Chapter 82: Director Coulson

A/N: Phil Coulson is called before the World Security Council!

-x-X-x-

The last few weeks had been hard on Agent Phil Coulson. Both before and after the day of Project Insight's launch. It had just been one hit after the other ever since they'd first begun hunting the Clairvoyant down, really. When Coulson had initially realized that the Clairvoyant had to be a SHIELD Agent with a high clearance level to know the things they knew, his blood had run cold.

But then… it'd turned out to be so much more than that. It wasn't a matter of the Clairvoyant being a crooked SHIELD Agent. Rather, the truth was… SHIELD wasn't what any of them thought it was. It had never been what Coulson thought it was. Hollowed out from the inside from damn near the moment of its birth by HYDRA, used as a veneer for decades to carry out their despicable acts… SHIELD was a shell. And Coulson was part of their damn façade.

Finding out that Garret was the Clairvoyant almost paled in comparison to that. Finding out that even Grant Ward was HYDRA… well, that rattled Phil to his very core, even if he'd done his best to bottle his emotions like he always did. At least Ward was the only traitor on his team. Most SHIELD cells couldn't say the same thing. The overall split was sixty-forty from what Coulson was hearing… in HYDRA's favor.

It was enough to rock him to his foundations, truth be told. It left him questioning what the point of it all was, frankly. Did anything he ever do matter? Did anything SHIELD had ever done matter, or were even the good actions completely and utterly tainted by HYDRA's lurking presence and the way they'd benefited from the cover SHIELD provided?

… No. In the end, Coulson had managed to steady himself despite the numerous hits he and his team had taken over the last few weeks. It was because of his team that he'd decided he had to stay strong. Agent Melinda May, Fitz and Simmons… even newly appointed Agent Skye. And wasn't that a laugh? Skye had wound up making SHIELD Agent Level One literally a week before HYDRA had tried to take over the world. To say nothing of the romantic feelings she and Agent Ward had for one another that Phil had foolishly chosen to turn a blind eye towards.

For Skye and the others, he had done his best to keep things together. The one good thing out of this mess was that the World Security Council had not only survived HYDRA's assassination attempt but had managed to gain access to HYDRA's files. ALL of them. It made it quite easy to know who was SHIELD and who was HYDRA when you had JARVIS, Stark's AI, giving you names and evidence.

With JARVIS at their back and the WSC's orders to follow, Phil had managed to make amends with Victoria Hand, and together they'd taken down Garret and Ward… as well as any other HYDRA that JARVIS hadn't dealt with himself. Neither man had allowed themselves to be taken alive, but Phil couldn't bring himself to mind their deaths too much. The only thing that really mattered was how Ward's death might effect Skye in the long term. For now, the team had come together around her. That would have to be good enough.

As for Phil himself… here he was in the Triskelion. The place was remarkably pristine for what had happened here only a couple weeks ago. As he rides the elevator, staring out down at the concrete promenade below, it's a little startling to see people moving back and forth down there, like nothing ever even happened. Except it's impossible for him to fail to notice just how few people there are.

Normally, at this time of day there might be over a hundred people scurrying across the promenade at any given time. Right now there's mere dozens. Even if everyone is carrying on like nothing happened, the signs of what did happen aren't so easily vanished away, Coulson supposes.

Arriving at his ultimate destination, Phil finds himself waved through not by a human secretary, but by a green light over the door that leads into the World Security Council's chambers. Apparently, they're waiting for him.

Well, in a way. The only other actual human being in the room when Coulson steps through is Tony Stark. The other three members of the World Security Council are all connecting in via holograms, seated and watching on as Tony gives Phil a brief grin. Needless to say, the SHIELD Agent doesn't return it. Instead, he simply takes his place in front of the Council and sets his stance, clasping his arms behind his back.

"Council Members."

Councilwoman Pamela Hawley is the first to speak, leaning forward as though to get a better look at him.

"Agent Coulson. Thank you for answering this summons with expediency."

He'd been tempted to drag his feet, truth be told. Mostly because he wasn't sure what the hell they wanted with him. An after-action report? JARVIS already knew everything that had occurred pretty much everywhere from what Phil was aware. On the Bus, at the Hub, at the Academy, on the Iliad… everywhere Phil had checked in with, the story was the same. The Stark AI was there, and in many cases was the primary reason that the truly loyal members of SHIELD hadn't fallen to their undercover HYDRA counterparts.

Not just because of the intelligence JARVIS had provided, but also in other ways as well, including armored drones that had subsequently neutralized the larger concentrations of HYDRA operatives outside of Project Insight. Though from what Phil had heard, JARVIS had dealt with that last part as well, by and large.

The real reason Phil hadn't dragged his heels in answering the WSC's call was simple… he was half-expecting them to tell him the entirety of SHIELD was being shutdown with all personnel to be reassigned. And if that were the case, Phil owed it to his team to learn as much as early as humanly possible so he could relay the information and keep them from being completely blinded.

Not that he had any idea what he would be doing if they were shutting down SHIELD. He'd spent the better part of his life working for the organization under Director Nick Fury. The idea of not just Fury, but also SHIELD being gone… it didn't sit well with him. Needless to say, he kept that off his face though.

"Of course, Councilwoman. I can only hope my loyalty to SHIELD and the World Security Council isn't in question."

That prompts a soft chuckle from Tony's corner… soft enough that the rest of the World Security Council's mikes might not have picked it up because none of them react to it. Instead, its Councilman Singh who speaks next.

"It is not, Agent Coulson. In fact, the way you and your team have conducted yourselves has been nothing short of exemplary."

Coulson allows himself a single languid blink at that, but no further reaction. He isn't sure if he completely agrees with Singh's words. Not always, anyways. Still, he's not about to speak up to correct the man. Instead, he takes the compliment.

"Thank you sir."

Councilman Yen leans forward and interjects after that.

"You and your team's actions during the attempted takeover by HYDRA have especially caught our attention. Your dogged hunt of the Clairvoyant, as well as the quick action regarding the traitorous Agents such as Garrett and Ward, is to be commended."

Again, Coulson decides to just take the compliment. Though, he doesn't even get a chance to express his gratitude before Councilwoman Hawley speaks up again.

"Indeed. Unlike others, such as Agent Victoria Hand, you were not led astray at any point in your pursuit of the Clairvoyant. And when you found out about HYDRA, you did not let it distract you from what needed to be done."

… Alright, that was laying it on a little bit too thick. Eyes narrowing, Phil Coulson finally finds himself forced to interject.

"Respectfully, Council Members… I have to disagree."

Stark is grinning like the cat who caught the canary, for all that he hasn't said a single word since Phil stepped into the room. Meanwhile, the other members of the World Security Council all pause, giving him slightly surprised looks.

"Oh? And why is that, Agent Coulson?"

Back still ramrod straight, head held high, Phil explains.

"John Garrett managed to fool me and my team for quite some time. At one point he had us convinced that Victoria Hand was the Clairvoyant, just as he convinced Agent Hand that we were in league with the Clairvoyant. And we were, even if we didn't know it. Likewise, without the timely intervention of JARVIS, we would have never realized Grant Ward's duplicity until it was too late. His true nature as a HYDRA Operative was something I never picked up on, and I should have."

Phil takes a quick breath and forges on when none of them take advantage of the moment to interrupt him.

"Once we all finally understood what was going on, it was only through the combined efforts of Agent Hand and her people as well as my team that we were able to take down Garrett, Ward, and the other HYDRA operatives with minimal loss of life. Respectfully Council Members, I don't believe that I handled the situation any better than Agent Hand did. We both did what we could with the cards we were given and acted with the best interests of SHIELD and the world in mind at every turn."

There's a pause as he finishes speaking. Then, a slow clap starts… from Tony Stark of all people. Fortunately he only claps a few times before standing from his seat and sauntering out in front of the other, holographic members of the World Security Council.

"Well? There you have it. Was I right or was I right?"

Coulson furrows his brow, even as the others exchange looks with one another for a moment. Finally, Councilwoman Hawley sighs.

"It would seem your assessment of the situation was correct, Stark. Still, I don't fully understand why Commander Gonzales is disqualified."

Commander Gonzales? It takes Phil a moment to place the name. Robert Gonzales is the Commanding Officer aboard the SHIELD Aircraft Carrier known as the Iliad. Not a Helicarrier of course, but a normal Aircraft Carrier… still, from what Phil had heard, the Iliad had remained under SHIELD's control despite efforts from imbedded HYDRA agents to take it over.

Tony waves a hand dismissively at Hawley's hologram, however.

"Robert Gonzales is a fine Commander, but he's old. We all know, whether we want to admit it or not, that this is a young man's game. We want to project strength, and white hair just doesn't cut it."

He's starting to think he doesn't know what's going on here. And yet, the more the World Security Council talks around the issue, the more Phil puts the pieces together. He would have to be an idiot not to get what they're talking about, after all. Even if they haven't come out and said it outright… well, he IS an Agent of SHIELD. They're meant to be rather observant by default.

"What about Commander Maria Hill, Council Members?"

Tony turns to him at that, grinning even wider than before. The other members of the Council all have more surprised reactions than that, a little shocked. Councilman Singh even narrows his eyes in suspicion.

"What about her, Agent Coulson? You do not know what we speak of. Hell, you shouldn't even know she's still alive. Unless… Stark, did you prep your candidate ahead of time?"

Rolling his eyes, Tony shakes his head.

"Don't be paranoid, Singh. You can look through the communication records. Coulson had no idea what we were dragging him here for. In fact, his last conversations with his team were about the possibility of SHIELD disbanding. I didn't prepare him for anything… he's just smart enough to read between the lines. Aren't you, Agent?"

Okay, first of all, that was a little creepy that Stark knew exactly what they'd talked about last. Then again, it wasn't like Phil had much room to talk. Secondly…

"You're discussing who the next Director of SHIELD will be. And for some ungodly reason, you're considering me for the position. As for how I know Maria is alive… she did contact me to let me know, once it was safe to do so. Her survival was only secret because of the threat posed by HYDRA, so I suppose she thought the threat had passed. I have not, however, passed the information onto anyone else, including my team."

As the rest of the WSC takes a moment to mull over his words, Tony gestures, smiling brightly.

"And there you have it. Gonzales is too old and best kept where he's excelled, in command of an important posting like the Iliad. Hand is too ambitious. She threw Agent Coulson under the bus in a meeting similar to this one just yesterday, using the opportunity to push him down while lifting herself up. And Hill is disinterested in the position, preferring to stay as Deputy Director to whoever we replace Fury with. I'd say that leaves just one candidate for the job. And he's standing right in front of all of you."

Him. As Director of SHIELD. Phil doesn't even know how to feel about the idea. No wait, he does. It utterly terrifies him. There's no way he's the best option on the table. There's no way he's the man for the job.

"He's a personal student of Director Fury. And Fury was HYDRA's patsy, from beginning to end."

Oh. He didn't know his blood could boil. But that comment has Phil clenching his hands into fists. Only a subtle hand motion from Stark keeps him from speaking up in the dead Director's defense. Instead, it's Tony who does the talking.

"Nicholas J. Fury and I might not have always seen eye to eye, but there were still a few things we agreed on. One of them was that this world needed to be protected. Not just from itself, but from the threats beyond our planet's atmosphere, lurking out there in the long dark. Another was the competency of this man. Yes, Agent Coulson was mentored by Director Fury. I think that makes him more qualified for the job, not less."

There's a pause at that as the rest of the Council shares looks. Finally, Hawley nods, apparently speaking for all of them.

"Very well. We'll try it your way, Stark. Congratulations on your promotion, Director Coulson. But be advised that the World Security Council will be watching very closely. Director Fury might not have been HYDRA, but if there's one thing the last few weeks have taught us, it's that we all grew lax in our oversight duties for SHIELD. Nothing like what happened with Project Insight can ever be allowed to happen again."

Mouth dry, Phil nevertheless manages a nod and a clipped response.

"On that we are in agreement, ma'am."

The holograms hosting the three remote Council Members shut off after that and suddenly Coulson finds himself alone with Tony Stark. Staring at the other man, the SHIELD Agent… now SHIELD Director, finds himself unable to resist saying something that's been plaguing his mind for years now.

"Fury thought I was your man, Stark. He sidelined me after the invasion because of that. Technically a promotion with my own specialized team and everything, but he distanced himself from me because he thought I was working for you."

Stark raises an eyebrow, still grinning.

"Is there a question in there, Director Coulson?"

Narrowing his eyes, Phil considers whether it's worth asking. Was he Stark's man all along and he just didn't know it? Was Fury right to have sidelined him or was it just one of many mistakes Coulson had found out these past few weeks that the previous Director had made over his tenure? Because quite frankly, as much as Phil would always respect Fury and all he'd done both for Coulson personally and SHIELD as a whole… the fact was, HYDRA had used Fury from start to finish. A large black mark on an otherwise sterling record.

… Except, as he stares at Stark, Coulson realizes he doesn't need to know. Not truly. None of it matters now. HYDRA is defeated. Fury is dead, rest in peace. And whether he was unknowingly Stark's man all along or not doesn't matter, because now he IS Stark's man whether he likes it or not. Tony Stark is a member of the World Security Council… and Phil Coulson is the Director of SHIELD.

For the sake of his team and the world at large, Coulson can't bring himself to turn down the role and all the power and authority that comes with it. So really, there was only one thing to ask Stark now.

"Any orders for me before I head out, sir?"

He's expecting to be dismissed. Instead, Tony's grin turns slightly apologetic.

"Ah. Unfortunately, yes. Your first mission, Director. You'll be debriefing President Ellis about this whole debacle for us."

… What?

"He hasn't already been debriefed?"

Stark has the audacity to pout.

"It's been a hectic couple of weeks! Sure, he knows some things… but no, nobody from our end has sat down with him yet. That'll be you, so get your butt over to the White House on the double Director!"

The cheeky grin at the end there almost makes Phil roll his eyes. Almost. But that's what Stark wants him to do. So instead, after giving the other man his most deadpan stare, he simply nods.

"Understood, Councilman."

Tony laughs, but it's the delighted laugh of a man who's lost this round, Phil can't help thinking as he heads back to the elevator. He takes some measure of solace in that, even as he pulls out his phone and begins making plans for transport to the White House so he can debrief the President of the United States about the attempted takeover of that 'free world' he was supposed to be the leader of.

-x-X-x-

A/N: Originally I had considered writing out Coulson and President Ellis' talk as its own chapter. But the more I thought about it, the more it felt kind of pointless and like it was just bloating the story even more than it already was, so I cut that chapter from my plans.

So for those who might be interested, this is how that conversation goes, albeit with more nuance and subtlety of course.

President Ellis: So Stark finally stopped pretending he didn't already own the world?

Director Coulson: Yep.

President Ellis: Thank god for term limits, two more years and I'm out of this bitch.

Director Coulson: *Quietly jealous.*

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