Forever Fighting | ✔️ | [previously Espionage: double-cross]

Chapter 13

"And finally, the meeting rooms, survival training, canteen and Junior Agent quarters." Julie gave a final flourish to a symbol picturing a small person, rather on the nose if you asked Alex (on the nose and a bit rude. Just because they were young didn't mean they were that small!)

"You have to be a Junior agent to open this door. Go on, try it." Alex stepped forward, wincing as she put pressure on her left leg.

Her fight with Mark had left some bruises. It was much harder than she thought it was going to be. While it wasn't nearly as hard as her fight with Julie, she didn't have the added advantage of watching how he fought, analysing his moves. Unlike Julie, he definitely didn't hold back. 

It wasn't on a mat, there weren't any rules it was just hit, or be hit. 

It started before she had time to put her guard up but he foresight allowed her to stay standing, for a while at least. 

As soon as Heather finished speaking, Mark lunged in with a knife hand strike to the neck, a technique Alex wasn't quite familiar with. Stars burst before her eyes and she fell clutched her neck, gagging a chocking. With her hands no longer a threat, mark kicked her stomach, winding her and knocking her to the floor at the same time. Her left leg had bent in an awkward position, making Alex let out a strangled hiss. 

First attacks were over though, meaning Alex had time to dissect the situation and plan her next move.

So when Mark advanced, attempting a kick to the stomach once again, Alex was able to retaliate. Instead of curling up, she rolled out of the way leaving herself exposed. Sensing an opportunity, Mark came closer, much to Alex's amusement. 

With the speed of a cheetah, she swept her leg straight at his, making him fall to the ground. The effective foot sweep gave her enough time to get off of the ground, switching their positions momentarily. In seconds, though, Mark was back up too but the odds were more even now that they were both standing and Mark no longer had the element of surprise. 

The fight went on for a good while, each fighter getting some good shots in but never flooring the other. Alex was breathing hard and her mind worked, desperately trying to find his weakness. It was possible that he didn't have one but just as Alex purposefully left herself open for a kick, she noticed that he wasn't quick enough. 

After feigning her weakness again, Mark went in with a side kick. Just before it reached its target, Alex sidestepped and grabbed hold of his ankle. Then, with a quick spinning motion while he was off balance, Alex forced him to the ground and, gently, kneed him in the head. Alex had to admit, she was a slightly vengeful person so deciding on a palm strike in lieu of a punch due to less power, she bashed his nose in. As Mark lay there groaning, blood dripping from his nose, Alex allowed herself a small smile.

The thought of that fight made it easier to bear with the slight pain, nothing compared to what she had suffered previously.

She walked towards the junior agent symbol now and just like Julie had described, the door opened. Passed the sliding wall, there was a small room with two more symbols straight ahead. These where the generic male/female symbols that made it simple to find your way. Thanks to her abnormally curious nature, she went up to the male dorm symbol and thankfully (because it would have been rather strange if it worked) the wall stayed in place. Then as she went over to the other dormitory, the wall slid away without protest.

"Nice."

There was a corridor lined with at least 25 rooms, many of the doors which were left nameless.

"Which is mine?"

"Whichever you want, as long as it doesn't have a name on the door. Oh and there is a built in Wifi panel in each room as well as a hidden safe that can be moved wherever you feel is best. Everything else should be pretty self-explanatory, en-suit included." Julie checked her watch. "If that's all?"

Alex waved her hand dissmissively. "Yeah yeah, go do your obviously important yet super secret job."

Alex didn't have to turn around to see Julie had left, no longer feeling the presence at her back.

Now, she walked down the long corridor. It had rooms on both sides, many of them taken with the owner's name on the door. She walked straight down to the very end of the corridor where only one dorm had been claimed.

"Heather." 

She stood facing Heather's door then turned around to the door opposite. It was vacant so she walked on in. It was as if Julie had known which room Alex would pick because she found both her duffel and satchel placed neatly at the foot of her bed, lock not scuffed up and all her belongings in the same place she left them. 

She decided to start unpacking seen as she had no other plans. The first thing she had taken out was the picture frame with her family, just the three of the, merely a week before her mother's untimely murder. Alex placed it gently down on the bedside table, beside the double bed with black bedsheets (again it's as if Julie just knew) and gazed at it lovingly before continuing to unpack.

Alex hated unpacking, always had and vowed she always would, so looked at the door when a knock sounded with immense gratitude at the distraction. She opened the door and looked out to see a petite girl, about her size with silver hair and a warm smile. "Hey! I heard you beat up Mark, quite a feat."

"Thanks." She didn't really know what else to say, especially not to this girl with the bubbly personality. Again, she wasn't the best in the friends department. 

"Oh, silly me, I haven't introduced myself. My name's Ava."

"Alex."

Ava laughed, the sound light and airy. "We all know who you are. Anyone who beats up Mark on their first initiation becomes a sort of legend." She carried on without a pause. "You met Heather yet?"

"Yeah, red hair, menacing air. I don't think she likes me all that much"

"Na, everyone feels that way around Heather to start with but as soon as she gets to know you and respect you, you couldn't ask for a more loyal ally."

"You think?"

"Nope, I know. She is just tough on you at the start to see if you really are agent material, she did the same thing for me." Alex nodded thoughtfully in reply. "Hey, you wanna go get some lunch?"

"Uh yeah, actually that would be nice. I'll finish up here and then meet you there." Alex doubted she was able to hide her surprise. Maybe this girl just liked making new friends.

"No problem, cya there!" 

Ava walked to the top of the corridor, only pausing for the wall to slide open. Alex tilted her head and then turned to finish unpacking. 

She opened up the cupboard to hang something up when she noticed the safe at the bottom. Inside was a brand new laptop with a note on it that said: 

'Hello recruit! We have provided this laptop for you to make all the necessary notes in your career as an agent. Use it wisely.' 

Honestly this place is like an inspirational quote book - unnecessary and cringe.

And yet she still preferred it to her old life already.

She then took Julie's advice and moved the safe somewhere else. Lifting up the blue rug on the floor, she found some hollow floorboards. They were stuck down so Alex got out her penknife, which Julie didn't mind her bringing - surprise surprise - to lever one out of its position. 

It took some time but she managed to prise one up, discovered a space, just big enough to slot the safe in if she took out another floorboard. After a couple more minutes she slotted the safe in, popped her passport, some money and a keyring her mother gave her into the safe, replaced the floorboards and rug then walked off to have lunch with actual other people.

She was rather surprised herself.