𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐆𝐄𝐃 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐃 ♛ ꜱᴘʏ ✗ ꜰᴀᴍɪʟʏ

ೃ⁀➷𝘜𝘭𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴

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Anya's POV

She looks a bit too young to meet the requirements for the mission. 5 at most. Seems to have attachment issues too which could be problematic in the future.

"Anya is 6!"

She interrupted his assessment and held up 5 fingers. Wait.

Her face went pale.

Doesn't look to be particularly intelligent either. Are standards really that low that this is the smartest child in the orphanage?

She had to act quickly. The man's good opinion of her was deteriorating as they speak. Picking up the newspaper at the table, she presented it to him.

A crossword? While it's child's play for someone like me, surely that's much too difficult for a child.
She scanned the crossword, as well as his brain.

1 down is homeostasis.
1 across is casual closure.
1 below is symplectomorphism.

Anya wasn't even sure she could pronounce that last one but nonetheless copied them down dutifully.

His expression morphed into one of shock when he saw that her messy scrawl was somehow correct.

"I'll take her."

"Wonderful, wonderful." Baldie beamed down at her with all the insincerity in the world. "Aren't you happy, Anita?"

Finally, I can get rid of that creepy brat. Time to head back to the casino and treat myself. First a a well deserved pint of beer and maybe some female company~

"Y-yes very happy!" She parroted back.

"Now about the paperwork-"

"Wait!" She spoke before thinking.

"What is it? Would you rather stay here?"

The director frowned. He made threatening motions when the man's back was turned.

She couldn't just leave Lia behind...could she?
All she'd ever wanted was a family and excitement in her life. This spy presented the perfect opportunity for both.

No. It didn't feel right. Like a suffocatingly heavy stone sinking in her stomach. And with that came a burst of resolve.

"No! It's just that..." she toed the floor with her shoe, "I don't wanna leave Lia."

"The other girl outside?"
I should've expected this. There's no way I could handle taking care of two kids. Not to mention the extra fake IDs-

"She's also super smart. Much smarter than Anya!"

"I'm sorry i can't just-"

"Please!" She grabbed onto his trousers and continued begging as he tried to shake her off. "I'm not leaving without her," she declared stubbornly.

He sighed and turned to the director. "How old is she?

"Her file said she was 7 or something."

A little on the old side but could pass as 6.

"Fine. Bring her in."

Anya scampered to the door, standing on her toes to reach the handle and peering back into the hallway.

Lia was exactly where she'd left her, staring blankly at a spot on the wall where the paint was peeling.

She's probably been adopted by now. I mean, who wouldn't adopt her?

Anya didn't like Lia's thoughts. They were too negative, it didn't suit her.

She stepped forward, making a floorboard creak as she did. Lia's head jerked in her direction.

"Coming to say goodbye?" Something in her voice sounded like acceptance. A very gloomy acceptance. But she still attempted to smile shakily at her even though she wasn't very happy.

Anya felt slightly offended. She marched up to her and grabbed her hand.

"Anya's not leaving without you, okay?"

Lia gave her a look of surprise, mouth attempting to form words but failing. So she just nodded.

So Anya pulled her back into the room without another word.

This time the man was assessing her.
"You're 7, correct?"

"I'm 7? Oh- yup that's me. I am totally 7 haha."
The laughter sounded forced.

"Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?"

She looked a little bewildered so Anya sent her a fervent thumbs up that probably wasn't as discreet as she thought it was.

Encouraged, Lia sent back a small smile.

"Okay."

"What is a vector?"

"A quantity having direction as well as magnitude," she answered easily.

Thanks despicable me.

"How would you define pathetic fallacy?"

She barely missed a beat. "It's a literary device that attributes human qualities and emotions to inanimate objects of nature."
Damn that English class was actually useful for something. Maybe miracles do exist.

"What colour would phenolphthalein turn in an acidic solution?"
She didn't even falter. "Trick question. It would be colourless."                                                                    It's lucky that these types of questions are on the majority of high school syllabuses.

Anya wasn't sure what silly buses she was talking about but was grateful for them in this moment.

She rocked on her heels as if she were bored.
"Any more?"

He paused, thinking it over.
Well I suppose two children, especially ones this intelligent, would significantly increase the chances of succeeding in this mission. Even if one were to fail the entrance exam, there'd still be a way into Eden academy through the other. Best case scenario, I can have two links in the academy and therefore the target which would also reduce-

"So can big sister come with us?" Anya tried to pull off her cutest puppy eyes. Of course, she wanted to succeed in her own mission too.

Th man pinched the bridge of his nose. "Okay, she can come too."

"Yay!" Anya skipped around the room and proceeded to throw her arms around Lia. She startled and hesitantly wrapped her arms around her too.

"That's it? You got adopted?"

"We got adopted."

Then Anya realised she'd never asked her if she wanted to be adopted. Her face fell.

"Did you not wanna be adopted?"

"That's not it, I just haven't had enough time to process it yet."

"Are you sure?"

"About what?"

"That you want to come with me. I'm scared you'll think I'm weird like everyone else," she whispered.

Lia gave her a genuine smile.
"I wouldn't have it any other way."

And, unlike everyone else, she wasn't lying.

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