A/N: Well hi guys! I saw Avengers for the first time this past weekend, and I must say, it was incredible. I've always been a huge fan of all the Marvel movies, and putting them all together just made for an amazing experience. I wanted to write this story because I'm in love with Steve Rogers, as I'm sure many of you are, and I wanted to write a story where he "found the right partner." This chapter has no Steve, I know, but you needed to get to know Rebecca first. Let me know what you all think!

Rebecca Andrews was an exceptional woman. She was employed as one of the top surgeons in Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City. She made a lavish income and lived in a luxury apartment just off Times Square itself. She had a PhD in Medicine and graduated at the top of her class. However, all of these things were hiding Rebecca Andrews' biggest secret.

Rebecca Andrews was no normal woman.

At the age of five, Rebecca had been playing outside on the driveway by herself when she tripped and scraped her knee. She fell to the ground and began to cry as her mother rushed out to help her. As Mrs. Andrews knelt beside her, Rebecca reached down and gently touched the skin where her blood was flowing out. Suddenly, the scrape healed over and the bleeding stopped. Rebecca's mom stared at her in shock, while Rebecca went back to playing as if nothing had happened.

As she continued to age, her ability progressed, too. At the age of ten, when her younger brother had fallen while ice-skating and broken his arm, she touched him, testing to see if she could heal other people as well. Not only was the arm completely healed, but she could also tell exactly what had been broken in the first place, as if her mind had taken an X-RAY.

Now, at the age of 27, Rebecca's abilities had become so advanced that she had to put effort into her job for it to go unnoticed. Ever since discovering her ability, she had dreamed of being able to use it to the advantage of society. As a surgeon, she could heal people who, under normal circumstances, would not have been able to survive. Yes, she went through the motions—used the correct medical tools, followed the correct procedures. As she was finishing, she would very gently let her fingertip skim across whatever organ was being operated on, just to ensure that it was entirely healed. It allowed her to use her ability without attracting too much attention. However, that all changed one warm, spring day as Rebecca was walking through Central Park.

(A/N: just letting you know, the story will be in first person. I just wanted to do the introduction in third, so you could know what was going on without emotions evolved. Here I'll start telling the story from Rebecca's POV)

Strolling on the tree-covered pathway, a smartly dressed man approached me, flanked on either side by massive bodyguards dressed in all black. "Dr. Andrews?" the man in the middle asked as he approached me.

I paused and looked over the man. He was short with balding hair, though he looked no older than forty. He had an easy smile upon his face, and looked friendly, but the huge men on either side of him did not. "Yes?" I replied, hesitantly.

"I'm Agent Coulson with SHIELD, or the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division," the man said, flashing a badge I didn't recognize.

"Just stick with SHIELD," I answered, getting a chuckle in response.

"That's the plan," Agent Coulson stated, still smiling. "We're here to request your presence at a conference taking place later this week."

"Oh, are you now? That's kind of you, but I'm really not interested-"I answered immediately, but the so-called agent smirked.

"I'm afraid you don't have a choice, Dr. Andrews," he replied immediately, taking me by surprise.

"And if I refuse?"

Agent Coulson gave a slight chuckle. "We'll persuade you."

"What the hell is all this about? Why do you want me?" My breathing had become heavy, and I clutched my bag a little tighter, unsure of what these strange men really wanted.

"We hope to be able to explain that to you at the conference. We at SHIELD…" Agent Coulson paused, searching for the correct words. "…we recruit very special people. And, you see, we believe you to possess a very special ability."

I gasped. There was no way. Special? I knew I was special, but not in the good way. Was my ability…was this why they wanted me? It couldn't be. "Is this…is this about what I think it is?"

Agent Coulson gave what could be considered a smirk, but on his innocent face, it looked strangely out of place. "If you're referring to your remarkable ability to heal people with the touch of your hand, then yes." My eyes went as wide as saucers. "Yes, Dr. Andrews, we know of your talent, and we wish to utilize it. You see, the other members of SHIELD, very special people, like you, can be a bit difficult to heal. We wish to bring you on as the director of our Medical Ward."

This afternoon was truly getting more and more bizarre. "How do you know about…my ability?" I nearly whispered.

Agent Coulson just continued to smile. "We at SHIELD are constantly watching for new talents to emerge."

Was this all real? Was I being punked? Was this all just some strange dream that I'd wake up from in twenty minutes? This couldn't be really happening. Agent Coulson just continued to stand there, staring at me. I didn't even know these people. Yet, if they knew about my "talent," then they must be smart. Why was I even considering going with them? They didn't deserve my trust. I was ambushed on just another day in the park. What if this all turned out horribly? What if it was all a lie?

What if it wasn't?

Something had finally emerged that would truly allow me to share my ability with people. I could help people who had no other option, and I wouldn't have to hide anymore. I'd be with people who weren't quite normal, like me. I'd be saving them.

"All right," I mumbled, not believing that I was actually doing this.

"Is that a 'yes?'" Agent Coulson asked, raising an eyebrow. I simply nodded in response, the words in the back of my throat not leaving my lips. His smile brightened and he handed me a white business card. "Perfect. Come to the address on the card at 8 AM sharp tomorrow morning. Give your name at the front desk. We'll be waiting for you." And with that, Agent Coulson left with his two goons, not even bothering to say goodbye.

I stood outside an average looking building a couple blocks away from Times Square. It was one of those buildings you would just pass by, not even wondering what was in there. The sun beat down on my back through my white blouse and I pulled down my pencil skirt nervously. I checked my watch. 7:55.

Was I really going through with this? Was I making the right decision? I hadn't told anyone about the meeting with Agent Coulson the day before, nor that I was actually going to the conference. But this…this was an adventure. It was risky, yes, but who knows? Maybe it would be worth it.

I opened the door to find a sparsely furnished lobby with a single brown desk in the corner. Everything appeared…dirty. As I was starting to consider turning around and never returning, the woman behind the desk looked up and smiled. "Are you Rebecca Andrews?"

I gave a nervous smile. "Yes, that's me."

The woman nodded toward an elevator on the far side of the room. "Take that down to sublevel seventeen."

I looked over at the elevator and gave the woman a polite nod. I pressed the button, and the doors immediately slid open, revealing an equally dirty elevator. I climbed in and pressed the circle labeled -17. The elevator shot down, sending me flying into the back wall. The doors opened, and I was in what appeared to be a completely different building than the one I'd just left.

The walls were pure white with steel flooring. Everything was polished so that it shined and in pristine shape. There was a long wooden table down the center of the room with chairs pulled up all around it. In the corner were a water cooler and a table with refreshments on it. There were no windows but multiple different openings that led to different corridors.

I walked around the room, looking for any sign of life, when a woman dressed in a skintight black leather suit walked into the room from one of the hallways. "Dr. Andrews?" She asked. She had cropped red hair and was pale, but she wore shockingly red lipstick.

"That's me," I answered. The woman simply nodded and beckoned me to follow her down a long hallway. She opened a door at the end of the corridor and ushered me inside. It had the same white walls and steel floors. There was a similar table that overtook the entire room, surrounded by a variety of people.

Agent Coulson sat at the end closest to me. On his side sat a man with short hair and a similar suit to the redheaded woman who led me here. A short man with dark curly hair and wire-rimmed glasses sat with him, studying an open file on the table. Next to him, looking over the other man's shoulder was another short man with dark hair and stubble covering most of his face. Across from them, there were two completely massive men. The one closer to me had shoulder length blonde hair and had his arms crossed over his chest, looking around as if he wasn't quite sure where he was. Then, the man next to him…he had short, styled dark blonde hair and wore a tight, long-sleeved blue t-shirt. He had his hands folded on top of the table and politely listened to the conversations going on around him. He looked up and noticed me staring and gave me the slightest of smiles, making me look away immediately.

The only man I didn't notice inside the room then cleared his throat, bringing my attention to him. He wore a long, dark coat and had an eye patch over one eye. "Dr. Andrews," he began. "Welcome to SHIELD."