It was Monday morning and all I wanted was coffee. Lots and lots of coffee. The last place I wanted to be was work, as I had been there all weekend. "Well you look like hell," I hear as I enter the lab. My head turns to the source of the comment. Alex, leaning against the table in front of her computer, was staring at me like I was a pageant contestant and she was the judge. "You still look cute, like always, but you look like hell."
"That's probably because I've been here all weekend and I may or may not have slept here," I say, walking towards her and my own computer bank on the other side of hers.
"I figured that," she says as I walk past her. "Which is why I got you a present-"
"You beautiful, beautiful pink haired soul," I say, spotting the large coffee sitting by my keyboard. "You truly are an angel sent from heaven."
"My mom would actually say a demon spat out by hell," she counters with a shrug. "But I'll take either. And you're welcome." I repeatedly thank her until the cup is touching my lips.
"It's like the nectar of the gods," I say, feeling the warm spreading through my chest and making me feel as if I was more awake than I really was.
"Speaking of which…do you think that real-God dude…Thor? Do you think they drink coffee? Is that where the phrase came from?" Tim, our other co-worker asks as he walks up to the desk. All three of our computers were grouped together on a large table. Together, we formed the New York division of S.H.I.E.L.D's security architects. In simpler terms, we built, rebuilt, and fixed the intelligence agency's security network and sometimes helped to break down other security networks, but that was under the table work. I also pulled some extra hours working in I.T., helping with general computer problems. I'm known as the "Tech Girl" around the facility; which meant I was called in on weekends and barely got any sleep.
"I highly doubt it," Alex says, running her fingers through her short, pink hair and making it stand straight up. "Don't they drink the blood of virgins or whatever?"
"Oh, you better watch out then Rhiannon," Tim shoots at me.
"You little jerk," I say, throwing the first pen I can reach at him. "You do not and will never know my sex life."
"That's because it's non-existent," Alex quips before taking a drink of her water. Alex vehemently refused to ingest artificial caffeine, but regularly kept a steady stream of coffee flowing for me.
"Now I get why your mom says you're a spawn from hell," I say, narrowing my eyes at her as I sit down in my chair.
"Your mom says you're a spawn from hell?" Tim says to Alex, placing a hand over his heart. "My mom says I'm an abomination."
"Well at least you all have parents," I say.
They both roll their eyes at me as they sit down at their work stations. "You may not have parents, but you had a Daddy Warbucks, which is so much better than parents that hate you." Tim says.
I roll my eyes now. "He wasn't a Da-"
"He was an old man who saw you were a computer genius, scooped you out of the orphanage, and then left all of his money to you." Alex says. "So Annie, I'm still waiting on you to by me a pair of Louboutin's."
I shake my head as I take another drink of coffee. "Okay you two, let's get to work." Neither one of them say anything else. Technically, I was their boss. But, we all worked as a team and with them both being older than me by a few years, I rarely pulled rank on them. "Also, since we're slow right now, I probably won't come in tomorrow. I need a day to catch up on stuff at home."
"I don't doubt it," a voice from the doorway says. All three of us turn to look at the source of it, seeing Maria Hill standing there. No one from the higher offices ever…and I mean ever, came down here. I think I had only seen her or Fury a handful of times myself in the year I had worked for S.H.I.E.L.D. All three of us stand up like we've been shocked. "Your time card says you've worked the past fourteen days straight. Plus, whatever extra work you've done for Romanov or Barton."
"Agent Hill," I say, walking around the desk towards her. "What brings you down here?"
It made me nervous she was down here…and watching my time card. "Director Fury requested to see you when you first got here." She says curtly, as if I should've known that.
"Oh, I haven't had time to check my messages. I just got here." I say. I look back at Tim and Alex, who both shake their heads. Neither of them had a message for me I guess.
"Regardless, I need for you to come with me." Hill says. She walks out of the office, not even giving me a chance to say anything. I lightly jog to catch up with her.
"What does Director Fury need to see me for?" I ask her.
"He'll tell you once he sees you," she says. "Don't worry, I don't think you're in any trouble."
"You don't 'think'?" I say with a laugh. She doesn't respond. In my opinion, the higher office people were way too serious. I think it was that skintight navy uniform they had to wear. In that moment, I was glad for my midi skirt with the skyline of Paris printed on it.
After a five minute walk, not exaggerating, we finally arrive at Fury's office. I walk in, without Hill, and wait by the door after it closes for Fury to address me. "Ms. Saggart, I see you got my message."
"I actually didn't," I say, stepping a couple steps closer to him. "Agent Hill came and got me."
Fury doesn't say anything until he finally turns around from the window he was looking out of. "I have an assignment for you."
I stare at the man, trying my hardest not to stare at his eye patch. "A-an assignment, sir?" I say, thoroughly confused. "I'm, I'm not an agent, sir. I work in-"
"I'm well aware of where you work," he says. "But your expertise is required for this assignment."
A million different scenarios were running through my head; me running through a jungle getting shot at, me hiding under a desk trying to crack a code while others around me were fighting. "What do you need me to do, sir?"
"I'm sure you're aware of the fact that Captain Steve Rogers was located last week." Fury says. He clasps his hands behind his back as he comes around his desk to stand in front of me. I was aware of Captain America being found.
"Yes sir," I answer him. "I was actually in lobby when he ran out." I leave out the part about him actually running into me and knocking me over. The bruise on my hip from the fall was finally disappearing.
Fury nods his head. "I want you to set him up with some technology, teach him how to use it."
"Sir-"
"You come highly recommended," he says, cutting me off and walking back to his desk. He holds up a file for a moment before dropping it again. "Agents Romanov and Barton both sing your praises. You practically live here, working all the time. Not to mention your record before you came to S.H.I.E.L.D.: early graduation from high school, early admittance to M.I.T. where you yet again graduated early with a master's degree. As I said, your expertise is needed for this."
I let out a quiet sigh. "Yes sir, I'd be happy to help out Captain Rogers." I couldn't turn down the assignment.
"Good," Fury says, as if surprised that I accepted. The sarcasm was evident in the word though. "You'll meet with him tomorrow-" I hold back a scream at having to give up my day off. "And then I want you to take the next two weeks off. You are sorely overdue for a vacation."
I hold back another sigh. "Yes sir."
"Hill will send you an email telling where you'll meet Captain Rogers tomorrow and what time," Fury says. I nod my head. "The tech will already be there. If there's any you recommend, just let Hill know and she'll make sure it's there."
"Okay," I say, nodding my head. "Anything else?"
"That'll be all," he says, dismissing me. As I walk out of the office, he throws me one more statement. "And good luck."