The Shadow [a marvel fanfiction]

Avengers: Chapter One

"I hate New Mexico."

Agent Barton laughed. "Marie, you've only been here two weeks. You haven't even left the facility."

Marie grumbled under her breath, crossing her arms as she sat next to him and dangled her legs from The Nest. Agent Barton made the platform his watch post, something about being able to see better from above. Marie didn't care. It put more space between her and the dangerously alluring glow of the Tesseract.

"Are-Are all of your m-m-missions like this?"

Agent Barton shook his head, carefully cleaning his bow.

"No, but our job is to protect S.H.I.E.L.D. secrets," he grinned and looked over at her, "and I would say this is a pretty big secret."

Marie leaned back and stared at the pipes above them. "Have you- Have you done a lot of pro-pro-protection detail? Like guarding a s-s-senator?"

"Sure," he shrugged. "I know Nat's done a few of those, but we specialize in more... covert assignments."

"So, spying and ass-ass-ass—" Marie grit her teeth and inhaled deeply "—killing people."

Agent Barton failed to hide his laughter. "I was trying to be delicate. Nat and I are S.H.I.E.L.D.'s master assassins, who assassinate people like assassins do."

Marie kicked his ankle, making him squeak and several scientists look up at the pair.

"You-You're an ass. That's what you are."

"Guilty as charged. And I've got a nice one, too."

Marie held in her laughter, but a smile pulled at her lips. She sat up and watched the scientists work. Several rows of tables had been set up and were covered in instruments, glass beakers, and computers. The noise and movement were never-ending as the scientists worked all day and through the night. Marie and Agent Barton traded shifts, sleeping a few collective hours when possible.

"I-I still don't understand all of-of-of this," Marie said.

"As in the universe, our existence, S.H.I.E.L.D., why I'm so amazing—"

"No," Marie sank her elbow into his ribs, "this. The-The Tesseract and what they're looking for."

"Well, Miss Serious Agent, it's an object from outer space brought to Earth by a pair of warring alien-people with strange powers of their own. That alone is enough for S.H.I.E.L.D. to sink its teeth into, but they want to know what this cube is capable of."

"And-And those beings just left? They didn't want to-to—want to take it back?"

"I don't know much more myself, Agent Devnner."

Marie's face warmed hearing that. Agent. When had that happened? She swung her legs, shifting uncomfortably. It sounded official and very, very permeant. Who had ever heard of an agent just leaving a place like S.H.I.E.L.D.? Especially an agent with "abilities" like hers.

"Don't-Don't call me that," she mumbled, hiding behind her hair.

"Who said that? Did someone say something?" Agent Barton asked loudly.

Marie rolled her eyes, tucking a curl behind her ear.

"Oh—there she is! Hi Agent Devnner."

She turned away from him and focused on the scientists. The feeling of worthlessness fell over her like a heavy blanket; wrapping around her and slowly suffocating her. Becoming an agent hadn't been her choice—having powers hadn't been her choice. How was she expected to fight S.H.I.E.L.D.'s battles when she couldn't face her own?