The song to listen to for this chapter would be 'Stark Goes Green' from the Avengers soundtrack. Comment if you would like for me to set up a youtube playlist for the music! Enjoy.

Chapter Seven

I was dreaming. I was standing alone on the edge of a cliff. Around me, written in the sand, was strange numbers and equations that confused me tremendously. But I knew how to answer them, or at least I thought I did. I had failed high-school math with flying colours but this somehow made sense. Though, every time I tried to answer it, the wind would blow and cover up my working. Frantically I tried to rewrite my answer but it wouldn't work and the fateful wind would beat me.

"Try not to work it out in front of you and focus on the answer in your mind. Only then will you be able to answer it." a conscious like voice echoed in my ear. I twisted and turned searching for it's owner to see Georgio walking towards me in a white suit.

"Everything is not as it seems. Try to remember that." he said calmly. Then everything went black.

I awoke to find myself in a plain, discoloured dorm room. It was a bit fancier than my usual living quarters at S.H.I.E.L.D though I recognized it immediately. It was how the dorms looked looked inside the helicarrier. I was laying down on a soft bed, much like how Phil's felt. Sitting up, I starred around, noticing a large box at the foot of my bed. I stepped out of the covers noticing I was washed and in new clothes. Most of my injuries were healed and my headache was gone. Rather than my blue security shirt and black slacks, I was in a bland grey tracksuit with the S.H.I.E.L.D emblem en-blazed on the front breast. They were warm but I wondered how I had gotten into them.

The box was red with a matching bow and card sitting alongside it. I reached down to read the card. 'Hope You Feel Better Soon' it read. Inside there was a confusing scrawl that was supposedly a well wished message. If I squinted I could just read it.

'Dear Em.

Sorry 'bout shooting you in the leg. Hoping that you feel better. I know you lost everything in the explosion so I thought a few new additions to your wardrobe were necessary. Meet me on the top deck once you're ready.

Phil.'

I put the card back down and opened the box up. Inside sat a brown leather jacket and black jeans and another card.

" P.S.

Check your wardrobe for a t-shirt and your boots.'

I snickered and walked over to the wardrobe to find a black shirt hung up on a coat-hanger so, grabbing it to get changed. The jacket was pretty spiffy and the jeans fit surprisingly well, but the good gesture didn't excuse the fact that Phil had shot me.

Really, what was he thinking? Again, I was lost in confusion to why people did things. It was almost ironic. But Phil was going to be in for it when I got my hands on him. I still was trying to get my head around what had happened to me. It was all so surreal. I know at first I insisted that I be the test subject but after I had time to rethink and see what could happen if things went wrong, I changed my mind. This was more than I could handle; more than anyone should. I didn't know the extent of what I could do, nor did I want to test it. But if I was here and not dead, they wanted something from me and it wasn't to guard a lab. I had noticed a lot of changes since the explosion.

For one, my voice healed quickly, too quickly. My whole body was screwed up. The long distance hearing had gone away, thank God, but my memory was playing up on me. I was able to recall things in great detail especially Paris's death. But it was minuscule, small details, like a cobweb in a corner or something as silly as the exact type of gun that SWAT team was issued, with even though I didn't take my sweet time to check. I could pause and replay scenes over the last twenty four hours with such clarity and precision it was almost like watching a movie of my own life. That more than anything scared me.

Walking along the halls of the hellicarrier I was met by two escorts to show me to the top deck. A left, right and quick ascent on some stairs and I was there. We were still in the ocean, awaiting a few more arrivals before take off I assumed. Silently I entered as my new guardians waited by the door.

"Everyone is waiting to debrief you Miss Coulson, go on in." one of them re-assured me.

"That's Agent Coulson to you." I said cockily back. When I stepped inside the room went quiet. Fury was in the middle of the room in deep conversation with Maria Hill and Phil, turning his head as I feebly made my entrance.

"Don't have any tranq guns on you this time?" I laughed half-heartedly. I seriously hoped they didn't though.

"Nice of you to join us." Maria said warmly. I scowled at her, not impressed. I studied her face trying to work out what they wanted me for. Fury began to speak but I had tuned out all conversation in my deep staring competition with my fellow agent. It wasn't until I felt gentle a tap, from Phil, on my shoulder that I realized how rude I was being.

"Sorry. Thinking." I apologized, paying attention to what Fury was talking about.

"I was saying, I'm sorry for all the dramatics. But we need to send you on a mission immediately." he explained with conviction.

"What exactly do you want me to say," I spat back angrily, "Sure! I'll go on another wild goose chase for you. Endanger my life again. Well it's either that or become a human guinea pig. I might as well!"

"It's not that sort of mission to be perfectly honest." Fury said calmly, ignoring my obvious vendetta, "You were there the night we had a 'visitor'. Hard to forget, wore a tacky leather outfit and glowing staff. He made off with the Tesseract and we believe he is going to attempt to use it as a weapon. You remember the Avengers Initiative... well, it's just been activated."

"You're coming with me. We need to get Tony Stark and I have a feeling he's going to be reluctant." Phil said with a chirpy smile.

"I still don't get why you had to shoot me!" I yelled in his face as we began to leave.

"I told you I was sorry! Really!" he kept apologizing.

"Yeah, well you owe me one." I said angrily, trying not to smile at his stupidity, "Dork."

Phil's picked up his phone and quickly dialed in a number, the call went straight to his headset.

"We're rounding up the Avengers. You get the big guy." he said as he listened to the response, "No, I have Stark. You get the BIG guy."

We boarded a plane on the runway and made haste to get started. Once the plane was in the air Phil turned sternly to me.

"I thought you were dead." he said reaching out and gripping my shoulder, "They told me an experiment had escaped and that they needed to be brought back into S.H.I.E.L.D. custody. When I knew it was you, I told Fury he wasn't to touch you."

"And he agreed? Just like that?" I said un-convinced.

"What can I say? He owes me a lot of favours!" he chuckled.

"Still... why'd you shoot me?" I repeated, I was like a broken record.

"You didn't see yourself. You looked sick Em. I didn't want you to hurt anybody, especially not yourself. I didn't want to give Fury a reason to lock you away."

I nodded thankfully.

"Yeah... well next time don't. It wasn't exactly pleasant. You try being shot with enough drugs to knock out an elephant!" I said irritatedly.

We sat quietly for a while, when I wasn't mad at him there wasn't really anything else to talk about. Yes, I did just become a super-freak, but it was a touchy subject. One thing for sure was that I needed to learn how to use it and quick.

"So... when you said reluctant, what did you mean?" I asked Phil.

"Mr. Stark isn't exactly the most friendly of men. Honestly he's a real jackass and I was hoping bringing along a female agent might calm him down."

"If what I've read about him is right. Probably not, but it's the thought that counts."

Once the plane landed we were chartered into black cars and whisked onwards to the Stark Tower. The car smelt fresh and made my nose a little bit irritated, but after sitting for a small time I got used to it. By the time we reached Stark Tower, in the center of the city, the sun had begun to set softly in the background. Getting out of the car Phil retrieved a black briefcase and we made our way towards the elevators.

"Hello, how may I be of service." said a lady on the front desk.

"We're here to see Mr. Stark."

"Have you got an appointment?" she asked.

"No, but I we don't need one." Phil said pulling out his badge, "Tell him we're here."

We jumped in the elevator and it quickly ascended to the penthouse as voice came over the intercom.

"Hi! You've reached Tony Stark's life model answering machine. Please leave a message at the tone." It was Stark. I laughed as we left the elevator.

"Good evening Mr. Stark." Phil greeted and humble grin upon his face.

"Security breach. Your fault." Tony Stark said turning to a women standing next to him.

"Phil. It's great to see you!" she said shaking his hand.

"Wait why'd you call him Phil. His name is Agent." Stark remarked slyly, "And who's his buddy." he said pointing to me.

"You must be Emily." she smiled. I had no idea who she was but I nodded and smiled back.

"Ah huh...You must be here about the Avengers initiative! Which, of course, I know nothing about." Stark said.

"Yes, we are." Phil replied.

"I thought I didn't qualify. Apparently I'm - what was it? - volatile, self obsessed. And I don't play well with others."

"It's not an issue about personality defects anymore. Here." Phil opened the briefcase and handed Stark a hard-drive. Stark promptly took it and plugged it into his computer. I soon found out it was an electronic copy of the folder I had been given those many weeks ago. It was so much more advanced and detailed. Stark began to flick through the files in mid air, enlarging photos and text as he went. He stopped for a second and stood back, covering one eye.

"How does Fury see these?" he said sarcastically.

"He turns." Phil responded. I was amused.

"Well that sounds exhausting." he laughed continuing through the files, "It's nice of you to bring along a fellow team-mate."

"Pardon?" I pipped up from my silence. Stark flipped the screen around and there was an image of me with the bold letters stating 'In Training'.

"Oh... yeah." I said, trying to play it cool. I stared as Phil with an annoyed glare in my eyes.

"We'll leave you with it." Phil concluded, turning and exiting. Stark was still examining the files as the elevators doors shut.

"That went well."

"Depends on your meaning of well." I replied, "You keep forgetting to mention very important details. In training?"

"You could be a very valuable asset... if you learn how to control it." he said, he was genuine in his speech, "Try this." he said pulling out a quarter from his pocket and placing it in my hand.

"I'm not a trick poodle. I can't just jump through hoops at your command." I frustratingly remarked.

"Alright then..." he sighed, taking back his coin. All of a sudden Phil lurched at me, pulling a terrifying face. I screamed and jumped backwards, sending Phil flying into the roof of the elevator. Stuck on the roof he laughed.

"Until you can control it, all we've got to do is scare the bejesus out of you." he said as I regained composure and he dropped to the floor. I didn't attempt to help him up.

"You do that again and I'll send something else flying!" I insulted him.