Welcome to the next instalment of my series!
Just to let you all know, my character has had to change her identity several times over the years before she settled on this identity, now she can reveal to the world who she is. If you have any questions, just let me know and I'll answer for you!
Disclaimer: I do not own any Marvel characters that may be used or any Marvel storylines or arcs.
Claimer: I only own the character Elizabeth Jones (Lowri Jones and any other names she uses) and her story past, present and future.
Lowri Evelyn Jones stood in Central Park in New York, she was looking at the memorial built in the late 1940's dedicated to the war hero, Captain Steven Grant Rogers and his fellow Howling Commando, Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes.
But Lowri knew more than that. Just seventy years ago, she had known Captain Rogers as simply Steve Rogers, a small man frequently ill yet determined to help his country during the war.
She had been there for it all.
Lowri is the woman who doesn't age, the woman who can control fire, the woman who co-founded one of the government's biggest intelligence agency and the woman who captured the heart of Captain America before he got given his stars and stripes.
She brushed the tears that welled up in her eyes away before looking back down at the memorial. Her eyes caught onto the base of the memorial and a smile came onto her face as she allowed herself to remember pouring the final vial of Steve Rogers' blood in the foundations.
This is something Lowri does every two months. She takes two days off work and heads to over New York, she drops her things off at her cheap flat and spends majority of the day at the memorial site, remembering.
It's a break from work, which is always testing.
Right now, S. H. I. E. L. D. is working on various projects but one of the biggest projects that takes up most of the agents in the agency was Project Stripe.
The director of S. H. I. E. L. D. gave an order a few months back for the case of the missing Hydra plane, the Valkyrie to be reopened and for the search to continue but so far nothing has come out from it.
This director made the choice without Lowri's say on it. Most projects require her approval before they go head, but this one was too close to her to have a fair judgement.
She's very much against the idea of the Valkyrie being found, Howard Stark tried many years ago, he was out for months searching for the plane, but nothing was ever found. It was assumed that the plane had went down into the Arctic Circle, but the landscape is always changing, making it almost impossible to find it.
S. H. I. E. L. D. is the organisation that she co-founded, originally, it was her, Peggy Carter, Howard Stark and Chester Phillips. The Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division is her baby.
So many of the old protocols from the SSR are still being used, some are completely new, such as the Level Clearance System. As per se, being one of the founders, Lowri has top clearance on everything that happens in S. H. I. E. L. D. and she has the choice to claim Directorship of the organisation, but after a few stints in the 70's and another in the 90's, she's quite happy to step to the side and let another take the reins. She's still treated as the big boss, despite what she says.
Lowri prefers being on missions with agents, it lets her bond with the agents under her command and it gives her a break from all the office agents nagging her for her authorisation on something.
She likes to think that she works well with S. H. I. E. L. D.'s current director, Nick Fury, and she's glad of it. She's had to work with so many people that she hadn't gotten along with. One old director once tried to push her out of the organisation all together.
Nick Fury does push her on certain things and in some situations, despite that, they still work well together.
She looked back at the memorial and tears ran freely down her cheeks. The memorial is a simple slab of white stone balanced on the ground with a gold inscription reading: In memory of the Howling Commandos that gave their lives for their country in the Second World War. Captain Steven Grant Rogers and Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes of the 107th, Howling Commandos.
Forever in our hearts and minds, let them guide us.
It hardly ever gets vandalised and whenever she comes to visit, she's always relieved to see it still in one piece. She breathed out heavily before pushing on her knees, standing up and stepping back with her eyes locked on the memorial.
"I miss you." She breathed quietly. She was standing in the path slightly and the New Yorkers brushed past her, some of them sending glares at her as she blocked their path.
Though Lowri has lived through the times and watched people evolve, she's still unable to understand how some people have become so hostile to everyone. What happened to standing with your countrymen?
Sometimes she gets the feeling that she's been left behind in the world. Maybe that's her own fault, she doesn't like change and she refuses to move with the world's ways.
Lowri stepped out of their way with an apologetic look on her face, but she kept the memorial in her eyesight. As Lowri stepped back, her cell phone buzzed in her back pocket and she had the strong urge to ignore the call.
It was most definitely someone from S. H. I. E. L. D. calling her. She doesn't give out her number to anyone nowadays. The agents already know not to call her during her two-day leave, unless it's an emergency.
With a disappointed sigh, Lowri pulled the phone from her back pocket and pressed to her ear, already knowing that she was going to be summoned off her two-day leave.
"Hello?" She asked with a sigh.
"Agent Jones," The voice belongs to a fellow agent, not quite a rookie but he's good at what he does, Agent Phil Coulson. "I know you're in New York and I know you don't like to be interrupted but I've got fantastic news for you, but I can't tell you over the phone. But I can tell you when you get to DC later, so I'm sending over a ticket now for a plane leaving JFK in two hours. Pack up your stuff and get back. Fury's orders."
"You know, we've known each other for a long time, Phil. My given name really isn't that hard to say." Lowri pointed out with a smile on her face, on the other end she heard Phil sigh.
"You never make it easy, do you? Just check your emails when we hang up and make sure you're on that plane. I've booked you in for first class so don't say I never do things for you." Phil said.
"First class for your boss' boss? Wow, thanks, Phil." Lowri said jokingly. "Why can't you send over the jet?"
"Because every flier we've got is terrified of you making a comment about their flying abilities." Phil replied.
Lowri let out a laugh. "Fair enough. Alright, I'll be on the flight." She confirmed.
"Good." Phil hung up and Lowri slid her phone away, she looked back up at the memorial, sad that her day in the park had been cut short but this fantastic news must be important for them to call her off leave.
She had one last look at the memorial before stepping off and joining the crowds of people surging through the paths of the park. She left the park after quickly navigating her way through the crowds and headed for her flat.
It was only a short distance from the park and it's one of those cheap ones, the ones with mould in the bathroom and the cooker doesn't work. Lowri doesn't really care about that since she's only there for one night every two months, plus, she has a great immune system, so she doesn't get sick from the mould and she can always eat out.
Once inside the building, she skipped past the stairs and went straight for the elevator, her flat is on one of the top floors and she doesn't feel like walking those flights.
Inside the elevator stood a small family, an elderly woman and a young man in his early twenties, who checked Lowri out as soon as she stepped into the elevator.
Three floors up, the small family got out and halfway up, the elderly woman left the elevator, leaving Lowri and this young man intent on keeping his eyes on her in the elevator.
As soon as the elevator doors closed on them again and they began moving up, the young man practically slid over to her and looked into her eyes with a flirtatious look in his own.
"You going up or down, darling?" He asked, his voice was rather deep, and his accent had that familiar New York twang. Lowri wanted to chuckle at his choice of words. The elevator was clearly going up.
"Up." Lowri replied shortly. She didn't want to egg on his advances, it would only end up being bad for him. Of course, she was going to shoot him down if he tried to make a move.
"I'm new here, moved in last month, why haven't I see you before? I mean, I wouldn't forget a face as beautiful as yours." He said smoothly.
Lowri smiled gently at him, not enough to egg him on but enough to show him that she's a friendly person.
"I'm not here often, only once every few months. I'm just visiting a few of my old friends." Lowri explained, she was relieved when the elevator stopped at her floor and she stepped out quickly, and she ignored the man's call asking for her phone number.
She pulled her phone out as soon as her front door was closed and headed for the printer. Lowri checked her emails and sure enough, there was an email from Phil's account and attached was a single plane ticket for first class from New York. She sent it to the printer and headed into the kitchen.
She grabbed a bottle of lemonade and twisted the cap off, she added a triple shot of the strongest spirit she owns and headed out to the little balcony, moving her bottle in a small circle to mix the contents.
It could be her favourite place in the world. It's a close second, actually. She keeps an old arm chair out on the balcony in the summer months and when she's been in New York, she likes to sit on the balcony with a bottle of whisky or bourbon beside her, drinking well into the night, watching the city move beneath her.
She heaved out a sigh as she lowered herself into the armchair and sipped at her drink, wondering what this fantastic news could be. Maybe it was important enough to call her off leave, but not important enough to need her attention straight away?
She probably doesn't have a big decision to make if that's the case. The situation was nagging at the back of her mind.
Lowri took a long drink of her drink as soon as she heard the printer ding, signalling that it was done, she got to her feet, pulled the armchair inside and locked the balcony doors.
She quickly finished off the bottle and put it in the recycling before sliding the plane ticket into her already packed bag.
Lowri locked up her flat and took the stairs this time, she didn't want another meeting like the one she had in the elevator and as soon as she was outside, she hailed a taxi.
Booking in was easy, the only bag she had with her was her backpack which is her carry-on luggage. Lowri headed into the first-class lounge with an hour to spare and had a nose in a few of the magazines to kill some time.
No matter how nice first class is, it's always boring. But, it has some perks. The First-Class lounge is generally quieter and reserved so Lowri had the chance to start on some of her paperwork for her many projects in peace and be left undisturbed.
By the time they called for the first boarders for her flight, Lowri was more than ready and she happily stood up and headed for the plane along with the others in first class, passengers with young children and passengers with disabilities and the carers.
She went through a separate doorway leading to the plane and as she passed through the doorway, she was handed a complimentary glass of champagne, Lowri took it and thanked the air hostess but as soon as she sat down, she put it on the table and pushed it from her.
Lowri's tolerance to alcohol was very high and the champagne wouldn't even touch the sides, but she doesn't like the taste of it.
She peered around the cabin and was happy to see that the cockpit door was still open, and she could see the pilots completing their pre-flight checks. Her love for aircraft is one that this hasn't changed, and it certainly never will. Flying is always intriguing to her.
The plane took off smoothly after the regular introductions by the air hostesses and the pilots, as the plane drew level and electoral equipment was allowed, she was handed another glass but this time it was a white wine and the glass of untouched champagne was taken away.
Lowri pulled out her S. H. I. E. L. D. tablet and tapped away quickly. She likes first class for its spacious seating and the privacy it offers. She can work on her reports in peace and quiet.
She was halfway through her third report when the pilots announced they were beginning the descent into the airport, she slid her tablet away and sat back in her seat to look out the window.
As the plane touched down, she felt a strange feeling wash over her, as if something big was going to be happening in the next few hours.
Lowri bypassed the luggage collection and made a beeline for the arrivals lounge. She knew what to look for, black suit, white shirt, black tie, no sign and a small S. H. I. E. L. D. badge on the lapel.
She immediately spotted one of the agents standing at the back of the hall with his hands clasped in front of him. She didn't see the lapel badge until she was quite near, but she smiled at him and he led the way out to the car.
He was tall, a lot taller than her and he wore dark sunglasses, despite being inside. He never cracked a smile or spoke to her. Guess he's a silent one.
She followed him to the car, a large SUV all in black and he opened the door for her. He closed the door after her and got in the front.
He never talked once, instead he chose to drive in silence to the headquarters.
The car pulled up out front and Lowri quickly jumped from the car, calling out a thanks to her silent driver and tugged her bag over her shoulder as she headed for the front doors. She waved her security card over the scanner and it beeped, allowing her to push on the door and go through.
"Glad to see you're back off leave so soon." A red-headed agent fell into step beside Lowri and smirked. "They're not going to like the skirt."
"What, a one-hundred-and-ninety-four-year-old can't rock a skirt?" Lowri asked, smiling down at herself. She wore a light grey skirt that showed a lot of leg and a plain white vest and brown sandals, pretty much a summer look, oh and the soft leather brown jacket slung around her shoulders.
"When you're surrounded by girls younger than you by a century, they tend to get jealous." The red-head smirked.
"Then they're petty." Lowri said simply, "I see no objection to me wearing a skirt. Besides, Phil didn't give me much time to worry about what to wear to the office, Nat."
Natasha Romanoff, a turncoat from the KGB. She was recruited by Agent Clint Barton, a friend of Lowri's and now, Nat is also a friend of Lowri's too. Nat and Clint have this great friendship, bordering on a sibling relationship.
"Still, I bet Coulson is gonna say something." Nat said.
"Bet ya a cup of tea." Lowri grinned, she headed into the elevator and turned to face Nat. "Top Office."
"British." Nat said shaking her head, she turned from the elevator and headed off somewhere while Lowri travelled up to her office to dump her bag.
Lowri then left her office and headed down to Phil's level and walked up to his desk. He was working almost feverishly on a stack of papers; his head was bent low and obviously, he didn't hear her approach. She taped with her index finger once on his desk and he looked up sharply, a look of surprise came onto his face
"Thanks for the first-class ticket, buddy." She said moving around his table and perched on the end, smiling down at him. "But the driver was kinda silent, who is he?" She asked.
"Daniels." Phil replied, he stood hastily and grabbed the papers in his arms, "He's always silent, it's fine. And no worries." Phil looked down at her, "You couldn't have put anything else on that was appropriate?"
"Damn. I owe Romanoff a cup of tea." Lowri said, Phil looked at her strangely and she let out a laugh as he headed off in the direction of the elevator.
"Do I want to know?" Phil asked as he walked away from her.
"A bet me and her had." Lowri replied. She pushed off from Phil's desk and walked behind him. "Besides, you gave me a two-hour window, not enough time to have a fashion show to decide on an outfit for you." She called after him. "Now what's this fantastic news you've got for me?"
Phil turned his head and smiled, "You'll find out soon enough." He said, Lowri hurried and fell into step beside him. "How was New York?"
"Sad, as usual." Lowri replied. She shrugged her shoulders and slid her hands into her pockets. The elevator opened for them and they stepped in. Phil gave the order for Fury's office and they went up. "It's always sad. And it never gets easier. Whoever said that time heals was so wrong."
"Well, whoever said it probably didn't have your life experience, did they?" Phil asked knowingly.
Lowri shook her head. "Nope. It's not fun being the oldest person around." Lowri said glumly. Phil let out a laugh and shook his head at her. "What?" Lowri asked, a smile grew on her face.
"I like your ability to turn your age into a normal thing." Phil said with a laugh.
"How else am I supposed to let everyone know I'm fast approaching the two hundred mark? I expect a big party." Lowri teased.
"Are you expecting me to be the party planner?" Phil asked, he raised an eyebrow at her and smiled.
"Hell no, I'm throwing my own party. But you can pretty much guarantee that there will be loads of cake." Lowri said firmly.
The elevator dinged open and Lowri and Phil stepped out as a few agents, all of them were looking very happy and excited about something, passed by them and stepped into the elevator before the doors could close on them.
Phil grew quiet as they approached Fury's office, obviously whatever news that had to be told was very big. Was this good or bad news? Was this news about her war friends?
Lowri has been to too many funerals in her lifetime, and even though it hurts her to say her final goodbyes to her friends, she still goes.
Nick Fury was sat at his desk, staring intently at the computer screen, ignoring both of them. While Phil stood in front of Nick's desk with his hands clasped in front of him, waiting for Nick to look up, Lowri sauntered over to the couch on the raised platform far away from the desk and sat down without being invited.
Nick looked up at Phil and then he looked at Lowri, "I know you're a busy woman, Ri, but something has come up." Nick nodded at Phil to leave and it was just her and Nick left in the room.
"I'm not that busy, Nick, I just don't like being called in off leave." Lowri said with a sigh, she leant back and crossed on leg over the other and tugged down the skirt, "So, what has come up? Is it something to do with one of your new projects gone wrong?"
"Not as such, no." Nick said with a small smile, he got to his feet and came towards her, he sat down beside her and looked back at her. Lowri had the impression that something had gone severely wrong and Nick was too worried to tell her and that she was probably going to have to sort whatever the problem is.
"Just tell me, Nick." She said shortly. Her voice rang authority, the one that she tries to keep hidden away but it sometimes slips out when the situation requires it.
"You know about Project Stripe-" Nick began but Lowri held one hand up in front of her to stop him. Nick stopped and looked at her.
"Tell me." She said, repeating her words in her commanding tone.
So... what do you all think is Fury's news for Lowri? Here's a hint, it's pretty big, exciting things to follow.
Anyway, I hope you guys do enjoy and I will be updating this story every Monday.
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REVISED - 26/01/18