Thank you to everybody who read or reviewed the last conversation. I appreciate it. The conversation between Tony and Rhody was drafted pre-Secret Invasion but rewritten after Secret Invasion. Blame that one on my vacation and the fact I kept moving it to different places in the story. It was amusing to go back to it after the show. Other snippets were written firmly after Secret Invasion. There is a spoiler for the show in this chapter. I'll explain after the chapter.

Also, I find it hilarious that I am about to go on summer vacation again as I post this. Therefore, the next update might be late. This is the last set of text messages of the current batch of chapters. The next batch of 16 chapters is in various stages of editing and will be ready to go.

Conversation 80: I am so tired I called you my husband.

Chief mechanic: Hey, I'm back for the moment. Sorry, there was an emergency. It's been dealt with, and things are stable for the moment.

D: I understand. I was the director of Shield for a couple of months. What was the emergency?

Chief mechanic: I can't tell you what the emergency is, especially if you want that plausible deniability for the congressional hearing. This line isn't secure enough, anyway. I ended up dying in a different timeline because of saying too much on the wrong frequency. We are trying not to repeat that mistake.

D: Now I'm very concerned. I feel like I have no idea what's going on right now. I want to help you. I want to know more about you dying in another timeline because of too much chatter.

Chief mechanic: You got Steve here, which was helpful. I can't deal with the green one without Cuddle Bunny to hold my hand.

Chief mechanic: He's making me go to bed for the night, but the fabricators are working right now, so I guess I can take a break. Most of the team is still in the lab working, including the kids.

D: At least he's getting you to sleep. Maybe you can try for at least four hours.

Chief mechanic: That's the goal. In the meantime, there is something I need your help with.

D: Tell me what you need me to do.

Chief mechanic: I need someone to go to Greenwich Village to pick up a wizard and get him to Wakanda by tomorrow. I would prefer it if you did it. However, Acting Deputy Director Mack might need to take care of that because you will need to find somewhere for 10,000 aliens to settle on Earth. I'm sending you more about the Asgardian refugees' situation. It's up to you what you want to share with your boss. I'll leave it to you to decide who will go to Bleecker Street.

D: We are already working on the refugee issue, but I appreciate the extra information. I'm still trying to get a hold of Thor. I'd rather be on my way to New York. Or actually, in Wakanda fighting. I don't think my boss will be pleased about this.

Chief mechanic: The fighting is going to come sooner rather than later. Or not at all. We are working on a plan.

D: And this plan requires a wizard?

Chief mechanic: Yes. Mack knows why. And so does the king.

D: I will make it happen. Do we know when the Asgardians are going to arrive?

Chief mechanic: Daisy said about a month at the current speed. They can take a more direct route once the purple one is gone. There are more details in the package I sent you.

D: Don't they have some special way of traveling to get somebody here right away?

Chief mechanic: That was destroyed or at least damaged when they lost their planet. We probably could do a portal between the ship and Earth, but I don't know if Scarlett and the flamethrower are up to that yet. Maybe the wizard can help?

D: I don't know. Although I think it will probably take at least a month to get refugee status for everybody. Sen. Ritson might be a problem.

Chief Mechanic: He was a problem for renegotiating the accords, so why would this be any different? He's a xenophobic asshole masquerading as a moderate.

D: He is currently the 2020 front runner because most people are unaware of what he said to Daisy about her alien heritage.

Chief mechanic: Please, that would get him more votes. The front runner should be the vice president. It's already too early to talk about that election. Convince your boss to run now.

D: I will work on it. She's not entirely ready to switch parties.

Chief mechanic: Unfortunately, you can't tell her she successfully did that in the other timeline.

D: I don't want to end up in medical so, I won't talk to her about alternate timelines just yet.

D: McKenzie has just agreed to retrieve the wizard. I'm going to deal with xenophobic senators.

Chief mechanic: Have your staff schedule a lunch with their staff.

D: Why did I take this job?

Chief mechanic: To prevent the end of the world.

D: How is that going so far? Right now, I don't feel like I'm contributing.

Chief mechanic: Same. As soon as this is over, I'm making McKenzie Acting Director and spending a month in rehab.

D: Good choice. I might visit the Caribbean house.

Chief mechanic: Technically, Pepper controls that now, but I'm sure she's happy to let you stay there. I'm going to go cuddle into my husband until I fall asleep. Good luck.

D: Okay, obviously you're exhausted since you just typed husband. I'll talk to you later. Keep me as updated as you can.

Chief mechanic: I will try my best.

xxxx

Uncle Sam: Hey, I thought I would check-in. I talked to your BFF earlier today, so I know you're visiting your stepdaughter's family. I hope you had time to see him as well.

Nomad: Yes, we got here late yesterday. James came over for a couple of hours this morning when Tony was taking a tour of the labs here.

Uncle Sam: That's good. Did they have to spend time in the same room with each other?

Nomad: No, but that could happen later on this trip once we finish the current mission. Speaking of missions, how is Louisiana going?

Uncle Sam: My new baby nephew is adorable, and my sister almost forgives me for being a fugitive during his birth and subsequent implosion of her marriage. My mother has not.

Nomad: I am sorry. I should've never dragged you into this.

Uncle Sam: you didn't drag me into anything. I went willingly. I could've got your boy to get me a fancy parole situation like Lang earlier, but I didn't. Instead, I spent a year helping you and Widow take down the remnants of the Red Room and the Superior.

Nomad: You have a point.

Uncle Sam: As for my actual mission, Director Rambeau does not have a way to directly contact Nick Fury, or at least not one she's willing to give me. She also doesn't have a way to contact Carol without going through Fury.

Nomad: I'm not surprised. We knew it was a long shot.

Uncle Sam: However, SWORD is on standby to assist in any way they can. Director Rambeau is trying to get her daughter to go with me, but she refuses to.

Nomad: She shouldn't. She should spend as much time with her mother as she can right now.

Uncle Sam: I read what happened in the other timeline, and I agree with you.

Nomad: So, does this mean you're coming here now?

Uncle Sam: That depends. Director Rambeau doesn't have a way to contact Fury, but she does have the name of someone who might be able to. A Dr. Priscilla Davis. Is that name familiar?

xx

"I know that name," Tony says as he reads Steve's phone. Because of the nature of the conversation, Steve knew he was expected to pass the intel on to Tony.

"You do?" Steve asked.

"She's in the toolbox. I called her in after the Ian Quinn impersonator was discovered. She successfully convinced Simmons to release the body to her for a proper burial. I'm 99% sure she's ex-Shield or a member of the same alien race as the Ian Quinn impersonator. She is definitely not an English professor like she's supposed to be. Who knows. I always said Fury's secrets have secrets. That Doctor is definitely one of his secrets." Tony explained to his fiancée.

"You're right about that. Do you think she could be someone that knows where Fury is?" Steve asked as he ran his fingers through Tony's hair. It was comforting to touch him right now. Tony was a solid thing Steve could ground himself with. If he could help it, Tony was not leaving anytime soon. Steve refuses to lose anyone else.

"Or where he's hiding out," Tony responded. "I wouldn't rule out the possibility. Her address is definitely in the part of the world he told Coulson he would be in."

"Can I tell Sam what you know?" Steve asked.

"Yes. Just keep touching me. I'm already feeling less stressed." Tony reached over to kiss him gently.

"I'm feeling better too. I should've gone to you in the lab earlier."

"You needed quality BFF time. I don't want to end up one of those husbands that completely takes over their significant other's life. It's been a rough two days."

"Extremely rough." He said just as he went back to texting Sam.

xxx

Nomad: Tony says yes. She is the person that Tony contacted after we discovered that Ian Quinn was not actually Ian Quinn. She came in and took possession of the body. Tony is pretty sure she's not actually an English professor.

Uncle Sam: Is she a deep cover SHIELD agent? Although, as the new Director, shouldn't your fiancé know that?

Nomad: Tony thinks she is but doesn't know for sure because she's one of Fury's special people. I agree with him.

Uncle Sam: And does your fiancé have an address?

Avenger Ana Junior: I have one, and I am sending the coordinates to you.

Uncle Sam: Thank you, Ana. So, do you want me to find this Dr. Davis, or come to you?

Nomad: Find Dr. Davis. We need Carol here. It's more important than before that she is here. I'm doing better right now. I don't need you to run here for me.

Uncle Sam: OK.

Nomad: I have already lost somebody that I care about. I can't lose anybody else. Carol Danvers might be the key to keeping that from happening.

Uncle Sam: Is this related to what happened in the other timeline? I have questions, but I can't access those files anymore.

Nomad: That information is highly restrictive right now, especially in light of May's sacrifice. I don't want her sacrifice to be in vain. It's more vital that you track down Fury than coming here. I'll be OK.

Uncle Sam: Is this you actually being OK or faking it?

Nomad: I don't know, but I'm working on it. Tony is with me right now, attempting to sleep.

Avenger Ana Junior: [3 images attached]

Uncle Sam: Thank you for sending me pictures of them cuddling. I can see that he's resting. Are you going to join him?

Nomad: I'm working on it.

Uncle Sam: That's all I can ask for.

To be continued…

At this point, we are definitely in our own timeline. However, sometimes, when I'm watching the new material, I think, "I can use this." I find it entirely plausible that Reston is still just a senator in 2018 and may be poised to cause some problems. Dr. Davis is one of my favorite characters from Secret Invasion, and I had to use her. Thankfully, her inclusion is helping me fix a narrative problem I was running into.