"Just keep calm. Breathe. It's gonna be fine." Tamara whispered to herself as she walked, her footsteps echoing too loudly in the wide hallway. She tried to steady her breathing, but she couldn't help being nervous. Why had Nick Fury summoned her? She ran the events of the past week through her head, trying to find a reason or even a clue, but found nothing. She generally tried to stay out of trouble. The most exciting thing to happen to her in a while was the Iron Man incident a few weeks ago, but even then she had barely done anything other than pushing a few buttons and watching Tony beating a guy up inside a metal can. Not that that was particularly unusual when Tony was concerned. She had known the man since he was only a boy, and he had never ceased to get into trouble or annoy the crap out of her. She was still fond of him, of course, but sometimes she wondered if it was only because she felt obliged to protect the son of an old friend.
As she rounded a corner, she greeted a few agents walking the other way, then stopped in front of a large door. The morning sunlight shone through the window behind her, highlighting the small plaque on the door that read "Director Nicholas Fury". She took a few breaths to calm herself down, then knocked. For a few tense seconds, there was silence, and then a voice called her to come in. She took another deep breath and nervously opened the door.
Even after working under him for several decades, Nick Fury still frightened her sometimes, with an air of unquestionable authority and a stare that could melt steel. As she entered the office, that feeling didn't help her anxiety. She stopped awkwardly by the door and muttered: "You called me, sir."
"Yes, Agent Sterling, have a seat." The man replied from behind his desk. Tamara walked forward and sat down on the edge of the solitary chair in front of the desk, feeling like a girl at school again.
"So, you're probably wondering why I called you here," he began after a short pause. "I'm assuming that you are aware that the amount of known enhanced individuals has recently increased exponentially."
"Um, yes, sir?" She replied hesitantly, now getting curious.
"Then it's no surprise to you that a large number of these individuals may pose a threat to national security." He continued. "Which is why we need a team to monitor and recruit or terminate them."
"What has that got to do with..." Tamara started, before the realisation hit her. "You- you want me to join the team?" She stuttered.
"No, not to join it. I'd like you to lead it."
The sentence took Tamara a second to progress. Fury wanted HER to LEAD a team? A thousand emotions flooded her brain, but anticipation and excitement were overridden by a wave of confusion and fear. "But..why me?" She finally managed to stammer. "Why not Agent Coulson? Or Agent Romanoff? I'm sure there's a large number of people at SHIELD that would be more qualified than me."
"Coulson and Romanoff have their own duties with SHIELD, and Agent Romanoff has established a team dynamic with Agent Barton that I'd hate to break up. You, however, have been working as a backup mission control agent. I'd like to see what you're capable of, Agent Sterling. After World War One, you took down a HYDRA base with your bare hands; that has to count for something."
Tamara shifted nervously in her seat. She still had scars from that day. That mission had been the first time she'd killed, and she still remembered that strange, unexplainable feeling of losing control and something else, something merciless, taking control of her. She'd tried to avoid field missions since then, although due to the Super-Soldier Serum flowing in her veins, she was fully capable of completing them.
"Besides," Fury continued, "I'm aware that you've had experience in this field."
"With enhanced individuals, sir?" Tamara questioned. It was true: she had interacted with both Tony, and back during the war, Captain America. The memories of that particular time still occasionally hurt.
"With recruiting enhanced individuals." The Director answered. "May I remind you of a certain Agent Ayer, who you recruited despite having clear instructions to terminate her?" He gave Tamara one of those stares, making her shrink back and mutter something like "I'm sorry".
"So, what do you say, Agent?" Fury asked.
"Well... who else would be on the team?" Tamara inquired, still hesitant to accept the offer.
"That's up to you to decide."
"What?" Tamara asked. Fury would let HER choose the team members?
"We think the team would be more effective if the members join it voluntarily, and if at least some members know each other. However, if any members, including you, act unprofessionally or are not working efficiently, they will be removed from the team under my authority."
That changed everything. If she could choose her team members, maybe she'd be able to work with a team she was comfortable with, and avoid being an embarrassment.
"Well," Tamara said hesitantly, "I... I think I could try."
Fury didn't smile, but Tamara got the feeling that he approved of her decision.
After about an hour of discussing the specifics of the team, Tamara left the office, her small handbag now containing four keys to the team's new office and base of operations. Although still slightly hesitant, she found her caution replaced by another feeling: excitement. With a team she was comfortable with, this could actually turn out to be fun! She already had a few names in mind, but she figured she might need some help choosing the members of the team. She slipped her SHIELD-issued phone out of her handbag and sent a text to Manami, one of her best friends. "I wanna talk about something with you. Lunch?" A reply came in a few seconds: "Sure! I'm free at 1, usual place?" She replied with a thumbs-up emoji, then returned the phone to her bag.
"Well, looks like we might actually have some fun for once," The ever-present voice at the back of her mind whispered. Tamara firmly told it to shut up. But it was right: this would hopefully be the most fun she'd had in ages. As she walked towards the elevator, Tamara allowed herself to smile.