Chapter Text
Steve looked around the table, shaking his head at Tony who was poking Bruce with a pencil while the curly haired scientist read something on a padd that sat in front of him. Natasha ignored everyone at the table, silently twirling a knife in her hand. Thor just sat quietly in his seat beside Steve. And Clint, he had no idea where Clint was, he hadn't come in the room with them.
"Where's Barton?" Sitwell asked, stepping into the room followed closely by Coulson. Sitwell sat the pile of folders he was carrying down on the table after Phil did the same with the stack he was holding.
"Right here" Clint's voice replied from the ceiling, causing Tony and Sitwell to jump. Clint slid the grate of a vent over in the ceiling and poked his head out with a wave.
"I should be used to that by now" Sitwell commented.
"You really should" Phil agreed, reaching up and grabbing Clint's hand briefly when he waved it in the air.
"Shouldn't you be telling him to get down?" Sitwell asked.
"No, he's fine where he is" Phil replied, raising an eyebrow at Sitwell who was standing in the room in front of the door. Sitwell looked confused for a few seconds, before Phil looked pointedly at the door and Sitwell got the hint and left.
"Now, we can move on to the reason you were all called in. SHIELD has agreed to work with another team based in New York to promote good publicity for them. Fury wants The Avengers to work with them, show the press and the world that they are not a threat. Unfortunately, despite the good they have done since their first appearance, they are considered dangerous and evil. SHIELD has been keeping them out of the public eye as much as we are able, we believe however that if we show the world they are not a threat, they can be an asset to SHIELD, as well as The Avengers" Phil explained.
"Who are they?" Steve asked.
"The X-Men, a team of super powered humans, or Mutants as they are called. Founded by Professor Charles Xavier, who built a school, as a safe haven for mutant kind. Professor Xavier is a mutant himself, a high level telepath. You will be working with only a select few of the X-Men, chosen by Xavier, these files on the table before you is their code names and what SHIELD has on their abilities" Phil said, handing a file to each member at the table and holding one up to the ceiling, which Clint grabbed out of his hand.
"'Storm' able to manipulate the weather, extremely powerful" Tony read aloud "Sounds like Thor"
"She can create thunder" Clint commented from the ceiling.
"Yes, now if we can please move along, we do have to meet them today" Phil said.
"Wait, where are all of them staying?" Tony asked, looking up from the file he was reading.
"SHIELD will assign them barracks once they arrive" Phil replied.
"Barracks? You want them to assist us in the future and you’re going to put them in the barracks?" Tony asked.
"Where do you think we should put them Stark?" Phil asked, raising an eyebrow.
"A hotel or something" Tony replied.
"We do not have the money in the budget to put them in a hotel for several months" Phil replied.
"They can stay at the Tower, there’s enough room, and it'll be more efficient if they’re helping us then staying in the barracks" Tony replied.
"That is a very nice offer, but it is also up to the rest of the team" Phil replied, a little surprised that Tony had offered to let them stay at the tower.
"I don't care, long as they don't touch my stuff," Clint spoke up from the ceiling; Natasha nodded her head in agreement.
"It would be most enjoyable" Thor said with a smile.
"I don't see a problem,” Steve agreed.
"It's alright with me,” Bruce added.
"Alright, we'll let them know when they arrive" Phil nodded, pulling out his phone to text Fury the change in plans.