When I finally regained my sense of self I was on a stretcher with a neck brace on. The nurses that were wheeling me into an ambulance told me to stay still and to not be scared. I didn't hear to them due to the ringing in my ears. Questions raced through my head as they closed the doors, what the hell happened, is everyone okay, what happened to the couple by the window, what happened to Rose. That sort of thing. I didn't really worry about my self much seeing as I knew I was still breathing and thinking.

"What happened?" I asked this to the male medic to the left of my stretcher, but it was probably incomprehensible because of the neck guard. Also my mouth wasn't acting right, it felt numb. They must've drugged me so I wouldn't feel pain. Which was weird because they don't usually do that for concussions, they want to make certain your brain functions are normal. I must've been in worse shape than I thought I was.

"Don't talk, son there was an explosion," I already knew that much genius, "you hurt your head," there must be a school for the kind of observational skills you have, "you're in an ambulance," no comment, "the barista is okay your body shielded hers from the blast," thank you for finally being useful, "you'll be okay."

I stopped listening to him. I doubt he said anything I didn't already know at any rate.

I just really wanted to know why I was being drugged when I wasn't supposed to be feeling pain. I didn't bother asking Caretaker Obvious. My mouth wouldn't work right any way.

A few moments later I lost consciousness again. I woke up in a hospital bed. A proper doctor walked to my bed and asked the usual questions, name, age, insurance provider, the normal stuff. Fortunately I had apparently metabolized the drug inhibiting the use of my mouth enough to actually string together the answers. When he had finished asking for my information I asked him about why they had drugged me. He said that they were making certain that I didn't move any more than was necessary. I told him I understood though I really didn't and he walked away.

A few minutes later a woman with shoulder length blond hair wearing a business suit walked in with a briefcase in one hand. She shut the door after she walked in.

"I'm Agent Marquez with Homeland Security," When she said this she flashed a badge slow enough that I could see it but quick enough that I couldn't actually read it. "I'm collecting statements from the witnesses of the explosion. I'd like to ask you a few questions and get your story of what happened if you wouldn't mind."

"No anything I can do to help, was this terrorists or something?"

"No, as of right now we are not inclined to believe as such but it is possible. In your own words would you kindly give your account of what happened?"

It was worded as a question, but I didn't think I had much of a choice in the matter.

"I'm not certain what information I can give you, I wasn't looking in that direction. I was chatting with the barista."

"That's strange."

"What?"

"We have the statement from the barista, stating that you told her to get behind cover before the blast."

"Yeah I did, I didn't know why, but I'm glad I did."

"It was good timing."

"I suppose so."

"It does seem a little suspicious though I must admit, that you would just happen to know when to get behind cover."

"You don't honestly believe that I had anything to do with this, do you?"

"I'm saying that it appears that way."

"Agent Marquez, I will tell you now that I had nothing to do with the explosion. I just had a funny feeling."

"Let me get this straight, you want me to believe that there was just a funny feeling and it told you to jump behind the counter just as a car exploded. That doesn't read well..." A hand touched her shoulder and she fell silent. A tall black guy who I didn't see walk in asked her to leave. When she refused he muttered something about shields to her. I could all but see the little clouds at her feet when she ran from the room with her tail between her legs.

"I hate Feds that get in the way," he said as he took his seat where she had been sitting. "They always assume they know more than everyone. I'm Col. Nick Fury. I'm the director of The Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistics Directorate otherwise referred to as S.H.I.E.L.D. We are basically here to ensure that the world keeps on spinning."

"Um, hello. Am I being arrested?"

"No. But I will have to take you into protective custody. The things we have to talk about aren't safe here."

It felt like I was being arrested.

It wasn't said outright but I knew that I shouldn't speak as some nurses wheeled me out. They looked the same as any other except that the scrubs they were wearing had a bird emblem on the shoulder like I saw on Director Fury's. Also they weren't talking to me either, which really drove home that I probably shouldn't speak to them. I was getting a real 'speak only when spoken to' attitude about this whole thing and I felt I should obey.

The SHEILD nurses carted me into an ambulance that had walls that were thicker than I would've noticed. It was after I got out and was informed about it that I actually noticed it. What was so important about me that I was escorted into an armored ambulance and escorted out. It surely didn't take five people to more one gurney. And those people really didn't need to be armed to do it either. Because I didn't have anything to see aside from the person in front of me I decided to try and see what I could tell from his back. About average height. About average build. Short auburn hair. Suspicious bulge on his right hip?

I didn't want there to be five pistols around me. But I didn't feel as though they were going to use them on me though. Another weird feeling went down my spine, different than last time but sort of... related I guess. Strange.

We walked down several long hallways and through even more nondescript corridors the most exciting thing that happened is some very battered people in outfits walked past us. One guy was literally wearing a cape. And he had what looked like spiced mustard on his cheek. The nurses gave them a wide berth and looked awed. They certainly wouldn't pull their guns on them. The guy in blue side-stepped a little closer to the woman in leather, the guy with the bow noticed this. He looked like he wanted to say something but held his tongue when she side-stepped a little closer to the man in blue.

"The Avengers!" One of the nurses muttered under his breath. "I can't believe I actually got to see them!"

"Me neither!" A female nurse responded.

Avengers? What exactly are they avenging? And were the superfluous outfits required? I held my tongue though. No need to question their parade.

After I began to wonder if the people leading me were just as lost as I was the guy in front of me used a key card to open a door and the rest followed him in. It was a circular room with a desk and a pair of chairs on either side.

Oh shit, it was an interrogation room. As though reading my mind the lady (or man with a fairly feminine voice) calmed me down by saying 'don't worry this is just the only room not currently in use. You aren't being questioned, Commander Fury just wants to speak with you privately.' Which was helpful. The five people around me then made their ways to each corner of an invisible pentagram in the circular room.

"What's with all the body guards? I can't be that important."

The guard to the right of me responded saying 'you are a special case' he didn't elaborate so I figured it was either above his pay grade or he wasn't supposed to tell me. I still wanted for someone to actually tell me what the hell was going on, but they were going to be stiff lipped.

Maybe half a million years later Commander Fury walked in and dismissed the five nurse/guard/people. I couldn't help it I had to make a smart ass quip.

"So long my friends. Thank you all so much for the greatly intelligent conversation. Parting is such sweet sorrow."
That got them to break their bearing. I think. I was facing away from the door.
But I know Commander Fury laughed, well more of a chuckle.

"They aren't much for conversation. Sorry about that. They just aren't comfortable in their roles yet. What do you want to know?"

The sudden conversation was a touch startling.

"Why am I here? What's so important about me? Where am I? What is SHIELD?"

I don't deal well with not being told things as soon as I thought I should know them.

"How about I answer those one at a time. You're here because I needed a safe place to talk to you. You are important to us because you've done something strange and we want to know how. You are in a secure building that is a front for our operations. SHIELD is an agency that manages the affairs of several countries. To over simplify things we are the security services for the United States and several friendly countries."

"Like the military?"

"Kind of. But with a lot more power. To simplify things again SHIELD might as well be its own independent country."

Another shake went down my spine. He wasn't lying, but he wasn't telling me the whole truth either. He had his reasons in sure, I still wanted to know. I figured he'd probably tell me on his terms.

"Is there anything else you would like to know?"

"What is so strange about me?"

He waited. He waited so long that I began to worry that he was going to diagnose me with some terrible disease, like pancreatic cancer or something.

"That's what we would like to know."

Somehow, that was even worse.

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