Agent Phillip "Cheese" Coulson
"I know what you're doing," came the deceptively even tones of his good eye. Fury squashed the startle impulse to pull his sidearm and aim into the darkness where the voice had come from.
"Stark's taste for melodrama rubbing off on you?" Nick retorted dryly, turning on the lights.
"More like yours," Phil grinned, squinting slightly as his eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness. "I see what you're doing, putting me at ground zero for pretty much every powered meet and greet. Stark I can understand - I'm probably the only agent you have of sufficient clearance that won't shoot him just to shut him up - but Thor? That's a new ballgame, and I get the feeling you're setting me up to be the coach."
Fury's lips stretched into a grin that made the taciturn Director look years younger - and far more sinister. It was, in a word, disturbing.
"Took you long enough, Cheese," Nick confirmed, settling into his chair. "Now, what are you going to do with that information?"
"Why me?"
Fury lifted an eyebrow in silent challenge.
"Hill or Sitwell could have done the same thing."
"I need Hill where she is, and if you think Sitwell has even half your composure you're delusional."
"He does make a good patsy," Coulson murmured softly with a faint half-smile. "So what now? Stark certainly isn't going to quiet down, I have no doubts Thor will be back at some point and Ross certainly doesn't seem willing to let Banner hide. The world is filling up with people that can't be matched. How do we handle this?"
"Let me tell you about the Avengers Initiative..."