Agent Eighteen's POV:
"I have no idea," I say sipping my coffee.
"Do you think the gangsters we met earlier that day had something to do with your accident?" Meghan asks.
"Maybe I can't tell for sure..." I drift off.
"Did you see the number plate or," Jen questions.
"Nope. Zero. Nada. Nothing. Nix. Zilch," I tell them. Though I know it got to do with the gangsters for sure.
"Why are you all up so early?" I hear Ben say from top of the staircase.
"Oh you know, the usual. We were plotting your murder and were making sure it looks like an accident," Meghan jokes. I tried to suppress my laugh.
"Oh really, let me suggest some," Ben says running down the stairs towards us. I raise my eyebrows in surprise. Meghan opens and closes her mouth like a fish. Jen rolls her eyes at his behavior.
"So, what have you planned so far?" Ben asks with excitement lacing his voice.
"A bullet through your heart," Meghan says.
"What? That's so boring. Try to be more creative," he says marching towards the kitchen. He picks up a teapot and tries to on the burner.
"Ben, don't you dare walk towards the burner. Your tea is already on the counter," I stated.
"Oh come on. I am not that bad of a cook," he says with a dramatic huff.
"Really, last time I checked, you almost burned down the agency," I state out the fact.
"Mistakes happen. It's fine."
"Mistakes are fine but mishaps aren't," Jen says still with her eyes focused on her laptop. Ben glares at her while I and Meghan chuckle.
Later that day, the team gathered in the study to plan on how to catch Noah Smith.
"Noah Smith, twenty-seven years old, CEO of Smith's enterprises, lives in Jacksonville. His company is also located close by, history unknown," Jen declared.
"What about geography?" Ben questions throwing another paper plane in air. It flies towards Liam. Liam gets hold of the paper plane before it pricks him. He glares before squashing the paper and throwing it back towards Ben which he easily dodges.
"Ben, behave!" I scowled at him. He downcast his eyes as if he is saddened by his own behavior. I turn my attention back towards Jen waiting for her to continue on her reports. I suddenly feel a tiny prick on my cheek. I look at my lap to see a small paper plane.
Why am I not surprised?
I let out a huff and stood up from my seat.
"We will be leaving tomorrow to get Noah. He will be in his company and that's where we will attack him. Let's hope he has connections with Maria Evans," I voice my plan.
"And we will be training tonight. Ben, you will be sparring with Alex."
"What!? That big dude over there," he points towards Alex.
"Excuse me?"
"No thanks, I am good," he says casually leaning back on the chair.
"I don't remember telling you that you have a choice," I smirk.
"Eighteen, please... He will eat me alive. I am too young to die," he pleads.
"Says the one who plotted his own death this morning," Meghan says with an own smirk of hers.
He glared at everyone and gets up from his seat. "I hate you all. You're being merciless towards this innocent little life. I am gonna complain to chief about it," he fumed before leaving the study. As soon as the door closed, we all laughed like a drain.
***
I look at my wrist watch as I wait for Ben. Alex, Meghan and Liam were punching bags. I keep tapping my feet for few more minutes before I decide to get Ben down myself. I walk into his room and barge in without knocking to see him sprawled in his bed watching Cinderella.
"What do you think you're doing?" I ask calmly placing my hands on my hips with a stern look. He doesn't respond to me as his concentration is solely focused on the movie. I huff and stand in front of the screen.
"Eighteen! What are you doing? Its midnight. The magic is gonna wear off. Move," he yells tilting his head to have a better view of the screen. I turn around to see Cinderella running across the ball room towards the staircase as the prince was chasing her.
"Ben, that's enough. Get off your bed and go to the gym right now."
"Dude, what in the world? Eighteen look, the guards are standing there and the prince is chasing the girl and they aren't even stopping her. What is happening? They are standing like statues. I mean, which guard does that?" he comments on the movie completely tuning out my words.
He is not gonna listen to me.
"Oh no, the shoe-" Ben gets cut off as I pull out the gun and shoot the television when Cinderella's glass slipper slipped off. His mouth hangs open as he looks at the hole in television then stares at me dumb folded.
"Will meet you down in five," I say with a sweet smile and march out of the room.
***
"Ben, stop dodging and try to hit at least once," I tell again.
Ben finally decided to join us and we have been training in the gym for four hours. Meghan and Liam have been sparring on the right side of the gym while Ben and Alex have been training to the left. But I can't tell for sure because Ben has been running to every nook and cranny of the gym dodging Alex's punch. There are few pros and cons in Ben. Pros, he has dodged all the punches thrown in his way. His reflexive skill is really impressive. Cons, he barely retaliated.
"Switch," I command.
Liam walks towards Ben and Alex walks towards Meghan. I approach Liam and whisper few things and get back to stand against the wall. Ben being the youngest agent and zestful helps him a lot in dodging. And his reflexive impulse is a bonus. But he can't win a battle without pulling few good hits.
I turn towards Meghan and Alex to see them swinging their punches and kicks in a breakneck speed. Meghan swings her fist and gets Alex's face and goes for a kick. He gets hold of her leg and flips her on the mat. Before Alex could pin her down, she shoots her leg up and gets his abdomen. He doubles over and recovers quickly. By the time, she was already back on her feet.
I turn back towards other team to see Liam get a good hit on Ben before he can dodge it.
"Ow! Seriously Liam, my face?" he places his hand on his heart in mock hurt. I roll my eyes. He is not gonna fight. I know Ben well enough that he won't hurt his teammates, that doesn't mean he won't hit our enemies. On our last mission, he played the major role in defusing the bomb. He even held off seven guys on his own. That doesn't make me conclude his training is enough. There is always room for improvement. I see Liam getting frustrated and throws his head back in anger.
"That's it," Liam states before taking off after Ben. Ben lets out an inhumanly screech and runs to the other side. Even Alex and Meghan stopped to look at them. Ben spots and runs towards me and hides behind my back.
"Save me cap," he says ducking behind me and peeking at Liam over my shoulder.
"From who?" I ask.
"Liam."
"Sure."
"Really!?"
"Yes," I say and ask Liam to back down.
"Thank you so much. I owe you one. You're the best-" he stops his speech when he notices me shrugging off my jacket and rolling up my sleeves. I pull my hair up in ponytail.
Realization flashes in his eyes as his jaw drops open. I smirk and get on my fighting stance.
"Oh no no no no no. I am not gonna fight. The end," he says with his hand up and takes a step back.
"You either fight or I'll rearrange your face."
"You can rearrange my face."
"I won't buy you food."
"I can buy by my own."
"I will kick you out of my team."
"It would be an honor cap."
"Ben, I am not joking."
"Neither am I."
"I will shred Mr. Ted into pieces and sell it in the black market."
"Great. I have no-wait, what did you just say?"
"You heard me."
"You wouldn't."
"Try me."
I smirk as he glares at me.
"Jen, can you make a new Mr. Ted? Please?" he yells as he walks past me towards the living room. My jaw drops open. I narrow my eyes at Ben as he marches out of the gym.
I turn around to see both Meghan and Alex shaking their head with a chuckle.
"Why am I not surprised?" they both ask in unison.
I roll my eyes at this sibling's coordination.
Like brother, like sister.