After the dust settled and the rubble was cleared, Darcy had nothing.

The destruction of much of her planet was nothing to Thor, hell-bent on saving his precious Asgard-

Which by Jane's short description was every bit as dazzling as she'd imagined it. She couldn't believe her eyes the first time those terrifying black machines tore through London, wrecking buildings which were hundreds of years old, and once again Darcy was struck by how vulnerable her existence was in the face of such immeasurable power.

Still, Earth escaped utter desolation, and by Darcy's books that was as good an outcome as any.

Sadly, that was the only good thing to happen- much of the fighting, much of the real action had occurred in Asgard and Alfheim and other places Darcy would never see, never know for herself.

Jane had gone to those places- she had had the adventure of her life, possessed by a dark elf- and that was the end of Darcy's knowledge on the matter. No one would tell her a thing- not SHIELD, of course, but not Jane, or Erik, or Thor. In fact, she was told shockingly little about the affair, and was treated like a bystander who had witnessed something she shouldn't have.

Darcy knew this feeling, when SHIELD took over her life after Thor defeated the Destroyer Loki had sent to Puente Antigua a few years ago, when Agent Coulson took away her iPod, Jane's research- any proof that they'd accomplished something in that tiny lab in the desert. She wasn't worried about having her twitter monitored or her email constantly filtered- what she really couldn't stand was the sensation that she wasn't important enough, significant enough to know what Jane got to know, what Erik got to know.

She didn't mean to sound bitter, but she couldn't help it. After three years of her life on hold (SHIELD kind of had her in head lock in terms of her college credits and graduation was nowhere near her horizon), Darcy wanted closure, and to move on. London was meant to be that- she was helping Jane with the final stages of testing out a new prototype of the Einstein Rosenberg bridge- a crude replica of the Bifrost was what Erik affectionately referred to it as.

They were in London only due to a recent surge in some kind of electromagnetic mumbo-jumbo- Darcy had ignored Jane's lengthy explanation- but before they could run any tests, before they could even assemble the machine, terror had struck the city.

As the ship-like objects reduced the historic city to rubble in minutes, Darcy and Jane had been outside, trying to find shelter along with some science groupies Jane had picked up from Oxford- someone named Ian, who had attempted to ask her out a record of 6 times in 3 days- enough time for Earth to be terrorized and for Thor to swoop in and save Jane, leaving Darcy to fend for herself in the chaos.

She didn't mind that- she didn't expect to be rescued, because she wasn't Thor's to rescue. She was independent, and that was why, when Jane decided to stay in Asgard after Thor's defeat of his super-secret-nemesis, Darcy refused to acknowledge any sense of loss. It was easy for her to feign joy for Jane's relocation to a land of magic and gods at first, when she though Erik was going to need her for the continuation of his work. She had to remain unfazed and happy for Erik too, when he announced that having a god in his mind plus the added ordeal of the recent events had led to him retiring from science- and there was Darcy, with nothing to do and going nowhere fast.

Ordinarily, that would have been just fine. Maybe she'd be a little butthurt, but she could definitely apply to finish her BA in Political Science and then go on to Law School- or she could intern in the House of Representatives- the opportunities seemed vast compared to her previous life of filing papers and typing up lab results. Unfortunately for Darcy, that wasn't possible. She was stuck, again, because she knew just enough and too little, all at once.

SHIELD reared its ugly head once more when she tried to post a picture of post-attack Trafalgar Square, and it got deleted instantly.

It didn't surprise her later, either, when she opened her hotel room door to a frowning agent in black- and within minutes she was uprooted again and boarding a plane, private by the looks of it, headed back to NYC.

Shortly upon landing Darcy was forced to debrief all she knew about what had transpired in London. It was almost embarrassing how little she had to tell them, because they didn't care about what had actually happened to her. All they were interested in was Jane's involvement, and whether Thor had stated any intentions of returning to Earth- nothing about the fear she had experienced when she had to help an injured woman who was heavily pregnant- escorting her to a hospital in the aftermath was chaotic and almost impossible considering how distraught both women were. Never mind the fact that Ian was killed hours after when a building collapsed on his head, and the heads of dozens of students.

Her meeting lasted all of 12 minutes. The agents abruptly ended her narrative by pulling out a stack of papers and asking Darcy to sign them.

"Why do I need to sign anything?" the confusion in her voice made the agents exchange a look, and she began to feel panicked.

"Ms. Lewis, it's merely a routine confidentiality contract. Nothing personal, just standard SHIELD procedure."
Darcy narrowed her eyes- nothing with SHIELD was ever standard by the conventional definition of the word.

"And what does this confidentiality contract entail?"

The agent with the yellowed teeth (chain smoker was Darcy's guess) explained a need for "secrecy, considering the sensitive nature of SHIELD's work." Basically, she couldn't talk about anything that happened between Thor's arrival in New Mexico up until the present- a whole three years of her life, inaccessible to Darcy. That wasn't really acceptable to her, considering the very real possibility that colleges would want to know how her extended internship with the world-renowned astrophysicist, Jane Foster, had gone.

The SHIELD cronies had no reply for her, and left the room before Darcy could protest.

"Wait! I need- I can't just live my life lying about years 2011-2013! I- I need a job, an education for god's sake!"

But they ignored her, and Darcy could feel frustrated tears prick her eyelids. Ignoring them, she decided that she wasn't going to return the SHIELD issued credit card just yet. Instead, she headed for a decent hotel, checked into a room, and got out her laptop. To her dismay, it had been wiped of all documents regarding her work with Jane and Erik- her iTunes was intact, but somehow she couldn't log into any social media or her email account. It was getting to be too much to bear for Darcy, but she couldn't bring herself to admit that she was trapped just yet.

She went to bed that night slightly buzzed from the vodka she found in the hotel minibar (SHIELD's bill, not hers) and more than a little morose.

After tossing and turning on and off, Darcy finally gave up on sleeping and logged back onto her computer. She took a deep breath, and then googled starting level jobs in New York City, the most competitive place in the world. That proved itself true when she found herself frustrated and on the verge of tears. Nowhere was hiring- she was unqualified and not a college graduate and she was already 24, when she should have been done by 22, and everything was all wrong.

She had accomplished nothing, done nothing, even after all her hard work with Jane because none of the credit was actually hers to take- she just took notes.

The injustice of it all was too much to think about, so Darcy abandoned her rumpled sheets and stood in the shower for the better part of an hour, letting the hot water course down her back and through her tangled hair. The steam clouded her vision but she was able to think clearly.

She was going to go back to SHIELD and demand her dues- not that she had earned much, but the least they could do was give her an internship, or even better a job- anything, really, would be welcome to her.

With that desperate thought in her mind, Darcy stepped out of the shower and stood in front of the mirror, naked. Everything about her screamed LOSER- her wild, unmanageable hair, her square frame glasses- she had always known that her appearance led people to believe that she was insignificant and unworthy of their attention, but now she also knew that she had started to believe that herself. Until then, that is.

Retrieving a pair of scissors from her travel bag, Darcy very markedly made some changes in her life. She began with a steady hand, snipping her tangles away into a straight, evenly layered bob that brushed her shoulders, revealing her collarbone and the slim cut of her shoulders. The change felt good, and the next morning came much more easily.

Darcy also got rid of the glasses- the thick frames made her seem immature and ditzy, and she had contact lenses to spare, anyways. Darcy didn't have any real "job hunting" clothes, but she did her best with a pair of black pants and red button down blouse that had a ruffle down the front. It was a little lower cut than she liked, but her options were too limited for her to care.

Stepping out into the street, Darcy enjoyed the sound of her boots clacking on the sidewalk. Feeling in control, she made her way to the SHIELD headquarters she had left the previous evening. At the front desk, she produced her ID and said that she wanted to speak with the HR department about employment opportunities. The receptionist was effusive in her kindness and led Darcy to a beautifully furnished waiting room, where a coffee machine emitted an aroma too delicious for her to ignore.

She waited with her coffee for the better part of an hour, growing more and more nervous with each passing minute. Darcy began to realize how brash she was being, just demanding a job from SHIELD- as if they owed her anything. A small voice inside of her insisted that they did owe her something, but Darcy wasn't sure if she should listen to it.

It was too late to back out though- a sharply dressed woman said a representative was ready to see her then, and Darcy had no choice but to follow.

She was led to a small office. The door was open but she still knocked, afraid to barge in.

"Come in!"

Darcy carefully entered the room, belatedly realizing that she had no idea how to sell herself as a viable employee to SHIELD.

The woman behind the desk strode before Darcy and held out her hand, gripping it firmly as she introduced herself.

"Good morning. I'm Veronica Bradley, head of the HR department."

The scary efficiency of her voice made Darcy feel like she was in school again and unprepared for a test- lost, sweaty, and clueless.

Stuttering slightly, she replied "Hi- uh, hello! I'm Darcy Lewis, and I…"
Darcy was about to make a fool of herself, but Veronica spoke up.
"You have previous connections to SHIELD, right? When your name went through our system… let's just say we got quite a few interesting pings."
Darcy was disconcerted by the strange smile on Veronica's face, but she barreled on, unsure of what she meant.

"When you say pings, I assume you mean… the whole thing in New Mexico, and then London… right?"

"Right. We know you have information regarding SHIELD and its activities regarding a great deal of confidential matters- not that it's your fault, of course. No one is ever at fault just for possessing knowledge. It's what you do with it that matters, am I correct?"
Darcy didn't know what to do so she nodded.

"I don't want to sound presumptuous, but I have no choice. I need a job secured- I need money to rent an apartment, live my life, but I can't. I can't finish school with my restricted background and I can't get a job without my degree. I'm in a bind, and I just think SHIELD should have something for me."

"By something, you mean employment?"

"Yes."

Veronica sighed and pulled out a folder from a drawer in her chrome desk. She flipped through it, nonchalantly pulling out a certain page from the center.

"This. These are your credentials, correct?"
Darcy glanced at the sheet, recognizing her copied transcript as well as a photocopied letter of recommendation from Jane.

"This sheet of paper tells me two things- one, you got good grades at a reasonably competitive school. Two, it tells me that you've never had a job that was suited to your skills, therefore you have no idea what your skills are, beyond taking notes and making spreadsheets. Do I have it right so far?"

Darcy felt naked hearing that- her life, so easily dissected and into such a simple one at that.

"I guess… I always did work with the wrong kind of scientist."

Veronica smiled, and clapped her hands together. "I think I have place for you, my dear. It says here you were very interested in public affairs and that you had a minor in marketing before you joined Dr. Foster's team. There is a new department we've only just opened six months ago. It involves the public image of certain… members of SHIELD's various organizations and teams. If you pass the qualifying exam and do well in the interview… let's just say you might be better off than you expected."

Darcy walked out of the office buoyant with joy. She had absolutely no doubt in her mind that she could get that job- and she would absolutely devote herself to it. Sure enough, Veronica had an application sent in by secure mail the next day, and one week later Darcy was back at SHIELD taking her exam.

It wasn't hard for her- it was short answer, and Darcy was asked to respond to differing scenarios as a publicity agent for a famous politician or public official. The scenarios ranged from corruption charges to prostitution scandals- it didn't matter. Darcy felt confident for the first time in her life answering the questions, assured in her ability to spin a story to someone's favor. Some of the scenarios were odd-

"What would be the appropriate response to the public as well as the media when one's client has destroyed multiple sectors of Harlem in an undisclosed government affair?"

Suspicions formed in the back of Darcy's mind but she ignored them, too excited to sense anything weird.

She received results 5 business days later- she aced the exam with a 48 out of 50 possible points, and was scheduled to interview the next Tuesday. Darcy used what was left of her nest egg to splurge on a new suit (it was an investment) as well as a solid pair of high heels and a work-appropriate laptop bag.

The morning of her interview, Darcy strode into the conference room with a broad smile and a laugh on her lips.

The questions were varied and required some insight for anyone answering them.

One in particular threw Darcy for a loop, but she gave a reasonable answer, in her opinion.

"Do you believe in collateral damage?"

Darcy had been confused by the phrasing, but she did her best.

"It depends on how one defines collateral damage- if you value something or someone and they are hurt during the course of an endeavor, then the question must be asked, 'Did the ends justify the means?' I believe that to preempt that kind of questioning, which is dangerous for the type of projects this organizations pursues, qualified individuals must plan and anticipate these questions, and create parameters within which SHIELD must operate in order to avoid those questions."

Darcy had thought she had fucked that up royally, but she got a call 2 days later- she got the job.

She was trained a week later, and told exactly what it was she was hired to do. It was simple really- all she did was examine case files of missions and projects, where she was to research possible outcomes and side-effects- and at the end of it she was to write a report regarding the affair as a whole and to determine how exactly SHIELD should proceed.

The job description was perfect, and Darcy wanted to scream with excitement when she was led to a small enclosed area- not as stifling as a cubicle, but still private. Darcy was given a work laptop as well as a new, encrypted phone for her personal and professional use. The pay was reasonable, and SHIELD even offered discounted housing in a nearby building that had shuttles pick up and drop off employees in the mornings and evenings, 7 days a week. Her hours were standard, 9-5, and the pay was more than reasonable for an underqualified astrophysics intern. Darcy was over the moon with anticipation for her new job, and she delved into it with a gusto she had never experienced before. She arrived for work early each day, taking her new cases out of her box near the front desk, and began a day of research regarding costs and benefits versus possible outcomes of SHIELD projects. Mostly she was working on small projects, mostly about building new facilities in South America, or putting out a PSA about suspicious individuals, but for Darcy it was heaven. After years of listening to science jibber-jabber, she had learned to stop paying attention to the details in order to get the job done. Now, she relished each and every detail and used them to her advantage, eventually becoming adept at scoping out a situation and determining the best course of action within minutes.

Darcy made friends at work too- a nice mom of 3 named Donna, and a balding gentlemen named Michael who insisted on calling her "Ms. Lewis." They often ate lunch at a nearby park, either bringing it from home or buying a hotdog from a stand owned by an eccentric Iranian man who never let Darcy pay.

Things were going well for Darcy- she was excelling at work (a first for her), and within two months she was upgraded to working on more classified cases regarding more dicey situations- like storming illegal drug factories in Russia or combating munitions dealers in Vietnam. Darcy wasn't expecting a promotion anytime soon, but it felt good to be recognized for her good work. She was able to afford little luxuries again, like $5 coffee every morning, and that made her feel better than anything. She was independent and successful and happy- she had never experienced all three simultaneously before, and it was a heady feeling.

She began work in May. By mid-September, Darcy was a bona-fide workaholic. She got in by 7, and never left before 8 at night. She took her work more seriously than any of her coworkers, because she knew the truth- that SHIELD was doing covert operations meant to save the world from evil and that there were baddies out there who could easily destroy their planet- not for lack of trying.

Sometimes she encountered a different assignment- analysis of a previous mission, one important enough to require a second look, after the fact.

She tackled them just as viciously as her regular workload- until one day a file was dropped on Darcy's desk while she was on break grabbing a latte. It merely had a SHIELD stamp on its exterior, with no additional detailing. Inside, there was an extensive report on an event which had occurred over a year ago, involving an invader of some kind (she read between the lines and understood it meant aliens) and a team assembled to combat the threat.

The report was over 150 pages long, and because Darcy was mostly ahead of schedule, she put everything aside in favor of reading her mystery file. Highlighter in hand, she spent most of 6 hours scouring the document for more details- notes were scribbled in the margins and sticky notes littered the sheets of paper to point of obscuring the actual report.

By the time Darcy had drafted out a response report, her mind was zooming. This wasn't a run of the mill SHIELD mission- this was THE mission.

This was the invasion of New York- this was Thor and the Hulk and Erik- Jane sent to Tromsee, NYC reduced to a smoking rubble, a man in red, white, and blue leaping through the ashes- mind control and compromised SHIELD agents- this was too obvious.

Darcy had no idea why SHIELD picked her, the newbie, to file that report- but she realized it was no coincidence that the next morning, news had spread throughout the department. Thor had returned to Earth, rather publicly, and he had dragged along a reluctant guest.

Darcy groaned to herself as Donna exclaimed, "Here's a hint! He didn't bring his cute science girlfriend…"

I am back already- as if I could stay away. In my last story, Darcy was a hotmess who had every inch of her broken to pieces. This time, she's whole and she's the spunky version of herself so many people seem to love. I just want to see my bby get the credit she deserves, as the smart underappreciated PoliSci major (like me) who ends up rising above everyone else, in a good way. In case it wasn't clear, btw, THIS IS TASER!TRICKS! ! ! ! enjoy my darlings, and pleeeeeeeease review!