Players:
Summary: Rashmi asks for Jessica's advice on somethings.
Date: February 8, 2011
Log Title: Need An Opinion
Rating: PG
Barnes Academy - Administrative Office
The administrative offices of the various shield agents and academic administrators as well as the small army of secretaries and clerks it takes to keep a school running smoothly are connected to this module. The central module has a large counter bisecting it with various school functionaries behind the counter at work stations or manning the desk.
Days after the return from Nigeria, and Rashmi has been far away from Barnes; taking time off work, her volunteer days, her school, everything, and by all accounts staying with her family. However, mid-evening at 7:30 pm, she passed the guards on Ellis Island, and fifteen minutes later her keycard used to open the door to her dorm room. At 8:00 pm, the redhead paid a visit to the school's Administration Wing, asking to speak to Administrator Drew, and is currently sitting patiently in the waiting room.
Jessica isn't always at Barnes and lucky for Rashmi she was tonight so the wait isn't too long. Walking into the office wearing a red sweater over a black pencil skirt with her hair tied back into a pony tail she nods to Rashmi before shutting the door behind her. "Good evening Ms. Franklin." She says holding out a hand. "I believe this is our first time meeting."
Rashmi rises from her chair, bobbing her head in greeting; none of her hair moves, thanks to it now resting short and flat against her head, but the small silver studs in her ears catch the light for a moment. "Good evening, Ms. Drew," she replies quietly. "I… probably we wouldn't be meeting for a long time yet, but um… I've… been doing a lot of thinking. And if you don't mind… I'd like to get your advice."
Jessica raises an eyebrow curiously before taking a seat. She's not sure why anyone would want her advice since she doesn't interact much with the 'kids' except where she has to. "I wouldn't be to sure about that Ms. Franklin, I think Nick was entertaining the idea of me teaching a woman's hand to hand class. So, what advice do you need?"
"Well," Rashmi says, looking down at her clasped hands for a moment before taking a deep breath, "I was… sort of thinking of putting law school on hold for a semester or two… hopefully one, but… Barnes has you attached to Training, Ms. Drew, and I wanted to know what you thought about my signing up for Agent training."
Jessica gives Rashmi a neutral look that doesn't show what she's thinking. "Why is it you want to be an Agent Ms. Franklin? It's nothing like being an X-Men nor is the training easy. Do you know what you're stepping into by asking to be an agent?"
Rashmi nods slowly. "It means I'm volunteering for a global, classified law enforcement agency, Ms. Drew. Probably it means that any political or legal career I planned to shoot for goes on hold until I resign… if I'm allowed to resign, which isn't guaranteed. It means SHIELD will probably ask me to place my life on the line for any number of reasons, and by volunteering I'll have already given my okay. It means a lot of things I'd hoped I'd never have to worry about…" Biting her lip, Rashmi shakes her head, letting out a breath. "…But to be honest, Nigeria already took most of that away already. Ma'am… I've never wanted to be a fighter. I'm personally — morally and ethically, anyway — against waging war on anything or anybody unless I don't have another alternative. But, you know…?" Looking up, she attempts a resolute smile, accomplishing it perhaps halfway. "I did learn a few things about myself, there… the biggest among them, that I can't sit back when I see a problem. And problems on a global scale are part of what SHIELD deals with. So… I'd like to do what I can to make that happen."
"Joining SHIELD is akin to joining the Marines and most the time SHIELD asks you to join." Jessica states as that's what happened with her. "You never wanted to be a fighter, but joining SHIELD you will become one. This has always been my life that I remember, being a fighter so I can't say what it's like going from where you are now to this. We do deal with problems on a global scale, we do things that no one knows about. There is no glory normally." Says the costumed Superheroine. "The question is, do you want the training akin to an agent or do you want to sign up to be an agent?"
Rashmi shakes her head. "Ma'am, if you've read my file, you know I don't care about glory," she says softly. "I just… want to be able to be sure that what happened in Nigeria never happens again… not to me, or anyone else I can manage. If I need to be a full Agent for that… then, fine, sign me up. If not… I'll take what I can get. That's why I'm here, Ms. Drew; I've thought a lot, but I don't *know* what all the options are. I need to know what you would recommend."
"One thing I will tell you, what happened in Nigeria, will always happen again. But, with working with SHIELD you can stop some of them. You can help change the world but you can't do everything." Jessica says honestly. "What I would recommend, well, I would recommend advanced training. Go through training akin to what a starting SHIELD agent would go through. Give your self time to really think about if this is what you want or not. I wouldn't jump into the decision on being a SHIELD agent or not. Talk to the agents around here see what the think about being an agent. You can start with me if you like."
Rashmi tilts her head, nodding slowly as she mulls over this advice. "Well… You are kind of a cipher, ma'am… I mean, I sort of make it a point to glance over teacher information when I can, mostly just to help me understand more about how to deal with people, but… Well, there's not a lot on offer at just about any clearance level about you, Ms. Drew… so I guess probably the *best* question I could ask is, what's it like to be a SHIELD agent?"
"For me, exhilarating." Jessica admits. "I owe Nick my life and I'd do anything for that man. If it wasn't for him I'd either still be a HYDRA agent, dead or on the raft. I don't know what I'd do with my life if I wasn't out there doing something." She admits. "Unlike you though, I never got to be a teenager. I never went to school so being Agent Drew, being Spider-Woman, it's the only life I know."
Rashmi tilts her head, eyebrows rising. "Oh…. wow. So you used to work with HYDRA before this?" The girl seems rather shocked, and for some reason inordinately pleased to hear this. "That's… actually pretty amazing, ma'am."
"Not by choice. They found me and I thought they had saved me but I was wrong. They brainwashed me into being an agent. Trained me and I thought HYDRA was the answer to everything." Jessica explains. "My first real mission was to kill Nick Fury. He showed me the truth and helped me get out. From there I did the superhero thing for years. Eventually Nick got me to be a SHIELD agent and from there an Avenger. Like I said, I owe Nick my life."
Rashmi nods quietly. "And that's why I think it's amazing, ma'am… I mean, that's part of the reason I *went* to Nigeria… Hosea's story is kind of similar, on a smaller scale, and I respect that kind of debt to the people who help show the truth a lot… And it says a lot of good about both of you, that it worked well." The first real smile since Nigeria is turned upon Jessica, the redhead's entire face lighting up. "It also means I should listen very carefully to your advice… so I think I'll do that, the advanced training. It's… okay if I let my law school lapse for a while to do that, right?"
"That's up to you if it's okay or not Ms. Franklin." Jessica says. "If you want to put law school on hold, you can do so. If you want to let it lapse then you can let it lapse. Though if you do choose this, by Friday we will work to get you your new schedule and your training will begin. It won't be easy and you will get training from me."
Rashmi bobs her head. "That's okay, Ms. Drew… if I know I can pick it up again, I will. And don't worry about easy," she says, lips twitching up at the corners, "I'm…. kind of stubborn that way. If it's what I need to do, I do it. Thanks for taking the time," she says, reaching a hand out to shake.
Jessica reaches her hand out to take Rashmi's and gives her a nod. "I'm happy to have helped you Rashmi. If you need to talk about anything else let me know." She says as she stands up and walks to the door to hold it open for her.
Rashmi shakes briskly, bobbing her head. "I will, ma'am," she says, walking towards the door. "…If anything, Mami and Papi will breathe a little bit easier knowing I can take care of myself better."
