MISSION MOONLARK, kotlc

25

"Somebody seriously needs to distract Sophie before she pulls out all her eyelashes," Fitz observed, waving a hand in front of her face. "Hello? Earth to Sophie? Anyone in there?"

"I think she's a Sophie Shell again," Biana sighed, trying the same thing and glaring at Fitz when they're hands slapped each other.

"I'm not," Sophie assured them, standing up and pacing the room nervously. "I'm just thinking..."

It'd been fourteen torturous minutes and thirteen endless seconds since they'd arrived back at the Alvuterre- the Black Swan's headquarters -and Sophie had most definitely counted. Too overwhelmed with worry to think, Marella had suggested crashing in their training room to wait until Agent Leto called them over for a mission update.

"Punch the punching bag," Maruca suggested, twisting her dark braids pensively. "It helps."

Sophie gave it such a hard swing that the beat up leather bag fell off the chain and rolled across the matted flooring, tripping Fitz and Dex who landed on their butts with a yelp.

"I'm sure they're okay," Dex said reassuringly, rubbing his back as he hurried to her side.

"I don't know..." Sophie warned, giving him an apologetic glance and resuming her thinking. "If I hadn't whacked the guy with the frappuccino tray, Squall would've been in trouble..."

"Oh come on, Squall's an expert, she'd be fine!" Biana told her encouragingly, hauling the punching bag back on it's chain and kicking it.

Sophie wasn't so sure...

"Look, it's Tinker!" Marella shouted abruptly, whipping out her silver Imparter and holding up the contraption for the rest of them to see. Tinker's familiar face appeared on the screen.

"How are you guys holding up?" she asked, demonstrating her usual habit of speaking only in questions.

"Badly," Sophie said instantly, as the rest of her friends told her, "Fine."

"And I presume you want me to give you an assignment update?" Tinker guessed, her eyes darting between their faces.

"Yes!" Sophie practically shouted.

"I'm flattered you guys think I'd know that information, but do you really think I would?"

"Um... maybe?"

"Is this your way of saying 'get yourself over to Leto's' in questions?" Biana asked, raising an eyebrow hopefully.

"Figured it out, did you?" Tinker asked, her eyes gleaming.

Marella hung up so quickly, the Imparter nearly dropped; Sophie scrambled out the door, racing down the hall and accidentally trampling a few younger agents.

"What happened?" she demanded, bursting into Leto's office at the same time that her friends squished through the narrow doorway, talking over each other with the same frantic question.

They fell silent instantly as the other figures in the room- the Collective -turned around as well.

"Ah, the beauty of young minds," Agent Wraith announced, winking as he stuffed a few files back in the locked cabinet. "I must be on my way. Have fun!"

He hurried out the door. Sophie couldn't help noticing that Leto looked slightly irritated as Wraith left, followed by Blur, Granite, and Squall.

"Update?" Sophie asked hopefully, for what seemed to be the millionth time.

Leto bit his lip. "There's good news, and there's bad news."

"Huh," Sophie said hollowly, feeling her chest begin to close off. Fitz squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"Good news: we caught a lot of them. Criminal masterminds are being locked up and interrogated at the moment. We're safe. Bad news: we did not manage to catch Alvar, nor any other members of the Neverseen, and the Neverseen gained new recruits."

"That's a lot more bad news than good news," Sophie warned, feeling her voice tremble.

Leto didn't deny it- but he didn't agree either.

"At least I can be proud to say that you excelled in this one SF- along with your friends. I'd be happy to initiate you sometime in the near future." His eyes smiled at them. Sophie felt her heart ease just a bit.

"In the meantime," Leto continued. "We have a new recruit, and I'd like you to show him around. Who's in your corridor again?"

"Me and Biana, Dex and Fitz are on one side. Marella and Maruca, and Tam on the other side," Sophie recited, running through the imaginary hallway in her mind.

"So there's one extra slot for a boy to fit in with young Mr. Tam?" Leto clarified,

"Yes, Linh's staying in the hallway next door since it's a girl-girl, boy-boy thing," Sophie reported breathlessly.

"I'd like you to meet our newest recruit," Leto told them, smiling. "This is Keith Sencen."

Sophie felt her stomach tighten as Keefe marched into the room. Their eyes met for a split second- and Sophie could barely manage a tiny nod.

"Hi, I'm Keith," Keefe announced, tearing a hand through his blonde hair.

Biana was staring so hard it looked as if her eyes would fall out. Sophie wasn't sure if that was because Keefe was cute- wait, cute? -or because she recognized him. She was voting personally for none of the above.

"I hope you'll all prove that he has a place here in the Black Swan," Leto said proudly, nudging him into their group. "Anything else?"

Sophie's heart pounded.

This was betraying her agency. Or keeping her word.

Sophie gulped as his ice blue eyes stared into hers.

This was the boy who had willingly let her take the Soprodine- and the Magsidian.

This was the boy who had covered for her more times than she could count.

This was the boy who had broken her heart.

Who'd saved her life.

And when her heart caught up to her brain...

Sophie took a deep breath. "Nothing, Agent,"