Chapter Twelve

Normally, I don't dream. I go to bed, and my body wakes me up like a timer gone off. Ding! I'm awake, and so are you.

But tonight was.. different.

In one moment, I was surrounded by sheets in my bed, my head on my pillow. The next, I was alone in an empty, black space. Nothing, a plain of darkness as far as the eye could see.

It was strange, to say the least. As a person who rarely dreams, this was a little shocking.

Suddenly, my body started shaking. My limbs started vibrating of their own accord. I couldn't control it.

I tried my best not to panic, but it was hard. My breathing became irregular as my muscles moved without my direction. As my body shook, I first tried to tame my arms. I held them up for me to see if I could regain control.

My veins. They weren't their normal bodily hue; The faint bluish lines under the surface of my skin.

They were teal. My teal. Caribbean tropic.

And it was vibrant. So vibrant that they were making the black nothingness around me glow with its teal light. Like it had awakened from just being the dull pulse of the heart to this new strange light.

I had a feeling it was much more than just light.

In my blood? My arms continued to shake. What the..?

Before I could think a complete thought, the teal in my veins leaped out of my body. I didn't feel any pain. I scarcely felt anything, other than a tingling sensation that spread across my arms.

The teal, my teal, jumped from my body and hovered in the air in front of me. It shaped and reformed.. into a person.

I took a step back. Who..?

"Relax." The voice came from the teal human-like shape. The millisecond after it spoke, the person-shaped blob defined itself. From its head, beautiful silky hair. It was a turquoise so light it could have been white. Then its face: a perfect woman. Her skin tone was a pale teal, only slightly darker than her hair. Her body fanned out into the same color as her face. A flowing dress billowed out from her neckline, where its otherworldly fabric floated around her. It was the darkest teal of the three.

It seemed that this angelic woman-like being didn't obey gravity. She still floated in front of me, and I could only stare in awe. She was the purest image of the teal I'd known my entire life.

She smiled gently at me. "Do not fear. I am a part of you."

"Who..?" I couldn't find the words.

I cleared my throat and tried again. "Who are you?" My eyes went over the color of her skin. "Are you Colored?"

"No. I am color."

My mouth dropped open. "You.. you're my color?"

She gazed at me with soft eyes. "Yes."

With that answer, the black void around us erupted into a colored night. Glowing trees of another kind rose up from the ground, exotic lightning brush exploded into existence. Rolling lime grassy hills rose behind her, and vast lit mountain ridges spiked up in the distance. The sky drifted into new colors, lighting up the night. Lush vegetation exploded from the earth. A shining clear lake filled on one side, where multi-colored fish swam into being. A glimmering crystal moon hung above us, and fluffy diamond clouds drifted in the sky. Stars splattered across the sky like silver color. A forest of luminous trees sprouted behind me, and I turned to watch.

I spun slowly in wonder. "What.. is this place?"

"This is where your kind belongs." The teal floating woman still hovered nearby. She seemed more at ease here, like she could finally breathe. She floated higher, lifting her arms as though absorbing the atmosphere of the landscape. The woman only took deep breaths, now that she was here.

"Is this.. Riedhak? What it was before Kistra?" I asked, my eyes shining at the beauty of this place. My body was jumpy with excitement, like it knew something monumental was happening. My soul was reacting too, filling my chest and consuming my head, and everything felt full.

I have no scars here. My body does not have the growing weight of age. Every hole I'd ever felt, every thorn of pain, every chasm I'd never closed.. it was all smoothed over here. Nothing existed here except in wholeness.

She shook her head. "I do not know Kistra. Only that I feel at home here."

"Me too." I replied, gazing at the wondrous scene before me. The forest of lit trees had long finished growing, its trees' branches reaching towards the sky like misted glistening spiderwebs. The mountains' details shone brilliantly, now that I had a chance to look at them. The nearby water gleamed as its vibrant fish created color-lined bubbles.

I had long thought that Kistra was home. That B.L.A.D.E. was where I lived, and the city was where I worked. I thought I had belonged there. That I'd forever live among the skyscrapers, that my room would always be in HQ. That I'd sleep under the surface, that I'd always live in an underground building.

But the shining place before me felt right. It felt like I was made up of the same atoms as this landscape. The earth of the ground, the water of the streams, the ridge of the mountains. It was all resonating with my being, as though welcoming me home.

Everything here, every fiber of this awe-inspiring place.. was made of color. I could feel it, deep down in my bones. It emitted from every blade of grass, every drop of water, every being that lived here. Everything about this place was illuminating color, so much so that it didn't even need the moon. This is what Chief spoke of.

It was a thousand times better in this dreamland. I was experiencing it like it was a glimpse of the past, of what Riedhak should be. What I should be living in.

I wanted to cry from joy. From being understood. From being free of the pain of the world.

From finally being.. whole.

"Now you know where you were meant to be." The angelic woman spoke in soft tones. "Who you really are."

I nodded, my emotions choking my throat. I was consumed with relief, wonder, wholeness, joy.

"Listen to me." She drifted down until her feet touched the soil. She gently took my hands in hers. "I am a part of you. I can feel that I am being suppressed. I am not alive in your world.

"I know your thoughts, as you and I are one. I have watched you grow. I have seen what you can do. I've felt my imitation react to your soulmates'.

"You will need me if you are to win this war." She searched my face for understanding. I nodded as best as I could.

"I will only awaken once you truly need me, once you truly call for me. Color is not something that arrives simply because you want it to." She told me, gazing into my eyes. "Not until I'm alive in you."

She told me these things in love and care, as a mother would to her own. "You must have an ache for me, for this. Something that requires your color. Do you understand, my child?"

A silent tear tracked down my face. "I do."

"Very well." She wrapped her arms around me. "You've done so many things, Feckter. I've stood to the side, only giving you hints that I exist. But you impress me nonetheless. You've believed in me since your substitute mother spoke of the Colored.

"I am proud to be a part of you."

With that final word, the Riedhak that would have been collapsed all around me, the color drained from the dreamscape, and everything faded back into black.

A lingering glisten of a tear remained on my face as my destined home folded in on itself.

I never knew, but the droplet held a gleam of teal.

I woke up to a wet pillow and Sytra rubbing my back. "Shh, sh. It's okay." Her voice filled my mind as I blinked back into Kistra, back into HQ. I was back in my room, sitting on my bed with a tear-ridden face. "You're gonna be alright."

I couldn't do anything else but cry, and Sytra held me.

After I regained myself a few moments later, I stood shakily to my feet. "Let me.." My voice hitched. "I'm gonna wash my face."

She nodded in sympathy and watched me close my bathroom door.

I switched the nightlight on and looked in the mirror. My face was a mess of red splotches, and my teal-streaked black hair was all tangled. I sighed, leaning on the sink.

Waking up crying to Sy was nothing new. In our youth, we both had frequent nightmares. It would eventually wake the other up, and we'd comfort each other when we awoke. We became the closest of adopted sisters, coming to each other's side in times of trial. It was one of the reasons why we were so close.

But this.. this was quite the opposite of a nightmare. It was a dream come true. I'd found where I truly belonged.

"You okay, Grace?" Came Sytra's gentle voice from the other side of the door. In that moment, a final tear made its way down my face, and this one had a certain.. color to it. A minor detail that I didn't notice as her voice shook me back to B.L.A.D.E. headquarters.

"Yeah." I need time to think. "Yeah, I'm fine." I didn't notice the teal sink into my skin, making it glow for a few seconds. I didn't notice the streaks dry, or the redness fade. I didn't notice my color.

I opened the door groggily. "Wow, you look better already." Sy noted.

"Thanks. What time is it?"

"6:28 p.m. You didn't sleep a ton."

"Great." I crashed back onto my bed.

"Do you wanna tell me about it?" She asked carefully. "What your dream was about?"

"I'll tell you both at breakfast." I was referring to Dix, and she knew that. Our trio was back together, and we'd known each other long enough that we didn't even need to clarify.

I buried my face in my sheets. "I need to think about it. Can I get some space?" I asked as nicely as I could.

"Sure." Sy stood up quickly, understanding. "Whenever you're ready, come into my room."

I nodded, and she closed the door with a gentle click.

Who did I meet? The first thought.

I am here.

What?! I mentally exclaimed.

Only for a moment. Until the power of the colored dream fades.

You're.. my color.

Yes. She spoke right into my mind, and I heard it as clearly as my own thoughts.

Was that real? I asked her.

Yes, the dream was.

Will I ever go there? To the land of color?

It was partially destroyed when they began building your city. However, some of it still remains outside of Kistra. I can feel it.. barely. It calls me.

I see. I had a feeling we were almost out of time.

Will I ever meet you? In real life, that is?

No. But we will merge when the time is right. She paused. Then you will feel me.

Can I see you in my dreams?

I could imagine her pale teal lips smiling. Tonight was a special occasion. I had to force a dream on your mind. You got less sleep because of me, and you'll likely get a headache. However, I'll see what I can do.

So you're a part of me? Are you the Colored part of me? Our fleeting moment was almost up.

Yes. Her voice resonated through my mind.

Are you in my veins?

I come from your heart, like all colors. Less than ten seconds.

Is that why you came from my veins in the beginning of the dream?

Yes, my child.

Her calling me "her child" was so endearing. So I am yours and you are mine?

You could say that. The teal woman's voice paused. Our time is up. I am proud.. Her words faded away.

Hello? Are you still there? I paused for a couple minutes to listen mentally for her voice. Nothing. Okay. I'll miss you, color..

Already, she felt like a mother to me. A person I'd always known. Which would make since, since she supposedly lived within me.

I sighed and sank into my pillows. Thankfully, I'd already cried all my tears. I knew I wouldn't fall back asleep, I never could after waking up. But I was consumed by thoughts of her, of there.

I can't believe I met my color. I didn't know it could become a person. Who can talk.

I wondered how much power it would have taken to force a dream on my mind, how much strength would have been needed to recreate the land of the Colored.

I sighed. Okay. Get to breakfast and meet up with Dix. And don't forget to talk with Agent Quelp. She was the Head of Missions, currently.

And meet up with Silvsley. And go to the agency meeting. And I have a mission tomorrow.

"Agh." I groaned and got out of bed.

A few moments later, I was dressed. I walked over to my bathroom and brushed my teeth. I thought about my dream throughout all of these familiar activities, just going through the motions with dull repetition. I was too consumed in my own thoughts to give any other headspace.

I left my room, turning off the fan and closing the door. I crossed the living room to Sy's room, ready to go to breakfast. I was eager to share my dream, but also shaken from the vibrant things that I saw and the raw emotion that I felt. Let alone the amount of tears I'd shed.

"Hey?" I nudged the door open. She was silently listening to music, and seemed to be consumed by thoughts.

She pulled out her earbuds and quickly stood. "You okay?"

I gave her a tired smile. "Yes, yes. I'm fine." I stood in the doorframe, glancing over her room. "How are you?"

She shook her head. "Always putting other people before you. No. You're gonna tell me everything." She realized what she said and spoke again. "If you want to."

I nodded. "Yeah. I want to."

"Good!" She grabbed her keys and walked over to me. "Aren't there cinnamon rolls?"

The container sat beckoningly at the kitchen island. I chuckled. Having Sy around made me forget that I was crying earlier. "Tempting, aren't they?"

"Mind if I get some?" She looked at me pleadingly.

I sighed. "Be quick. The healthy stuff upstairs is just there waiting. For me."

What about Braz? Should I text him? No. He's probably sleeping still, and I didn't want to wake him up.

"Okay! Okay." She rushed over, pried it open with one hand, and grabbed one. Then she sprinted to the front door. She spoke excitedly, forgetting everything having to do with my dream. "Food, food, food, we're coming!"

She was always like this when food was on her mind. I would have rolled my eyes, but flashes of the land of color ran through my mind. I kept my mouth closed, pondering what I'd seen. My eyes kept drifting, or staying in one place. My mind was in another time.

Normal people would just go back to bed. But usually after a nightmare night, neither of us could fall back asleep. Unusual sleeping patterns weren't anything new.

B.L.A.D.E. agents weren't usually awake in the PM's. Or, if they were, it was usually right before sunset or right after sunrise. Thankfully, level 3 was open twenty-four hours a day.

We walked down the hallway and I gently pressed the button for the elevator. Lack of sleep and what I'd dreamt of was occupying my movements. I couldn't stop thinking about it. "It was.. shocking."

"Your nightmare?" Sytra asked in a soft tone. She was asking in such a concerned way, I was touched.

I shook my head slightly, my eyes finally meeting hers. "No.. my dream come true."

"So those were.. tears of joy?"

I gently smiled as the elevator doors opened. "You could say that."

The words of my color. Sy went to the sleek panel of buttons and selected 3. I miss her already.

She said it herself: I'd never meet her in real life. But hopefully I'd see her in my dreams.

But there would be consequences; She warned me of this. Headaches, and loss of sleep. But I felt like I could deal with those. It's not like I get a lot of sleep anyways. Being an agent will do that to you.

The elevator rides were either painfully slow, like the first couple times I was stuck here with Dix, or really fast. But it was more the situation than the actual speed of it.

HQ's genius design meant that there were multiple elevators side by side, but this one was in the middle. It was the only one that could get you to the surface level, to the guarded entrance. It would be crowded and heavily used, but thanks to B.L.A.D.E. technology, it moved fairly quickly.

Only in awkward situations would it be the slowest elevator in Kistra.

The doors opened to level 3. There were a few agents scattered throughout the dining hall, but they looked exhausted. Such is the life of an agent.

With the tendency to be light sleepers, B.L.A.D.E. members commonly didn't get a lot of sleep. Those that were here at this hour either didn't sleep, had a nightmare, or had a day mission. Neither of these things were incredibly rare.

Nightmares weren't uncommon because of our lost families. Most of the agency never knew their parents, or if they did, they were taken or killed when said agent was young. M.A.S.K. in general was a horrifying organization, and the pale white masks of their members weren't easily forgotten.

We stepped out of the elevator and quickly scanned for familiar faces. Sy had practically sprinted because food was on the other side, so she was ahead of me. She ran off to get her feast prepared.

I walked forward, gazing at all of the food and seating with tired eyes. My eyelids were heavy, but something made me forget my exhaustion.

"Feckter?" Dixter asked from a few tables away. When his eyes caught mine, his whole face lit up like the Kistrian Lights I had earlier.

I breathed a sigh of relief at his being here. I realized that I needed him more than I knew. I rushed over to him, and he stood to wrap me in his arms. When he went to bed, he usually wore a hoodie and pants, so he was in his red-trimmed usuals.

"Dix." I buried my face in his hoodie.

"Why are you here?" He asked, his voice low as he pulled away to look at me. He studied my face, and I wondered if he could see my teartracks.

"I.. had a dream." There was a break in my words. It was so much more than a dream.

He looked at me with concern. "It woke you up? Are you okay?"

I took in a shaky breath. "Yeah.."

"You're not."

I glanced towards my orange-streaked best friend, who was currently loading the sixth bacon strip onto her plate. I couldn't bring myself to smile. "I'll tell you and Sy when she comes back."

We sat down, and he continued to worry. "Did you sleep much?"

I shook my head, my frazzled hair shaking slightly. "No."

His eyebrows furrowed. "One of these days, you're gonna work yourself to death, or go on a mission that breaks you. Someday, you're gonna drop." He leaned his head down to look me in the eye.

"Can you promise me that you'll call me next time?" Dixter asked, his voice laced with care.

"I will." I nodded, his words making my throat close up. "Thanks, Braz."

"Anytime, Grace."

"Move it, you two." Our touching conversation was cut short by a third voice. Sy held her usual multiple plates of food. "I need space."

"Oh." She noticed the looks on our faces. "Are you guys okay?"

I nodded silently, while Braz just gave her a look that said Don't ask. Move on.

She wasn't her usual Morning Sytra because I'd woken her up, which meant she was more concerned about me than her sleep. She was jolted awake rather than roused from her beauty sleep, so she was generally more concerned, and her loud, sassy personality was turned down.

"So." Sy started in a gentle voice. "Tell us about this dream of yours."

Dixter leaned forward in anticipation, and Sytra took a bite of food. They both had soft expressions on their faces, and it became evident to me just how much they cared about me.

"Okay." I breathed. "It started out in a void.." I explained in as many details as I could remember. First it was meeting my color, then it was seeing the land of color. Then what she told me..

"My color.." With a tender look, I recalled what she looked like. I remembered when she embraced me. "She.. She said she was proud of me."

I didn't know what this side of me was. I was the city-hardened, skyscraper-jumping, top B.L.A.D.E. agent that everyone was hearing about. I'd only had this side of me ever since Chief really came into my life, ever since I'd fallen in love. No, I wasn't some weak girl that cried after a dream.

But this experience.. it was like none other I'd ever had. Feeling my color, meeting her, hearing how proud she was of me.. It was something completely new to me.

And being in a dreamscape of color.. that sense of belonging, that wholeness. I broke down into tears because I'd never felt that before. Not from being an orphan.

"Dang." Sytra whispered.

Dixter could only stare.

"Yeah." My voice was gravelly. I cleared my throat, regaining my words. "But she said that I'd need to awaken her if I were to win this war."

Braz took in what I was saying, and managed to speak. "But what could that mean?"

I'd already been pondering this. "Dix, do you remember those pieces of artwork we saw in Color Central?"

"Yeah? And?" He asked, the question in his eyes.

"What if the Colored.. held color?" I guessed. "We've seen them pictured. They threw color like we throw paint."

"But you can't throw color." Sytra countered. "It's something you see.." Her voice wavered as her uncertainty grew. If she had felt what the other agents had felt at any of the color markets, calling color "something you see" wasn't giving it enough credit.

I shook my head. "You wouldn't be saying that if you had my dream. I swear, it came out of my veins." I had no idea if my theory was correct, but it seemed like the best explanation.

I gave a tiny shrug. "But I don't know. Not until I awaken my color."

"I wish we knew what that meant." Dix stared down at his food, thinking too much to eat.

I ran my hands through my hair, my food forgotten. "I just wish you all could have seen it. The landscape, the build of the land. It was all color.

"Believe me, if you could see it.. You'd know what we're really fighting for."

Sy cocked her head to the side. "What do you mean?"

"Right now, we're fighting for M.A.S.K.'s defeat. But there's more. The land, the place that the builders of Kistra destroyed. We should be fighting for that.

"The people. The Colored that we heard about in Chief's story. They still might be alive. We know that M.A.S.K. has captured a lot of B.L.A.D.E. agents over the years. Nobody knows what happened to them, but what if they could still be saved?"

I looked between the two of them, this new idea urging me to speak faster. "The dreamscape radiated peace. Wholeness. I'd never felt anything like it. If there's a possibility, even the slimmest of chances that we can go there, or live there.. I want to take it."

Imagine living there with Dix.. "My dream was one of the most amazing things I'd ever experienced. I wish you could have seen it."

Dix nodded sympathetically. "Me too." He looked down and remembered his food, eating like it never got cold.

"I just.. agh." Sytra was frustrated. "I just wanna go into that pretty little head of yo's and watch it myself."

I laughed, and the tense atmosphere broke. "Yeah, no. It was.. really something."

"Well." Dix swallowed his food. "I'm intrigued. What was your color like?"

I had fond memories of her. "She was like a mother. A floating woman of different shades of teal. She said she was always a part of me. I'd never met someone like that before."

"That sounds.. really cool." Sytra stared in wonder.

I remembered something. Something that should be done ASAP, I thought, a little upset that I'd forgotten it. It was the wonder of the dream I'd just had that distracted me.

"Oh, Dix." I turned to him. "Do you remember when I told you about Silvsley?"

"Yeah, and?" If my eyes weren't playing tricks on me, I could have sworn that he looked a little upset at his mention.

Boy's jealous. "I.. promised him that I'd talk to the Head of Missions about letting him come on a mission. With both of us. Tomorrow." I cringed at the news.

"What?" He exclaimed, alarmed.

Dang it. I thought angrily. Please, please, PLEASE don't bring out that side! Not now!

I had to fix this, quick. "Hey, hey. I'm sorry. I just felt bad, he didn't believe in himself and I wanted him to feel worthy." The words tumbled out of me as I tried to keep Dixter's bad side under control.

He sighed deeply, his angry side dissolving. His calmer side steadied out. "We've been on two stressful missions already this week. I kinda want a break."

I took a deep breath. "I didn't mean to make our lives any more stressful, Dix. But he needed some confidence. He feels like he's never done much for B.L.A.D.E. and I.." I trailed off, looking down.

Braz gave me a soft look. "I know you, Grace. You just wanted to help." He stood up a little straighter, and set his face, like he'd made a decision. "You know what? Let's do it. It'll slow M.A.S.K. down, it'll give him something to feel good about, and I get to spend time with you. It's a win-win-win."

I smiled at his change in expression. "Yes. Okay. We'll go after breakfast, alright?"

He nodded. "Welp. Time to meet Quelp."

I rolled my eyes at his humor. We spent the last few minutes of our meal just enjoying our food. The smells of level 3 filled the air, and the sounds of agents' quiet conversations were heard all around us. The distant sounds of clinking glassware were scattered throughout the atmosphere.

The peacefulness of eating in silence was a simple moment, but I appreciated it nonetheless. Just sitting still for a little bit was enough for me.

The thought reminded me of last night. Sometimes it's good to just take a night to hang out with your friends. Meet some new people. De-stress a little bit.

Maybe Colves' night with us was just enough relaxation for a top B.L.A.D.E. agent.

I mentally sighed. I just want a day with no plans.

"Ready?" I asked, standing up. I held my plate as Dix took his last bite of food. Sytra had managed to eat each of her two plates, which I found alarming, but it wasn't anything new. I'd learned when I was younger, back when Sy and I's friendship was new, to never underestimate how much that girl could eat.

"Yep." Braz replied, standing. When he picked up his plate, his hoodie's sleeve pulled up, revealing a white bandage around his broken arm.

Which reminded me.. His arm didn't pain him anymore, but it still needed to be wrapped.

"Dix, you should really keep your arm in a cast. Even though it doesn't hurt." I told him, gently touching his arm. I examined it for a wrapping well done.

"Aw, Feckter." He said, touched by my concern. I decided it was tight enough and let his arm go. "I promise, it's fine. As long as the bandages are tight and the bone is supported."

I narrowed my eyes. Boys always thinking they can just tough things out. They could die and their friend would just tell them to walk it off. "Did a medic tell you that, or just your genius mind?"

"I'm glad you think I'm a genius."

"That was sarcasm, sweetheart. If you were half as smart as you thought you were, you would have realized that I just took your phone."

It was true. While he was distracted, I'd snatched his phone. I dumped our plates in the bin labeled used and unlocked his phone with his passcode. I'd known him long enough, it didn't take me long to crack it.

"Let's see.." I loved this game. "Messages."

"No!" Dixter yelled, grabbing for it. He made desperate swings at my hands, but continued to miss. I was moving quickly, and he couldn't see exactly where his phone was at any given moment.

I smirked as I saw what he'd texted to one of his friends. I mocked him in my best impression of a manly voice. "'Just wow, dude. Feckter is the most–'"

"Stop!" I laughed as he lunged for it. Why is he so defensive?

"Give. Me. My. Phone." He growled, grabbing my arm.

"Woah, woah." I froze and handed it to him. His grip loosened, and I backed away. It didn't hurt much, but the shock of his sudden movement made me jump back. "Were you afraid of me seeing something?"

Whatever monster that Dix just was disappeared as quickly as it had come. "I.. no. No." He sighed, putting his phone in his pocket. I noticed it was the one closest to his hand. "I just.. want to keep my privacy."

What just happened? I looked at him for a while, his scrunched-up face a mix of emotions. What are you hiding from me, Dix?

"I'm sorry about earlier." Dixter apologized.

We were in the elevator, on the way to see the Head of Missions: Agent Quelp. Sytra had left to go do her own thing. I think she just wanted us to have some time to ourselves, to sort out what happened. She was cool like that.

"It's.. okay. I just wish we didn't have secrets."

He looked like he wanted to respond, but couldn't for some reason.

Wow. Either the secret's really bad or he doesn't know how to tell me.

"We're here." I stated with a hollow voice. I made no comment on his lack of response. The elevator doors opened to level 2: administrative offices, and Chief's office. We walked over to her office door and knocked.

"Hello, agents." She was an older woman in her late fifties, and her color was lilac purple. It matched her personality well. She had a string of pearls around her neck, and matching earrings. Her glasses sat upon the crown of her head, upon curly white hair. She had a small birthmark above her right eye. She wore a soft plain t-shirt of her color along with unaltered black pants, which was a little odd. Most B.L.A.D.E. members had their clothes ripped, cut, or dyed. The executives were known to break this trend, as they weren't.. young.

"Hello, Agent Quelp." I nodded respectfully, as standard. Dix closed the door and we sat in the dark oak chairs in front of her matching desk. Paintings of pastels were hung around her office, and she had a soft yellow paper light in one corner. It was cozy, and I could easily see how the woman spent most of her time here. As evidence of this, the air carried a scent of lilac. I supposed she was so fond of her color that she wanted the air to smell like it too.

"Oh dear, call me an executive. I'm nowhere close to what you young folks do." She put a stack of papers aside with her wrinkled hands. Her computer sat to the side, and she closed a tab. "As you both know, the Chief wanted me to go over our plans, and look for better strategies. I've been busy." She smiled warmly.

"Sure, sure." Every B.L.A.D.E. agent knew that the executives were known to talk longer than necessary. I was determined to avoid this. "We're looking for a mission for tomorrow night. Do you have any open assignments?"

"I'll check. Hold on a moment, dear." She slowly moved her hands to her keyboard. She clicked away with nothing to hurry her. "Are you two in cahoots?"

We glanced between each other, heat choking the air. "Uh.." I began.

"Yes?" Dixter asked, looking at me. I nodded approvingly.

"Yes." He stated with a smile. "We are."

"I see." She commented in her elderly voice. Executive Quelp clicked her mouse. "Yes, I have two missions open."

"A poison laboratory and a shipment of windswords. M.A.S.K. standard. Both need to be completely obliterated by next week."

We shared a look, and Dixter spoke first. "Windswords sound exciting."

She assigned us with a touch to her mouse. With that simple answer, her aged tones switched to a voice of warning. It was clear she'd done this before. "Yes, though beware of the dangers. These blades are very sharp, and they have but the weight of a feather. Watch your backs, agents."

With that set of bewares, we stood to leave. "Thank you, Executive."

"Farwell, dear." She shook her head as the door closed. Her elderly voice spoke as we left the room. "I can't believe you kids do these things.."

The door shut, and Dixter and I were left on our own.

But I was still on the whole secrets business.

"Dix." I sighed, leaning against the wall. "Promise me that one day, you'll tell me everything. As long as it's before our wedding day."

At those last two words, his cheeks and ears became a light pink. I meant what I said, and it turned him into a spluttering mess. "You mean.. we'll.."

I smirked and stood to my full height. I patted him on the cheek. "Yes, silly boy. You're my soulmate after all."

The playful tone ended there. "You will tell me, correct?"

He seemed to regain himself. "Y.. Yes. When?"

I gave him a small but meaningful smile. "Whenever you're ready."

The sounds of an entire agency on one floor of an underground agency was a strangely orchestrated piece. There was the usual chit-chat of conversation, the footfalls of hundreds of agents, and the laughter of friends sparking up among the noises.

It was 1 a.m. sharp, and with mandatory attendance, almost every B.L.A.D.E. agent was there. Level 5 was perfect for mass gatherings, and was commonly used like this.

"Agents."

The single word froze everyone where they stood. Chief spoke into a microphone, which wirelessly connected to a series of speakers along the ceiling. This system carried her voice well along level 5.

For years, Chief had taken care of us. She'd taken us in from the alleyways of Kistra, she'd accepted us in our dirty threadbare clothes, she'd given us a new life. She'd picked us up from our broken states and given us a new purpose.

That kind of revival earned a collective, irreplaceable respect.

She stood on the higher platform at one end of the massive room. Chief had a spotlight shining down on her from above, seeming to suggest that she was a heavenly being. "I've gathered you all here to discuss something: The coming war."

The air buzzed at the word. A few gasps escaped from the crowd. Agents around Dix and I visibly stiffened. A male agent ahead of us stood to his full height.

Chief spoke into the microphone again. "This battle is inevitable. We cannot escape M.A.S.K, so we must fight them. We have no choice.

"This war will kill some of us. Blood will be shed. I'm not going to sugar-coat it. However, we need to be prepared. I've already assigned the executives to begin the procedures for war, including plan overlook, weapons evaluation, etcetera. I've decided on a course of action: Plan C, edit D.

"It will consist of a fleet of some of our best going to as high of a level as they can go. We need to stay below the president's office, the very top floor. They'll take the air vents, and make their best attempt to arrive into the building unseen and unheard. This fleet will begin silently taking out all of the men in white on that level. Once the floor below the president's is clear, they'll give the signal to the rest of our florces down at ground level. That signal is going to be inking a black handprint onto the wall facing the ground team. Because of the skyscraper's blank whiteness, it'll be easily seen from street level. Once the ground forces see the ink, they'll know it's time to go. The ground team will take the air vents as well, and they'll take out the level below what the first fleet took out. If everything seems to be in order, the rest of our forces will continue this until most of our enemy's agents are taken out. Evidently, they'll notice us at some point. When they do, all of our forces will need to attack at once. No word can get to any other part of the building as long as we can help it." She spoke with such confidence, I wanted to be on board with whatever plan she came up with. But something didn't feel right.

"The goal is to wipe out M.A.S.K. quickly without giving them a chance to react. We have to take them by surprise, and give them as little preparation time as possible."

She seemed to have thought a lot about her words. "The dangers are numerous. Our enemy has likely been readying themselves for war for an immeasurable amount of time. They've gathered their best weapons, their highest-ranking agents, their finest skills. We already know of their production regarding weapons."

Something's off. I thought, narrowing my eyes. Edit D doesn't involve assassinating the president. Either she's completely out of it, or there's something amiss.

I could have sworn Chief looked directly at me. "And we've slowed them down. I've sent multitudes of you agents out into the field with only a sentence of explanation."

"And yet," Her eyes gazed proudly out into the sea of agents. "You pull through every time."

Chief smiled wide as she spoke. "My agents, my operatives, my friends. I am infinitely proud of your work, and what you've done to slow M.A.S.K. down. You've proven yourselves capable time and time again. I have full confidence in your abilities. We may have less numbers and less training. We may have young agents and vulnerability.."

"But we have something they don't." Chief crouched down and jumped away from the stage. She weaved her way through and stood in the center of the crowd. She looked into the eyes of agents individually, giving each of them love and reassurance with a single glance. Then she spoke into her wireless microphone once again.

"We have family."

Cheers erupted from the crowd. B.L.A.D.E. members hollered and threw their hands up, just celebrating this fact of their lives.

Chief laughed along with the whooping, and when everyone quieted down, she spoke again. "You agents are truly as close as any family. I love you all deeply, and I pray that each and every one of you make it out of this war alive."

She sighed and stepped away from the mass of people in the center. "This war.. it will kill some of us. I have no doubt of that. But I hope with all of my heart that that number is kept small."

This time, when Chief looked up at her agency, her eyes held fire. A deep, burning fire that I'd never seen out of my substitute mother.

She held the handheld mic to her mouth as she spoke. "This war will be one of our hardest. We have to bring everything we have, every weapon, every trick. We have to play every card up our sleeves. We have to put everything into this attack, so that our enemy doesn't even have the slimmest chance of winning.

"I've grown weary of M.A.S.K.'s ever-present threat, their illegalities, their violence in Kistra. They're one of the leading causes of murder, of orphanhood. They've taken more from us than any other organization in Kistra. They've dealt far too much damage to B.L.A.D.E. to continue ruling over this city like a dark supreme royalty."

She paused for effect, meeting as many eyes as she could. "The reign of the white agency ends now."

The echoes of the cheers following that statement could be heard all throughout HQ, and the words before it were heard by the ears of both agencies.