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Nicholas J. Fury heard the security being disabled from the outside. He shifted slightly in his chair, he has been waiting. The first beeped twice, the second calmmed the hum, and the third announced the intruder.
Fury looked at his Rolex to see that she is late, one minute and forty-four seconds. He should fire her for her tardiness; he would if he could. For a moment something like guilt raised within him.
"You're late."
Maria Hill walked in with all the confidence that conferred her former position, a motorcycle helmet cradled with her left. She shifted the helmet to her right to look at her watch for the time.
"More accurately I'm one minute and thirty three seconds late, your second hand is probably off, Sir. I would get that fixed.” Hill said without missing a beat.
His gut told him she was late on purpose. She's a little mad at him.
He gave a shrug, “You would have been on time - had you disabled the second alarm faster.”
Maria's icy eyes narrowed towards her former CO. A moment passed before she spoke.
“In my defense, I would like to bring up the fact that I am the one taking the fall for SHIELD, you being dead and all," she responded.
As she continues speaking her eyes wander taking in her surroundings, "I've got every letter agency worth mentioning tailing me, sir."
There was a notable pause after.
"I was waiting outside. I didn't know if I wanted to come in at all"
The former deputy director of S.H.I.E.L.D is standing halfway between himself and the door – her posture guarded and alert. Fight or flight, his XO was always ready to do both. She was always ready for anything.
Fury took off his shades revealing his eyes that hid behind them.
"Nice suit” He cracked a rare amused smile.
Hill looked down at her suit and smoothed out two rather superficial wrinkles on her otherwise impeccable expensive tailored suit.
"Fioravanti. Pepper insist that I look presentable at all times." she said, rather mockingly, "And frankly sir, you look like a hobo."
"It's a phase. I call it ‘living under the bridge’ look."
Former Agent Hill got a call from Pepper right then. She paced around with her cell to her ear. His number two doesn’t even bother to look somewhat apologetic. Maria Hill answered to other, more important, people these days. He is itching to ask if that phone can be tracked but it’s a dumb question and he really hated dumb questions.
“No Pepper. Do not allow Tony to do that,” Maria said at first, shaking her head. “No. Yes. No. Certainly not. Romanoff? Not a good idea. Natasha can do it but. Pepper don’t hang up.”
"She hung up on me" Fury simply raised an eyebrow in response.
"Five times I got bump into today; once involved coffee and the next person who came within 2 meters with me with anything with liquid saw the ground before they knew what was happening." Copious amounts of annoyance spewed from her lips.
"You're getting sloppy. That is not the agent SHIELD trained." Fury remained still in his chair, in this secret hideout, away from prying eyes.
Hill finally made a move to take the only other chair in the massive area; her strides long and heels echoing with rhythmic collisions to the concrete floor. Fury’s gaze followed her motions.
"I sent the dry cleaning bill to his supervisor and a strong recommendation to demote each and every one of them. Also to tell that new CIA director to kick it as well."
"Jackson? That spineless nitwit. Won’t last the month." Maria nodded in agreement.
"These amateurs are trying to put bugs on me, like I wouldn't notice." She rolled her eyes as she thought about what her life had become.
She changed subjects, "How did Phil take it?" Hill finally asked. Her angled face held a half smile.
"What did you think? You knew the man. It was like giving a shit load of candy to a child" the former director mused.
The entirely of their professional relationship was founded on doublespeak and lies. Yet there was still a sense of understanding between them. This was one of the pieces are falling in place with lots of moving parts in a grander plan that only a few fingers Fury's hand were privy to. He suspects that it is his second knew far more than what he pieces he had given to her.
"He deserves it after all we did to him. Phil needs a reason to keep going, to believe in. I don't want to take that away from him." Hill paused and smiles wryly. “I felt like I kicked a puppy telling him there was: No we. No S.H.I.E.L.D. No you.” What Maria told Coulson wasn’t lies; just she had framed it in a way that wasn’t the truth… not exactly. She was exactly like Fury sometimes.
“I gave him what he needed, what S.H.I.E.L.D needs right now. Not what he deserved or wants. Hell if everyone got what they deserved I wouldn’t know if I would be sitting on gold polishing all my medals on some sandy beach or having sharks and whatever the hell is in the ocean eating me alive.”
It’s an image that the former deputy director doesn’t quite get her head around.
“S.H.I.E.L.D doesn’t need either one of us right now” Maria agreed with Fury on this. “Especially not me. Or you without me. No offence, sir.” Hill smiles at the end cause in the end she’s throwing shit around.
“I’m not sure why I put up with you.”
“Because you are not stupid. And you need me”
“I am sure am glad that you aren’t either but not about the part needing you. You can’t tell a man he needs a babysitter.”
“Then find a wife.”
“I have one.”
“No you don’t.”
“I don’t but that’s beside the point. I should’ve asked Coulson to be here instead.”
“That’s a farce and you know it, Sir. I would be mildly offended if I didn’t like Coulson despite his puppy dog eyes that he uses to manipulate.”
Her eyes slit slightly thinking about how Phil always gets away with everything. It’s all in the eyes.
“Perhaps.”
Silence encroached their conversation.
Fury leaned back and grins almost manically, "He did have those puppy dog eyes when I told him he was the next director and an Avenger.”
“Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. At one time I thought wanted that. Not now, not anymore.” She said dolefully.
Fury remained blank at her admission. He isn’t sure if she truly believed it herself. Maria opens her mouth as if to say something but stops to reconsider. Instead she settles on something else.
“You threw in that line about only he was the only one you trusted on this? Cause you say that to everyone. Even me, who you do not trust."
Fury laughed because it was true. “I don’t even trust myself. And neither should you.”
His new first rule was to never completely trust anyone, especially an S.H.I.E.L.D agent who could also be H.Y.D.R.A.
It was short huffs that hinted of broken ribs, fractured sternum and a perforated lung that hasn't quite completely healed even if he carried himself like he was completely fine, Hill noted.
She had noticed quite a few other things earlier: the damage in the steel hull near the engine of the helicopter that was parked next to them, how the room smelled of propellant – most likely he was going to burn this place down after, the way he held his shoulder hinting at a far older injury.
"You also asked him what does S.H.I.E.L.D means, didn’t you.” Hill continued to reveal that she knew her boss far better than any spy would like. “You asked me that the first time we met."
"I don't remember the first time we met" Fury said in a tone absent of deceit. It was easier to assume they were all lies quite frankly and looked for the truth in his words.
“ Madripoor." She paused as memories of another life sunk in. “We stopped a lot of shit from happening, together but you just disappeared before the dust settled. In the end everyone gave me credit for what happened and I am no hero.”
She continued, “I gave an accurate report to my superiors. Wrote in your involvement, every detail. But in the end it was edited to oblivion, there is no mention of you at all; I’ve read every report from that day. Respectfully, you are full of shit, Sir."
"I don't know what you are talking about. I, Nick Fury, never let people take credit they don’t earn. And I've never stepped foot in Madripoor. Not in this lifetime anyways. Not in that shithole."
Hill almost laughed. She cocked her head to the side and held one of three default expression she has for Fury. "I would be a terrible second if I didn't know how to wade through all your bullshit.
Half lies, half-truths, shitty riddles and 100% full of shit that keeps saving the world.
“Stop with the goddam sirs. You said it yourself I look like a hobo."
“You didn’t come out of the shadows to tell me that.” These meetups were incredibly risky even if they were the best at their jobs.
“No.” Fury furrowed through his hobo jacket for a small folded up piece of paper and he passed it to Hill who unfolded it to read its contents. “That is what I need you for.”
“It’s some sort of code…” She looked at the expression Fury is giving her. Nothing. “And you’re not going to tell me what it is for.” Maria made a statement. Fury never tells her anything nicely wrapped with all the facts. If Fury had his way she would be answering riddles for her morning cup of espresso.
Fury really stared into her eyes. “Right. If you can’t figure it out, I chose wrong all this time.”
Maria Hill’s cool eyes that stared back at him are defiant and hauntingly sharp.
She had enough for tonight and broke eye contact. She’s itching out of these clothes and she is constructing multiple plans on how she is going to evade and humiliate all the agents waiting outside her apartment.
“If that is all I’m heading out. I have a boring ass meeting early tomorrow. This-“ she waves it around in the air “-should keep me mentally stimulated for the duration. Goodnight, Sir.”
Her heels obnoxiously started clacking once again on the hard concrete as she heads to the exit.
Fury paid attention to the sounds when it dawns on him something he missed the first time she walked it. He can’t help but to wonder if he had asked her about her left knee, if his deputy would deny it. He doesn’t ask.
Fury wondered if he is becoming too attached to his fingers.
Nick Fury is somewhat surprised to hear her voice once again, “S.W.O.R.D.”
Each letter sounded out. She’s almost out the door just standing there her figure towering. Hill’s back is to him, her eyes looking forward. His mouth curves upwards. He’s been smiling way too often lately for a dead man.
Hill clarified, “You need a SWORD to cut off heads of HYDRA not a SHIELD. I’ll figure out the rest of this later.”
“You go do that.” He doesn’t say it but he manages to be a little proud.
It was this day many many years ago that they first met. Nick Fury thought it was appropriate to give her a little present.
Hill doesn’t reply and Fury watches his protégé walk away into the brisk night. The loud hum of the engines reves up frantically and then fades slowly but eventually. He finally sits alone and it feels cold and warm all at once.
She’s half right. You need both.
Hill entered Avengers Towers through the front and goes straight to find Pepper.
"I need a quinjet right now" she demanded once Pepper Pots was in hearing range.
"Hello to you too. You can't go we have a meeting tomorrow." Pepper said but her fingers are already typing on her phone. "Few things on your desk as well."
Maria tries to look somewhat sorry, "I know. I may miss it but there is something I need to do."
"Alright, but you have to promise drinks tomorrow night. Natasha is in town." Pepper said a little too gleefully.
"Wouldn't want to miss it." Hill said, and she actually means it. They haven't had girl's night in a while.
She reached the top of the tower to wait for the quinjet. Her ride arrived not soon after. She quinted as the air around her whips around as the quinjet is about to land. As soon as the it hits the tarp right next to her, the pilot door opened.
"So I hear you need a ride."
It's Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow, Hill smiled genuinely.
"Good. Person I wanted to see anyways. I got something from a ghost." She held up a folded piece of paper from earlier.
"I think you might want in."