Reflections

The Team and I headed back the way we came, back to that big room with all of the multi-colored beds. An amalgamation of smells assailed our nostrils. A small table and chair had been placed at the end of all of our beds, each with a meal on it. It seemed as though the meals came from our respective countries. I got a hamburger, the German chick got some bratwurst thing, and everyone else had... weird stuff that I had not seen before. I immediately realized the state of my stomach after seeing the food. I was hungry; I had not eaten all day. I sat down and began eating, following the example of all of the others. My food was gone in a few minutes- everyone else was close behind. With nothing to put in my mouth, the near silence grew deafening. "So... pretty cool thing they have going on here, huh?" The Japanese kid nodded his approval. "Whatever we do on the next mission will have meant more to the world than all of our lives combined so far," he said thoughtfully. "So... we are all going to kill before we are adults..." muttered George, so quiet that I could barely hear him. "Well... yeah. Some people need to die." I stated flatly.

"Its not that I'm worried about. I know that some people have to die. I just don't know if it should be us doing the killing."

"The alternative is just someone else doing it- or not being done at all."

"I don't know if we will be able to do this."

"You could have left."

"You don't know that."

Hannah raised her finger to her lips. She said in a hushed whisper: "They are listening!" Alice laughed. "Yep," she began. "They are always listening. They know everything about us. Why do you feel like you need to withhold information from them?" Hannah shrugged.

"I'm just wondering why the rooms are coed," Will joked. Willow smiled and looked at her hands.

"Maybe just for our benefit," Elizabeth said, cracking a smile.

"Team with benefits?" I mused, sending the room into chuckles.

"Seriously, though... We have the opportunity of a lifetime here. Let's not have it go to waste. We screw up, someone else could have gotten it done... most likely. What we do is for the net good of the world. Whatever has to be done... so be it." Yasahiro said, bringing the mood back down.

"Agreed. I have no doubt that everyone here is intelligent and capable enough to do what needs to be done. As long as we keep it tight and don't get outside the wire. We keep each other alive, we'll be fine." I corroborated Yasahiro's claim.

Alice rose from her chair, raising her glass. We all had a glass of water. "To the Team," she said valiantly. We all rose and came together in the middle of the room, clinking our glasses together in businesslike fashion. After the various "prosts", "saluds", and "cheers" were exchanged, the ice was broken, and everyone milled about, chatting like old friends. I quickly found myself on the fringes of the conversation, just like school when groups were picked for projects. I checked the clock. 2310. We were supposed to be asleep. Whatever it was that was going on tomorrow, Uncle made it at least somewhat evident that we should go to bed at a reasonable hour. Never really liked parties. I left the room and went to Alice and I's room to get ready for bed. I brushed my teeth and switched into some rather formal-looking pajamas. I noticed that my gun locker was opened. There were guns in it! I walked over and pulled a boxy handgun from it. Newest model Glock. Oh joy. I put the pistol back in the rack. They trusted us now. I thought for a second and pulled the gun back off of the rack and ejected its magazine. It had rounds in it. I smiled and put the gun back. I sat back on the bed and wondered what tomorrow would bring. I was lost in thought and contemplation, wondering when the other greats of history actually started doing anything of value. Beethoven started composing at what? 6? Something like that. It was then that I heard the door open. Alice peeked through the doorframe.

"Life of the party, huh?"

"Exactly."

"What are you doing?"

"Getting ready for bed."

"That's not what it looks like."

I gripped the bed. "I'm just thinking."

"About what?"

I smiled. "Everything."

She threw her head back slightly and closed her eyes. She went into the bathroom and reappeared in pajamas similar to mine. "Come on," she said in an exasperated tone.

"Are they quieting down over there?" I inquired.

"Yep. Talked some sense into them."

"Nice." I followed her out the door and back into the big room. Everyone was winding down and getting into bed. I turned the lights out as I entered, causing a few grumblings. Didn't matter. They couldn't tell who it was in the dark. I climbed into bed as everyone did the same. I shifted around, closed my eyes, and tried to go to sleep. I shifted back around and opened my eyes. I ended up staring awkwardly into the eyes of Alice.

"Can't sleep?" She hissed.

"Well, I just laid down."

"Stand up."

"What?"

"Just do it."

I wondered if she had some ancient Brazilian way of forgetting about one's possible impending doom. I flung the covers off and stood up, standing stupidly above Alice's bed. Alice stood up as well. The beds were very close together. There was a few inches between our toes, even less between our faces. She was much too close. I shuffled backwards in the American attempt to garner more personal space, but I was blocked by the bed. Her face drew closer so that I could see her freckles, even in the darkness. She surprised me by pressing her face into mine. We didn't kiss, but our noses touched. I felt her warm breath. Her breath rate increased, then settled, as did mine. We stood there for something like twenty seconds, feeling each other's breath from our noses. "Goodnight," she whispered, and crawled back into bed.

I crawled back into mine and promptly fell asleep, replaying the interaction in my mind.