My name is Ashley McLeod, and I wasn't a very important person through most of my life. I was ignored by my own family, left for dead after a robbery at the bank that I used to work at, and then taken in by the Avengers after helping them fight the aliens that had attacked my hometown of New York. But what I didn't know was that there was another reason that the Avengers took me in. I was a telepath, a powerful one, and they sought to use my gift to help them in missions and other such occurrences. I never told anyone that I was a telepath, but apparently S.H.I.E.L.D. knew everything about everyone. It has been at least a year since the attack on New York, and I had settled into the Avenger's tower quite well. I had my own floor, number fifteen, and I had cars to drive and money to spend, thanks to a very bored Tony Stark who often took me shopping cause he hated that I read books too much. I was best friends with Thor and his Lady Jane, often conversing about the sciences of the world and the magic that Asgard had. Bruce Banner, and the Hulk, were also close friends. I was always the one to calm him down when Clint or Tony set him off. Natasha Romanov, a.k.a. Black Widow, and I got along well, though she was far more beautiful than I was in my eyes. Clint was polite and greeted me every time we saw each other, but we never really got to talk to each other more. But there was one person who understood me the best, and his name was Steve Rodgers. Also known as Captain America. I had tried to help him with Peggy, seeing as how she had dementia, and didn't remember things very well. But the diseases of the mind were nearly impossible to fix, let alone tamper with without a fatality. He understood that I could only do so much and understood that I could do no more. We often talked and I helped him to remember why he was a member of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers. He was my best friend, and I was his best friend. He had confided in me that he never thought he could have another best friend after the death of Bucky Barnes, who occupied many of Steve's stories. But I had a feeling that our friendship was a bit more one-sided than I would have liked. I sought out friendships in people that I knew wouldn't return it. It was unhealthy, but I didn't care. I had no one else to turn to.
It was early in the morning and Steve and I were out on our daily jog around the Smithsonian museums and monuments. He was running at a faster pace than I was, but he was a super soldier and I was just an average twenty-four year old woman. True that I had taken many martial arts classes and earned my black belt in Muay Thai a few weeks ago, but that didn't mean I was in the best of shape. He would pass me every two minutes, murmuring a warning as he went by that he was on my left. I had learned to ignore it and just kept on jogging, focusing on blocking out the many voices that rang through my head. Steve went off to the Abraham Lincoln memorial while I went to a more secluded part of the parks for peace and quiet. I needed the time alone. Back at the tower I was surrounded by people who wouldn't leave me alone, not that I didn't like them, it was just that I was an introvert at heart. People made me tired, and I hated being tired. I was having a great time relaxing by myself when I got a text message from Steve saying that he and Natasha were going to be gone for a couple of days on a mission. Which meant that I had to run back to the tower all alone. I sent him a quick reply and then texted Bruce. He appeared with Tony in a fancy car to pick me up and I climbed into the back seat.
"How was your run?" Bruce asked quietly, glancing over his shoulder into to the back seat to look me in the eyes.
"Good. Sorry to have to ask you to pick me up. Steve got drafted into another mission," I said on a sigh, tightening my ponytail that kept most of my red-blond, curly, and outrageously long hair out of the way.
"It's alright. We're going to hit the malls and see if anything new came out while you were running," Tony said, smirking like a playboy billionaire, which he was.
"But I'm all sweaty," I grumbled, giving Tony a mock glare.
"You'll dry off. Besides, you need new clothes anyways. You keep spilling things on yourself," Tony grumbled back.
"You went through my closet?!" I roared, making Bruce shrink away from me.
"Yeah! Jarvis made a comment that you needed more clothes and was going to transfer over some cash to your account for them. So I took it upon myself to investigate. By the way there is like nothing in your closet, except for your favorite sweatshirts and pants. Jarvis wouldn't let me get rid of them. So you have to go shopping whether you like it or not," Tony chuckled, shifting nervously in the driver's seat.
"I have been respectful of your mind's privacy, but you have made me take action," I snapped, stripping his mind of the override passwords into my room.
Tony shook his head and grumbled in annoyance.
"You know you shouldn't make a telepath angry," Bruce said softly, smirking at Tony.
"Oh, and you don't?" Tony snapped, giving a mock glare at Bruce.
"Nope. She's scary when she's angry. Even the big guy doesn't want to mess with her," Bruce said, laughing at Tony's shocked expression.
"Thank you, Bruce. Remind me that I need to take you out for treats," I said, making a mental note even as I spoke it.
Bruce smiled and the rest of the ride went by with ACDC blasting out the stereo system. I wandered the malls, following and overzealous Tony as he went through all the major stores in search of new clothes for me. Bruce and I grumbled at the sheer annoyance of having to do this, but since Tony got rid of all my clothes I needed more. But what he didn't know was that I was going to return all the stuff he was buying now to just go shopping at Wal-mart or Target. I didn't need the fancy things, I enjoyed the simple and comfortable. Bruce and I managed to get everything packed into the back of the car and then coaxed Tony to leave the electronic store with just six bags instead of his usual twelve, and drove back to the tower. Jarvis helped me change all the passwords on," Tony chuckled, shifting nervously in the driver's seat.
"I have been respectful of your mind's privacy, but you have made me take action," I snapped, stripping his mind of the override passwords into my room.
Tony shook his head and grumbled in annoyance.
"You know you shouldn't make a telepath angry," Bruce said softly, smirking at Tony.
"Oh, and you don't?" Tony snapped, giving a mock glare at Bruce.
"Nope. She's scary when she's angry. Even the big guy doesn't want to mess with her," Bruce said, laughing at Tony's shocked expression.
"Thank you, Bruce. Remind me that I need to take you out for treats," I said, making a mental note even as I spoke it.
Bruce smiled and the rest of the ride went by with ACDC blasting out the stereo system. I wandered the malls, following and overzealous Tony as he went through all the major stores in search of new clothes for me. Bruce and I grumbled at the sheer annoyance of having to do this, but since Tony got rid of all my clothes I needed more. But what he didn't know was that I was going to return all the stuff he was buying now to just go shopping at Wal-mart or Target. I didn't need the fancy things, I enjoyed the simple and comfortable. Bruce and I managed to get everything packed into the back of the car and then coaxed Tony to leave the electronic store with just six bags instead of his usual twelve, and drove back to the tower. Jarvis helped me change all the passwords on the floor, making it so that only I could access it with eye scans and fingerprint presses. I then began sorting through all the ridiculous outfits that Tony insisted that I have and placed the ones I was going to return by the elevator.
"Jarvis, could you please have one of the bell hops take the bags to the Honda CRV for me please. I need to shower before I take them back," I called out, pulling my hair tie out and letting my long red-blond hair fall down my back and to my thighs.
"Of course, Miss McLeod. The water is already hot and running for you," Jarvis' voice replied through the floor as I made my way to the bathroom.
"Thank you!" I called out, undressing and getting into the shower.
Three hours later, after I had returned all the fancy outfits that Tony got me and replaced them with comfortable jeans, tee shirts, sweaters, and blouses from both Wal-Mart and Target, I plopped down on the couch in my floor and just relaxed in the silence. Tony had made a custom material that blocked all brainwaves that my mind didn't keep in touch with, making it impossible to hear the outside world, but I could hear everything that was going on in the tower.
"Would you like me to play a relaxation cd?" Jarvis asked, his volume for his voice turned down.
"No, I'll just read for a bit. Remind me when dinner is ready, please," I said, sitting up and picking up one of the many books that I kept in the living room.
I was an avid reader I needed to keep books handy. Bruce often came up from his floor and we read together, often making comments and having long discussions on fascinating topics. But today I needed to have my space.
Three days went by and Steve finally returned from his mission, and it was clear that he was pretty pissed off. I let him have his space, seeing as how Nick Fury wanted me in his office within the hour anyways. I dressed in a simple outfit of jeans, a tee shirt, toms flats, and a thin dark brown leather jacket. I left my hair down and drove into Fury's office. He gave me a look that I didn't like and I instantly set up a telepathic connection that would allow us to speak to each other.
What's wrong? I asked mentally, eying his office warily.
"Glad you could make it. I just wanted to check up on how you were doing with the Avengers," Nick said aloud.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is compromised. Don't trust anyone. We're going to go for a drive. I have to make sure that you aren't hurt when shit hits the fan. Nick said mentally.
"I'm settling fine. Tony's being an ass as usual. Want to talk over a cup of coffee?" I said aloud, smirking and folding my arms over my generous assets.
"Sounds perfect," Nick said, leaving his office with me at his side and we went down to the lobby.
"I need to take care of something first. Wait for me in the car," Nick said, heading back to the elevators.
I nodded and headed for the garage.
Keep our line open. I want you to see if there is anything going on that I don't know about. Nick said mentally as he rode the elevator up to the council room.
Got it. I'm in the car now. Keep me posted on anything you notice. I said back, climbing into a black SUV and buckled up my seat belt.
Nick talked with an Alexander Pierce about Project Insight and I scanned his mind for anything that would trigger something that we didn't want. But nothing came up. Nick got into the SUV and drove off with a tense frown on his face.
"Secure line four," Nick snapped, the car replying and Agent Hill's voice coming over the intercom.
"What can I do for you, sir?" Hill asked, her voice clipped.
"I need you in Washington. Deep shadow conditions," Fury grumbled, glancing over at me.
Deep shadow conditions were not good from the reports that I had read.
"Give me four hours," Hill said after several moments of silence.
"You have three," Fury said, ending the line connection.
I watched as Fury drove on, making a snarky remark at a police car, and I suddenly got an uneasy feeling.
"Fury, something isn't right," I said quietly.
"Secure line four," Nick snapped, the car replying and Agent Hill's voice coming over the intercom.
"What can I do for you, sir?" Hill asked, her voice clipped.
"I need you in Washington. Deep shadow conditions," Fury grumbled, glancing over at me.
Deep shadow conditions were not good from the reports that I had read.
"Give me four hours," Hill said after several moments of silence.
"You have three," Fury said, ending the line connection.
I watched as Fury drove on, making a snarky remark at a police car, and I suddenly got an uneasy feeling.
"Fury, something isn't right," I said again, quietly glancing around us.
Suddenly we were rammed from the side, making my head hit the window beside me and blurring my vision. Another car rammed into us from behind, and then from the front. Gunfire was suddenly hear and I screamed as the windows began to be riddled with bullet dents. Thankfully the car was built to protect Fury should such an ambush attack, but apparently our attackers knew that. I reached out with my mind and got the names, the ranks, and who our attackers were working for.
"Hydra. It still exists," I whispered in shock. Steve was going to have a fit.
"You've got to be shitting me. Hydra?!" Nick practically roared, glaring at the men outside of the vehicle.
"What are we going to do?" I shouted over the sound of metal being hit repeatedly.
"Get in the back seat. I'm going to get us out of here. And keep your head down," Nick shouted back, shoving me into the back seats and then getting into where I once was.
Our attackers were ramming the driver's side window, making the SUV rock from side to side violently. Nick blasted the attackers with a miniature gatling gun and the car got us out of being pinned and drove off. Nick took the wheel and sped off, his silence eerie and making my body tremble. I wasn't trained for this kind of stuff. I was just trained for self-defense. Suddenly, out of literally nowhere, a guy appeared in the middle of the road, a big gun in his hand. He fired it, some sort of disk going under our SUV and attaching to our fuel tank. It went off in a powerful explosion and I was rocketed out of the back seat and through the windshield. I hit the ground hard enough to make me black out temporarily. I groaned weakly and tried to raise my head to find the SUV, but it throbbed too much for that. I could hear someone tearing through the SUV, then growl and come stalking towards me. I tried to crawl away, but a large metal hand grabbed onto my throat and lifted me off the ground.
The man in goggles and a half mask growled at me in Russian, a language I still had yet to learn, and I gasped for air as his grip tightened.
"If you're going to kill me then just kill me. I won't stop you. And I'll never help you," I gasped between breaths and gasps.
I just hung limply as my head began to become fuzzy and I couldn't focus anymore. I felt my consciousness slipping and I let go in an effort to save myself.