Life as Avengers

First Recruit

A.K.A. Amelia Dalton

Well shit.

It was all Amelia Dalton could think right now while her eyes travelled through the printed article. It was a news piece about the attack that took place two days ago in Syria. She had been there, she could remember everything. An armed group had entered the little city she and other correspondents were covering. The area had become a hot conflict zone and, as usual, she couldn't resist.

Against the advice given by her boss, the director of the NY Times international division, she went undercover to have some first-hand information in the conflict. She just had to be there. – she bitterly reconsidered.

Tough the paper trown at the table by the –until now- calmed and nice Mr. Coulson was centered not in the battle, but on her.

She had been there when the negotiation went wrong between two conflicting groups. They usually gathered and talked on public places to minimize the probabilities of an open conflict, and Amelia wondered yet again why they insisted on that when it was clear they couldn't care less about the civilians. Some one had insulted the other and hell brake lose.

The open fire began just 10 minutes into the talk, and every body ran to take cover. She had jumped and cover herself around the corner, just long and safe enough to not bring attention to herself and still be able to be present. All was normal, other journalist could be seen at a much safer distance, and she snickered. There was no chance their pictures coulb be better than hers. She took out her camera and begun recording for one minute. Then began taking photos. She was focusing on a group of civilians when she noticed him.

It was about 4 people running trying to take cover in a building a few meters away from her. As they were retrieting, another group came crashing with them, all in a haze to be safe. As they disappeared from her camera lenses, there was only one person left. A little boy, crying in the floor. All the blood she had left her in that instant.

She could hear the cross fire around him, she could hear his sobs and the yelling around. In a blink, her body began to move. Then to run. She ran as fast as she could, not caring about the little pain she felt every time a bullet hit her body. She bent just enough time to pick up the boy in her arms, and pressing him against her body, she ran, shielding him from everything as best as she could.

They were not the principal objective there, and thus the battling parties did not mind when they disappeared into the building with the rest of the people. With the boy still crying in her harms, she handled him to his mother. She couldn't understand a single thing she said, but smiled anyway, assuming it would be something along the lines of a "thank you".

The next 20 minutes were rather uncomfortable. She remained with the group until the fire stopped; avoiding the curious glances thrown in her way while she rubbed her arms and sides. Surely, no bullet had managed to pierce her body, but she was sure some bruises would show up in the morning.

"Miss Dalton." Called Colson to regain her attention.

"So I'm guessing you are not a BBC agent. And this is no job interview, after all." Pity, she thought with a sinking feeling in her stomach. "I shouldn't have done that." She should have stayed neutral! All those years keeping a low profile, and now the government new. She was one of them. One enhanced. They were taking her away.

"Do you regret it?" asked Colson from the chair in front of her. She thought about. "It was just one more life, anyway."

"There was no way I could let that happen." She admitted, hating this Colson for talking like that. "He was just a little boy."

"Good." He said, ordering the pile of files. "Now, this has been covered, of course. The article never got to the HQ, since we managed to intercept it. The videos had been catalogued away in our organization. You are completely clear."

Amelia had to blink twice before speaking. "So... you are helping me out?"

"What did you think you were here for?"

"A job interview?" she said with a nervous laugh.

"Well of course. We take care of our people."

"Who are you anyway?"

"Agent Phil Colson. I work for an organization called S.H.I.E.L.D. She function as an autonomous and secret intelligence and military institution that protects the earth against a very specific kind of threats. I was sent here after we detected you to make you an offer you can't refuse."