[hr][i][h1] [color=#FFDAB9]Anna Aikau[/color][/h1][/i][hr]

[u][i]One week earlier, New York RAVEN Field Office[/i][/u]

"What do you mean 'mandatory leave'?" Anna shouted into her phone.

An unwavering male voice echoed back at her. "Under Article 52, subsection 11b, it the responsibility of a commanding officer to consider the physical and [i]mental[/i] health of any sub-"

"Director, with respect, I [i]know[/i] the bylaws." She interrupted.

"Apparently not, Agent Aikau! Or you would understand why I'm citing them." Her superior roared.

"But sir-"

"I don't want to hear it! Twenty-two [i]consecutive[/i] months of field assignments? And hazard duty no less! Your supposed to rotate out after nine!"  His voice boomed enough to distort the audio from her phone's speakers. 

"Sir, those assignments were approved through the proper channels-"

"Don't give me that crap! You got some pushover CO to look the other way while you played detective and claimed extenuating circumstances for extended field deployment. You're not the first, and you won't be the last. Your problem is someone in logistics wised up and you got caught. Now your [i]my[/i] problem, Aikau."

"I can expla-"

"I don't want to hear it! I've got headquarters crawling up my ass for ten dozen other things, I don't need HR sticking a probe in there as well." Exasperated, the Director heaved a sharp sigh. "I'll make it easy for you: take the cushy desk job in Baybridge and stay for a period no less than 91 days, or be suspended [i]indefinitely[/i] without pay for insubordination." The stern voice carried with it the unyielding authority of a parent scolding a child--no room for argument and no patience for rebellion. 

A wary silence filled the line as she processed those words.

The Director let out another sigh. "Anna..." His voice was much softer now. "Take an extended leave, if you that's what you want. I don't care. Just stay away long enough for this blow over." He chuckled before continuing. "I've got plenty of boots to put on the ground and more nervous office jockeys than you can shake a stick at. There will still be plenty of bad guys out there for you to track down, once you get back."

Quietly, "Understood, sir." 

[i]-Click-[/i]

Deep down, Anna knew something like this was going to happen. She had been working tirelessly on high profile cases for months. RAVEN had special regulations in place for agents given combat-oriented or hazardous assignments, but it also covered any assignment with a high risk for psychological trauma. 

Profiling the worst metahuman criminals, researching their habits, interviewing their victims, building a chain of evidence for legal proceedings, and apprehending them in the field--all of her usual work fell squarely under the purview of Article 52. 

Regular psychological evaluations are mandatory every six months. Anna had managed to stall two and dodge the last one. She liked her work; it gave her a focus, but although she didn't want to admit it, the stress had slowly, steadily been wearing her down. Perhaps if she had recognized the symptoms earlier, she wouldn't have screwed up in the first place. It was her mistake that let a dangerous metahuman escape RAVEN custody and kill two agents. She was lucky to only receive a formal reprimand.

She hated the idea of being sidelined, but the low, sick feeling of having lost hit her harder. She was going to be a lowly records clerk. Even if it was informal punishment, even if it was going to be temporary, Anna dreaded it: being at the East Coast HQ and not being apart of investigations, intelligence, or anything she actually liked doing.