Disclaimer: I Do Not Own The Avengers

New York City, New York
(One Year Earlier)

Nick Fury was having one hell of a week. As the Director of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division, simply S.H.I.E.L.D., he'd had bad weeks before. The hostage situation in Bogotá and the alien invasion in '95 came to mind when he thought about his worst weeks.

No, Fury was no stranger to a bad week. However, this past week? It made '95 look like a vacation. He couldn't believe so much had gone wrong in such a short amount of time. General Ross had found a lead on Banner that led to the Hulk fighting Emil Blonsky, a deranged soldier-turned-monster Ross helped create by injecting him with a Super Soldier Serum that had been put on ice for a reason. Thor, the actual God of Thunder, had leveled a small town in New Mexico fighting against some alien robot called the Destroyer.

And then there was Stark.

One week earlier, Fury had been awakened by a phone call and was informed that in 72 hours, Tony Stark would be dead. When he arrived at S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters, Coulson informed him that he had picked up an atmospheric disturbance above New Mexico and requested to go and research it. Fury, however, did not believe in its credibility and instead ordered Coulson to stay at Headquarters.

Later he had been informed by a S.H.I.E.L.D. scientist that Stark had high levels of Palladium in his bloodstream, which was causing his health to deteriorate and given lithium dioxide to delay the poisoning. Fury contacted Natasha Romanoff, who had been in the middle of a duel between Colonel Rhodes and Iron Man. He told her he would be there soon and not to blow her cover.

After his birthday brawl, Stark flew away, and Fury attempted to speak to the World Security Council; however, they were not available. Coulson tried to show him the satellite readings he found, but Fury made the mistake of not listening. Soon afterward, a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent located Stark and Fury met up with Romanoff and they both went to confront Stark at Randy's Donuts.

After passing Howard's research along to his son, Fury had thought that'd be the end of his trouble with Stark. For the moment anyway. No, Hammer had to go and stage a jailbreak for Ivan Vanko and recruit the man to make Iron Man suits for Hammer Industries. Vanko hadn't made suits; he used Hammer's resources and built a small army of drones that attacked Stark at the Stark Expo.

And even after all that, the week still wasn't over.

Natasha had been in Hammer Industries when the Hammer Drones were exploding. Vanko's last-ditch effort to kill Stark. Her report showed that one of the Army Drones hadn't been destroyed and its locator deactivated. Now, someone somewhere had access to Arc Reactor technology.

"Director?"

Fury turned around. Phil Coulson, one of his most trusted agents, stood in the doorway to his office.

"We've located the Hammer Drone, sir," Coulson said. "It's still in New York."

"Stark?" Fury asked.

Coulson shook his head, folding his hands behind his back. "We do not believe so, sir. Mr. Stark doesn't legally own the building."

"And illegally?"

"Unknown, sir," Coulson answered.

Standing from his chair, Fury walked to the window overlooking the Potomac. From here, he had a view of D.C. some people would pay thousands of dollars for. He got if for free. All he had to do was protect the United States from threats, foreign and domestic. His job, to others, but he didn't see it as such. It was a responsibility to protect his home. To do that, he needed to stay ten steps ahead, in intelligence, manpower, and technology. Right now, he was behind in all of those but one.

S.H.I.E.L.D. scientists lacked the intelligence needed to recreate Stark's Iron man armor, and without that technology, they couldn't combat terrorists like Ivan Vanko.

The Hammer drones were the only piece of Arc reactor technology not in Stark's hands. And given that Stark was keeping his cards close to his chest, they had been the only chance S.H.E.I.L.D. had to get something even close to Stark's tech.

"Take a team." He ordered. "Bring me that drone."

"Yes, sir." Coulson nodded and exited the room leaving Fury alone with his thoughts.

Every drone Justin Hammer had put on display had been destroyed when Vanko forced them to self-destruct. All but one. One out of thirty-two, and they had no clue as to who had not only been able to stop the self-destruction but steal away a man-sized robot without anyone knowing. And hide it in an American city.

Not only were the thieves smart, but they were also cocky, and that was a dangerous combination. Whoever was working on the drone needed to be stopped.

Queens, New York City

"Let's move," Coulson ordered, drawing his pistol as the men under his command held up assault rifles. All six of the barrels pointing at the townhouse across the street.
"Signals are coming from the basement. Prisoners are preferable, but shoot to kill at your own discretion."

Coulson led the team forward, glad they blocked off the street before they came in. If civilians saw seven men in full tactical gear and carrying automatic weapons, whoever was in that basement would be alerted by their screams.

"Rumlow, you're on point. Rolin's get the door."

Pressing his shoulder against the brick wall of the townhouse, with two men behind him and the rest of the team on the other side of the yellow-painted door, Coulson nodded as Rolin's kneeled burning through the door lock with the Mouse Hole.

One by one, they filed into the small stairway. "Light's on," Coulson ordered as the door closed behind them, locking the team in the dark.

At the bottom of the steps was another door.

"Break it down."

"Yes, sir." Rolin's tucked the Mouse Hole away in his vest and moved to the side as another agent stepped forward, holding a battering ram. Grabbing the right side, he nodded as Rumlow counted down.

"Three...two...one!"

The wooden door flew from its hinges, and Coulson entered the basement behind Rumlow, who was already yelling orders.

"SHIELD! Get down on your knees! On your knees!"

Clearing the room as the rest of the team entered, Coulson stopped letting STRIKE do their job. He had his own job.

"Prisoner secured, sir."

"Coulson!" Fury barked over the radio.

Staring at the drone standing in the corner, Coulson brought a hand up to his ear. "We've got it, sir. The drone is here, and the prisoner is secured."

"Get off me!"

Turning around, Coulson circled the workbench covered in tools so he could get eyes on the prisoner. Shit. He winced. Being held under Rumlow's knee was a small figure squirming as he tried to get free. Too small to be an adult.

"Sir, we've got a problem."

Chapter has been heavily edited from the original version

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