Disclaimer: I do not own The Avengers, or Marvel. Just Jamie and Amir.

Chapter 10
Agreement

Jamie took a moment, slowly turning around on her heels to examine her environment. She rubbernecked in completely amazement. She was slack jawed. She had been in the military for six years, but never had she been on one of their ships, let alone one that looked like SHIELD's helicarrier.

Once out of her transport craft, she stood outside on the large tarmac, watching workers running around doing whatever their task at hand was. Everybody but Bedig ignored her, going about their business.

Bedig let the girl look around for a couple moments, letting everything sink in before he went up next to her and instructed her that the Director wanted to see her right away. Jamie agreed compliantly, though she didn't see any other option, seeing as she was now out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean on their craft. She could always fly away, but that was far too much exposure and far too much of a distance.

Once inside, Jamie was instructed to take a seat at the large conference table in a meeting room out of the way of everything else. Several individuals were packing up as she entered with Bedig. She felt as if she needed to wait for them to be done, but the agent insisted that she sit down and wait. She was logy, so the chair she chose noisily scrooped against the metal floor, causing her and several other individuals to cringe at the sound. She quickly sat down, unwilling to move the chair any further in fear of making the unpleasant sound again.

The agents that had been attending what she guessed was a meeting files out one by one, while Bedig stood at the door to keep watch for the Director, and to prevent Jamie was trying to leave. Not that she would, she didn't know her way around the place at all. She'd get lost thirty seconds after leaving, that was for sure.

Not too long after Jamie was instructed to sit, Bedig exited the room and in walked a tall African American male holding a file in one hand. He wasn't dressed like the rest of the individuals on the craft. He wore a long black leather jacket, as well as a black shirt and pants. The oddest part of the man was the fact that he wore an eyepatch over one eye. He moved quickly and with a sense of purpose and authority that Jamie could never even dream of obtaining.

"Private Roe," the Directed greeted, standing across the table from him.

"Director," Jamie uttered back. "I believe at a disadvantage. You know my name, but I don't know your's."

"Fury," he stated simply.

Is that supposed to be his name, or is he just telling me how he feels? she asked herself, sitting back in her chair, crossing her legs. He sat down at the seat he had been standing behind and leaned forward, his hands clasping in front of him, resting on the table.

"You have created quite a lot of trouble for us, Private Roe," Fury stated. "You forced our hand into threatening Dr. Assaf. We didn't want to do that."

"Well, perhaps you shouldn't have done it despite that little fact," Jamie stated.

Fury just look at her with that single eye of his, his presence weighing down on her as if he were the POTUS, or Dr. Hull. With that single look, Jamie knew she should watch her tongue around the Director. He was the head of SHIELD, after all. She didn't even know what that could entail.

In order to stop the look, Jamie turned her head and spoke up once more, changing the subject. "Why is it that I'm here, Sir?" she asked.

"Simple," he stated. "We need your help."

"From what?" she asked. "Agent Coulson wouldn't discuss it with me, but he did seem a little freaked out, which is weird, even for him."

"A very dangerous item was stolen from us," he stated, sliding the file across the table to her.

Jamie took the file and opened it. The very front page of the file was designated to a small cubed item, glowing a soft blue, much like how she did when she was using her abilities. "The Tesseract," Jamie read. "And what was it you were doing with it, Sir?"

"We were trying to use it as a source of clean, sustainable energy," he answered.

Yeah, like that's all, she thought. She had to fight an eye roll with that. "Let me guess," she scoffed. "The person who took it from you wants to use it as a weapon, not as a "clean, sustainable energy" source."

"You're not our first choice," he said, leaning back in his chair. "We have several other options before we use you, but one of our men was taken when the Tesseract was stolen. He was our best marksman. You don't quite stand up to his standards, but I've looked over your record. It's impressive. We want you to stand in for him as our sniper."

"That I can do, Sir," Jamie said.

"Good to here, Private," he said.

"What are the other options though, Sir?" she asked. "If I'm to know when I'm needed, I should know what they are. To prepare if the time comes."

Fury leaned forward again, his good eye almost staring through her blue eyes female."What I am about to disclose to you is strictly confidential and only privy to a select few."

"It stays between us, Sir," Jamie assured him. She wasn't in the military any more, but she was working for this man, and as far as she was concerned, that meant she was to listen to whatever the hell he wanted her to do. Didn't mean she had to like it. Didn't mean she completely had to agree with it. As long as it wasn't against any laws or rules, she would follow her commands like the good soldier she would always be at heart.

"We have individuals selected for a team," Fury said. "These individuals have unique talents, much like yourself. If the time comes, we are going to call on them to fight for us. It's called the Avengers initiative."

"You make them sound like superheroes or something," she scoffed.

"Some believe them to be," he said. "Perhaps that's exactly what we need to believe in."

"Are you sure you're not putting too much credence into this idea? I mean, Avengers? Superheroes? Isn't that a little farfetched in and of itself, even in this line of work? You sound averred in the impossible."

"Maybe the impossible is exactly what we want them to do," Fury said. "To do what we can't."

"Are you admitting that you and your agency can't do something, Director Fury," Jamie pressed, a smirk playing on her lips.

"Don't push it, Private."

"But tell me this first; why would you need to pressure me into being a sniper?" she asked. "It's what I was trained for to begin with, and it doesn't quite add up that you would reveal all your card on me if it was just that."

"To be quite frank with you, Private, that's not the only reason we want you here," Fury said. "If anything goes wrong with the Tesseract, we want you to be our contingency plan."

"Contingency plan?" she asked. The sound of that certainly made her stomach drop to what felt like the bottom of the ocean floor below them. "How could I possibly be the contingency?"

"Dr. Assaf has stated that, in theory, you can absorb other sources of energy," Fury said. "You can retain it. If the cube somehow gets so far out of control, you could absorb it. Prevent any unnecessary danger."

"Yes, in theory," Jamie pressed, her eyebrows knitting together in frustration. "It's never actually been tested before. I mean, I know for a fact that I can't take in electricity, or anything like that. They're completely different. Why would the Tesseract be any different?"

"In WWII a man by the name of Arnim Zola under the command of Johann Shmidt was able to use it to create weapons. We currently have a hold of several of those weapons with the energy still inside. We want to test out our theory."

"You want to see if I can actually do it," she stated, sitting back with a huff. "You want to know if it's possible for me to support that kind of energy. And if I do? What would you want me to do with that energy, Director Fury? Are you going to lock me up in some machine and harvest that sustainable energy, hm? Put me away for being too powerful?"

"You're putting words in my mouth, Private Roe, and I don't like it," he stated.

"And I don't like that I'm getting used," she said. "We don't know what this'll do to me. For all we know, I could die. The energy source could be vastly different than what's inside me. It could poison me. Those little toys you want to test with me could kill me right on the spot. What good would it be if I drop dead before the contingency is even needed?"

"You have a point," he pointed out.

"I tend to every once in a while," she muttered.

"The real question is if you'd be willing to put yourself in that position if the time comes. Would you sacrifice yourself if it could stop everything?" Fury asked.

"You want me to basically commit suicide?" she asked. "Willingly go in there with the knowledge I could die?"

"You did that everyday while you were in the military, didn't you?" Fury pointed out.

He's got a point, she thought. "I didn't say I wouldn't do it," she said. "From the sound of it, a lot of people could die because of your actions. I won't willing let people die if I can possibly stop it. I just wasn't aware you were so willing to let people die, is all."

"There's a lot you don't know about what we do, Private," he said. "And for most, it's better that they don't. It protects them. Saves the world from panic."

"Well, there's a lot you don't know about me too, Director," Jamie said. She reached into the collar of her blouse, pulling out the chain with her dog tags, as well as what appeared to be a small silver flash drive. "Since everything is already out in the open," started to say, "you may as well have the rest of what I have. Everything you want to know, except the chemical formula and the amount of gamma radiation I was exposed to is on this drive." She unhooked it from the chain and slid it across the table, just as he had done with the file.

"Thank you for your cooperation, Private," Fury said, standing up. "We'll require you to still run some tests for us, but we will remove the Hydra weapons testing, in regards to what you pointed out here."

"Yes, Sir," Jamie said, standing up as well.

"While we prep for the tests, Agent Bedig will show you to the medical bay to get checked over. I hear you had quite an eventful day at work," he said.

"I've had better days," she said. "I've also had worse, Sir."

"We'll retrieve you when we require your presence. Until then, you are free to stay in your quarters, the medical bay, or in the mess hall."

"Yes, Sir," Jamie said, walking with him to the door. "I have one last question though, Sir."

"And what would that be, Private?"

"What If I can't stop it? What would you do then?"

Fury gave her a look that said far more than she knew he had intended to give her. Fury was worried about it. And having the Director of SHIELD worried didn't sit well with Jamie whatsoever. If the man with all the secrets of the world didn't know what to do, who possibly could?

"Let's hope we don't have to find out."

"Agent Bedig, I assure you I don't need medical treatment," Jamie pressed, following right behind the young agent. "I was already checked out by paramedics on scene at the Baxter building.

"Director's orders, Ma'am," Bedig said. "And frankly, I don't care what you think you need or don't need. Whatever the Director wants, the Director gets."

Someone's a kiss ass, Jamie thought bitterly. Bedig had already showed Jamie her quarters, as well as where the mess hall was, where they had a pot of coffee always on, hot and ready for anybody in need of it. And seeing how most of the agents on the helicarrier looked, they went through quite a few cups a coffee each and hour. Working for SHIELD can't be good for one's health.

"Here we are, Ma'am," Bedig stated, referring to the sliding glass doors before them.

They opened automatically as Jamie reluctantly walked inside the very large medical bay. There were several nurses and doctors over at a single table seated as they conversed with one another, while a few were scattered around the room here and there. Things seemed extremely quiet, as they probably normally were. Jamie didn't think they would have much commotion unless something was wrong.

"Jamie?"

Jamie froze in her observation of the facility when the individual said her name. The voice sounded so out of place. It was soft and comforting, though not comforting as Jamie thought about where they were and how out of place the owner of it truly was.

The brunette turned around, her blue eyes meeting deep brown, almost black eyes. His dark skin was paler, though not sickly pale, Just from lack of people out in the intense sun of the Middle East. he still had no hair on top of his head, and nor was there any facial hair. He seemed to be slightly more rounded, an indication that he had been eating more regularly and better than previously. A small smile graced his lips kindly.

"Amir," she stated.

"Hello Child," he greeted, slowly moving towards her. He used caution, obviously unsure of how she would react after finding out he had informed SHIELD of what truly happened in captivity, something they had all agreed not to do. "Come, let me patch you up, Child. You seem to have been through quite a bit recently."

Jamie didn't say anything as she followed Amir into the back of the medical bay to a bed right next to a desk. She sat down on the bed, her eyes never leaving Amir as he pulled out cleaning supplies for her wounded shoulder and gauze. He motioned for her to remove her shoulder as he pulled the curtain of their section closed to give them more privacy as he worked.

"I should be very angry with you," Jamie stated.

"You have every right to be," he said. "And I would not blame you one bit."

"I said should," she repeated. "I didn't say I was. Considering the circumstances, I can't say I wouldn't have done the same thing. You have a family to think about, and they were going to deport you if you didn't come clean, Amir. I don't blame you one bit for protecting them."

"But we would not be here at all if it were not for you," he said.

"And I wouldn't if you hadn't kept me alive back in Qatar," Jamie said. "So I think we're even."

"Then my betrayal if far worse!" he went on.

"You didn't betray me, Amir. You didn't betray any of us," she said. "Don't put all of that blame on yourself."

"You really don't blame me?" he asked slowly.

"No, I blame SHIELD. They're dicks," she said.

Amir laughed with a nod. "That they are, Child," he agreed. "That they are. Now, let us get you all fixed up, shall we?"

There we have it. Jamie's been propositioned and she's accepted! Amir's working for SHIELD because Jamie's there and because of the whole Contingency thing. I hope you guys like the way this went. I was a little unsure of how the take would be. Anyway, let me know what you think! I look forward to what you have to say in reviews!

Thanks go to the following for their reviews in the previous chapter(s):

OctoberOpal - Coulson is very fun to right, actually. He's a total geek, but total professional as well, which makes him a contradiction and a riot to portray. Now you know a little more on how Jamie's going to play into the whole scheme of things. Hope you liked that chapter and thank you for your review!

ToFallUponTheNight - I know! I thought the eyes was a rather realistic and effective thing to do in a situation like that, don't you think? I try to make things as realistic as I can to make up for the unbelievable things that go on in the Marvel Universe. Thank you for your review and I hope you enjoyed the chapter.

Knighthawk993 - Lol, I know. Coulson get's everybody excited and then depressed and then happy again. I'm the same way. You gotta love the guy. And yes, Steve will be in the next chapter, so I think you'll be very happy to see him again. I'm so glad you liked the chapter. Hope you like this one as well.

seasidewriter1 - Compelling? That's another new one for me! I'm also glad you liked the fighting scene. I'm always so hesitant and nervous about my fight scenes. It was a little short, but oh well. Steve will be in the next chapter, so you'll be able to see his reaction then. This chapter gives you a little incited and stuff to think about about for the coming events of the Avengers. I'm excited to here what you think and what your take on it is.

Jesla777 - Thank you! I'm glad you like how's she's pulled in. You got to see the proposition in this one. Hope you liked it. Cap will be in the next chapter, promise!