Agent 024

FIRST DAY

"Wait a minute, I'll have someone escort you to your room.", he said as he picked up his phone.

I nodded and leaned against the wall looking around. The hallway looked pretty normal nothing out of the usual but I was sure there would be a hell lot of cctv cameras around.

"Hey.. Tisha?, a girl in a grey hoodie and black slacks approaching me said.

"Yeah." I said nodding and picking up my bags ready to follow her. She picked up half my bags before me and signaled me to start walking with her.

"I'm Riya.", she said dropping my bags on the lift floor and extending her hand.

"Nice to meet ya.", I said as I did the same.

"I'm the senior allotted to you - so for any guidance just hit me up, any mess you land up in inform me otherwise we both get handed the punishment.", she said.

"That's harsh."

"It does seem so in the beginning, mind you the first month here will be the hardest  of your life. But you got to remember when you've signed up for such a big cause, your training has to be twice as harder."

"Here we are.", she said, stopping out of room 512 and handing me the keys.

"Welcome home, agent.", she said with a hint of a smile.

As I inserted the key into the keyhole and pushed the door open, I stood there for a second breathing it all in, "Holy shit.", I said as I stepped  in with all my bags.

I dropped all my bags in the corner, put on some music on AmazonPrime and set about taking out some clothes and heading for a shower with my soap and shampoo. The weather here was moderate compared to my hometown pleasant sea-cost weather just the way I like it.

As I stepped out the shower, finally feeling awake, curse early morning flights, I opened all the cupboards and drawers and mentally decided which cabin would hold which stuff. Atleast start being organized because you know all hell breaks lose once college begins.

I put on a Chainsmokers album and began emptying my suitcases.

About 2 hours later I laid back on my bed, arms spread admiring my work. I clicked the pictures of the cupboards containing all my clothes neatly folded and sent them to my mom.

A minute later, her text popped up, "yay beginning to settle in!"

A second later another text read - I wonder what the cupboard will look like a month later:.

Ahh, she knew me too well.

As I popped down on the bed on my elbows and began scrolling down the texts, there were many from my friends and relatives wishing me good luck. I'm glad I had a tight-knit family. They were close to me and as much as I had craved independence and self-reliance like nothing else, their love and comfort around me all the time was something I was really going to miss.

There was boomerang of my friends waving goodbye on my group chat doing the most absurd goodbyes ever with goofy smiles on their face.

My eyes had started drooping. I put my phone on charge pulled over my blanket and slept.

My alarm went off and woke up smiling to the alarm tune of WHAT MAKES YOU BEAUTIFUL  by One Direction. The invocation began at 5:30 and I wanted to set off on the right note of punctuality in this institute.

I put on a white loose shirt tucked in black plazzo pants put on eyeliner and a light shade of pink lipstick and stepped out with my phone and keys.

As I was walking down the stairs, I was joined by another girl.

"Hey.", she said as she caught up to me.

"Hi, heading for the invocation?", I asked with a smile.

"Yup, I'm Swati."

"Tisha."

"No way, is that a 1-D phone cover", I asked her

"You're a One-Directioneer?", Swati asked.

"Hell yeah woman. My alarm tone is what makes you beautiful."

"No way. Everytime I tell people I'm a Directioneer all they say is the band is dead. But no it lives in the heart of every Directioneer."

"I already like you.", I said as we both burst out laughing.

We sat in the auditorium that was already beginning to fill up.

"Welcome agents.", a voice boomed from the center of the field.

A hush spread over the crowd immediately as we all looked at the person holding the mic. He was in his late thirties. His body was so well-built I could practically see the veins in his arms ready to burst out. He stood in a calm confident posture. Along his arm ran a huge scar - which looked like a sword wound. This man had fought his battles. I couldn't wait to learn from him.

"I am Agent Akshat Rajan - the dean of this academy. Welcome to USAT - a covet organisation that gives to the nation and the world some of the best agents. The first weeks are going to be hell for you - we'll break you we'll make you reach your breaking point and push it farther. You think you're strong - well you haven't been tested by us yet. 

You'll make the strongest of bonds here - the bonds formed in the face of adversity become a part of us - you've all been assigned a mentor - report to them, listen to them. Adhere to the rules of this academy very strictly. Discipline is of prime importance here. Any violation will have the stringent repercussions. Get ready to give better than your best. I hope when you graduate you'll realize why the hell we put you through was worth it. On that note, welcome and good luck agents.

"One hell of a welcome speech huh?", the guy next to me said and I laughed and nodded - "true man."

"Hi, Prakhar.", he said, extending his hand and I shook it.

"Tisha, nice to met you.", I said.

A woman in her forties was now speaking. 

"You'll be allotted in groups of  5 - you work with them, you practice with them. Get along because they will be your life for the next few weeks. You'll have to work with whichever team you're allotted with because in real missions too - you'll be paired with people from different fields different backgrounds. So you'll start learning how to work in a team starting now. Come over to the table and pick up a chit. Unite with your teammates who have the same chit - the team uniting first wins points - the team getting along last will run two rounds of the entire academy."

 Some of the seniors standing on the other side nodded their heads smiling and I knew that the entire academy was a distance I didn't want to be running on my first day.

"See you amigo.",  Prakhar said as we all ran to the table.

The game has begun.