Been awhile since I've seen the inside of a helicarrier. Still smells like a locker room full of motor oil, I see. Chalk that up as another reason I left S.H.I.E.L.D. and went into the mercenary biz.
I can see what you're thinking. "Traitor. Greedy bastard. I'm so much better than him." Well, you wait and see. You're still green. You think being a hero's enough to keep you going.
S.H.I.E.L.D. runs on rookies like you. They'll send you to the worst places in the world, to fight things you can't imagine. Year after year, you'll bleed for them, all to defend people who'll never thank you.
Then one day you'll limp home after fighting some costumed freak that killed half your squad, and you'll realize you can't pay rent, and your only friend is a bottle. Think you'll feel like a hero then?
Thing is, I've got money now. Hercules beat me half to death last time we tussled, so I sued him for excessive force. Nobody was more surprised than me when I won. And I won BIG.
So now that I have all the money I could want, I'm finding it isn't enough. I want to do more. Maybe that's why I joined S.H.I.E.L.D. in the first place. Maybe that's why I'm back here now.
That's my advice to you, rook. Don't work for S.H.I.E.L.D. because of crap like honor, but because you want a better world. And remember you always have a choice. Even if you chose wrong the first time.
