If I swallow anything evil, put your finger down my throat.

"My invite seems to have got lost in the post." Phil said coolly.

Captain Rogers, rose slightly before dropping back down into his chair, and said as he tried to cool the quickly developing bad atmosphere. "Agent Coulson, you are of course welcome to join us."

Clint snorted behind Phil, as he stepped out of the elevator.

"Clint, we're pleased to see you, things got a little heated last night. Can we sit down and talk this out?" Rogers asked.

"Oh I don't think Coulson is here to break bread with us, are you Agent?" Fury said calmly but his face betrayed a touch of anger.

"I hadn't realised how cosy S.H.I.E.L.D Avengers meetings had gotten since I've been off the scene," he turned to Clint with a nasty smirk, "You never told me it was the whole gang together, is this your doing Sitwell?" Coulson turned his glare on the agent in question, who in returned looked down at the table guiltily. "Or are you here for something special?"

"Agent Sitwell is the Avengers liaison now, Phil, he would naturally be here for such meeting," Hill voice rang out in the other agents' defence.

"How about you Assistant Director?" Clint asked, "I don't recall you being at Avengers meetings before," his eyes bored into her as she glared back, "and as an Avenger I would obviously know all about their business," Clint eyes turned to the other members double meaning clear, as Stark grimaced and Banner worried at his fingers.

"Stand down sunshine," Fury commanded, "Lets just cut to the chase, Coulson."

"Director, please do."

"You were in trouble, I needed highly technical equipment, Stark helped, I asked Banner to use some of his medical knowledge, and Rogers here was to help afterwards. That's it."

Coulson's eyes narrowed, "That's it? My life broken down to one sentence, that's it!"

"Not all of us have to write a 200 page memo to change a light bulb," Hill muttered.

Phil whirled on her, "I'm so glad my life is such a joke to you."

"Look Phil," she started.

He didn't let her finish, "I had really hoped you hadn't been involved in all this Maria, but it seems you've been laughing behind my back all along." He gave Sitwell a pointed look.

Maria's eyes narrowed, Coulson knew that look. Maria had a tendency to go on the offensive rather than the defensive when pushed, especially when pushed into an emotional corner. So now she bit back rather snappishly, "You're here and alive, can't you just be happy with that, at least accept it."

His voice started quietly gaining volume as he continued, "I have accepted it as you call it, but what I can't sanction is the secrets, lies and deceit that followed it, which you, all of you," he looked around the room, "were part of."

"So were you Phil, let's not forget that with all your self-righteousness!" Fury pointed out.

Phil winced, "Don't you think I know that, and how sorry I am for going down that route," he glanced over at Clint who looked back at him a half smile on his face. "But I seem to be the only one here prepared to apologies."

Stark piped up, "Let me get this right, we should be apologising for keeping you alive?"

Coulson doesn't even look across at Stark but raised his hand one finger outstretched in warning, "Not now Mr Stark, I'll get round to you and your involvement shortly." He turned his head to glare at the man and continued, "and how you thought it was acceptable to come to my plane and pretend that you were the injured party!"

Stark swallowed, and stared at the finger of doom, he had of course come across that finger before when Coulson shadowed him in Malibu, he also knew that it was usually followed by a threat and he also knew that it was a warning not to be taken lightly. He had joked around with Coulson before New York but he was well aware that you took on serious Coulson at your peril and even if he was in-cased in his iron man suit he would think twice about it, so he backed away throwing his hands up in a typical over the top Stark gesture.

Clint stepped forward, a puzzled frown on his face, something Fury had said had been niggling at his brain , looking between Roger's and Fury he said, "So why didn't you help afterwards?" He asked Captain America.

Steve opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by Fury, "Thing's changed, we decided it wasn't necessary."

Clint looked over to Phil, he looked pale but determined, "Thing's changed! You mean you had to change my memories because you all couldn't accept my wishes and ploughed on regardless! Tell me Stark, did you know what you were creating when Director Fury first asked you?" He looked Stark square in the face, who was shaking his head looking slightly sick. "Coulson, I..."

"I hear you've been having a few problems with panic attacks, why's that Mr Stark?"

Tony opened his mouth to speak but Fury interrupted again, "None of us truly knew what would happen, Agent Coulson."

Coulson stepped forward as Fury stood. "You all watched, as I..." Phil took a breath, "I saw you, watching me from the gallery, interesting viewing was it," he looked round furiously, "all of you, standing there while I beg for mercy, I wanted to die, that's what changed isn't it, you decided to cover up their involvement," he looked at Fury, "because what? It all got to messy? Nobody quite wanted to be associated with a gibbering wreck!" He was shouting now, he realised, he was breathing heavy, those around the table looked in varying degrees of embarrassment and guilt. Even Fury had the decency to look away briefly.

"Look we understand, "Captain Roger's started, trying to take command of the situation, "that you are upset that you weren't informed of our involvement in the procedures you underwent, but we took on that task in good faith to try and help you."

"In good faith!" Coulson said unbelievably, "You brought me back from the dead!"

"Well hardly..."

Roger's doesn't get to finish as Fury hastily stepped in, "No matter what has happened it's in the past, you're obviously not happy, that's the reason I gave you the bus, Phil, so that you could..."

"Don't bull shit me Nick," Coulson said angrily, "I've worked for you too long not to recognise it when I hear it. You gave me the bus to get me out of the way so none of this would come to light."

"It seems to me that we are going round in circles here, I think we can agree that mistakes have made on all parts here."

Steve's calm was beginning to really irritate Clint, "Mistakes!" he wades in, "Wow yeah, that's fine then, you all lie your heads off and say sorry it's all been a bit of a mistake. Oh but we must forget that actually you aren't even saying the sorry part."

"Clint, we understand..."

"You," Clint sounded completely outraged, "understand jack shit!"

"Agent Barton," Maria said annoyance clear in her voice, "I don't think that attitude is helping this discussion."

Phil jumped straight in, "Agent Barton and Roman off have good cause to be upset by this, Hill, they are the truly wounded parties here, not only have they been lied to by me, and S.H.I.E.L.D but also by the team mates, I think his 'attitude' is quite understanding don't you?"

"We agreed to keep silent about this because we felt it was the best thing for your recovery Agent Coulson, I think," he looked round at his other team mates who had all stood up and moved away from the deserted table. "I think I speak for the other Avengers when I say we are sorry for not informing Agent Barton, had we released the natural of your relationship I don't think..."

"What about him?" Clint indicated to Coulson, "are you going to apologies to him?"

"I'm not sure ..."

"Why did you agree to such a thing surely you must have realised it was wrong."

Steve looked round at the others, "Keeping our involvement secret looking back was wrong."

"I don't mean that, why couldn't you leave him alone."

Steve looked a bit puzzled, "Ah Agent Coulson was obviously severely injured, those injuries did cause him a great deal of pain but we couldn't leave him to die Clint, would you have done anything differently?"

"I would have had the decency to at least listen to him."

"Can you honestly say you would prefer he was dead right now?"

"NO," he turned and looked at Phil, love shining through, as he spoke, turning back to Rogers, "no I can't say that, Phil knows that, but for love of god, I would have fucking well gone in there and reassured him, how the hell did you stand there and watch that!" His eyes looked suspiciously wet as he continued, "He was fucking terrified and in agony, and you, his so called friends left him to face that alone."

"Clint," Phil said softly, resting his hand on his arm, "No Phil," he shouted heatedly and pulled away, "they need to hear this, they call themselves fucking heroes and as far as I can see they are a bunch of cowards."

"Barton," Fury growled.

"Hold your horses, Barton," Stark started.

"What Stark, you've never been able to deal with people in a mature manner, frankly your attitude is the easiest to understand, you got to make some freaky looking gadget, so you are happy, I wouldn't really expect anything different from you."

"Well frankly Barton," Stark bit back, miffed, "I wasn't that aware you could string more than a couple of lines together so this is all new for me as well."

"Barton I think that's more than..." Fury started.

"Excuse me Director," he glared at Fury, past caring that he was talking to his boss disrespectfully, he could imagine Phil's cringing face behind him, which is exactly why he didn't look back, and continued sarcastically, "If you don't mind, I haven't finished talking to my so called team mates."

"Clint..." Banner started in gently, he stood and walked over to stand next to Stark.

"What, Bruce, all a bit distasteful for you! You know what, I think you might be the worst of the lot," he snapped.

"Me!" Bruce looked surprised.

"You have spent years helping people, Banner, you're supposed to care about your patients aren't you? Even Streiten tried to put a stop to it."

Banner looked surprised by the personal attack, and he sounded somewhat stuffy professor as he countered, "What we were doing was ground breaking; you have to understand the scientific and medical value..."

Barton was seriously losing it, "Scientific value!" He pushed forward and crowded into Banner's space.

Stark held up his hands trying to placate Barton. "Let's co..."

"Shut up," Barton snapped in Stark's face before turning back to Banner. "Scientific! He's one of us and you used him like a lab rat."

Banner was starting to look agitated, as Clint got up close and personal in his face. Deep down Clint knew this was a mistake but he couldn't stop himself, something had snapped inside him, something that had been strung tighter than his bow since Loki had done his worst to him. He could sense as Phil started to move towards him, no doubt to calm him down but he was miles away from calm right now, and he knew it was stupid, this certainly isn't what Phil wanted, he had warned Clint not to go up against his team, that he would regret it in the long run and he was doing exactly what Phil asked him not to do but he still he continued.

It seemed Banners patience wasn't limitless as he snarled back, "One of us, yeah, you meant so much to him he didn't even bother to tell you he was alive."

Rage bubbled up inside Clint and he lashed out, physically shoving Banner as hard as he could backwards and shouting, "Neither did my so called team mates, just cause your life is a freak show doesn't mean you get to experiment on everyone else, you would think you'd have learnt from your own fucking mistakes!" Banner stumbled back a pace or too, and Clint had a brief second to think maybe he had just tumbled over the crazy line by provoking the Hulk of all his team mates, and it seemed he might not be the only one as the whole room seemed to take a rough intake of breath. He was pretty sure he heard Phil, shriek "No," from close by and he knew why, as he suddenly looked into the eyes of Bruce Banner and didn't see Banners languid look of calm, 'Oh Shit, Clint my boy you have really done it this time, and Phil is going to be so pissed'. He braced himself for the hit that he knew could easily kill him if the green tinge that was taking over Bruce's skin was anything to go by, his arm already pulled back and Clint could do nothing but watch in a sick fascination as the veins broaden and the arm bulged, he wouldn't be quick enough to get away, he could only hope to try and roll with it!

The blow never reach him though, and he found himself tumbling backwards, a unmanly startled scream bubbled up in his throat, as none other than Phil Coulson stepped in the way, his body nothing more than a twig in a gale as the force of the Hulk's fist struck him on the left side of his chest and sent him flying limply through the air clean over the couch without any part of his body touching it. The next impact was to his head as it hit the wall that stopped his backward momentum. There was a achingly stunned few seconds as everyone watched in horror as Coulson crumpled into unconscious heap on the floor.

Reviews are very much appreciated, good and bad!