Rebecca knew there were no cameras in her room because the SSAWPS didn’t work like that, so she was safe to do this. She pulled her black hair up from the back of her neck and pushed the disk onto her skin. She knew from testing the disks that it would blend into the color of her skin and she wouldn’t have to worry about anyone seeing it. Of course, the room had a mirror. Even secretive spies and assassins whose skills were based mainly on attacking agencies and killing people had mirrors in their bedrooms. They were all females--what more could she say?
Rebecca looked into the mirror and pulled her long black hair over her shoulders. She reached up and took off the mask. Below the mask was a picture of the same face. It was preternatural to take off a mask to find her own face portrayed as the mask, as something other than her own.
She looked like her counterpart, and she knew now that she had to act like her. She was no longer herself.
She had become Ashlynn Ryans.
****************
Firoxa smiled as she entered the room. “Lykaios. What a pleasant surprise,” she said.
Lykaios sat alone at a wooden table, smiling back at her. “Welcome, Fi. Are you ready for your mission?”
Firoxa looked around the room with a sly smile. “No Ignea?”
“She dissented from the cause,” Lykaios answered.
Firoxa gave a sarcastic pout that covered up an evil smile. “What a shame,” she said without meaning. She walked up to Lykaios and sat on the edge of the table. “So I’m the one that’s left over.”
Lykaios looked up at her. “No, you are the prime choice for this course of action. You were never second to Ignea. You just hadn’t realized your true potential yet.”
Firoxa leaned into him. “Which is…?”
Lykaios grinned. “To run the SSAWPS.”
*****************
"Ryans, Ashlynn." The intercom announced.
Ashlynn quickly exited the room. They had explained to her that if her name was ever called that she was to report to her district officer immediately. Ashlynn found that office and went in.
"Agent Ryans. Come in." The district officer said. "My name's Officer Rani Brown. Please, have a seat."
Ashlynn sat in the seat and Officer Brown continued. "You've been picked for a top secret mission from the highest authority at the SSAWPS: the CEO, as businessmen would call it. Or businesswomen, in our case."
Ashlynn faked a smile.
"We'll just call her 'F' for now. I told her of your excellent performance in the arena for one of your…skill…and she insisted on seeing you in action out in the field. You will be headed for Country 23 in Section 67. Let me tell you, though, Agent Ryans, that you should be careful. This is a dangerous mission and your life could be forfeited there. I told 'F' that you had just come in today and that you had no training whatsoever. She still insisted on seeing you. "
Agent Brown paused to let it sink in.
Ashlynn shivered in fright, and so did the Rebecca beneath the mask.
"I'll show you to her office." And with that, Officer Brown stood up and walked out of the room with a nervous Ashlynn right behind her.
****************
"You did WHAT?!"
"You see, Adm. Taylor, I believed that it was for the best and that it would be the only way to defend ourselves from this 'Gideon Mather'," Agent Bowers explained.
"You know our standards. Nothing, NOTHING, will make the HIA ally itself with another organization not previously approved."
"But think of our agents. They're only in high school! As soon as they go off to college, they find the best corporation there and work for them. The HIA is more of an espionage school than an actual Agency." Agent Bowers argued.
"True, but if the head agents don't follow the standards, then the agents won't. No alliances with anyone!" Adm. Taylor calmly said.
“Administrator, I believe you are mistaken,” came a voice.
“And why is that?” the Admin asked, turning to the door.
Just then, the most unexpected person walked into the room. “There are allying forces gaining against us,” she said. “I know you wish to believe that you cannot ally yourself with anyone, but there are already agencies who believe you are their ally. We are the strongest agency that still fights for freedom and tries to do what is right. How can we not do our best to fight against this evil? How can we sit back and watch as enemy agencies take over the agencies that could possibly have been our allies? I must tell you something. If you do not protect what is yours, it will no longer be under your control. The same applies here. If you do not help these agencies, show them the light, ally with them for goodness sake, there is a bigger chance they will succumb to the other side, therefore creating a larger threat. I do not wish to degrade upon your ideas or your position. I merely state a fact that has been long-time overlooked. We cannot overlook it now.”
The Administrator sat there, thinking. She was right, and he knew it. It just went against everything in the Heritage code!
“Earl,” Agent Bowers addressed. “Your decision will affect more than just the school. I know you believe an alliance will endanger our students like it endangered them long ago with the GCA. But it’s a risk we must take. You cannot base your decisions on…selfish beliefs. Look at the big picture, then think of whether or not you believe allying is a bad idea.”
Administrator Taylor sighed. He couldn’t compete with this. He knew they were right. “Alright. But run the agencies past me before you make a decision. I don’t want any freelance agencies asking to join, even if it is for more than just power.” The two agents began to leave. “Oh, and Agent Edmunds?”
“Yes?”
“Thank you.”
Agent Edmunds smiled as she left the room.
*****************
“Agent Tyler Ray,” Conner addressed with an acknowledging head tilt.
Tyler had his feet propped up on the desk and his hands behind his head, staring at the computer screen, but as Conner entered Tyler’s feet dropped and he lowered his arms onto his lap, quickly sitting up straight. “Agent…Conner! So you did get my message.” He stood, holding out a hand. Conner shook it uncertainly, thinking it an odd gesture. But he shrugged it off with a casual hair ruffle and turned to the computer screen.
“So, what are you having problems with?” he questioned, walking over to the desk.
“Oh, it’s just…I’m sure it’s no problem for you, but I’m just not very good at it.”
Conner sat on the edge of the desk, looking at Tyler. “What is it?”
Tyler gave him a nervous smile before sitting back down in his seat. “Well, I’ve been working on creating an advanced electro-shielding that will cut the facility’s visibility to any potential enemies. But…” he lay back in his seat, “I’ve been having some technological difficulties.”
Conner sat there for a few seconds, thinking. “Okay, I have an idea,” he announced, standing. “Switch me seats.”
*****************
“Agent Ashlynn Ryans. Welcome.” As Ashlynn entered the room, she spied the source of the sweet voice and saw that it belonged to a beautiful black-haired woman. If she wasn’t so evil, she could have been Miss America. But Ashlynn knew that would never happen. “How old are you, dear?” the lady asked.
“Sixteen,” the girl answered, and smiled at the woman’s reaction. “Didn’t expect for me to be so young?”
“Ah,” the woman said with a mischievous smile. “Most start later, but you will be an exception. Everything is starting new, you realize that? Everything is beginning to change. The underdogs become the champions, and the lead wolves sink to the very bottom.”
Ashlynn nodded.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I haven’t told you my name yet, have I? I am Firoxa, head of this organization. I am not new, but I have attained a new position. I trust you have heard of the SAGUB?”
“I’m sorry, but I haven’t,” Ashlynn answered. In truth, she had heard something of it, but she didn’t know enough to say that she did.
“Well, let me tell you something of it. The Supreme Assembly of the Great Unprecedented Brotherhood is a very strong organization that is allying itself with many other corporations and Agencies throughout the world. The SSAWPS has allied with this force,” Firoxa explained.
“Um,” Ashlynn interrupted, then stopped, thinking it might be rude.
“Yes?”
“Well,” Ashlynn began, “if this is a Brotherhood, why are we in it? I mean, shouldn’t it be the Sisterhood, then?”
Firoxa gave a hearty laugh, and Ashlynn almost forgot she was the head of an assassination corporation. “Oh, dear, it is only a figure of speech. By Brotherhood, it means a band of people. It’s like if you were to say mankind, it doesn’t just include men.”
“Oh,” Ashlynn said, realizing her mistake. But on the inside, she knew that she had just presented a flaw in the system. If the new organization called itself the “Brotherhood” corporation, then it was discriminating somewhat against women interaction, and the SSAWPS wouldn’t agree to that. She just hoped Firoxa realized the mistake as well.
“Well, I did ask for you because I wished for you to begin a mission. That is, if you think you are ready.”
“I’m ready,” Ashlynn replied. “If there is anything I do not know I will learn it on the job, right?”
Firoxa laughed. “Right. Now let’s begin.”
*********************