As the team walks back into the Goddard training facility, Zion speaks up. “I trust your judgment, Nate, but that was way out of turn.”

“There’s something suspicious going on and what do we do? We let them go. Just because the call didn’t match what we saw at the scene, doesn’t mean we can’t do something about it.”

Reese hangs up her weapons in the artillery cabinet. “You pulled a stun gun on bystanders! You had no concrete proof that one of them was in charge of this outage. We had no concrete proof, period! Thoughtless moves like that are the exact reason why our jobs exist in the first place.”

Nate exhales irritably. “Not gonna lie, I really fucking hate when you compare me to a cop.”

“That’s the point, Agent,” Reese says, shutting the cabinet and heading back over towards her trainees. Nate follows a few steps behind. He collects himself as best he can, but Leon still finds a way to get under his nails.

“Team leader does something wrong! How about that,” he comments. Nate doesn’t even bother to look at him.

“I don’t want to hear anything you have to say about my job.”

“You keep acting like you’re perfect. I think I prefer you when you were a pushover.”

Nate turns around sharply, facing Leon only a few inches from his face. “Being a pushover led me to the worst mistakes of my life. Six years, and you act like everything’s the same. Maybe they are for you, but six years ago, I had nothing. I know you like to act like you’re in everyone’s heads, Leon, but believe me, you don’t know a thing about mine.”

“You had me. You had Dad. Clearly, that wasn’t enough.”

Nate scoffs and turns away. “You sound just like him.” He gathers his bearings before facing the trainees. Getting in Nate’s head is exactly what Leon wants right now, and that’s the last thing he’s going to get. “You guys have only been training for about two days, but the progress you’ve made is staggering. I think you’re ready for your first evaluation: sparring. With the agent of your choice.” Nate knows that a real fight is the second thing Leon wants, but he indulges his brother, and himself, just this once.

Three trainees opt for a match with Reese. The first two are close calls, but Reese manages to pin her opponent, causing them both to tap out. The third match is over in almost an instant— the trainee opts for melee weapons, and Reese is practically untouchable with a staff. “There’s your cautionary tale for the week,” she says. “Know as much about your opponent as you possibly can. But also don’t let your guard down just because you ‘know you’re going to lose’”. You owe it to yourself to pull through.”

The remaining three face off against Zion. Considering his bionic limbs, the fairness of the fight is questionable— but all three stay on their feet for a significant amount of time. Zion uses it to remind the trainees that not every fight is fair, and that’s another reason why you owe yourself perseverance.

The moment Zion pins his final opponent, Leon stands up. For once, he’s putting on a show solely for himself. Nate is unfazed by his brother’s boldness; he knows it’ll only land him in a headlock and a brief 20 minutes of shame. Part of himself wants to go easy on Leon, but he knows that this is a fight he’s been waiting years for. A fight he flew across the country for, risked lying to his father for.

Always looking to prove something.

Reese counts down and the match begins. His brother’s lightness on his feet shocks Nate. He moves gracefully, blocking and throwing punches long before they’re expected. His movement is so clean, it seems that he could do it blindfolded. Nate is baffled by how someone so intolerable in real life can be so captivating in a fight. Despite his cybernetics far outmatching his brother’s, the bionic arm is hardly the reason that Leon’s so persistent in battle.

When Leon lands himself in a chokehold, it takes him a moment to get his head back in the game. “Is this fight personal?” Nate mutters over his shoulder.

“Only if you want it to be.” Recalling last week’s fight with Amiran, Leon swings his legs over Nate’s right shoulder, bringing him to the ground and regaining the advantage. He scrambles to his feet, but it’s short lived; Leon slams Nate to the ground forcefully, kneeling on his chest and holding a fist a few inches from his face. Nate holds up his arms in surrender. Twenty-two years as his opponent’s brother, and this is the first fair fight he’s won.

Eyeing Nate’s surrender, Leon waits for something. Triumph, pride, praise— whatever feeling he’s expecting from this win is nonexistent within him. A moment he’s waited years for, the one fight that matters to him, and he feels no reward. He desperately searches for one. As Leon returns to his feet, his aggressive demeanor melts into exhaustion. The catharsis isn’t coming.

Zion helps Nate to his feet. The agents dismiss their trainees for the rest of the day, but Nate knows his work with Leon is far from over.