Chapter Three

Just over half an hour later, our car pulled into the garage of the Triskelion. I couldn't stop staring at everything we passed, and when the car finally stopped I practically launched myself out of my seat.

"This place is incredible!" I yelled. Even in the middle of the garage I couldn't stop looking around at everything. I knew I probably looked like a dork, but I also didn't care.

"Glad you think so," said Coulson, coming to stand next to me. "Unfortunately, we're not stopping here. The other two are off to do SHIELD work, and we're getting back in the car."

I turned to him, not even bothering to hide the disappointment on my face. Coulson just shrugged.

"Survive SHIELD academy training and you'll be here all the time," he said, turning around and heading back to the driver's seat of the car. I sighed heavily, taking one last look around, and then followed him.

I climbed into the passenger seat and stared straight ahead, expecting Coulson to start the car and back up. When we didn't move, I turned to see him staring at me expectantly.

"Well? Have you decided where you're going?" he asked.

I smiled, then took a deep breath to steel my nerves.

"Operations."

Coulson smiled right back at me, then started the car.

"Excellent choice."

We pulled out of the Triskelion and back onto normal roads, and I tried my best to relax. With every passing moment it felt like my heart was speeding up.

"You know," started Coulson, keeping his eyes on the road and his tone light, "I've never actually been on the Operations campus."

I turned to look at him, mercifully distracted from my nerves. I got the feeling that was his goal, and I really appreciated it.

"Really?" I asked.

"Really. Like I said, I went through Communications, and the other academies like to keep their secrets." He paused, and we let a comfortable silence hang in the air before he continued. "I wonder what their campus is like?"

"I don't have an answer, but I guess we're both going to find out."

********

We drove for at least another half an hour, and despite some pleasant conversation with Coulson, my nerves and excitement were starting to get unbearable. Finally, a massive black chain link fence came into view, and our road intersected with a guard station. I leaned forward to get a better look as Coulson pulled up to the guard's window.

"Hello," he said brightly, giving the guard a small smile. The guard, who was holding an absolutely massive gun, didn't return the smile.

"Name and purpose," he barked.

"Phil Coulson, dropping off a recruit."

The guard nodded once, then walked back to the guard house. He muttered into a walkie-talkie for a few minutes, speaking to someone on the other end without ever taking his glare off of us. Finally, he put down the walkie-talkie and pushed a button to open the gate.

"Go ahead," he called.

"Thanks." Phil glanced at me before inching the car forward. As we passed through the gates I leaned forward again so I could see my new academy as soon as humanly possible.

I didn't know quite what I was expecting. Maybe some kind of old castle-type school building hiding a disguised spy academy, or a towering, sparkling skyscraper like the Triskelion. Instead of any of those options, I got a military compound. Everywhere I looked people were running in neat lines at the exact same pace, all wearing a specific SHIELD uniform. Other people were barking orders, and I could see a group in the distance literally crawling through the mud under some wire.

"It looks like boot camp," I noted unhappily.

"Yeah, it does," agreed Coulson. He was looking around too, just as curious as I was. We were following the main road towards a low, utilitarian building, which I assumed was the main entrance to the academy. "Alright, here we go."

Coulson stopped the car outside the front doors, and the two of us got out. Both of us were looking around at everything in sight until we cleared the doors, and then Coulson adopted a more professional posture. I tried to copy him, but my surroundings were too interesting to completely ignore.

There wasn't much decoration in the room, just a plain desk across from the door like you might see at a hotel. The paint, floors, and walls were all varying shades of gray, and there were no decorations to perk anything up.

Still, it was SHIELD. It was a spy academy. And even if it didn't look like I'd pictured, it was still the job I'd been dreaming of.

The only person in the space was an intense-looking woman standing behind the desk. She stared at Coulson and I as we approached, her face a stone mask.

"Hello," said Coulson brightly. The woman did not mirror his pleasant tone. She just kept staring, keeping her face completely blank. "Phil Coulson here to drop off a new recruit."

"Alright. We'll take it from here."

"Okay then... Samantha, good luck. I hope to see you around as an agent," said Coulson, turning to me and reaching out to shake my hand.

I smiled brightly at him and accepted the shake. "Thanks Agent Coulson. And thank you for the opportunity, and for seeing whatever it was you saw in me."

"My pleasure. I'm sure you'll make SHIELD proud. Look me up after graduation so I can give you your book back." He smiled as he patted the spot in his jacket where my book was sitting, then turned and headed back out of the building.

I took a deep breath and turned back to the woman at the counter. I was completely on my own now, and there quite literally wasn't a friendly face in sight.

The woman in front of me ducked under the counter, then popped back up with several sets of the SHIELD uniform, an ID bracelet, a map, and a pair of boots in a neat stack. She plopped the whole thing on the table, then made eye contact with me again.

"Your ID number is A 0849501. This map has your bunks marked. You'll be expected to navigate without a map by next Monday."

One week. I could do that.

"You will report to the main hall tomorrow at 6am sharp to meet your assigned guide who will show you around SHIELD, since you were recruited after orientation."

6am? Now that was gonna be hard.

"Wear your ID bracelet at all times."

"Ok, is that it?" I asked.

"Yes. Now go get settled in, your training starts tomorrow. And it won't be easy."

"Great. Thanks."

I could feel her disapproving scowl on my back as I left.

I looked down at the map, trying to get my bearings. I started walking towards the barracks as I plotted my path, hoping just this one look at the map would be enough to get me to bed.

Slam!

"Oof!" With my head in the map, I'd apparently walked straight into something and almost dropped all my stuff. I looked up to see what I'd hit and found a handsome, imposing SHIELD agent staring down at me.

"You need to watch where you're going," ordered the guy I walked into. He was tall, with perfectly styled black hair. He wore a suit and carried a stack of papers in his arms, and I couldn't help but think he absolutely looked the part of a super spy.

"Uh, sorry," I said. I didn't think it was completely my fault, since he had his eyes up and could've easily stepped out of my way, but whatever.

The guy just shook his head and gave me a scowl. "Are you new?"

"Yes," I replied, starting to get annoyed. What was this guy's deal?

"What's your name?"

"Samantha... what's your name?"

"I'm Agent Grant Ward. And Samantha, I don't know exactly how you got here, but it takes a little more to be successful in Operations. You have to have something other people don't have. If you can't figure out what that is, then you're not going to be very successful here." Without another word he turned and speed walked away.

I rolled my eyes and kept heading towards my bunk. I had a good enough memory that I didn't need to look at the map again, which left me free to stew about Agent Grant Ward. I mean seriously, who did he think he was? We bumped into each other (and he easily could've moved out of the way), then he started preaching about how to be a SHIELD agent. I shook my head, trying to brush off my irritation. SHIELD was a massive organization, and this academy was equally huge. Chances were I'd never have to see Agent Grant Ward again.