I stood in my bathroom, brushing my teeth. It felt strange not doing training at eight o'clock in the morning. Nevertheless, the Director wanted me to experience actual spy training. I suspected that he was going to be there in some way, shape, or form, observing my performance interacting with the agents.
Knuckles rapped against the door to my bedroom. "Are you ready, Xara?" Professor Nyryn called. I spit out my toothpaste.
"Yes, I'm coming," I replied.
I rinsed my toothbrush and mouth with water, then headed for the door. I took one final glance at myself in the mirror, and for the thousandth time that morning, I was struck by how closely I resembled my predecessor. I wore her signature leather jacket, pants, and boots. But what really sent me over the edge was the makeup Professor Nyryn had applied.
The real Xara still looked fairly young, considering the intense pressure she had been under for so long. But still, she was double my age. So Professor Nyryn managed to use various makeup products to naturally make me look older. It was barely noticeable, yet it aged my face by twenty years so that I was identical to my predecessor.
With one final look, I exited my bedroom to find both Professors waiting for me. Professor Endals eyes popped open when he saw me.
"I have worked on many science experiments, including the cloning project. I've heard of countless discoveries made by other scientists. But in all my years, the most incredible thing I've ever seen is the way Professor Nyryn made you look like Xara."
Professor Nyryn grinned proudly. "I've been training my whole life for this moment. Speaking of training, you'd better get down there Xara."
I nodded. "Okay, I'm heading out now."
I headed for the door, my palm on the handle, ready to leave.
But―something stopped me. It was almost like there was a short circuit in my brain, caused by the exponential amount of anticipation that I had been shoving aside for the past day.
The nerves hit me at once, a tsunami of indistinguishable emotions that overpowered my senses.
I felt tethered to this room. I'd never turned this handle before. I'd never stepped into the corridor beyond.
I'd never left my little corner of the world.
And now... now I was.
But I'm not experiencing this world as me, I reminded myself. I am experiencing it as Xara. Which meant I could show no excitement or intrigue. No, today was just another routine day in her life. There was nothing special about training. I had to be indifferent to this new, unexplored world.
So that's what I'd be. Even though I wanted to walk through the halls slowly and soak up every last detail outside, even though I wanted to talk to a billion people and explore every last nook and cranny of the IIA, I wouldn't.
Instead I'd be indifferent. I'd be Xara.
"Xara?" The worried voice of Professor Nyryn broke into my thoughts.
I gulped down the lump in my throat, sniffed back the flood of unfamiliar emotions.
"Xara, are you..."
"I'm fine!" My voice was strained and hoarse, like I was being strangled. A high-pitched laugh escaped me as I realized the absurdity of my response. Clearly, I was not fine.
But I would be as soon as I slipped into Xara mode.
I took in a deep breath, wiping stray tears from my eyes. Come on, Xara. Be calm, cool, and collected. You are Xara. Be Xara!
I inhaled and exhaled, each movement highly rhythmic in order to stabilize myself. I pushed my emotions away, forcing myself to be calm.
I turned around, though I didn't smile. That wasn't something Xara would do very often. Instead, I gave a slight nod of my head.
"I'm ready," I declared. My voice sounded more confident than I had expected. Perhaps saying it aloud was a way of convincing myself that it was true.
The Professors smiled encouragely, like parents sending their child to kindergarten for the first time.
"Alright, off you go," Professor Endals told me. I nodded, and before I could think twice about it, I had opened the door and stepped into the hallway.
I almost froze in the corridor. I'd only seen pictures of the huge, one-way glass windows covering the walls, the green carpeting that stretched across the floor, the wooden doors on the opposite end of the hall leading to the U.L. conference room.
But I forced my limbs to walk past it all. I headed straight for the elevator on the right side of the hall. The two guards, Agents 10 and 11, nodded when they saw me. Director Rokmond had instructed them to let me out of the top floor for training.
I clasped my hands loosely together to keep from shaking. I held my head high and my back straight. Otherwise, I might have collapsed from the nerves.
Agent 11 punched a few buttons into the elevator. After a few tense moments of waiting, the elevator doors opened. Without a word, I stepped inside. The doors shut and automatically, the number "five" on the left panel of the contraption lit up, preprogrammed by the guards. It was the floor where I would complete my final training session before leaving on my mission.
Then, I felt the floor drop from beneath my feet. It was only for a second, but the unexpected jolt was enough to destabilize me. I stumbled, grabbing the metal rail in the elevator for stabilization. My head spun slightly, though I quickly forced myself to my feet and regained my composure.
So this is an elevator, I thought. I always wondered what one would be like.
I watched the number at the top of the elevator countdown. Nine, eight, seven, six...
There was a 'ding' that sounded, and the contraption jolted to a halt. If I hadn't been holding onto the railing, I would have lost my balance again.
The doors of the elevator opened, and I left swiftly. I did not want to get stuck in one of those, not when I was almost late for training. I peered down the right side of the empty hallway, only to see the restrooms. My gaze swept to the other side of the hall, where there was a wooden door. A rectangular window at the top of the door spewed fluorescent light.
I guess I'm supposed to go there.
I strolled to the door and wrapped my fingers around the cold, metal handle. Though the window enabled light to stream out, my view of the interior was obscured by its one-way glass. I inhaled, though by now, I had grown used to the butterflies in my stomach.
Ready Xara? It's showtime.
I flung open the door to reveal a room as big as the colosseum, though there were no stands for watching spy training. In front of me were three rings equally spaced on the left, middle, and right sides of the room, two of which were in use. Behind the rings were various targets where spies practiced shooting guns or throwing knives.
My head tilted to the ceiling to find a maze of ropes. It was the tightrope training. Spies had to walk on the ropes from one end of the ceiling to the other. Whoever was the fastest at navigating the ropes would be the winner. I'd done it many times with Professor Nyryn.
Was it dangerous? Of course! Walking on thin ropes with no harness was extremely dangerous, maybe even deadly. Other than the cushioned mats underneath, there were no safety measures. But this training room was only for Class A Agents, who were the best of the best. Being a good spy required taking risk and being as physically fit as possible.
I stepped into the room, my boots echoing on the hard floor. The door slowly shut behind me.
From across the room, I saw Dari and Ty approaching me.
"Xara!" Dari exclaimed. "I thought you were gonna skip out on training today."
I raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
"Yeah," Ty chimed in, with a grin. "We thought you were going to take the day off."
"I don't have break days," I replied.
"Not even after being captured?" Dari questioned.
I shrugged. Ty let out a low whistle.
"Wow, girl. Your hard as nails," Dari said.
"Let's go to the shooting range," I suggested, nodding to the opposite end of the room. I needed to get my energy out, and long conversations made me nervous.
We headed to a bench pressed against the wall on the opposite end of the room. Ty retrieved a rifle, two pistols, and several knives for us to practice with.
"Here you go, X," Ty said, handing me one of the pistols.
"Thanks," I said, before turning to face my target.
The IIA had set up a simulation of targets kind of like arcade games, though ours was much harder. On the left and right side of the shooting area, there were boxes lined up containing our targets. We can thirty seconds to annihilate thirty targets that popped up at random. Each target remained up for only three seconds, then disappeared into the box again. It required the fastest possible reflexes to be able to shoot down every target. Additionally, our guns were specially designed with exactly thirty shots, so missing even one target meant failure.
I turned the target box on, and the machine whirred to life.
"Hello, Agent. Please input your Agent ID and Password to proceed."
I typed in the real Xara's number and password, double checking every digit to ensure that I wasn't making a mistake. If an agent messed up while inputting their ID or password, a tranquilizer gun inbedded in the device would shoot them, and the agent would be taken to the IIA prison. Once the effects of the sedative wore off, the agent would be interrogated and have a series of DNA tests done for verification. It would be a waste of time to have all that happen right before going on the mission.
Once I was sure that the data was correct, I hit submit.
"Welcome, Agent 24. Prepare for targets in three, two, one."
I readied myself. The second the box lit up, five lights lit up within the box. Instantly, I aimed and shot each one.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
I leaned forward, preparing for the next one. One second. Two seconds. Three seconds. Four seconds.
A brown light lit up. I pulled the trigger. A green and blue light turned on. I shot them both.
Bang! Bang!
After five more seconds, I shot another two targets.
And then, fifteen lights turned on at once. Bullets exploded from my gun as I struck each one.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
I waited a few more seconds. In the last three seconds of the game, the remaining five targets popped up. I knocked them out with ease, finishing with two seconds to spare. The game shut down as soon as I finished, logging me out of the system. I exhaled, realizing that I had been holding my breath.
"Nice shooting, X," Dari applauded.
"Thanks," I said. I turned to see her standing behind me, a black duffle bag in hand.
"I need to head to the technolab," she told me. "You two finish training."
"Okay," I said. I placed the pistol on the bench. I glanced up to see a woman dressed in black leggings, a black crop top, and leather combat boots approach me. Around her wrists were bands covered in metal spikes. She had three spike earrings at the top of her ear. Her hair was short, blonde, and wildly curly. And her face, well, that tough expression was almost sharper than her accessories.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't Agent X," a voice called. The database in my brain pulled up the name Dawn Frenyu, Agent 33. She was the agency's head trainer for the spies, assisted by Jef Stanquil, Agent 45. This was the first time I was meeting both of them. According to my memories, Dawn had started training Xara at the tender age of seven. Though Xara had largely surpassed her trainer in skill, she still fought in a well matched way. Either their fights ended in a stalemate, or Xara was slightly better or worse.
Did Dawn know that Xara was going easy on her? Probably. Did she care? No, since Xara was at a level where she wasn't to be chided for such things.
"Dawn," I said coolly.
"You ready to duke it out?"
"Always."
"Aay, Agent X!" a voice exclaimed. I glanced up to see Jef approaching me from across the room.
"Jef," I greeted.
"You two gonna fight? Oh boy, do I want to watch this!"
The butterflies in my stomach twisted into a knot. What if I did a bad job? What if she totally beats me up? (kicks my butt) They'll know for sure that I'm a fraud.
A fraud―those two words hurt more than they should have. For deep down inside, I knew it was true.
As I followed Dawn to the bench by the central arena, I reviewed all of my lessons with Professor Nyryn.
"Whatcha in the mood for, X?" Dawn asked. "Judo, Karate, boxing, all three?"
I thought for a moment, figuring out how to play to my strengths. My mind slipped into Xara's thoughts. In a matter of seconds, I learned that she typically selected boxing.
Maybe I should do that. It will make me appear more like Xara.
"Boxing," I stated.
Dawn grinned. "As I expected. But, you should know that I've been practicing."
"Same," I shrugged.
Dawn's grin grew even wider. Jef tossed us each a pair of boxing gloves. I caught mine mid air. I put them on while Dawn removed her spikes. There was no need to get more injured than necessary.
"Ready to fight?" Dawn asked after a few minutes.
I nodded. Dawn ceremonially shoved the gloves over her big hands, and we headed into the ring.
"Yes, X! You got this girl!" A voice yelled from the small crowd that was forming.
"You got this X!" Another screamed.
"Come on Dawn!" a third countered. "You can take down that old Geezer any day!"
It took everything within me to not laugh. For one thing, Dawn was older than the real Xara by at least ten years. But more importantly, I was the younger, clone version of Xara―hardly a 'geezer.'
"You're going down today, X!" Dawn cried. She bounced back and forth, preparing herself for the fight.
"We'll see," I replied. For a moment, I closed my eyes and breathed in as I focused my mind. You got this Xara. You are Agent X.
Just like I always did during training, I slipped into the mind of the real Xara. Memories of fights with Dawn flashed through my mind, along with strategies she'd developed.
Was I cheating? Not really...
I began to bounce on my feet, back and forth, side to side. I could feel the adrenaline releasing into my blood, flooding my muscles with energy. My eyes flew open, zeroing in on Dawn. Her brown eyes narrowed, equally focused. Dawn was hyped and cocky only for show. When it came to actual training, she didn't mess around.
The bell tolled―the starting of the game. I raised my hands to my chin, my palms sweating beneath the huge gloves. Dawn inched closer. I shifted myself slightly away, just like Xara would. Xara always made sure that Dawn had the upper hand from the onset of the game. Then, she'd move in for the kill.
Dawn took another step closer. I took one step back, closer to the corner of the ring. Then, to my surprise, Dawn took a step back, then another, and another, until she had backed herself into the opposite corner of the ring.
"Come at me, X!" she yelled. The crowd cheered.
I froze―a deer in the headlights. Of all the times for her to switch up her strategy, it would have to be today, when Xara wasn't here.
Can't you just go easy on me and attack first?
I waited, wondering if she was just toying with me, getting my guard down before she pounced. But she stayed in her corner of the ring. A few, tense beats of silence passed. I didn't move. Dawn lowered her arms slightly, eased up her posture.
"What's the matter X?" she called. "Are you scared?"
Yes, I thought. My mind raced along with my beating heart as it searched for a memory, a moment, anything, that could give me a clue as to what to do. What would Xara do?
A minute passed. Over the jumbled thoughts running through my head, I could hear the murmurs of the crowd. Dawn's brow furrowed.
"X? You good?"
Suddenly, I realized it was now or never. I remained perfectly still. Whatever expression was on my face I froze in place. Quickly, I made my strategy. My strategy.
She wanted me to come to her territory, where she would have the upper hand. My objective would be to wait until she wasn't looking. Then, I'd act.
I prepared myself, mentally and physically, to dash across the ring. I just had to be patient. I had to wait for the perfect moment...
Worried, Dawn lowered her hands, and glanced at the monitor. Before I could think twice about it, my legs dashed across the ring. Dawn barely had enough time to throw up her hands to protect her face before I pummeled her with punches.
Jab, cross, hook, cross.
Dawn stumbled backwards, the corners of her lips upturned ever so slightly. Her right hand flew out. My arm blocked her blow. Quickly, I shifted my weight to the left side to power a hooked punch at her left side. Despite the blow, Dawn turned right around and jabbed my ribs. We both backed away, panting.
I watched Dawn like a hawk in the ring. Dawn met my gaze for her own deadly stare. My eyes narrowed. I waited.
For a split second, her eyes shifted from mine. I flew forward.
Jab, cross, hook, cross.
I stepped backwards as she swung at my face. My arm shot forward, striking her jaw bone. Her footing faltered, but she swiftly undercut a punch at my jaw. I staggered backwards from the impact, though I caught my balance, jumping back to attention.
We shuffled around the ring, equidistant, moving in a circle.
I hopped between my feet, revving up for the next blow. This time, Dawn rushed forward.
I was prepared. My left fist hit her arm, absorbing the force of the blow. With every last bit of strength within me, I punched her nose with my right hand. She fell to the ground with a thud.
The match was over.
In normal boxing, a person has ten seconds to get up when knocked down. But in spy training, being knocked to the ground means that you instantly lose.
The crowd cheered. I panted as I stood there. My gaze focused on Dawn sitting on her backside in the middle of the ring, grinning like a maniac. Her nose streamed blood, her lip was bust open. Her left cheek had an ugly, purple bruise.
"You haven't lost your touch, X," she laughed. "Still sharper than a whip." She started to get up, but fell backwards, causing another laugh to escape her. "You hurt like a whip too."
I allowed the corners of my lips to tilt upwards ever so slightly. Now was an appropriate time for Xara to smile.
For me to smile.
After all, I was the only person she'd accept defeat to. I reached down and pulled Dawn up.
"Thanks, X," she said with another chuckle. We headed to the exit of the ring. Gradually, my heart rate returned to its normal rhythm.
"Dawn, why'd you lose your focus?" Jef said with a grin.
"Bruh, that girl always outsmarts me," Dawn declared. "She waits just long enough for you to get concerned, then she pounces." Dawn turned to me. "I thought your brain had taken a vacation on mars. I thought you weren't going to fight me."
I shrugged, grabbing the nearest water bottle and drinking the whole thing in one gulp.
"You should know better by now," Jef said, shaking his head.
Dawn shoved Jef. Jef shoved her back, making her stumble.
"Woah!" she exclaimed. "Take it easy! I just fought The X-inator!"
Ty, who had snuck up next to me, burst into laughter. "The X-inator?"
"You always think of the strangest nicknames," Jef teased.
"Well, I need to be good at something, since boxing clearly is no longer my domain," Dawn defended.
"Twenty-four," a voice barked from behind. I turned to see the Director. My heart stopped beating for a moment.
Did I do something wrong?
"Great fight," he said. My worries evaporated.
"Thanks," I said. Director Rokmond gave a slight nod, both in acknowledgment and in approval of what I had said. His eyes shifted to Dawn, who plopped down on the bench.
At least I can fight like my predecessor, I thought.
"I need you and Ty to come with me," The Director announced after a moment. "We have some things to discuss."