Six months after the battle of New York, Nick Fury was still trying to figure out how in the world Loki was able to access all that he had from SHIELD, aside from what was obtained from Barton. Agents Clay Quartermaine and Maria Hill were due back from their reconnaissance mission from Stuttgart. It had taken them that long to research everything and sort through the rubble over there. During that time, SHIELD also made sure to work with the city to help rebuild everything that was destroyed. SHIELD also had other agents helping rebuild and investigate all the damage in New York as well. Nick Fury is standing on the bridge of the helicarrier when their Quinjet returns. Hill and Quartermaine enter the bridge.
"So Hill; do you and Quartermaine have anything to report?" asks Fury.
Maria Hill steps up, "Actually sir we do. It turns out that Loki was not alone in his quest to conquer Earth. We spent a great deal of time, tracing his steps from New York to Germany and back to New York. It turns out that after he escaped with the Tesseract, with Barton, Selvig and others in tow, he took a private plane to Germany. We also recovered the technology that he used gaining access at Schaefer labs, while obtaining the iridium. The technology was American. We discovered that when he was in Germany, he had a woman with him." Maria continues, "We looked over the security footage and logs, it was confirmed to be true. She arrived a day before him and left a room access key for him at the front desk. It appears that she was there on her own business with an assistant, but is shown later, touring the town and at a benefit that Dr. Heinrich Schaefer was a guest at. She was in both locations with Loki. After he cut out the doctor's eye and made his spectacle and was captured, she dropped off of the radar and was no longer with him."
Quartermaine jumps in, "Then, we spent the rest of the time, running facial recognition software on any and all footage collected world wide and from New York's cameras and the surveillance set up previously by Coulson at Stark Tower. Then we managed to get 2 positive hits. One was her saving people at a small coffee shop and then she reappeared at Stark Tower, talking to Loki, right before the Avengers got there. She disappeared again."
"Tell me, do we know who this mysterious woman was?" asks Fury. Hill and Quartermaine look nervously at each other. Neither one wanted to tell him about the identity of the woman.
"We do, sir." says Quartermaine. Maria walks over toward Fury, who is glaring at the both of them, and she hands him a file. On the cover it reads, "Aurora Lawson, SHIELD tech consultant."
Hill and Quartermaine could not believe that for once Nick Fury was speechless. They both knew that he would be shocked as they were at this discovery. He quickly flipped through the file, looking at all of the surveillance footage pictures. He shakes his head in disbelief.
"There has to be a mistake. This woman has been one of our longest employed technology contractors. She helped us program the Phase 2 missiles with the Ghost protocol; I don't understand why she would be in league with Loki." Says Fury.
"Sir, neither do we. We knew that she had a long history of working with us, but we don't understand it either. Do you think it could be a case like Barton and Selvig?" asks Maria.
"It's very possible. The question is how did he find her?" He takes a deep breath. "Hill, head to her office and bring her in for questioning and Quartermaine, you contact Stark. She was involved with him a long time ago and Tony is an investor in her current project for the DOD. We'll see what he knows about her, and maybe he can shed some light on this matter."
"Yes Sir!" said Hill and Quartermaine at the same time, as they both turn and leave.
Meanwhile, at Lawson Technology Consultants Inc., Aurora sat in her office, working away. Thanks to the money that Tony invested, she was able to produce a few more prototypes for the US Military. The DOD contracted her to make solar powered Arc Reactors for weapons, cell phones, and other contact devices for combat duty. Ever since Loki's capture and return to Asgard, Aurora became extremely depressed. She stared down at the blue stoned engagement ring on her finger. It never left her finger. It was the only thing she had of his. After a couple of months, she started to really realize that he wasn't coming back. He was probably in prison or worse; dead.
The only joy she found was work. Work helped keep her mind off of the fact that he was gone and would probably never return. Ever since the loss of the baby, the depression and nightmares continued; it was beginning to be too much for her. She was beginning to look so exhausted from lack of sleep and the stress that she was not looking healthy at all. There were a few tabloid articles on her claiming she was partying hard and abusing drugs, but she ignored it. Aurora stopped to look out of her window, and stared out in a daze as Grace's voice came over the phone. Aurora hits the button. "Yes?"
"Ms. Lawson? You have a visitor here." Grace replied.
"Who is it? I don't have anyone scheduled for today."
"It is a Maria Hill. She says she needs to talk to you on Fury's orders."
Aurora sighed. She figured that this day was coming especially after her involvement with Loki. Thankfully, her telepathic ability would allow her to probe Maria's thoughts, so she could better answer the questions. SHIELD had no idea that she was a telepath and she intended to keep it that way. "Send her in."
Maria walks in and sees Aurora sitting at her desk. She was shocked at her appearance. Aurora's hair was very neat and despite the makeup and clothes, but her face looked as if it had aged ten years or more. She had the same look about her that Erik Selvig did. This seemed to confirm her suspicions that Aurora had been under mind control by Loki. Maria, walks over to her desk.
"Ms. Lawson, Nick Fury sent me her to talk to you. He needs you to come back with me to the Helicarrier. He wants to ask you a few questions."
Aurora still looked dazed. "Okay, Maria. Please sit right here, while I talk to Grace. I'll have her clear my schedule for the rest of the day, is that fine?" Maria nods. Aurora pushes a button, "Grace I have urgent business with Maria, please clear my schedule for the rest of the day. If something happens, you can reach me by phone, alright?"
Grace responds with an affirmative. Aurora closes down her computer and turns to grab her purse and walks over to her refrigerator and gets a bottle of water. "Where are my manners…would you like one, Maria?" Maria shakes her head and Aurora grabs another and they two women exit the office and head to the elevator. They say not a word to each other. Maria surveys her from top to bottom. Aurora can feel her doing so, but doesn't say anything. They get into her SHIELD SUV and head towards the bay where the Helicarrier is stationed.