Flight of the Eagle

It was the last week of university.  Classes were complete, exams were taken.  It was the time for the students to find a job.  Lucy sighed as she perused the job choices.  None of job offerings appealed to her.  She didn't want to be stuck behind the desk; she wanted to be out and about.  Adventure and action were her calling.  She logged out off the computer and got up.

Maybe I needed a breather.  Time to cool my head. Lucy thought.

She headed to the wardrobe.  She grabbed a towel and disrobed.  Although age has filled her in considerably since her stick figure days, Lucy wasn't particularly curvaceous.  In fact she was stronger than most typical girls (or boys).  She was sure she could take even the strongest bullies in a fist fight and win.

Staring at the mirror, she could see faint scars that covered her face.  She paused at the one that under her left eye.  The same mark that she had sustained when monstrous beasts attacked her at her house the day her mother disappeared.  She had rescued her mother from Camp Half Blood, but that's a tale to be told on another day.

The knocking on her door drew her out of her daydream.  She quickly threw on a blue t-shirt and black cargo pants, her usual outdoor attire, and headed to the door.

"Hey Lu," said Anna with a smile.  Anna was Lucy's on and off girlfriend.  "Wanna go grab a bite at Subway?"

"Sure.  I was going out anyway," Lucy replied.  "Give me three minute."

"Cool, cool," Anna answered she gave Lucy a peck on the lips.

The sun was shining above and temperatures reached over 29 degrees celsius.  The pair rounded the corner and saw a huge line of people.  Lucy walked toward a man and asked, "What's going on here?"

"S.H.I.E.L.D is holding a recruitment drive for potiential agents."

"Wait S.H.I.E.L.D as in Iron Man, Avengers, etc?" Lucy asked.

"Yup," the man replied.

Lucy though for a while before asking where the end of the line was.  He pointed out to here and she walked in that direction.

"No you can't be serious," Anna said to Lucy.  "You could get killed."

"You've known me for over 5 years.  When have I ever lived a common, quiet life?" Lucy scoffed.  "Plus you know my secret as a demigod.  Our lives are fraught with danger."

"Yeah but...."  Lucy cut off Anna, "And maybe one day you will see me on the TV with a cape billowing.  The world would remember Miss Martian."  Lucy chuckled at the idea.

"Umm I think that name is taken," Anna pointed out.

"Oh yeah.  Well anyway I will see you back at uni?"

That was how Lucy found herself in a small office opposite a lady wearing a buisness suit.

"I'm Agent Oliver and I take it you want to be a S.H.I.E.L.D agent?" the lady spoke in a commanding voice.  She had with a particularly noticable British accent.

"Yes M'am." Lucy answered with squeak.

"S.H.I.E.L.D only takes the best of the best," the lady continued.  "Do you have what it takes?"

Lucy nodded.

The lady perused Lucy's application form.

1) Full Name: Lucy Tempest
2) Education: Masters in Aerospace engineering. University of Arizona
3) Work History: None.  Apprenticeship experience during uni.
4) Languages and Proficiency Levels: English, proficient. Latin
5) Abilities / Powers: No powers. But skilful at many fighting technique. Quick learner.
6) Military Experience: None
7) Criminal History: None
9) Please give a reason as to why you wish to fill this position.

I believe that I'm a strong natural leader. I can keep a level head during crisis. Also, I'm a quick learner and am proficient with any combative technique.

On the application form Lucy had not revealed she was a demigod just in case the government wanted to slice her up or experiment on her.  She knew that most of the applicants had some sort of abilities, and she could have sworn she saw a blonde girl with wings leaving the room just in front of her.

"Aerospace engineering.  Impressive," the lady remarked.

"Thanks," Lucy answered with a smile.

"So you believe you're a natural leader?"

"Yeah."

"Give me an example of where you applied this," the lady leaned forward.

"Well," Lucy answered as she though back to her demigod days.  She had been a centurion of the Cohort 5 of Legio XII Fulminata.  Leading a cohort of bratty demigods was a tough job, but she didn't want to mention about that aspect of herself.  Therefore, she drew from her scouting experience.

"When I was young, I was in the girl scouts," Lucy continued.  "I was elected the patrol leader of my patrol.  During an orienteering race, I helped out Malia, a girl particularly spiteful toward me since she narrowly missed the ballot.  Malia twisted her ankle and fell.  We were very close to the finishing line.  Now I could seek revenge and just abandoned her.  But that wouldn't make me a good leader.  I helped her and together we crossed the line."

"I see," Oliver answered.  "Based on your application form, I would like to offer you an opportunity to advance to the second stage.  That would be in New York where S.H.I.E.L.D is based."

"Yes, yes, the answer is yes!" Lucy was bursting with joy.  She wanted to leap out of her seat and squeal loudly.

"Curb your enthuism Miss Tempest," Oliver said in a cold dry voice, "There are many who fail this stage."

"I will try my best not to," Lucy grinned.

The lady jotted a remark on the application form before stamping a huge APPROVED on it.

"See you in New York," the lady smiled back.

Lucy got up, thank the woman, and left the room.

Back at university, Anna wasn't particularly happy with the news.

"So this is goodbye?" she glanced to the ground.

"You could always join with me," Lucy replied with the grin.

"It's not my type."

Lucy and Anna said their goodbyes at the graduation ceremony as they parted ways.  Lucy tried not to cry but she was unable too.

The journey to New York was bittersweet.  It meant leaving behind the only partner she had known in her life, the only other person who she confided in, who she truely trusted.

She stared out the window of the S.H.I.E.L.D jet that transported the recruits to the base in New York.  Below the desert of Arizona gave way to lush green forest.  As the plane neared New York, she could see the sprawling suburban developments of high rising apartment blocks.  The jet passed over Long Island Sound, and below, she could the vast assortment of Greek buildings and cabins that stretched for about a mile.  Camp Half Blood.  The other recruits didn't seem to notice the spectacle.

The plane hovered before landing at the S.H.I.E.L.D base.