Here's a brand new chapter!

Hope you enjoy and thank you to the second reviewer for this story! I'm glad that you are liking it thus far!

Chapter 2:

Welcome to S.H.I.E.L.D

Needles.

Pain.

Shock.

Flashing Lights.

Harlow gasped awake, flinching shortly after from the bright lights over head. She felt nauseous as it accompanied grogginess that hovered like a cloud. The girls mind felt clogged, save for the flashes of memories that passed through her semi-conscious mind.

As she slowly became more aware of her surroundings, her body began to shiver as coldness seeped in, the blanket she was wrapped in doing nothing to keep it out. Thankfully, her eyes caught sight of a nearby chair with a set of fresh clothes sat atop it, her familiar sneakers nearby.

Carefully, the hazel eyed woman stood and began slipping on the warmer clothes, an odd eagle logo on the front of the shirt. It deftly became hidden beneath a jacket and soon after tying her shoes, Harlow tried the door to the small room. Surprisingly, it was unlocked which only sent her nerves and senses on high alert.

Stepping out into the hallway, it was almost hospital like, white tiling and bright lights everywhere. Harlow took a calming breath, feeling her senses heighten as she felt the familiar tingle of the animal that lurked within her. Her nose caught a familiar scent and she began to follow it, albeit cautiously, not longing to be caught out like she had been in the woods.

"...Sh*t..." She muttered, flinching as she swallowed. Her throat was tender and as she walked by a set of windowed office doors, she caught sight of the multicolored hues of a bruise on her throat. Whoever that woman was, knew what she was doing, the girl would admit that. She would also admit that she didn't like her in the slightest, who would after being sent to the ground like that? It was even more affirmed as she turned a corner, finding the red-haired woman before her. And coincidentally, she was the scent she had been following.

The eighteen year old jumped slightly, but tried to hold her composure in front of the stranger. However, just like the night before or whatever day that had been, the other woman kept her composure. Her arms soon crossed themselves as she waited patiently, almost like Harlow jumping in fright was an inconvenience.

"...Glad to see you're back to normal...Or whatever you call normal..." Harlow said nothing, heat prickling her cheeks as she frowned. "The Director is ready for you. I am to escort you to his office."

"Like I have a choice right?" The girl gestured for the red head to lead the way and the pair soon walked in a tense silence down a long hall to an elevator. Harlow brought a hand to her mouth, biting at one of her nails, only to receive a sidelong look from the woman next to her at her bad habit. She promptly brought her hand back down.

Her hazel eyes soon watched as the woman's hand pushed the buttons she needed and the elevator began to travel upward, the see through glass revealing the city of clustered buildings. The sun was already midway in the sky, signaling Harlow had been out for quite some time, but she didn't exactly feel well rested. The girl brought herself out of her musings, finding the long silence still remained. She took a deep breath and dared to break it...Probably not in the way she should have.

"...Thanks for the nice patchwork bruise on my throat. I'm sure it won't be hard to eat at all..." Although as soon as she said it, she found that she regretted it, intimidated by the green eyes that locked onto her. The woman merely stared, almost as if she were observing her and it was cut short as the doors finally opened, revealing the man that had taken Harlow's keys.

"Nice to see you again." She finds her hands flying up to catch something he's tossed at her, seeing that it's the keys he had taken. He smiled as if he were pleased with himself as she stuck them in her pocket.

"We brought your bike to the compound...Phil Coulson." He tells her, holding out a hand and the girl warily takes it returning the gesture.

However, she doesn't offer up her name or any apologies. Harlow does have her suspicions that he already knows her name, along with the woman who now was walking behind her, from how they had found her. The brown haired man opened a door, stepping aside for the girl to walk through only to shut it behind her once she was inside. Her eyes skimmed the large office only to be drawn to the tall figure staring out of the windows. He turns around, revealing an eye patch over one eye and a scruffy goatee.

"Have a seat Miss Channing." He gestures to the chairs in front of his desk and for the moment, the girl obliges. She studies him, still feeling uneasy, even more so when he picks up a manila folder off his desk. He briefly flips through the papers before setting it back down.

"Who are you? You're not-"

"Nicholas Fury, but you will call me Fury...And no, I'm nothing like the person mentioned in your files. However, as a means to an end, hard decisions come up from time to time..." He pauses, seeing her shift nervously.

"You've had several run-ins with the authorities before, somehow slipping away just in time...Seems there were whispers of 'shadows' taking your place..." She chuckles a little, shaking her head.

"People see what they want to see." He raises an eyebrow as if to say 'Really'?

"And I suspect that Agent Romanoff only "wanted" to see a giant wolf in front of her?" Harlow's lips pursed tightly as she bit the inside of her cheek. "I have had eyes on you for a while now..."

"Well, you only have the one so-" She stopped mid sentence, noticing that the man before her was not amused. "Look, I don't know what you me to say. I don't even know who you guys are or what you even do."

"We protect those who can't protect themselves from things that are otherwise unknown. Sometimes from themselves. We are what we call S.H.I.E.L.D. The Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division...Broad description I know."

"And I suppose you want to recruit me or something?" He shrugs, now leaning against his desk.

"That depends...If you choose to say yes or no, that's up to you." Her brow furrowed and she frowned slightly. "And if you pass the tests and evaluations."

"That's completely different from what happened yesterday. You were all so eager to force me to come here."

"Call it investigatory insurance...We had to see if what was in your papers was true. Sorry for the tranq dart." She rolled her eyes.

"Now, if you do decide to work for us, you'll be well protected from who you're running from." Fury noticed that he now had the girls attention, her ears pricking up. "You'll be put through a basic training program before moving to the next stage."

"Do I get paid or is working here supposed to be like I'm thankful for the chance to be an intern? I'm sure you already know I don't currently have a job."

"Everyone gets paid...But you do have to earn it."

"That's usually how a job works Fury." This time it was Fury's time to roll his eyes...Or eye rather... "Is there anything else?"

"You have your choice of living here or off the compound, company pays for it."

"Off compound. Next."

"You really don't mess around do you? Where'd you learn to negotiate?"

"By watching The Fifth Element." Harlow swore she saw a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. Fury soon crossed his arms, returning to a more serious nature.

"Accepting this job means going into it, knowing there may not be any contingency plans in regards to whatever missions you accept...And watching your partners back when the time comes." He merely stated."

Harlow crossed her legs and arms, biting her lip in thought, her gaze really focused on nothing. It was definitely a nice idea, being able to stay in one place for once. However, the idea that she may not be rescued was slightly off putting. Who was Fury to decide if you lived or died? ...Besides being the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D that is...

"So there may be no chance that I wouldn't be rescued? Whoever it is wouldn't be rescued?" He nods. "...There's only the mission..."

Fury studied her some more as she mused out loud...Her file had definitely given him ideas on where to go next with his eventual plans, but if she decided not to stay, it wouldn't make a difference. The man would still work to form a team to protect the planet when it needed saving.

Her file had also stated that she had escaped her tormentor about two years after she was taken, returning home to find her brother. He had taken her away from their parents to keep her from being sent away again, but eventually, it took a toll on the man...Caring for his sister as if she was his own child...The girl before him left her brothers at 16, moving from couch to couch as she finished high school, only to have to keep moving in case someone came looking for her. Although Fury knew that there was no one looking...He had visited the warehouse to see for himself the damage from all those years ago... It hadn't been easy coming by all this information, but the Agents of Shield had their ways...Not to mention there was one other factor...

"Fury, are you listening?" He came out of his thoughts to find her standing before him, hand outstretched.

"Sorry, I have a few things on my mind...What were you saying?"

"I'll take the job." He stood up from the desk, his hand taking hers, giving it a firm shake.

"What made you decide?"

"There are people who need help and if whatever the heck I am can help do that, I'll do it."

"Good. I just have two more things." He held up two fingers. "One, we have the matter of that man's broken hand to deal with. Two, the assault charge from the other gentleman." She scrunched one eye shut, knowing it was her own fault. Harlow should've known better that it wouldn't just go away.

"Is that it?" She questioned, not sure if she would like the answer.

"And I just want to say: Welcome to S.H.I.E.L.D." Fury took notice of the way she was smirking at him, a hand on her hip while the other held up three fingers.

"Fury, that's three things." He rolled his eye once again. What had he gotten himself into?

This chapter was on the shorter side but I have come up with a upload schedule for this story. It will most likely have a new chapter on Tuesdays or Wednesdays. Or both days, it really just depends on my work schedule during the week. :)