Kakashi sent Mystique to infiltrate SHIELD. He explained the mission in detail. He told her about the secret academy hidden inside the organization and the possibility of human experimentation.
Mystique was happy to receive the task. After everything that had happened, having a clear purpose felt good. She felt a little lost after the entire Brotherhood was annihilated at the hands of Jean and then the controller Wanda.
Those losses had left deep wounds in her heart. She did not feel at home with the X-Men and the Avengers yet. The grief over the deaths of both her ex-love Erik and her first friend Charles weighed heavily on her.
Infiltration came naturally to her. It was something she was extremely good at and it gave her confidence. She was especially keen to do the mission after she had heard that the organization might be doing human experimentation.
The thought of innocent people being treated like lab subjects reminded her of the painful past mutants had faced in their original world.
She promised Kakashi she would be careful and gather as much information as possible without getting caught.
While Mystique began investigating the SHIELD Academy that even the director of SHIELD did not know about, Kakashi decided to give the director a visit. He wanted to inform Fury about the new team members.
He appeared with Kamui straight into Fury's office. One moment the room was empty except for the director, and the next moment Kakashi was standing there calmly.
Fury did not even flinch. He simply looked up from his desk with his one good eye. "How do you know when I am in my office? You are always right and I don't stay in my office for too long either," Fury said with a mix of annoyance and curiosity.
"I have you marked," Kakashi simply said, not even in the mood to joke a little. His voice was flat and serious.
Fury leaned back in his chair and studied Kakashi carefully. 'He means the mark that allows him to teleport anywhere? And he looks serious for once. Hmm, he has those glassy eyes that I have seen in so many of the soldiers. Did something happen during his space mission or something? Natasha did not report much and I am sure that she is covering for the Avengers and I can't trust her reports anymore,' Fury thought.
He kept his face neutral but his mind was working fast, trying to read between the lines.
"You are here to report something about your space mission? Any alien invasion that we need to be worried about?" Fury asked, getting straight to business.
"Not yet. I am here to tell you that you can expect some new members in the Avengers," Kakashi replied.
Fury's face turned very serious at that. "People with powers? Or aliens?" he asked sharply.
"People with powers and they are humans. You could say they are like Bruce with some change in their DNA," Kakashi said. He wanted to make sure that the mutants were regarded as humans and not some alien thing like they were treated in their previous universe. He wanted to make sure that mutants were considered humans to prevent any discrimination.
Fury rubbed his temple and sighed. "At least a dozen for now," Kakashi added when Fury asked how many.
Fury's eyes widened. "Where the fuck did you find a dozen super humans out of the blue? And for now… there are more?! Did you find another planet in space with superpowered humans living? Are you fucking building a super human army? Do you know how many headaches that would cause me?" Fury threw his hands up in the air and stood up from his chair.
He paced behind his desk while continuing his rant. "I already have enough trouble explaining the Hulk, Thor, and a ninja with teleporting eyes to the World Security Council. Now you want to drop a dozen more powered people on my lap?"
He stopped pacing and pointed at Kakashi, "I am trying to keep the world from panicking every single day and you are collecting super humans like they are trading cards. What is next? Are you going to bring a team of talking animals or immortal wizards? My blood pressure is already high enough. If you keep this up, I might need Banner to invent a pill strong enough to calm me down."
He sat back down and shook his head. "You better have very good reasons for this, Kakashi. And they better not start any fights on Earth. And can you tell me about their powers and identities?"
Kakashi remained calm through the outburst. "It would be better for me to not tell you. I also would like to keep mum about where I found them and how. I would like you to keep quiet about it even in SHIELD,"
Kakashi said.
Kakashi understand that the situation was delicate and revealing too much could put everyone at risk. Some forces inside SHIELD might not react well to the new arrivals, and he wanted time to settle the mutants properly before any official records were created.
He added in a steady voice, "For now, treat them as new Avengers recruits under my leadership. Their past is complicated and bringing it into the open too soon could cause problems for everyone involved. I am asking for your trust on this. We will share more information when it is safe. Until then, less people know the full story, the better it is for the safety of these people and for the world."
"You want me to hide this from my superiors? Do you want me to get fired?" Fury said angrily. He slammed his hand on the desk lightly. "I already walk a thin line every single day. If the Council finds out I am keeping secrets about a dozen new superhumans, they will not just fire me. They will launch investigations that could tear SHIELD apart. I have spent years building this organization and keeping the world safe. Now you are asking me to risk all of that on blind trust?"
Fury leaned forward with intensity. "I have covered for the Avengers many times. I have bent rules, redirected funds, and lied to powerful people to give you all the space you need. But there is a limit. If I start hiding entire teams of powered individuals, someone will eventually find out. Then it is not just my job on the line. It could be the trust between SHIELD and the Avengers that breaks. I need something more than just your word that this is necessary."
He continued with frustration clear in his voice. "You know how this game works, Kakashi. Secrets inside secrets are dangerous. I have my own people watching my back and others watching for mistakes. If I agree to this, I am putting my neck out further than I ever have. Give me one solid reason why I should not report this immediately and start proper protocols for new enhanced individuals."
Kakashi looked at Fury's serious expression. "You are hiding something from me?" Fury asked directly.
"Yes," Kakashi admitted honestly.
"Then why don't you tell me what you are hiding so that I could help you better," Fury pressed.
"I don't know who is listening so I can't tell you yet," Kakashi dropped a hint and then left with Kamui. He disappeared in a swirl of space and time, leaving the office empty once again.
Fury did not take even a second to understand the hint. He took out a private secured satellite phone and called, "Coulson, bring Hill with you to our safehouse. I need you both now."
-----Author Notes---------
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