S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Rhapsodos: Taking the Backseat
Disclaimer: Refer to the Prologue Chapter.
Beta-ed by: CommentatorInThePeanutGallery (October 6th, 2012) [Last Edit: January 1st, 2016]
AU Notes: Thanks to those who have favorited and alerted this fic: Nightblade1021, ShinobiTwin05, Ghost Without A Name, riem-chan, and Wanderlust Ethereal. All names I will mention once (including if you reviewed/alert/fav at the same time).
Also... an Awesome thanks to our Reviewers: drake202, YunaBlaze, MaryGarland, HatchetChu, ihas no clue and Guest (anonymous reviewer). I'll answer some things on a general basis here so everyone knows. If I have typos, be sure to point them out, so I may miss something as one reviewer helpfully pointed me to.
Enjoy!
~ Chapter 1: Mission Not So Impossible ~
"Nothing is Impossible, the word itself says: I'm possible!" ~ Audrey Hepburn
SHIELD Land Base HQ, Director's Office...
"He rejected the Avengers Initiative again?"
"Taking the alternative offer would be more precise, Sir." Phil Coulson corrected.
Fury raised his left brow, somewhat stretching his scars on the injured eye covered by an eyepatch. His dark complexion and large imposing figure made most agents afraid in wanting to piss the man off intentionally. Nick Fury's reputation as the head of SHIELD wasn't just as its leader, but as a man who knew how to run a mighty organization into protecting the general populace from the shadows–-even if the government would usually question his unorthodox methods. At times like this, Agent Coulson remembered on how at one point with his friendship with Genesis, the younger agent mentioned how he appeared like a pirate. All he needed was a parrot and a hook arm. As funny the train of thought went through his head, the Agent didn't give away any clues on his face to his superior.
One thing he didn't appreciate about his current task at the moment was being the middle man; both his boss and Genesis can be both stubborn at times it was hard to persuade them to do anything. Well, not so hard for Genesis... if he had the right sort of incentive. Director Fury on the other hand only took to change when there was hard evidence.
"Then has Agent Rhapsodos agreed to take the job as our consultant?" The reply was a nod. "Any possible way he will agree to the Initiative instead?"
Coulson motioned, "He said to take it or leave it."
The Director's room went silent as Fury thought over it.
"Permission to speak, Sir?" another asked.
Fury grunted with a nod, "Granted. What's your view, Hill?"
Phil eyed the other agent in the room under Fury's command and also an ally, Agent Maria Hill. Unlike Fury, she was the true Agent through and through. Stern and by the book. She wore the standard jumpsuit that all field SHIELD agents wore, contrary to what he and Genesis wore on a daily basis. She also had an air to her that screamed 'don't mess with me' or there would be dire consequences. Hill was Fury's second-in-command, even though she didn't technically hold a high Intel level clearance as Phil did. Odd in many ways, but not so odd if you counted the fact she acted more as their main field commanding superior on the Helicarrier. He wondered what was on the woman's mind.
Agent Hill's face was expressionless. "If Agent Rhapsodos wishes to be our Consultant, then I propose that he should remain in such a position. According to our superiors' standards, he'd be too young in their eyes to actually join the roster, despite the arguments we had of including Dr. Bruce Banner into the Initiative." The way she talked about Banner was if he was some uncontrolled animal, in which in some ways made sense as SHIELD was wary of the 'Hulk' that resided inside him.
"You support the wishes of the higher-ups, Agent Hill?" Fury asked with curiosity.
Hill didn't seem to be happy about what her boss stated. "You know I agree with your judgments, Sir. I would have preferred Rhapsodos joining the team along with Romanoff and Barton. However, we can't avoid the fact how young he is will make the World Security Council question your actions in bringing him into the Avengers Initiative. Nonetheless, if he acts as a Consultant from our side and has that opportunity to prove himself... I'm certain they won't complain."
Inwardly Phil whooped at that point.
Coulson: 1, Fury: 0
Bless that Goddess whoever she was that Genesis talked about. Phil hoped it'd still go his way.
Nick Fury didn't seem to be fazed by Agent Hill's opinion. "I'll take into account until Agent Rhapsodos finishes his current mission. If he resorts to the full extent of his 'true' abilities he'll have to join the Initiative; if not, he'll be our Consultant."
The inner Coulson panicked, even though his outer appearance seemed unchanged as Fury's mouth curved into a rather smug smile. He realized that he had been played on. It was no wonder Fury suggested that he should chill at the bar with the 'kid' after his workload for the day was done. Fury had known about Genesis' habits in drinking the heaviest booze there was that the SHIELD bar had to offer. Not only Fury wanted to prove the board of governors in the World Security Council that Genesis would be an exceptional addition to the Initiative, but he wanted to prove that even with large amount of alcohol the kid was still able to function.
Shoot.
Coulson: 1, Fury: 1
Sure, Agent Rhapsodos was known to be more reserved than those who looked like his age, but that didn't mean he wasn't immune to temper tantrums. When that happened, well, Coulson would rather avoid the conflict of fireballs being included. With the way Fury planned it like this, it was just asking to get roasted by the younger agent. But since when did Fury back down from the getting together the weirdest group of odd people on the planet or perhaps this universe?
Unfortunately, never.
'Damn it. I hope you'll realize it soon, Genesis.' Phil thought with a sigh.
The last thing he needed was to break his promise to Genesis he'd try to dissuade Fury of him joining the Initiative.
.
.
Classified Location, Industrial Area...
He wrinkled his nose in distaste and he knew something was fishy.
When Genesis applied for the mission he was sent on, had a feeling that it was odd there were instructions/orders to 'keep it low'-detailing he could use or not his 'special skill set'.
It 'smelled' like Fury was testing him, and he couldn't be more right about it. Considering that he was sent to take down a whole factory of illegal weapons along with their dealers... which just 'happened' to have some of the sorts of technology that wasn't supposed to be in their hands. Lasers. However, it proved to be more of a blessing in disguise if anything. The auburn haired spy had taken down the factory no differently than taking down a Wutai fort back on Gaia. All he needed to do was to take down all the electric outage that supplied the factory, place some small explosives in strategic places, take down the thugs and their leaders with his normal Mako speed and strength, and with a few bullet tranquilizers, and he was done.
He now just had to wait for the SHIELD mopping crew to arrive before he'd make his way back to his apartment.
No fuss, no flashy explosions, all nice and hidden from the public.
Oh, yes; he could see it right now. Veld and his Turks would be rolling on the floor howling with laughter he was now a 'Turk' of all things. Not to mention a perfect one. Even back in his cadet days, the Turks had an eye on him that he was 'supposed' to join them. His more slender figure simply didn't make him SOLDIER material. However, since he was under Hollander, and had a gift for Materia, ShinRa already had plans for him since he was their experiment from birth he would end up as a SOLDIER. The irony didn't describe the understatement of his life this time around.
Was this life really a true Gift of the Goddess?
He had no answers to his conclusion just yet, but at times, he had to question the abilities that he had gained in this life.
During his previous life as a WEAPON had resulted in assimilating Weiss' powers. Now not only he was a walking Materia storage on the go, but the former's Tsviet's abilities were passed onto him. And that didn't count the fact that he inherited the ability akin to the youngest Tsviet, Shelke. He had no idea of what Minerva was thinking having him have all those powers in a world with those type of people were prone to be monitored by the government constantly.
Coulson was more than right he had abilities that people in this life they would kill him for. The reason why when Fury knew of his abilities, it was either stay with SHIELD or they would have other methods of keeping a close eye on him (which many didn't support human rights). Of course, it was easier to stay in SHIELD instead. They had the connections (under the radar ones) that Genesis required if he was going to search for his deceased friends that Minerva mentioned they were reborn in this world too.
But would his friends recognize him when he found them?
It was another idea he had trouble grasping onto. Genesis had recently found a Turk by the code name of 'Gun' in Boston one day, with no memory of her previous life when she died during the same war that threatened the Planet as his time as a WEAPON. The Turk was happily married, had a child and expecting another soon. There was no sign of Elena because Genesis knew she was still alive. The auburn haired spy wondered if Angeal was somewhere in this world with a family of his own too... or was he the same age like him? Surely it was possible they were on Earth... but it was just a matter of searching in the right places.
Genesis was snapped out of his thoughts as he heard an empty oil drum fell to the floor just a few meters away from him.
"Crap! You idiot! Come on, before he has his eyes on us!" was an urgent whisper that his enhanced ears could hear clearly.
Sadly the so-called 'spies' that had been eyeing on him weren't all that professional and he knew they were a group trying to get out of a tangled mess of bodies. There were plenty of grunts, moans, and complaints from the group. Genesis simply jogged over. When he turned the corner of the intersection, he found a bunch of teenagers from the ages 13-19 (all five of them) in a heap. Although they seemed normal, one look on one of the teens having a steel fists protecting the main tangled group defiantly from Genesis made it all clear.
Mutants.
Genesis had guessed they were homeless; their clothes were tattered in many places, and they smelled like they hadn't had a shower for days. It wasn't rare to hear parents chuck out their kids on the streets when they found out their own flesh and blood had the X-gene in his line of work. A sad notion that they had been kicked out of their homes because something they had no control of. The fact the actual government wasn't doing anything about it was an idiocy, but then again they preferred to sweep the problems of the minority where the sun doesn't shine.
"I'm not going to hurt you," Genesis said calmly.
The boy no older than 20 eyed at him, still raising his metal fists up. "We don't know that." a Russian accent was heard.
"No you don't," the auburn agent agreed. "However, I will make it clear I'm not looking around for any Mutants. But if I may know, what are you all doing here?"
"We're waiting for a friend." A long-haired brunette girl from behind the boy said. "He's not a mutant, but, he volunteered to get us some food while we wait here. We're planning to leave once he gets back."
'Now that's rare.' Genesis thought. It wasn't every day a normal person would stick around for their mutant friends. "Alright, you can all stay here until your friend comes back. Just make sure you all stay out of sight. My colleagues will turn a blind eye at you, but I can't say the same for authorities who don't like mutants."
Another boy in the group gaped at him as the steel fist boy lowered his guard. "You're not ratting out on us?"
"I'm with SHIELD, not the government," Genesis said it like he had many times before with a sigh. "Our policy is guilty until proven. Unless you're threatening the human race, then you're on our hit list. Mutants aren't on our list unless they do something like those thugs I took out." He took out a card from his pocket and gave it to the teenager with steel fists as his abilities. "Here, it's the address to the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning. He'll take you in."
The boy blinked when he received the card. "Um, wow. Thanks.. err?"
"Agent Rhapsodos."
"That sounds a mouthful." The girl complained behind the boy.
"Genesis then," the auburn former SOLDIER snorted.
"I'm Peter. (1)" the one who had received his card said. "'Miss hard to remember names' beside me here is Katherine (2). And- "
Genesis held out a hand and the boy stopped talking. "That's more than enough. The less I know the better." With the sounds of sirens, the agent ushered them away. "It's best you get going."
"Thanks for everything!" Peter waved a goodbye at the spy before he left the scene with his friends.
Now... back to business.
Genesis smirked smugly when he completed his current mission without using any of his Materia abilities. Fury wasn't going to be happy he had known it was a test whether he'd make it into the Avengers Initiative or not. The former SOLDIER Commander knew he 'failed' spectacularly.
.
.
"He... What?!" Fury said with wide eyes.
"Took out the whole factory with no 'additional powers', therefore, he has no prior reasons to be an addition of the Avengers Initiative," Phil said happily, having a field day.
Coulson: 2, Fury: 1
He didn't think it was possible for Genesis to do so without his extra powers and asked for more information. "And the area?"
Agent Hill replied, this time, looking at the mission report through a digital tablet she was holding. "Clean. He called in the mopping crew to get the remaining weapons out-of-the-way for mass disposal and extermination. None of the crew mentioned anything of significance that would believe Agent Rhapsodos had other... methods of completing the mission."
Coulson also noted, "Seems like Genesis caught up with the words you sent him on the mission orders."
The Director had an unwilling defeated look on his face as if Rhapsodos couldn't possibly figure it out... while he was under the influence of alcohol.
Coulson: 3, Fury: 1
This round, of course, was won by Agent Phillip Coulson.
Agent Maria Hill would have been laughing hard if she wasn't known to be calm and collected. Although, there was a spike to her lips that she was obviously avoiding to laugh in front of her superior. She coughed, "Well, it seems like he'll be our consultant from now on then. This way, things should run smoothly. There is a mention that the 'energy source' you cited has started to act on its own, sir." (3)
Coulson winked at Agent Hill quickly he'd owe her for that. She seemed to take an agreement to it with the smallest hint of incline of her head.
Fury rolled an eye at his two subordinates who had just rubbed his defeat at him. "We'll visit the labs again then. Perhaps keep an eye on it in the near future. That source is dangerous to be left out on its own in the labs. I'll see to the security myself and work there as needed."
"And what of Rogers?" Agent Hill asked her superior.
Before Phil could even volunteer, Nick Fury cut him off. "I'll be needing your help at the labs. There's a lot of ground to cover."
"Yes, sir." The voice seemed a bit disappointed. He would have sulked like a kid if the work wasn't so serious.
The SHIELD Director then answered to his second-in-command. "Now that Rhapsodos is our consultant, send him in. If he assists Steve Rogers (4) and if the man is willing to take our young agent under his wing, there will be future chances he may be persuaded to join the Initiative. Meeting adjourned. Dismissed."
.
.
Back at the now abandoned factory...
"Spiky! What took you so long?" Kathrine Pryde or Kitty as others called her asked.
The said person heaved out a breath as he held all the paper bags that were their dinner. "You would be if you went shopping for six to seven people."
"Don't be so hard on him, Kitty. He's my friend and he's stuck with us through the rough times." Peter Rasputin said as he took a bag and then distributed the food to the other teens. The other teens didn't seem to want to be a part of their conversation, as they were too hungry. His said friend had the widest grin when Peter mentioned him.
"But you're not a mutant, right?" Kitty asked confusedly.
The boy of 17 years old shrugged. "It's weird. I don't have the X-gene but my eyes glow like this. I have weird dreams, but that's it."
"Well, when we get to Xavier's Institute we should be okay and find out something about you," Peter said optimistically as he took his own hot dog to eat.
"Yeah." Kitty sighed as she took her own hot dog from the bag by phasing her hand through the bag. She took a large bite and chewed it quickly. "Hey, Spiky. I never caught your name, since Peter here always calls you 'Spike'."
The teen no doubt seemed to have a boundless pent-up energy in him. He was probably the reason why the other teens looked up to him for hope and with Peter around, the group was making progress in finding a new home for them. Cheerily he introduced himself.
"Let's get re-acquainted then! I'm Zack Fair!"
"Impossible is not in my dictionary." ~ Napoleon Bonaparte
TBC...
Notes/Trivia:
(1) Peter Rasputin a.k.a Colossus (X-Men). A mutant with the ability to transform his body into "organic steel" granting him superhuman strength, stamina, and durability.
(2) Katherine Pryde/Kitty Pride a.k.a. Shadowcat (X-Men). A mutant who possesses a "phasing" ability that allows her and objects or people with which she is in contact to become intangible.
(3) The Tesseract or Cosmic Cube is an enchanted object of unparalleled power that was once owned by Odin and believed to be Asgardian in origin, but was lost during the last age of worship by men on Earth. In Captain America: The First Avenger it was used by Red Skull, as he believed it would give him power to rule over the world.
(4) Steve Rogers a.k.a Captain America. Currently isolated by SHIELD so he can assimilate back to society as he has been encased in Ice for nearly 70 years (1943-2012).
Comments, opinions, your thoughts, are always welcomed.