“Good evening, guys. I am one of the directors of the institution,” he sounds like he is very excited and a friendliness the other director did not bother to fake, “Congratulations for completing the first part of your training! It has been seven years since you’ve been here at the institution, so it time to begin phase two. Up until now, you have been sparring individually to increase your use of ability and independent strength. You will continue to do this, but now you will start to work together as well. Team sparring will begin to commence twice a week with random teammates assigned. Don’t worry! Everyone will be able to get to both fight with and against each member of this group of six. You will also be getting some uniforms based on your ability. These can later be customized to fit your personal tastes as well.”

            I turn to look at the others. Ambrose’s eyes are gleaming, he must be excited to get new outfits; Morgan looks nervous, she told me before she feels like she is keeping the group from advancing; Ombra is looking at everyone, she never liked fighting any of us; Colbee stares at Aurora with a look in his eyes that tells me he is excited to fight by her side. And there she is, and just for a moment, I swore I saw a look on her face I never imagined she could be capable of. Scared. Not nervous like Ombra but scared. She must have felt the eyes on her because that face didn’t last a whole second.

She turned to all of us with a smile on her face to let us all know training might change, but we will be okay as long as she is there. 

The man coughed lightly in his hand to get our attention again and we all look back forward as he continues, “This new training regimen will allow us to assess your capabilities in groups and we will begin sending out groups on missions. These missions will mimic your future missions, but you will be working in groups instead of being alone. It is a way for everyone to get experience and a way to allow space for slip ups. Group work will allow multiple chances and possible plans to see to your missions. While on these missions, it is vital the mission is completed and done discretely. If anything messy happens, make sure to contact us immediately. We will send a crew that will make it as if nothing ever happened. That is all. Tomorrow everyone will get a thirty-minute meeting with their family as a reward. It will be the first and last time you will get the chance to see them—until after stage two is complete.”

The guard on the right side walked to the door with the man following him. They exit the wing we stay in. It was a tense atmosphere after they left. Like me, some of us were excited about our missions and others were nervous. 

Indifferent and with a smile on her face, Aurora stands up and says, “I am looking forward to working with all of you. To be able to stand side by side with amazing people will make great memories!”

With those simple words, all pressure is released, and we spent our evening free time as usual: played games, watched movies, listened to music until it is time to go to our separate rooms. 

Just as the man from yesterday said, we began training in partners. Sometimes it would be two against two or two against three. Basically, any combination you could think of. I did notice that Aurora was always paired with one person from the lower three, never in a group of three. I guess she really doesn’t need to be paired with anyone particularly strong to still win. 

After the first three weeks of team training, a voice from the intercoms came on, “Will Eileen, Ambrose…” Ugh. “… and Aurora please report to the exit.” I guess it won’t be too bad.

We all came from our rooms since it was the middle of study time during the morning. The same women who gave the presentation during our first year was the person who met us at the exit door with the same two men that escorted the other director. She has aged a little bit, originally, I would guess she was almost thirty the first year which would make her about forty now. She has undeniably developed some wrinkles. Not enough to be terribly obvious, just enough to show the time has really flown by. We really don’t see any adults. It is usually our academics teacher, who has changed a couple times, and the training coaches.

“Thank you for coming so quickly, please follow me,” the director said in the same cold, monotone voice as all those years ago. The door scanned her hand and her eye before opening. They never let us outside this corridor except for Aurora when she has her family visit. I wonder if we will begin missions. I don’t blame them for choosing me to go on the first mission, but Ambrose?

We went down a few hallways before stopping at a door that automatically opened. The room that we went into had six chairs in a semi-circle at the back of the room and a large, curved screen at the front behind a podium. The director gestured for us to take a seat. She stood behind the podium and the screen turned on with a few images and graphs on them. 

“Today, you will be going on an important mission. You are to work together to retrieve this,” she clicked a button on the podium and on the middle of the screen a briefcase appeared, “You are not to investigate what the briefcase holds. It is sensitive information vital for the government and the institution to be able to maintain peace. The person who possesses this brief case hired a group of foreign mercenaries to protect the transportation to an enemy country. We need you to be fast and accurate during this mission.” The images on the screen changed a few times showing the man who has betrayed his nation, the uniforms the mercenaries would be wearing, and an old warehouse where they were hiding.

“How do we know it’s the right briefcase? Like all briefcases kind of look the same,” Ambrose interrupted. It’s a good question, but his timing is as vexing as ever.

“These watches are a part of the uniforms you will be taking on your mission. The documents have a special seal on them that can only be detected by these,” the main picture on the screen changed again to a 3D image of the watch. She explained how to use the watches like how to call the institution, how to use the detector, and how to track and communicate with each other. 

After being briefed on the mission, we were taken to change into our uniforms. Just like the clothes we were given, these were all white, but they had some way of allowing our ability to be used in them. Mine allowed me to create a fire throughout my body instead of just my fists. Ambrose’s had plenty of pockets to put seeds in. Aurora’s was moveable? We still didn’t know her ability and these new uniforms didn’t help get us any closer. She might as well wear her usual outfit; this one is only tighter. Once we had our uniforms on, we are taken outside. 

The sun was shining so bright, and the air had a fresh scent. There were a few clouds as well; one of them looked like a four-leaf clover. I guess it’s a sign that this mission will go well. It is the first time we have been outside without having to spar with each other or train until we wanted to collapse. I started to think I just didn’t like being outside, but now I remember how nice it actually is. Only after a few minutes of walking, we reached a car with blacked out windows and the driver hidden behind a one-way mirror that separates us and him. Other than the objective, the institution has left the way we proceed to complete the mission free. I guess this is why we’ve been doing so much team training, and it would allow us to practice for when we will be alone. 

We decided to wait to come with a plan until we saw the structure of the warehouse. We will be taken about half a mile from the warehouse referred to as the drop off point. This is also where we’ll be picked up after the mission. 

“I think our best way to complete this mission is using stealth. Don’t bring any attention, don’t get caught, and be fast,” I began to recommend as we drove.

“That is a great idea!” 

“That is not! It sounds boring!” Ambrose pitched in, “I want to show off how incredibly strong I am. Mercenaries or not they won’t even stand a chance. Why take the easy way?”

Before I could shout some sense into him, Aurora suggested, “Why don’t Eileen and I go to the floor with the briefcase, and you secure our position. You will have to vigilant and alert us if anyone comes, but you will be our first defense!”

“I suppose I could do that. I don’t mind looking after you, I guess.”

Finally, we arrived at the drop off point before Ambrose could protest anymore. The car stopped and the door opened and closed by itself. Then the car just came back the way it came. The building we were to go to is half a mile south from our position. That’s taking back roads and a lot of twists and turns.

Aurora is looking up at the plenty tall building in the surrounding areas. This used to be a big industrial area, but due to so many people going north to larger towns, this place was empty and full of other warehouses and manufactories. Why is she looking at those old buildings, they’re not appealing at all.

“What if instead of going all the way around, we went on top?” Aurora asked.

“I mean, I can get up there with my flames, but I can’t bring either of you. You’ll get burned.” 

“Well, I can climb on my vines and Aurora could do the same.”

“Don’t worry about me,” she cocked her head to look at us with a smile, “If we go on the top of the buildings, it will only be a few blocks, and I don’t think they would be suspicious of an arial attack.”

“That does sound more fun than just running around the streets,” Ambrose agreed. 

“Good with me.”

“I’ll go through the inside to the top. Meet me at the top?”

“Let’s make it a race!” Ambrose suggested. 

“I guess but you won’t stand a chance plant boy,” I grin at them.

“3…2…1...GO!” Ambrose counted down for us.

It was a three-story building. It usually takes me about thirty seconds to make it that high, but this was a competition, so I have to push myself. I can shave off at least five seconds! As I start making enough flames to start getting air, Ambrose’s vines are almost halfway up the second story. My flames grow exponentially so as soon as I take off, I pass him without even trying. Aurora is in the building so I’m not entire sure where she is, but on foot she would probably be on the first story. I make it to the top before Ambrose, obviously, but neither of us expected to see Aurora sitting on the far end waiting for us to cross the building. She was sitting on the ledge facing our direction. The wind swayed her hair, and she brushed a piece behind her ear. We share a look with each other with astonishment. There’s no way we spent more than thirty seconds getting up. That’s Aurora for you.

Once we made it to her, she commented, “The building is that one with collapsed ceiling.” Half of the top floor was exposed, and a little less than a quarter of the second floor. There were a couple of mercenaries on the top floor. They looked more like snipers and kept an eye out for people on the ground on hidden places where someone may surprise them. 

“I guess it’s a good thing we took the high route,” I proclaimed. From what we can see there are a few more guards on the second floor, unknown on the first, and at least twenty outside. All of them resembled the guards that accompany the directors, but these men had scars and looked far more menacing than the director’s guards did. These mercenaries had certainly seemed some ferocious battles. “Still think you can take them all on, Ambrose?”

He gulped and said, “Well, I have the top two ranks as my backup. I’m sure I could do anything. Aurora wouldn’t let anything happen to us.”

She chuckled, “I’ll try my best, but I think the original stealth plan would be our best option. If we can incapacitate the two snipers on the top floor, maybe we could use their uniforms to sneak past the second floor and get to the first. With how many guards are outside, they are worried about intruders getting in, and there aren’t many on the top level, so the briefcase must be on the first level.”

“It would be most secured since part of the second floor is also exposed,” I agreed. 

“Then shall we make our way there?” Ambrose motioned as his vines began making aa bridge between the buildings. 

“Why, thank you,” she walked to the next building. Who knew Ambrose could act like a gentleman?

He made the bridges until we came to the building adjacent to the target site.