Once Stark - Howard, as he kept insisting - Dr. Wilkes and Dr. Samberly had taken more scans than she could count, more blood than she would have thought possible to live without, and asked more questions than she could recollect, she was shepherded into one of the standard bunks for on-site personnel members after being told it was too late, or more accurately too early, to travel home. It was also wise not to drive back into the city given the last test had involved Samberly shining lights into her eyes for several minutes. The light still flashed behind her eyelids when she blinked.
Thankful to have a room to herself, Moira dropped onto the bottom bunk and leaned her head back against the smooth stone wall. There was a short thrill when the situation stirred a feeling of familiarity but it quickly disappeared, offering no flashes of forgotten memories.
Moira took a deep breath as she contemplated tomorrow - today. She was going to be an agent again. And going through another induction and more training. Hopefully, unlike last time, the new S.H.I.E.L.D recruits wouldn't spend the whole course at the academy tormenting her for having her reproductive organs on the inside. Of course in response to their jibes that the closest she would ever get to agent was to sleep with one of them she went and got one of the highest scores on record. Much to her team's displeasure.
She stood up to take off her suit before settling under the covers. Dr. Wilkes had offered to find her some clothes for tomorrow but in case he forgot it wouldn't do for it to get wrinkled. Agent Carter had told her on the journey down to the labs that if she was willing she would need to go through an induction tomorrow, originally scheduled for some entry level scientists, which she would need to complete before she could be assigned to a superior officer. As her Mother always said, first impressions are the most lasting.
"It's nothing too complicated." Carter had explained. "Just some routine history on the organisation, an explanation of the variation divisions, what to expect during your training."
"How long will my training be?"
"Given your experience with the CIA there should be some areas you are already adept at - but you should be prepared for it to last for while. And we'll make sure it's worked around whatever the doctors come up with. I'm sure if we give them their way you'll be down here all the time. They do love their tests." She sighed, as though she was well familiar with their antics. "I've worked with Howard since the war, and while he enjoys living the high society life, when he's confronted by something of a conundrum he really does devote himself to it."
Lucky me, Moira had thought idly. She'd had her fair run of physicals, both at the academy and during her time as an agent, and despite the regularity she had never grown to like them.
"What does S.H.I.E.L.D training entail?" Moira asked as they turned into a maintenance stairwell and proceeded downstairs.
"For a field agent you'll receive relative strength training, language tuition - although Fury informed me that you already speak proficient Russian - instruction in weapons handling, martial arts or boxing are common options - although it really all depends on your superior officer and what they advise. Your test scores from the CIA prove you're already efficiently trained in the basics, personally I'd move you straight into more specialised fighting styles."
"Being a field agent involves a lot of action then?"
Moira stopped at the entrance to the wing. "If that's something you're opposed to we could move you into reconnaissance or into a team, something less physically demanding."
"No, no I'm not opposed to that. And I'm glad of the opportunity to learn more, I just..." Moira breathed, "I'm just wondering how peaceful an organisation you are if your standard training programme involves martial arts or boxing."
"The CIA offers boxing electives." Carter defended.
"Yes, but they are an elective." And something she wasn't given access to.
"S.H.I.E.L.D will never force you to do something you don't want to. But we do want to ensure that you are prepared and capable of keeping yourself, and those around you, safe." Carter held the door open for her.
"I suppose boxing could be interesting." Moira said, walking before Carter who quickly ushered her into a lab that must have spanned half the length of the first floor.
Tossing onto her side Moira took a deep breath before flipping the light switch by her head off. It didn't make much of a difference, the yellow streetlights outside the barracks streamed through the uncovered window. She turned over to face the wall. Her eyes were closed for half a minute before they opened again.
As ridiculous as it sounded, she felt like it was the first day before school. Except, instead of school, she had signed up to work for yet another intelligence agency. An agency where she would be working more cases like the Hellfire Club. Encountering, what? More mutants, more people with powers - natural or manmade?
She was effectively forced out of the Mutants Division - for what, her humanity? At least this organisation was run by and populated by her own species who didn't expect her to have powers and fight psychopaths determined to start a new world order by killing all humans. Well, she might still be expected to fight psychopaths.
Carter made it sound like she would have the opportunity to learn some incredible things. Moira had always been jealous at the academy by the men who went into the boxing club - her superiors had argued she couldn't partake as there were no other women for her to fight, and it would be unfair to pit her against a man. Now she could learn it. Maybe another language too.
Yet there was still something that didn't sit right with her. A feeling that worried away at her, twisting against her gut. A feeling, much like she had experienced when she'd entered the bunks and had experienced a moment of familiarity with the situation. Was it possible a ghost of a memory was enough to make her feel this way? That despite missing the memory, something about her time in the Mutants Division was enough to leave her apprehensive about S.H.I.E.L.D?
Another question she would have to leave unanswered until - if - she got her memories back. What was it about S.H.I.E.L.D that worried her? There was the fact that she still didn't really understand much about the organisation or what her part in it would be. Was it also possible that even without her memories she still felt a loyalty to Xavier and the other mutants? And was that loyalty even her own or something that had been implanted in there when he'd rooted through her mind? To stop her from doing what she potentially would. To inform an intelligence agency about the mutants. To give away their secrets.
Shuffling until she was on her back, Moira's eyes clenched shut as the yellow light crossed her eyes again. She could still walk away.
"Moira?"
Eyes snapping open, the yellow light had been replaced by white sunlight, slightly shadowed by Agent Carter hovering next to her bed.
"I did try to wake you by knocking. You're due in the conference hall in half an hour." She apologised.
"I don't even remember falling asleep." Moira murmured, sitting up.
"I guess we should put alarm clocks in here. I'll just leave you to get dressed. There's some toiletries in the drawers if you need it. Meet me in the hall when you're ready." Carter said before taking her leave.
Of course Wilkes hadn't lived up to his promise to get her clothes. Evidently Carter was right. Give scientists a puzzle to crack and everything else falls by the wayside. Thankfully after brushing her hair through and putting her suit back on she still looked presentable, if a little ruffled.
Carter passed her a bagel when she opened the door.
"Howard had them delivered."
"Thank you." Moira said. She found it rather strange that the co-founder of the entire organisation was not only escorting her to a routine induction for new recruits but was also waking her up and giving her breakfast. "Are you giving the induction?"
"No, someone else will."
"Oh. Well I'm sure I can find the room if you have something else to..." she trailed off under Carter's scrutinising gaze. "Is something the matter?"
"Once the session is over Howard wants you in the lab again. Apparently he had some equipment brought in from Stark Industries to run more tests with." She replied, looking forward again.
"Alright." Moira said unsurely, making quick work of her bagel to fill the rest of their silent walk. Despite her claim she actually began to doubt whether she would have found her way to the conference room after the number of corridors they took turned down to get to there.
"Pay close attention." Carter said as means of goodbye, leaving her at the door. "I'll be testing you later."
Eventually eleven other recruits joined her to occupy the room. As promised they were all scientists but the induction was generalised and covered the scope of the organisation. Specialists, which given the outline of training Carter had provided appeared to be Moira's career trajectory, were entry level three. According to this structure there were six levels although, given the command structure Moira had seen so far, she was positive there had to be higher clearance levels. Evidently so high no one could know that they existed.
The lecture involved a loose history about the S.S.R, Super Soldier's Initiative and Hydra before progressing onto the establishment of S.H.I.E.L.D and the roles played by Stark, Carter and Phillips. The current director, Rick Stoner, was touched on and there was no mention of Fury. If he were a simple liaison as claimed that would make sense, but Moira felt that his responsibilities in the organisation were far more complicated than that, given his role among the other powerful players during their meeting yesterday.
Carter's role in the establishment of S.H.I.E.L.D surprised her immensely as the speaker went into depth about her role with the S.S.R, Howling Commandos and working alongside Captain America - who was real, with a picture to prove it - to defeat Hydra. By all accounts she was a highly skilled field operative who did the majority of the groundwork in building the organisation after Stark and Phillips came up with the novel concept. The three of them quickly promoted S.H.I.E.L.D from a US to an international agency, coming under the authority of the United Nations, giving it near global authority. Frankly it was a complete wonder how she, an ex-CIA agent, had never heard of it. To function on that scale the operation must be enormous.
By the time he'd finished Moira was feeling that her reaction when entering the meeting yesterday was decidedly inadequate.
Letting the scientists, who were already discussing their upcoming work, pass before her she found herself sharing half smiles with the other female recruits who walked past her. Maybe S.H.I.E.L.D was the place for her after all.
Agent Carter was sitting primly in one of the armchairs outside in the waiting area. Moira almost felt star struck and, judging by the double takes from the other recruits, she wasn't the only one.
"Now then." Carter began. "What does S.H.I.E.L.D stand for?"
"Supreme Headquarters, International Espionage, Law-Enforcement Division."
"Who created the Super-Soldier Serum?"
"Dr. Erskine."
"Who was the first person to take the serum?"
"Red Skull...Johann Schmidt."
Carter pursed her lips satisfactorily as she stood. "Be warned, I'll keep testing you."
"Are you here to take me to the lab?"
"No, I will let you find your own way. I dare say you need to get familiar with this building, you'll be spending a lot of time here. What I am here to tell you is that I expect you to meet me at the training facilities, that's just beside the eastern gate, at 08:00 tomorrow. I would make it earlier but you need time to commute from home. Just be sure to set an alarm, I won't tolerate tardiness."
Moira frowned and hastened to follow her as she started marching ahead. "I don't understand. You're training me?"
"Yes. As of right now, I'm your S.O. Do not let me down." She said, her warm tone undermining the strictness of her words. "I don't undertake personal training often so I expect the best you can give me, understood?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Not ma'am, Agent." Carter corrected.
"Of course." Moira said, her lips twitching into a slight smile before she hastily corrected it.
XXXXX
I wrote the original before Agent Carter was released so this version builds more on the role Carter played in the foundation of the organisation - which was over twenty years before this story and the events of First Class is set. I hope you enjoyed this chapter- which characters are you hoping to see in the upcoming chapters? More Marvel fan-favourites, or some X-Men?