A Chance Meeting (June 2004)

When Steve and Logan arrived the warehouse on the docks looked as if someone had beat them to the punch. Two guards lay unconscious right by the green, side door they had intended to enter the building at. Inside there were two more guards, also unconscious and Steve bent down to look them over. His eyes saw something in the dim light and when he plucked the small dart out of the man’s neck he looked at it closely. It resembled one of the tranquilizer darts that SHIELD used. He had seen them often enough to know what they were, Tony had developed them and sold them to SHIELD after all. Steve removed the guard's key card and they continued on.

“SHIELD’s here...so we need to check our targets,” Steve said. Logan only shrugged as they moved deeper into the warehouse. When it came to ‘suspected’ HYDRA bases, normally they only needed to see guards to know that what anyone could hold in a warehouse like this wasn’t worth this level of security. They remained quiet though, there were guards on the catwalks and on the other side of the building. They couldn’t see them but Logan certainly smelled them and they avoided them by being patient. Men using fork trucks and men who attached cables to large crates worked in this area but they were fairly easy to avoid and did not seem to care who they saw as long as no one interrupted what they were doing.

The elevator was right where the satellite said it would be. How many times had Steve with the other Avengers gone down into the bowels of a base like this one and had to deal with scores of HYDRA soldiers or worse, some giant combat vehicle. But he had Logan with him today and there was little that the man couldn’t stop with those claws of his. With the key card he called the elevator.

Kate had just cleared the elevator when the doors closed behind her and it began to travel up to the main floor. She knew what that meant, someone was going to be coming down soon. Guards most likely so she could either choose to deal with them or hide. The hall went straight and to the left and right from the elevator. There were doors along all the halls and unfortunately they looked exactly the same. The floor here were white tiles and the ceilings a standard white drop ceiling with recessed lighting. The walls were gray and there were windows that showed into most of the rooms. Some appeared to be offices though what she was looking for was some sort of laboratory. HYDRA, if this was even a HYDRA base, was supposedly working on some kind of bioweapon. There was a recent theft from Oscorp. Who had been working on a cure for a dangerous disease. The disease cultures were what was stolen and SHIELD also was able to trace a bulk of missile tracking systems to this warehouse. So far Kate hadn’t seen a lab at all but she had alot of ground to cover yet and someone was coming.

Kate Blackwell has been training to be a SHIELD agent her entire life. She had been born at SHIELD HQ and both of her parents had been SHIELD agents. They had been killed when she was a teenager. That was when her powers had developed. She had powerful telekinetic abilities. SHIELD had often used that to their advantage. Kate knew no other life than this one. After her parents had been killed, Phil Coulson had become her guardian and had personally trained her. Her expertise was tactical and she also had weapons, martial arts, and spy training. She was also a trained pilot. Kate was young, only 24, but she had already worked her way up the ranks at SHIELD.

This mission was going smoothly so far. She had taken out those guards with tranquilizers and was moving further down into the warehouse with ease. There were plenty of guards around, but Kate was stealthy and had not yet been caught. As she stepped off the elevator she noticed the doors closed behind her and the elevator headed upwards. That meant someone had called it. She would need to find a place to hide. She hoped the lab was down here, but she didn’t have time to look for it. She found a janitorial closet and ducked into it. She readied her tranq gun to fire if she needed to. She stayed low and didn’t make any sounds.

Once the elevator touched down and the door opened the two Avengers were ready to leap out and deal with whatever was there. However once they peered around the sides of the elevator doorway they found no one was about. The halls were eerily silent save For the hum of the air conditioning. As quietly as they could they began checking the doors and looking in darkened windows. There was a lab down here but the satellite images did not get a very good look down this far. As Logan passed another door though he sniffed into the air.

With hand signals he pointed toward the door. Steve nodded and raised his shield. They both knew whomever it was was it was likely a SHIELD agent or agents that had arrived before they did. Why would anyone else hide in a janitors closet? Steve wasn’t normally vindictive bit he didn’t really like SHIELD and so he gestured to Logan. With a grin Logan nodded and then extended his claws. With one hard slice the door handle came away from the door and the other part of it clanged against the floor tiles on the other side.

“Good luck getting that open...SHIELD agents,” Logan said in a low rasp and then the two men waited to hear whomever it was inside. Steve chuckled.

Kate could hear footsteps in the hallway outside the door. Two people...men judging by what she heard. She heard someone sniff and then the footsteps stopped right out the closet she was in. She wasn’t wearing any perfume or scented body wash so she wasn’t sure how they would have known she was in there. She suddenly heard a metallic sound. It sounded like a knife or sword. Then with a swipe the doorknob was sliced off. She heard what the man said and for one reason or another she knew it wasn’t a HYDRA agent. She stood up to her full height and pointed a hand at the door. She concentrated and the two men outside would suddenly see it begin to shake before it was blown back with a great amount of force.

A woman stepped out of the closet in a SHIELD uniform. She was exceptionally beautiful. She had long, golden blonde hair and deep blue eyes. She wore very minimal makeup and had naturally rosy lips and cheeks. The suit she was wearing showed how fit she truly was, but she also had feminine curves. She looked at the two men and immediately recognized them both.

“So, you find it entertaining to lock a woman in a closet?” she asked as her eyes met Steve’s.

The door nearly hit Steve and with a quick shift of his shield it deflected off and hit the wall behind them. Steve’s eyebrows drew up once he got a good look at her. She wasn’t just pretty, she was gorgeous! Blonde wisps of hair that looked soft and silky seemed to catch the small bit of light. Her blue confident eyes called to him and her words made him feel...shamed? As if his joke was not in good taste.

“Well, what are ya gunna accomplish in a closet?” Logan said but clearly she ignored him and her focus was on Steve. Steve no longer wore masks and his hair was feathered to the side and his bright blue eyes were intent on hers.

“Im not a big fan of SHIELD so…” He began then shrugged. “Go home agent…” he began and paused to get her name.

Kate had seen Steve on television but she had never imagined she would actually meet him. He was extremely handsome. He was tall and very well built. She knew he was far older than he looked, but he appeared not much older than her. His blue eyes were intent on hers and she very nearly blushed under his gaze.

"Kate Blackwell," she answered, "and no...I'm not going home. I believe I was here first." She then turned and began to walk down the hallway, continuing to look for the lab.

Steve looked at Logan and Logan looked at Steve. “We gunna let er beat us to it?” Logan said in a whisper. “Well does it matter...No...no I’m not,” Steve decided though he couldn’t say why the woman made him feel unusually competitive all of a sudden. “Alright then. They started out slowly and then they picked up speed as they approached her. Kate would see them running up to her and then passing her, their intent obvious. They wanted to find the lab first.

Kate heard the two men run up behind her and she actually stepped to the side to let them pass. She rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath. "Children." She had a strong suspicion that the lab wouldn't be just out in the open. She noticed that the hallway was devoid of any furniture or objects...expect for a single small table with a fake plant sitting on it. She found this strange and she paused and looked at it. Going on a hunch, she put her ear to the wall and then tapped against it and could tell that there was a room back there. She couldn't hear any voices. She looked all around the table for how to open the door. Then, just to try something she spun the potted plant to the left and suddenly the wall opened up. She stepped inside and smiled when she realized it was the lab.

A wall panel next to the table opened up and lights suddenly flickered on. There were tables, chairs, diagnostic machines and all kinds of equipment in here. Computers and recording devices as well. On one table it looked like a missile was dismantled and its casing was being modified, for what she could not know but she did have a micro-camera to take pictures. As she began though she heard the footsteps return and her two shadows had found her once again.

They stepped up toward her and Steve removed something from his pocket and then clicked it and tossed it up into the air. Suddenly flashes of light appeared and Kate knew what it was. Steve had some kind of laser digitizing device, likely designed by Tony Stark. It appeared to hover by a small propeller as it took digital images of the room. Much more efficient than photos, Tony could actually rebuild the entire room in 3d with that. Steve found it difficult to not look at her but the men pushed on and they finally came up to what looked like an environmentally protected room. There was a lot of glass framed in metal with a large keypad on the door.

“You ready Logan?” Steve asked. “Well..you think a virus will kill me?” Logan asked with a grin.

Kate heard Steve and Logan come back up behind her and they stepped into the room. She was about to start taking pictures on her micro-camera when out of the corner of her eye she saw Steve pull something out of his pocket. She heard something click and then watched as he tossed it up into the air. It began to hover and by the flashes of light she could tell it was digitally recording the entire lab. She spotted what appeared to be a environmentally protected room and knew that the virus must be stored in there. However, before she could step up to the door, Steve and Logan pushed past her. She stood back a little and watched the them with her arms crossed over her chest.

Steve stepped up to the door and placed a keypad device over the keypad. It was trying to find the right combination to the keypad but it was having difficulty. Apparently HYDRA’s security here was more complex than what Steve’s device could conquer. “I could just break the glass?” Logan said but Steve shook his head. “No, if there is something out in the open in there, anyone out here would come in contact with it,” Steve said. The security door was a turn style, a sealed one so that people on this side would still be protected but Steve didn’t want to take the chance. He saw Kate looking at them with her arms crossed. Her smug smile...well, it may not be smug but Steve thought so, made Steve really want to get through this door.

Kate tried to hide the little smile that tugged at her lips when Steve's device couldn't get the combination. He really wanted to beat her for some reason. He clearly had the same competitive spirit that she did. She didn't want Logan punching through the glass though. She finally rolled her eyes and stepped up to the lock mechanism. She crouched down and put her ear against it and began to turn the knob slowly until she heard a click. She then stopped and slowly began to turn it back around to the other side. Once she heard that click she stopped and then it it back around to the other side. Her brow was furrowed in concentration and finally she heard the third click. She looked at Steve who looked astonished.

"I think the words you are trying to say are 'thank you'."

Logan just grunted and nudged Steve forward. Steve resisted the nudge. “So is Nick Fury your mentor?” Steve asked. When she just shook her head and said Phil Coulson Steve’s eyebrows drew up again Everyone liked Phil. Steve respected him and liked him as a person. And obviously Phil liked him as well. “Phil’s a good man,” Steve said...and...and I’m sorry about your parents,” Steve said. Logan cleared his throat as Kate and Steve’s eyes looked into one another’s again a little too long for comfort. “Uh, Steve? The mission?” Logan murmured. Reluctantly Steve looked away. “Well, does it really matter as long as HYDRA can’t use this virus to hurt people?” Steve said offhandedly. Logan just looked at him and then he looked at Kate and then him again, “Aw man, you’re into her, aren’t you” Logan asked but Kate was definitely close enough to hear. Steve’s cheeks flushed and he cleared his throat. “Thank you Kate,” He said but his voice almost caressed her name when he said it. Logan smiled as he stepped up to the door and moved into it.

Kate felt an immediate attraction to Steve...but it was more than that. There seemed to be this connection between them. A slight smile tugged at the corner of her lips when she heard what Logan said. However, she didn't say anything in response. Whenever Steve looked into her eyes the rest of the world just seemed to fade away. She had never experienced that with any other man. His gaze almost made her feel weak at the knees. She looked over at Logan as he stepped up to the door and moved into it. She glanced at Steve a moment later.

"How did you know about my parents?"

Steve shrugged, ”Isabella Stark...Phil Coulson and her...have a certain repoire,” Steve said. He wanted to say more about himself but he knew his file was probably reading material for SHIELD agents. Steve suddenly felt self conscious and that more was revealed about him than he could wish. But to lose both of his parents at one time. To have them murdered...He couldn’t imagine how much that would hurt. “I’m sorry Kate Blackwell,” He said. Logan had gone into the controlled environment and was rummaging around looking for the virus.

“I do know what that feels like though,” Steve added as he looked at her. She was beautiful, he thought.

Kate thought back to the moment she found out that they were dead. Phil had been the one to tell her. She had felt like her heart was being ripped from her chest. She had screamed and cried and begged the universe to give them back to her...it hadn't. Somehow the world continued to turn and life went on. Kate had learned to live with her grief...although her grief had been what had brought out her power. Phil hadn't judged her. He had taken care of her when she needed him the most. He had gotten her to where she was now.

She glanced at Steve when he said that he knew how it felt. She could imagine it did. Going into the ice in 1945 and then coming out again in the 1980s must have been a shock to him. Everyone he had known was dead and the world had changed.

Her eyes met his. "I can imagine you would," she said gently and with genuine sympathy in her voice.

Steve glanced over at the glass though once the door was opened and closed condensation from the chilled room inside made it impossible to see where Logan was. “I know why we’re after this virus, to destroy it but why is SHIELD after it? Or is that information above your pay grade?” Steve asked plainly. He tried to just see her as a woman, a beautiful blonde with nice blue eyes and nice curves as well but it was the uniform that gave him pause. He knew first hand what SHIELD was capable of. Deceit and doing things for its own ends which were not necessarily good for everyone. He stood there casually with his shield on his back.

Kate glanced at Steve when he asked her straight out what SHIELD's intentions were with the virus. Her first thought was to lie to him, but she decided against that. "All I was told was to get my hands on the virus and bring it back to SHIELD HQ. To be honest I'm not sure what the intention is with it. All I need to tell Nick is that you and Logan got to it first and destroyed it...which is true...although you wouldn't have gotten here if it weren't for me," she said as she looked at him with a little smile.

Steve nearly glowered. “What if I gave it to you and you gave it to Nick,” Steve said. “So you don’t ask and so...what, you don’t care either? Well I guess that means your conscience can remain clear then,” Steve said and frowned at her. He took responsibility or tried to when his actions played a part in anything bad. Handing a potential bioweapon over and then seeing it used against others would be something he would never be able to forgive himself for. SHIELD’s ideas about protecting the world sometimes involves cutting off one of their own legs and applying a tourniquet.

Kate crossed her arms over her chest and looked at Steve. "I'm just doing my job, but because I work for SHIELD you automatically assume that I'm a bad guy. All you know about me is my name and the fact that my parents were murdered. You pass judgement on me before you even know me. I never would have thought of that being something Captain America would do. I guess I passed judgement on you too early as well," she said as she turned and started to walk out of the lab.

He didn’t say or mean that at all but he let her go. Someone who has lived in that life as long as she had, wasn’t going to change her mind just because he had a problem with it. And in any case Logan re-emerged from the room. “Did you set the charges?” Steve asked. “Yeah, the devices are all set, in 10 minutes that lab will be a fireball,” Logan said as he looked around. “Where’s...blondie?” he asked. “We had a...difference of opinion,” he said as they started out toward the elevator. “Well the way she was looking at you I think…” he began but Steve cut him off. “No, she works for SHIELD,” he said as they started to run.