Summary: After surviving a accident that should have killed her, Riley McLawson now has unusual powers from her near death experience. S.H.I.E.L.D sends the team to recruit her against a new enemy. Only along the way they learn that Riley isn't the enemy but someone else in the group is.

From The Shadows

Chapter 2

Song – Bird song – By Florence And The Machine

Well I didn't tell anyone
But a bird flew by, saw what I had done
He set up a nest outside
And he sang about what I'd become

He sang so loud, sang so clear
I was afraid all the neighbors would hear
So I invited him in just to reason with him
I promised I wouldn't do it again

But he sang louder and louder inside the house
And now I couldn't get him out
So I trapped him under a cardboard box
Stood on it to make him stop

I picked up the bird, and above the din
I said, "that's the last song you'll ever sing"

Held him down, broke his neck
Taught him a lesson he wouldn't forget

Fury came strolling up, large arms folded over his chest.

"Hello." Riley said hesitantly, staring warily at the stranger.

Fury nodded at her in greeting, "Please have a seat, I'm sure you're wondering why you are here". He said knowingly.

"Yes, it was a little... surprising." Riley said sarcastically, finding a free chair to plop herself down into. "Now, go on."

Fury sat down himself, eyebrows raised. "We know you're special, and we believe you could be very valuable for our team."

Riley absorbed this for a minute, "In what way?" She asked quietly.

Fury regarded her for a minute, "Like protecting Earth from hostile forces".

"Why, would you choose me if you knew who my father was? From what I can tell, you all hate his guts."

"We don't let that get into our way. We think you can be helpful, we need you, and you're a good fighter, that's all we look forward to." Fury answered voice serious.

Riley raised an eyebrow "And... If, I refuse". She said wearily.

"Then we'll let you go but I warn you now, there are other agencies out there that aren't so friendly". Fury warned her.

"And now they're curious about you. They'll be thinking why we want you, and you won't be safe once you get out. Actually, you were never safe, you're lucky you were not killed yet."

Riley regarded him long and hard. The other Avengers stared in silence waiting for her answer.

"Who wanted me?" She asked in a hard voice, her eyes flashing violet.

"A man called Viktor Kosovo". He answered.

"And who is this "Victor" and how did he know about me?" Riley asked, wearily.

"It seems someone close to you, gave him information over the years about your life, hobbies things like that. And you're real father it seems". Fury said calmly.

Riley stilled "He's coming for me". She whispered.

"We imagine so." Fury said gravely.

Riley stood up then and reached for her blackberry, she quickly dialled Jenney's number. Nerves running through her as the phone rang.

"Hey Ri, what's up?" Jenney said cheerfully.

She swallowed slightly, "Jenney, I need you to listen carefully okay. I'm with a group of people and aw hell look just don't let any men in aside from David ok. Please Jen, this is important".

Jenney's voice shook slightly "Ok." Then she paused "Is this one of the guys who... raped you?" she asked frightened for her sister.

Riley kept her voice calm "Yeah something like that".

She heard her take a take a deep breath. "Can you tell me?"

"Maybe, I don't know, just, do as I say ok. I'll try to explain to you soon." She felt her eyes warm, and Riley held back the tears threatening to fall.

"Please be careful." Jenney whispered fearing for her adopted sister's life.

"I will sis, I promise. Tell David and Maria I love them ok". Riley said quietly.

"I will." and the line went dead.

Riley took a deep breath, facing away from the gathered group to get her bearing. Once her emotions were intake, she turned around to meet Clint's eyes immediately.

"My sister." She explained, not elaborating

Clint regarded her for a moment "She'll be safe, I promise". He said softly.

Riley glanced at Tom then with amusement, "He doesn't like that". She warned Natasha who was petting him.

Before any of them knew what was happening, Tom suddenly snarled and fluffed up, his large green eyes turning large.

His claws sprung from his paws and in one quick movement, clawed at Natasha's hand. The redhead flung up, ripping her hand out of the cat's grip, and snarled.

"Stupid piece of-"

"Don't talk to my cat like that." Riley threatened, teeth clenched tight.

Tom hissed at Natasha, growling softly before jumping onto Clint's lap happily.

"Looks like the cat doesn't like gingers either". Tony said smiling.

"Hmmm, that could be." Riley smiled to herself, watching the cat shed hair all over the blonde's shirt. He looked a little disgruntled, but petted the needy cat anyway.

Fury smirked before speaking "Anyway, Riley you'll need a suit-"

"And I have the perfect one, don't worry I'm not going to make it look exactly like ginger's". Tony said happily.

Riley regarded him cautiously. "And what does this suit entail?"

"Only the best." Tony told her, voice mockingly mysterious. "I'll tell you this though, fire proof, leather, and hella hot."

Oh hell. She thought.

"Sounds great, just don't make look like a porn star". She warned him playfully.

Tony laughed, "I think my Pepper and you will get along fine."

"Pepper?" She asked in question.

"My assistant and girlfriend." The brunette said with a wink. "Come over to the tower sometime, you guys could meet and be, best-friends, or something like that. However you girls call it."

Riley laughed "I'd like to meet her, she sounds nice". She said.

Steve smirked "And she doesn't stand for his bullshit". He added.

Natasha sighed "Can we get on with it".

"Natasha's right." Fury said, putting himself back into the centre of attention. "You can stay here, have a social life, we can even let you visit your family whenever you want. All that I know is that I want you on this team." He sounded so sure, and Riley couldn't help but smile at this.

"Fine, I'll join your team but I want to know one thing?" she said firmly.

"Which is?" Natasha asked suspicion on her face.

"Is my mother really dead?" Riley asked bluntly.

"We can't tell you that because we don't know either." Fury supplied, gaze apologetic.

Riley sighed, "Somehow I knew that you were gonna say that." She said her voice bitter.

"We do know however that Viktor is gathering nuclear weapons of some sort of chemical." Fury continued.

Natasha looked at Fury with a frown on her face, "In Russia?" She asked.

"Yup!" Tony piped in. Fury shot him a glare, because most likely he knew he had already hacked their system and got all their information. But the man left that discussion for later and returned his attention to the newcomer. "And potentially have a plan to attack us." He said gravely yet determined.

"Well fuck, let's get rid of him then". Tony said with a shrug.

"It's not that easy, Stark, he keeps on moving too quickly for us to track his whereabouts". Fury said firmly.

"Do, we know where he got the nuclear weapons?" Riley asked calmly.

"Probably stole them." Tony answered. "He's some big mob boss or something. Like's to do illegal things and such."

"Sounds accurate." Clint spoke up, hand still running over Tom on his lap.

"Well, I'm in if anything comes up." Riley told them all.

"Hey, you know how to hack into computers, don't you?" Tony asked her.

Riley looked at him "Yes". She said quietly.

Tony pushed the laptop towards her, "Does that woman seem familiar to you in any way?" He asked her quietly.

Riley looked at the screen for a minute, feeling her blood turn cold "Yeah funnily enough, I fucking do".

"Who is it?" Tony asked, and everyone else made a noise in agreement for the answer. Riley could feel herself begin to seethe, anger and betrayal showing clear as day in her expression.

"Everyone, meet my mother Lily Darcy Collins". She said flatly, Tom came jumping on her lap to comfort her.

"So she isn't dead?" Natasha asked stunned.

"I guess so, and a bad guy at that. Isn't this just great." She drawled, her voice heavily laced with sarcasm. Her emotions were in turmoil, she didn't know what to think. The woman who birthed her, who she thought was dead for all those years, had suddenly appeared. And in the worse circumstances. As the fucking enemy.

A hand rested itself on his shoulder. "Are you okay, do you want to leave for a while?" Came Clint's voice, caring.

Riley shook her head, "No, I'm fine going to have to get used it." She said bitterly.

"We're all here if you ever feel the need to vent all right." He returned, before going back to his seat.

"We need a game plan." Thor helpfully pointed out, the others nodded in agreement.

"So who is this Viktor guy and what's his game?" Steve asked nobody in particular.

Riley scanned his file, "Well, he like seeing whores, drugs, violence and murder. He's been held in connection to fifteen murders in Moscow, Paris, England, Canada and New York." She read out.

"What a charming man". Steve said grimly.

She scanned the file for more information. "He's been in prison twice, both times he somehow got out unharmed. It doesn't say here but I'm guessing that mean's he has some good connections." Riley mussed.

"They always do." Fury ground out.

Clint scanned the file, "He was suspected of murdering a police officer, two key witnesses and three jury members in connection to a murder of a family of five".

"Nobody's going to testify against him anymore." Steve said grimly.

"And nobody knows where this guy is? He must have connections everywhere. Let's just pick up one of those." Tony said annoyed.

Clint studied Viktor's profile given by a psychiatrist, "He shows signs of extreme violence, when provoked and when he doesn't get his own way. Is an extreme psychopath with no emotion towards anyone or anything, a natural born killer?" He read out.

"We'll have to fight him!" Tony said, determined. He patted Steve's back who was standing beside him. "Right captain?"

"But we have no idea where he is or what he's going to do with these weapons". Natasha voiced, her voice concerned.

Riley looked at her mother's picture again and froze when she saw what she had done.

"Wanted, for the murder of Franklin James De Roy."

"Do you know who that is?" Fury questioned, voice grave.

Riley shook her head, "No, I don't know who he is". She said calmly but on the inside her stomach was churning with horror.

"He was a US Senator of Texas, he was gunned down by her, and after he found out she was connected to Viktor. So she silenced him." He said grimly.

She felt sick, disgusted.

Maybe Natasha's right about me. Riley thought.

Her father's evil, now she finds out my mother's just as bad, she could be like them for all she knew. The thought frightened her.

Clint seemed to be able to sense her fear, and he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. It didn't take away all the fear, but she calmed down slightly.

"It's ok". He said quietly and Riley nodded grateful.

Tony suddenly swore loudly, "Shit, someone's hacking into the system." He said trying to stop them.

The laptop in front of Riley suddenly went blank.

"This can't be good." Fury grumbled, getting out of his seat and striding out of the room. "Stark, come with me, you're going to help me figure this out."

Tony was about to bite back a reply when Fury's glare zeroed on him and pretty much menaced him out of the room.

He left after him, and the room was now filled with nervous Avengers members.

Steve was the first to speak by looking at Riley with a smile "So, Riley, any ideas on where your mother might go?" He asked the dark haired woman.

Riley thought of their holidays, which had been to New England, France, Spain and Ireland.

"I think she might be in England, she always liked it there". She offered.

"Let's go then!" Thor exclaimed, but Steve shook his head at him.

"We won't find her just by going there; we can look through the computers, which will bring up look-a-like matches. Since Riley knows her the most, she can maybe recognize her even if she has a disguise." Steve said calmly.

Natasha seemed pissed off, "So we're sending her in just like that? Shouldn't we examine her and make sure she isn't a psycho?" She demanded.

Riley looked at them all with no hostility on her face as she spoke "Do what ya gotta do". She said quietly.

Natasha looked ready to grab her and do just that, but Clint stepped in before she could reach Riley.

"There will be no such thing. We already looked her up, saw her file, she's innocent. Get over it Nat." The redhead looked ready to stomp her feet childishly, however she could hold that urge back, and instead glared at Riley over the blonde's shoulder.

"Alright then, Stark, Rogers, and McLawson you're all going to England to look for Lily Fin." Fury instructed.

Tony grinned at Riley then "Let's get working on your suit".

Tony drove her to his tower, rambling all along about something or another. Once arrived, she stared in amazement at the large building before her.

"Like it?" Tony teased, smirk gracing his face.

"Must be heaven living in there." Riley responded, continuing to gaze dazedly up the skyscraper.

Tony smiled indulgently at her, "Oh you have no idea how much I love that place". He admitted.

They walked into the building and Tony liked Riley, she didn't show any signs of being crazy.

"Ignore ginger, Shadow flame she's pissed that none of us think you're a threat like we did to her". Tony told her.

"She's... something." Was Riley's hesitant response, not knowing if it was okay to say anything bad about the assassin in the others company.

"More than something, a bitch if you ask me." A laugh escaped her throat at that and she quickly tried to cover it up with a caught. Tony, not having missed this, smiled at her. "Stay away from her; you don't want to get in the middle of all her shit."

She hesitated "What happened?" she asked as they entered a magnificently furbished room with a young woman in her late thirties was.

"Riley meet my wonderful, smart and beautiful girlfriend Pepper Anne Pond". Tony said with adoration.

Pepper smirked at Tony as she warmly shook Riley's hand.

"Hello Riley, nice to meet you." Pepper told her warmly, her grip firm yet soft. Tony strolled over and pressed a chaste kiss to her cheek, grabbing her around the waist.

"You too miss Potts."

"Oh, call me Pepper, please." The other gushed, waving her hand.

Riley smiled back as Natasha came waltzing in like she owned the place.

"Pepper". Natasha said curtly.

"Natasha". Pepper returned politely but Riley could tell that she wanted to say something rude to her. Riley felt respect for her.

Natasha didn't greet her, merely sneered and continues down the hallway. She heard Tony sigh and he ushered her out.

"Here's my lab!" He said proudly, stopping in front of a large glass door, the inside filled with machines, tech and tools.

Riley stared in pure disbelief at the amazing sight before her eyes, "Holy shit". She whispered.

Natasha snorted in disdain "It looks like a pig sty".

"No insulting my lab!" Tony snapped angrily, pointing angrily at the redhead. "It's my baby; would you like someone saying your kid is ugly?"

Natasha only snorted and pushed ahead to get into the lab, the other's following behind her.

"I'm going to take measurements!" Tony declared, taking out a measuring tape out of nowhere.

Riley blinked as Tony measured her, and then asked her questions about her medical history which she answered honestly.

"So no cancer, heart conditions or anything like that? No" He asked her.

She shook her head "Nothing like that". She answered.

"Perfect that means nothing "special" I'll be putting in your suit can harm you." He was smirking at Riley's spectacle look in his direction. "Now, go sit over there while I make up the design."

Riley sat in the corner as Tony began designing her suit as he called it. She could see the statue of Liberty from here.

"My dad would love it here". She muttered.

"He's already been, remember? Almost destroyed it." Tony pointed out.

Riley shook her head at Tony "Not him, my adoptive father would love it here. He worked in science engineering". She said proudly.

Pepper smiled at her kindly "He sounds like a good man".

"Very." Riley agreed, voice going grave. She missed the man, and also her sister. She hoped she could see them soon.

"Wait until they see you in this awesome ass suit." Tony proclaimed, tapping furiously on his laptop keys.

She glanced at him then "What does it look like?" She asked afraid of the answer.

Tony smirked "See for yourself purple".

He turned the screen around for her to see.

Purple was right, the leather was tinted in that colour, tight but fully covering her body. A weapon holster was placed on the middle, filled with weapons she hasn't seen before in her life. She could also see little hidden cavities, most likely for other spots to place stuff unnoticed inside.

And it was black, the whole suit was black but it had a purple glow and flame symbols were on the arms and wrists. She loved it.

"Tony, you are a bloody genius". Riley said happily, hugging him and Pepper.

Tony smirked "I do have my moments".

Pepper playfully swiped him on the chest.

Tony was about to make a smart ass remark when he saw something hurtling towards them.

"GET DOWN!"

Tony flung himself over Pepper while Riley went under a wooden desk as a loud explosion went off.

"WHAT THE HELL?" Pepper yelled, shocked.

"Just a rocket, no panicking." Tony said to calm the group.

"Just a rocket!" Pepper snapped back. "You have a weird definition for panic Tony!"

Riley looked around the now damaged room in shock. It looked like a bomb had gone off, "Jesus fucking Christ". She muttered.

"Where the hell did it come from?" Bruce asked shocked.

"They checked around and saw Natasha, a hand suspended over the launcher."I didn't mean to!" She said, mortified.

"Don't fucking touch things you don't know how to use!" Tony stalked up to her, and pulled her away from his machines. She wrenched out of his grip, scowling at him.

"The fuck was you doing with a rocket launcher, Romanoff?" Fury demanded.

Tony however was pissed off as hell.

"You could have bloody killed us all, Ginger!" He yelled anger in his voice.

"Don't leave dangerous shit around for people to touch!"

"Don't try to put the blame on me, you should know not to touch my "shit" as you so like to call it." The tension was almost noticeable between the two, and nobody knew, what was the best way to get out of the situation.

Maria broke the tension by speaking loudly "Is Agent McLawson's suit ready, Stark?" She asked calmly.

It was the perfect distraction and Tony got quickly pulled into his new plans, redefining to tap furiously on his keys.

"Nope!" He called over his shoulder, distractedly.

"How long will it be until it's ready?" Fury asked calmly.

"Fifteen minutes". Tony answered, fingers tapping away on the keyboard.

Riley walked over to Pepper, concerned for her new friend "Are you ok?" she asked gently.

Pepper smiled faintly "I'm good".

"Just gave me a mini heart attack." She joked, and Riley nodded in agreement.

"It was weird." She remarked.

"I don't trust her." A frown came over Pepper's face. "There's something just... weird about her."

Riley looked at her then, "What do you mean?" She asked quietly.

Pepper sighed, "It's a long story". She warned.

Riley didn't push for an answer, and merely stayed silent, looking around the lab.

Exactly fifteen minutes later, Tony exclaimed. "Done, now come over here sweet cheeks and see your awesome new suit!"

Riley walked over to where Tony was and was stunned into silence.

The suit looked amazing; it was black with a dark purple tint with holsters on the legs. Flame symbols were on the shoulders and the hands.

"Holy shit, that is amazing". She said amazed.

"What did you think you were going to get? I'm Tony Stark, and everything I make is awe worthy."

"Oh, shut up, we know you're a genius, no need to remind us." Riley joked back, smiling ecstatically, so largely it strained her cheeks.

Fury spoke then "Alright, people pack what you need and get on a jet to New England". He ordered.

Riley picked up the suit in wonder, it was unreal.

"Riley?"

Fury spoke then "Alright, people pack what you need and get on a jet to New England". He ordered.

She spun around to face Clint, and smiled at him happily.

"Yes?"

"Are you sure you're okay?" The sudden shot back to earth startled her, but she shook it off, and tried to keep the smile on her face.

"I'm fine Clint, thanks for asking." Clint regarded her a moment longer, but decided not to dwell on it, and turned to leave, showing Riley out on the way.

Riley went to her room and grabbed a couple of clothes, underwear, her toiletries and a photo that she kept with her along with her black Sais in their sheaths along with a sword.

"Bye Tom, be good ok" She told the cat who was slouched on her bed.

The cat only looked at her curiously, and rolled over; placing his head down to rest on his paws, and closed his eyes.

Riley closed the door gently and left the room to meet up with the other Avengers going on the trip with her.

"Alright everyone ready?" Steve asked and everybody murmured their ok.

"Let's go then".

They all got on the jet with Clint and Natasha in the cockpit.

But in my dreams
Began to creep
That old familiar
Tweet, tweet, tweet

I opened my mouth to scream and shout
I waved my arms and flapped about
But I couldn't scream and I couldn't shout
I couldn't scream and I couldn't shout

I opened my mouth to scream and shout
I waved my arms and flapped about
But I couldn't scream and I couldn't shout
The song was coming from my mouth

From my mouth
From my mouth
From my mouth...

(until end)