I'm Not Special, I'm Just Unlucky

Chapter 24 - Gone but Not Forgotten

Four months later

"... so, it is in the nation's best interest to blacklist Romeo Hotel Nine-One, and disband the members of the company after the catastrophe left behind in Halcyon City." Sebastian Kane announced from the script before putting it down and glancing towards me. "Eva Clinton, the board is very interested in what you have to say."

It was easy to be intimidated by Kane, even more so when the President of the United States, the entire Cabinet, and executives from several security agencies glaring down, but hesitation never crossed me mind. This was for Henry, Duke, and Victoria. They did not give up their lives to be labeled as rogue agents. This would not be their legacy. Before I could speak, Captain Richard Howard had already unleashed his fury, "All this is bullshit! My people died out their to save all of your asses. Had they decided to give up, and I assure you, they had plenty of opportunities to abandon the mission for the sake of their own safety, all of you would be ten feet deep in rubble covered in radiation!"

"Captain Howard, please refrain from speaking. This question is directed to Agent Clinton." Kane warned sternly with his signature glare, which did prove to be useful as it forced Howard to sit back down. "Agent Clinton, please."

I cleared my throat by sipping a glass of water and leaned forward, "You'll have to excuse me for my bluntness, but you will not put any of us in the blacklist, nor will you disband Romeo Hotel Nine-One."

"And why's that?"

"Because you need us to keep the country safe. The brave men and women dedicated their last breath to defending this nation. They died so you all can live another day, and we will honour them by giving them the recognition they deserve. You can blacklist the remaining members of Romeo Hotel Nine-One, but then no body will come close to being as qualified to save you. So, if you want to remove us from the Enterprise, remove us. You know where to find us." Not wasting another second in the committee meeting, I got up from my back and began to leave. The President, as well as other members were furious, but out of the corner of my eyes, Sebastian Kane had a proud smile on his face, and he nodded at me. I turned towards the exit and left the building. Sunlight warmed my face once I pushed through the doors, but it was really the rest of Romeo Hotel Nine-One that warmed my heart. Samantha beamed at me and wrapped her arms tightly around me.

"You look like you need liquor after that." Shen joked before pulling an actual bottle of alcohol from his back.

I laughed in delight at the absurdity of the Legend carrying something other than a gun in his hands. "I am definitely going to need some of that. After the visit of course."

"Props to you for being able to stand Kane for more than ten minutes. I would've lunged at him the moment I could." Blake commended; he wasn't joking. Back at the lodge, Blake had a picture of the Chairman on his door with darts all over his face.

"We'll be alright. I think Kane has our back on this one." I smiled slightly remembering the never-before-seen expression the Chairman's face while the rest of the committee went ballistic. That was the past; what they decide, I could care less. We had more important things to attend to other than long political debates. "Ready to dash?" I beamed at everyone, who nodded eagerly. It was a ten minute walk and while it was a Monday morning in D.C., there was no problem getting to the greenery.

"Remember, Victoria likes dark coffee. No sugar, no creamer." Shen reminded to which Blake rolled his eyes.

"Wow, I think I forgot already, maybe remind for the seventh time?"

"Just checking." Shen trailed off as they approached the site.

Taking out the handkerchief I "borrowed" from one of the committee members (it was a pick-pocket's haven in there) and wetting it with some water, I began wiping away the dirt from Henry's stone slab. Over by the side, Blake and Shen were pouring out the drinks with precise measurements.

I took the glass of water from Blake and stood in front of Henry's stone while Sam stood in front of Duke's with the shot of Vodka in her hands, and Shen in front of Victoria's with the dark coffee in his. At the same time, they poured the drink from left to right onto the grass and resumed a moment of silence.

"Got but not forgotten." Blake concluded at last bringing the Enterprise's tradition to a close, "Outstanding agents they were, but even more outstanding friends. Rest in peace."

"Rest in peace." I repeated feeling a lump in my throat as my eyes began to water.

"Rest in peace." Another voice suddenly boomed, and Captain Howard approached from behind paying his respects. "Victoria, Duke, and Henry did not sacrifice themselves in vain. Kane has already commemorated them by engraving their names into the Great Hall of Agents. They're story will live on forever."

"Kane did that?" Sam raised her eyebrows in disbelief, "He wanted to disband at us in the first place, why would he do that?"

I shook my head at Sam, "The President and other committee members wanted us disbanded."

"That's right." Captain Howard nodded confirming my suspicion, "The President ordered him to freeze our profiles, in reality, Kane did nothing. He may seem like an asshole, but Kane will protect his agents at all costs."

"So we're still verified agents?" Shen realized giving everyone a sliver of optimism.

As much as everyone felt the injustice of being ripped from their old life and being forced into the world of assassinations, it was the only thing they knew. It had become a part of their identity whether they liked it or not, and for me, the Enterprise represented the shared history with Victoria, Duke, and Henry. Their quirks had seeped into my daily habits, and I was grateful for that; their presence were alive in the skills they taught me.

"That's correct. We still have an identity on this planet." Howard smiled a bit in relief, "Which also means, we already have a new task on board. Top priority from Kane. Attention!"

All four of us stood tall and stomped the ground, "Sir!"

"At oh twenty two hours yesterday, five men conducted a heist into Iverson Technologies, a crucial partner with the Department of Defense. This piece of technology has been called the eyepiece of the future. Your task is to hunt down these fugitives and retrieve the piece. They were last seen in Manhattan where they succeeded in their heist. Use extreme prejudice if necessary, the mission is that piece of machinery. Understand?"

"Yes Sir!"

Captain Howard had a satisfying smile on his face and with a deep, commanding voice full of confidence, he ordered the Enterprise's most elite team.

"Romeo Hotel Nine-One, move out!"

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Hey friends! I'm Not Special, I'm Just Unlucky has come to an end, thanks for joining in on the ride. I had a memorable time writing this piece and am quite proud since it is my first time completing a project of this magnitude. Be sure to comment on what you thought on the story! I definitely plan on doing more creative writing, so stay tuned!

See you next time! :)