Jay expected to be the last to return to base, and he was right.
As he stepped into the expansive lobby where Urs sat nonchalantly engrossed in his phone, he spotted nearly everyone else present. The gathering crowd split into two distinct groups: those clutching metal boxes and those without. With a sigh of relief, Jay made his way toward the first group, finding solace in the fact that only the familiar faces of his fellow teammates from previous misadventures were there. However, he soon stumbled upon something unsettling.
"Where's the princess?" he whispered, his lips barely moving, a perplexed look answering his inquiry.
"Oops," he managed to cough out as the door creaked again and a short-legged man rolled in. He walked over to them, to the group with boxes. The boys looked at each other quickly.
Oops?
A few minutes later, Kelly strolled in, her hands tucked in the pockets of her sweatshirt, and gravitated toward the group without any 'prizes.'
"Finally!" Urs exclaimed, tossing his phone aside. "My dear comrades, gather 'round!"
He clapped his hands, and as they approached, his smile widened. It was clear he was having a great time.
"I hope you had as much fun as I. Now without extension, people with trophies, open up your rewards! "
The Trouble Team reluctantly complied, trying their best not to exchange knowing glances with Kelly. Had she already messed up the initial part of the mission? What had Callan been thinking? After all, it was supposed to be just them!
They all pulled shiny pistols with red rope from their boxes. They raised them over their heads. Everyone except the man who came penultimate. His box was empty. His box was conspicuously empty. He swiftly turned to Kelly, who was also raising a gun above her head. She winked at him, silently reveling in his awkwardness.
He didn't even check the contents of the box. He would otherwise have realized that while he was gathering male pride on the ground, she quickly picked up the gun and hid it behind her belt. So he left victorious, but with nothing.
Urs clapped his hands loudly, casting a knowing glance in Kelly's direction. It was evident he was pleased they wouldn't part ways so quickly. Unbeknownst to him, their secret teammates breathed sighs of relief.
"And that's a wrap! We have our winners—let's hear it for them!" Urs's voice resonated throughout the cavernous room. He took a deep breath and rested his hands on his hips, gazing at the victorious group. "Ah, I see only youthful, radiant faces; fantastic! We need fresh blood on the team. As for the runners-up…" he turned to the despondent group, "stick around to witness the final challenge of our victors. Everyone, reload your magazines."
Uncertain glances were exchanged, but they complied, some deftly handling their firearms while others struggled. Jay required Kai's assistance.
"Excellent. Now, pick up your weapons—yes, just like that. Aim at those without guns and…pull the trigger."
He whispered the last part.
They twitched nervously, giving Urs incredulous looks. They shifted their gaze to the guns, and then to their targets, who took a few steps back, raising their hands; they were as pale as they were.
"Come on, shoot—this is the final test. You all want to join our team, right? On my count. One, two…"
Kelly aimed her weapon at Short Legs, her heart pounding. With only one bullet in the magazine, there was a 70 percent chance that it would fire. Adrenaline buzzed in her ears, and her throat felt parched. She squinted her eyes, squeezed the trigger tightly, and simultaneously with Urs's "three," fired.
A cacophony of gunfire followed, along with a few startled screams, and then Urs's laughter. Kelly hastily opened her eyes, fearing someone had been injured. She had aimed higher than intended, not wanting to harm Short Legs even if a part of her subconscious desired it. Luckily, no one was hurt; all the bullets had struck the nearby walls.
She looked incredulously at Urs, who was stamping his foot in excitement, wiping tears from the corners of his eyes. He looked back at her, smiling in a way she didn't know before. Psychopathic.
"Did you really think we'd give you live ammunition on your first day? Oh, the unwavering faith in humanity! Those bullets were all blanks; you couldn't have harmed anyone, even if you had wanted to," he explained in a benevolent, calm tone. "Now, after this test, which assured me that you'd blindly follow our orders and truly care, I officially welcome you to Ace Busterrix's team. Congratulations!"
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