THINKING OUT LOUD || Avengers

-)Forty Three: The Lies We Tell Ourselves(-

Nick Fury did not look any nicer.

You would have thought narrowly surviving death for the second time would be cause for celebration. Apparently this was not the case.

The former Director's new headquarters were (for some reason) on the fifteenth floor of a corporate skyscraper in Manhattan, sandwiched between a Subway sales team and a company that made Hello Kitty knockoff onesies for toddlers. The view out the window was a billboard advertising Strepsils.

This could be why the Director's eyebrows were set even lower over his eyes that usual, making frown-records nationwide quake in their boots. Tony Stark sank low in his seat and tried not to feel like he'd been called into the principal's office. Natasha was straight-backed in the chair next to him, watching her ex-boss with a carefully neutral expression.

"I'd like to bring this meeting to order," Nick Fury said, sitting forwards, "By asking Agent Romanoff what the hell she thinks her job is?"

Nat's face didn't shift, "I think you'll find I don't work for you anymore."

"The Avengers." Fury said, as if the words left a bad taste in his mouth, "I created the Avengers, you know that? I fought for this team."

"Yeah. Thanks, Grandad, we're all very grateful." Tony shifted in his seat, "But if you could skip to-"

"I'll get to you in a minute, Stark." Fury shifted his one eye to Tony for a heart-stopping, shit-I'm-going-to-die-now second.

Nat seemed unabashed, "If you don't have anything important to say, we'll be going."

"I gave you a mission, Romanoff." Fury said warningly.

"You are not my boss."

"You really still think that's what any of this is about?" Fury asked, "Bosses, pay checks, chains of command- This is about saving the world. It's about keeping HYDRA away from power, so what happened to SHIELD doesn't happen again."

Nat didn't break eye contact for a second, "It won't. We won't let it."

"Hi." Tony, against his better judgement, inserted himself back into the situation (which was honestly the story of his life), "Just wondering what this is all about."

"Before the raid on the Facility at Saint Eval, I gave Miss Romanoff a little task." Fury explained.

Nat didn't seem satisfied with this explanation, "He told me to kill Dan."

"I'm sorry, what?" Tony's indoor sunglasses slipped down his nose in sudden condescension mode.

Fury rolled his eyes, "And now I guess you're gonna tell me you have problem with this as-"

"A problem?" Tony cut him off, "Damn right, I have a problem. Why the hell is everyone trying to kill this kid?"

"Well-"

"That was a rhetorical question." Tony snapped. He pulled himself up in his chair, "Agent Atteberry is a fundamental good. The most good human being I've ever met- and that includes old Red-White-and-Patriotism. Of course you tried to use her for what she could do, and then of course you tried to kill her. Absolute good isn't great for business round these parts."

Fury was watching Tony with a carefully guarded expression and then gestured to the door, "Fair enough, Stark. You've made your point."

"That's it? You just want me to leave?"

It was Nat who cut in, "No. He wants us to think we've won."

"You might not be working for me anymore, Miss Romanoff, but that doesn't mean no one is." Fury confirmed, "I have other means of cutting loose ends."