"Jackie, baby, you really should go outside and be a normal teenager. You can't spend the rest of your summer jumping between the ocean and here. Make friends, meet a cute guy, don't waste your time." My mother told me, her voice rising and falling dramatically for effect. She sounded like the tide.

"What if I run into that guy again?" I asked, genuinely concerned. Mom chuckled.

"And you're going to let that fear turn you into a hermit crab? Last I checked, you're not a crab, although you've been acting like one. The world's your oyster, hon, be the pearl! Go outside and enjoy it!"

I groaned and rolled over on the couch as Mom grabbed her giant thermos of coffee. She was headed out to her job, night shift. These evening talks were all we got. She's assured me that she's on the promotional track and she won't have to work nights anymore after that. It gave me hope, but it still left me to my own devices for most of the day. She grabbed her coat and had her foot out the door before she paused.

"Make sure to take mace with you okay, sweetie? Your powers are nice, but not exactly a sure-fire way to fend off a creep. Just get out of the house, please?" And she was gone before I could open my mouth in protest. Ugh, I have no idea where an 18 year old girl could go at 9 pm on a weekday night. I could go for a walk to the nearby park or something. That sounds nice.

I grabbed my phone and a little canister of mace to stuff into my hoodie pockets as I stepped out the door. I'd made myself a little comfort food to tide me over until I got back home, and I was going to make sure to nab a selfie or something to prove to my mother I actually left the house.

Back home, in Pennsylvania, she would have had no trouble convincing me to leave the house. My hometown, New Hope, is small, but very popular for tourists, even if the name isn't well known. There were plenty of places for me to swim, and dozens of cute little shops to browse in. I missed those most of all.

Walking down the street, I glanced up at the sky. It had turned beautiful shades of pink and orange as the sun began to set. I wrapped my fingers around the little bottle of pepper spray in my pocket, and focused on my surroundings. I was almost at the park, and it was getting pretty dark. The street lamps had lit up.

I approached an empty bench, snapped a photo of myself making a rude expression at my phone camera, then turned to leave. Only there were two guys in my way. The grinned at me, and I could tell that I was going to be in trouble.

"Leaving so soon?" One of them asked, his voice thick with mock offense. The other laughed, a harsh croaking sound. He reminded me of an old chain smoker I knew back home. I took a step back, but they took one forward. I glanced from side to side, and seeing no puddles in view, I remembered I had another option.

I yanked out the little spray canister I had in my pocket and aimed it at the offending men. I put on a serious expression and swallowed my fear.

"I've got mace! Don't come any closer!" I said loudly, hoping that some out of sight stranger would call the police. The men laughed, and pulled back their hoods. They were wearing goggles. Shit, out of all the creeps in the world I got stuck with the prepared ones.

Without warning, a large figure slammed hard into one of the freaks, knocking the both of them down like dominoes. As the men sprawled on the ground, my savior brought himself to his full height, and though I couldn't see his face, I could already tell from his silhouette that he was pretty menacing.

"I don't think the young lady is interested," he said, and I felt the blood drain from my face, "Get going before I break your legs and call the police." The muggers glanced at each other, as pale as I thought I looked at the time and ran. The man sighed, then turned around to help me up.

"Are you alright, miss? They didn't hurt you or…" he trailed off as he recognized my face. Before I could bolt, he grabbed my upper arm. His grip was controlled; gentle enough to not hurt me but tight enough that I couldn't pull away.

"I know you," he said, an odd look in his eye.

"I'm sorry but I really think you don't," I snapped, trying to pull away.

"If I don't know you, then why are you in such a rush to get away?" he asked, "You could at least thank me."

"I-I... Uhm…" The guy had me there. I stumbled to find a way to respond, but in my heart I knew that my cover had been blown.

"My name is Steve Rogers," he said, "And what is your name, miss mermaid?" I winced at the title, and looked down and away, refusing to make eye contact. I clenched my jaw, then forced myself to relax.

"Jacqueline…" I said after the pause. Steve smiled, then released his grip on my arm. He put his hand out.

"Nice to meet you, Jacqueline." He smiled.

[Steve P.O.V.]

"Nice to meet you, Jacqueline." I smiled at the mermaid. Gingerly, she took my hand and shook it. I could tell she was still terrified. I just hope the hidden camera I had on my person had gotten a good enough look at her face.

"Likewise," Jacqueline said tersely.

"Do you want me to escort you home, or will you be alright on your own?" There was an obvious look of relief on her face, which was quickly concealed with glowering suspicion.

"I'll be fine. I could have taken those thugs on my own…" She growled at me. This attracted my attention.

"What, do you know some sort of martial art that I'm not aware of? Or were you referring to the pepper spray you dropped?" Her face went from pale to bright red with embarrassment. She grabbed it and scurried off.

I watched her leave, then brought my finger to the communication device in my ear. Pressing on the button, I spoke so that the hidden microphone could pick up my speech.

"Did you get enough info?" I asked. I heard static on the other end, but soon afterwards, a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent's voice rang clear on the line.

"Yes, we found her identity through facial recognition scans. If it makes you feel any better, she didn't give you a false name." That remark made me laugh a little bit. A dark car pulled around the corner and slowed to a stop. A dark tinted window lowered, and I could see the agent I had just spoken to sitting inside. She waved me over, inviting me inside the car.

"Captain Rogers, we'll be happy to give you a ride back to your apartment." I nodded my head courteously, and slid into the car onto a seat across from her. She was 'scrolling' through what looked like files on the transparent electronic screen that had no doubt been distributed by S.H.I.E.L.D.

"So what can you tell me about Jacqueline?" I asked the agent after a few moments of silence. The woman did not stop her scrolling, nor did she look up. She did talk.

"Her full name is Jacqueline Thompson. She's 18 years old and she recently moved to New York from New Hope, a small town in Pennsylvania, for her mother's work. She's going to attend a public school in the city. As far as I can tell, there's nothing weird about her or about her family. Her mother used to be on a swim team, so if the mermaid trait is hereditary it obviously didn't come from her mother's side. Hm. According to Jacqueline's file, she used to teach small children how to swim as a part time job…" That struck me as odd. Maybe the 'mermaidism' only became active after a certain age?

"When did she quit her job?" I asked, intrigued.

"A little over a year ago. Shortly before her 17th birthday." Unless mermaid time is different then human time, that's a weird time to come of age.

"Maybe she didn't inherit her tail. Maybe she got it by accident?" The agent mumbled. I smiled as we pulled up in front of my apartment complex; it seemed to make perfect sense to me.