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Armaan tapped his belt and another device sprang out. He sort of unfolded it like a double-fold pocket knife then pointed it at the ceiling. He pressed a button and it shot up to the top, a flat disk sticking to the surface. He tapped the heels of his shoes before pushing another button and began to sail up into the air. Once he reached the top, he hoisted himself up so his feet pressed against the ceiling. Then he pressed one hand to the ceiling and let go with the other. He stuck! He grabbed his device and hooked it to his belt, then started making his way across the ceiling like Spiderman.
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Katie smiled as he made it across the lasers. She was appeased with his progress and his quick thinking, but she knew he wouldn’t be able to make it past this round. There was a surprise on the other side of the lasers that she was sure he didn’t see.
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Armaan paused. Through his years he’d been studying body language. He could tell that Agent Hill was in anticipation for something. She was smiling in approval, but her eyes read false. Armaan knew that she had something planned for him, but he didn’t know what. He stuck his Clincher back on the ceiling and grabbed it. He slowly lowered himself down slightly so he could see the room better. He looked at the floor. He couldn’t see any mines or wires, and he had really good eyes. He looked at the walls, but didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. He was sure there must be some kind of gun or something in the walls, and he would be able to see the tiny barrels, but the wall was completely clean. That’s when he realized that if there was something in the walls, Katie would probably need some kind of protection. But she hadn’t moved from her spot on the platform.
That’s when he realized where he needed to look: the platform.
And he saw them. It was hard, but he could barely see the tiny holes. He could tell by the shape of the barrel that it would probably hold either rubber bullets or some kind of Taser device. He knew what Katy had said about not going onto the platform, but it seemed she had made it the only possible escape.
Actually, she thought she had.
Armaan pulled out his own gun from his pocket. It was tiny, but it would do the trick. He hadn’t just worked on his body-building. He’d been working with Angela. And one thing Angela was—along with captain and commissioner of covert operations—was an extremely advanced sniper and master of weaponry. She’d trained him to shoot, and to do it with extreme precision. His months of pain and hardship were final starting to pay off. This was the seventh level, and he was sure he would pass.
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Jace looked at the victim in surprise. He knew this kid! But he had changed a lot. It wasn't possible! Jace scanned the crowd until he found Laura. He walked over to her quietly and sat down next to her.
"What happened to him?" He asked.
"I have no idea, but he must really want to get into the HIA." Laura replied. Kalyia remained silent on the other side of her.
"Are you allowed to have gadgets?" Jace asked.
Laura thought hard for a moment. "I'm not sure... I guess the Chief Administrator will have to decide…"
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The victim had taken out a gun, and he was aiming closely to Katie. Katie became concerned as she realized that he had seen through the trick, and that he might be aiming for her. She didn't flinch, though, and let him fire. It hit the barrel that was hidden in the platform, and he continued over the lasers. Katie moved to the computer, getting the next test ready. She wanted to see him fail, but at the same time she wanted him to succeed. She found the one she wanted and administered the codes to begin the test. Oh, there is no way that he's cunning enough to figure this one out, she thought.
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Armaan waited for his next test. He had to admit, these tests were hard, but he couldn't help but feel extremely confident. He had made it this far.
He had to succeed.
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Katie knew that she needed to keep a poker face. She couldn't let the victim receive hints from her just by looking at her face.
The plates on the ceiling began to shift. Armaan had to try hard to stay on. He reached for his gadget, but in the second that it was near him, the next second took it far away. He kept trying to stabilize himself, but it was hard to do while upside-down. The plates kept changing course and reversing. He let go with his hands and stood on the ceiling, both of his feet stuck to one plate. Then the plate split in two and Armaan was forced to try to grab onto the plates with his hands again. The plates kept switching and shifting, and it was almost like he was playing an extreme game of Twister. His body was starting to feel heavy from the effort, and his head was starting to spin, not only from being upside-down but also from the strain on his body, his eyes, and his brain. He couldn’t hold on for much longer, and he felt himself begin to let go.
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Rebecca was slightly mad at Katie. For some reason, she wanted Armaan as an agent. She didn’t know why, but suddenly she got an impulse and stood. She walked out of the cage and straight to Adm. Taylor’s office.
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