Sophie
Sophie spent a few more hours in the training room. Linh and Biana had left after the first hour, talking excitedly about something Agent Forkle had said. Sophie didn't bother listening. Filled with guilt at lying to the Collective, she refused to even think about Agent Forkle.
She was outside in the hallway, walking to her room, when someone tapped her shoulder. Her head snapped around, ready to glare at the person. However, as soon as she saw who it was, she threw herself into his arms.
"Fitz!," she yelled. "I haven't seen you and Tam in months! That mission took so long!"
Fitz leaned back from the hug and smiled warmly at her. "I missed you, too, Sophie."
"What about me?," a new voice asked. Sophie's eyes widened, and she turned to hug Tam.
"Why were you away so long?!," Sophie demanded. "I need my cognate, you know!" In the Black Swan, cognates were people who were usually paired together for missions. Sophie and Fitz became cognates three years ago. Since then, they were practically joined at the hip - until Fitz's most recent mission. He had been sent to New York with Tam to protect a rich and powerful family from Italy visiting the U. S.
"Sorry," Fitz apologized. "But the Basile family tend to prolong their vacations."
"It was horrible," Tam added. "The kids, Alessandro, Armando, and Caterina, had all read the Percy Jackson series. They kept on calling me Nico, as in Nico di Angelo." He blew his dyed silver bangs out of his eyes.
"No," Fitz disagreed, "that was hilarious. They would crowd around Tam asking him to summon skeletons. Caterina, the oldest, was 13 years old. She pretended to be Bianca di Angelo, and insisted that she was older than Tam, now that she was Bianca."
Tam rolled his eyes. "It was funnier when I snuck black hair dye in your shampoo, and they started calling you Perseus Jackson. Caterina then pretended to be Annabeth Chase and told you to kiss her because in Percy Jackson, you two are dating. Alessandro even tried to get you to propose to Caterina." Sophie started laughing. She was imagining two little boys pushing Fitz and a thirteen-year-old girl up the stairs, and telling Fitz to 'kiss the bride.'
"Fitz," she said, gasping for air between laughs, "when can I meet your wife?"
"I didn't end up marrying her," he grumbled. "For Granite's sake, she's four years younger than me."
'For Granite's sake' was an inside joke Sophie, Tam, Linh, Biana, Dex, and Fitz had made up a few months ago, right before Fitz and Tam left to watch over the Basile family. They had been in a meeting with the Collective, the meeting where Agent Forkle told Fitz and Tam about the Basile family. Out of the blue, Biana had asked if anyone thought Agent Granite and Agent Physic would make a good couple. Agent Granite's face had turned pink, then red, then purple, then blue, then green. It had been so funny, it had Sophie and her friends howling with laughter. Dex had been the first to calm down. He had then said "For Granite's sake, stop laughing!" That only had them laughing even more, for some reason.
"Remember when Biana asked if we shipped Grysic (A/N: Granite and Physic. I don't actually ship them, though.)?," Sophie asked. "Speaking of Biana, she's gonna freak when she sees you two!"
"Is she dating anyone?," Fitz asked. Tam looked bored, but Sophie could tell he was secretly interested in the answer. "I mean," Fitz continued, "knowing Biana, she'll have started dating some random guy the second I'm gone."
"That's because you're overprotective of her. Besides, if she were dating anyone, it wouldn't be my place to tell you." Sophie gave Fitz a friendly shove. "It's not my fault she doesn't keep you in the loop. After all, you're her brother."
"How about you? Are you dating anyone?"
"Ha!," Sophie exclaimed. "When pigs fly!"
"Dexxxxxx!," someone shouted, and Sophie sighed as she realized that Biana had been here the whole time, eavesdropping.
"DEX!," Biana yelled again. Dex rushed into the now crowded corridor, Linh not far behind him.
"What, Biana? What do you need?"
"I need you to build some machine that makes pigs fly," Biana replied mischievously. Sophie groaned. Of course Biana would say that.
"Sure," Dex said, much to Sophie's horror. She buried her head in her hands.
"Biana, I'll get you back on this," she swore. Biana only smiled cheekily, and hugged her brother and Tam. Her hug with Tam lasted slightly too long, and Sophie cocked an eyebrow. Interesting.
"How was babysitting the Basiles?," Dex asked Fitz.
"Don't even get me started," Tam warned. "I swear on the Collective, if I hear a kid call me Nico again, I will kill someone. Violently."
"That bad, huh," Biana giggled. "Did they call Fitz Percy?"
"Yes," Tam said smugly. "After I dyed his hair black."
Biana gasped. "You need to send me a picture! Like, now!"
"Noooooo," Fitz moaned. "Don't send the picture to Bianca!"
Biana's jaw dropped. "Fitzroy Avery Vacker, did you just call me Bianca?"
"Ummmm...no?," Fitz answered because he valued his life.
The scene that followed was almost as funny as Granite's face at the meeting all those months ago. Biana was chasing Fitz, threatening to kill him while Dex was taking pictures and videos of Fitz's terrified expression. Linh had decided that the best way to contribute to the chaos was to splash water on Fitz and Biana. Tam only leaned against the wall, muttering about how he needed to get new friends.
Sophie pulled out a loose eyelash, thinking about the Basile family. The Black Swan had felt it necessary to send Fitz and Tam as protectors because a year before, someone had tried to assassinate the Basiles. They had managed to kill the oldest child, Antonietta Basile. Antonietta had only been fifteen years old. Her parents, Anna Maria Basile and Enzo Basile, were devastated. They had reached out to the Black Swan, and the Black Swan agreed to provide Fitz and Tam as bodyguards. But the Black Swan had never told the Basile family that they suspected the Neverseen of being the ones who murdered their beloved daughter.
"Agents Moonlark, Hydrokinetic, Shade, Vanisher, Technopath, and Telepath." Agent Forkle did not speak loudly, but his voice still cut through the noise effortlessly.
"Yes?," they asked, straightening their backs.
Agent Forkle sighed. "You kids, always so loud. But that's not why I'm here. Come with me." The six teenage spies exchanged glances, knowing that bad news awaited them. Their suspicions were confirmed when Agent Forkle led them to the meeting room. The rest of the Collective was already there, looking worried.
Agent Granite cleared his throat. "Something has happened recently, nearby, that we just got word of. You must be wondering what it is. Well, it's something quite tragic-"
"Can you get to the point already?," Biana asked impatiently.
"Well, we are here to discuss the murder of Senator Kenric Elgar Fathdon."
Keefe
He had been right to worry. He did not like this new mission one bit.
Flashback
"So, you understand what you need to do?," Keefe's mother asked, her ice blue eyes burning into Keefe's.
"Yes." Keefe could feel the dread settling in his stomach. Yes, he understood. But did he want to do this? No. Not at all.
"Wonderful," Agent Gisela said. She pulled her blond hair back into an intricate bun, her eyes never leaving Keefe's. "You will have help." She yelled to her office door, "You may come in, now."
In walked a cloaked man, his footsteps soft. He was obviously nervous, from the way his body was stiff and his head was inclined.
"This," Agent Gisela said with much pride, "is our newest recruit. Take your hood down."
The man did as Agent Gisela said. Keefe sucked in a breath as he recognized him. Cobalt blue eyes. Chestnut brown hair. He was Alvar Vacker.
"Aren't Vackers supposed to be part of the Black Swan?"
Agent Gisela gave a cold smile. "That's the beauty in all this. A traitor. Yes, Alvar's family is part of the Black Swan. But Alvar, here....he decided to do what's right."
Alvar finally looked up, and tilted his chin up. "That's right."
"Now," Agent Gisela said in a mock-pitying tone, "what shall we call our poor, forgotten Vacker?"
Alvar bristled at the insult, but stayed put.
"I know!," Agent Gisela exclaimed. "Agent Vanisher!"
Keefe cocked his head to the side and smirked. "Mother, I think your photographic memory has failed you today. The Black Swan already has a spy called Agent Vanisher."
"Exactly," his mother retorted. "It could cause much confusion for them. I would love to see their faces when we talk about Agent Vanisher as if that agent were our own."
"Now, that would be confusing even for us," Keefe protested.
"We're smarter than them. They haven't even figured out that Alessandro Basile has been sick for months, now. He's bound to drop down dead any second, now. Their bodyguards failed to notice the Drakostomes in his drink, one summer day. And no one has survived the Gnomish Plague so far."
"Well, then," Alvar said, "Agent Vanisher it is."
Flashback End
Keefe stepped out into the coolness of the night air. Off to his new mission he went.
Bonus Scene: Fitz Vacker, aka Percy Jackson:
Tam
Tam groaned as he woke up. Last night, the Basile children had chased him around the house until midnight.
Caterina was the oldest, and the only girl. She was thirteen. Her brothers followed her around all the time, not that she seemed to mind. Alessandro was the middle child. He was ten, and much too smart for his own good. He was the one who had come up with calling Tam "Nico." Armando was the youngest. At eight years old, he was a ray of sunshine, constantly laughing. The Basile children were fine when they were separated. But together....they were an absolute nightmare.
Tam quickly got dressed, hoping for some peace and quiet before the naughty trio woke up. He had no such luck.
"TAMMMMMMM, I'M GONNA KILL YOU!," he heard someone say from Fitz's room. Tam snickered as he remembered the prank he'd pulled yesterday night. He'd poured black hair dye in Fitz's shampoo bottle.
Fitz stormed into Tam's room, pointing to his now raven black hair. "How do I get my hair back to normal?"
Tam shrugged. "Dunno."
Fitz scowled. "If you don't figure it out by tonight, I'm calling you Nico for the rest of your life."
Tam gave his friend a death glare. "You wouldn't."
"Oh, I-"
Just then, Caterina ran into the room. "What's happening?," she asked excitedly with her Italian accent. "What's wrong, Nico?" She took one look at Fitz and squealed. "Armando! Alessandro! Vieni qui!" (A/N: I got this off google translate. It means "come here!")
"No no no!," Tam yelled, but Caterina only giggled.
Tam suddenly stumbled, and he realized that Armando had jumped onto his back.
"Nico!," the littlest Basile shouted, "shadowtravel me to China!"
"No, silly," Caterina told her brother, "we have already been to Cina!"
"Well, then, shadowtravel to France!"
"We already went there when you were a baby!"
Tam could hear the pout in Armando's voice as he said, "But I was only a bambino!" (baby)
"How about Argentina?," Armando asked.
"Padre and madre have already been there," Alessandro said, dashing into Tam's room. Tam groaned inwardly. They were going to trash his room, weren't they?
"Shadowtravel me to Atlantis!," Armando said feverishly.
Caterina shrieked, pointing at Fitz, a giddy smile on her face. "Perseus Jackson!"
Her brothers stopped what they were doing. Armando climbed down from Tam's back, and Alessandro looked at Fitz. There was a beat of silence before the boys in turn shrieked with delight.
"Perseus Jackson! Perseus!," they cried with their adorable accents. At least, they used to be cute. Now that the accents were usually paired with the name "Nico," Tam found them annoying.
"No!," poor Fitz was protesting. "I'm not Percy Jackson!"
"Today," Caterina declared dramatically, "I am no longer Bianca!" Tam perked up. "No," she continued, "today, I am....Annabeth Chase!" Tam sniggered when he saw Fitz's face. Fitz stared at Caterina, aghast.
"Alba!," the young girl shouted. Alba, the maid, rushed into the room, out of breath.
"Yes, Caterina?," she asked breathlessly.
"I want a blonde wig."
"Please," Tam added under his breath. The Basile children were not rude, but sometimes, they were...slightly spoiled.
Alba nodded. When she came back, there was a blonde wig in her hands. "Here, Caterina." She passed the wig, then left to dust to the living room. Caterina put the wig on while looking in the mirror, then turned to Fitz.
"Perseus, in the books, we are dating."
Fitz looked ready to run out of the room and never come back. "Ummm, maybe call me Percy, not Perseus. Also...um, Caterina-"
"Kiss me!," Caterina said theatrically. "Baciami!"
Tam fell on the ground, clutching his stomach, roaring with laughter. "Yes, Percy," he choked out, "kiss her!"
"Lo so!," Alessandro hollered. "I know!" He left the room, leaving everyone to stare after him. Armando took that as an opportunity to latch onto Fitz's leg. He looked up at the bodyguard with his big baby eyes.
"If you are Percy," he said, "can I be Leo? Leo Fiammeggiante Valdez?"(fiammeggiante means flaming XD)
"Wait," Fitz exclaimed, "I did not agree to being-"
"Sono tornato!," Alessandro called as he skipped into the room. "Nico! Give this to Percy!" He tossed Tam a small object. Tam had been getting back up from the floor, but when he saw what it was, he collapsed back onto the floor with laughter.
"Fitz," he howled, "you have to propose to Caterina!" He showed the rest of the people in his room the ring that he was holding. The ring was silver with diamonds embedded in it.
Armando took the ring from Tam, and gave it to Fitz. "Perseus! Get down on uno knee!"
Fitz shook his head rapidly. "No, nope, sorry, but-"
"We need to set up the wedding," Alessandro gasped in realization. "I will do it!"
"Grazie, Alessandro," Caterina thanked him. "I already have the dress." She gestured to her short dress. "Perseus, you must wear a suit! And can you make a water arch for the wedding, Seaweed Brain?"
"What?! But, Caterina, I can't control water, and I'm not-"
"Shh," Caterina shushed her husband-to-be by putting a finger on his lips. "You must call me Wise Girl, now." Tam decided right then and there that Caterina should be an actress. Or a comedian. Because this was hilarious.
"Nico!," Caterina said to Tam. "You can be the best man!"
"Wait, no-," Fitz started saying, but he got cut off again.
"Oh, Seaweed Brain," Caterina said, acting exasperated, "you must get over the fact that you are not Nico's type."
Tam snorted. "Dam, Fitz, she really got you, here."
"Oh," Caterina brightened, "that reminds me. We need a dam snack bar!" She giggled.
All of a sudden, Alessandro walked to a spot right in front of 'Perseus' and 'Annabeth.' "Annabeth Chase," he said solemnly, "do you take Perseus Jackson as your lawfully wedded husband?"
"I do," answered Caterina just as seriously.
"Perseus Jackson, do you take Annabeth Chase as your lawfully wedded wife?"
"Ummmm, no." On that note, Fitz ran out of the room, screaming 'POSEIDON, HELP ME!'
Caterina gasped. "He left me on the altar."
"Worry not, sorella," Alessandro said. "We shall hunt him down." He took out a toy gun. "Forward march!," he cried, and he and Armando marched out of Tam's room to catch a certain Fitz Vacker.
Tam laughed harder that day than he had laughed in his whole entire life.