Steven Grant Rogers didn't often get shot at by women, but when it had happened (which had only been twice) it was of a notable occurrence. The two times that it happened both women had been beautiful, English, and extremely angry.
He remembered agent Peggy Carter picking up a gun in a bunker and firing at him immediately after he had asked her what she had thought of his shield choice. He hadn't realized then that it had been out of jealousy, taking it to be one of those odd quirks that women had that men just weren't meant to understand. In fact, it wouldn't be until after he had been resurrected from his icy tomb that he would understand. Even then, Tony Stark would be the one to explain it to him while Thor and Clint laughed at him.
The second time that it happened he was caught just as off guard as the first, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.
The first time he met Rose Tyler was before she was even a part of their team. He was doing his run around the capital, laughing every time he passed Sam Wilson, when he noticed her honey-colored ponytail swaying as she jogged into their trail. He'd been too slow on the uptake to stop himself from colliding with her, wrapping her up in his arms instead to protect her from the rough tumble.
He lifted himself above her, an apology formed in his throat but died at his lips as he looked at her. Her lightly glowing gold eyes bore into his own light blue as she caught her breath. Her hair fanning about her slightly sweaty face as her brow creased in a perplexing manner, "Are ya gonna move?"
He scrambled to get up, tugging her with him, as he realized the scandalous position they were in. He blushed when he took in her hot pink sports bra and tight black capris, he still wasn't used to the change in women's clothing style.
"Sorry about that ma'am, I get into my own world sometimes. I find it especially hard to concentrate around a beautiful dame like-" he cut himself off and took in a sharp breath as he rushed out and apology, "I am so sorry! I didn't – not that you aren't of course, beautiful I mean." He was interrupted by her tinkling laugh, a beautiful tongue in teeth smile on her slightly flushed face.
"Thank ya for the compliment, Cap." She began jogging backward and away from him, "Best get a move on, your friend has got quite the head start now."
He watched her for a moment, darting his eyes towards Sam before trying to call out for her, "Wait! Wait, I didn't get your name!"
"You'll see me again!" She said as she turned around and continued her jog.
"What if I don't?" He yelled at her retreating form.
"Well, then I'll see you first!" She yelled over her shoulder, taking off at a run and not waiting for his response. Not that he had ever expected her to really.
He shook his head, a smile on his face as he took up a light jog to catch up to Sam, Today might be better than anticipated.
That assumption wavered when he had been called to Stark tower, body rigid and nerves on edge as he made his way to the top floor where he was sure that the man himself would be waiting. So, he was wholly surprised when he stepped out and saw the whole team awaiting him.
They were all seated or standing around a large conference table, Nick Fury stationed at the head, "How nice of you to finally join us, Captain. We thought we were going to have to get this pony show started without you. Now, would you kindly mind sitting down so I may begin?"
He narrowed his eyes as Stark sniggered off in his corner, casting a disparaging glance at Natasha as he took a seat beside where she was propped against the table, "Might I inquire as to why we're here?"
Fury stood, his stature intimidating as he began to circle around the table and click through slides on the three-dimensional program running at the center of it, the first being of the now shut down S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, "As you all know, we have recently lost SHIELD, not for lack of trying to save it on my part." A heated glance was cast in Steve's direction, "Unfortunately, we no longer have the backing of the American government. Now, this may come as a surprise to you overly entitled heroes, but we are nothing without funding. So, I have taken it upon myself to reach out to an overseas company that is willing to get its hands dirty for a good cause." He paused, bringing the hologram to its next slide of a 'T' in a hexagon.
There was a deep sigh from across the room as Tony fell into a chair and spoke, "Are you kidding me?"
"Do you have something you would like to say, Mr. Stark, or am I allowed to finish?" Fury asked, leaning against the table with his one good eye boring into the billionaire harshly.
"Torchwood?" Tony asked brusquely.
"Yes, Mr. Stark, Torchwood." A voice responded from across the room.
Steve felt like he could hear the collective turning of heads as everyone moved to find the source of the feminine voice. Though, As surprised as everyone else seemed to be, he was sure that he had been much more surprised.
"Jogging girl?" He stood quickly, more out of formality than shock.
"Hello again, Captain." She smiled a soft smile, one that didn't nearly reach her eyes, before letting it drop as she stared angrily at Tony, "Do you have a problem with my company, Mr. Stark?"
Tony was laughing as he responded, not even slightly deterred by the angry looks that both Steve and Bruce were giving him for being so rude, "Your company? I'm sorry, but I have studied up extensively on Torchwood and I don't remember it being run by a twenty-something, bottle blonde."
"No, you wouldn't. I try to stay hidden and apparently it's worked since you don't know who I am." Rose replied, her eyes slanted in a glare.
The Captain watched her, captivated by the authority she commanded (and maybe a little bit by the tight fitting black catsuit she wore). She certainly didn't look like someone who could run a company, but he didn't look 94 either.
"Team, this is Rose Tyler, codename: Bad Wolf. She runs a very deep underground company known as the Torchwood Institute. Agent Tyler here founded the Institute several years ago to help with any issues that should arise of the alien nature." Fury switched the slide again to show an image of a green monster, "I'll let agent Tyler take over from here to explain her facility and the help her Institute is offering us." He finished, handing her the small remote before moving to the side.
"Thank you, Agent Fury." She stood at the head of the table for a moment, unnerving them all with her eyes before speaking, "My Institute has state of the art facilities-"
"I'm sorry." Bruce said as he stood up at the far end of the table, "But you honestly want us to believe this?"
"Want you to believe what, Mr. Banner?" Rose asked wearily.
"You. I hate to agree with Tony, but you can't be more than 23 and I don't see how-"
"Right, So I suppose I should dig into information about myself before I begin speaking about my company." She said as she took a seat, her hands resting gently on the table in front of her as she stared between all of them and started speaking again, "I'm not going to get deep and personal here, you don't need any of that. What you do need to know is that I can see the whole of time and space, every single atom of your existence, and I can divide them. I see everything, all that is, all that was, all that ever could be and I'm choosing to do as much good with that as I can."
"What do you mean you can see 'every single atom and divide them'?" Natasha asked her hand at her hip, ready to pull a weapon.
"Exactly what you think I mean." Her hand moved in a sweeping motion, startling the red headed woman when her gun erupted into golden dust in her palm, "I am nearing 200 years old, you all look like children to me."
-:-:-:-:-
He had been intimidated by her at first, even he could admit to that. Though, he knew he wasn't the only one. Stark and Romanoff had been the first to state that they didn't trust her as soon as she had left, both of them looking heavily chastised by the words she had spoken to them.
Sure, her power had been pretty frightening, but it wasn't as if they hadn't faced something this startling before. Thor was pretty ancient and powerful himself, maybe not in a 'can see the future and destroy matter with the swipe of my hand' sort of way, but he was still much more powerful than they were.
Steve was quick to point this out in the middle of the heated argument the group was having. He suggested they give her a chance. Better to have someone that powerful on their side, rather than batting for the other team.
"All I'm saying is that if she's bad then it will be easier to keep an eye on her if we at least stay in her good graces." Steve said, his palms up in surrender as they all fixed glares in his direction.
There was anger in their faces as they soaked up his words. As if he should be the last one to speak on this matter since he'd taken down their original backing in the first place. He had stopped speaking altogether after that. It all came down to Fury, and he had made his decision before the conference had even started.