ZERO

"Sir if I may speak to you about your decision."

"The decision has already been made Agent 53 there is nothing to discuss." I address him calmly.

"Agent 13 is hardly—"

"My decision is final and that is that."

"She's wild, she's reckless, her tactics are, are barbaric!"

"She gets the job done."

"She's a loose cannon."

"She's also, the best agent we've ever had."

"I understand that, really I do," he responds "but do you really believe this is a good idea? Throwing her into a team of agents? She hasn't worked with anyone in over two years. You of all people know how she can get with other agents, she doesn't trust them, and throwing her into a group of complete strangers is not going to end well. Somebody's going to get hurt and it's not going to be her!"

"I am aware."

"Then why not just send her on the mission alone? You said so yourself she gets the job done."

I say nothing in reply as I hand him the mission file, giving him time to read over it before speaking again.

"Normally, yes I would send her on this mission alone but as you pointed out, I do know her, and I know how she can get. She is the only one capable of completing this mission but I'm not going to risk sending her on it alone. I need other agents to keep an eye on her and report back if she begins taking things too far. She knows these people better than anyone, regretfully, and she can help the team just as much as they can help her. Who knows this might just be the chance to get her back on a team, permanently."

"You know she'll never agree to this." He responds, glancing up from the file.

"Actually, she already has."

CODY

I slam my fist into the punching bag yet again and watch as it shakes and protests against the chains.

"Hit that thing any harder and you'll break it."

I turn to face a smirking Devin leaning on the wall across from me.

"Like I care." I retort. He opens his mouth to make a smart ass reply but is cut off as Chase walks up.

"Devin quit bothering Cody."

"Me!?" shouts Devin "I didn't even do anything!"

"Yet" Jason interjects as he sits down on the benches. I shoot Devin a smug look causing him to curse under his breath and flip me the bird.

"That's enough" Chase snaps.

"Someone got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning." Mumbles Jason earning snickers from me and Devin as well as a glare from Chase. He holds his hands up in surrender.

"Just saying" he states as Chase continues to glare. Suddenly the PA speakers blast to life.

"Delta team 2 please report to chief Zero's office for mission briefing."

"The chief's office?" Jason questions

"It must be pretty important if he wants to speak to us directly." Chase muses. Though what he said makes sense. The chief never calls field agents to his office unless it's important. He usually just has another high ranking agent brief us on our missions.

"Well let me be the first to say...Let's not piss him off and stand around all day!" Devin shouts before turning and booking it out of here. Devin has a...interesting personality...we think he's bipolar, he disagrees.

We follow out of the training room, just not as quickly, proceeding to walk through a series of hallways and rooms, occasionally bumping into other agents. We finally make it to the door labeled, Zero, only to see Devin waiting outside.

"What took you so long?" he demands, we...ignore him.

Chase knocks politely on the door and steps aside as it is opened by Agent 53.

"Sir." Chase addresses him politely. He nods back in response before stepping to the side and motioning for us to enter. The chief is a man in his early forties with light brown hair and matching brown eyes. He sat at his desk wearing a black suit and matching bow tie.

"Sit" he commands motioning with his hand at the four empty chairs resting in front of his desk.

"Leave us" he orders Agent 53, who turns and leaves, shutting the door silently behind him. We all turn our full attention to him as he hands us each a copy of the same file.

"The target is Tony Martin, he's a drug lord who recently happened to get his hands on some of our tech." I raise my eyebrows, somebody give the guy a gold medal.

"How?" Devin asks.

"I'm not at liberty to discuss that with you." I stare at him dumbstruck. We need any and all information we can get.

"Why?" I question, my tone coming out slightly accusing. He turns his icy glare to me.

"It is being taken care of." His voice deadly calm. "I expect you all to be packed within the next hour and waiting at the airfield. Further information, as well as instructions, will be given on the flight, you are dismissed."

Jason's the first to stand and start towards the door with the rest of us in tow.

"Oh, I almost forgot." Zero's voice stopped us in our tracks. "There will be another agent joining you on this mission."

"Excuse me?!" I all but shout. There was no way in hell I was going to let that happen. We had worked together from the beginning and I'll be damned if I was going to allow another agent to join without a fight.

"You heard me." He starts calmly, "She's in need of a new team, and quite frankly no other team is as, well...capable of dealing with her."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Asks Devin.

"It means, she refused to work with any other team," Zero responds calmly though I swear I see his lip twitch in the tiniest bit as if he's enjoying our little freak—out. "But also no other team is as fit to handle her and her, temper." A groan escapes my lips before I can stop it. Just great a girl with attitude problems, that's exactly what we need on our team. Note sarcasm.

"She would only be on your team for this mission unless she'd be willing as well as the rest of you, of course, to stay on your team for good." Two words old man, HELL NO!

"With all due respect sir, adding a new member to this team will only slow us down," Chase responds, finally speaking up.

"On the contrary, if anything your team will slow her down." He smiles at us in a way that makes me uneasy. What does he know that we don't? "You’re all dismissed. Get packing."

We all get up to leave and start for the door, all of us except Devin. "Permission to speak with you alone, sir?" Devin asks. Zero eyes him cautiously before nodding.

To us he says, "Shut the door on your way out."

As soon as we are out the door and it shuts completely Chase turns towards me, his eyes blazing. "What the hell was that?" He demands. Jason wisely, takes a couple steps back so he’s out of the line of fire.

I cross my arms over my chest and glare right back at him. "I just asked a couple questions."

"When you know you damn well shouldn’t have! You cannot be questioning him."

"What’s he going to do? Assign me a few missions I don’t like?"

Chase gives a look that says he is not amused. "I don’t know what he’ll do, but whatever it is, I do know it won’t be good."

I roll my eyes. "I was asking the questions we needed answers to. You wanted those questions answered."

"Yes, but I’m not stupid enough to ask them!"

"If I was out of line sue me," I say. "but these are things we need to know. We’re going on a mission, half blind, with another agent to babysit. So forgive me if I wanted answers."

Chase runs a hand through his hair and lets out a sigh. "I don’t like this anymore than you do, but there’s nothing we can do about it." The door to Zero’s office swings back open and Devin stands in the doorway with Zero right next to him.

"So, about my raise," Devin says with a smirk on his face. Zero just shoots him a glare.

"What are you all still doing here? Do you not have packing to do?" Zero questions.

Devin mock salutes him. "Sir yes sir!" He shouts. Zero just looks down right annoyed. Chase shoots Devin a glare to which Devin just grins widely.

"Get moving," Zero orders.

"What are you, my mother?" Devin asks.

Chase sucks in a breath and reaches out to pull Devin away. Zero shoots Devin a look that I can’t decipher before shoving him out of the doorway and slamming the door shut behind him. Devin starts laughing hysterically.

Chase shakes his head and grabs hold of Devin’s arm, dragging him out of the room. "I don’t know how you always get away with these things," He mutters.

Devin grins cheekily. "He likes me," He says by way of explanation. Jason and I roll our eyes.

***

"What does he mean we'll slow her down?" I ask as I angrily shove yet another shirt into the already full suitcase resting on my bed. "We are the best agents this agency has ever had and he thinks we need another member, uh no thanks," I growl out.

"Hey we're all pissed about it but taking it out on your suitcase isn't going to solve anything."

"Never thought I'd say this but Devin's right Cody, just calm down." Replies Chase.

"Alright, alright" Jason interrupts, "I am the only one thinking about the actual agent or are we all too busy moping over the fact we got stuck with not only another agent but a girl at that?"

"What are you on about?" I snap back at him.

"Did none of you even realize he didn't give us a name or number? I mean I'm a little curious as to who she is. After all she'd have to be a good agent or he wouldn't have assigned her to our team."

"I have never met, seen, or heard of any agent what—so—ever that is as good as anyone of us." I retort.

"What about Agent 13?" Devin questions quietly.

"Oh please, we all know Zero made that one up. He just wanted other agents to become more motivated to get better. Agent 13 is a myth, a damn ghost story." Chase comments, his tone one of annoyance.

"Besides," Jason chimes in, "Zero doesn't allow solo agents anyway. You have to be on a team no matter what."

"Which means she just lost her team." All eyes turn to Devin, "Think about," he continues "If she's joining our team, that means she doesn't have one, and you can't join another team unless your previous one is...gone."

"Great we're going to have a broken, unstable, emotional, lost freaking puppy looking for a new home," I grumble in annoyance, but what Devin said makes sense and it is true, there is no switching or joining another team unless yours is, well extinct.

Chase was right to begin with, she is only going to slow us down. Well I hope she can hold her own in a fight cause first chance I get I'm leaving her on the enemy's door step...she'd make a good distraction...and if she ended up getting herself killed well, all our problems would be solved. No one comments back on my statement though I have a feeling they're thinking the same thing.

I grab four more shirts from the closet stuff them, more gently this time, into my suitcase and zip it shut.

"Everybody ready?" Chase asks us, as he too zips his suitcase closed.

"Yep"

"Yeah"

"Sure?"

"Then let's go." Chase leads the way this time as we walk yet again through the complicated series of hallways, each of with a suitcase in hand and a backpack on. We step through a set of bulletproof glass doors and into the massive air hanger which holds six jets, nine airplanes, thirty—two warplanes, and twenty—six small drones. Its large doors were open which gave us a view of the long airstrip and the jet waiting just outside the doors.

"Delta 2" Zero addresses us

"Chief Zero" responds Chase politely. I roll my eyes.

"Agent 76 will take your bags for you." he gestures to the man in his late twenties standing on his right. He motions for us to follow him as he walks towards the jet.

"Where's the girl?" Jason whispers to me.

"Probably still trying to get all her heels and hair products to fit in her suitcase." I snicker in response to which he just laughs quietly.

"Agent 91 will accompany you on your flight and finish briefing you on your mission," Zero says just as we reach the metal set of stairs leading into the jet. The soft thudding of footsteps brings everyone's attention to the girl around nineteen descending the staircase.

She's wearing no make—up, black combat boots, tight fitting black jeans, and a black v—neck shirt that hugs her body nicely. Her straight black hair is pulled up into a high ponytail, swaying with every step she takes. She stands at around 5'7, her hazel shifting back and forth between all of us like a wild animal on the hunt.

"We're ready on this end." She says to Zero, completely ignoring us.

"Good." He replies, "Gentlemen I would like to introduce your new team member—"

"Temporarily"

"As well as your pilot." Zero continues, as he ignores her interruption.

"She got a name?" Chase asks, his tone showing complete boredom.

"She is right here." Her voice drenched in venom. Zero ignores all of us as he continues to speak.

"Ye—" he starts, only to be interrupted by none other than the wicked witch herself. Her answer leaving us in shock as one word or rather, number escapes her lips.

"Thirteen."