Agent X

xx| 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚛𝚝𝚢-𝙴𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 |xx

I woke to the beeping of my alarm clock. The blinding '6:00' on the alarm clock shone in my eyes. It was time to get up.

I sat upright and yawned. It had been so long since I had been in a normal routine of sleeping and waking. It felt good to be back to normal.

You like normal. You like routine. Afterall, you are Xara.

As I stepped from my bed, I heard voices murmuring outside my room. Curious, I threw my black bathrobe on, fastening the tie at the waist, and hurried to the kitchen.

I found Xara, Director Rokmond, and the rest of Team Summit sitting around the kitchen table. I stood in the doorway, paralyzed. They all turned to look at me.

"Oh... hello," I said.

"Hey," Ty said.

"What's up?" Dari said.

"Yo," Finn mumbled, his mouth of eggs.

Jax raised his glass of orange juice like giving a toast before taking a sip. I stood in the doorway, stunned to see them there.

"Come join us," Rokmond said. He motioned to a seat across the table from him, in between Xara and Dari.

"Okay." I slid into the seat. Two plates rested in the center of the table, one piled high with scrambled eggs, the other sausages. A bunch of bananas sat in between the two plates. I glanced at the other end of the table, closer to Jax, Finn, and Dari, to see a bowl of strawberries.

"Eat," Dari said. Her elbow dug into my ribs.

"What was that for?" I asked, turning to my left to face her.

"You look like a scared little sheep," she laughed. "What's the problem? It's just us."

"No it's not that," I said. "I'm just...surprised you up so early."

Actually, I was surprised that they were here in my living quarters. Visits were rare occasions, and were only paid by Director Rokmond or a few select members of the U.L.

"Well, I have to admit, this isn't my preferred time of day," Finn said.

"What do you mean?" Ty asked. "Isn't it so energizing to wake up before the sun?"

"No." Finn chomped menacingly on eggs. "I like to sleep."

"Don't talk with your mouth full," Xara said quietly.

The room fell silent. I took the opportunity to grab a banana and some eggs.

The Director cleared his throat. "We're actually here for a very special reason, Xara."

I glanced up from my meal. The Director was looking at me. Oh, right. I'm the Xara he's talking to.

"Oh really?" I said.

"Yes. We have a proposition to make you."

"We?"

Rokmond nodded at Xara, sitting opposite him.

"Given my present circumstances," she began, "I've decided to take a short break from active duty."

"A break?"

"Yes. Although my surface level injuries have been mostly cured, it's going to take a number of months, perhaps even a year, to regain the muscle and skill I've lost."

"Oh. I'm...sorry," I said. I wasn't exactly sure what to say to her. She didn't like people to pity her, but it felt awkward to remain silent.

"We've decided that in the meantime, I need a replacement. So, you're going back into active duty. Permanently."