Who: Sharon Carter, Nick Fury NPCs: SHIELD agents When: February 17th 2009 - the day after Hulk vs. Cap Where: Nick Fury's Office What: Sharon didn't think that the rumors were true. That Nick Fury was actually trying to resurrect the symbol of Captain America. Yet when she saw actually saw the man that had taken up the mantle of her childhood hero, she decided that something needed to be said. No one should be allowed to disrespect the memory of the fallen Cap. Rating: PG-13
Nick Fury.
That name alone was enough to make some agents cower and tremble in their boots. It was a name that demanded the highest of respect and the most immediate of attention. When Nick Fury was in the room, people listened and took note. His presence was undeniable. One could simply step into a room and know that Nick had been there by the flurry of activity that was going on. There was not a single agent that didn't know the potential wrath of General Fury, should a command of his not be carried out. Yet, despite this fear, there was not a single man alive that could inspire such fierce loyalty and respect as the General. His agents would follow him straight into hell and back without even so much as a second thought, should he command it of them.
Which was why the presence of one of his most loyal agents within his office on that day would probably surprise him more than anyone else.
Sharon Carter. Agent 13.
One of very few women that had managed to make it through the grueling, regimented training required of SHIELD's agents before they were allowed to be placed on the field. A woman that Nick Fury had taken a personal interest in many years ago when he saw the potential and the passion that she held for this line of work. One of the best agents that SHIELD currently had to boast.
And right now...one of the most annoyed.
Rumors of Nick Fury's pet project - the Avengers - had been circulating for months now. Everyone knew about it - or, at least, thought they knew about it. If rumors were to be believed, he was gathering together a team of what had started to be referred to as "superheroes". There seemed to be a growing population of their kind that had been cropping up in the papers these days. Tony Stark had made quite the stir when he came out as "Iron Man". Then there were reports always going about of the Fantastic Four. Recently, New York was sporting its own hero in the form of a spider. It seemed that Nick Fury had it in mind to make use of these heroic figures by pulling them together and forming a team.
A clever scheme (the General was just full of those) - and Sharon supported the idea when she'd heard about it.
Or rather...she did. Until hearing about one other factor that had been added into it.
Captain America.
When Sharon first heard the rumors going around that the Avengers were to be led by the legendary Captain America, she couldn't believe what she was being told. Ever since she was a little girl, she'd heard grand stories all about Captain America. She'd made up games and imagined that she was her Aunt Peggy - fighting right alongside of Captain America...saving the world. She'd watched old newsreels of him in action and even had some old newspaper articles that she'd found, cut out, and pasted into a little scrapbook of him.
He was her hero.
But now...Nick Fury was actually thinking of trying to ressurect that old symbol for this new group of heroes to rally behind? It was insane! No one would believe it. How could anyone possibly support such an idea?
No. What they needed was a new hero. Let his little group be led by Tony Stark - he seemed more than willing to loudly vocalize himself as America's next superhero.
The idea of someone...anyone...trying to take up her hero's old mantle was just too much.
Which was exactly the thoughts that were running through her head as Agent 13 stepped into her commanding officer's office and gave him a sharp salute.
"Sir. Requesting permission to speak freely. Might I have a word with you for a moment?"