Flashbacks are in italics
"The Avengers. Seriously, who came up with this name?" I asked myself.
I looked down at the tablet in my hand, reviewing the files. I wondered if Coulson came up with the name. He'd been very enthusiastic about everything to do with getting the team together, probably because he was fascinated by a certain star spangled member. You could practically see the man's eyes light up whenever the captain was mentioned.
"Good evening Miss Stark."
I looked up to the security camera in the corner of the elevator as I entered. "Evening Jarvis. Take me straight up please." I loved the fact that dad had installed Jarvis everywhere, even in the Stark tower elevator.
I was extremely proud of dad, and Pepper, for creating this tower, especially in such a short space of time. The ability to power this tower, and everything in it, using an arc reactor is a huge step forward in the world's search for alternative energy sources. And this tower was just the first of many.
Pepper and dad first came up with the idea of the tower when I was in hospital. They had been waiting around so much for tests and results and all they could do is talk.
I tried not to think too much about that time in my life. It was hard to relieve memories that made me feel powerless, like I'd felt in that bed. But one of the worst times of my life was also one of the best. It was sitting helpless in that bed that I'd been offered a job at S.H.I.E.L.D and started my relationship with Daniel. The best things in my life had come into my life at the worst time and I could remember every second of it.
It was nearing midnight and my eyes were slowly starting to become harder to keep open. I'd finally convinced dad to return to his hotel room for the night, but not before he promised to be back here first thing in the morning. I appreciated him wanting to be here for me, but honestly it just feels like he's watching my legs, waiting for them to move again. Time was slowly but surely ticking away. Time for him to face reality.
I'd gotten dad to lift the blinds on the window before he left. I love looking out on the enormous sky scrapers and letting the neon lights and traffic sounds fill the room. It reminds me that I'm not alone. That there are a million other people out there, each facing their own challenges, but still getting up each day to face the world. If they all could, than so could I.
My eyes had just fluttered close when there was a soft, but steady knock on the door. I wondered if it was dad returning but he would have just barged straight on in.
"Yes?" I called out.
The door slowly swung open and into the room stepped Natalie. Correction, Natasha. And boy she certainly looked different from the last time I'd seen her. Instead of the skin tight, brightly coloured dresses and high heels, she was now wearing a black catsuit. There was a belt strapped around her waist, a gun halter on her thigh and two bracelets on her wrists, which I'm guessing wasn't just for fashion. She looked deadly. And I was instantly jealous.
I'd always wanted to be that girl. The one who doesn't need anything from anyone, the girl who knows how to handle herself in a fight, who doesn't need a man to hold her hand or tell her she's beautiful. I could never be that girl as hard as I tried, and here Natasha was, standing in front of me and making it look effortless.
"Well this is a different look," I said casually as she entered the room and stood at the foot of my bed. "You should have worn this to the office."
She gave me a thin smile as she crossed her arms across her chest. "How are you feeling Miss Stark?"
"Well, see I would tell you but I'm afraid you're going to go running back to S.H.I.E.L.D and tell them everything I tell you," I said, sarcasm lacing my tone.
"I see your father has told you everything," she replied smoothly.
"Yes, he has."
She nodded before she made a gesture towards the door and took a step back from the bed. I heard the 'clack' of strong boots against the floor before I looked over and saw someone standing in the doorway. He was tall, dark and scary as hell.
Despite having never met him, I recognised him instantly from the eyepatch. Dad had described him to me after their first meeting following the Obadiah incident. This was not a man you would easily forget.
"Miss Stark, I'm Nick-"
"Fury," I finished for him. "I know. What do you want Mr. Fury?" Somehow I doubt the director of S.H.I.E.L.D was popping by at midnight for just a quick chat.
He stepped up to my bedside and I have to admit, he was intimidating as hell.
"Miss Stark, I have a proposal for you."
"And what's that?"
"I would like to offer you a job at S.H.I.E.L.D," Fury said.
I tried to control the look of shock that immediately went across my face. That had been the last thing I had expected him to say.
"And why would S.H.I.E.L.D want me?"
"S.H.I.E.L.D is always on the lookout for smart, resourceful people to recruit," Natasha said.
"So you want to recruit and train me? For what?" I couldn't see myself sitting behind a desk at S.H.I.E.L.D and the idea of prancing around in Natasha's catsuit didn't fill me with glee. So what the hell did they want me for?
"I have a few jobs in mind for you Miss Stark."
"Ok, well that sounds great but unfortunately I'm going to have to decline. Don't know if anyone's told you but my legs have kind of stopped working for the foreseeable future so you might want to go start recruiting elsewhere." Even in the presence of someone as formidable as Fury, I couldn't stop the bitter sarcasm from coming out of my mouth.
"S.H.I.E.L.D can help you with that," Fury said.
I frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"S.H.I.E.L.D isn't just a counter-terrorism and intelligence agency. We also conduct research and development in a number of sectors, including the medical field. Our scientists have recently developed a prototype biostimulant chip which, when implanted into the spine, will reverse paralysis."
The room lapsed into silence. The noises of the machines surrounding the bed were the only sounds. I sat in shock, trying to process everything I had just been told. It just seemed too good to be true. I get in an accident that paralyses me and all of a sudden S.H.I.E.L.D has a miracle chip that can reverse paralysis?
"You're kidding right?"
"I can assure you I am not." Fury looked like the last man of earth who would ever kid about anything.
"Where are the strings?" I asked.
Fury frowned. "Excuse me?"
"What are the strings attached to this offer? Nothing comes for free." I was more than aware that everything in this world came with a cost. I just had to make sure Fury's cost was something I was willing to pay before I accepted his offer.
"No strings," he assured me. "There is currently only one working chip which needs to be implanted and tested before more can be produced."
"Oh so I'd be your guinea pig?"
"Yes." I appreciated his honesty.
"Okay, so I get this chip implanted in me, hopefully it works and I walk again, and then I go work for S.H.I.E.L.D?"
"If you accept my offer, then yes."
"And what if I don't want to work for S.H.I.E.L.D? Does the chip offer disappear if I don't accept your job offer?"
"No. The offer for the prototype bio-chip stands on its own. You can take the chip, walk again and continue on with your life. Or you can come work for S.H.I.E.L.D. The offer is there."
A sat for a few moments and mulled over his words. I would feel indebted to go work for S.H.I.E.L.D if I accepted their bio-chip and it worked, despite Fury's assurances that the chip and working for him would not go hand in hand. But at this point, I didn't care what strings, invisible or not, were attached to the chip. All I knew is that I wanted to walk again, no matter the cost.
"I still don't understand what S.H.I.E.L.D would want me for?" I was still a kid, not even 18 years old. Sure, I'm smart, but there are a lot of smart people out there. Why me?
Natasha stepped forward to stand beside Fury. "When I was watching over-"
"Spying on," I corrected.
"your father," she continued as if I hadn't spoken. "I was also watching you."
"Creepy," I said.
"You're smart, young, physically fit, creative, brave."
"Why if I didn't know any better I'd swear yall are hitting on me," I joked in a thick Southern drawl. I swear I saw the corner of Fury's mouth tug slightly.
Natasha rolled her eyes but continued on. "You have all of the attributes S.H.I.E.L.D values in its employees. You underestimate yourself Morgan. You can do so much more than what you think you can." I wanted to remind her she'd barely known me for a month but I felt her words hitting home. I did have a yearning to do more, be more. Maybe this was it?
"Look, thank you but this is a lot to think about. And I'd need to know more about the chip before I'd agree to anything. "
"Of course. I'll send you all the research and information on the prototype S.H.I.E.L.D has conducted." Fury pulled a card out of the breast pocket of his long black coat. "Take all the time you need to think about it." He passed me the card, which was simply a white piece of paper with a phone number typed on it. Nothing else. When I looked up, the room was empty.
I was physically exhausted but my mind was racing. My hopes were already soaring, despite the fact that I knew the chip was experimental. There was a chance they would implant it in my spine only to discover it doesn't work. But that was a chance I would have to take. I couldn't pass this opportunity up. Now I just had to convince dad that this was the best option.