HELLO EVERYONE! Welcome back to the story, or rather, thanks for sticking around after all this time. I have to tell you, college is a-back to the point! Last chapter, we saw just how much of a task keeping the team dynamic was going to be for the Avengers, and hopefully this chapter showcases that even more. I tried putting in a more political aspect to it all, and hopefully it came out ok. Now remember, readers: keep eyes out for any of those Easter eggs and such found across the chapters, including this one. Hope you guys enjoy it and remember to leave a review!

Now, these are some of the confirmed arcs that I am definitely going to do for Earth's Mightiest Heroes, not in this order.

"Natalia": based off the movie "Lucy"

"World War Kang"

"The Ballad of Beta Ray Bill"

"Secure, Contain & Protect": based off the Creepypasta

"Masters of Evil"

"Acts of Vengeance"

"The Kree/Skrull War"

"Nothing is Wonderful": introducing Wonder Man, more of Carol's past & the setup for Peter & Carol getting together.

"The Dark World of Ancient Winters": based off Thor: The Dark World & the Avengers EMH episode "Casket of Ancient Winters."

"Gamma Rage," the introduction of Abomination

"Code Red"

"Days of Future Past": a loose adaptation of the movie

"Winter Soldier ": based off the movie

And my pet project: "Live Kree or Die Hard." It's not the same as the EMH episode, but it does begin the basis of the massive expansion of roster the team will gain.

Disclaimer: *Insert here*

Chapter 11: Teamwork for Dummies, Part 3

*Midtown, Manhattan*

7:01 PM EST June 16, 2012

Night in Manhattan was a time where the citizens could go out and enjoy just about anything.

Tourists enjoyed the sights of the city in the glory of night. Couples and families ate out at great restaurants. The roads were packed and so were the sidewalks. All across the island, lights gave live all night long to the Big Apple. Of course, there were dark parts, too. And there were those who use the night for their operations of villainy and crime. People would fall victim while enjoying the city in its nightly splendor. However, with the watchful eyes of vigilantes and heroes across Manhattan, those would-be thugs and criminals would hesitate before attempting anything of that nature. Overall, Manhattan was a center of commercial and local activity that never rested, protected by the actions many heroes, both in and out of costume.

There would always still be those who would brave such conditions and still carry out their activities. These were brave, stupid or insane enough to try and challenge the city's protectors with their criminal actions.

This was the case for a group of men, walking along one of the less lit streets in Midtown. They each appeared like the typical thugs seen in Manhattan: averagely built men wearing worn clothes and jackets, each with some kind of small weapon on them. However, what they were planning this night was anything but average. Each of these men were under the employment of L. Thompson Lincoln, a city philanthropist and millionaire who secretly (to most of the city) ran a powerful criminal empire by the fear-inducing name of "Tombstone." And tonight, orders had come down the chain of command to them. A robbery and take-over of a bank that had crossed the criminal mogul; they were to show the bank just how wrong they were in getting on the wrong side of the "Tombstone."

The group, led by a bald man with a cigarette in his lips, arrived at a building, specifically its freight area. The building was a deli-restaurant by appearance, but was secretly one of the many fronts of Tombstone across the city. Its activities included gambling, bootlegging, loansharking and prostitution. As of thirty minutes ago, a truck under the guise of a food supply truck had arrived, waiting to remove its cargo. What was held inside, though, was anything but food.

The group entered the freight area, the guards letting them pass without any concern. They came up to the truck's attendants, three muscular men who had just recently been broken out of prison upstate to help procure these…goods. The gang leader approached them without any greeting, simply going right to business.

"Alrighty, boys, you got the goods?"

"Straight from the Big Man himself, Mac," one of the truck men replied as he opened the compartment door. Inside the truck were four metal crates; one of the truckers procured a crowbar and pried one open. Inside, to the glee of the leader named Mac, were a collection of military-grade weaponry, guns and ammunition that would put the best armed SWAT units of the NYPD to shame.

"Boy, do I love it when Christmas comes early," Mac smirked.

*Stark Tower*

7:41 PM EST June 16, 2012

"Well," Steve said as he took a sip of water, "that went... better than I expected it would end up, I guess."

"Oh, yeah," Stark muttered as he sipped some Scotch. "Seriously, I thought running Stark Industries was bad enough. Making this team thing work is even worse...why are people so complicated, dammit?" The billionaire set his glass down and picked up the file he had on his desk that summed up his plans for the Avengers Mansion construction, opening it to take out a photo that had been taken on the day of the debut of the Avengers. It was of the entire team on the steps of Stark Tower, posing for the cameras as they announced themselves to the world. "Seriously, what happened to THESE guys?" he asked, referring to the unity that the team seemed to have in the photo.

It was a few hours after the Avengers had ended their very first team meeting, and it sure had proved to be quite a rocky one. Already, there proved to be some friction between Hulk and Thor, and even more so between Captain Marvel and Spider-Man. And though that was an extremely major issue, it certainly wasn't the only large obstacle in their path. Until Panther figured out whatever he said he had planned to handle his absences from Wakanda, he was not fully able to be an Avenger fully on call. The same was now true for Logan, but that was normal for him at least.

There was also the issue of five members of the team being fully deputized members of SHIELD, which would conflict with this as well. Oh, and there was the fact that Spider-Man was unwilling to surrender his identity to the rest of the team; that was something that had automatically set a fatality into forming trust within the Avengers ranks. Though a few were fine with his decision-namely Thor, Hulk, Wanda and Tony himself-others found that a major issue: Black Widow, Pietro, Steve and especially Captain Marvel.

Oh, and then there was the 214th phone call from Senator Robert Kelly (yes, Tony was actually keeping track now...) that had ended up the same as the other 213 before it: Kelly insisting that adding three mutants to the team was a mistake and Tony yelling at him to screw himself and give it up with the mutant hysteria.

He would make sure to fund any candidates running against Kelly in his next reelection campaign...

"It's still in the early stages of things, Tony," Steve sighed as he walked to the large glass paneled windows. They both were currently in Tony's corporate office in the Tower, awaiting their visitor to arrive as he said he would. "It's always at the beginning that things are always the most difficult to accomplish. We'll get through it, though. I have faith in this team."

"I have faith in them too, don't get me wrong, old man," Stark said as he turned his chair around to join Cap in the night gazing. "It's just that these issues are so...ugh, I don't even know."

"We'll just tackle the hardest ones to deal with first, and then we go from there," Steve answered. "In my opinion, the biggest issues we have are the trust problems and the issue with Spider Man not wanting to relinquish his identity. Natalia and Carol are right, trusting him when he can't grant us that equal trust with his own name makes the team dynamic hard to form."

"Honestly, I don't see the problem with that," Stark replied. "Look at your fellow SHIELD Agents and what they do for a living. Seriously, I'm surprised no one brought up the fact that SHIELD has five pairs of eyes and ears spying in on the team...no offense to you."

"None taken, but I guess you make a fair point. We each have many aspects of our lives that we aren't keen on sharing anytime soon. But we are still giving up the basics, while Spider Man isn't. If something happens to him, how are we going to alert his next of kin? Yes, he has 11 years of experience on the streets, but still…"

"Look, we managed to do perfectly fine when Loki was trying to take over the world. We all knew more or less who each other was until Spider Man showed up, and even then we all worked fine as a team. If we could do it then, why not up until he's ready to trust us with that information?"

"Tony, we were in the middle of a war then. That was different; we had to trust each other no matter what that day. Now we have a firm establishment as a team, and to operate as a good team, we need to have the assurance that each member can trust the others explicitly. That is how a team works, no other way."

"Well, we aren't going to be getting anything done about that between us," Stark sighed as he sipped some more Scotch. "But we have to deal with the inner team friction...which brings us back to Spider-Man..."

"Yes, he and Carol really need to back off from each other, though it isn't helping that they keep instigating each other, and she also really doesn't like him."

"Yeah, you'd think she would at least try to be nice to the guy who saved her life..."

"She's brought up in a military mind, and he's laid back, so of course they're bound to clash," Steve chuckled, before frowning again. "But it's something that needs to be addressed soon. Also, the fact of Thor and Hulk..."

"Did you get the feeling it wasn't as serious as it seemed in retrospect?" Stark asked with a thoughtful expression.

"A bit, yeah," Steve agreed. "They seemed ready to beat each other into next week. But then again, something about their body language also...still, we have to address that. The last thing we need is those two getting into a brawl."

"There's something else...I guess..."

"What is it?"

"It's something that T'Challa said when everyone agreed to be a member of this. He said that he would join the Avengers to protect Wakanda from outside threats...and...I don't know, the way he said it, it seemed like he was planning to use the Avengers for his own purposes...or something like that..."

"That doesn't sound like T'Challa," Steve said. "If anything, the man is as honorable as the man I battled alongside with in World War ll."

"Yeah, but this isn't his grandfather, Steve, this is him. I don't know, maybe I'm just overthinking things, but...something about the way he said it, though..."

"I'm sure it's nothing," the Super Soldier offered. "But, what isn't nothing is how some people are reacting about two former members of the Brotherhood of Mutant Supremacy being a part of the Avengers...something that I heard the World Security Council is very concerned about. Logan and T'Challa vouch for them, but I don't think it's enough..."

"Ugh, don't get me started on Kelly and half the Senate...Not to mention the fact of how Magneto's going to react now that he knows that Wanda & Pietro are really fighting against him now," Tony agreed. Something then struck the billionaire's thoughts. "Steve, Fury wouldn't try to use the Avengers for SHIELD business, would he?"

"Why would he?" Steve shrugged. "He had his own superhuman combat team in the Warriors."

"We have a Hulk and a god and a half alien hybrid and three very powerful mutants."

"...that is also a fair point."

"Look, Steve, I'm not trying to point fingers or anything, but Fury has to have realized by now that having you, Hawkeye, Mockingbird and the other two in the Avengers can really benefit him. Sure, he has some morals, but he also has no problem using people, after all. He might use that as leverage."

"I think that's something that we have to discuss with Fury himself," Cap said seriously as he sat on Stark's large desk and poured himself some Scotch. Speaking of the devil, a voice came up on the intercom in front of Stark, it being one of Stark Tower's many receptionists on the lobby levels.

"Mr. Stark, Director Nick Fury is here to see you."

"Thank you, Miss Stone," Tony replied. "Happy is down there now; have him escort the Director to the private elevator bank. He'll know what to do from there." He then turned to his fellow Avenger and sighed. "Let's get this over with, then."

*Carol Danvers' Apartment, Upper West Side, Manhattan*

7:54 PM EST June 16, 2012

"Carol...love, you've been on that damn laptop since we got back," Jess sighed from her sprawled position on the couch as she flipped through the channels on Carol's TV.

"Well, I kind of have a deadline to meet, Jess," the former SHIELD agent replied back as she continued to type rapidly. "Besides, I need to get these ideas down before I forget them, and I went through hell to get the inspiration for these chapters."

"Isn't the deadline in a month?" the British Avenger asked as she turned to where her best friend was sitting at a desk on the other side of a room. Carol, along with Jess, was draped in comfortable shorts and shirts...although Jess' hair was much more kempt compared to Carol's, which was wild and messy from their earlier hour long use of the gym in Avengers Mansion. "And aren't you almost finished with it anyways?"

"What's your point, Jess?" the blonde replied dismissively as she glanced at the notebook beside her laptop, reading the notes on it before returning to her typing.

"Wow...no wonder you're still single..." Jess muttered, finally finding a channel that grabbed her attention by having a Doctor Who marathon on, and she was just in time for the first episode. It took her a bit to realize she couldn't hear Carol typing anymore and turned to see what happened, only to receive a deadpanned glare from her best friend. Jessica knew what this was about, shrugged with a roll of her eyes and asked, "Well, am I wrong?"

"I am not dealing with this again..." Carol muttered as she returned to her nearly complete novel. Jess smirked and giggled before returning to her Doctor Who. Carol rolled her eyes, not wanting to deal with this again. She was blessed with almost ten seconds of silence from the British woman before...

"So, you really think this Avengers thing is going to work out?" Jess asked, making Carol sigh. Realizing that as long as Jessica was still talking (which she would be doing a lot of tonight since she was staying the night) she wouldn't let her finish the rest of her work, the blonde decided to just indulge her. Maybe she could use a break after all...she did still have a month. Closing her laptop she joined her best friend on the couch, who smiled at her victory and asked again, "Well?"

Carol shrugged. "I think it will. Why not, I mean? We managed to pull it off when Thor's brother was trying to take over the world." She smiled a bit, something Jessica quickly noticed.

"Admit it, you love being a part of a team again, right?"

"I never said I never liked being part of a team!"

"Well, you only lasted a few months with Xavier before quitting. And you never tried to rejoin SHIELD, and you stayed solo, so you didn't want to be a part of a team for years now. You missed it, right?"

"Well, yeah-"

"So you love being a part of one again!"

"Ok, fine," Carol sighed in exasperation, though she couldn't help but grin. "It does feel good to be back on a team again."

"See? Besides, this'll be great for you, to get back into the swing of things and the like," Jess smiled. She then got a mischievous smirk on her face. "Who knows, you may even find your real Mr. Perfect on this team! Hey, why not Spi-!"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence," Carol threatened as she quickly pointed a glowing hand at her.

Jess, however, was unfazed. "...Spiiiider-Man?"

"God, he is rubbing off on you..." Carol muttered as she rubbed her temples. "God, I hate that jerk."

"He probably hates you, too," Jess offered with a shrug. "I mean, you didn't exactly make things better back there."

"Well, he started it."

"Really...that's your big defense?"

"Shut up...seriously, how does he expect to gain our trust if he doesn't even give us his?"

"I would think you would at least try to like the guy who saved your life."

"Do not remind me of that," Carol muttered. "That was the beginning of the end of my life...God, he doesn't shut up..." Flashbacks of him and Logan, Wanda and Thor in conversation back in the Mansion after the meeting, and again from during Loki's invasion, came back to mind. "How he's lasted this long out there, I have no idea."

"Well, he seems to be pretty good; after all, most of Rykers Island and the Raft are filled because of him."

"Well, I don't think he should be on the team," Carol muttered again. "Not unless we know at least something about him." She turned to Jessica, only to see that...look on her face.

"Well, let's dig him up then," the British Avenger grinned as she took out her own SHIELD sanctioned laptop from her night duffel bag. Opening it, she added, "Fury had files on every known superhuman on the planet, right? Well he has to have something on Spider Man, too, right?"

"Sure...?" Carol said hesitantly.

"Plus, the word is that Fury's taken a special interest in the Webhead since she showed up on the scene. So there's bound to be something in the Spider Man files, right?"

"Hmm, sure, should sound like it," Carol shrugged. "Alright, let's see what we find." With that, the British Avenger began logging into the SHIELD network, going through her usual clearance levels and such before arriving in the SHIELD database network that held

A ding turned their attention back to the screen. Jessica had done a search for SHIELD's files on Spider-Man. There came up a few results including the various prisoners currently found on the Raft thanks to the arachnid, to files of the supervillains that had been spawned from him (as the rumors went on), and a restricted file encryption about what both heroines recognized as the second attempt at Project: S.T.A.R.S., reactivated and then shut down by Nick Fury. Finally, they found what they were looking for: a SHIELD file on the arachnid himself. Upon opening it, however…

"Huh…this…this isn't a lot."

"There's barely anything on this," Carol mused; the SHIELD file on the Amazing Spider-Man simply had the basic information on Spider-Man such as power set & abilities, years of activity, affiliations, and the like. Information that other files had regarding other superhumans and marked subjects (namely…a name and other personal descriptions that SHIELD would somehow always find) was almost non-existent. "I know I've been out of SHIELD for a few years, Jess, but I thought things would always be advancing…not losing quality. SHIELD has data on almost every known superhuman and mutant…why not nothing on Spider-Man?"

"If I could answer that, I wouldn't be doing this, Carol," Jess replied. "Trust me, this makes less sense to me than you. Hmm…let's see what my hacking skills can do."

"I guess Fury doesn't have that big of an interest in him," the blonde shrugged.

"Don't be so sure, love; I just traced all searches of the SHIELD file within the last month, and it appears Fury has been visiting quite often. If I just do this right…yes, I managed to travel into the IP address and hack into Fury's personal files and computer…now, let's start searching for anything on Spidey…"

"I'm sorry…what?! You're HACKING into NICK FURY'S computer?! Jessica Drew, what the f-?!"

"Hmmm...an encrypted file...whoa...none of the other files I've hacked before are encrypted like this one." Without another word, she began an encryption and hacking sequence, bypassing the security and cracking open the files within only a few minutes.

Carol was quite surprised, both by the fact that she had found something and by her hacking skills. "When did you learn to do that?"

"I have my secrets," Jessica teased with a smirk as she scrolled through the various files.

"Sitwell?"

"Maybe."

"Wait, so Fury does have a special interest in Spider Man?" Carol wondered. "Why would he?"

"Who knows?" Jess shrugged. "Let's just get it opened and see what we can find out about him." She began her hacking into the encryption, slowly chipping away at the cyber defenses. "Wonder what makes him not want to tell us who he is...Why would he be like that?"

"Jess, focus, we can worry about how his brain works another time." Carol paused. "Whatever this file is, it has to have information and data on Spider-Man, right?" Jess nodded. "That includes names. So, his name should be on the file. Maybe even something about why he's...wait, what are we doing, Jess?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, why are we trying to dig up dirt, in Nick Fury's personal network no less, about Spider Man? I mean, yeah I hate him, but still, this feels a bit wrong."

"And that is how you know we're on the right track," Jess smirked before turning back to her laptop. "Trust me, finding out some dirt on Spider Man will be-what? Wait….no no no! WHAT THE BLOODY HELL?!" she added with a yell as a horde of viruses suddenly infected her laptop, forcing her out of Fury's networks, and forcing the SHIELD network to force her out of the system due to protocol being activated. It instantly shut down and her laptop deactivated...but not before a window opened up on her screen with ACCESS DENIED, HAHAHA! flashing in large red letters.

"Um...what just happened?" Carol asked with an arched eyebrow.

"My...I was trying to decrypt the files and then my laptop suddenly gets infected with viruses…" Jess managed to whimper as she stared at her screen with utter shock. "But...how? My security on this thing is top notch! There's no way it could've-!" She was interrupted as her cell phone suddenly rang, surprising and shocking and them both. Jess quickly grabbed it and answered, seeing that it was Fury, making both Avengers nervous. "Yes, Fury?"

"That was just a warning, Agent Drew," Fury's voice said from the phone, and both women looked at each other in alarm. "Both of you, you and Danvers, next time you try snooping in files you're not supposed to be snooping in, it'll be a lot worse." With that, Fury hung up and the two Avengers were left to look at each other with looks of concern.

*Assembly Hall, United Nations Building, that moment*

8:00 PM EST June 16, 2012

"I do not care what the concerns of the Council are at this moment," T'Challa said as he walked with his aide and the UN Wakandan Representatives into the large assembly hall of the United Nations building. "I want them ready to meet when I return to Wakanda in two days' time. This is a matter of great concern."

"Very well, your Majesty," his aide responded as he tried to keep up with the hurried pace of the Wakandan monarch. "But sire, the Shaman himself has voiced his concern. Is this not something you should at least discuss with your courts first, or think through with a clear conscious?"

"No," the reply came as he took his seat at the Wakandan bench. "If I am to ensure Wakanda's safety from the threats that are unknown to us, then I must do so without any hindrance. So, ensure that the Royal Council is assembled for my return."

"Yes, Sire."

"Very well. Now, how is our counter intelligence division doing with the tasks I set for them?"

"While some of the targets have very little information that we can find on them, the majority of the targets' data and information have been collected, and continue to be collected as we speak. Assessment and threat level estimates continue to update. All continues as planned in that department. You should have a full report by the Wakandan Intelligence director chief in two days' time," the aide responded.

"That's good," T'Challa replied with a nod as he focused on the assembly of world leaders and representatives from almost all nations on the globe. Perhaps what he was doing was a betrayal of given trust, but as King of Wakanda and the one responsible for the protection of his people and nation, it was a necessary evil that he had to go along with. He had to be prepared to react for any possible situation that could result from the recent events. It was just a precaution that he had to take for the greater good of Wakanda; that was it. He squashed that small voice of conscience in his mind and focused on the purpose of the meeting of world leaders. At the front of the hall sat the United Nations World Security Council. He had to focus now; he had a cause to defend.

"Good evening, member nations of the Assembly," the WSC French representative began, starting the assembly. "We thank you for arriving here tonight. I feel that it is better to get straight to the point, non? So, the major point we must address in this assembly is something that is of great concern and should be addressed in regards to the whole of global relations: the Avengers."

*Stark Tower*

8:00 PM EST June 16, 2012

"Drew and her shenanigans…" Nick Fury muttered as he rode the Stark Tower private elevator to Stark's CEO office floor. There was a reason he had an encrypted Spider-Man file on his own networks, with only himself and Agent Coulson allowed access to them. Hill had wondered about that and voiced her concern, but Fury had assured her (for now, he thought) that it was just a project he was working on. Deactivating that comm channel, he opened up another channel to Coulson, who had headed up to the Peak due to something Brand's deep search teams had found just outside Jupiter's atmosphere.

"Coulson here," the senior agent answered.

"Coulson," Fury responded. "What's the verdict?"

"It's his, Boss," came the reply. "These vessel remains definitely match the SS Guardian. This was definitely Agent Quill's vessel. Nothing yet on locating Quill's body though, but we have found the remains of some of the other crew members. Nasty stuff here, Boss."

"Damn…" Fury muttered. "Estimated time it was there?"

"Brand's people are thinking about two years, minimum. The hull damage matches the ballistics of artillery weapons by either two of the known extraterrestrial races: Spartax or one of the newer ones, the Ravagers nomads. Also, we think the black box on the pilot deck could have something useful, anything pertaining to what looks like some kind of ambush here."

"Spartax...that could mean something due to his heritage...alright, tell Brand that she should try and use the deep space satellites to see if she can pick up any chatter about a human being held prisoner or something. Also tell her that I want whatever she finds on that black box to be sent to SHIELD techs ASAP. Peter Quill was one of the best agents we had, and I want to make sure we can bring him home if we can."

"I'll pass the word, Boss." There was a few seconds pause before Coulson added, "The Deep Search teams just brought the vessel remains to hangars. Brand's guy, Noh-Varr, is handling analysis. I'll get back to you first chance. Also, Woo needs to talk to you about the SCP Division."

"Got it, I'll get back to him. Keep me posted," Fury said before cutting the connection. At that exact moment, the elevator arrived at its destination. The SHIELD Director exited and arrived in Stark's personal corporate office, with both Stark and Steve sitting at the desk by the window. "Gentlemen," he greeted as he walked over to them, "thank you for having this meeting with me. It's good to see you again, Stark."

"Cut to the chase, Fury," Tony sighed as he straightened himself up in his chair, Cap sitting at the side of the desk. "Steve said you wanted to talk to us about the Avengers, so get to the point. What exactly is it that you want to talk about?"

Fury looked at the two for a second, before his eyes fell upon the files of the Avengers Mansion and the photo of the team lying on Stark's desk. "People are talking," he said as he looked at them again. "I doubt I have to tell you that, because that's what people do…talk. But there is quite a lot of talking about the Avengers in the World Security Council, and within the UN Assembly. You know that right now a summit is happening about what the world's reaction and the reactions of many nations in regards to your team up is, and what the response is going to be like?"

"We do, actually," Steve responded. "T'Challa had told us about it after our team meeting earlier today. He's attending it right now with the Wakandan representatives."

"Ok then, so you should probably be aware of how much you're going to hear," Fury continued. "Stark, Rogers...the world is nervous for good reason about this. You have some of the most powerful beings that walk the face of the planet on the Avengers. Couple that with the proclamation you made a few weeks back about ensuring that the world was not going to become someone's personal playground, you just made a lot of people across the globe angry and nervous."

"Like who, the terrorists and dictators in the Middle East and Asia?" Stark asked. "We said that in regards to the threats like Doom and Magneto and such. The Avengers would provide some kind of disaster relief and help with recovery if necessary or if we're asked for assistance, yeah, but we aren't getting involved with that kind of stuff. There's a reason we answer to no government, after all."

"That's the problem: you won't consider it...yet. People don't know what to expect from the Avengers, and are worried about your agendas. And then there's that problem: not answering to any form of government. We know it's no secret that the majority of the Avengers are of American citizenship, and a lot of governments have issues with American interference as it is. Add to that the concern of the American government trying to get you under their wings-"

"I already have enough issues with that with Kelly," Stark grumbled.

"He's a jackass is most aspects," Fury agreed, "but he is right about one thing: you have two former Brotherhood members as founding Avengers, and that's already caused a bunch of uproar in the UN. There's also the fact that you have the Hulk as a member of the team. Ross is furious right now, and I have to constantly deal with him, like this is my problem or something...by the way, expect a call or seven from him about that. You have superhumans that are viewed by much of the world, especially by the American public, as questionable. The Council is very concerned about you all turning the world into your own little police beat; going into places and countries that could spark international incidents-North Korea, Latveria, Iran, Russia, even Wakanda. And what the hell is going to happen if you end up in some kind of problems with Atlantis? I got enough on my plate with Namor as it is."

"Namor is an issue I can handle myself," Steve said. "Hell, I'll even arrange a meeting with him about what possibilities the Avengers may face that may include Atlantis."

"There's something I don't get with this," Stark frowned. "Why us? Why is all of this concern and beef just about and focused on us? Excalibur, the X-Men, Alpha Flight, and hell, not even your little secret spy club seems to get any heat about this kind of thing."

"That's because you never hear about it," Fury replied. "You were just a weapons contractor we hired; of course you never heard anything. But there is always something in regards to the superhuman and mutant population of the world. You know that I have almost no problems with the superheroes, but in official terms, SHIELD and the Council just barely tolerate superhumans, period. Don't even get me started on the mutants. Excalibur and Alpha Flight have pledged to work alongside their respective governments if necessary, but what if the UK or Canada decided to turn them into their own private super armies? The X-Men have caused uproars across the entire globe in regards to mutant rights, and no matter where they go, something happens to either further or hinder their acceptance, Genosha being a prime example. As for the Warriors, the world doesn't know the team even exists, but the Council has definitely made their concerns about them known on many occasions, even during the invasion last month. I am not denying all the work your kind do-hell, they make my job that much easier. But like I said, people talk."

"...and since this gathering of us, the Avengers coming together after Loki's invasion, all these issues have come up again?" Steve asked. "Fury, we're trying to help people."

"But there are people who don't see it that way," Fury countered. "Hell, three Council members are complaining that the addition of six new supervillains is actually your fault."

"Wow..." Stark muttered.

"Both of you, you need to figure out a way to keep these people and issues at bay, set their fears to rest. Entire nations are concerned, and a large number of governments are, too. Remember, you entered a world full of worldwide politics when you formed the Avengers and made the goals you made. And I want to clarify something." Fury became extremely more serious. "If you are going to say that you don't answer to any government, then act like it. If local or governmental forces ask for your help, then that's no problem, but I don't want to find out the Avengers are becoming America's Team Bitch. And if I find or see something, anything, that I feel isn't right, I will not hesitate to decide that there will be no more Avengers, and that's a decision I don't need to turn to you for at all."

"Understood, sir," Steve agreed as Stark nodded his affirmation.

"Good," Fury said as he also nodded his head. "I would also like to say that if you ever need help or anything, SHIELD is at your service. I'll have your back. I'd also like to know that if we're ever in a situation, that if I think I need some big shot help, then I can count on your team for it."

Steve nodded his head, but Stark actually chose to say something in response to that. "Ok Fury, if the Avengers can help you out, then we will, but let me make something clear. We are not your personal cleanup crew. Five of your best people may be integrated members of this team, but that does not give you any means to try to use us or exploit their membership as you see fit. If you're going to have the Avengers help you out, it's not to be in covering up your messes or secrets," the billionaire said as he stood from his chair and made direct eye contact with Fury. "Remember that, and we won't have any problems."

*Avengers Mansion, same time*

8:10 PM EST June 16, 2012

"We have a penthouse in Uptown! Why do we need to live here?"

"Hank, haven't you seen this place!? This has everything the penthouse has, and better and even more! Why the heck do we need to stay in that old place?"

"Because it's our home?! Jan, c'mon be reasonable-we can't just pack up all our stuff and move over here."

"They're still going at it?" Wanda asked with a chuckle as she sat down beside Natalia and Logan in one of the many lounges, a tea in her hands and beer in the others'. The attempts of Jan trying to convince Pym to move into Avengers Mansion had been going on for the last hour, and all across the mansion at that.

"Da," Natalia sighed as she drank her beer. "Nonstop, and it's driving me insane...why won't he just give in and agree to move into the Mansion?"

"Eh, I think Pym still has a shot at winnin'," Logan shrugged as he finished his own beer and thus the third six-pack he had gone through.

Wanda smiled as the three of them saw the Pyms walking past the doorway into their lounge, going back and forth as to why or why not moving into the Mansion was a good idea. She found the whole thing amusing, to be honest, and the former Brotherhood member knew that this was simply a first among an endless series of quirks that came with being a part of this team. She had to be honest; she was really looking forward to being a part of the Avengers. "So, Pietro's reading a book in his quarters; where's everyone else?"

"Banner's in his room meditatin'," Logan replied as he started on his fourth six-pack, "Thor said he was headin' off to see a friend of his in the Himalayas; Clint and Bobbi said they were goin' to check out their room, so they'll be busy for a while; Jess & Danvers left, and Stark and Steve are meetin' Fury. Webs is off somewhere and I don't know about Panther."

"They're meeting Fury?" Natalia asked with a raised eyebrow. "What for?"

"Issues about the team," Logan replied with a shrug. "Apparently, a lot of people on the up high aren' exactly thrilled about this team-up of ours."

"I can imagine," Wanda sighed as she sipped her tea. "People aren't exactly supportive of me and Pietro being in the Avengers, I hear, what with our...well, our past."

"You have no idea," the Russian Avenger muttered as she finished her seventh beer; thanks to the Red Room programming & enhancements within her body, she could easily match Steve & Logan in a drinking contest. "There's a lot of talking on the Helicarrier. Fury is receiving a bit of heat from the World Security Council about the team, from what I hear Coulson saying. He even thinks that they want Fury to use the five of us to spy and keep tabs on the team."

"Really?" Wanda asked with some very slight concern.

"I doubt Fury would do that," Logan said. "Sure, he is THE spy, but even Fury has his own limits. But then again, it wouldn' surprise me, either. Hell, I'm pretty sure that he himself has some concerns about this, too."

"What do you mean?" Wanda asked.

"Well, think about it like this," Natalia said. "We have you and your brother, two former mutant terrorists that tried to extinguish humanity. We have the Hulk, a superhuman who has caused untold destruction around the globe, and who is technically still the property of the US military. We have an unknown superhuman in the form of Thor, an X-Man known to be…violent, a vigilante who is viewed as questionable at best, a billionaire with a literally weaponized clothing line; two love birds and a human-alien hybrid. Now, as the Director of SHIELD, Fury is basically responsible for the security of the whole planet, and we just announced a few weeks ago that we as Avengers will be doing just that as well. Now, in the eyes of the Council, the only ones that they deem 'normal' on the team are Captain America, Clint, Bobbi, Drew & me, due to our ranks as SHIELD agents. They see this as needing Fury to use us five to keep an eye on the rest of the team. Why? Because everyone else on the Avengers, even Carol now, they see as a potential threat and disaster waiting to happen. So, if we as Avengers screw up somehow, guess who takes the heat?"

"Fury," Wanda surmised. "Heh, politics at its finest."

"At least the X-Men don' have to deal with that kind of thing," Logan smirked.

"We have other issues to worry about," Natalia replied as she lay back on the couch. "Like trying to actually work as a team at getting along with each other."

"The Hulk...kind of frightens me, actually," Wanda admitted quietly. "All that raw power...and such destructive force behind it, too..."

"He ain' so bad," Logan assured her. "And Banner is a good enough guy, too. Trust me; once you get to know 'em, the Hulk is actually a decent guy to talk to."

"Logan...didn't you fight him a few times?" Natalia asked. "And didn't Fury ask you on one of those times?"

"Eh, everyone's fought the Hulk at some point, right?" the mutant Avenger replied.

"Thor hasn't," Wanda offered as she finished her tea. "Although, I don't think that is something I'd like to see anytime soon. I still remember Thor fighting that bastard Loki."

"They seem like they'll hit it alright," Logan shrugged. "Webs and Danvers...not so much. But, even with that, I think that the Avengers have what it takes. We'll be alright, if you ask me."

"I'll be alright if we end up battling real threats," the Russian smirked. "Seriously, the Crusader is a joke."

"Careful whatchu wish for, Nat," Logan chuckled. "It might just come true."

"Oh, please. What's going to happen, Doom decides to destroy the world or something?"

*United Nations*

8:22 PM EST June 16, 2012

"Your Majesty, with all due respect," the Brazilian Councilwoman of the World Security Council said, "you're in a biased situation in which your support for the Avengers is due to you being a member. I do not think that anything you say will help you prove your point of the Avengers being a necessity in the world."

"Very well, then let our actions speak for us," T'Challa replied with agitation. He had only been through twenty minutes of this summit and already he wanted to kill someone. How the hell did his UN Representatives handle this and not harm someone?! "Council, you remember the day that the Earth almost fell into the hands of a madman, and how a banding of heroes was all that was able to claim victory and secure our peoples' tomorrow. Council, member nations, we all know that in the world there are threats to humanity and society that we have never seen before. Can we really afford to not make use of any and all tools to face this?"

"Is that not what the likes of SHIELD are for?" the representatives of Russia asked. "For what purpose do we need their presence if we have SHIELD and SWORD?"

"The West already has enough of these so called 'superheroes' at their disposal," the representative of Saudi Arabia agreed. "This Avengers team, they simply add to the number of potential weapons that the West may-"

"The Avengers do not belong to the West, nor do they respond or answer to any form of government," the Wakandan monarch countered. "The Avengers are an organization that has come together to do what they can to aid the world with the threats that humanity cannot handle. The Avengers do not fall under the American banner, even though the majority of members are American citizens."

"King T'Challa," the Japanese World Security Councilman spoke up, "the fact of the matter is, the Avengers are currently posing an extreme danger to the already fragile relations across the globe. With a number of members whose intentions are still widely unknown and who are notorious for being criminals across the planet, there is enough worry merited in the situation. We have no idea whatsoever as to how you and the Avengers plan to 'protect' the planet."

"You are basing your concerns on past incidents," the Panther replied. "The fact is that the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver are reformed individuals and have even helped the X-Men on a few occasions. Dr. Bruce Banner is only labeled as a criminal because that is how General Ross makes him look like, despite the man's own questionable actions. I may go on and on, but the fact of the matter is, the Avengers came together simply to help and protect the world. Yes, we understand your concerns, but we assure you that there is nothing to be concerned about. All the Avengers wish to do is protect our freedom and our peace from those who would take it."

Before anyone could make any response, an explosion rang out as the large reinforced doors were suddenly blown off their hinges and into the far wall. As all leaders made for cover and their respective security teams made to protect them, the UN guards stationed there made to draw their weapons, only to have their bodies blasted by laser blasts colored a sickening green. Their bodies were ripped apart and sent flying across the room, and smoke quickly filled the room.

"That seems like a very far-fetched goal you have joined for."

All heads turned to the doors that allowed entrance into the large assembly hall, and all were greeted by a shocking, unexpected and fear inducing sight. Standing there were seven large android-like battle machines that stood eight feet tall, each one as intimidating as the one next to it. Each one had arms that turned into some form of ray guns, and they had no heads, but rather face-like appearances on their torsos. Standing in front of these death machines, though, was the true threat: a man clothed in a green cloak and grey metallic armor, a mask hiding his true disfigured face, and his gauntlets glowing with arcane energy.

"Tell me, T'Challa," the man sneered as he looked at the now battle ready monarch, "what made you decide to make promises you can't keep?"

T'Challa only took out a dagger as he stared his opponent down. "Victor Von Doom..."

XXX

TO BE CONTINUED...