Sitting ramrod straight with her fingers tightly interwoven in her lap, Moira waited to be called into Agent Fury's office.
The walk back into the building she had so unceremoniously left only three days before was nerve-racking enough. Waiting for an interview, which should have started several minutes ago, with one of the highest-ranking officials in the CIA was enough to make her heart attempt to escape the confines of her rib cage.
The man who had approached her in the parking lot – Nick Fury, as she now knew – wanted to recruit her for an organisation she had never heard of, worked in a part of the building she had never known existed, and was permanently tailed by a small team of staff who seemed capable of glaring the fur off a monkey. Today was no exception, as he approached his office with several people in tow, two of whom looked ready to march into battle rather than walk the halls at Langley.
"MacTaggert." He said calmly, his staff dissipating as he spoke her name. "With me."
Following him into his sparsely decorated office, Moira dropped into the seat he waved her towards while he shrugged off his coat. Glancing out the window, Fury seemed interested in something happening downstairs and looked there thoughtfully for a moment before giving her his attention.
"Why did you resign from the agency?" Fury asked bluntly, although Moira had a sense he already knew everything that had happened.
"I think resign is a very nice way to put it." Moira experimented, and when Fury's lip twitched infinitesimally she was confident he at least knew she had called McCone an ass. "I didn't feel that I could make any more progress within the organisation, sir."
"You don't work here anymore, MacTaggert. You don't have to call me sir." He said, leaning against the windowsill. "And I agree with you. The CIA is meant to deal with all external threats to the country. But if anything, these recent events seem to have proven that the CIA is perhaps not the organisation best equipped to deal with these... shall we call them unexplainable events?"
"I don't think I'm the right person to comment on that."
"On the contrary. At this moment in time, I think you are one of the few people who can. Given your recent history and your interactions with Mr Xavier. I'm quite interested to hear your judgement on the situation – about how the CIA handled it."
"You know what happened to me?"
"I dare say at this point I know more than you do."
"That's not exactly an accomplishment." Moira scoffed, shifting in her seat uncomfortably. "Look, I don't understand why I'm here. I know you said you work with a group called S.H.I.E.L.D, yet no one I know seems to have heard of it."
"You're not friends with anyone who has that level of clearance." Fury said, finally moving to sit at his desk after he gave up looking for... whatever he had been looking for outside. "I work for S.H.I.E.L.D and act as a liaison with this agency. And others. I'm not usually based here but I have eyes in this building. And I've worked in this capacity long enough to recognise you as a potential asset."
Moira slowly shook her head and glanced around the room. There was none of the usual CIA insignia that was in her supervisor's offices. Then again there was no other symbol, nothing to give her any indication of what S.H.I.E.L.D was and certainly not what it did.
"S.H.I.E.L.D was established after the Second World War and is a subsidiary of the United Nations." Fury said, watching her carefully. "The name stands for Supreme Headquarters, International Espionage, Law-Enforcement Division."
"That's quite the mouthful."
"Hence the acronym." Fury deadpanned. Moira bit back a smile. "S.H.I.E.L.D came about in the wake of what was called the Super Soldiers Initiative, which was run during the war. An experimental programme launched to create an army of advanced humans who could fight the war for us. You ever heard of Captain America?"
"The comic book character?" She asked, frowning as she struggled to recall the covers of the comics her Dad had collected and the one story he had told her about the stage show he had seen while stationed in Europe. There was a vague memory of a radio show about him too. "He's fictional."
"Aren't we all." He said coolly. "I know a lot of people who doubt your story MacTaggert. After your experiences, after what you've seen, are you still so quick to dismiss something as fantastical just because you haven't seen it with your own eyes?"
Fury paused, watching as his words sunk in before continuing. "S.H.I.E.L.D is the world's answer to dealing with the unexplainable. The types of events and people that organisations such as the CIA have proven themselves incapable of dealing with in an appropriate manner."
"Like mutants?"
"Exactly."
"If you think the CIA is so incapable, why do you want me?" She asked, still confused about why she had been approached. "I was part of the Mutants Division. Apparently. And from what I've been told, we nearly started World War Three."
"Regardless of how things ended, your work impressed us. Your ability to keep a level head, even when seeing something no one else would think possible. Being able to differentiate between those who wanted to use their abilities for good instead of presuming that anything different is something to be feared. How you were able to gain the trust of individuals who had lived their entire lives working to keep their abilities secret..."
Moira cut him off. "I don't even remember doing any of that. I don't even know if I did that."
Fury leaned back in his chair and for the first time since they'd started talking, Moira felt like his full concentration was on her. The power of his stare almost made her want to squirm in her seat but she met his gaze head on. "You're referring to Xavier's powers. Mind control?"
"Yes."
She felt like elaborating. Trying to explain how it feels to wonder if you have control of your mind, your body. To wonder what actions were your own and what was someone else's. Without the memory of who Xavier was, Moira had no idea what he was like. Of what kind of person he was. It seemed like he had worked against Lehnsherr in Cuba, that he had tried to stop whatever plan had been underway. But was that because he was a good person or because he was working to keep the mutant's existence a secret? Or because he had some other plan, another ulterior motive? Levene seemed certain that he wanted to help them, that he was kind. But Levene had never had his mind irrevocably tampered with.
In the end, she bit down on the words. She had barely been able to explain it to Levene and he knew he better than most.
"You sought out Xavier after going to the Hellfire Club, correct?"
"Yes."
"You witnessed mutants demonstrating their powers for the first time. Tell me. What was your initial reaction when you saw them? To threaten them? To call for back up or maybe even kill them? Or, to go to the top-most expert you could find and attempt to learn more about them?"
"Sir..."
"You're exactly what S.H.I.E.L.D needs." He stated. "We want you to join us."
"As an agent?"
Fury nodded in the affirmative.
Moira hesitated. She needed a job but still, "If you'll forgive me for saying so, sir, I think I've had enough of working for nefarious organisations to last me a lifetime."
"S.H.I.E.L.D is very different from the CIA MacTaggert. Trust me on that." He assured.
"Why should I?"
His attention fell away from her again as he glanced at his watch. Standing, he headed back over to his coat and pulled it on while Moira remained seated, unsure how to proceed.
"Some people are waiting for us that I would like you to meet."
Frowning, Moira stubbornly stayed in her chair and repeated her question. "Why should I work for you?
"Because I can help you." Fury replied, nonplussed by her attitude.
"Help me? Help me how?" She asked, a wave of annoyance threatening to break through her professionalism.
"Help you to get your memories back."
Fury opened the door for her.
"You can do that?" She was eventually able to say, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment as she processed the idea that she could finally get some answers. That she could finally trust her own mind again.
"Let's just say we have access to a lot of unusual resources that the CIA doesn't." Fury replied, motioning for her to go through the door. "So, MacTaggert. Do we have a deal?"
Glancing back at Fury as he closed the door behind her, Moira was ushered into the dark panelled, windowless conference room where several people were talking amongst themselves. A woman, British if her accent was genuine, was the first to greet her as she moved into the room.
Fury moved to sit at the head of the table and wasted no time in making introductions while everyone moved to organise themselves, depositing and sorting through the folders and files before them, a few of them finishing hushed conversations before they turned to new business.
"Moira MacTaggert, formerly of the CIA. This is Agent Carter, Mr Stark, Colonel Phillips, Dr Samberly and Dr Wilkes." Fury said, gesturing towards each of them in turn. "Where's Stoner?" He asked Carter.
Moira briefly felt as though she were on trial as all heads turned to face her as she took a seat, quickly assessing her before turning back to their work.
"Mr Stark? Of Stark Industries?" Moira asked over the shuffling of papers, the name well known to her. Howard Stark was one of the most famous inventors and businessmen in the country.
"Urgent business," Carter told Fury, explaining Director Stoner's absence.
Stark gave Moira a roguish grin and shook her hand before taking the seat opposite her. "The one and only."
What kind of organisation was this, Moira wondered as she took in the faces of those surrounding her. A highly decorated WWII officer, one of the world's renowned entrepreneurs, two scientists, a female agent – something which particularly intrigued Moira after all her struggles at the CIA – and Agent Fury, one of the youngest people in the room and yet, from what she had seen so far, one who commanded huge respect.
"Agent Carter, Colonel Phillips and Mr Stark founded S.H.I.E.L.D in the late 40s," Fury started to explain, motioning at the unlikely trio. "S.H.I.E.L.D absorbed their previous organisation."
"The Strategic Scientific Reserve. S.S.R. for short." Carter clarified. "We, along with Drs Samberly and Wilkes, worked in the organisation both during and after the war. The organisation was highly classified," she added, "as is S.H.I.E.L.D. So I expect you understand that anything we discuss with you in this meeting is also classified."
"Of course." Moira murmured.
Carter flipped open her CIA personnel file. "Agent Fury has recommended you as a field operative, a position I see you more than qualify for. I don't know how much he has told you about S.H.I.E.L.D, but you ought to know that working for this organisation will involve a great deal of personal sacrifice. It's not an easy job and the demands will often be high."
"Miss MacTaggert." Dr Samberly nervously asked. "We've reviewed files from the Mutants Division..."
"You have those files?" Moira sharply interrupted, watching as his hand unconsciously crept to rest on the papers in front of him.
The mysterious man who had apparently headed the Mutants Division, the man whose facility they had stayed in, was unknown to Moira – though she suspected McCone knew him. Still, the CIA had either been unable or unwilling to request the files which could explain what the division had done during her missing months. Files which Moira was sure would give her more details about her time with Xavier and his team of mutants. Files that could give her some answers.
"They'll be shared with you should you agree to work with us. You'll need clearance first, however." Fury explained.
Thankfully working with the CIA had prepared her well for this level of bureaucratic bullshit, and her face remained impassive despite mentally raving at the idea that she needed clearance to read about her own life.
Samberly continued.
"Yes, well. The files detail your involvement in the Division and the work you contributed to its successes. And needless to say, we are... intrigued," his eyes jumped around as if looking for confirmation that that was the correct term to use, "by Mr Xavier's abilities. And those of the other mutants detailed in these files. There are reports of a shapeshifter – which is substantiated by footage – someone capable of manipulating and generating electromagnetic fields, and teleportation. While we have seen..." again his eyes jumped, this time to Dr Wilkes who nodded in encouragement, "people with, frankly unbelievable abilities, they were often unsustainable. Barring the odd case. To see people who have had powers since birth and have relative control over them is something we haven't seen in large numbers before."
"And from what we've learned they're not only a growing community but now they're coming together and forming their own sides." The Colonel concluded. "Charles Xavier and," he consulted the papers before him, "Erik Lehnsherr, appear to have opposing views on how mutants should engage with humans. According to these files, Lehnsherr seems to believe in mutant superiority and is opposed to any form of coexistence."
"At one time he apparently referred to mutants as homo superior. That's according to the division heads personal notes," Wilkes interjected.
"Which causes us some concern, although we've seen no activity from him since the beach in Cuba. Xavier, on the other hand, seems to believe coexistence is possible." Colonel Phillips went on. "And that's certainly an outcome we would like to see as well."
"So, you want to reach out to them. To Xavier and his... friends." Moira asked slowly.
She knew that her role in the Mutants Division was the main reason she was being recruited, however, it had failed to occur to her that S.H.I.E.L.D could want her to resume her previous work. To establish communication with the mutants.
If they would let her in without wiping her mind again.
"And of course we want to monitor Lehnsherr, to see if he will develop into a greater threat."
Moira resisted the urge to touch her neck at Phillips remark, and the faded mark from where Lehnsherr had tried to kill her with her own dog tags. "So you help me get my memories back and in return, I tell you everything I know about Xavier and Lehnsherr?"
"We want more than intelligence," Carter answered. "You have a unique experience. Not only are you the only, potential, member of our organisation to meet mutants, you were also present to see them come together. You worked alongside Xavier and Lehnsherr as they recruited for the Mutants Division. We don't know how much information your memories will even reveal. But we do know that you have a prior relationship with many of the people we will be reaching out to. That will go a long way in earning their trust and establishing a relationship between Xavier's side of this faction and S.H.I.E.L.D."
Thinking carefully for a moment, Moira looked at the three founders who sat beside each other.
"What do you want from the mutants? Once you make contact." She asked, unable to explain her sudden wave of... protectiveness? "I don't even know what S.H.I.E.L.D does – except what you told me before, that you deal with the unexplainable. What does 'deal with' even mean, that you want to study them? Use them as agents to fight your battles? Like the Mutant Division did?"
The way Phillips' eyebrow quirked suggested he wanted exactly that, though apparently he was outvoted on the matter.
"The S.S.R only ever had a handful of operatives in its ranks who possessed inhuman abilities," Carter said evenly. "S.H.I.E.L.D is the same. Our main purpose – our founding principle – is to protect. Whether that is to protect one man from another or to protect the entire planet against a hostile force. S.H.I.E.L.D maintains global security but that doesn't mean we just protect humans. We also protect enhanced individuals. We don't want to experiment on mutants or harm them if they pose no threat to us. And, from what we have learned about Xavier, he seems to pose little threat to the general populace."
"Barring wiping the occasional person's memory." Moira rebutted.
"Without your knowledge, we have no reason to know why he did this," Carter said. "But we do know he faces potential hostility from Lehnsherr and from hostile members of our species; people who don't understand what mutants are and who may fear them because of that ignorance. It certainly gives mutants a reason to try and stay hidden. S.H.I.E.L.D can provide support if required and if not, we will leave them in peace."
"So long as they don't threaten anyone else's safety," Phillips added darkly.
Moira nodded, glancing at the six faces that were watching her intently. They seemed eager to establish a connection with the mutants: they had to be to assemble such a committee to talk to one potential recruit. But she still wasn't confident that was their only motive.
"How do you plan to get my memories back?" She asked curiously.
Stark leaned forward slightly, taking the lead. "We need to run some tests first. Scans, blood samples," he waved his hand, "those will determine whether there was any damage to the brain tissue, which has caused your memories to be permanently lost. We'll also do some psychological assessments to see if there is a natural key to restoring your memories. They could have been blocked or his powers could have removed them completely."
"So there is a chance it's permanent?" Moira asked, her stomach dropping with dread. That was what she had feared. That her mind was damaged, perhaps beyond repair.
"Nothing is gone forever. If his powers are purely mental, I doubt he could permanently destroy the synapses. It's more likely that he's blocked them somehow." Stark replied. "And even if the tests do reveal the worst, I think you'll find we possess some unique technology that could be of use."
Wilkes spoke up. "We have our labs set up if you would be willing to sit some tests today? I understand it's getting late and you will want to get home..."
"Tonight will be fine," Moira said, straightening in her chair. "What do you need?"
The three scientists opened their mouths, looking eager to start, but Phillips hastily interrupted. "Dr Wilkes, why don't you go with Stark and Samberly to the lab and get everything you need set up. Carter will show MacTaggert the way in just a moment."
"Of course," Wilkes said, the three of them hastily collecting their files before half marching out the door. At least someone was looking forward to these tests.
Wilkes cast Carter a look at before shutting the door, although she didn't appear to notice.
Phillips flipped open one of his files and slid some papers across the desk to Moira.
"What are these, release forms?"
"No. Though I'm sure the eggheads will have plenty of those for you to sign when you go downstairs." He said, his voice rumbling good-naturedly.
Pulling the files toward her, Moira started flipping through the contracts – unbelievably they were more complicated than the ones the CIA had made her sign when she first became an agent.
"The labs contain some highly classified materials, which you need clearance to see."
"And to get clearance I need to be an agent." Moira concluded, scanning the documents before her. At the same time, her mind raced. Did she really want to join S.H.I.E.L.D?
There was a knock at the door and they all fell silent as a tall woman walked in to deliver a message to Phillips.
"We need to get to the next meeting." He told Agent Fury, standing up. "Carter, would you finish up with MacTaggert?"
"Of course."
"Ma'am," Phillips said as he took his leave, Fury barely nodding as he passed her by.
Carter moved into the seat that had been occupied by Mr Stark, so they were opposite from one another.
"Read through the files carefully. I suspect you will be familiar with some of them from your time in the CIA, and I imagine when you joined the Mutants Division you would have signed most of these."
"I'm not going to have them suing me if I tell you anything about the Division, am I?" Moira grouched as she finished reading the first sheet.
"No, they won't."
With a sigh, Moira leant back in her chair. She felt a little more comfortable airing her doubts now there weren't so many people around. And she had plenty she wanted to discuss before she signed anything. "Did the Mutants Division fall under S.H.I.E.L.D's remit?"
"No. We had no part in the Mutants Division's creation or operations. We do have a strong global network however, and, barring the Soviets, most intelligence agencies work in cooperation with us in such circumstances. If they'd followed protocol, this agency should have been made known to us." Carter studied Moira's face before giving her a small smile. "You know, when I was first recruited into the intelligence agencies I was very reluctant to join. But I was eventually persuaded that it was the best place for me to be."
"Why is that?" Moira asked cautiously.
"It was somewhere I could be myself," Carter replied. "Like me, you possess a specific skill set. However, even having the intelligence, the strength and the determination, it is difficult for us to progress in the world, let alone in organisations like the CIA. The S.S.R was much the same. I was a highly distinguished intelligence operative during the war, only to spend the next few years taking lunch orders for my co-workers. I still fought, and when I got the opportunity to run S.H.I.E.L.D, to reshape the S.S.R. I couldn't pass it up. I wanted to create an organisation that had no prejudices, that worked to serve the greater good."
Moira repressed a snort. "Intelligence agencies protect citizens, but I would hardly say they do it for the greater good."
Carter's smile widened. "I know. I was very cynical too until I met a man who was so unbelievably idealistic about the world. He was a good man. Someone who would work beside me. I worked to create an organisation he could believe in. And where agents like you could thrive. If you join S.H.I.E.L.D we will work to get your memories back. You can leave afterwards, we wouldn't stop you. But if you work for it I think you could carve out a real place for yourself here. It won't be easy, but you're used to that." Carter finished, pushing a pen across the desk. "So. Do you just want your past back, or do you want to make yourself a new future?"
Pulling the papers forward, Moira began to reread them again. "And I can leave whenever I want?"
"Yes."
Moira kept her face impassive as she started to sign the contract. She didn't trust S.H.I.E.L.D not to lie to her, but then again she didn't think she was capable of trusting anyone anymore. What she was sure of was that once she had her memories back, they would help her to decide her next move.
Besides, she needed a job.
