Spoilers: Within this chapter there's only mentions of a character from Black Widow and a reference to the beginning of the movie. But other than that, there's no major spoilers.

Potential Trigger Warning: There is also a point where the MC is almost groped as she's working. I wanted to make a mention to make sure that if it was a trigger for anyone, it could be skipped over.

Chapter One:

Humble

Beginnings

OHIO,1995.

"Mommy! What about David?" The eight year old asked her mother frantically as she was pulled along, her feet dragging. Her older brother had left early in the morning for work, but had promised to take her to the movies later. However, he still hadn't returned, not knowing of the large black van at the end of the driveway or that their parents were seemingly dragging their youngest to it.

"Don't worry about David." The woman told her, her tone harsh and grating. Her husband merely stood watch, making sure no one they lived around intervened with what was happening. Before the girl knew it, she was handed off to people in scrubs and lab coats inside the black vehicle.

"And you're positive she's-" the woman crossed her arms, sneering as if she couldn't believe the scientist dared to question her credibility.

"This girl is not normal. She's nothing but a mutation, a mistake." The young blonde could only stare at the woman she called mother, her eyes flooding with tears. She swallowed as best as she could, a sad lump in her throat threatening to restrict her airflow. "Nothing but a mongrel just like the powers she has. We've honored our agreement with Dreykov. I expect he will uphold his?"

"You will be contacted when he has made sure you are not lying to us."

"Mommy, I don't want to go!" The girl screamed, trying to escape the grasp of the men holding her inside the vehicle. "I want to stay with you and Daddy and David!" Tears fell from her eyes, anger welling up in her, mixing with her other emotions. The woman turned her gaze onto the girl, her face stone-like and a deep frown revealed her venomous nature.

"We don't keep mongrels as pets." She watched as the girls eyes flashed golden and she tried again to escape, almost succeeding as she caught the scientists off guard. The girl had pulled them out of their seats before a third man came forward with a syringe, sticking it in her neck and pushing down on the plunger. After a few moments, the girls body became limp, though she tried to fight it...Her eyes blinked slowly before staying shut, a sign she was now unconscious.

"See, there's your proof. Do you doubt our word now?" No one in the vehicle dared to speak. "We had better see the money soon...Get her out of my sight." The woman slammed the door shut on the van and watched as it soon drove away.

"Good riddance." Her husband told her, taking his wife's hand. Who had ever heard of a child being born with powers? It was no matter anymore, they pushed the girl to the back of their minds, not caring what happened to her. Nor did they care for the neighbors several blocks away who were now running for their lives, to meet with the very man they had just concluded business with.

Midwest, 2005.

"Channing! Your order is up! Move your a**!"

"Look, Litzski, I'm getting really sick of this!" the girl yelled back, red-faced as she quickly made her way to the cooks counter. "I bust myself day and night for this crappy place and all I get is you yelling at me!"

"Well maybe if you managed your time better, you wouldn't fall behind on your tables. Now I'm not going to tell you again. Get your orders to your tables or get fired, your choice." Harlow gritted her teeth and nodded, albeit with sarcasm before grabbing a tray and loading it with plates of food.

The restaurant was busier than usual, a bunch of tourists crowding it up due to spring break or something of the like. Tips had been great, but not at the risk of how little sleep she had been getting lately. Some of the other waiters and waitresses had quit, no reason other than general laziness leaving her to pick up the slack. Not to mention, some of the customers had been questionable at best, some of them leering and ogling the female workers, herself included.

However, that wasn't something she couldn't handle given the nature of what she was. She shook the thoughts from her head, not wishing to revisit memories that had been locked away years ago. The eighteen year old made her way to the correct table, placing down plates quickly as she could, smile on her face.

"I'm sorry about the wait, we're a little short staffed at the moment...I hope everything is to your liking fella's. Can I get you anything else?" Three of the four men at the table shook their heads, grateful for the food before them. Harlow looked over to the one that hadn't answered, a hint of a playful smirk on his face. Her stomach turned and she had to keep herself from rolling her eyes, knowing where the conversation was going to go.

"Nothing that your number couldn't fix." She took a deep breath and tucked the tray under her right arm before leaning forward, one hand on the table. His friends seemed to lose the color in their faces, getting a sinking feeling at the quick change in the girls demeanor.

"Really?" She told him, her tone flirtatious. "And what do you plan on doing?" He choked slightly, but covered it up with a chuckle, leaning forward. Out of the corner of her left eye, she saw him moving a hand towards her.

"I don't feel like discussing it in the open." He told her and in a flash, his face changed from confidence to one of pain. Harlow grabbed his forearm before his hand had a chance to grab at her backside.

"Now listen here you insufferable pig...You are one of the many reasons I don't give my number out to just anyone. Just because someone is available or seems available, doesn't mean they have to say yes."

"Let go of me you stupid little bi-" He feels her squeeze harder, red hot pain shooting up his arm. Tears pricked his eyes and behind it, fear started to show.

"Don't you ever lay your hands on anyone like that ever...If you do, so help me, I will hunt you down and make you regret it."

All his friends could do was watch, fear settled in themselves, not looking to be a target of the waitress who currently had their buddy on his knees in pain. However, he soon nodded in agreement and the blonde before him let his arm go, bruising starting to form. It was at this moment the girl noticed how silent the restaurant had gone, causing heat to rush to her cheeks.

A few tables away, her eyes caught a few gentlemen in black suits and white shirts eyeing her. Her stomach turned to knots as she noticed how they were studying her, a memory flashing before her. However, before she could think on it, her boss came storming out after her, his face crimson. He grabbed one of her arms, dragging her along to the back before thrusting her forward into a nearby desk.

"What in the hell do you think you are doing assaulting a customer?!" Harlow's eyes burned and her teeth gritted together.

"You've got to be kidding me. That man was going to assault me at that table in front of God and everybody and you're getting onto me!?"

"I should've sacked you the moment you started to giving me trouble!" He told her, jabbing a sausage sized finger in her face and her anger spurned further. She grabbed his hand and called upon the excess strength running through her blood. The man screamed and Harlow felt the bones shatter within hers. He howled loud enough for the entire the building to hear as he held is broken right hand, kneeling on the ground.

"I have done nothing but carry your hellhole of a restaurant on my back for weeks! This place is nothing but a boil on this city and I hope that you get your head out of your a** and start treating with your employee's with respect. Good luck finding my replacement." Harlow spat venomously at the man whining in front of her as she took off her black apron and tossed it at him.

She quickly made her way to the employee break room to her locker, pulling out her forest green jacket and wallet. The girl muttered curses under her breath when she couldn't find her keys only to hear a jingle from behind her.

"Looking for these?" One of the men she had noticed in the black suits now held her keys around his right pointer finger. She sighed, holding out her hand, not wishing to deal with anything else further this evening. Especially since she was sure the cops would be along any minute. Once again, she'd have to move and start over, just in case anyone started digging.

"Look pal, I am in not in the mood tonight. I need to get out of here." The girl watched as the chestnut haired man pocketed the keys, crossing his arms. Harlow's brow furrowed and the man watched as she turned beet red. "Give me my-"

"It looks to me like you've lost your job...On more than one occasion it would seem...Something keeps you moving quite a bit..." Harlow felt the room take on a bit of a chill at his words, her heartbeat quickening, making her breath catch in her ribs.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"What if you had a job where your abilities could be put to good use...You would also have protection and a common thread to keep you safe." He watched as her eyes widened slightly, her face turning pale.

"He sent you here, didn't he?" She shook her head, knowing there was one way out of this. Harlow had hoped for once, it wouldn't come to it, but it was not to be.

"I am not going back." The man before her took several steps back as he saw her eyes turn a golden yellow and as she bared her teeth slightly, her canines were more pronounced. "And you will not take me alive if you try..." He watched as she rushed at him before he could react, punching him in the stomach and dropping him to the ground.

Harlow quickly ran, not bothering to take her keys from him, barely paying any mind to the men in suits following her. She could feel her bones burning, itching to change, but she shoved it down using all her might and muster to get through the front doors. The blonde made it through the front doors, people scattering as they saw her, her golden eyes burning. Her vision quickly found the nearest set of woods and the girl sprinted off towards them as fast as her legs and powers could carry her.

"...Just a little more..." She huffed, her lungs burning like mad. Her ears couldn't hear anyone coming after her, surely they wouldn't be able to follow. There was no way they'd be able to see without giving themselves away. However, something caught the girl off guard as an arm thrust out, clothes-lining her to the ground.

The air left her body and her lungs constricted, windpipe instantly sore. When the air finally returned, Harlow could only cough as she tried to catch her breath. She shakily got back up, only to find a woman a few feet away from her. Her red hair stood out like a beacon in the moonlight and she kept her body tense, almost as if she was expecting a fight.

"Lady, I don't know who you are, but I can only assume you're with the Men in Black wannabe's..." The woman's face stayed stony, no emotion passing over it at the girls quip. "I'm not interested."

"I don't think you have a choice." Her voice was raspy, holding authority. "The Director wants to meet with you regardless." The girl swallowed hard, shoving her fear away.

"Look, I have no intention of going back like I told your friend...If you fight me, you're going to lose." She watched as the woman smirked, almost as if she knew something she didn't.

"You have no idea who you're dealing with." Harlow stood straight, her golden eyed gaze going slightly downcast and she noticed the red haired woman's green eyes narrow.

"And neither do you." The girl soon shifted and changed, her body contorting and slight cries of pain escaped her lips briefly, soon being replaced with wolfish growls. The red haired woman's eyes widened, at the large form now before her, golden eyes more piercing. However, the wolf quickly noticed the woman's smirk return which caused the large being to hesitate.

"You should've paid more attention to your surroundings." It was after the woman said this, Harlow felt the pinch of something sticking in her side, causing yelps to leave her. She tried to escape the pain, smacking into the nearby trees, rolling on the ground.

After a few moments, the woman watched as the wolf started to slow its movements, before laying still on the ground. The breaths that came from the animal were quick and panicked, whines and yelps coming from the large form on the ground. Something inside the red head picked at her when those sounds entered the air, her stomach knotting up. She wanted to comfort the girl and raised a hand but brought it down quickly as other agents filtered in as the wolf finally fell into a deep sleep.

'...It's nothing...' She thought to herself, not looking to make any attachments with the figure on the ground. That was not the mission.

The length will vary on chapters, but they shouldn't be as short as the prologue though. Thanks for reading and to the person who reviewed, I want to thank you too! It made me happy to see it!