Red Thorn

Prologue

July 2011

"I have assigned an agent to help with your rehabilitation," a tall, tanned man with an eyepatch explained to the long presumed to be dead, Captain America. He'd earlier introduced himself as Colonel Nicholas Fury, Director of SHIELD when the Star-Spangled Man with a plan had run through the streets of New York and into Times Square. "The temporary accommodation we have set up for you is right across the hall from their apartment."

"Thank you, Sir, it's much appreciated," Steve said, thankful that he might not feel completely isolated in this strange world he'd been thrust into. "What's his name?"

"You can call her Agent Red," Fury deadpanned.

"Her?"

"Yes, her." The director glared at him with his one good eye. "Will that be a problem?"

"Not at all," the tall blonde assured. "I find it admirable how far we have come in such a short time."

A slight smirk on his lips, he said, "You were asleep for almost seventy years, Captain. It's hardly been a short time."

"It took until 1920 for women to have the right to vote," Steve shot back without missing a beat. "And when I went in the ice, there were very few women in the forces. I counted twelve amongst the agents pointing at me with riffles down in the street. In my eyes, that's coming a long way in a short amount of time."

"That's a fair point," the Director admitted, unable to find fault in his reasoning. "Either way, Agent Red is one of our best, some would wager she is the best—"

"Would you?" the super soldier cut in. "Wager that she is the best."

"Personally, I am not a gambler," he stated. "However, I will say that she is the best at what she does." He paused and Steve nodded, before adding, "But then again, there is no one quite like the Red Thorn."

The American Hero furrowed his brows at the unfamiliar name. "Red Thorn?" he questioned.

"Another one of Agent Red's aliases," he said, as though it were obvious. "Most of the intelligence community doesn't believe she exists, those who do call her the Red Thorn. She is a ghost story, even to my own agents. I can count the amount of people who know her true identity on one hand."

"May I ask why all the secrecy?"

"I compartmentalise, Captain," Fury pointed out, "I do not have secrets."

"That still doesn't answer my question," he said, sitting tall.

"It's safer."

"For who?"

"For all."

Folding his arms across his chest, Steve said, "I doubt that."

"I would be disappointed if you didn't. I am the first to admit that I do not always know what is best for my agents, but in this instance, I do," he told the sceptical man sat opposite him.

With a sigh, Steve bit his tongue, not wanting to offend the man in charge of his rehabilitation. "I will have to trust your judgement."

"You will," the spy confirmed.

"When might I be meeting this ghost?" he asked.

Looking down at the files on his desk, then back up to the man out of time, Fury said, "She will be over sometime in the next few days."

"Then I shall make sure the place stays clean," he stated.

The Director of SHIELD cocked an amused eyebrow at him. "I wouldn't imagine you to be much of a slob."

"That depends on your definition of such a thing," Captain Rogers joked, his first attempt since the forties. It seemed that his humour hadn't improved during his time in the ice.

"I'm pretty sure the state of your apartment will be perfectly adequate for her visits," he said, before adding in a more serious tone, "She will have seen much worse on the job."

"I don't doubt that she has." Steve knew that as an agent, she would have seen worse, but that didn't mean he wasn't at least going to make an effort, she was helping him after all. "Speaking of my apartment," he added, "Would it be possible for someone to show me to where I will be staying?"

"Of course, Agent Rumlow will be here shortly to show you to your new home." He paused slightly. "As for Agent Red..."

"Understood, Sir," the Captain said. "Her assignment shall remain at our discretion."

"Thank you."

"No, thank you," he corrected.

Fury stood, an indication that it was time for Steve to go. Just before the super soldier opened the door, he said, "I should warn you, she isn't much of a talker. But I assure you that she is the best for the job."

"With all due respect, Director Fury, how could an agent who doesn't talk be the best for the job?" he questioned, turning his attention back to the man behind him. "Surely someone a little more approachable would be better?"

"Possibly," he admitted. "But Agent Red has been through something not too dissimilar from your own situation."

"Been frozen in the ice for seventy years?" he asked, unimpressed by what the Director had just said.

"Had to adapt to a new life far different from the one she'd previously known."