(A/N): Disclaiming the whole story right now. I mean, obviously I don't own the Avengers. So, yeah. Disclaimed. Um, so yeah. There are no pairings, like... nobody's dating. It just makes it all complicated. So, Read & Review, hope you enjoy! Oh, one more thing! This is kind of a filler/set-up chapter, just to introduce the story and the characters.

Chapter One

"Madison Beatrice John, LET'S GO."

"No!" My best friend squealed and started to run. "Since when do you come up with ideas on what we should do when we hang out?"

I sighed. "Um, ouch, beeotch," I joked. "C'mon. This could be a great oppurtunity. Like, with education and stuff."

"You aren't even sporty, Beth. Why are you so enthusiastic about a junior S.H.I.E.L.D. agent internship?"

"Um, it's an oppurtunity to meet Tony Stark, a celebrity! And you're mom thought it was a good idea, so let's GO." I dragged her into the gym.

She was right. I wasn't sporty. These agent tryouts involved being fit and coordinated, but also smart. Luckily, we both had smart down—we were both in advanced classes. Unfortunately for me, Maddy had better grades than I. But whatever. I wanted this more. Really, I was determined to make something of my life. I had no hobbies, and maybe joining S.H.I.E.L.D. as their junior intern would work out well for me.

We walked over to a couple treadmills. I would usually be extremely lazy and skip them—I hated running—but I was super inspired today. We had to train for these tryouts.

I removed my sweatshirt and brushed out my tank top. I was wearing short workout shorts with it, while Maddy was wearing sweatpants. Secretly, I hoped she would get too hot first and give up.

While we were running, I lost all track of time. I had never used a treadmill before, but Maddy showed me how to set it up right, and then I was off. Without having to pay attention to where I was going, it was easy for my thoughts to just wander. And it was awesome.

"Beth! Beth! ELIZABETH LOMEN!" Maddy was yelling at me.

"What?" I asked, still running.

"How are you still running? It's been an hour?" She was covered in sweat.

I looked at the clock. "Oh... I guess it is. Sorry." I realized that I was breathing heavy and was also sweating. My legs were killing me. I stopped and walked off the treadmill. "Can we work on arm strength? I have noodle arms."

Maddy grinned. "Yeah, you do. Let's do pushups or something."

I groaned. "Isn't there a machine for arms? I can't do pushups."

We found something and started working. Soon, we were finished working out our arms, abs, and legs, and we felt finished.

I felt limp as we walked out of the gym. "That was—intense." I couldn't help but smile. "But kinda fun. We should do this every day!"

Maddy rolled her eyes. "That was excruciating." She shrugged. "But okay. I guess if we wanna be prepared, we should. Wanna sleep over?"

I nodded. "Let me call my mom real fast." I pulled out my cell phone. It was a basic, slide-keyboard, cheap old phone, and I hated it. But it was funtioning, so I figured it would do. I pressed 3 and then send. Mom picked up on the first ring. "Hey Mom!"

"Hi, sweetie! Did you girls have fun? Are you prepared for the tryouts? They're only in a week, you know."

I laughed. "I know, I know. We worked hard. Um, do you mind if I spend the night at Maddy's?"

"Sure! I need you home by noon tomorrow, though," she replied.

"Okay! Thanks. Love you, and I'll see you tomorrow!" I pressed end and turned to Maddy. "It's okay."

At Maddy's house, we grabbed a chicken caesar salad and brought it into her room for dinner. We were eating as healthy as we could for the past month, so we were perfectly fit. "So, what do you think they're looking for in everyone?" I asked.

Maddy shrugged. "I don't know. Isn't S.H.I.E.L.D. kind of secretive about everything? They don't reveal much. I'm not even sure what they do. Like, all anyone knows is that Tony Stark works with them. And didn't he help safe New York a couple years ago? So it's probably a big deal."

I shrugged. Thanks for answering, I thought, sarcastically. I'll just be mature. Nobody likes a little kid. But I don't wanna lie about my personality. I'll be fun, too. Fun and mature. That should work.

Maddy fell asleep at nine-thirty, somehow. What a spoil sport. I couldn't catch sleep until one in the morning. I prayed Maddy's mom would let me have some coffee in the morning.

(A/N): Thanks for reading! Please review, I'd really appreciate it. Sorry this was just a filler. The next chapter might be the tryouts... EEEE!