales had their issues he was a good man, a great agent.
"Was?" Steve asks.
"Just after Ultron we combined the S.H.I.E.L.D's together." Phil explains, "I'm the director but a committee of five overseas me, advices me, kind of like a world security council." He explains, "After Ultron we almost had a war to fight with another group." Phil explains, not sure how to say what he has to say next.
"They were good people, just misguided." Melinda says for Phil, "Gonzales was killed by their leader to make it seem like S.H.I.E.L.D was starting a war." She explains.
"The battle with Inhumans that you told us about." Sam says looking at Maria, "That was your group."
"Yeah. It's where I lost my hand." Phil says.
"You've been really busy, haven't you?" Clint says.
"Yeah, between that and fighting Hydra we have been." Phil sys.
"Thank you." A voice says and everyone turns as Wanda has spoken for the first time, "Thank you for fighting against the group that hurt my brother and I, and for making a promise that no one else will suffer like we did."
"Um, you're welcome." Phil says confused for a second about how she knows that as he only made the promise to himself, but then he realises who she is so he knows, "No one should have to suffer the way you did; and I will not allow anyone to suffer like that at S.H.I.E.L.D's hands." Phil says and Wanda just smiles at him as she knows he is telling the truth.
Once more the group is quiet for a few minutes while they eat, but then the silence is broken by Phil's phone ringing. "Sorry." Phil says as she pulls his phone from his pocket, "It's Skye." He tells Melinda.
"Answer it." Melinda says, "Sorry, she's one of the Agents we left in charge of the base." Melinda explains.
"It's okay." Pepper says with a smile.
"Hello." Phil says standing up and stepping away from the table.
"We've got a location." Skye tells Coulson, not bothering to explain more as she knows that Coulson will realise what she is talking about.
"On the Hydra agents we've been tracking?" Phil asks and everyone at the table exchange looks.
"Yep. Bobbi, Hunter, Fitz, Simmons Mack and I can go alone or do you want us to come get you and May?" Skye asks.
"Come get us." Coulson instructs.
"Okay. Where from?" Skye asks curious.
"Hold on." Phil requests before muting the phone and turning towards Maria, "Where's the nearest place we can land a Quinjet or just where we'll be able to hover one so Melinda and I can board?" Phil ask curious.
"Right here." Tony says before Maria can say anything, "We have a place for docking Quinjet's right here and considering ours is in the hanger there's room, you can use it if you would like." Tony offers.
"Thanks." Phil says gratefully and after getting a nod from Melinda he un-mutes the phone, "Skye, put Bobbi on, please." He requests.
"Is Morse working with you?" Clint ask Melinda as that's the only Bobbi he can think of, though of course it could be someone he doesn't know.
"Yep, and so is her ex-husband." Melinda informs Clint.
"Wow, I feel sorry for you." Clint says as he's worked with Bobbi quite a bit and has even worked with both Bobbi and Hunter so he knows how they can be.
"Sure." Skye responds.
"Sir." Bobbi's voice says after about a minute.
"Bring the Quinejet to Avengers Tower to pick up Agent May and myself, but don't tell the other's I want to see their reaction."
"So I was right then." Bobbi comments.
"What?"
"When you said that you were going to tell old friends that you were alive I figured it was your old team. I'm glad to know I was right." Bobbi explains.
"Yeah, you are." Phil says, "Stark said it's fine for you to land on the Quinjet docking at Avengers Tower so just do that."
"Will do."
"And bring ICERS' for me and Agent May too." Phil requests.
"We've already got extras' packed up." Bobbi says.
"Good."
"See you in about forty minutes." Bobbi says.
"See you then." Phil says before hanging up.
"Really, wanting to see their reactions." Melinda says to her best friend.
"Yep. Skye and FitzSimmons's reaction is going to be priceless." Phil says with a grin and Melinda rolls her eyes.
"What's an ICER?" Tony asks curiously.
"It's a non-lethal weapon. An Incapacitating Cartridge Emitting Railgun, each round contains Dendrotoxin which we can used to incapacitate targets without harming them. They were created by my scientists." Phil explains, "They were finished just before S.H.I.E.L.D'S fall so they never made it to distribution." He explains.
"They sound like they could be pretty handy." Steve comments.
"I can give you some if you want." Phil offers.
"That would be good, thanks." Steve says as a non-lethal option sounds like a good idea in his book.
"So, if you're getting picked up by Quinjet what are you going to do about Lola?" Maria asks.
"I didn't think of that." Phil says, cursing himself.
"I could drive her back to wherever your base is." Clint offers.
"NO." Phil, Melinda, Natasha and Maria say together.
"I had to try." Clint says with a shrug.
"You always do." Melinda says as Clint and Natasha manage to have a whole conversation without speaking.
"Any chance you've got room on that Quinjet for two more?" Natasha asks.
"Are you sure?" Phil asks surprised.
"Yeah, we might as well meet this new team of yours, make sure they are good enough." Clint says, being glad that he has a bow and quiver here that he can use.
"Sure, if you want to you're more than welcome to come." Phil says feeling like this might be a chance to make things right with them.
"Well if you four are going to fight Hydra why don't I take Lola back to the Playground." Maria offers and Phil is clearly hesitant about that, "Phil it will be fine. I'm not Clint. I won't hurt your car and I've driven Lola before anyway."
"That was thirteen years ago! Are you never going to forget that?" Clint asks
"No." Phil answers then realises what Maria said, "Wait. When have you driven Lola?" he asks and Melinda, Natasha and Maria all avoid looking at him while Clint looks as confused as he feels.
"Never." Clint says, "At least in my memory. Mel's driven her. Nat's driven her because she stole you keys because she wanted to test out the flying capabilities, but I don't think Maria ever has"
"You have a flying car?" Rhodey asks shocked.
"I do." Phil confirms, "It actually continues some of your Dad's old technology." He tells Tony, who looks interested, "And Clint's right. You've never driven Lola." He says to Maria.
"I have actually." Maria admits, "Though it was their fault." He says pointing to Natasha and Melinda.
"It was not." Melinda says.
"You didn't' have to follow through on the dare, you choose to." Natasha says though both she and Melinda both know now and knew then that Maria wasn't going to turn down a dare from the two of them.
"When was this? Where were we?" Clint asks, as he is pretty sure that this would be something he would remember, and Coulson just looks shocked that Maria drove Lola without him knowing.
"You were on a late night stake out." Melinda explains, "It was after Fury learnt the bad combination's for groups when it came to stake outs and the five of us."
"I can't believe you drove Lola." Phil says to Maria.
"See, the fact that you never knew should tell you that I can be trusted to drive your car now." Maria says, "I know how much Lola means to you so I promise I'll take care and I won't' damage your car." Maria tells Phil.
"Okay. Take her back to the playground." Phil says pulling his keys out of his pocket and handing them to Maria.
"The Playground?" Pepper asks.
"It's our base." Phil explains.
"Called the Playground?" Sam asks
"We didn't name it, but it's fitting." Melinda admits.
"Yep, it is." Phil confirms and the room drifts into silence.
"So I have a question." Rhodey says, "If Coulson, Melinda, Natasha and Clint have all been at S.H.I.E.L.D longer than you why were you commander and not them?" he asks Maria.
"Because Mel and I caused to much trouble." Clint says.
"Sounds about right." Natasha says with a nod, "And I would have just been too much trouble to get approval for something like that for." Natasha says like it's not that big of a deal.
"Maria was more suited." Melinda says, "The position of commander just suits her much more than it did us. Fury wanted to pick the best person for S.H.I.E.L.D and that was Maria, still is." Melinda says, it being clear to Phil and Maria that she is talking about the position as head of the council.
"Thank you Mel." Maria says and Melinda just gives a nod in response.
"Okay, let's move people." Bobbi tells Skye, Fitz, Simmons, Mack and Hunter after hanging up with Coulson at the playground, all of them in their tactical gear.
"Do you know where we are going?" Hunter asks as everyone grabs stuff.
"Of course." Bobbi responds.
"Where?" Skye asks.
"That's classified." Bobbi says.
"Um, aren't we meant to be running this base together?" Skye asks.
"We are; but Coulson doesn't want me to say where we're going until we get there." Bobbi explains.
"Why?" Hunter asks, "What's the big deal about this place?" he ask.
"You'll see. Trust me, you want it to be a surprise." Bobbi says as she they walk out into the hanger. Skye, Bobbi, Fitz and Simmons exchanging a look of interested as they do.
It has been about thirty minute since Bobbi, Skye, Hunter, Mack, Fitz and Simmons left the playground and the entire time they have bene flying Skye usually with Hunter's, but sometimes the others, help has been trying to get the answer to where they are going from Bobbi.
"Are we there yet?" Skye and Hunter ask.
"No."
"Are we there yet?
"No." Bobbi says, attempting to start to drown them out.
"Are we there yet? Skye and Hunter ask after exchanging grins as after about fifteen minutes they realises that they finally getting to Bobbi.
"No." Bobbi says after taking a calming breath.
"This is getting annoying." Mack says to Fitz and Simmons.
"Are we there yet?
"I don't see them stopping until they get their answer." Simmons says.
"No."
"We could ice them." Mack suggests.
"Are we there yet?
"Tempting, but I don't think Coulson and May would be too happy with us if we did." Fitz says.
"No."
"So what do we do?" Mack asks, hoping that Fitz and Simmons have some ideas.
"Are we there yet?
"Ignore them." Simmons suggests.
"No." Bobbi says through clench teeth.
"Impossible." Mack says, realising it would be so much easier to figure out a way to get them to shut up if there wasn't so much noise.
"Are we there yet?
"Maybe they'll get bored soon." Simmons says, hope in her voice.
"No."
"I don't think that would be possible." Fitz says.
"Are we there yet?
"I'm with Turbo, I don't see either of them giving up anytime soon." He admits.
"No."
"Are we there yet?
"No!" Bobbi says, "SHUT UP." Bobbi yells finally getting annoyed which causes Skye and Hunter to exchange proud grins, "We should be there in ten to fifteen minutes and if you are not silent until we are I will push you out of this plane with parachutes and you can explain to Coulson and May why you parachuted onto a city, am I clear?" Bobbi asks, her voice completely serious.
"Crystal, Luv." Hunter says after exchanging a look with Skye as there is no doubt in his mind that she means it.
"Good." Bobbi says.
"Thank you." Mack and Simmons say.
"Yeah, thanks." Fitz adds.
Because Bobbi and the rest of the team should be landing in about five minutes Coulson, Melinda, Natasha and Clint, who has his quiver on his back and his holding his bow, all still wearing the clothes they wore to dinner, have headed down to where the Quinjet will dock so that they are ready to go. Even though they aren't going Tony, Pepper, Steve, Sam, Rhodey, Vision and Wanda are their too.
"You know you don't have to wait with us." Phil says.
"We know, but we want to." Pepper says.
"Yeah, we want to meet this team of yours." Tony says, "See what they're like."
"They're good people." Phil says as even though they have had their ups and downs in the last ten weeks he has seen how much of an amazing team they can be and he loves it.
"Why don't you tell us about them." Steve suggests.
"Well there is Bobbi Morse. Former S.H.I.E.L.D master Spy and specialist." Phil says.
"Morse is a pretty amazing agent. She started at S.H.I.E.L.D a few years after me and worked with us on a couple of missions when we were a team, though Clint's worked with her on a lot of other occasions." Maria explains.
"Then there is Skye, May's her SO..."
"You took on a student." Clint and Natasha both say surprised turning to Melinda.
"I did." Melinda confirms.
"Wow." Natasha and Clint both say, both of them knowing that whoever this Skye is must be someone pretty special as the last person Melina trained was Maria.
"She's a Former rising tide hacker, turned field, agent now…." Phil says trailing of not sure if he should continue
"It's okay. You can say it, we won't harm her." Wanda says.
"Inhuman." Phil finishes "She's a gifted individual." He explains.
"What kind of powers?" Steve asks.
"She can manipulate the natural vibrations that everything possesses." Melinda explains after getting an encouraging nod from Wanda.
"The next member of our team is Lance Hunter, Bobbi's ex-husband and former mercenary turned full time S.H.I.E.L.D agent." Phil explains, "Then we have Leo Fitz, master genius engineer." Phil says, sounding proud of Fitz, "A bio-chemist who has two PhD's in field's I can't even pronounce, Jemma Simmons and mechanical engineer who is the person who saved my life Alphonso 'Mack' Mackenzie." Phil explains.
"Sounds like an interesting bunch." Rhodey comments.
"They are." Phil confirms, "But they are also an amazing team."
"Well you're amazing team is here." Tony says as the Quinjet lands.
Even though she would very much like to ask Bobbi how long until they'll be landing Skye is positive that she was serious about her threat so she keeps quiet.
"We're here." Bobbi says walking out from the cockpit as the docking system at the tower is automotive so she doesn't have to do anything, plus she agrees that everyone's reactions are going to be amazing and she really wants to see them for herself.
"So are you going to tell us what the big deal is now?" Hunter asks as everyone unbuckles and stands up.
"You'll see." Bobbi says as the back of the plane lowers and the six agents see Coulson and May standing with the Avengers, Maria Hill, and Pepper Potts.
"Bloody Hell." Hunter says at the same time Simmons says, "Oh my gosh." And Mack says "Didn't expect that."
"No way." Fitz says shocked and he turns to Skye who seems to be lost for words, something which he didn't think was possible, as she is looking at the scene before them with a look of complete shock on her face.