I threw my bag into the trunk of the car and hopped into the drivers seat. Beside me a plasma screen unfolded from the radio and bosses head appeared.
"What's the new job?"
"I cant say until you are back at base. Be here by nightfall."
"Roger."
The screen went black and folded in on itself. As soon as it was gone I flicked on the car and headed off down the highway. I hadn't gotten a real job in almost half a year, I couldn't imagine why they would suddenly pull me again. As the traffic on the highway died down I relaxed and sank lower in my seat, allowing my music to wash over me.
Harsh lights suddenly flared behind me and sirens rose over the lull of my music. I cursed and pulled over, waiting for the cop to come to my window.
"Do you know how fast you were driving?"
"Eighty miles an hour sir."
"Thats twenty over the speed limit."
I didn't respond but flicked him a badge stating I was CIA, "Im on a really busy schedule, and its a matter of National Security so I don't have time for this."
He stammered out, "Right. Go ahead."
I nodded and started out at the same speed. I hate cops.
Words - so innocent and powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent for good and evil they become in the hands of one who knows how to combine them. ~Nathaniel Hawthorne
I sat in class, trying so hard not to fall asleep as Mr. Grant taught us the proper way to conjugate Russian verbs. My parents had taught me Russian when I was four, so I could speak it pretty well. I just didn't really want to be here.
I looked at the clock, and ten minutes later, it rang. Everyone was out of there in ten seconds.
I walked down the hall to Self Defence 303, when Rob fell into step with me.
"Hey, Robbie." I said with a smile. He winced when I called him Robbie. He didn't let anyone but me call him that.
"Hey Wrath." he said back. Now it was my turn to wince. "Did you hear about our new assignment?"
He now had my full attention. "New assi-" I was cut off by the wall opening up and sucking us in backwards. I screamed, even though I knew I was heading to Head Master Arnold's office. This had happened to me before, but I still didn't like it.
I landed upside down on one of the four couches in his office. By the thud I heard on his hardwood floors, I would say that Rob landed on the floor.
I righted myself and saw that all of my team was there. Elmira was standing in the corner, looking pissed off, Malcolm was sitting on the couch I had landed on, and Scot was sitting on the floor. I also saw our competing team, the Red team. It was friendly competition, and I didn't dislike anyone on the Red team. In fact, Jesse Wallace and Devon Lake were in my friend group.
I turned my attention to the adults up at Arnold's desk. My parents were there, along with Professor Walker and Professor Owens. Arnold cleared his throat. "I thank you all for coming here today." he started. I raised my eyebrows, but he kept going. "I need both of your teams. As you know, there have been rumors of a war between America and the Russia-China alliance. The CIA called us this morning and asked for some of our best spies."
"But, sir," Ryan Ashley, the Red team leader, interrupted, "We haven't graduated yet."
"I am well aware of that, Mr. Ashley." Arnold snapped. "But all of our senior spies are on one mission or another. Besides, your two teams have the most victories of your class. This assignment needs requires two team, because there are two countries involved. Black team," he looked at us. "I'm going to send you to China. Red team, you're going to Russia. All of your supplies and gadgets have been left in our room. You will leave tonight."
Ten minutes after he dismissed us, My team and I were back in my room, still shocked. Arnold had put everything that we needed in our rooms, along with our equipment and everything else piled in a corner of my room. My parents told my team to go and pack a few pairs of clothes and then to meet back in my room in half an hour. I was sitting on my bed after they left, alone with my parents.
My mother came over and hugged me tight. "I'm so proud of you, Cass." she said. "Your first huge assignment! If you weren't leaving tonight we would take you out to dinner."
"Don't be proud of me yet, Mom." I said. "We haven't saved anyone."
Dad held something out to me. It was a brown paper wrapped package tied with string. I took it gingerly. "Open it." he urged. I did what he asked and found a journal laying inside of it.
"That instruction guide has been in our family for three generations." Dad said proudly. "It actually saved your mother and I once, back in Peru. Don't be afraid to look at it every once in a while. It might just save you."
Forty minutes later, the Black team and Red team were out on our airway stretch, waiting for out jets to come in. It was snowing and we stood there, trying to mentally prepare ourselves as we always did before something big like this. For a lot of us, an assignment usually meant that we may have to kill someone. That was once of the most dangerous things about the kids trained at our school. We were trained both as spies and assassins. I had already had to kill twice, and it really wasn't my favorite thing in the world.
Our jets finally came down and we boarded quickly. As I sat down and settled in, I had a distinct feeling in my gut that both of the teams were about to do something that would go down in history.
I didn't like her to call me Robbie. I didn't like anyone to call me that but well... it was Cassia. I made an exception for her. However, it was still grinding on my nerves when I felt the wall give way behind us. I landed in a crouch on the hardwood floor, not as smoothly as I'd have liked but a good shade better than upside down on the couch. Sometimes I wondered about Cassia. She got the top grades, all her family were excellent spies, she was a good leader and yet... every time we were summoned she got this wide-eyed surprised look on her face.
It didn't matter anyway. I drifted through the briefing in a dark cloud. This was it. I could feel it. This mission would be my last. I followed the rest of the black team to Cassia's room and then out again and back to my own. It didn't matter what I packed. Anything would do.
We all met up on the airway stretch and waited for the jets, both teams standing slightly apart. There was tension between the teams sometimes, we were taught to always watch each other, to trust our team but not the others because too often one turned rogue. The red team were good people. If anything, we were the rogue team. I certainly wasn't anything to rely on. I had only my own life in mind and the thoughts of every way I could lose it.
The jets landed and breaths were released in relief as the black team filed into one and the red into the other. My gut tightened and I felt suddenly that the others deserved a warning. They were good people. They shouldn't have to die.
"This feels like an important mission," I said.
"It will count toward graduation," Cassia agreed happily. She was carrying a small book that she tucked fondly into her pack.
"I think this is beyond graduation," I hinted with a slight smile.
I sighed and leaned against the wall. I was in Cassia's room with the rest of the team. Oh joy.
"Hey Elmira," Cassia said, smiling at me. I cocked an eyebrow and she sighed. "Don't you ever smile?"
"No," I replied, unemotionally. "Smiling gives you wrinkles and you know how I love to impress people." Cassia laughed.
"Most definitely," she said, nudging my combat boots and tugging at the edge's on my spiderweb fingerless gloves. I shrugged.
"Well now are we just going to sit here and wait for tea or is there something we need to do?" I hinted. I was ready to get out of here. I was starting to feel cramped in this room and I needed some excitement.
Hermione, shut your ungodly, lopsided mouth and quit interrupting! 20 points from Gryffindor. You know, for the brightest witch of your age you can sure be a dumba** sometimes. *smiles* 10 points to Dumbledore!
Name: Mikael Eisenstein
General Code Name: Death (Each member of his team is a horseman of the apocalypse)
Team: Grey Alpha
Appearance: 6ft1, medium length blonde hair, wears black.
Age: 18
Personality: Suave and charismatic. He is the prince charming of spies.
Role on the Team: Leader of Team Grey Alpha
History: An older student whos team recently finished in Russia but has been given orders to remain and help Red. He assassinated the leader of a Russian syndicate and helped maintain the countrie political stability.
I have looked into the eye of the storm and stared it down. I am an adrenaline junky and i know no fear.
Can there be two Red Techies? Just wondering, after Skull's post...
Diana - Red Team - Techie
Diana settled into her seat on the plane. She pulled her new special-order laptop she had been given for the mission. Diana ran her hands over its surface, imagining the government servers she could hack into with her new toy.
Shaking herself slightly, Diana began rummaging in her equipment sack again. She pulled out a bag of earpieces and microphones. Diana opened her laptop, looking for the program to go with them. She quickly pulled it up, and pulled on her master headpiece. Concentrating, Diana clicked the 'test' button for each individual microphone to ensure they were working.
Communication. Check.
Diana felt a smirk grow on her face as she explored her programs and equipment. She paid no heed to the conversation among her other team members.
Devon leaned on Diana's seat to look over her shoulder. "Having fun?" he commented dryly when he spotted the long lines of code filling Diana's computer screen.
Diana scowled, looking at him. "Must you pester me?" she snapped.
Devon shrugged. "I wouldn't call asking a single question 'pestering'."
Diana slowly took her fingers off of the keyboard, and folded her hands in her lap. "I sense there is more than a single question coming."
Devon snorted. He eyed the earpieces on the seat next to Diana. "Those for us?"
"They are," replied Diana coolly, handing one to him. "Take a mike, too."
"Generous of you."
Diana rolled her eyes. "Keep them on at all times, if you will," she said sweetly. "We wouldn't want you to be caught in crossfire without us knowing it."
"One thing I won't be doing."
"You never know, Devon. You never know."
**Hope I got Devon's character right - I was thinking there could be some rivalry between the two - As they seem to be the arrogant ones on the team.
"The grasshopper!... Mind the grasshopper!... A grasshopper not only turns, it hops!... It hops!... And it hops jolly high!" ~Erik, The Phantom of the Opera
"So are we just going to wait for tea or are we going to do something" Elmira said her scowl getting worse. I shuffled uncomfortably on the arm of the chair I was sitting on , the whole waiting around made me feel very tense.
"I wish we had gotten Russia" I said picking up a bag of equipment, I searched through it.
"why?" Cassia said.
"you can act Russian put on the accent act more like them, not Chinese you have to have the look and the voice is harder to pull off, but mostly just because I can't speak Chinese, at all" I said and pulled out a glock revolver as well as a silencer that went with the revolver.
"nice they really went out on a leg for this mission" I said and Rob nodded.
"makes you wonder why their putting us on the job" Rob said and I murmured my agreement.
"the planes almost here" a guard said and we all went to are rooms to do any last minute packing. I packed a suit and a navy jacket as well as the basics . I slung the bag over my shoulder and walked to the air stretch.
once I was on I sat down on a long leather couch.
"hey we all need to sit on that" Malcolm said jokingly s he walked in, I pulled a hat over my eyes and jokingly gave Malcolm the finger. A second later Malcolm lifted the couch I rolled of and landed on the soft carpet.
"fine you can have the sofa this carpets softer that my bed" I said and stretched out on it.
We settled in quickly and started to set out our game plan. On the jet, there was a huge screen used for many things, mainly as a computer. Malcolm pulled up a 3D map of China and showed us where we would be staying. We would be staying in an apartment in Beijing and we would be meeting two agents from our academy who were based there.
We were all starting to get tired when the video chat button rang. I looked at Malcolm. "Can we chat?" I asked.
"Hell yeah we can chat." he said with a laugh. He pushed a button and the Red teams faces popped up.
"Hey, guys." I said with a smile.
"Hey, Cass." Devon said. "We just wanted to say hi before we went to bed."
"Well, hi." Jak said with a bright smile.
"What is up, Jak man?" Ryan said with a laugh.
We talked for a few minutes when another buzzer rang. I looked at Malcolm, who frowned.
"I don't know who it is, but it's coming from Russia." he said, looking back at his computer screen.
"Well, let's see who it is. Let them talk." I told him, and he obliged. The person who popped up surprised us both.
It was Mikael Eisenstein, a guy who had graduated two years earlier and who we all heard stories about, both good and bad. He was know as the CIA's most deadly assassin.
"Hello, Cassia Smith." he said in a smooth, deadly voice.
"Hello." I said, instantly wary. A guy who looked that good was usually up to no good.
"I wanted to congratulate you on your assignment and tell you that I look forward to seeing you here in Russia."
"Oh, I'm sorry, but it isn't my team who's going to Russia, it's the Red team who's going. My team is going to China."
He looked disappointed. "Oh, well, could you tell me who the Red team leader is?"
"Ryan Ashley." I said. "Now, if you would kindly excuse us, Mr. Eisenstein, we need to go to bed. We have a very long few weeks ahead of us."
Without waiting for a reply, I gave Malcolm the signal to cut off signal, and he was gone in less than a second.
We looked at each other for a moment and then said goodnight. We had a very long few days ahead of us.
They might go to bed if they wished, but I wasn't. I curled up in a chair, my chin on my knees. I normally didn't let anyone see me in such a...weak looking position, but everyone had already gone from here.
I wonder what China had in store for us? No doubt would my tracking skills be stretched to the max. It always was. It dosen't matter. I'm good at it. Very good. It was one of the few things I prided myself on.
I undid the dangling black braids on the sides of my head and took down the rest of my hair. I usually left it braided and piled around my head, but it felt good to let it down now and then.
"Elmira?" I heard someone call. I jumped to my feet. How had I not heard them? I cleared my throat and edged into the dark corner.
"I'm really not in the mood for any small chat," I said keeping my voice emotionless. "In fact it might just kill me before we have the chance to reach our destination."
"Well, now we wouldn't want that now would we?" The person asked. It didn't sound like Cassia. I sighed. She was probably the only one I could put up with. I actually liked her, which surprised even me. I sighed. Well I guess that they were going to find my anyway. I probably shouldn't let them find me hiding in the darkness.
Hermione, shut your ungodly, lopsided mouth and quit interrupting! 20 points from Gryffindor. You know, for the brightest witch of your age you can sure be a dumba** sometimes. *smiles* 10 points to Dumbledore!
It looked like Malcolm was bothering Elmira but that wasn't any of my business. If he wanted to get on her bad side then he could go right ahead. I could tell she didn't want to talk and I didn't either. I wanted to sleep but wasn't tired enough yet, I wondered if Cassia was sleeping. I didn't know how she managed it.
Trying not to think about anything, I looked out one of the windows. There weren't many stars out tonight. I took that as a good omen. I didn't like stars. They told of death. Every star's light that we saw was most likely a dead star. That was how long it took for their light to reach us. If you relied on stars for guidance, you were a fool. I'd read my horoscope when I was young and it said I would be happy. My parents were killed that month.
"You two should get some rest," I groaned, sitting down and leaning my back against the side of the jet. I found that was the best way to sleep if you wanted to stay alert. "We'll make history in the morning. We'll make history either way..." Dead or alive, that was the truth of it. This was an important mission and they'd sent us because we were expandable. We were all scouts this time, testing the water, prying for details and I was the head scout of a party of scouts.
Morning would tell everything. I'd be cast out first as bait, lure, whichever word sounded best to your ears. I'd take down as many as I could, give my team a fighting chance but this was it. Tomorrow I would find peace.
**phantom: You got Devon's personality down pat.**
Devon-
I looked up from my GPS and saw Diana tapping on her kepyboard. I rolled my eyes and scanned the plane, looking at the rest of my team. All were friends or friends/aquaintences so maybe this wouldn't be too bad. I smirked and looked down at me GPS. We were about 10 hours from Russia now.
**I know this is short, but I really don't know what to post. I'm sorry.**
Wow. This thing grew fast. And I'm working off my Itouch right now. Making sure I post this weekend while I have the chance.
Malcolm
After the chatting, I set off to work. The gadgets we had received where, to put it nicely, third rank. As techie, it was my obligation to improve them. I opened my suit case, and pressed a button. The top let out a swoosh of air, and some tools were released. I snatched and pulled on some goggles from my bag, and went to work on the first thing.
By the time we were over China, I was almost done, and had been up all night. If not for the a case of pills they gave us, which I took one of, I would have been down. The stuff let you work for a few days with out rest It was dangerous, but so was working with the gear we had.
"Hey Malcolm, you gonna get out of there?" Jak asked as he barged in and patted me on the back. The tweezers I was using fell out of my hand, and I was ready to scream in my last moments of life. But nothing happened, thankfully.
"Wow, tense," Jak said and followed my gaze. "What just some tweezers."
"No, not just some tweezers. The thing is holding a bomb the size of a small battery, but it holds enough explosives to blow half this plane up, and kill everyone in it," I said.
"Okay. Note to self, make sure you are not working on a bomb when I talk to you," Jak said.
"Whatever. Just be a bit careful," I said and grabbed the tweezers. I then slowly lowered it in to a grenade disguised as a pen, with a flash light. If you looked at it, you would think nothing. But with a special, easy to memorize, command sequence, it could destroy a four story building. Jak had taken off, so I grabbed the gadgets, and brought them to where everyone was.
I dumped the stuff on a coffee table, and saw some people raise eyebrows. "What happened to our stuff?" Cassie asked, as she picked up a bomb pen.
"I turned it into good gear. The stuff they gave us was training gear compared to this. And that is what they give top agents. These modifications make them easier to hide, more useful, easier to use...the list goes on. Let me give you a demonstration," I pulled a key chain, with a few keys on it, out of the pile. "This thing used to be to obvious, was a laser pen. So uncreative up in the big time. But this little thing, is hidden better. Now you would you care to guess where the laser is in here?"
"On the light key chain," Cassie said.
"Just what you would think. But it is this key here," I said and pulled out a small key, it looked like it would go to a safe. "To use it you just apply some pressure to the head, and run your finger over the teeth three times. To let the laser go, then just keep pressing on the head. Like this," I did all the steps, and they pressed on the head. A thin blue light came out, and it cut through the metal gadget table.
"Okay, that seems better," Cassie said.
"JI have your stuff set into piles. And everyone will need one of these," I said and handed two small, very small, squares.
"What are they," Rob asked.
"Communicates. They will automatic change to your skin tone. Just place the blue on in your ear, and the green near your mouth. To turn them on, all you have to do is say the code name of the person you wish to talk to, into this," I handed a dime to everyone. "Just press the guys head. and talk into it."
"How did you do all this last night?" Jak asked.
"Well, I'm good," I said and gestured for everyone to grab their stuff.
Elmira seemed a bit reluctant to grab her own. She still did not completely trust me. She had reasons though. I was the son of a double agent. And I had been having contact with her before. Along with the fact that I had gotten nothing on my mission, and ended up sending the back up in before I could get anything. It was sensible. I just hoped she would trust me eventually.
That User Who Changed Their Name A Dozen Times And So No One Ever Knew Who They Were Half the Time and When They Did Only Used Bolt.
The tragic tale of losing all #Brand for nothing in return.
Diana frowned. Her laptop was beeping insistently at her. A box popped up, saying that there was an incoming call from Russia. Diana quickly started a tracking program of her invention, trying to get a name. Who would be calling them from Russia?
"Would you please make that noise stop?" drawled Devon from behind her.
"Shut up," snarled Diana. "I trying to - "
A program pulled itself up on her computer, displaying the caller's face. Diana sat up straight, her mind working furiously. How had he passed her firewalls and blocks?
But Diana recognized the man staring at her from the other side of the screen. It was Mikael Eisenstein. His name and face was infamous back at the Academy.
"You might want to think about better protection for your system, Diana Little," he said silkily. Diana glared at him furiously.
Diana felt her seat back move. Devon was leaning over it again.
"Diana, who are you - " Devon cut off when he saw Eisenstien's face.
Eisenstien sighed dramatically. "I tire of this. Put me on the plasma screen."
Diana scowled. "On whose orders?"
"Why, mine."
"Diana." Diana winced. It was Ryan. "Who are you talking to?" he called from the other side of the plane.
"You might want to come see for yourself," Devon called back. Diana gave a low growl.
"Never mind all that. I'll just put him on the big screen..." she muttered, pressing the button. When Eisenstien's face flashed on the plasma screen at the front of the plane, he was wearing a sickeningly large smirk. Diana folded her arm's across her chest furiously.
"Hello, Ryan Ashley," began Eisenstien in what was an obviously rehearsed script. Diana's scowl deepened. She looked out of the window irritably.
"The grasshopper!... Mind the grasshopper!... A grasshopper not only turns, it hops!... It hops!... And it hops jolly high!" ~Erik, The Phantom of the Opera
I stared at Malcolm. I tried to trust everyone on the team but...he was Malcolm. What else could I say? I was partially disgusted with myself for judging him, but I could help it. I sighed.
Look at what a hypocrite I've become, I thought. I grabbed my stuff and tried to avoid contact with the others. I wasn't sure about this, but everyone seemed to trust Malcolm so I guess it wasn't my place to say anything.
Almost as if sensing my thoughts Malcolm looked my way. I inclined my head, my raven black hair falling away fom my face. I kept all emotions hidden. I was good at it but Malcolm was smart. He had already picked up on my suspicion.
He turned his head away and I felt something I haven't felt in awhile. Guilt. I clenched my fists. I wasn't going to appologize. I never did but that also didn't mean I had to be an asshole.
I stood in the corner while everyone chatted excitedly about their new gear. Cassia came over, smilng.
"Why do you always insist on coming over to the corner? You're missing everything," she said.
"Well I'm sure you can fill me in later," I replied. "I'm just not in the mood to talk to anyone right now."
"Are you ever?" She mumbled. I smiled a little. Letting one corner of my mouth lift, but Cassia recognized it all the same.
"It's about time. I was starting to think you forgot," she laughed, sarcastically.
"Ah, and I bet you're not the only one," I said. I sighed. "Cassia can I ask you something?"
"Sure, anything," she responded. I cocked an eyebrow.
"Do you think that everyone on the team is really trustworthy?" I asked. Cassia immediately stiffened. I understood what it meant.
"Yes. Unless there's something that you're not telling me Elmira," she said. I could hear the acid in her voice. It was a very bad thing to accuse someone of betraying the group, but I had to be sure. I was a tracker after all. It is my job to be curious and nosy.
"Of course not Cassia," I said. "I was only asking. Don't get you're panties in a bunch." I looked away.
"Well if that's all?" She asked. I could tell I pissed her off. Better not make it worse.
"That's it," I said, calmly. Cassia walked away quickly. I just stood there. I looked at Malcolm. It wasn't as if I didn't like him I was just...nervous. Besides I am a tracker. Aren't I supossed to be paranoid and nosy?
Hermione, shut your ungodly, lopsided mouth and quit interrupting! 20 points from Gryffindor. You know, for the brightest witch of your age you can sure be a dumba** sometimes. *smiles* 10 points to Dumbledore!
