Prolouge
[Location: C.T.C AKA Cadet Training Camp. Time: 8:00pm.]
The ominous beeping sound echoed throughout the sterile operating room as the anxious medical staff hustled, clutching the crucial equipment required for this delicate surgery. Their patient lay motionless on the table, shrouded in unconsciousness. The risk of death was low, but the threat of irreversible paralysis loomed heavily if they failed to remove the bullet that had pierced and embedded itself into the spinal cord.
Their comrades peered through the one-way glass, wringing their hands with worry over their injured friend's fate. One of them lingered by the exit just a while longer before stealthily slipping out of the oppressive room, escaping into the dimly lit hallway. She sought refuge from the somber, guilt-ridden atmosphere that seemed to enshroud her; its suffocating embrace left her gasping for breath.
Blindly ignoring fellow agents on her way out, she desperately sought solace in isolation. Exiting the base, she meandered into the dense woodland encircling the hidden camp designed for raising new Shield recruits. But in that moment, Cosmia couldn't shake the feeling that she simply didn't belong there.
Since infancy, Cosmia had called an orphanage her home; as a teenager, she lost hope of ever being adopted. Prospective parents typically gravitated to younger children whose lives hadn't yet been tarnished by teenage turbulence. With no other choice, she ventured out into a solitary existence until fate intervened - Cosmia unintentionally foiled a heist involving a truck belonging to Shield, an undercover organization. Recognizing her potential, Coulson recruited her to join their prestigious unit. However, after today's events unfolded, doubt cast shadows over her future there.
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"Attention cadets, your exercise will commence shortly, so utilize this time efficiently to prepare and strategize," announced Agent Maria Hill's voice through the loudspeakers at the training ground. The cadets dispersed, each heading to different areas to distance themselves from one another. "Bear in mind, although agents are meant to cooperate as a team, there will be instances when you'll be isolated without backup and forced to rely on your available resources. For this exercise, it's every cadet for themselves. The ultimate victor earns a day off as an incentive."
Despite being enticed by the reward, Cosmia had no intention of claiming it if she emerged victorious. During her time at the facility, she had focused solely on honing her skills which often elicited mixed reactions from Coulson and Maria—the only two agents at this site who genuinely cared for her well-being. They had been stationed here following her recruitment in the wake of that fateful incident.
Cosmia understood that while the incentive applied to all cadets, it specifically targeted her in an attempt to encourage her to ease up. Consequently, this painted a bullseye on her back for other envious cadets craving recognition from Coulson and Maria.
Inspecting her weapon while a countdown commenced overhead, Cosmia spotted Coulson in the viewing area above the training grounds. He was present primarily to observe which cadets took the exercise earnestly—herself included—as she heaved a sigh.
The alarm blared and Cosmia dashed into the labyrinthine maze at its onset. To eliminate other competitors, she needed to either zap them with a stun gun or strike them with a stun baton.
She swiftly encountered an unsuspecting cadet who was caught off guard when she rounded the corner. They barely had a chance to react before their head jerked backward due to an impact from Cosmia's stun baton against their helmet—a follow-up strike to the chest zapped them with enough force to switch their indicator light from green to red.
With an air of indifference, Cosmia paid no heed to the grumbling cadet and swiftly continued her pursuit for her next target. Her observant eyes scanned the large electronic board overhead, watching as cadets got eliminated one by one. Before long, she stealthily peeked around a corner and spotted another cadet attempting to sneak her way through.
Cosmia let out a resigned sigh, the kind that comes not from annoyance but from genuine fondness. This particular cadet was someone she actually admired for her intellect, even though she was timid by nature.
"Apologies in advance," Cosmia uttered with a smirk, "I know you're not keen on participating in this exercise." She readied the stun gun, taking aim at the unsuspecting cadet's back, and continued, "So I'll just help you get out of here—"
Bang!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Initially intended as a non-threatening training exercise pitting cadet against cadet - each tasked with incapacitating their foes until only one remained - events took an unforeseen turn for Cosmia. A disastrous equipment malfunction released a live bullet, which seared into a fellow cadet's back. Time seemingly froze as onlookers scrambled to assess the damage, entirely oblivious to Cosmia's trembling form and desperate attempts to quell her hyperventilation. All the while, accusatory eyes bore into her soul - both from fellow cadets and instructors.
"The universe must truly despise me... it seems as if everything in my life is determined to go wrong," Cosmia whispered to herself, disheartened. As she walked through the dark forest, the sound of crunching leaves and snapping branches echoed under each heavy step of her worn-out boots. She shivered, ignoring the biting cold night air that nipped at her cheeks and carried the scent of damp earth. Raising her eyes to the vast expanse of the star-studded sky, Cosmia murmured, "At least Coulson cared..."
In this seemingly uncaring world, Agent Coulson had been the sole exception. He was the only one who had bothered to comfort her after that dreadful incident and promised to uncover the truth behind what had happened. Despite feeling terribly vulnerable in the moment, she managed to express her gratitude towards him. However, deep down, Cosmia remained skeptical; things never seemed to turn out well for her.
With a heavy heart and a deep sigh, her gaze lingered on the celestial tapestry above. Amongst the twinkling stars, one appeared to be drifting – a shooting star. Although Cosmia didn't quite believe in making wishes on such fleeting occurrences, something inside her stirred – a flicker of hope. "Universe... please... for once in my life, let something good happen to me..." she pleaded softly.
As if offended by her desperate plea, the shooting star abruptly changed course and hurtled directly towards her location. Her eyes widened in sheer terror as she stammered, "I'm sorry, universe! I didn't mean it... I'm not ready to die!" Panicking and overcome with fear, Cosmia sprinted as fast as she could and hurled herself out of harm's way just as the mysterious object collided with the ground behind her. The shock wave from its impact propelled her through the air several feet before she came crashing down onto a patch of wet, cold grass – a small mercy granted by the passing storm earlier that day.
"Alright, seriously," Cosmia whispered under her breath as she cautiously rose to her feet, ignoring the mud stains on her attire, more preoccupied with the strange incident that had just transpired. Her initial instinct was to notify the base, yet she was confident they would have already detected it through their equipment or witnessed the blinding light piercing through the dense forest. Undoubtedly, they would be reaching the spot soon. Although Cosmia knew that cadets must avoid unforeseen situations, she was the only one present and couldn't help but wonder, "What on earth was that?"
With an air of trepidation, Cosmia inched closer to the enormous crater that had been created by the impact. The indentation was deep but not so perilous that jumping in would cause injury. Driven by her innate curiosity and disregard for potential consequences, Cosmia leapt into it anyway – something she often got in trouble for. As she approached what lay at the center of the crater, an odor reminiscent of burnt material filled her nostrils – a sign of its high-speed descent through Earth's atmosphere. It struck her just how well-preserved the round metallic object seemed to be, with smoke gently streaming off its surface and revealing no visible damage.
"In all likelihood, it's extraterrestrial," Cosmia mused while examining the object more closely. "Most human-made materials would have disintegrated upon reentry. This particular metal is unlike anything I've seen." Crouching cautiously beside the mysterious device, she reached out a tentative finger and tapped it lightly. Unexpectedly, it felt cool to touch. "Perhaps it's been engineered to shield whatever lies inside... but how does it open?"
In response to her question, a portion of the device slid open unexpectedly and projected a scanning green light on her body from head to toe. She held herself as still as possible while anxiety churned within her, unsure if the device could turn against her. Eventually, the light blinked, and the section sealed shut once more. As if granting her permission to explore further, another large portion of the contraption unveiled itself. At first, she saw nothing but darkness within it—but soon, an ethereal green glow emanated from a floating device floating in the centre.
“It looks like a watch…” Cosmia blinked a little surprised at first from the shape reminiscent of a watch, although bulky and detailed far more than humans would've ever imagined. The glow had come from the faceplate that seemed to have like an hour-glass symbol right in the middle, unaware that she had reached for it as if compelled, “Why would an alien watch be sent to earth?”
The watch quickly reacted to her presence as it seemed to open up and lunged itself towards her wrist, wrapping around and locking itself into place while Cosmia quickly shook her arm in response as she attempted to remove it. But whatever it had done it felt like she was pulling at her own skin as she panicked and pulled at it, slowly calming down as she realzied it wasn’t coming off anytime soon.
“Coulson's either gonna be mad or impressed I dared to explore something new…maybe both,” Cosmia wheezed, slightly fatigued from her struggles to detach the peculiar watch while sitting in the dust next to the container. She could hear voices growing louder from the direction of the base as others approached. As Cosmia waited for them, she couldn't help but study the watch, her curiosity piqued by its faceplate as she fidgeted with her other hand, “...there's no way this is just some ordinary alien watch… But if it is, it's useless, since I can't even tell time with it…”
Her fingers brushed over two dials simultaneously, causing the center to elevate with a strange yet gratifying noise and glow. The hourglass-shaped device transformed, revealing an enigmatic shadow resembling a lifeform she had never encountered. Twisting the dial generated different shadows of other unknown beings. “Huh, is this some kind of gadget containing information about various aliens?”
As the image shifted to one eerily similar to a Velociraptor, Cosmia couldn't suppress her confusion. She prodded at it and wondered out loud, “Do alien dinosaurs exist?”
Before she knew it, Cosmia unintentionally pressed down on the device and was engulfed in a brilliant flash of green light. It felt as if her physique was morphing and stretching into a new form – although strangely painless and liberating. The surreal experience lasted only a few moments before the intense illumination subsided and unveiled what had transpired.
Cosmia gazed at herself in astonishment – she had transformed into the Velociraptor-like creature displayed on the device! Her long tail moved with surprising precision at her command while her slender, streamlined form emanated an impressive agility akin to racing cars. The three-clawed feet astonished her as they gripped a black sphere – two at the front and one at the back. Her hands bore an eerie resemblance to those of a human; as she flexed her blue claws into fists, a faceplate slid down, concealing her visage.
"Wow, this is definitely more than just an alien info gadget," Cosmia mused, her voice altering subtly along with her new form. She observed a mysterious symbol on the alien's chest and the Shield logo materializing on the shoulder. Glancing around, she realized she'd have a better view of herself if she wasn't in the crater. She moved to take a step, "Alright, time to climb out of here–"
That single step propelled her up the crater's edge and onto solid ground, barreling through a tree trunk in the process. The tree groaned, collapsing with a thunderous crash behind her. Cosmia stood a few feet away, blinking at the aftermath of her unintentional destruction but feeling relieved it didn't hurt, "Okay...so this alien has super speed...good intel..."
The faint crackle of a twig snapping echoed through the night, and Cosmia quickly dashed towards the massive tree trunk, expertly coiling her tail to avoid revealing her location. Her pulse raced as a beam of light swept across the very spot she had been standing just moments before. The sight of three cadets emerging into the moonlit clearing sent waves of unease through her; she knew all too well that they weren't supposed to be away from base, let alone handling real weaponry.
"What was that? I could've sworn something was here," muttered one cadet, raising his flashlight towards the treeline. Cosmia instinctively ducked, preventing the metallic gleam of her helmet from betraying her presence. She listened intently as frustration laced the cadet's voice. "Our plan to get Cosmia expelled didn't work at all. I really wanted to see her arrested, but then Coulson had to go and launch an investigation."
Cosmia's shock turned to anger as she realized these cadets were speaking about her. "It would've been perfect if we could have used her shooting us as a cover, but she just had to find that timid girl first," interjected another cadet, causing Cosmia's grip on the tree trunk to tighten.
"Enough whining," snapped the third cadet. "That's why we're out here – if we can figure out what happened and capture a live alien, this investigation will end and we'll become the top cadets." He brandished his flashlight toward the crash site, grinning malevolently. "Who knows? Maybe Cosmia got crushed by whatever it was."
Barely containing her fury, Cosmia burst out from concealment and confronted the startled trio as gusts of wind whipped around them. Her eyes burned with conviction while her tail angrily thrashed about. "It was you! You sabotaged my gear and nearly killed my friend!" The venom in her voice betrayed her youthful nature, but her intelligence shone through as she continued, "And for what? To climb to the top? No... you're not agents; you're criminals. And I will take you down."
"How the hell would an extraterrestrial like you have any clue about what happened, did you bump your head on something as you entered our atmosphere?" The arrogant first cadet guffawed, attempting to play it off as if he hadn't uttered those words, all the while aiming his firearm at her. Following his lead, the other two cadets did the same. Waving the gun like a signal for her to follow, he taunted, "Come on now, follow us, you reptilian creature, if you know what's good for you—"
Mid-sentence, the overconfident cadet was silenced with a sharp grunt of pain as he suddenly found a fist in his gut and his weapon flung away by a swift tail whip. He couldn't fathom how the alien – nowhere near him one moment – appeared right in front of him the next. The forceful impact sent him flying backward onto the rocky terrain, clutching his abdomen in agony.
"Damn this," spat the second cadet furiously before emptying his gun in the alien's direction. A relentless hailstorm of bullets tore violently through tree trunks and branches at the spot where Cosmia had been standing just a moment ago. The explosive assault abruptly ended when the third cadet yanked up the gun barrel, causing it to smack into the reckless shooter's face.
"Moron! Our orders were to capture that alien alive, and now it's most likely lying dead –just another bullet-ridden carcass on this godforsaken ground!" The exasperated third cadet angrily chastised his impulsive comrade.
Cosmia sneered with biting sarcasm, "You sure managed to do a number on those trees over there." Suddenly materializing behind them and causing both to jump out of their skins in startled surprise, she added, "Then again, your aim has always been atrocious."
With lightning speed, Cosmia spun around, her tail whipping through the air to connect with the young cadet, catapulting them backward into a nearby tree—hard enough to render them unconscious and possibly concussed. She then focused her intense glare upon the third, terrified cadet who cowered on the ground, their face a portrait of pure fear. In a slightly more mature teenager's tone, Cosmia declared, "Now, it's your turn—"
Suddenly, a familiar voice cut in, stopping Cosmia in her tracks. "I think they've learned their lesson enough," Coulson said calmly when he entered the clearing. As if on cue, the area was flooded with light as experienced S.H.I.E.L.D. agents appeared, weapons aimed at Cosmia. However, upon Coulson's command, they quickly lowered their firearms. "Hold it—not them. Take those three troublemaking cadets into custody; I'll handle this one."
Feeling apprehensive but attempting to seem non-threatening in her current form, Cosmia watched Coulson warily as he approached her while in the background the three cadets were cuffed and taken away. Desperately searching for an explanation, she blurted out, "Wait! Let me explain—"
"Cadet Cosmia," Coulson interjected reassuringly, "relax. We know it's you. We'd be terrible at our job if we didn't have a surveillance system covering this whole forest. Admittedly," he added with a wry smile, "it took us a moment since the impact knocked out our system temporarily; it had to restart." Seeing that Cosmia was finally beginning to relax and lower her guard, he gestured to the S.H.I.E.L.D symbol on her shoulder before continuing confidently: "Besides...it's hard not to notice our symbol on an alien species we've yet to encounter."
With a mixture of relief and exhaustion, Cosmia sank to her knees, awkwardly adjusting to her unfamiliar form. Coulson, ever perceptive, crouched beside her as she apologized, her voice tinged with maturity and wit. "I'm sorry for being brash once again, sir…"
Chuckling lightly, Coulson replied, "We really need you to learn not to be. But then again, it wouldn't be much fun if you were; this place can be dreadfully dull at times." He reached out a comforting hand to gently rest on Cosmia's shoulder, encouraging her to meet his gaze. "However, we should really focus on understanding that device's capabilities beyond the obvious transformation effect. There was a container involved too, right?"
Maria Hill's confident voice chimed in as she strode closer, carrying the enigmatic device in her hands. "You'd know if you actually came and checked instead of just discussing it," she chided playfully. Setting the device down beside them, she couldn't help but remark on its surprising lightness and Cosmia's peculiar form. "So, cadet Cosmia, any idea how long this transformation will last?"
Cosmia shot Maria a frustrated glance before replying with forced casualness. "If I knew that, I would've changed back by now." Suddenly, she noticed the device's symbol flashing an ominous red light. Alarmed expressions spread across their faces as they braced for potential danger.
Then came a brilliant flash of crimson that enveloped the area for a brief moment before vanishing entirely. In its wake lay Cosmia - dazed yet back to normal - sprawled on the ground as she stared up at the sky in disbelief.
Coulson pondered aloud as he aided Cosmia to sit up once more. "It seems it could only maintain its effect for around ten minutes... Perhaps there's a way to increase its duration or even end the transformation prematurely." He then shifted his attention to the enigmatic container alongside Maria. "Could it hold anything else of use, I wonder?"
"Give me a second," Maria responded, peering thoughtfully into the mysterious container before carefully extracting a small, hard-drive-like gadget. "Alien technology, yet it resembles one of our own devices?"
"Perhaps a more advanced race designed it that way for us to comprehend it more easily?" Cosmia pondered, her youthful intellect shining through, as she unsteadily got to her feet with Coulson's assistance. She shot a disapproving glance at the container. "I just wish they'd made it land at a gentler pace, though..."
"Desperation might have driven them to do so, but it raises questions about why they sent this in the first place. Hopefully, that drive holds some answers," Coulson muttered, motioning for an agent near the crash site to get them a car. Turning to Cosmia with concern, he advised, "For now, you should put it back into the container for safekeeping."
Belting out a humorless laugh mixed with frustration, Cosmia shook her hand and looked down at it. "That was the first thing I tried! But it felt as though I was yanking my own skin off my arm." She glanced at the contraption thoughtfully. "Considering how advanced it is, there are probably safeguards in place to prevent removal."
Maria nodded sagely while closely inspecting the mysterious device and advised Cosmia, trying to maintain her authority yet showing some sympathy: "For now, let's not tamper with it - regardless of how tempting it might be. And don't even think about morphing into that alien again." A small smile tugged at her lips as she continued: "Or any other beings that might be hidden in there. Let's wait until we reach the lab before doing anything else."
The clandestine lab at the base was not the most spacious, as it was merely a modest facility designed for training Shield cadets. Regardless, it was a part of Shield, and thus well-equipped to potentially unveil the secrets of the mysterious alien watch. To prevent any potential leaks, only Cosmia, Coulson, and Maria were allowed into the lab after dismissing the others for the night. They ensured maximum security by closing all window shutters and locking the door from inside. They knew that whatever they discovered would be reported back to Nick Fury, along with any essential details that should be shared with the rest of Shield.
"Well, let's decipher the mystery surrounding this peculiar watch, shall we?" Maria suggested as she seated herself at the massive console in the lab. She twirled the hard drive in her hand, feeling underwhelmed by its ordinary appearance. Plugging it into one of the spare USB ports on the desk, they all stared intently at the screen, anticipating some revelation; but nothing happened. "Did they forget to store any data on this drive? I thought they'd be clever enough to do that."
“Perhaps you’re a tad impatient – maybe it’s just taking its time since our technology is not as advanced as theirs," Coulson implied with his typical calm demeanor while examining the screen himself. Both he and Maria failed to notice that Cosmia's watch had started to emit a soft glow.
"Umm... I think something's happening," Cosmia interjected. She caught their attention as she raised her arm to display the glowing watch to them. Suddenly, it projected a beam of light onto the screen, revealing a spinning symbol identical to that on its face. The projection seemed to trigger an unlocking mechanism. "I did it...?"
"Seems like you just got lucky there," Maria remarked with laughter, while Coulson offered a warm smile. Maria maneuvered the mouse, hovering over the symbol. "Now we're making progress."
With a single click, the entire screen was enveloped in a brilliant green flash, gradually revealing a shape taking form. Initially, it appeared humanoid until it reached the head. There, enormous eyes with black, linear pupils emerged, and the alien figure resembled a gray frog. The creature's slightly crouched posture hinted at its age.
"A...frog alien created this device?" Cosmia pondered with a blend of intellectual curiosity and teenage wonder as she glanced at the watch on her wrist. "Not what I anticipated..."
"And I expected a more mature host for the Omnitrix, but here we are," retorted the frog-like alien, catching the group off-guard as they assumed it would be a recording instead of a live transmission from an unknown location. "Nevertheless, I am not surprised by your comparison. Greetings! I am Azmuth the Galvin, mastermind behind the Omnitrix."
"I must agree; that name has quite the ring to it—far superior to any Shield designations," Coulson replied with his characteristic smile. Maria diligently took notes on their conversation while cosnia tried to understand what is mysterious about this alien frog creating such watch like omnitrix by questioning his own safety just like she would do to any high tech device.
However, Coulson's expression turned serious as he continued. "What I do want to know is why this cadet was nearly flattened by that device hurtling through the atmosphere."
"My sincerest apologies for the miscalculation, but traversing dimensions while keeping it concealed is quite challenging," Azmuth replied, looking genuinely apologetic. He offered a small, respectful bow before standing up and casting a brief glance at them. "There's likely no need to elaborate on the device's functions once it's secured on your wrist," he added thoughtfully as another window materialized on the screen, revealing an image of the alien form Cosmia had assumed earlier. "Ah, a Kineceleran—possibly one of the safer species to commence with."
"What did you do?" Maria inquired curiously, studying the new window that appeared to generate a locked folder—a folder that perhaps only those trusted with access to Cosmia's Omnitrix could open.
"Every time you transform into an alien, this device will transmit information about it so you can gain knowledge." Azmuth explained as he simultaneously gathered data on SHIELD and Earth. "Although its purpose is originally meant for fostering understanding and unity among beings in my universe, I won't be taken aback if you decide to train her for your organization based on my observations," he admitted with mild annoyance. "However, do bear in mind that those alien species are unique to my universe and won't be found in yours."
"Hold on, hold on," Cosmia interjected, her eyes locked on Azmuth's image as she approached the screen, pointing an accusatory finger at him. "This information is interesting and all, but let's not forget that you just mentioned a different universe!"
"Your cadet here seems to have quite the spirited personality, doesn't she?" Azmuth chuckled while Coulson and Maria exchanged glances that seemed to say 'You don't know the half of it,' yet they maintained their smiles. With a brief sigh, Azmuth focused his attention back to Cosmia. "You're right, it is only fair to explain. In my universe, there exists a villain named Vilgax who will stop at nothing to obtain the Omnitrix and unleash an army of unimaginable chaos and power. The decision wasn't made lightly, but with some assistance and much deliberation, I determined that the best course of action was to send it to another universe. It was no easy task; I had to find an opening in the dimensional barrier for it to pass through safely… This choice leaves me stuck between dimensions, but at least I still have my lab."
"Knowing this Vilgax character, simply sending the Omnitrix away won't dissuade his pursuit. I suspect he'll eventually try to find his way here," Coulson stated somberly, as Azmuth responded with a solemn nod. Turning towards Cosmia, Coulson continued with compassion in his eyes: "Maybe it's for the best if your training takes place out in real-world situations rather than being hidden away in some lab under Fury's watch. With enough persuasion, I'm sure I can make him see reason."
Azmuth contemplated for a moment before adding: "I would also appreciate the opportunity to discuss my ideas with your director; despite being stuck between dimensions, I can still be of great help in guiding and training Cosmia. However, I won't be creating any Omnitrix-like devices in the future." He then looked intently at Coulson. "As for you, it seems Cosmia trusts you implicitly, so I trust you'll be the one to mentor her in person."
“You have no idea,” Maria chuckled a little as Coulson seemed a bit embarrassed at that statement from Azmuth, closing her notebook, “But I’ll dicuss what you requested with Fury as soon as were done here, I’m assuming this will be the way to contact you again?” Maria questioned after taking as much notes as she can before lookin up at the screen, “Would it be the same way?”
"I'll contact you myself if needed," Azmuth affirmed, his wise eyes briefly shifting to the side as though checking on something. "There's still much for us to discuss, but it must wait until I return. I have urgent matters to attend to."
Coulson, maintaining his composed and authoritative demeanor, said, "Before you depart, there's a crucial question I must pose. However, Cosmia should start packing as we'll be taking her to command first. This way, she can be assigned as an agent under my supervision." He expertly manipulated a remote control, releasing the lab door from lockdown while keeping the window shutters closed. "You'd better brace yourself for some rigorous training, young lady."
Unhesitatingly, Cosmia replied, "Yes sir." Her curiosity about what Coulson wanted to ask Azmuth was evident, but she knew it was best not to pry for the moment. She turned towards the exit and stopped abruptly as a troubling thought came to her. With a gentle murmur of concern she asked, "Will they be alright?"
Maria smiled reassuringly before responding. "They'll be up and about within a few days," she said as she guided Cosmia out of the room in order to afford Coulson the privacy he needed. "Cadet Gwen will make a complete recovery."
[One Month Later]
The dimly lit training room was occasionally illuminated by sporadic bursts of light, resembling fireflies, each time a motion pad was activated. This made hitting the present target quite challenging since all the motion sensors had been going off for the past few minutes. Meanwhile, a sharp-eyed individual sat above with an arrow at the ready, focusing intently and exhaling as he patiently awaited the perfect moment to release it.
"Alright, I have to admit, you've gotten better at striking me," Cosmia admitted, sounding wise beyond her teenage years yet retaining a youthful energy. She appeared next to the agent with a sudden flash as all the motion sensors deactivated and light flooded the room. She stood there in her original form, known as Xlr8, grasping an arrow with a paint mark on her forehead. "If you ever encounter someone as fast as me, you should be just fine."
"Hah! I doubt there's anything as swift as you when you take this form, Xlr8," Barton chuckled, sounding completely in his element and taking back his arrow when she handed it to him. He was one of the few agents who would address her by her alien aliases while she was in that form—Coulson and Maria did as well, but never Fury. As he cleaned off his arrow, he playfully cautioned her, "Don't get too confident though, kid. Some agents might still give you a run for your money...okay, perhaps not the best analogy for this particular alien."
"No kidding," Cosmia snickered with youthful wit as a crimson glow enveloped the area and she transformed back into her usual self.
"If you two aren't too busy at the moment," Coulson interjected in his authoritative yet understanding manner after entering the rarely occupied training room. He continued firmly but fairly, "There's been an incident in New Mexico. I'd like both of you—Agent Barton and Agent Ten—to accompany me."