AGENT W | ✓

22 | Returning to the R.U.

"James," came a voice I knew all too well, "Wake up, Jamie."

I groaned and opened my tired brown eyes to meet Axel's grayish blue ones. The car had come to a stop and the sky outside the vehicle's window was completely dark to coordinate with the present time. I quickly glanced at the time at the front just before Chestin pulled out the keys and turned off the car: 3:13am.

Chestin opened the door on my left side where Kora and Helene sat. He glanced up at Axel and I as we all stayed in silence for a moment. I quickly stretched and yawned loudly as I smacked my head back down into a pillow to muffle the noise.

Axel and Chestin shared a chuckle before they went to work. I carefully turned by body slightly towards little Kora, who had her head resting gently against my left shoulder. Wincing a bit at taking away the pressure applied to my deep puncture, I slid her head to my chest and used my non-hurt right arm to slide them under the girl's legs, picking her up bridal style as I quickly backed out of the car.

The weight did aggravate my wound, but two looks from Axel and Chestin, who were checking up on my condition, got me to signal to them that I was okay with a simple nod.

Besides, a small part of me remembered that I had experienced worst. Three years ago.

Helene was carried by slightly buff-man Axel and Chestin did a double check of the inside of the car before closing and locking all doors. The three of us headed silently back into the R.U. Corporation.

-

Every team in the R.U. had a dorm set up for them, and there were training rooms, and the commons area for chit-chat. Also, the R.U. official conference rooms for team leaders.

I imagined our team leader, Jay, just inside, either being lectured or hearing others be lectured. It wasn't fun, or so he had let it slip out to us one time when we were alone as a team. No figure.

All agents basically lived at the corporation. It was too risky to have all 2,000 of us continuously drive to this location every morning for 'work.'

"Welcome back Agent O," came the newbie female teenager at the front desk. Axel glanced at her and smiled, giving her a quick nod.

"and Agent L," to which Chestin walked past and patted the girl on the shoulder as would a senior in the business to a rookie.

The two men walked forward, not before quickly turning back around to look at me with an amused shake of their heads.

The girl before me seemed to go back to attending her nails before I cleared my throat. She looked up at me with a confused expression. "Yes?"

My eyebrows arched. "Where's your manners, student?" She was supposed to greet every senior agent that returned back to the corporation.

"Um, hello, then?" She asked me with an attitude, going back to her nails.

Axel made a 'yikes' expression to Chestin, who had crossed his free arms across his chest to watch the scene unfold.

"Interesting," I commented, glancing at her name tag, "Diana. Diana Greenwood?"

The girl seemed to be started that I knew her last name, for her name tag only listed her first name in engraved gold.

"You're an intern student being assigned to different tasks in the corporation," I began, "Obviously you take classes, Diana. Advanced SS?" I glanced at the binder set on a bottom shelf of the front desk in the back, "That's sniping and spotting. See you in class tomorrow morning, Greenwood."