Chapter 3

We are lead to our briefing rooms where we will be paired up with an FGI agent?

I thought we were the agents?

And, I usually work alone on jobs.

I am not sure if I like the idea of working with someone. That last person I worked with tried to kill me. I sniff as I lean back in my chair, eyeing the empty room. This place is surreal, my mind still having trouble that this is all real. I sit in the metal chair, drumming my fingers on the white marble desk in deep thought. Am I to be married to a prince on a different planet? This is so extreme. I close my eyes, imagining what it would be like to have royal blood. I have always faked my positions to steal costly things in my life.

Well, this will be the first time I will not fake who I am.

I muse on that.

I guess I am still faking, but this is different. Right? Who cares, though. I was invited to Harry and Megan's wedding, and I watched with silent envy, wishing that were me up there. Now, it will be me that everyone will envy. For once in my life, my cards are aces.

Nothin can beat an ace.

The door suddenly opens and in walks Pierce and a little weird looking...little person. It's like 4 feet tall with large eyes.

What is that??

"Camila, sorry for the wait." He smiles at me and nods to his left. "This is your FGI personal agent."

"Heya, toots."

My eyes widen as I take him in. He looks like 1980s Jigalow, complete with gold chains and an oversized beige suit for his chubby body. His sandy blond hair is long and pulled back into a pony, and his large purple eyes are heavy-lidded.

He takes a pull of...weed?! I can smell it. The smoke trails from his lips, and he coughs a couple of times. "Shiiiit."

"This is Steve," Pierce says and gives Steve a stern look.

Steve holds up his hand, eyes watering from the hit. "How many times do I have to tell everyone. It's Steven."

Pierce rolls his eyes slightly. "His kind are amazing shapeshifters, and he will be your guide throughout this new world. Steven, are you briefed for the mission?"

I stand up. "Excuse me. I am not having a pot-head as a partner."

Steve looks at me, eyes bloodshot. "The babe has a bite. I like it. OUUUCH." He shakes his hand like I actually bit him, putting his finger in his mouth.

This can't be my partner.

Pierce checks his watch and glances at me with a sigh. "You want him smoking weed; otherwise, he is not brilliant in the least. A few years back he won a mission by a long shot, surprising us all."

"Hell yeeeaaah we did," Steve laughs, and it sounds like Seth Rogan. He fist pumps the air then starts to hip thrust.

I want to slap my forehead.

It's whatever. I am still to be wed to a rich prince. It does not matter who I am paired up with, honestly. "Fine, what now?"

Pierce grins at me and tilts his head. "Most find this part the fun part. You may change three things about yourself to give you an advantage. I will be back shortly to prepare you for extraction, think really hard for your wishes for you will be stuck with them."

My eyes widen. "I can change anything?"

Wild.

"Yes, but I would focus on abilities. This world is very alien to you, dangerous." Pierce points at Steve. "Guide her. I will be back."

Pierce leaves, and I glance at Steve.

He stares at me.

Awkward silence.

He looks down with a frown and I grab this lint I saw on my sleeve.

After a couple painful minutes, I break the ice. "So we are stuck together," I mutter, crossing my arms.

He takes another pull, eyes squinting. "You know, Pierce is right. I am a weed genius, fifth generation."

"What does that even mean? Your family members are potheads?"

"We are mysticals."

"Uh-huh."

"So mystical."

"I think it's just called, being a pothead," I deadpan and walk over to the large book on the table. "So, do we all have to go after the main target? This Thetis man?"

Steve frowns. "That's the game, toots."

I expel a breath. "I am to be married to a prince though, I have already won by default."

Steve's eyes look blank, then he laughs, coughing a bit, almost falling backward in his chair. "So you are playing to be a Sweet Pea?"

"Sweet Pea?"

"As long as the main objective is met, you maybe choose to stay in your position. I would prefer a Darling win, but a Sweet Pea has a pretty great payout," he sits up and looks around. "I have to pay some knockers back home if you know what I mean. I barely escaped them to make it here on time."

I muse on that. "Do you think the other girls can handle the main mission on their own?"

Steve makes a face. "FGI women are significantly hotter than any other woman. So, chances are always in our favor. I am down with cheating the system. I could use an easy win."

I might like Stoner Steve.

"Alright, then. New objective," I say.

Steve nods. "New objective."

"Will Pierce be on to us?"

Steve laughs. "Dude, Pierce knows shit before you even think it. That man is a ninja. He is a king. We are all kings."

I bite my lip and rub the bridge of my nose. "Will he be okay with this?"

"Don't know. I guess if you fall in love with the guy," Steve leans back in his seat again, his gold chains catching the light.

"I have to fall in love?"

Shit.

I can fake it.

It's what I do.

"That might help. But, there are some things you might want to know about your position first." He takes a candy bar from out of his large dress coat.

I sit down in front of him. "Well, tell me. Is he ugly? Fat? Mean? This Brayja?"

Steve takes another hit and grabs the book to open it. "Activating mystical talents," he whispers to himself.

I raise a brow.

What a strange little man.

"Okay, this dude Brayja is a prince but he is engaged to three different women," Steve looks up at me. "You have some competition."

"What!?" I yell. "Are you serious!? You're just now telling me this?"

He laughs. "You should see how red your face gets." He is laughing harder.

I take a large breath and look the other way. "Are the other women pretty?"

"Have no clue." Steve flips through more pages as I glance back at him. "But he has one month of courting to decide which noble daughter will be worthy."

I close my eyes. "Shit."

"I GOT it!"

He yells making me jump. "I have just tapped into my mystic brains."

Steve's eyes are wide, bulging. He makes sounds with his mouth like he is gaining divine guidance.

I frown as I watch him hold up his finger to silence me when I start to talk.

I huff. "Please enlighten me on what your brains are telling you."

"Your extraction is perfect to get in with Brayja, over the other girls."

I stare at him to expound.

"Okay, your man Brayja is captured by the Kingdom of Qokar. They are like org type people, scary as hell." He looks back to the book, reading, pausing. "I was looking over the map late last night when I was in mystic mode. Brayja was with Raine of the Nymph realm and Eluno. Eluno is mentally challenged, only knowing battle. He is intellectually slow, but is a crazy warrior, Brayja's loyal bodyguard."

"I am confused, Brayja, Raine, and Eluno are all captives?"

"Yeah, they fell into a trap that I think Thetis set up, though I do not know for sure. This Thetis guy really hates his step-brother. Like, a lot. If they all just smoked, they might get alone," he snorts.

"That does not matter to me."

Steve takes another pull. "Well, it's Brayja's best friend, they are like brothers. Raine is the son of Kalypso, the dude is super powerful. Like, he blows Brayja off the scales."

I frown. "I don't care about that. What point are you making?"

That this Raine guy is not to be messed with?

"Just don't get on Raine's bad side, he could sway Brayja into not picking you," Steve said like I am an idiot, rolling his eyes. "You're a chick, you always know to get on good terms with the bestie."

"True."

Very true.

Maybe Steve is not as dumb as I thought.

"Kalypso knows her son is caught and is coming for them along with the Gaya Empire." Steve is still turning pages, "Just some more info, Kalypso wears the pants in the relationship with Poseiden, she is one bad bitch to cross. Very powerful, which is why Raine is dangerous to not have on your side."

I shiver, excitement and nerves coursing through me.

A real-life adventure.

"Got it."

"They are all held in dark prisons on the side of a cliff with Org guards patrolling everywhere. So I was thinking you could sneak in and bring Brayja cookies and shit to get a head start on him picking you."

"Cookies? He's not a pothead, Steven."

"Or just your company, but I bet he'd love cookies. They are tortured there, already been in captivity for a week." Steve exhales. "These org people are vicious."

"So why am I there?"

"You were on the Gaya ship that followed them. Your ship was sunk and you are a brilliant woman and put on a disguise as a slave to help Brayja escape." He looks at me like he is some wise monk, raising his chubby chin, eyes half shut.

I frown. "Right...that would make me look worthy in his eyes."

Steve starts laughing, face turning red. "You'd have it in the bag, man."

I smile. "Money in the bag. How do I break in?"

He gives me another heavy-lidded expression. "This will be very tricky. You have to break into Eluno's cell first and wait an hour until the guard leaves to make it to Brayja's."

My mouth falls open. "I have to stay with Eluno for an hour? The slow guy?"

"It's the only way you don't get caught and use a life-line. You only get three Life-lines before you are ejected from the game, by the way." Steve looks like he is ready for a nap, eyes barely open.

"Stay awake. Is Eluno dangerous?"

"Very." He pauses, "Like an animal. But, he is tied up with a mouthpiece on. You will be safe, just don't get close to him. From my calculations, you would have a week's worth of time before they are busted out. Us agents get top secret information when we are briefed."

"That's like seven hours with Eluno."

"Maybe bring him cookies." Steve looks at his large gold watch. "Dammmmnn. We have to pick you three traits, hurry before the king comes back. We will go into more details once we are there."

A flash of nerves washes over me. "So, any pointers on what to change?"

Steve sits in the metal chair still and leans back on it, two feet leaving the ground. I raise a brow. He looks like Zach Galifianakis, and Seth Rogan had a baby. "You're super fly."

"I'm Fly?"

His eyes widen slightly. "Big ol' booty." Steve winks at me. "Nice rack too. Your face is golden."

"Should I be offended?"

"Yes—er no." He looks a little confused. "But you're packin' a lot of curves, so you might need to be in superb shape."

I almost laugh; this Steve is something else. "I am in shape. Just because I have curves does not mean I can't run."

I just need a legit sports bra.

He takes a pull of his joint. "Doubt it."

I can feel my cheeks heat. "Fine. Steven, what else?"

"I would be an exceptional swimmer," he laughs. "A lot of water there, kinda a no brainer, toots"

"Don't call me that, it's weird." I think for a second, " Right, because I don't swim that well," I say more to myself. I am more of a doggie paddle kind of girl, and I think that will not fly in this world. "Does that mean I can hold my breath for a long time?"

Like James Bond.

"No, but being in shape will make your lungs perfect," he says, nodding like he is the Godfather, the all-knowing.

"Okay, what else? What does this man Brayja like in a woman?" I ask, looking down at myself. I have long black hair that I always keep plaited or braided, and my heart-shaped face is delicate and exotic. My eyes are slanted, and my lips are full. I have the face to entrance people, while my hands are quick to steal from people.

Cold truth.

Steve leans up. "You need a talent. You are super Fly. I don't think he will complain after FGI airbrushing. Airbrushing is a freebie, makes the dames super sexy."

"It's weird hearing you say sexy while looking half asleep," I say, hiding my grin. "What talent then?"

"I am not half-asleep, I am in mystic mode. Being a valkyrie, you may not possess Nymph abilities," he says and frowns in thought. "Let me look through the book. I thought I saw something when I was eating a pizza-pie."

"I want to be special, rare," I say, leaning closer. "What are nymphs weak too? Since they are our enemies."

Steve points at me. "I like the way you think. They fight with electric currents. Especially Kalypso and Raine. Poseiden and Thetis's blood-line is more physical strength, brute force. There are so many different bloodlines it's hard to pick one to oppose." He looks at me. "What are you good at naturally?

Very deep for a pothead.

"I am good at stealing," I say and shrug. "Pretending."

I look down, feeling a bit uncomfortable.

His eyes widen. "I got it."

"A manipulator," Pierce says from behind us.

We both jump and turn to see him leaning up against the door with an amused expression.

"Right on, my ninja," Steve says in awe like Pierce was his mystical, weed God.

"You two have hit it off just like I thought you would," Pierce has his hands inside his pockets like he's on the cover of Men's Warehouse, most interesting man addition. "A manipulator is a talent of an ancient Warlock bloodline. Rare. It allows you to temporarily steal abilities off the people around you. For a short time, like five minutes. If you get good, you could be very dangerous."

"Yes," I breathe. "That actually sounds like me."

Perfect.

"Into the pod you go," he says as he studies me in that weird way. Pierce is a very strange man. "You are the last to be extracted so we must hurry."

I'm so excited and terrified. I nod and walk towards the alien-looking pod and step inside, feeling a burst of cold air. It closes around me and I gasp, seeing pink writing on the screen.

"Alright, Camila. The first trait?" he says over the intercom.

"In shape."

"An FGI favorite."

"Then the ability to swim."

I hear him laugh. "That would be wise."

"And then the manipulator."

"Alright, this might...tickle."

I roll my eyes then instantly hiss and suck in a breath as I see a white flash all around me. I think I screamed, my body feel hot and foreign. "Holy shit!" I place my hands on my head. "Let me out!

After a few minutes, the door opens with a pressurized sound. I stumble out and Pierce grabs me, steadying me.

"Sorry about that, but you look amazing," Pierce says. "The dizziness will pass."

"Duuuuuuude," Steve says, covering his mouth.

My gaze finds the large mirrored wall and I scream. " La Concha de tu Madre!!!! I look like I am a Latin barbie doll." I touch my hot body. "Look at my skin."

Pierce nods. "We mean business here at FGI. We play big if you have not noticed."

"My eyes!"

They are violet and slightly swirling with colors.

"Yes, that is part of the Manipulator trait. Very rare, and stunning," Pierce agrees and looks me over. "I need to prepare you for extraction. Spin please."

Spin?

"Toots, like Cinderella."

Pierce rolls up his sleeves. "Now."

I spin and my whole body tingles, making me scream again. "What the hell!!?"

Pierce laughs. "Extraction in 5." he touches his earpiece.

"What?"

"Steve will brief you once you have landed on Org mountain."

"It's Steven."

"Steve," He looks at him, not really paying attention to what he said, " You will be her adviser, as you already know."

"You got it, my ninja."

I look in the mirror and see that I am in a brown dirty cloak hiding my body. How the hell did he do that?!

What kind of shit it this?!

"And 5..."

"Pierce," I plead.

"3."

I close my eyes and grit my teeth trying to control my erratic pulse. "Ahhh!! Ahhhhhhhh!!! Ahhhhh!!"

Pierce is frowning at me. "2, 1!"

Blast off.

Camila out.