Spy School: Oneshots

The Talk

Re-written Berica dorm talk from the end of SSR, *WARNING: CONTAINS SSR SPOILERS* Also, copyright disclaimer, the first part is directly from SSR, so I don't take credit for that, there'll be an author's note at the part I wrote myself. It's not the entire chapter, just their talk, but it carries over into the other part of their chat in the chapter after too. There will also be author's notes on some of the things, just my thoughts.

Ben's Dorm
Spy School
8:00 PM
April 17th

Ben's POV:
Eventually, fatigue won out and I passed out facedown at my desk.

I woke several hours later with the disturbing sensation that someone was in my room. 

I sat up quickly, fearing an assassin...

"It's only me," Erica said.

Since I was still at my desk, seated in the only chair in the room, she was sitting on my bed. If she was tired, she wasn't showing it. Instead, she looked like her usual, competent, perfectly composed self. And yet, I couldn't conceive of any possible reason she could be there that wasn't an emergency situation.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Nothing," She said. "Well apart from a Colonial Era group of fanatics planning to overthrow our government. But that's not why I'm here."

"Then why...?"

"You never doubted me through all this. When other people did."

"Look I know you're upset with Zoe, but-"

"I'm not just talking about Zoe. I'm talking about everyone. The entire CIA. Possibly every other branch of the government too. And I'm not blaming them. I even understand why Zoe did what she did. I just don't like how she used you to do it. (Awwwee, and I literally don't care if she meant it to be sweet or not, it still is in my mind lol) But you... I fired a grenade at the room where you were supposed to be in at the CIA, and you still had faith in me."

"If I had been the one shooting at you, you would have faith in me."

"Not necessarily." (Um OWCH, like I get it, but that's still gotta hurt)

My jaw dropped slightly. "Really?"

Erica broke her gaze from mine. "Maybe. With anyone else, I would think the bad guys had gotten to them. That they were won over with money or power. It happens all the time. I would never have thought Joshua Hallal would have turned--- but then he did. So after that I thought anyone could be corrupted. And then you came along. You're the kind of person I thought Joshua was..." (One, awww I'm so sorry that happened to you Erica, and two, AWWEEE OMFG that's so adorable, whether it was intended or not)

"And you're still worried I might betray you someday."

Erica turned to face me again. There was a sadness in her eyes that I'd never really seen before. (No don't be saddd, Ben's here now and he's way better and won't hurt youuu) "You know when I was a kid, I used to feel bad about my sister."

"Because she got to have a normal life and you didn't?"

"No." Erica looked at me like I was crazy. (I literally love her reaction to his question lmao) "Who wants a normal life? I felt bad because I was being groomed to be a spy and she wasn't."

"Oh."

"Trixie will never get to stop an assassin--- or undercover a massive conspiracy to overthrow the government--- or prevent Antarctica from being melted and flooding the world. (*Ahem* or get to have Ben fall in love with her and make her trust him more than any non-family member, and fall in love with him) But now I realize there might be something good about her life."