Out of Time ★ [1] ✔

Extra #1

I was in my apartment in New York when I got the call from Fury to meet him. I had no idea why he wanted to see me.

I didn't want anything to do with S.H.I.E.L.D. Although a year ago, I was still recovering from the Battle of New York. I had used so much energy that I struggled to walk some days.

All the same, I went to meet the guy. As much as I hated it, it could've been important. It could've been Avengers related.

I stepped through a portal into the office of Director Fury. He wasn't alone when I arrived. Agent Hill and Natasha were with him.

I crossed my arms. "So why am I here? Are we going to fondue?"

"I have an offer for you." Fury walked around his desk to stand in front of me, ignoring my remark.

I raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"S.H.I.E.L.D. could use your abilities, Andi," Natasha stated. "We're offering a place."

A S.H.I.E.L.D. agent? Me? Well, I was an SSR agent. Could it be any different? 

No. I didn't want to be an agent. I didn't want anything to do with S.H.I.E.L.D. except the Avengers Initiative. That was it. Nothing else.

My eyes flicked to Fury. "Why?"

"We could use someone like you."

"There are a lot of dangerous people out there, Andi," Hill added. "We need a way to dispose of them quickly. We could use your abilities."

I looked at each in turn before I told them my answer. "No."

Natasha and Hill exchanged a look before they glanced at Fury. Fury grabbed a folder from his desk. I saw the S.H.I.E.L.D. logo on it. And in bold letters: Project Hourglass. 

I raised my chin. And what was he planning on doing with that?

"Here's the deal," Fury began. "You work for S.H.I.E.L.D." He raised the folder. "And you can do whatever you want with the information collected for Project Hourglass."

I squinted. Almost everything about me was laid out on the table last year. There was nothing left to reveal. Nothing left that they needed to know, that is. I was allowed to keep a few things to myself. But then again, S.H.I.E.L.D. had an entire year to gather more information on me. Who knew what else they'd dug up. But I could find out with that single exception. All I had to do was accept.

Fury held out the folder in front of me, egging me on to take it and accept the offer like holding a bone in front of a hungry dog. He wanted me that badly that he resorted to bribery. A typical S.H.I.E.L.D. method. 

But it worked.

As I went to snatch the folder away, Fury raised it out of my reach. "So. Do you accept the offer?"

I clenched my jaw. "And I get every scrap of information from Project Hourglass?"

"Every photograph, article and interview."

He hovered the folder near me again like dangling a carrot in front of a horse. He let me take it this time, knowing my answer. 

After I flipped through it, I closed it and glared at him. "Fine."

Fury smiled mysteriously. "Good. You start tomorrow."

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