Unexpected

Switching Assignments

Plopping down at my chair I dropped my head into my crossed arms on my desk. I was so brain-dead. I just wanted to sleep again. Why couldn't I always just sleep without dreams like that? No nightmares about monsters or Loki or wars or sexual attacks or... anything, just the comforting void of sleep. Maybe I should shock myself again, just to help me refocus... no, it would only end up draining me again...

My head flew up as there was a knock reverberated through the small room of my office. I blinked at the clock on my computer screen, had I nodded off? No. No, thank the Lord. Quickly I sat up straight again, adjusting my hair as I called out for whoever it was to come in. It was a woman just on the later end of her twenties probably, her hair tied up in a tight bun. "Agent Copper?"

"Yeah? What can I do for you?"

"Director Fury would like to see you in his office."

My mouth went dry, "The Director?"

"He'd like you to come right away."

"Sure, yeah, okay." I stood up, adjusting the belt of my dress, "Lead the way."

She did, shuffling her short legs as she sped efficiently through the halls with me behind her. I couldn't recall ever being summoned to Fury's office before, and I had no idea why he was calling me now! Had Jenkins reported to him that I had asked to be taken off my task earlier? News would have traveled fast then, since the conversation with her had hardly been ten minutes ago, and why would he necessarily care? Wait... had I possibly done something wrong? No, definitely not. All I've been doing for a couple weeks has been translating. So what could it be? Bad news? Hawkeye, Cap, and Widow all flashed before my mind's eye and I picked up my pace so I was right behind my guide, dreading to know why I was being called to the principal's office.

Fury's office was on one of the higher floors, overlooking the harbor and city line, and it happened to be absolutely huge and high tech. The agent I was following, apparently some kind of secretary scuttled behind a wide wrap around desk and pressed a button on a type of intercom machine.

"Director?" her mousy voice didn't quite seem to match her business-like tone.

"Yes, Miss Cartridge?" The familiar voice of Fury replied after a moment.

"Agent Copper is here to see you."

"Send her in."

The young woman, apparently named Miss Cartridge, nodded though Fury of course couldn't see her before looking up at me and repeating, "He'll see you now then."

I pulled at my dress once more, trying to adjust myself before opening the door that Miss Cartridge waved me to.

Director Nicholas Fury stood with his back towards me, his hands folded behind him as he stared; rather dramatically it seemed to me, out the window. I wondered for a moment as I hesitated to approach him if he always wore black like this. The strap for his eye patch wrapped around the back of his shiny dome.

"Agent Copper, it's been a while." He commented, breaking the silence I had not noticed since I had buried myself so much into my own thoughts and observations as I glanced around the spacious room.

"I suppose so." I replied back, still unsure of the situation I was in.

"How's Stark technology treating you, Agent Copper?"

My hand slipped to my silvery, pen-like device that was hooked to the belt of my dress, "Very well sir. It's better than getting tazed or having to stick my fingers into electrical sockets."

He nodded solemnly turning around to face me, holding out one of his hands that were still tucked behind his back, ""May I see it?"

Unhooking my device I placed it in his palm. He looked it over, "Stark's tech is rather impressive isn't it? Even with our resources, S.H.I.E.L.D. struggles to create technology and mechanics that can at least compete with what Stark rolls out on a whim from his basement. Though it pains me to say it, Stark is probably one of the finest minds of our age." He paused before shaking his head, "And yet he's also one of the most arrogant, dumbest sons of a bitch I have ever met in my life."

I had no idea how to respond, and I think my face reflected that. Why was he talking about Stark? Why was I here? "Sir... I don't understand..."

"Have you been in contact with Mr. Stark since you've received this?" Fury asked, handing me my do-dad back, his one eye searching my blue ones.

"No sir." I don't think I ever even sent him a thank you card... I meant to do that. "In fact I have not spoken to him since... since he and Banner ran their tests I believe. But why?"

"Because this," he paused moving to type something on a screen on his desk, turning a whole wall of glass that I had thought was just some sort of new-age décor into a type of screen where I saw a medium close up of Tony with sunglasses standing in a group of jostling reporters and paparazzi as he exited what looked to be a hospital and was getting into some sort of hot-rod car, "was shown on three different news stations a few minutes ago."

Suddenly the footage's sound came alive. Dozens of people were shoving microphones at him, questioning him about the Mandarin. What would he know about the Mandarin? Suddenly some guy with a camera phone shouted over the cacophony, "Mr. Stark, when are you simply going to kill this guy?" I watched in internal horror as Tony turned around to face the man, "just sayin'."

"Is that what you want?" Tony shot back after a second.

Oh dear. Standing perfectly still like I'd been turned into marble I watched as Tony dished out a threat to the Mandarin, calling him out as a coward and giving him his home's address. What is he doing? As the clip cut out I kept staring at the screen.

"As you can imagine, Stark, pain or not, is an investment to S.H.I.E.L.D., and since he's gone and given his address to the entire nation, not to mention a known terrorist, we'd like someone to go and see how the lay of the land is with Iron Man."

"Me?" I finally made the connection.

"Unless you have something better to do." Fury huffed a little laugh, "We'd like you to head out on the first plane to Malibu and, for Stark's safety, we suggest that you call ahead so he can make preparations to leave his mansion and go to a safe house of which Miss Cartridge will send you the information for to your email. Keep him out of trouble until we figure out this whole Mandarin business."

"That's a tall order sir." I responded, my mind already whirring with the steps I'd have to take to head out. I'd need to pack real quick and look up Stark's home number, and... oh... I'd have to call my grandparents and warn them that I may be coming home late for Christmas. They wouldn't like that news at all, but this could very well be a case of life or death. "I'll get on it right away."

I was almost to his door when Fury called to me, "Oh, by the way, Agent Copper, you may need this."

I turned, expecting 'this' to be a flash drive with information or something, but instead it was a rather large white box that he pulled up from behind his desk. I quirked my eyebrow up and approached, unsure of this gift from the director. "You shouldn't have?" I said, the end of my sentence turning into a question mark.

He nodded his head at me to open it, so I lifted the lid. Folded inside, insignia facing up at me was a padded combat suit. Lifting it from its container, my eyes moved over its shape. It looked like it would fit me sort of like a cat suit, but with some armored padding, more like Captain America's suit than the Black Widow's. It was a dark gray with a high collar and a type of sewn-in design of black padding creating a kind of design along the shoulders, forearms, torso and outer thighs. The sleeves were long, the ends running over the back of my hand a bit, yet leaving my palms and fingers exposed, to allow me to make clean contact with an energy source I supposed. On the chest was a whitish-silver insignia of a starburst shape and as I pulled the suit out for a closer look I saw that there was a small utility belt at the bottom of the box, sitting atop a pair of black boots that would go up to just underneath my knee.

"Whoa." I breathed, glancing up at Fury, "Directo-"

"It's just in case things get messy." He cut me off with a wave of his hand, "Catalyst."

"You heard about that, huh?" I asked, tucking the cloth back into its box.

"I think it's appropriate, just don't let it go to your head, Agent."

"Wouldn't dream of it." I responded quickly.

"Good. I expect a report once you arrive at the Stark residence."

"Yes sir." I nodded to him and lugged my box with my new uniform in it out of his office. Dropping my voice level to just below a whisper I rolled my eyes, "At least it won't be difficult finding Stark's house..."