Agent 11
"Lucy! Put away the flashlight! I won't be able to use it without getting caught anyway." I yelled, reaching to double check my necessities. Black hat to tuck hair into, hiking boots, dark shirt, my hoodie, dark leggings, small walkie talkie that would be of no use once I crossed the bridge, and the small, oh so important downloading device. "All packed and ready to go." I half-sang out to the others. Michel looked up from his argument with Sam about a comparison of two seemingly identical communication bracelets. He smiled. "You know, you shouldn't tempt fate like that. Ever heard of jinx's?" I rolled my eyes. "Well it's not like anyone is going to walk in here and give us a reason to cancel." Just then, as if a cue from some interdimensional television show, Blake walked in the preparation room, looking more crestfallen than a small child being told their favorite holiday was canceled. I tried to ignore Michels knowing smirk. "Shut up, Selvard." I mumbled. "I haven't said anything." Sometimes it really sucks to argue with a stubborn smart alec, even if you yourself were one. Blake approached me, and unleashed a torrent of words faster than I could comprehend. "Agent 11, I'm afraid the mission is canceled. I just found out that the boy supposed to be on trial escaped. We need to postpone the infiltration." I blinked, registering what he just said until it hit me. The important mission was being canceled. Absolutely not! "First of all, no. And second of all, no! I didn't come this far to give up! Draining their information could give us the edge. How can you turn that down?" He looked at me, clearly irritated. "I guarantee your safety. I will not risk my top agent for this! I will not risk my best friend for this!" By then, our voices had risen, and people were staring, but I was too upset to care. "Our lives are never safe. If I get captured, I'll do as I've been trained and escape. I appreciate you valuing me, but I can't live in a plastic bubble. I never have! Besides, I'm not just your friend , I'm your second in command too. And I have to say as your second in command, we need to do this. I'm going over to the base with the downloader, whether you like it or not and you can't stop me!" I knew I had crossed the line. No one ever talked back to Blake like this, and I had just yelled at him in front of countless people. I waited, looking down, for a reprimand, punishment, or something. It never came, and in its place, a badly controlled noise of quick breathing. I looked up curiously to see Blake holding in laughter. His sapphire eyes were sparkling."If you did get captured by Counterattack, you sure would have some blistering words for them all." I blinked, very confused. He smiled, and when he spoke, it was very gentle. "You're right. Allegiance is what comes first, not personal safety. Our lives are dangerous, and that's what makes them so worth living. As much as I'd like you to be safe, that isn't a part of our jobs. You understand that, and so should I. Good luck." What a short yet rousing speech. That's a description of my Blake: terrible writer, but a master of words all the same. "I can't enter through the door, nor in plain sight, so I'll go around the side." Blake nodded, and hopped on the motorcycle he had insisted on learning to ride. I held up a hand to stop him. "If everyone is looking for this person, that won't be the best idea. Someone could hear that. I'll walk." He sighed, and I remembered how he wanted to help me by offering me a ride, to be with me as long as possible. "11, you will be safe. Got it?" He said it with such trust and faith, like he knew I'd be fine. I hugged him, happy for the hundredth time that I joined Allegiance. "You know me, Blake. The best I can do is try." He looked worried, not taking his eyes off me as I hugged each person. "I know. Trouble usually finds you." Nodding, I bid goodbye to the rest of my friends, and set off for the point of no return.
* * * * * * *
At the Fluss River, the one that divided Allegiance from Counterattack territory, I was peering suspiciously at the Treaty Bridge. Half the wooden boards had been replaced. The Counterattack half. "If that isn't petty, then I don't know what is." I mumbled aloud. The bridge was due for fixing, but neither side wanted to get close to it. It was made before we were enemies, when Allegiance and Counterattack were just two coexisting cities next to each other, working together to protect the world. The bridge itself was the treaty no one wanted to admit to breaking. In fact, it was truly a mystery how we had turned against each other. In any case, I had to cross. A few beams were rotten and brittle looking, while others looked perfectly safe. I took a step, lightly setting my foot down. It creaked, but didn't break, so I continued walking. However, the next wooden board snapped, and I nearly tripped. Looking down at the fast rushing water of the Fluss, I mentally filed a complaint to Blake for later. It was actually a relief when I finally crossed over to the enemy side, and crept into further dangerous territory. The amount of trees felt alien to me, as Allegiance only had a few planted in parks. One thing I'll give Counterattack, they really have an amazing view from their base. Thousands of trees dotted the hillside, framed with a picturesque waterfall. Even in the dark, starlight shone down on this miniature paradise. But I kept my guard up at all times, worried that a single moment of bad luck could send me into a trap. My extremely pale skin looked like the white marble of Allegiance buildings in the moonlight, and I knew that despite my monochrome outfit, I missed an equally important factor. Honestly, I should have left the hat. My long brown hair would hide my face better than the wool cap could. As I could do nothing about it now, other than keep my face low, I continued on with each sense straining, because I didn't want to get caught by surprise. However, I did take off the dark hat and shove it into my emergency bag. Soon, however, I began to hear an out of place noise; the sound of sobbing. The noise was quiet, as if suppressed, but stood out to me from the other sounds of the night, which I had been hearing for quite a while. I slowly edged forward, masked in shadows. Trained agent as I was, I felt sorry for this person immediately. A girl in a battered Counterattack uniform leaned over one of the many natural ponds, crying her heart out as if grieving for the whole world, all of which had been her friend. Though she obviously came from the enemy, given her clothing, my heart ached for her, even though I was frantically looking around, scanning for any sign of a trap having to do with this person, I decided to walk up, trying not to startle her. "Are you okay?" She whirled around, stumbling backward, almost falling entirely into the water. Her face was glimmering with tear marks, but she wiped them away. Since her hands had just fallen into the pond, this action did more harm than good. Her eyes narrowed in a threatening way, but I could see by her shaking body this was an act meant to scare me off. I held up my hands in surrender. I felt pity for this girl, and didn't mean any harm. She scanned me, to make sure I don't have any weapons. Her pale green eyes paused on the dagger I kept strapped to my left arm, and I quickly took it off and set it down. She relaxed slightly, and turned her back long enough to dry her face and arms. I stayed completely still the entire time, because something inside told me that I didn't wish this girl harm. She looked back, and saw I hadn't moved a muscle. Once she deemed me safe, this mystery girl broke down in front of me. I walked over slowly, and she allowed me to approach. I put a careful arm around her shoulder, smiling supportively. How quickly I became protective of this girl, as she reminded me of a little sister one would have. It was my nature to be sympathetic, and no amount of tactics training could help that. Eventually she told me the problem. "I feel like an absolutely awful person. I saved my friend from dying for a crime he didn't commit, but the one who helped me got left behind. If anyone saw her helping me, she'd be-" The girl cut herself off by collapsing back into sobs again, this time not bothering to be quiet. I comforted her the best I could without overwhelming her, and after a while she calmed down enough to give me a shaky smile. "I'm Ashley Parks. Thank you for being here for me." I smiled, and studied her features. In this light, I could tell she has light brown hair, almost cinnamon, and I could see those large green eyes in better clarity. It's incredible, the amount of pain she'd have to be carrying, to confide in a possibly dangerous stranger like me. I decided to take her back with me once I completed the mission, regardless of if Ash once was Counterattack or not. "What's your name?" I mentally debated whether or not I should answer her honestly. It was obvious that she wouldn't turn me in. As of right now, I knew she was fully against the organization and everything it stood for. Something felt off however, as my agent training reactivated to the sudden realization that we weren't alone. A twig cracked behind me, and I slammed whoever it is against a nearby tree with a move Lucy taught me for self defense. Well, Lucy's way involved the other arm delivering an elbow blow to the stomachs and breaking a leg, but I watered it down. It was a regular looking boy with messy reddish hair and sharp brown eyes, but I had a feeling from how he didn't flinch that he was like me. He was in a torn, dirty olive hoodie that hadn't been washed in a while. I looked at him, but what I saw in his eyes confirmed what I already knew. I saw no fear, just absolute determination. And there was something in the back of my head, a tingling feeling. This person was familiar somehow, but frustratingly enough, I couldn't place when I had seen this boy before. Perhaps I'd seen him on one of my missions? I decided then and there that I didn't want this boy as my enemy, strong as I may be. However, soon I remembered who I was, and reinforced my grip. Ash snapped out of her shock of seeing me go from nice to battle status in a second, and ran over. She tugged my arms away with all her strength, and I reluctantly let her, looking over and asking for an answer. "Stop! This is Ryan. He's the friend I was talking about!" Slightly embarrassed, I backed away. He blinked, and looked distrustingly at me, which I had to accept, seeing as I had just attacked him. She smiled back at him, a sure sign of trust.
"Ash, your eyes are red. Were you crying? And who is this? Did she hurt-"
"No Ryan, I was crying before she got here. I was feeling guilty for leaving Jen."
By the sound of it, these two have been through a lot together. The way they talk to each other was so familiar, so constant. Whatever past they have, whatever they've been through, it's made them close. Ryan seemed to have accepted me as a decent human being, and addressed me. "So." I raised an eyebrow, and replied in a mimicking tone. "How very eloquent." Ryan blinked, confused by my sudden hostility. He continued warily. "I can tell you're not from here. If you were, you would have recognized us, and brought us back. Are you...an Allegiance ally?" Ryan had good deductive skills, and if the situation was different, I would maybe want to recruit them. As for my identity, well, if I'm really as famous as I've been led to believe, these fellows were in for quite a shock. "You don't recognize me? I guess Counterattack still doesn't have the skills to hack into our higher-ups identity system. Then I suppose you'll find out if you come with me." I started walking away, until Ryan called to me as loudly as he dared. "Hold it." He walked over to me, Ash trailing behind. "I'm not going anywhere with you at all. I don't even know who you are." I guess it was time to tell them, if only to save these two. With a sigh, I cued the invisible epic background music, deciding to channel my inner Blake dramatics. "Well, I happen to be Agent 11, and if you want to survive, you'll come with me." New respect flared in their eyes as it dawned on them what I was saying, along with surprise, and a bit of fear. But Ryan's also held disbelief. I know I didn't look like much, but that was just until you saw me fight an enemy, or even worse, fight Lucy. Not many people can claim to have done that and survived. After revealing my identity, Ryan and Ash followed me obediently, whispering to one another like I couldn't hear them. Since my ears were unnaturally sensitive, I could. "Ryan, we left Jen. Don't you feel guilty?" "I know, but no one saw her give you those throwing knives. And remember, you did save me, with no training in knife throwing, That's less of a reason to feel bad about yourself." Ash was silent for a moment, and when she spoke again, her voice was different, quieter. "Do you trust Agent 11? Honestly, I'm afraid. I've heard stories of her back in Counterattack. She's the second in command of the base near ours." Hmph. A little trust please. I could have killed them twenty times by now. I wouldn't, of course, seeing as both of them were weak, scared, and not trying to attack me. Still, I suppose I would be doubtful if I was in their place. Thankfully, before Ryan could answer, I saw where we were and called back to them softly. "Don't be. We're almost there." We had arrived at the Counterattack headquarters, where I would place the downloader. I turned to Ryan and Ash, to size them up. Unarmed, aside from these so called knives. Ryan looked weak and thin, as if he hadn't eaten in a while. Neither was in any sort of condition to do anything stealthy. "Well, I'm going to have to go in alone. Stay here." Ryan glared at me with an anger so sharp, I almost felt a little afraid of the battered escapist. "So we just stand by? That's okay with everyone? You think you can just show up, out of nowhere, claim to be some great Agent, and expect us to follow your every whim?" My temper glowed red-hot at his tone, and more importantly, his volume, but he was somewhat correct. I needed to prove who I was, to win their respect. I whispered to Ryan to hush, or were all as good as dead. Then I paused, thinking over the words that had made me feel so angry. "Ryan, what did you just say?" He blinked, surprised by my question. He thought for a moment, then visibly looked down. I smirked confidently. "Well, thank you for complimenting me. I'll try to live up to the reputation Counterattack has produced." Then, I decided on a plan. Ash would distract the guards with a noise, leaving an empty spot for me to climb into the vents, and crawl over to Counterattacks tech room. Ryan would follow me and pose as the lookout. He looked up in disbelief, all flusteredness forgotten.
"Excuse me, why do I have to be the lookout? I want to help, and Ash would be safer with you anyway."
"First of all, you are excused, and second, I happen to know what I'm doing. Not to mention, Ash might just be more fit to defend herself than you are. When was the last time you had a decent meal?You've been disrupting my plan, but I haven't knocked you out and left you for a guard to find. Trust me, I've been tempted."
That reply came out as more harsh than I meant. I've been spending too much time getting insulted by Lucy. Ryan glared, but ruefully quieted down, while Ash hid a giggle, because she had a feeling that I didn't really mean it. To appease him, I switched Ash to the lookout, and Ryan as the distraction. After Ryan finally agreed, Ash and I started creeping around the halls. After a while, we reached the vents entryway. I was halfway in, when Ash tensed up. "Someone's coming." I backed out of vents, and started frantically shoving my companion over to them. Then I heard a cold, cruel voice, grating up my spine. "So, the great Agent 11 has decided to drop by. Oh, and you've even brought our escapees. I'd bet that the other one is already in those vents. Thank you very much." Captain Harlof. This Counterattack unit's leader, though he's less than half the person Blake is. I've dealt with him before, but with Ash here, I doubted I could protect both of us. I assessed the situation. Harlof seemed unarmed and at ease, but flanked by two guards who looked to be just the opposite. Fantastic. With my two favorite tactics, Fight or Flight out of the question, I had to go with my last resort: Trickery. Oddly enough, that seemed to be the one I was forced to use most often. "Yes, in fact, he's on his way to the tech room. Oh, and it just so happens that he's carrying a certain device. One that can download vital information." When I looked up at Harlof again, his face was a look of worry as he dispatched his bodyguards to the tech room. Then he smirked, thinking that he'd won. I had gotten his guards away from him, and somewhat evened the playing field.

"Now it's just you and me, Agent 11."

I froze at his tone. He knew, somehow, that I was lying. Before I could ask how he knew, and why he chose to send away his assurance, he drew a sword out of nowhere and attacked. I pulled mine out just in time to block. He and I were fighting to get in each parry and block, and while I seemed to have the upper hand, we were equally matched. "How did you know I was bluffing?" I was able to get out when his next attempted hit went a bit too far left. "It's obvious. You'd have gone first, to check if it was safe." Harlof replied, just as the flat of his sword hit my stomach like a bat. Just a bit of adjustment, and I'd have died. Even so, the breath was knocked out of my lungs. Then Ash ran over, behind his back, about to swing the flat part of a dagger at his head. Her plan to knock him out backfired, as he whirled around and hit her. While that happened, I hit him upside the head, and he collapsed. "For God's sake, what is it with you Counterattacks and getting knocked out?" I kicked him where he lay on the floor for good measure, then picked up Ash like a sack of potatoes. I stormed out the entrance, angry, tired, and still catching my breath. Ryan was in the planned meeting spot, and he jumped up when he saw me coming, eyes wide. "Is she ok? What happened?" My breathing was just starting to slow, getting over the excitement only minutes ago. "She's fine, just passed out. Harlof Hit her on the head, and knocked her unconscious." Ryan blinked. "Harlof? As in Captain Harlof? The strongest person in the base? Where is he now?" I smiled a bit. "Right now, he's just as asleep as this young lady." I started walking towards the Allegiance base. "Where are we going?" Ryan asked nervously. "The Allegiance base. There's a doctor there who can take care of Ash." I think Ryan had grown some respect for me, after knowing that I defeated the strongest person he knew. He followed me with no comments, giving me the time I needed to think. Suddenly, my eyes widened. How could I have forgotten about the mission?
"We have to go back!" Ryan looked at me, confused. "What? I thought you said we need to help Ash." I shook my head, heartbeat accelerating again. "Oh, Blake is gonna kill me." Ryan looked at me quizzically. "Who's Blake?" Right. I kept forgetting he's not from Allegiance. I guess Counterattack really doesn't know our names too well after all. I turned back towards the building we just came from. As we began to walk, I shifted our sleeping Ash over to Ryan. "Well, Blake is my boss. I can't believe you haven't heard of him."

"Wait, you mean Blake Hannings?" Ryan's voice held awe. "Huh, so you're an Allegiance fanboy. Yes, Blake Hannings. But I'll warn you, he's not quite as impressive as you'd believe." Ryan didn't reply, so I ended up telling him about my life as an Agent, and also about what I do in my free time. I figured that, if I was to recruit him, he'd need to understand us. I stopped to think about what to say next, and he asked a question that made me freeze. "You've told me quite a bit about your agent life. What about your family? Do they work in Allegiance as well?" I pressed my lips together, an instinctive reaction to the personal and troubling subject. Ryan noticed, and tilted his head. "Did I say something wrong?" I shook my head slowly. "No. It's just that-" I stopped talking to draw in a shaky breath. Any time I thought about the subject, my eyes watered slightly. Ryan's eyes widened. "I made you cry! I'm so sorry, I just wondered about your non-Agent life because you didn't mention it. I was just curious." I smiled. "Wow, whatever happened to 'You think you can show up out of nowhere and claim to be some great agent?' And you didn't make me cry, it's just a sensitive topic for me. You see, I never knew my parents." Ryan looked at me, and finally stopped his ramble. "I never met mine either. Were you adopted? Did they die?" I shook my head sadly. "No, Ryan. I never knew them. I never knew anyone outside Allegiance. I have amnesia. I don't remember the first eleven-ish years of my life. I can't remember why someone left me on the hillside near the Allegiance base to fend for myself." I looked over at him, and smiled, though anyone could see that it was fake. "I sure am lucky they found me, at least." He looked at me pityingly, and I sighed. That's the reason I never told anyone outside the A-Team. My whole life, I knew I hated being pitied. It made me feel like I was weak and in need of someone to wait on me hand and foot and protect me from any and all harm. I rolled my eyes, and ducked into the entrance. My acquaintance followed, deciding to bring our unconscious companion, in case she woke up. I led the way down the halls, until we reached somewhere around the second floor. I glanced at the boy next to me, who had been silent the whole time. "It's fine. You did nothing wrong." He shook his head. "I should have guessed it would be an upsetting subject." Great, he was blaming himself now. "Listen, I've told only five people about my past, and almost everyone acted exactly the same as you. So don't pin me being upset on yourself." Ryan started to reply, but I held up a hand, stopping him. I listened carefully. Below us was the faint sound of army boots on tile. It started to get louder, and Ryan's eyes became sharp with panic, then relaxed, because the noises were coming from a different level. I frantically looked around, my eyes stopping on a sign above a door close by. My heart plummeted. I grabbed Ryan's hand and started running, after seeing that Ash was in no danger of being dropped. Now both awake people had rushing paces, running as fast as we could. We rounded yet another corner, and I closed the door behind us, bolting it. "Would you please tell me, why the heck that was about? I mean, sure that was scary, but they were below us. Don't you think the sound of us running caught their attention?" Ryan asked, through rapid breathing. I looked around before replying. "Stairs." He squinted. "What? We ran that far because of some stairs?" I glared at him. "Are you dumb, or just unobservant?" He went to reply, but was again cut off by boots on tile. This time, the noise was on our floor. His face froze. When he dared speak again, it was a whisper. "Did those troops take those exact stairs?" I nodded. "You've got to start trusting me." I muttered, all the while looking through the keyhole for the soldiers. When they passed us, I waited for a second, counting to ten. I released the pent up air I'd been holding. Turning back to Ryan, I smiled apologetically. "Sorry. I'm just tense. This didn't go to plan at all." He nodded. "We should go now. Finish dropping off the device, and then get you and Ash a place to stay." I tentatively unlocked the door, and tiptoed out. After a minute, Ryan asked which room to go into. "What?" I turned to him, and stared quizzically. He looked around. "I grew up here. I know this place pretty well." Since the alternative was a sketchy map made mostly through guesses, I soon pulled out the sticky note with the name of the room on it. "The Technology center." His face lost its enthusiasm. "Oh. I don't know where that is. But Ash does. As a matter of fact, she worked there." I frowned and stood up, walking towards a nearby window. "I see. Well, then we should get back to Allegiance. Ash might need medical attention." I took a step down the hall, but then froze. Voices. Lots of them. I pulled Ryan back into the room and locked it, cursing under my breath. We weren't getting out through the hallway. I looked around and saw a heavy desk. After tying a rope around two of its legs, I turned to Ryan. "Tie it around your waist. I'll get Ash, since I'm stronger anyway." His eyebrows knit together in confusion. I knew what he was thinking. I'd been so determined to gain information and complete the mission. Now I was planning an escape, changing my mind in a heartbeat. "What?" I sighed. "We might as well just bring her back and try later. We're going to leave by climbing out the window. Hurry though, they'll be doing a sweep as soon as Harlof wakes up." He nodded slowly, and reached for the rope. I stopped him. "Have you done anything like this before?" Ryan shook his head. "I've never jumped out a window, but I have tied knots before." I grabbed the rope, and started looping it around his waist. "You need training for these types of harnesses." Once I finished, I gave him a smile. "It's just like a plummet ride at a theme park. You'll be fine." He nodded, but I noticed that his face held a reddish tinge. "Are you okay?" Ryan flushed even more and nodded frantically. "Just hurry." I continued, tying it around my waist, then Ash's. Then I made an extra knot, securing her in place, as she couldn't hold the rope in her unconscious state. "Ready?" He asked fearfully. The tone in his voice made me pause "Ryan, are you okay? For real?" His face was pale now, but he nodded, and I slowly opened the window. A cold night breeze touched my face, and I smiled softly. This kind of air only showed up at night. I grabbed the windowsill, and looked down. The building was made of rough and uneven cracked bricks. Some would say it was of poor quality. I called it a good climbing course. My foot gripped the first foothold through my thin handmade boots. Then another for my opposite leg. Now for the worst part. I let go of the sill and scrambled for a place to grab. I continued, pretending that I was just testing another Allegiance training course. I did this until my feet hit solid ground. Finally, I relaxed and let go. Then a noise captured my attention. A shift in the bushes. As I discreetly glanced over, my eyes caught a flash of silver. It was the Counterattack terrain guard. I sighed. They were poorly trained, but the number of troops was often larger than I felt comfortable fighting at once. And guarding a weak, unarmed boy and unconscious girl would just add to the burden. I was sure if Ryan had a weapon, he would be a good fighter despite being a poorly treated prisoner until recently, but for now I was alone. I reacted lightning fast, cutting the rope as far as I could above me so Ryan and Ash would have to stay put. Then they rolled out of the bushes and surrounded me. About twenty, and all were armed. My only comfort was watching them struggle to hold poorly balanced swords properly. Up above, Ryan let out a cry of alarm, as there was no more rope to hold onto. I was sure his terribly concealed fear of heights would keep him from just climbing via the bricks. "Agent 11, what's happening down there?" I sighed as the girl in front eyes widened. Now they knew who I was. But I knew he was just concerned about the situation that would force me to strand them and take on a danger myself. "It's okay, I can handle it. Stay up there." I heard the sound of rope scratching against weather worn rock as he shifted enough to look down. "Hold on, I'm coming down." I shook my head. He would freeze. I knew these kinds of fears. Besides, Ash was below him and he wouldn't drop her. I focused on the problem in front of me and drew my sword. Ten attacked at once, and each time I took out one, another appeared. But I was far better, and cut them down as soon as I saw them. Then I turned back to see the girl. She was obviously the leader, and held her weapon with more composure than the others. I smirked. "Bring it on." She matched my cold smile, and lunged. I knew the moment our blade clashed I was better than her, more than enough to win. But I had to commend her for pure skill. I met her eyes, and was hit by a sudden doubt. She had triumph in her eyes, as if she knew something I didn't. Something she could win with. The next events happened in slow motion. The whip of wind as a soldier I'd thought to be unconscious stood up and aimed his sword at me with a killing stroke. The sound of a blade cutting through the rope above, followed by Ryan falling directly on my would be attacker. The girl registered what happened a second too late as I brought the flat of my sword to her head with a thump. I turned to see Ash had luckily landed safely, but Ryan was limping. Our eyes met. Mine were wide with shock, but his glowing with exhilaration. A wide smile broke over my face. "You just saved my life." He was about to reply, but shouts were heard from close by. I grabbed Ash and started running. Ryan's footsteps told me he was following close behind. He caught up to me, and I let him hold his friend, as I was getting tired. We ran until the fortress of Counterattack was far behind us, and the night was still enough to hear each other's ragged breathing. Nearby, I could see the rock formation that meant Allegiance was nearby. "Just a few more miles." I told him as we both paused to catch our breaths. He nodded, but flinched suddenly. "What?" Ryan quickly set down Ash, and I noticed she was slowly waking up. We waited until her eyes opened, tired confusion until she remembered everything. "I, what? I remember Harlof, and then... you! You're Agent 11, and you're helping us get to Allegiance." She rambled, pointing at me. I nodded and filled Ash in on the journey we had been on. When I told her why we had left she shakily stood up. "I know where it is. We can go back and complete your mission. Just let me-" I cut her off. "Ash, you can barely stand right now. The best you can do for us is come to Allegiance and get proper medical attention." Ash was quiet for a while. Then she turned to me expectantly. "Okay Agent 11. Which direction is Allegiance?" I shook my head. "I don't think they'd let you in without me. It's best you-" Ryan turned around, face plastered with confusion. "Wait, what do you mean 'Without me'? We're all going there, right?" I looked away, my voice dropped slightly. "Well, I have to finish the mission. Now that you're safe I can complete it." For a second Ryan looked confused, as he processed what I had just said. Then alarm filled his eyes. Yes, I'd lied to him to get the two of them out safely. After all, I still had the vague map. I looked around for some place to shelter them while I was away. The hillside was full of trees, but no solution jumped out at me. That was, until a small, well hidden crevice a few feet away caught my gaze. It looked perfect, and I started walking over. Ash and Ryan followed me, immersed in a discussion of whispers. The hard stone felt cold, as did the air inside. Making a quick decision, I pulled off my hoodie and handed it to Ryan. "Use it to keep her warm. You can't risk a fire here." He took it reluctantly, still seeming worried. "Oh, and don't you dare lose my jacket. It's a gift from someone really close to me." Ryan nodded slowly, and I backed away a few steps, which seemed to trigger some mental battle. He suddenly looked more afraid. Ash put a hand on my shoulder, smiling warmly, though I detected a trace of worry in her voice as well. "Just stay safe. Promise?" I nodded. This girl was so compassionate towards me that I wondered what it would be like once I actually got to know her. She lay down, wrapping my beloved hoodie around herself, tucking her arms under her head as a pillow. In a minute, she was fast asleep. I turned back to the forest and started walking. Before I could get too far however, a hand grabbed mine. I looked up to see panicked brown eyes almost the same color as my own. "Don't. Don't leave."

The pure fear in his tone... That and the look in his eyes scared me more than this one time I was alone in the middle of a blizzard. Cold, a feeling that I was going to die. But then I was in Allegiance territory, though not my own city. Here I was in enemy land, with next to no knowledge about this outpost.

So I stopped. I stared directly into his distraught eyes, and asked the question that had been forming in my mind since he started acting so scared. "Ryan, what are you so afraid of?" He flinched, backing away. "I'll only tell you if you promise not to go. Okay?" It was the second promise I'd made that day, and I had a task to do, but I promised him and sat back down. He joined me on the ground, and I waved a hand at him to cue his story. He nodded, and began to talk. "As you know, I was held prisoner for a while. During that time, Counterattack was convinced I was a spy for Allegiance. They tried to get information out of me. I wasn't really fed, and I didn't even get a prison cell. I was just shackled to a wall in the testing room. Honestly, I preferred the wall to the people I met in that place. Some were awful, taking the little food I had out of my reach. But sometimes a person would try to be nice to me, then play good cop in the next interrogation. After that didn't work out, they-" Ryan stopped. I hadn't realized it, but he was shaking. I took his hand for support, and he slowly continued. "They attached me to a machine that showed pictures, told stories of everything bad that had happened to me. That gave them a lot of choices to show me. My house burning down, my sister in an accident. The day my mother left. And then the people started telling me things. Saying Ash had been taken into a much harsher interrogation, and that we were losing more to Allegiance. They played on my loyalties. Once or twice I considered making things up just so I could be left alone in prison, but I knew that they'd find out and I'd be no better off. And the day I almost escaped. The power had gone out and everyone was busy with repairs. I had stolen a key a week ago. It was easy to fight off the remaining sentries. Even in a weak state, I still had years of training. But just before they caught me, as I was almost out, as I could see the sun, something happened. I felt a sting in my left arm, and suddenly couldn't move. Then the images started, but instead of on a screen they were in my head. But there were more now. More painful too. I was dragged back to that wall, and the next day they announced my execution. Later, I found out they had managed to inject what they call Liquid Fear into my system. Now almost everyone carries a syringe full of it. I don't want that to happen to you. That's why you can't go." I stared, speechless for a minute. I knew Counterattack could be cruel, but that story was horrific. That Liquid Fear he had mentioned, I recognized the name. Blake had brought it up before telling me about the special mission. Well, at least my list of unanswered questions for Blake had depleted slightly. I quickly leaned over enough to wrap my arms around Ryan in a hug. I didn't often do this, but he had earned some kind of comfort. Not just from the traumatic events, but just sharing that story was incredible in itself. I pulled away, and saw him suppressing a yawn. I looked outside to see a setting sun and a rainbow of colors painting the sky. "You should get some sleep. I'll keep watching till midnight." He nodded. "Let's not wake Ash. She needs rest." Ryan gave me a soft smile, contrasting the lively boy I had clashed with in the first hour of knowing him. "We'll find another way to finish your mission. Okay?" I lay down beside Ryan, using my arms for a pillow. "Okay."
* * * * * * *
Ten minutes. Half an hour. I counted in my head as I waited for my companion's breathing to settle. As an agent, he was a light sleeper, and woke up to small noises naturally occurring in nature. But eventually I was sure they were both sound asleep. That was when I sat up, moving quietly out the cave entrance. The air was cooler out here, freer somehow. Then a voice, though barely audible, shattered the silence. "I knew it." I turned immediately to the sound of the voice. There, sitting on a rock, was Ash. I mentally slapped myself for not noticing an actual person leaving the cave. "Ash? How did you get out here?" She smiled a little. "You dozed off for a minute. Did you know you snore?" I did. Lucy had told me many times. "You don't sound loud as much as you do adorable." My shoulders slumped, annoyed, but she continued, "I woke up after about thirty minutes, and I assumed you both were asleep. But when I suddenly heard you, I knew the only reason you would have stayed up so late is if you planned to leave. So I went out here to wait." I sighed. "You caught me red handed. But now that you have, what are you going to do?" She sighed, a mixture of reluctance and concern. "Going there would put you in danger. And when Ryan finds out you left he'll come after you. That puts two in danger." I shook my head. "No. He wouldn't leave you all by yourself here." "That puts one other person in danger!" I had been thinking while I waited for them to fall asleep. And I knew what I had to do. "No. You know he won't endanger you, especially when you're weaker than you normally would be. He won't follow me if it means risking you." Ash was silent. The gears in her head were turning, trying to find an alternative. "Fine. But at least be safe. I know you lied to Ryan when you said you wouldn't go, but please be safe. Promise or I will wake up Ryan and we'll both follow you. As much as Ryan won't risk my health, you won't risk ours." I nodded. "I already promised someone that I would be safe. And I refuse to let him down. So yes, I will be safe."

Ash was smarter than I had originally thought. For that I respected her a bit more. Then, the stars glimmering in the blue black of midnight, I set off into the woods, hoping that Ryan wouldn't wake up to find me missing until I was already inside the base. Trees wove patterns of roots on the ground, but I didn't trip on any. It was bright enough to see the land surrounding me, but my dark choice of clothes still benefited me. About an hour later I reached the base. The deja-vu was intense, so I checked the pond for crying girls on the run. Obviously, no one was there, but it felt like I did the right thing by checking. The lights in the building were all off, but I had an instinctive feeling of mistrust. So I stayed hidden carefully. Creeping up the side of the building like a spider, slipping through the window with my lock pick. I paused around every corner, jumped at every tap on the tile floor. Hid at every noise, until I reached a door with the light still on. No one was inside, so I crept in to look over my map, only to discover that the room I was in was the map room. In this room was a map of the entire building. I spotted the Technology room rather quickly, but I also noticed that it was on the other side of the structure. I sighed, and started walking out of the room.

I decided after almost getting caught by a night guard, that I'd be cliche and use the vents. The ventilation was silent to move in, and sturdy. I could almost stand up, which just went to show how large they were, though I was a fairly short person, only 5'1. I pulled out a map I had taken and a tiny light, and used it to make my way towards the data room. I was almost there, just around the corner, when I saw it. An almost imperceptible flash of light caught my eye. I placed a hand on the handle of my emergency dagger, my heart racing. Someone was in the vents with me. That could only mean one thing: This was a trap. Somehow Counterattack had found out I was going to the Technology room, and was waiting. Suddenly I became aware of all the tiny sounds I had been missing. Sounds I had ignored because I thought I was safe. Footsteps below me, hushed voices, an aura of secrecy. I decided I had only one option left. I'd have to knock this person out, and leave. I knew from seeing another map that had given me the idea to hide in the vents, there were no exits up here. I'd have to sneak out a window or the ground floor doorway. So I carefully inched forward, closer to the person who was facing away from me, peering into the room below through a gap. I hit them quickly on the head, and saw them go limp a second before I realized this person had been wearing a helmet. The crash of metal against metal echoed through the silence. Voices rose, and I heard running. Someone was shouting something, and I heard the word vents. I was beginning to feel afraid, and started running. The nearest vent exit I saw, I jumped through immediately. The fall was a bit more than I had expected, and it jarred my knees a little, but I kept racing. I didn't know where I was going, I was just trying to hide. My boots made no noise on the hard floor, but every ragged breath sounded deafening to me. Noises behind me were growing louder. I could hear individual voices now, different tones. A few I thought I recognized, and figured they were spies for us that had been planted here. I ran down a flight of stairs, about to turn the corner when my leg exploded with pain. I collapsed, but when I tried to lift myself back up, I found I couldn't move. Pain was still rippling from the back of my shin, and I could feel a small trickle of warm liquid coming from the source of the injury. A paralysis dart. I sighed. It was hard to lay here and wait for the crowd to catch up, but at least I'd escape later. I was irritated, but accepting. I knew I deserved it for going out alone.

Then, the images started.