𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍 𝐀𝐈𝐑! ❀ 𝐊. 𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐀𝐌𝐈 [ˢʰᵒʳᵗ ˢᵗᵒʳʸ]

13. 𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙩

Three years passed, and it seemed like so much had changed. Day after day, Kimika prayed to whoever might've been listening, that just maybe, their horrific fate wouldn't begin. She was afraid that the once calm and peaceful life she knew with Keigo in the HSPC would disappear. That he would disappear.

Their training regimens had changed drastically in those few years. They were put in mock battles against the best agents, ruthless criminals, and in some cases, each other. These fights usually lasted until yield, injury, or death. The self-defense and combat sessions had now been interrupted by another form of training, as well. The art of espionage.

Now they were being instructed in every aspect of being a secret agent. This included infiltrating enemy lines, hiding in plain sight, understanding secret codes, and even concealing one's true emotions.

"Here's the situation." Hirose's voice was still as grouchy as ever. The man marched back and forth in front of the two teenagers, who stood obidiently in tall stances, their arms stiff at their sides. "You're part of an espionage pair who have infiltrated an enemy's government ranks. You're on a mission to retrieve critical intel from the main servers, and have gained the higher-up's trust. Your partner has been made and captured by the enemy, and they have ordered you to kill them. What do you do?"

"Go through with it."

"Do it."

The two teenagers spoke at the same time, the girl's shorter response much quieter than the confident answer of the boy.

Keigo cleared his throat. "The mission is more important than any individual."

They had changed, too.

Keigo now stood at five feet six inches tall, with a lean muscular build and strong shoulders. At sixteen years old, he'd finished his growth spurt and had all the charming qualities a young man would usually have. A sharp jawline, a knowing smirk, and a pathetic attempt at growing facial hair. His blonde hair was as raggedy and dishevled as ever, no clear style in sight, and yet it still was astronomically endearing. His wings had grown with him, now four times the size they'd been when he'd first came here-- they were large, powerful, and incredibly annoying since they randomly shot feathers out to grab something or check something out. His eyes seemed to be even more gold than before. They were still sharp and cunning, observing everything, scrutizing every mere detail, but there was a hidden resentment toward the HPSC behind the sparkling grins.

Kimika, too, had changed. She was still much shorter than Keigo, only barely reaching a height above his collarbone. Her hair had grown to pearly strands reaching her elbows, tied up in a simple ponytail, the front pieces pulled out to give it style. Her narrow ruby eyes were cold and obedient; the only time they ever sparkled was when she was alone with Keigo, listening to some dumb joke he had to tell. She held herself in a reserved way, seeming to tuck into herself whenever someone walked past or talked to her. The fires in her mind weren't as prominent as they were in her youth, but during difficult training sessions they weren't ever afraid to show themselves.

The two were intimidating as they stood next to each other in the center of the room, listening to their instructor as they were drilled in potential situations they might face in the field. Dressed in black, skin-tight training suits, their faces numb and unresponsive, they looked the perfect picture of prodigy secret agents.

"Last scenario," Hirose announced.

Kimika stood a little straighter, excited at the thought of retreating back to the room. She hated every moment of being out of it. It was ironic, since all she wanted was to be free of this place, but she never wanted to leave their shared room.

Hirose cleared his throat and glared at the two teenagers in front of him. "You are faced between saving the intel, or saving a large number of innocent civilian lives. Which do you choose?"