Broken (Prequel to Beauty and the High-Functioning Sociopath)

Karaoke Bar

The change in Alex after she had made her first kill and become an official agent was clear to everyone. She was much more serious and focused. Even her body language changed. She seemed like Sebastian when she thought about it. She was also living up to Sebastian's expectations as a fighter. She was the best fighter and most intelligent agent Moriarty had. She was one rank below Sebastian currently. She didn't have as much trouble making kills anymore. When she went out on missions, she shut out her emotions. She couldn't afford to feel sympathy anymore. She was no longer a reckless teenager, but she was still a young woman. That meant she still loved doing the things young women do. That mostly meant wrestling with Trevor, Nick, and Ken or playing video games in the break room. Sebastian would occasionally join in, but that wasn't often. One day, the four of them were in Sebastian's office looking at stuff on his giant computer.

"All right, all right, look at this!" Alex said. She Googled 'funny pug pictures' and everyone laughed at the results. 

"What are you four doing?!" Sebastian asked, storming into his office.

"We're looking at pug pictures, what does it look like?" Alex asked.

"You have your own computer." Sebastian said.

"Yours is much better." Alex said. Sebastian shook his head. Some things about Alex had not changed.

"All right, you three, out." Sebastian pointed at the three boys, who reluctantly left. "Alex, we've got a mission."

"Okay. What is it?" Alex asked.

"We're the best at talking to people. Moriarty wants us to get a Chinease group called the Black Lotus to a line with us." Sebastian explained.

"Okay." Alex said. "This is probably the easiest thing we've done."

Sebastian and Alex went to go meet the leader of the group. Alex knew the name was General Shan. The place where they were going to meet was an alley. Alex and Sebastian walked into it and General Shan stepped out from the gloom.

"Greetings." She said. Alex hadn't expected a woman.

"Greetings." Sebastian said. "I am Sebastian Moran and this is my collegue, Alexandra Watson."

"I was told I would be meeting with James Moriarty." General Shan said.

"Our boss prefers no one sees his face." Alex said. "He has sent us here in his place."

"Very well." General Shan said. "Why does he want us?"

"He did not tell me why he wants you. He shares many things with me, but not his motives." Sebastian said.

"Oh?" General Shan said.

"He told me what he could offer you, though." Sebastian said. "He said that if you succeeded in pleasing him, he would reward you greatly."

"And if we did not succeed?" General Shan questioned. Alex chose her words carefully.

"Then there would be no reward." She said. 

"So, what do you say?" Sebastian asked.

"I will think it over." General Shan said. 

"We will give you three days time to think about it." Sebastian said. "Meet us here at the end of the third day."

"Deal." General Shan said. 

Sebastian nodded and then took Alex and left. Niether of them said anything on the drive back to the compound. Alex hated the silence between them. When she got back, she, Trevor, Nick, and Ken looked at funny videos on Sebastian's giant computer. He walked in on it several times and didn't do a thing about it. When Alex got to the compound the next morning, she saw Sebastian waiting for her. She sighed.