Kakashi arrived in front of dozens of reporters. They came from different media companies and from different countries.
Cameras flashed at him. Microphones were pointed toward the stage.
Everyone wanted to hear about the Avengers. The organisation that would be responsible for the safety of Earth from aliens and other super-powered threats that might come.
Kakashi walked up to the microphone stand. Phil Coulson stood behind him. Coulson handed him a script. Kakashi gave it a quick glance. He did not need to read every word. He already knew what to say. He cleared his throat and spoke into the microphone.
"Good evening, everyone. You might have seen me fighting the alien invaders. My name is Kakashi Hatake. I have been assigned as the leader of the Avengers."
A murmur passed among the gathered crowd. Reporters whispered to each other. Some wrote notes quickly. Others adjusted their cameras.
The name sounded foreign to most of them. They had seen the footage. They had seen the blue energy giant. They had seen the lightning spears. They had seen the black orb that crushed thousands of aliens. Now they wanted to know more about the man behind the mask.
Kakashi continued in a calm voice.
"The Avengers is a world council authorised organisation. We will work for the safety of Earth from threats that the military cannot handle. I want to make sure that we are not weapons that can be used by any country against another. We are independent. Our goals are for the safety of Earth from super-powered threats. Now you can ask your questions."
The first question came from a reporter in the front row.
"Why is not Captain America, the hero of World War Two, the leader of the Avengers? Would he not be better suited to lead the group considering his experience?"
Kakashi answered without hesitation.
"I am the leader because you can say that I do not hold citizenship to any nation. To make it fair for every nation in the world, it was decided to put me in this position. No doubt, Captain America would have been an amazing leader. He would not have been biased to any nation. But for the mental peace of all leaders and nations, it was decided that I take the position."
The reporters wrote quickly. Some nodded. Others looked thoughtful. The answer made sense to them. It showed fairness between countries.
Another reporter raised her hand.
"Who all are part of the Avengers currently?"
Kakashi listed the names clearly.
"The people who are part of the Avengers currently are nine, including me. They are Bruce Banner who is also the Hulk, Emil Blonsky who goes by Abomination, Carl Creel, Captain America, Black Widow also known as Natasha Romanoff, Hawkeye, Tony Stark also known as Iron Man, and Thor."
Kakashi thought to himself, 'Well, Creel would be pretty happy right now after seeing that he had finally officially become a hero. He might still complain about not having a hero name.'
A reporter from the back shouted the next question.
"What can you tell us about the aliens that attacked New York City and why did they attack us?"
Kakashi wanted to say the truth. He wanted to explain that S.H.I.E.L.D. and some of the government higher ups had decided to mess with things that they should not which resulted in an alien army coming towards Earth. But he had to follow the script.
"We have only gathered that they are a race called Chitauri. We are still gathering more intel regarding this."
He kept the answer vague. He did not mention Thanos. He did not mention the millions more Chitauri waiting in space. The world was not ready for that truth yet. It would only cause panic.
Another reporter stood up.
"Hulk has been responsible for a lot of infrastructure damage before he became part of the Avengers. So was Abomination. Thor is an alien if our sources are to be believed. Why should we trust in the monsters? And why should an alien be part of what is going to be called Earth's mightiest heroes?"
Kakashi sighed. He knew this question would come. He looked straight at the reporter.
"First, Hulk and Abomination are the result of a military experiment gone wrong. So let us not call them monsters. These monsters, after all, would save your lives if aliens invade."
He glared at the reporter who asked the question. He spoke without mincing his words.
"They are trying to control their abilities. I assure you that they would not destroy infrastructure... without any good reason."
He added the last part after some thought.
"As for Thor, Earth has entered into an alliance with his birthplace, Asgard. They will help us defend ourselves. Thor is here to enforce that deal."
The reporter sat down. He looked uncomfortable under Kakashi's stare.
Next question came from a woman near the front.
"Where will your headquarters be?"
"The Stark Tower will be turned into Avengers Tower. The entire project is being funded by Tony Stark himself. So you do not have to worry about your taxes going to us."
Kakashi tried to add some humour in his answer. Tony had suggested it that it would be good.
The crowd stayed silent. The joke did not land. Some people shifted in their seats. The silence felt awkward.
Kakashi coughed once.
"Next question please."
A tall reporter stood up.
"Who are you really? We saw you with powers that could destroy entire cities. How can we be sure that you will not destroy what you are willing to protect if you want to be a dictator or something? And what is the source of your abilities?"
Kakashi answered carefully.
"The other Avengers would step in to stop me if that ever comes to that."
Before he could continue, Coulson stepped forward with a couple more S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. Coulson spoke into the microphone.
"That will be all for today, gentlemen. Kakashi has his duties to attend to now."
The agents moved quickly. They formed a line around Kakashi. They guided him away from the stage. Reporters shouted more questions. People pushed forward. But the agents kept them back. Kakashi walked through the crowd without looking back.
He heard the questions fade behind him.
"Where are you from?"
"Are you human?"
"What is under the mask?"
Kakashi kept walking. The agents formed a tight circle around him. They led him to a waiting black car. The door opened. Kakashi stepped inside. The door closed. The car pulled away from the crowd.
Inside the car, Coulson sat next to him.
"Good job," Coulson said. "You kept it short and vague. Just like we needed."
Kakashi leaned back in the seat.
"It was a drag," he said.
-----Author Notes---------
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