white flag, steve rogers

009. the perfect agent

chapter nine
009. the perfect agent

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    EVEN THOUGH she didn't want to be found, he found her anyway. Agent Coulson was good at that▬finding people. Or at least, finding her. Wherever she ran off, he somehow always showed up to drag her back onto the right path. Even when she was so determined to believe she didn't want him to. No matter her hiding place▬how locked away, how out of place ... he knew where to find her. He made the effort to find her. 

    She had lost, once again. She was beaten to the mat, once again. Maybe Pamela had been asking for it, going against those Academy-graduated Operations agents▬too ambitious to think that she could beat them, three against one. And now, Pamela was supporting many bruises▬including her ego. 

    But she couldn't stop herself. Not when they jeered and taunted her▬not when they told her that she was worthless; a useless piece to S.H.I.E.LD. That she will never be good enough to become an agent. And Pamela had only proven them right.

    She had been given this final chance to fix her life▬to fix what she was made for, and what she was meant to do in this world. Pamela had been given the chance to be a good person. To be anything but worthless ... to belong somewhere and feel as though she did. She didn't want to disappoint Coulson for giving her that chance ... she didn't want him to think she wasn't worth it, like everyone else. 

    Hiding in a storage closet was a new low for her. But Pamela was sure that she'd be alone here▬that no one would find her, ever again. Some part of her hoped that she'd just disappear in here, with the mops and the cleaning products. 

    But still, Coulson found her all the same. 

    Pamela glanced up when the door opened. She couldn't get away▬run or hide▬when she saw the face that poked his head through. Coulson frowned at her, a little incredulous to see her sitting there, small and curled up next to a mop still in its bucket. Then, he gave her his little, thin-lipped smile. 

    "You've seemed to have found yourself a little secret hideout, here," said Agent Coulson as he stepped inside. He left the closet door ajar. 

    "Can I please be left alone?" Pamela sniffed back her tears, quickly wiping them off her cheeks. 

    Coulson didn't grant her wish. Instead, he took a deep breath and sat on the opposite side of the store closet. He settled his back next to the other mop, getting comfortable. Pamela watched him, confused. He glanced around and after a small while, let out a satisfied sigh. He leant his head back against the wall. "It's nice in here," he decided. 

    Pamela paused. Then, she deadpanned: "It's a storage closet."

    "A nice storage closet."

    Even if she tried, the chuckle that burst out from her chest could not be stopped. Pamela shook her head at Agent Coulson, finding him ridiculous. Then the ache from the bruise at her side returned and her chuckles turned into a wince. 

    Coulson noticed. The casual joking tone he had fell into something both concerned and stern. "I was told what happened."

    Pamela set her jaw and looked away. After the short silence that followed, she admitted: "They said I wasn't cut out to be an agent," in an angry mutter.  

    "And you thought you could fall into that trap?"

    Daniels spiked in frustration. "I wasn't falling into any trap," she argued. "I was trying to show it to them that I was cut out to be an agent. I was trying to prove▬" she huffed and sat back again, annoyed with herself. Because she knew that look Coulson was giving her was disappointment. He was disappointed in her, and now, she'll lose this chance▬she'll be back to where she started, and she'll never get out of it again.