Saving Grant Ward

Chapter Two

I rushed through the door to my tiny apartment, slamming it behind me and chucking my purse onto the bed. I sat down in front of my computer and pulled the business card out of my pocket, typing in the link as quickly as possible. It didn't work, because I was faster than I was accurate, and I sighed in frustration before going back and typing through the whole damn thing again, this time much more slowly.

I held the card up to the screen and double checked the address, then pushed enter when I was sure it was right. My computer quickly loaded the website, but instead of anything even slightly interesting, I was greeted with a completely black screen. I couldn't even see the address bar anymore!

"What the heck?" I muttered, staring at the screen and waiting for something to happen. When nothing did, I checked that my computer was actually still on, which it was. So what was happening?

I leaned in closer to the screen and squinted, trying to see anything that might be hiding with the help of low contrast. My nose was barely an inch from the screen when glowing, white text popped up and a terrifyingly loud voice read out the words:

WELCOME, POTENTIAL AGENT.

"Ah!" I screamed and fell back out of my chair. The screen shifted to the a spinning logo that matched the one on my business card, and the bright light was blinding even from six feet away. My speakers had been off, but the computer didn't seem to care as the voice continued to blast around my room, threatening to make me completely deaf as I tried to calm my racing heart.

SHIELD PROTECTS THE WORLD FROM THREATS IT IS NOT PREPARED TO DEAL WITH. THE JOB IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. ARE YOU PREPARED TO DO WHAT IT TAKES?

Then, flashing at the bottom of the screen:

YES, I WANT TO BECOME AN AGENT

NO, I WILL NOT JOIN SHIELD

"That's it?" I exclaimed, talking to myself. This Agent Coulson person had made it seem like this website would answer all my questions, but it hadn't answered any!

Well, I guess it had proved that this offer from SHIELD was real. I doubted seriously that anyone who wasn't with a powerful government agency could make a website this elaborate and terrifying.

I didn't move an inch from my new seat on the floor as I stared back at my now-quiet computer. The question and two potential answers were still floating on the screen, taunting me with every passing second they sat there.

I stayed like that for a little over half an hour, just staring and thinking about the choice literally sitting in front of me. Finally, I stood, still not taking my eyes off the screen.

Every instinct I had was screaming at me to click yes. The shelf full of Paula Pinske novels over my desk seemed to be agreeing, and I was having a seriously hard time holding back. But I made myself walk away and get a cup of hot chocolate first, before sitting back at my computer to actually think through this decision.

I would not decide my entire future on an impulse.

Okay, okay, I started, mulling over my choices as I sipped my hot chocolate. Pros and cons. What are the pros and cons?

Con: It's incredibly dangerous, I thought.

Pro: I don't care.

Well con, you'll never be able to have a normal life.

And pro, I really don't care.