Leila stood in front of the towering building, tapping her foot nervously. It looked like a normal office building on the outside, but it housed the world's most extensive intelligence network. She double-checked the address she'd written down.

The bustling traffic of Washington D.C. hummed behind her. She adjusted the strap of her bag, and with a deep breath she walked in.

The receptionist looked up at her as she stood in front of the desk. "Name and division?"

"Leila Dayne, astrophysics." She said, and he typed a few words into a computer. A whirring of machinery behind the desk signaled something being printed out. The receptionist assembled a badge and handed it to her with a smile.

"Just through there, floor thirteen for training." He pointed to the elevator.

"Thanks," Leila clipped her badge onto her shirt and headed in.

There were two more people on the elevator, both dressed in formal wear. They got out on floor six and Leila rode the rest of the way alone.

There was a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent waiting when she got out of the elevator. She glanced down at Leila's badge and gestured for her to follow her.

The agent led her to a room that functioned as a shooting range. There was nobody else there, but guns and safety equipment were laid out at each station.

"Alright, let's see what you've got." The agent handed Leila a pistol.

"Uh, I've never..." Leila turned the gun over in her hands.

The agent sighed. "Safety's here, gotta release that before you can shoot. Aim through the sight, here. Then pull the trigger." She pointed to each part of the pistol as she spoke.

Leila put a pair of safety goggles on her face and fit ear-protecting headphones over her ears. She raised the gun up and held it with both hands. She released the safety.

"Make sure you keep your feet shoulder-width apart. Inhale as you aim, and exhale when you shoot."

Leila widened her stance. She inhaled deeply, taking in the cold, sterile smell of the training room.

She lined up the sight with the center of the target and pulled the trigger, letting out her breath as she did so. She impulsively squeezed her eyes shut, then once she heard a gunshot and a thud through her muffling headphones, she opened them and saw that she had missed.

Despite her being recruited into S.H.I.E.L.D. as a consultant, Leila was required to undergo basic combat training. Over the next few weeks, she would participate in weapons and hand-to-hand training, as well as classes that went over S.H.I.E.L.D. procedure.

"Try it again. Don't take such a deep breath this time, it made your hands move. And keep your eyes open."

After about fifteen more rounds, the agent patted Leila on the arm. "Let's take a few."

Leila put the safety back on the gun and set it down. She stretched out her arms, aching from holding them up so long.

Leila studied the target for a moment, seeing that she had almost hit the bullseye a few times.

"I'm Sharon, by the way." Said the agent, smiling softly.

"Nice to meet you, officially. I'm Leila." The two women shook hands. Sharon led her out across a large hallway and into what looked like a break room.

"So, what are you here for?" Sharon asked, sitting down.

"I'm a consultant. Coulson recruited me." Leila sat down across from her.

"Consulting on what?"

"Astrophysics. It's in high demand these days."

Sharon nodded. "I joined straight out of high school. Being an agent's kind of in my family."

"Interesting family business. My dads own a café."

The two chuckled, and after a few more minutes of chatting they headed back to the shooting range.

Leila took a deep breath, centering herself, and lined up the gun for another shot. She pulled the trigger and the bullet flew into the center of the target.

"Good job!" Sharon gave her a high-five "Now, let's see if we can get your shots consistent."

-

After a few days on the shooting range with Sharon offering assistance, Leila became proficient with pistols, rifles, and everything in between. She had practiced on standstill targets, targets in the dark, moving targets that hit her in the head when they got too close.

"After this, you'll be certified. Go for it." Sharon pointed at the target.

Leila aimed to take one last shot and took a deep breath to center herself. The bullet blazed with a blue fire as it exited the gun.

It left a flaming crater in the center of the bullseye, quickly going out but leaving charred remains in it absence.

A wave of blue light washed over the room, and Sharon's head snapped to the target.

"What was that?" She asked, gaping as the bullseye smoldered.

"I'm- I'm not sure," Leila admitted. It had been weeks since New Mexico. She hadn't felt any surge of emotion, like when she'd faced the destroyer.

"I'll get maintenance to check out this booth. Might be a wiring issue." Sharon said, but Leila noticed how she warily watched her out of the corner of her eye.

"Yeah, that'd probably be good."

"Take two days off. Then you'll be in hand-to hand training with someone else."

"Thanks for all your help."

The blonde woman shrugged. "Just doing my job. But it was really nice to meet you," she shook Leila's hand.

"You too." Leila smiled and left the shooting range. She could see in her peripheral vision that Sharon was inspecting the target that had caught fire. Shaken, she put on a stoic face as she exited the facility.

-

After two days of mindless hotel TV and fast food, Leila was ready to get back to training. She walked into the triskelion, her stomach twisting in unease when she saw people looking at her. They didn't know. There was no way they could know.

Leila rode the elevator up to the training floor, tapping her foot nervously on the ground. When she stepped off, there was an agent waiting outside the doors.

He nodded his head at her. "Director Fury would like to speak with you in his office."

The agent guided Leila back into the elevator and pressed the button for floor forty-five. The two stood in silence until they reached their destination. The doors remained closed, but once he pressed his badge to the reader they slid open.

The floor was open and divided into several offices, the largest facing the elevator doors. The nameplate read Nicholas J. Fury, Director. Leila gulped and stepped up to the office. She glanced back at the agent, who gave her a nod.

She knocked on the door, and after a moment it creaked open. The office was spacious, but simple, with filing cabinets and bookshelves lining the wall while a large wooden desk was in the middle of the room. A window with opened blinds was set into the opposite wall, and a man stood in front of it.

"Leila Dayne. I have heard a lot about you," the man turned around, showing a face lined with experience and an eye patch covering one eye.

"Director Fury," Leila acknowledged him as she fidgeted with one of her sleeves. Fury sat down behind his desk and gestured to the chair in front. She sat down as he studied her carefully.

"Agent thirteen has told me your training went well?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good to hear." Fury nodded. He rifled through a drawer in his desk to retrieve a file. He opened it and his one eye scanned it before looking up at Leila. "Puente Antiguo, New Mexico, 2011. Alien life visits earth for the first documented time. You were one of the team who made contact."

"That's correct."

"An alien life form referenced here as a 'destroyer' attacks the town, god of thunder saves everyone, aliens return, everyone lives happily ever after." Fury paused, steepling his fingers and leaning forward. "Witnesses say there was another hero present."

"Hero? I dunno." Leila shrugged.

"You helped save that town, Miss Dayne. May I see?"

"I can't control it. Obviously."

"Just try."

The two engaged in a stare off, neither one blinking. Leila finally gave in with a sigh. "Fine."

She took a deep breath and tried to think of how she felt that day the Destroyer had attacked. The grief, anger, guilt all washing over her. A shimmering blue vapor came from her palm, rising and forming a sort of cloud.

Fury poked a finger into the cloud, and instantly drew his hand back. "Damn it, that's hot." His finger was already blistering as he shook it.

"Listen, ever since Thor and co. touched down a few weeks ago, we know we're not alone. Truth be told, we've needed people like you for a while now." He gestured to Leila's hand, where the vapor had began to dissipate. "I know you can't control your powers... yet. But with time, you'll get there."

Leila sighed and shook her head. "I'm an astrophysics consultant. Not a superhero."

Fury dug through his desk again to pull out another folder, this one adorned with a large 'A' on the front. He slid it across the table to Leila, and after a gesture she opened it and began reading.

An idea, to bring together a group of remarkable people...

-

Thanks for reading!