~Ten Years Ago~

I sighed as I sat in the passenger seat of the car as Leon, my partner in the F.O.S. (Field Operations Support). "What's wrong?" He asked looking at me quietly.

"I dunno...are you sure that this is a good idea?" I said still looking out the window.

"I mean...no not really but, we have our orders. Brass wants us to bring the Avengers into this war, so that's what we'll do." I nodded quietly as he pulled up to a large compound and parked. A tall imposing man with an eye patch stood outside waiting for us. Leon and I got out of the car and approached. He shook our hands in turn and studied each of us.

"My name is Nick Fury...head of the Avengers Initiative."

"My name is Leon Kennedy, this is my daughter and partner in the field Celestia Kennedy." Leon said and Nick glanced at me for a moment. Nick studied me for a moment then nodded and led us inside to a large conference room where 2 men sat waiting. Leon and I stopped inside the room as everyone turned to look at us. No one said anything while Nick walked to the head of the table and spoke.

"I called you all here for a very important meeting...This is Leon and Celestia Kennedy...I'll let them fill you in." Nick stepped to the side and the group of people turned to look at me and Leon for a moment no one said anything and then Leon gently pushed me forward toward the front of the room, silently following behind me. I took Nick's place at the head of table and said.

"Right...Introductions first I guess...As Mr. Fury -"

"Call me Nick." He interjected and I nodded

"As Nick said, I am Celestia Kennedy but I also go by Shadow, we'll get to that later... This is my father Leon..." I turned to the man on my right.

"I'm Steve Rogers, I also go by Captain America." I nodded and the man next to him spoke.

"Bucky Barnes, The White Wolf"

"Or The Winter Solider...depending on who you ask...I've heard about you." I said looking at him curiously for a minute before picking up a remote and turning back to the room. "My father and I work for the F.O.S. that stands for Field Operations Support, our goal is eradicate bioterrorism..." I paused for a moment then said. "I know you are all hardened soldiers and have seen many things...but you've not seen anything like this before so brace yourselves." I said quietly as pushed the button on the remote and several images of cities burning while infected citizens attacking the uninfected and other horrific scenes filled the screen. I could see the horror and disgust on their faces.

"It's not pretty but this is the reality that we live in, you all have helped protect the earth from countless threats...now we are asking that you help us with this threat." It was silent for a moment and then Steve said.

"How-How long has this war been going on?"

"Started in Raccoon City in 1998...the U.S. Government ended up wiping the city out to keep the virus from spreading there were only 4 survivors, my father was one of them."

"Since '98...and they haven't asked us to come in before why?" Bucky said softly and I shrugged.

"I dunno...I was told to come here, present the case and ask for help...that's what I'm doing, but before you yes or no, you need all the facts. Some people, when infected with a virus, will have as "positive" affect and I use that term loosely. Instead of becoming a mindless "zombie" for lack of a better word they will mutate and become something entirely different." I pushed the button again and images of some of the B.O.W.'s that we'd taken on came onto the screen. "We call them B.O.W.'s or Bio-Organic Weapons...they can be literally anything and are a solid bitch to kill...furthermore other people when infected and then given the cure in time can be left with...side effects."

"What kind of side effects?" Steve asked still staring at the screen.

"Uh...there is one agent who heals rapidly so long as it's not a fatal wound such a knife to the heart or a bullet head or some such..."

"And what side effects do you have?" Bucky asked as I smirked.

"Perceptive...yes I was infected when I was very young, my biological father likes to play God...unfortunately for me and my brother...whom I am still looking for but that another story...anyway when my mother was pregnant with me and my twin my father started playing with genetics and bio weapons and shit like that and he injected something into my brother and I while we were in utero...luckily it wasn't a dangerous virus so there's no threat of contamination however, it did leave me with some...powers..." I said trailing

"Powers? What type of powers?" Steve said, I glanced at Nick to see if it was okay to demonstrate and he nodded

"You're not afraid of the dark are you boys?" I asked and they shook their heads as black fire filled my eyes. "You should be..." I whispered as the shadows in the room sprang to life, taking on humanoid shapes as they moved to stand beside me chittering softly. Both Bucky and Steve jumped up startled for a moment and stared at the shadows.

"Well...that explains your code name...are they...going to attack?" Steve said eyeing the shadows and I shook my head and the fire dissipate from my eyes and the shadows disappeared as well.

"No...they won't attack unless commanded to." I said staring at them

"That...have you ever considered working with us?" Bucky said still eyeing the spot where the shadows had stood and I laughed softly.

"Thanks, but I'm here to recruit the two of you, not the other way round... F.O.S. thinks that we could use agents with your particular skill sets in this war. If you agree you'll be housed with the top two agents that F.O.S. has, you two will be field partners and will answer only to the higher ups." I said turning the screen off.

"Who are the top two agents?" Bucky asked as the screen went dark hiding the horrific images from sight.

"You're lookin at em." I said and he smirked. "F.O.S. has procured a very, very large section of land with which all of our agents are housed in a barracks, there is also a training area, shooting range, obstacle course...you name it. However, the top two agents, my father and I, we live in a very, very large mansion at the top of the hill. Given to us by the government. If you accept, you'll be living us in said mansion." Bucky looked at Steve for a minute and the two seemed to communicate silently and then Steve nodded and they looked at me and Leon.

"We'll come." I smiled as relief flooded me.