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Leila stood in front of the towering building, tapping her foot nervously. It looked like a normal office building on the outside, but it housed the world's most extensive intelligence network. She double-checked the address she'd written down.
The bustling traffic of Washington D.C. hummed behind her. She adjusted the strap of her bag, and with a deep breath she walked in.
The receptionist looked up at her as she stood in front of the desk. "Name and division?"
"Leila Dayne, astrophysics." She said, and he typed a few words into a computer. A whirring of machinery behind the desk signaled something being printed out. The receptionist assembled a badge and handed it to her with a smile.
"Just through there, floor thirteen for training." He pointed to the elevator.
"Thanks," Leila clipped her badge onto her shirt and headed in.
There were two more people on the elevator, both dressed in formal wear. They got out on floor six and Leila rode the rest of the way alone.
There was a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent waiting when she got out of the elevator. She glanced down at Leila's badge and gestured for her to follow her.
The agent led her to a room that functioned as a shooting range. There was nobody else there, but guns and safety equipment were laid out at each station.
"Alright, let's see what you've got." The agent handed Leila a pistol.
"Uh, I've never..." Leila turned the gun over in her hands.
The agent sighed. "Safety's here, gotta release that before you can shoot. Aim through the sight, here. Then pull the trigger." She pointed to each part of the pistol as she spoke.
Leila put a pair of safety goggles on her face and fit ear-protecting headphones over her ears. She raised the gun up and held it with both hands. She released the safety.
"Make sure you keep your feet shoulder-width apart. Inhale as you aim, and exhale when you shoot."
Leila widened her stance. She inhaled deeply, taking in the cold, sterile smell of the training room.
She lined up the sight with the center of the target and pulled the trigger, letting out her breath as she did so. She impulsively squeezed her eyes shut, then once she heard a gunshot and a thud through her muffling headphones, she opened them and saw that she had missed.
Despite her being recruited into S.H.I.E.L.D. as a consultant, Leila was required to undergo basic combat training. Over the next few weeks, she would participate in weapons and hand-to-hand training, as well as classes that went over S.H.I.E.L.D. procedure.
"Try it again. Don't take such a deep breath this time, it made your hands move. And keep your eyes open."
After about fifteen more rounds, the agent patted Leila on the arm. "Let's take a few."
