Disclaimer: I don't own Marvel, just Kendra and anything else new.

Authors Note: This is a prologue to my Avengers story. This introduces Kendra to Steve for the first time and gives their backstory and dynamic which is explored and develops during Avengers. I hope you enjoy!

Don't Judge A Book By It's Cover

Kendra sat inside her latest favorite morning spot, the little coffee shop on the corner, and sipped on her latté. She mused through her magazine, looking up occasionally at the various patrons who would come and go. She had been in New York now for a couple of weeks and while she didn't exactly love being here, she had to admit it had its charm. SHIELD had put her up in an apartment and she was slowly finding her way around the new base. She missed her old office though. Suddenly, her phone buzzed beside her, and just as she went to reach for it, a familiar voice stopped her.

"You know, I may be almost 100 years old and forget where I leave my keys every now and again, but I do still know that stalking is illegal in the States."

Kendra smiled and neglected her phone a minute longer, lowering her coffee cup back onto the table and paused for a brief second before looking up. Her face betrayed no surprise when she locked eyes with Steve Rogers. A quick glance around the shop showed Kendra that the other patrons in the cafe had started to notice as well.

"Stalking would imply that I am following you. In reality, I am simply enjoying a cup of coffee in a shop I plan to frequent very often as it's extremely close to my apartment and not a commercial chain." She commented smugly, picking her magazine back up and casually resumed flipping through the pages.

Steve scoffed, "Conveniently a shop that I also frequent, as it is also close to my own home—a home prearranged for me by SHIELD, no less, much the same as your own recently acquired address. Not that you seem to be keeping it much of a secret. Now, if you don't begin telling me the truth I might not be as nice the next time that I ask. Why are you following me?"

Kendra smirked, put the magazine down, and interlaced her fingers together, "You might want to take a seat Cap. You could make a girl feel rather uncomfortable threatening her while towering over her like that."

Steve glanced around and realized that they were clearly the center of attention for everyone in the vicinity. Phones were out and aimed in their direction and people were whispering pointedly. With an aggravated groan, he begrudgingly took a seat across from her, placing his mug on the table.

Kendra kept her head low and eyes intently set on her magazine as she began to speak, "Fine. I'm keeping tabs on you. It's apparently no secret that I have been. Nor were you unaware of the situation three weeks ago when you purposely bumped into me in Central Park and stole my wallet." She raised her eyes from her current page and grinned. "Thanks for returning it, by the way. Petty theft also happens to be a crime."

Steve cleared his throat and scratched the back of his head, "I don't know what you are talking about."

She smirked, "I'm sure you don't. So let me lay it out on the line for you." She tossed another page to the side. "My job, as of right now, is to make sure that you are safe and accounted for. You just woke up in a very strange and altered timeline. Can't imagine that sort of thing comes without its share of getting used to."

Steve leaned forward, "And what do you know about strange and unusual timelines that makes you so qualified to watch over me? How do you know anything about what I am going through?"

Kendra brought her drink back up to her lips and spoke over the rim of the mug, "Let's just say that I have had a recent and sudden change in my family tree. I have had to adapt to such changes quite quickly. Having to follow you around and make certain you are safe is no skin off my back. Trust me."

He gave her a quick glance, "Hm. You don't look like you'd be very dangerous."

She shrugged, "I can hold my own. You aren't the first 'super-being' I've had to come up against… look, Steve, while you might hate it, I can verify that SHIELD is looking out for you."

"By keeping me on a leash?" he questioned.

"No…" She shifted in her seat and flipped her magazine shut. "By keeping up with not only the best interests for you, but for the public as well. I get it, I really do. I was just a punk kid with some wild abilities who was working for Tony Stark when I was quite forcibly recruited. At least working for SHIELD gave me the resources, and the training, to be something better."

Steve clenched his jaw and leaned forward, a dark shadow passed across his face. "I thought I was going to die on that ship as a hero doing the right thing and instead I ended up frozen just to wake up years later and find that people are still at war. Nothing is better."

She nodded, "It's a bit different now."

Laughing he scratched the back of his head again, "Is it? Really?"

Kendra rolled her eyes, "Look, you aren't in Germany anymore fighting Nazi's and Hydra. We have evolved. We have more means—more power."

Steve was still not convinced, "I'm sick of being the country with the bigger stick"

Kendra laughed, "Says the man they turned into one."

Steve sighed and leaned back in his chair, "I guess you have a point."

Kendra smiled, "I always seem to make it. Now, are you going to drink that?" She gestured towards the cup Steve had placed on the table when he sat down."You haven't touched it. It's probably cold and I'd hate to see a cup of good coffee go to waste."

Steve shrugged, "It's fine, they'll make me another one if I ask."

Kendra leaned forward and wrapped her hand around his glass, "Who said anything about asking?" Steve watched as her hands slowly started to glow a faint red, his coffee was steaming again within seconds.

When she pulled her hands away, Steve blinked in confusion, "That is very… interesting."

Suddenly Kendra's phone buzzed again. This time, she removed her attention from Steve and unlocked her phone to read the message. She was wanted back at the base.

"Never judge a book by its cover, Mr. Rogers. You might just be surprised. Anyway, it looks like your security detail is about to get a little lighter." She stood and began to pack up her things, "I'm being called back to base. Whichever agent they put on you, feel free to give 'em a little hell."

"Is that an order?" he laughed.

"Oh I'm not your boss, Steve, I'm just a troublemaker." She grabbed her bag and threw it over her shoulder, giving him a wink as she walked away. Curious, Steve reached for the magazine she had been reading and flipped it over on the cover. It was his face on the cover, granted a photo taken from his old life with the headline emblazoned across the top—'Back from the Dead'.