Double Assignment

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"Do something." My thumb hovered over the send button on my phone. I reread the text in my head, wondering if I should send it or not. "Come on Vivian!"

After staring at the screen for far too long, I shut my phone and shoved it back into my pocket. This was my problem to deal with and it wouldn't be fair to dump my baggage on poor Alyssa.

A cold gust of wind rushed by and I shivered slightly. The streetlights ahead flickered now and then, casting a gloomy shadow on the sidewalk before disappearing again. The office building loomed ahead, towering over me like a haunted house in a decrepit environment. Light bulbs illuminated a few of the office windows high up, while the others were tinged black, just like the night sky, meaning whoever was on patrol for tonight was probably chilling at the top floors, leaving the base totally unguarded. Not that anyone in their right minds would want to burst in here any way.

I hadn't been here since that night; that bloody night I punched Tate in the jaw. I shook my head vigorously, clearing my head of all thoughts of the bastard. I scaled the side fence and landed on the other side of the compound, deftly avoiding the wired fence. My boots kissing the pavement gently, I headed to the garage and took the elevator, my destination being the last floor. The descent was slow and I found my thoughts swirling around and worsening the throbbing in my head.

My mind wandered back to Tate's words and how I could tell he was speaking about Max. Why did I get mad? This wasn't the first time Tate, Aly, and I would joke about our assignments. We even went as far as giving them silly and weird nicknames in our group chat. But all that stopped immediately after I was assigned Max's case.

The ding of the elevator signaled me of my arrival. I stepped into the dojo and was met with grey-colored walls. I ran my hand along the uneven walls of the training room, searching for a light switch. I found one, flicked it and unnaturally white lights filled the dojo, almost blinding me. On the left side of the wall, weapons of different sizes, shapes, and forms filled the atmosphere. Scattered around were practice dummies, just begging to be hit. I hardly came down here but it was what I needed to clear my head.

Setting my backpack to the side, I changed into the proper attire and grabbed a nunchuck from the wall. I picked a practice dummy in the middle of the room and struck it once, the inanimate object bouncing back. Another strike and I missed, the dummy hitting me square in the shoulder.

"Ouch!" I cowered, flinging the Nunchuck to the side and clutching my shoulder. "Damn you, stupid dummy."

"Easy now, Kid." Someone hollered from behind. "Are you trying to kill me?"

"Oops." I scratched the back of my neck sheepishly, taking in Chief's presence. "I didn't see you there."

"Of course you didn't." He chuckled wholeheartedly and I found myself smiling too. "If you did, you'd have aimed for my head instead."

"Chieffff." I groaned, my smile growing wider. "You know that's not true."

"I don't know." He came closer, overlooking me with a fatherly glance in his eyes. "You haven't come to see me in a while. Scared that I'll beat you?"

"Puh lease." I scoffed, flipping my hair dramatically. "We both know who the winner is. Will I have to dig up old scores again Chief?"
"Ha." He chortled, his lips tugging down slightly. "Old things were meant to be left in the past, my dear."

"You're only saying that because I beat you. "I smirked, gloating in my victory. "Isn't that right Chief?"

"Okay, why don't we do this?" He smirked, his eyebrow shooting up suggestively. "Me and you, one on one. First to disarm the other wins."