A/N: This little fic will explain in more detail Eliza White's upbringing. This will be pretty pointless as a read unless you plan to, or have already read, The Changeling.

Mrs. Davy opened the door of the orphanage and to her surprise, she found a young child, naked, lying in a small basket. She gave a startled yelp at the sight of the no-doubt chilly baby. After all, the weather man had reported it was a high of 7 Celsius, not a rare thing in London during December. But it WAS a rarity to find a child on one's doorstep.

The orphanage proctor picked up the child and looked it over. It was a girl, not very old. No name was visible, no tag for identification. Mrs. Davy sighed. Another child to raise, but she wouldn't complain. No, this was her job. And she was good at it.

"I think we shall name you… Eliza Jade White, named after my great grandmother."

"Stop it, Eliza! I promise, I'll give you my brownie! Just stop!"

Eliza let go of the younger girl, a smug smile on her face, "That's right. You will give me your dessert, Chloe."

The girl started tearing up and she ran away from Eliza. The others watched and narrowed their eyes at the bully. But no one said or did anything as they all knew who was boss in the orphanage. Even though she was only 13, Eliza White was stronger than the other kids, smarter than the other kids, and meaner than the other kids. She was queen. Old Mrs. Davy didn't take any notice of her bullying, instead always glorifying the girl. But tonight was the night everything would change, turning Eliza's world upside down.

"Girls! It's time for dessert!"

The children all ran down the stairs, eager to eat their food. Tonight was brownie night, after all! Eliza, as usual, was the first in the line and the first to finish eating. Quickly she grabbed Chloe's as well, and the girl didn't protest.

But then someone else did, "Mrs. Davy, Eliza punched Chloe today, and made her give her her brownie!"

"Eliza?!"

"Brenna's lying!"

Suddenly they smelled smoke. Mrs. Davy frowned and went into the kitchen. She gave a shout and the girls rushed to see what the matter was. The kitchen was ablaze! The fire was spreading around the wooden house, spreading like wildfire. The drapes were cloaked in flames, and the rug was already consumed by the inferno.

"Run, girls! Everyone out of the house!"

The others did as they were told but they found the way blocked as they reached the door. Chloe and Brenna screamed as a ball of fire exploded in their faces, and they shielded themselves against the fireball.

Eliza looked around quickly, trying to find an alternate way out. But there was nothing, no other way to escape this dire situation. She realized that the day had come for her to show her true powers. There was simply no other choice. Eliza focused all her brain power on the large wooden beam crossing their path. Suddenly it began to levitate, and the others screamed. They looked at Eliza and saw her eyes were silver, and they backed away. Slowly she moved the beam out of the way and darted through the newly cleared doorway. But instead of stopping at the end of the yard, she just kept running.

She ran for hours, it seemed, not looking back. Eliza knew that Mrs. Davy had seen her use her telekinesis, not to mention the other girls. Surely they'd tell the police, and then she'd be arrested. And that would be the end, if she was lucky. Maybe they'd do tests on her, dissect her, who knew?

So she ran. Eventually she collapsed in exhaustion. She was outside the city of London, in some dark alleyway. She sunk up against the wall at the back, trying to ignore the stench of rotting garbage. She needed water. She had no money, how was she supposed to live? Never mind that, she decided, all she wanted to do was sleep.

Three months she had been on her own. Three wretched months. She'd resorted to shoplifting and homeless shelters for her meals, and she avoided being seen during the day as much as possible. The nights were dangerous, though, and she found that out nearly two weeks ago. Eliza had found herself in a back alley, one she had never been to before. That in and of itself was a rarity. As she settled herself between a dumpster and the back wall, she slowly drifted off to sleep.

She was awoken by strong hands gripping her arms and yanking her up. The man who had gotten hold of her was clothed all in black, with two pistols on either side. Eliza was thrown against the back wall and she was too shocked to do anything.

"I've been sent to kill you, Miss White."

"We'll see how that goes," she boasted, getting her wits together.

The man drew out one of his guns and pointed it at her head. She closed her eyes and suddenly the pistol began heating up, getting so hot that the man had to drop it. He looked at her in fear and she kicked him in the stomach. Grabbing his other gun, she cocked it and shot the man in the head. The gunshot rung out throughout the streets and she quickly climbed up the wall and got onto the roof of the house. Using the roofs as walkways, Eliza carefully traversed the city until she finally reached the outskirts.

And that was how she found the abandoned building she was currently sitting in. Eliza had been surprised to find it uninhabited, but she embraced it. At least there would be a roof over her head. Also, it was the perfect spot for her to leave Diana during the day.
Diana. She had met the little girl unexpectedly one night, as she patrolled the garbage cans and searched through the dumpsters. A young girl with dark brown hair, messily pulled back and tied with a rope, clothed in ripped pants and a short sleeved shirt. When Eliza had approached her, they initially were suspicious, but soon the two girls got to talking. Eliza found out that Diana was ten years old, and had been living on the streets for almost six months now. She had been with her family but had been separated from them after the rest had managed to stow aboard a train and she hadn't. That accident was how she had suffered the limp she now carried. Fully healed, but healed incorrectly, her leg was twisted at a nasty angle and Diana struggled to walk, let alone find food.

Eliza suggested they work together. She told Diana about the abandoned building she had found and they agreed that Diana would stay there, during the day, with the pistol to ward off other strays, while Eliza would go into town each day to procure their food.

But today, when she had gotten back to the Warren, as they'd taken to calling it, she'd been surprised to find three kids, instead of one.

"Eliza," Diana said hesitantly, "These are Jack and Teddy."

"Are you two street rats too?"

"Yes," said the older of the two boys. His blonde hair was scruffy and dirty, "I'm Jack, and I'm eleven. This is my brother Teddy, and he's eight. We stumbled in here and found Diana. She said we could stay."

"You two will need to pull your own weight, if you want to stay," Eliza stressed.

"We know," Jack nodded quickly, "And we think we've got a good idea. Me and Teddy are simply change magnets. Every passerby gives us something when we're out begging."

Eliza looked the two boys over. They were pretty cute, with their large blue eyes and blonde hair. Maybe they could be useful.

"Alright, you two can stay. The rules are simple. Meet back here every night by 10:00. Don't use any of the money yourself- it's for me to spend on food and clothing. Is that understood?"

"Agreed."

And so began the growth of the Family, as they called themselves. Eliza White was the leader of the Family, in charge of the money and daily operations. Within three years, they numbered thirteen. In addition to Jack, Teddy, and Diana (now ages 13, 10, and 12), there was Arianna age 7, Darren age 9, Thomas age 13, Kiara age 8, Jolene (Jo) age 11, Oliver age 9, the twins Derek and Libby aged 12, and little Jenny age 4. They depended on one another, each with a specific task that they completed for the betterment of the Family.

Thomas and Jack, the two eldest boys, were the guards. They kept an eye out around the Warren, always looking for trouble. If anyone got too close, they took care of them.

Jolene and Libby were in charge of the begging operations. One would take Jenny out on the street corners, and the other would take Arianna and Kiara.

Oliver and Darren were the sentries. They spent the day staked throughout the city on various rooftops or walking around the streets, watching out for trouble in the city or potential allies. Both were incredibly fast runners, making their jobs easier.

Teddy and Derek were the shoppers. Eliza often went herself to procure food but her reputation had grown among the London citizens, so she was often thrown out of stores for being a trouble maker. As such, she tended to stick to foraging through trash. Teddy and Derek, however, had no reputation in London, and were the perfect gentlemen when it came to shopping for food. No one noticed the boys stuffing their bags with extra food.

Eliza was often out for two or three days without coming back as the years went on. She was out searching for more kids to bring into her Family. She was very protective of her kids, as she called them, and she wanted to bring more into the safety of her fold. She couldn't forget what had happened to her before the Family. She had been assaulted multiple times, raped twice, and left for dead. She realized it was much safer in groups, and Eliza wanted to help the other kids out there. This particular night, however, she was on her way home to the Warren. As usual, she doubled back several times to throw any of the spies or assassins which had cropped up over the years, learning about her superpowers. Agents from Russia and the United States had both attempted to kidnap her, but had failed. She couldn't forget the blood on her hands.

"Liz," Arianna shouted happily, and the little girl came running over. She jumped into a large hug with Eliza, and soon Liz was surrounded by the younger members of the Family.

Suddenly though, she felt a presence. Eliza couldn't explain it, but she turned around, pushing the children behind her and there in the doorway was a man dressed in black, a bow strapped across his chest and a quiver on his back.

"Eliza White. I'm Hawkeye."

"What in bloody hell do you want, Hawkeye, or should I slit your throat?"

"No need for that. I'm part of a multinational organization who has taken an interest in you. I mean you no harm," said Hawkeye.

Eliza laughed at that, and she used her magic to send a spear of ice flying at the man's chest. He was quick to dodge it, and Eliza didn't have time to react as he rolled forward towards her and punched her hard in the jaw. As she stood in shock and pain, Hawkeye grabbed Oliver and placed a knife on his throat. The boy looked at Eliza with pleading eyes, his expression full of fear, yet also of trust. He knew Eliza would get him out of this alive.

"I should have killed you on sight," she seethed angrily.

"I don't mean you nor your little group any harm. I merely have a proposal to make you," Hawkeye said, staring her down.

"I'm not listening to a word you say until you let the boy go. He's not part of this discussion, Hawkeye, if that's your real name," she spat.

She could almost see him weighing the options in his head. If he let Oliver go, he was either very desperate or very stupid, and she doubted it was the latter because he'd managed to track her, unnoticed, all the way back to the Warren. In the end however, he let go of Oliver and pushed the boy away. Immediately Eliza drew one of the rusty daggers she kept on her belt and she threw it at Hawkeye. It embedded itself in his leg, but the dagger was small, so it didn't go deep. He ran forward and grabbed Eliza by the arms, twisting them so they were stuck behind her back.

"Listen kid, this is gonna work one of two ways. Either you listen to me like an adult, or I snap your neck. Your choice."

Eliza was about to reply when the doors of the Warren crashed open. She shouted for the kids to scatter, and Hawkeye quickly drew back into the shadows, not sure of what he was to find.

Three men walked in, muscular, with two dogs. They started cooing into the shadows, making little clicky noises like they were calling a dog.

"Come 'ere you little termites," the leader said with a smirk.

Hawkeye suddenly dropped his hold on Eliza and silently drew his bow, notching an arrow on the string. But before he could fire it, Eliza ran out infront of the men and spoke.

"Don't harm the kids. I promise you, I'll do whatever you want, no complaints. No objections. I won't even try to run. What fun can you have with some little kids compared to a teenage girl? Just don't harm them."

The leader laughed and with a motion of his hand, one of his companions grabbed Eliza by the throat. Instead of struggling, Eliza merely waited.

With a twang and a thud, an arrow imbedded itself in her captor's side, causing him to drop the girl and fall down, dead. Eliza, drawing her larger, non-throwing knife stabbed the second man forcefully in the chest, her magic causing the blade to heat, and killed him as well.

Before Hawkeye could fire another shot, the leader had grabbed a dagger and stabbed Eliza in the leg, causing a deep wound as he slashed her skin open. Blood began to soak her pants and she fell down to her knees. Immediately her attacker was down in a heap.

"Find something to use for bandages," Hawkeye barked the order to the older children. They nodded quickly and took off rummaging through their first aid stores. They came back with some old strips of cloth and ripped up clothes.

Eliza struggled against Hawkeye's firm grip has he wrapped her wound, telling her quietly to calm down, that everything would be fine if she just trusted him. Trust him? How could she trust a man that had very likely been sent to kill her? But then why would he be trying to save her?

"It would be best if you would come back with me to my base of operations. You can get seen to by medical experts," Hawkeye told her.

"No," Eliza firmly objected, "There's no way I'm leaving my kids behind. They need me."

Hawkeye thought for a moment before making his mind up, "They can come too. It won't be too difficult to transport all of us there. What do you say? They can get food, clothing, medicine, education. Everything they need."

Eliza was trapped, and she knew it. If she refused, she would be condemning her Family to a life of misery and pain and poverty. If she accepted, she would no longer be free, but her family would be safer than if they were on the streets. She could tell Hawkeye knew he had her trapped.

"Very well."

They stayed in the building that night, letting Hawkeye rest his injured leg. He'd tended to it after Eliza's injuries, and it wasn't too bad, so he was confident he could walk with it tomorrow. He was sure the medical teams at SHIELD would disagree, but that was beside the point.

In the morning the children gathered up their few personal belongings: a teddy bear here, a shirt there. Hawkeye led them through through back woods to a private air strip where a plane of some sort was parked. He told them to get in. It was a squeeze, but they all fit, and up into the air they went. Eliza was unconscious, her blood loss getting worse with each minute. Had he not had the young children with him, Hawkeye would have made the trip last night. But he couldn't so there was no use worrying about it.

Within a few hours, the plan landed on what seemed to the children to be an aircraft carrier.

"This is Agent Barton, tell Fury I'm bringing in thirteen refugees, one seriously injured."

"Yes, sir."

He shut off the radio and landed the plane on the deck. Quickly he opened the back of the plane and told the children to go outside. He lifted Eliza up off the ground and carried her out, shutting the plane behind him. He led the children inside the ship, telling them to keep quiet and follow him.

"Agent Barton, report to the bridge. Now."

Hawkeye touched his ear piece to reply, "Understood, sir. But uh, I've got company."

He led them onwards, soon reaching a large command center. The children realized that they were now floating in the air, and some of them stared out the window in awe.

"Director," Hawkeye nodded, still holding Eliza, "This is the girl."

"And who the hell are these," a tall black man with an eye patch asked, voice a mix of anger and surprise.

"We're her family," little Jenny said in her squeaky, high pitched voice.

The others nodded emphatically.

"Well, Agent Barton, get these kids off my bridge. Take them… down to medical or something."

Hawkeye smirked and nodded, before telling the children to follow him again and leading them through the ship. Eventually they reached an infirmary, and the nurses and doctors took over from there. Hawkeye lay Eliza down on a table and then had a nurse check over his own wound so he could get back to work. After it was cleaned and stitched, he told the children he'd be back later.

They didn't see Hawkeye again that day until late at night, when most of the younger children were asleep. Diana, Jack, Thomas, Derek, and Libby were the only ones awake, and Hawkeye sat down with them on the floor, back against the wall. He had never been very good with kids, but he could connect with these street rats. He'd been one of them. He'd had to resort to crime to get food and water each day, turning into a petty thief with quite a name for himself. Then he'd been introduced to a SHIELD agent and had turned his ways, a new career offered to him. Now he was one of the best agents SHIELD had available.

He talked to them about Eliza, finding out what he could from their firsthand accounts of her powers. They had all known, and not really cared, seeing as how it kept them alive. Only Diana seemed still suspicious of Hawkeye, having not been lulled into a sense of security by the food, water, and clothing provided to the children.

Hawkeye sensed he'd have to take this in stride. As soon as Eliza woke, however, he could get straight to the point. He had a teenager to turn into a SHIELD agent, and he intended to earn her respect and trust by the end of it.