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*Disclaimer* I do not own any Marvel characters, storylines, entities or businesses, nor do I own the original memes that have inspired this fic. If I can I will leave the number for the rules as the come up if they were one I had specifically seen. Marvel and whomever created those means own everything. I am just borrowing for my own amusement and hopefully yours as well. My OC and any OCs I create are my own.
Prologue
"Director Carter?" came the timid voice of a young lady who worked in their science division, "We've got a strange anamoly reading coming from upstate New York."
Peggy Carter looked up from her paperwork, "What kind of anamoly?"
The young scientist walked in, "We're not sure Ma'am." Peggy knew after years of running SHIELD some of the younger employees still found her intimidating. She found it funny. She liked to think of herself as a role model for the young women but they still weren't used to her. The men were worse. She had to deal with mysogeny even in the late '80's. You think they would get over themselves by now.
"Well explain it as best you can please Martha," Peggy said, she remembered the young scientist. She was very smart. A promising addition to SHIELD's roster.
"Ma'am," she started, "About 10 minutes ago we registered some atmospheric fluxuations over upstate New York. Shortly after that started a massive explosion of oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide. As well as some metallic readings. We've got a satellite on the area and there appears to be a small crater. But too much interference, not any kind of radiation we've seen before, as well as a mist seem to be hindering our view."
Peggy hit the intercom on her desk, "Tim, I want a chopper ready in ten minutes," she looked to Martha, "Can you pack a gear bag for readings and what-not, I'll meet you on the heli-pad in 10, I'm going to grab an Agent."
Fury POV
Nicholas J. Fury had been working for SHIELD for 3 years now. They offered him a job when he got out of the army and he loved what they stood for. He was recruited by the director herself, Margaret (Peggy) Carter. A British citizen and founding member of SHIELD. She was quick witted, strong and took nonsense from no one.
Nick's current assignment was doing some background research from survelliance on a few kids with the potential to be something more. Super kids, Peggy called them. They had skills or powers that SHIELD wanted to monitor and he was to assess their abilities and place them as potential allies or potential threats. He was flipping through some files on an old Soviet project. They 'trained' young girls. As far as Nick could see, they tortured young girls into becoming assassins. Many didn't make it through the program. It went back as far as the 50's. There were notes from Director Carter from her own experiences with one of the 'graduates'. Nick was rather appalled. Too bad SHIELD was unable to locate their base of operations. It was something SHIELD wanted to do. As much as a female assassin was helpful under certain circumstances, to put children through the training was morally wrong. And in Nick's opinion, evil. Children were meant to be protected.
"Fury, I need you," Peggy's voice came from the doorway.
"Yes Ma'am, what's up?" Nick asked grabbing his coat on the way out. She stopped him and pointed to his go bag. "Trouble?" Nick asked again as he grabbed his bag.
The bag contained weapons and a first aid kit. One shot gun, three stun granades, three explosive granades, extra ammo for both of Nick's side arms as well as the shot gun. It also contained two extra knives. The first aid kit was good for most emergency situations and there were also cuffs and zip ties to detain people.
"Unknown reading and crator in upstate New York. Martha from the science division is meeting us at the chopper." Peggy was always no nonsense. Any other information she may have will be given on the chopper.
Nick nodded at the scared looking scientist and helped her buckle in while Peggy took a front seat next to the pilot giving him coordinates. "First outing?" Nick asked Martha. At her nod he continued, "It's all right, you'll be safe. You got the two best agents in SHIELD with you."
"Oh I'm still counted as an agent am I?" Peggy joked over the headset.
"Aww come on Peg, you could hand this assignment over to anyone, you still love the chase." Nick taunted her.
"Well I'll admit to being curious." Peggy smirked at him as they took off. "How's that assignment coming?" she asked him.
He grunted, "I don't like some of it. You sure we can't locate those Russian assholes?"
Peggy chuckled, "Language Nicholas!" She looked out the front of the chopper for a minute, "and to answer your question, no, but I really wish we could. I've been trying to track them down for decades. All we ever find are former facilities with heavily redacted records, if they leave anything at all and they occassional operative. Bloody frustrating. I was hoping some fresh eyes would be good."
"Doing my best. There's a lot of files to go through and its not just that project you got me looking at. You never did explain why you gave this to me, Coulson is better at this stuff."
"Honestly?" she asked looking back at him.
"Would be a nice change in our profession," he remarked.
Peggy snapped her head back facing front, "I'm hoping you'll replace me one day. You won't let the International Oversight Committee boss you around and SHIELD will always need a strong leader if it is to survive. Politics are not our strong suit and if we put a politian in charge we lose our ability to function properly."
Nick nodded his head. "Mighty big shoes to fill," he muttered.
"Not my shoes you have to worry about Fury," she teased.
"No it's anything within grabbing distance that you'll make into a weapon. I've read enough of your case files to know you are deadly dangerous with just about anything."
The pilot spoke, "Coming up on the crator now,"
"The radiation levels have dissipated Ma'am, just looks like the mist." Martha had been studying her equipment since they took off.
"Set us down as close as you dare to go, Martha I'd like you to remain here with Gerald and take readings and when we've determined if it's safe, we'll have you come check things out."
"Ma'am," Martha asked timidly, "Are you sure you wouldn't rather have my supervisor here instead?"
"Martha, you are the one who spotted this and quite frankly Terry drives me crazy." Peggy hopped out of the chopper and Nick followed.
They walked in silence through the mist until they reached the crator. It was no bigger than a station wagon in diameter but was almost 5 feet in depth. And through the mist Nick could see what was in the center and he knew when the director saw it as well.
Peggy gasped, "It's a woman. Oh dear she's naked." Nick scrambled down the slope, "Careful Fury."
He reached her and carefully checked for a pulse. It was there but rather faint and too slow for his liking, "She's alive, barely." He took off his long duster and wrapped her in it. He slung his bag over his shoulder then picked her up. "She's light and tiny, I'd guess 100 lbs soaking wet, maybe 5'5," he reported as he carried her out of the crator. "Nothing else down their either." He carefully laid her down in some grass and pulled his bag around. Peggy was already going into it for the first aid kit and carefully checking the girl for any wounds.
"She doesn't have a scratch on her. What does the heat signature say?" she asked while she turned the girl on her side to check her back.
"Not seeing anything in the area, no movement either, want me to radio for Martha?" Nick asked, Peggy nodded and Nick pulled out his walkie to radio the chopper.
"She's got a tattoo, or a brand of some sort back here, get me a light?" Peggy requested.
Nick flashed the light at the back of the girls neck and saw what Peggy was referring to. There was a raised brand/tattoo marking in red. Looked like some kind of symbol. Only Nick didn't recongize it as any language he knew. Was too curly to be Japanese or Chinese, but too intricate to be Hindu or Arabic. It wasn't Celtic either as it didn't have the angular repetitiveness. "Recognize it?" he asked.
"No," Peggy said running her fingers over it, "But at times it is raised, like the centre here, while the outside is more like a tattoo. It's beautiful though."
"She's a looker," Nick commented as Martha came into view. She gasped and Nick reassured her, "She's unconscious. Found her at the bottom."
"Take some samples please," Peggy said rolling their find back onto her back and covering her up so that she wasn't too exposed. "And take whatever readings you can. I don't want to be here too long, we need to get her back to HQ."
"I can be done in 15 minutes Director" Martha nodded and was suddenly a flurry of motion around and in the crator.
"Fury, can you carry her back to the chopper and get her secured onto a backboard? I didn't feel any broken or dislocated bones but in case she wakes mid flight I don't want any surprises." Peggy stood up and started taking pictures around the crator.
Nick carried the young girl back and Gerald helped him get her secure. They placed her on the seats between the cockpit and the rear seats. They strapped her both to the board as well as to the seats. "Jesus," Gerald whispered when Nick's coat slipped off her a bit. Her nudity could be seen and Nick smacked the pilot on the back of the head for staring. Sure she was beautiful but she deserved some dignity. Nick carefully tucked his jacket back around her and went to grab a blanket for good measure.
Within minutes the director and the scientist were back and the helicopter was making its way back to NYC Head Quarters. Peggy was on the radio with HQ about their finds and what she wanted for when they landed. "Nick, when we get back you can go back to your project" she told him.
"Can you keep me in the loop on this?" he asked, disappointed she didn't want him spearheading this.
"Of course, I hope you can handle being second on this, I'll take point." Peggy grinned at him. She was in her 60's but when she grinned Nick could see the beautiful woman she was. Grey hair and wrinkles did nothing to dim the sparkle in her eyes. Nor did they detract from the obvious strength and intelligence she held. Nick loved a good puzzle, and now he had 2.