Maria Hill

Maria Hill is current NYC Regional Officer for S.H.I.E.L.D. In the past she has also filled the role of Acting Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. She's typically the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent that deals with the press when necessary, and handles several diplomatic liaisons with the UN.

Background
The early childhood of Maria Hill is not one of which she speaks often if at all. Its a part of her life that shes moved beyond and intends to keep it that way. None the less, history is where we come from, and she will not forget it.

Maria was born one winter day in Chicago on a day that she would never forget. Not for happy times, but because her mother died in giving birth to her due to the winter storm that had caused the temperatures to drop to 44 below zero. Beyond all odds Maria lived having been kept in the warm embrace of her mother protecting her with her own body. Marias father never let her forget this as he blamed her not only for her mothers death, but for surviving in the first place. He considered her a burden that tied him to his dead wife never allowing him to move on with his own life.

The only time that Maria had a respite from her fathers emotionally abusive tyranny was when going to school. While she never knew what to expect from him (distant at best, screaming at worst) the structure of the school she went to gave her stability and allowed her to excel and find pride in what she herself was capable of doing.

As she grew older the option for after school extra-curricular activities increased giving her the option for more of an excuse to not go home until she absolutely had to. She bounced from one club to another finding most too boring for her liking. It wasnt until she saw the JROTC going through drills after school that she finally found what she felt would allow her in.

Even before she was in the grade that would allow her to join with the JROTC she trained along with them with the Sargeants permission to do so. By the time she was a sophmore, and able to actually join the squad officially, she had already acted as an assistant to the Sargeant in many ways by helping to organize and run many of their functions. He put her on the fast track to being an officer, as much as one can in a junior organization.

Near her eighteenth birthday a final fight with her father led them to coming to blows. Maria had enough and for the first time their argument turned into a physical fight as she lashed out. The end result was her father with a broken nose, and her walking out cutting her ties with him entirely. The next few weeks were spent living on a friends couch until she turned 18. Then she immediately enlisted to pursue her career.

It didnt take her long to move through the ranks as determined and capable as she was. She stuck to the rules, followed orders, did everything a good soldier should and then some. After a stint operating out of Madripoor, SHIELD snatched her up seeing her as a valuable asset to have on their team. Since then she has been dedicated to SHIELD and its mission. Through work, effort, and sometimes simply being the right person for the job she has moved through the ranks over the years and now holds the position of SHIELD New York City Regional Officer.

Personality
Workaholic / Dedicated / Driven: Though working hard never hurt anyone, Hill takes it far beyond that. She knows her job well, does it well, does it RIGHT--and there are so many out there that don't do it right. It's a frustration and pet peeve that annoys her to no end which is why she takes things on herself to do. If it's going to be done at least she knows it will be done right. Beyond that, she likes to do it right.

Her work takes priority in her life as she is a dedicated, driven individual that has selected her career and stuck to it. This Chicago girl rose through the ranks in an organization that often made her have to work harder due to her gender. While SHIELD has given her far more opportunities than others have she has earned every single one.

Loyal: If anyone would declare Maria Hill loyal it could only be said to be loyal to her job, her career. While this is partially true there is more to it than that. There are certain individuals she feels a loyalty to along with a willingness to try any of their craziness that might come up. Within reason. It's her ability to question and challenge orders that has landed her in the camp of those considered not fans of Fury which has opened many career opportunities to her. Yet, she is loyal to those she works with. It's not just a matter of making sure she comes out on top in her job but ensuring the safety of those in the same line of work. The officers and agents under her purview may be ones she's hardest on, but she will also ensure that they are safe and alive. They are not expendable.

The ends do NOT justify the means: Though she may believe in following the book, and the rules, though she is a strong supporter of obeying orders given it's to a limit. There is a point of no return for her that she is never willing to go past. She does not believe that the ends justify the means. If it takes dropping a nuke to win a war, that's gone too far--That makes them as bad as the people they are fighting. And she is not, ever, going to be the one to support such decisions. The only times that she has out and out disobeyed an order is when she believes it is going to cross this line. In that case she will find another way, one way or another, to ensure that the outcome is what is needed but without resorting to distasteful measures.

Vindictive: Though known for having a temper it's almost a relief when she does yell and scream--it means she's not plotting worse things. It's rare that someone gets under her skin in a truly lasting way but when they do she proves to have a lasting vindictive streak. When someone crosses Maria Hill she will ensure she gets even with them. Even if it takes time to do, it will happen, and it will not be pretty.

Cunning: Its not all about just following the rules. Sometimes its about following the rules in the right order. One action can have multiple consequences and if they arent thought through beforehand, if the big picture isnt taken into account, even an action well meant can ruin the entire plan further down the line. Maria is aware of this. More than that, she thinks a few steps ahead every time. Though she is no mastermind, she is aware of the consequences of every action. When things hit the fan she knows its a matter of damage control to get things back on track. Often times this makes her seem as if shes cold and calculating when dealing with issues because shes not looking at the matter directly in front of everyone else so much as the matter that will occur next week because of this situation. If necessary she explains, but only when there is time to do that.