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Summary: Jessica is not to happy to see Taskmaster at the Avengers Mansion.
Date: May 9, 2011
Log Title: Student and Former Master
Rating: PG
NYC - The Avenger Mansion (Parlor)
The parlor of the mansion has been turned into more of a game room than anything else. There's a big screen TV on one wall, a couch in front of it as well as a few matching chairs, and shelves on either side holding movies of various genres, displaying the… diverse tastes of those within. (As a bonus, MJ's first movie 'The Amazing Lobsterman!' can be found among the DVDs there. Peter's doing, no doubt.) There is also a pool table set up behind the couch, a rack of pool cues hanging on the back wall.
Once again, Taskmaster finds himself in the parlor of the Avengers mansion. This time it was a bit easier to get in, since he didn't have to fool the computers that he was Captain America, though he's sure that the mansion's surveillance systems are recording every step he takes. Which, in this case, was to accept Jarvis' offer of tea. He's sitting down on one of the couches with his hood and mask pulled back so he can sip at the hot drink, sword and shield propped up against the armrest on the floor.
The shatter of glass hitting the floor can be heard as Jessica notices who is sitting on the couch of the Avengers Mansion. Sure she'd heard rumours but she almost chose not to believe them, that is until she sees the man, Taskmaster, sitting right there. "What are you doing here?" She asks him getting into an obviously defensive possition.
"Havin' tea," is the man's answer. Taskmaster takes another sip of the beverage before setting it down on the coffee table, so he can pull the mask back over his face. "It's good, too. You know, that Jarvis guy really does a good job of it," he says in his thick Brooklyn accent, turning around so he can face the woman.
Jessica's hand starts to glow green as she takes a few steps towards Taskmaster. "Don't give me that lame answer." She says leaving her shattered cup of tea on the floor ignoring the broken ceramic and liquid there. "You. What are you doing in the Avenger Mansion?" There's quite a bit of anger in her voice as the venom blast seem to charge up.
Taskmaster's eyes glitter in amusement, as he stands up. He doesn't, however go for his weapons. "Haven't ya heard? I'm here ta join the Avengers." It's hard to tell, with the mask on exactly how serious the man is.
"That's not going to happen." Jessica says as if it's her decision alone even though she knows it isn't. "You work with HYDRA and other groups. What's you gimmick? Who are you trying to fool that you'd make a good Avenger?"
Taskmaster snorts loudly. "Don't make me laugh. You were HYDRA's golden child /long/ before they ever hired me. Hell, just about everybody here has some kind of sordid past or another." He swings around the edge of the couch slow enough as to not provoke the woman into attacking him (not that she would need much). "I got my reasons. Hell, I got the same reason as it's always been. I'm doin' it fer me." He shrugs as he lists a few possible reasons. "Maybe I'm tired of bein' the bad guy and want ta join the winning side for once. Maybe I'm tryin' ta infiltrate the Avengers again fer the Red Skull. Or Baron Zemo. Or whoever, take yer pick." He pauses and all the laughter and sarcasm drains out of his voice. "And maybe I've got a real personal reason that I ain't gonna share with somebody who's powerin' up ta blast my head off."
"You were the one who trained me to be what they wanted me to be. I'm sure you are well aware of what they did to me." Jessica says talking about the brainwashing. "Sorry if I don't trust you." She says in regards to the green glow around her hand, but it does fade. "Granted I wouldn't know half the hand to hand skills I know if it wasn't for you but HYDRA screwed me over and you helped them."
The grin is back in his voice as he says, "Don't apologize. I wouldn't trust me either." He folds his arms together. "I helped you /survive/ HYDRA, kiddo. They didn't pay me to screw you over. They paid me to make you the best damn assassin they had." Is that… pride in his voice? "And without my trainin' you woulda never have gotten out." He shrugs, chuckling, "Hell. You think you got me by surprise when you left? I let you blast me in the back like that. Easier for me to fake me dyin' there than to have HYDRA try ta murder me for failure."
"Now without Nick Fury I would have never gotten out so don't pat yourself on the back for that." Jessica says narrowing her eyes at Taskmaster. "No, don't fool yourself that now you're one of the good guys. What happens when HYDRA, or AIM or who ever offers you more money to do the 'bad thing'. You'll take what ever job fattens your wallet cause you don't care about what's right and what's wrong."
"Believe it or not," says Taskmaster, "there are some things I value more than money." He leans up against the back of the couch and cocks his head. "I ain't under no illusion that I'm one of the 'good guys'. So I'm gonna be up front with you." He pauses for a bit of a dramatic effect, "Yeah, I got my own agenda fer doing this. Ya have something I need. Something that I can't steal from ya. So I figure we should have an exchange of services."
Jessica raises an eyebrow but at least she's not longer sporting a hand covered and green. "Okay, so let me get this straight, you are here for the sole purpose of a business deal. You want something so you think that because we have something you want, you'll play nice and you'll get it. What makes you think that'd even remotely make you a good teammate. To be an Avenger you have to realize that it's no longer about you."
"Right. It's about 'doing the right thing.'" says Taskmaster. "Look. The Avengers ain't my only option. I /could/ go to AIM. I /could/ go to HYDRA. But the price that they want is higher than I'm willing to pay. If turnin' over a new leaf is the /least/ I have ta pay in order ta get what I need, then it's something that I'm willin' ta consider." He shrugs. "'Sides. The way I figure it, you guys are better off keepin' me close, right?"
"The way I figure it, you're better off being kept as a distant memory." Jessica says. "Consider being Avenger because it's something you want, not something you need. Because you actually care about someone other then yourself." She says taking a deep breath and turning to leave the room. She pauses for a second to say a final thing. "I don't trust you, nor will I ever consider you a teammate and if it comes down to a vote don't count on mine."
Taskmaster laughs heartily at that. "I never expected it." He turns and picks up his sword and shield, in a lazy way that means that he's just packing up to go rather than to fight. Then he excuses himself from the parlor, heading to the entrance, patting Jarvis on the shoulder on the way out. "You make good tea. I think I'm gonna like it here." And without further ado, he departs.
