I stand on a rooftop watching as the ship leaves the planet I feel as though I will never see Mike again at least now I no longer feel bad about lying about where I go. I never wanted him to find out I was an assassin for hire. He deserved someone better than me but I guess I was just selfish in wanting to keep him close as long as possible after all I knew my days were numbered be it I finally get caught or I get backstabbed by an angry employer.

I turn my back and walk to the other edge of the roof heading to my next job. Wondering if this one will be my last all I know for certain I will go down fighting if it comes to it.

The warehouse is silent when I enter. I keep myself in the shadows becoming highly alert for a trap I had expected this sort of move from my most recent employer. A group of Spartans surrounds me and I realize this was just that a trap. I bow my head and smirk they advance on me and the fight is on. I don't plan to go quietly I'll take down as many of them as I can. The hail of gunfire from the Spartans makes it hard to move near impossible to escape but I didn't want to escape, but I will not be put in a cage never.

-Mike/ Agent Maine-

I look out the observation deck long after I could no longer see her. The only thing I regret about joining freelancer I have to say goodbye to her. I sigh, they will be putting the crew into stasis soon in order to reach the mothership. The Mother of Invention it's called from what the crew says that a number of recruits have already arrived there that I was one of the last from this first group. I move to the stasis room for passengers and get into my assigned pod it's a tight fit but that to be expected with the fact I am 7 feet tall. They announce that we will be in stasis for about a week.

I wake a week later and after a quick introduction, I get thrown into training. I get little time to think of my old life as that just what it is now. I have little time to miss, Straza we train 8 hours plus a day the rest is used for learning equipment maintenance and what's left for sleep. The trainers have bets on who's not going to last a week. Only one of them has any confidence in the few females here but there is one thing my mother taught me is at times women can be far more vicious than men when they really want something.

Few day pass and almost half of the recruits drop out of the project. The all the females are still around and going strong there are already whispers of the second group being brought in due to how fast they were dropping out. At breakfast each morning they ask everyone who wants to give up and every day a handful left.

-Time skip-

As the months pass the alpha Freelancer team has taken form there are still whispers that at least two more operatives shall be added to the Alpha team. I walk down the halls with Wash and crew members run past us "Where are you going?" Wash asks as they run past the say that one of the new Alpha team members finally arrived and is fighting Carolina. Wash and I head to the observation deck in time to hear F.I.L.I.S call the match in favor of the new agent. F.I.L.I.S sets up the training room for lockdown paint York enters the training room.

The round starts and Massachusetts move quickly faster than Carolina. York quickly gets stuck to one of the pillars. Carolina narrowly misses hitting Mass's weapon arm. Mass grabs York's gun as well before turning to attack Carolina they trade shots for a time before Mass gets the upper hand and sticks on of Carolina's feet to the ground. Mass finishes with a shot to the chest that locks Carolina's whole armor down. F.I.L.I.S calls the match and the director arrives in the observation deck. "That will be enough ladies we have seen enough to properly rank Agent Massachusetts." The director says ending the training session. "Wait that's a chick!" York yells from the floor.

Mass takes off her helmet a long braid of white and purple hair falls free she turns to York " You thought I was a guy?" she says her back is to us so we can't see her face. "Well yeah, you're as tall as Maine and just as strong," York says comparing the two of us.

She turns to the observation deck directing her attention to the director. "The three of you are dismissed F.I.L.I.S will inform you of your training schedule Agent Massachusetts." The director says before turning and leaving. I stand frozen see that it was, in fact, Straza she turns to leave heading to the locker room. "Maine, you okay?" Wash asks sounding worried. I nod and head to the locker room to speak to her.

-Straza-

"So you want me to join freelancer." I snort at that "Well it is either join us or you can stay on death row." The counselor says "Fine though you do realize I have close history with one of your agents," I say. He simply nods he calls for one of the guards and starts the process of getting me released. I lean back against the wall smirking.

The guards approach my cell with fear in their eyes I bare my teeth at them causing them to jump back from the cell door. The only upside about this is I get to see Mike again or Agent Maine as he is called now. The counselor says I'll be agent Massachusetts and it's up to me if the team finds out who I am. I armor up on the transport ship the white and purple armor ironically matches my hair.

I go into a training match the moment I am on board the Mother of Innovation. They want to see what I can do to find a place to rank me on their stupid leaderboard. They put me against Carolina she is the team leader I am expected to take orders from her when in the field.

When the match starts, she rushes at me first she doesn't wait for me to make the first move. I easily counter it's painfully clear to see that she relies more on speed than on power. I land a punch to her stomach she stumbles but stays standing. I am not surprised I would be extremely disappointed if she couldn't even take a punch at half my straight.

We trade blows for a time getting a feel of how each other fight. It becomes boring to simply match her so I take it up a notch to see how far I can push her. I smirk under my helmet catching her fist mid-punch. I send her over my shoulder. She hits the floor hard she loses her breath she quickly gets to her feet and goes on the defensive. I circle her I an almost lazy way toying with her. She rushes me again and I dodge her letting her momentum carry her past me.

The next time she rushes me I drive my knee into her stomach before slamming my elbow down on her back. She drops to the floor and fights to get her breath back F.I.L.I.S calls the match when it takes her too long to get up.

I can tell that the others have gathered at the observation deck. F.I.L.I.S sets up the next match lockdown paint. The pillars rise from the ground and I notice that Agent York joins the fight making it a two on one. When the match starts I quickly stick him to a pillar with the lock down paint. I grab his gun and turn to go after Carolina having to quickly dodge a hit to my dominant arm. I manage after a time of playing cat and mouse to stick one of her feet to the floor. Trapping her I quickly end it with a shot to the chest.

F.I.L.I.S calls the match and the director arrives in the observation deck. "That will be enough ladies we have seen enough to properly rank Agent Massachusetts." The director says ending the training session. "Wait that a chick!" York yells from the floor. I turn to him and remove my helmet letting my hair fall free "You thought I was a guy?" I ask I keep my back to the observation for the moment. "Well yeah, you're as tall as Maine and just as strong," York says comparing the two of us.

I roll my eyes and turn to the observation deck directing my attention to the director. "The three of you are dismissed F.I.L.I.S will inform you of your training schedule agent Massachusetts." The director says before turning and leaving.

I walk to the locker room when I enter I start the processes of removing my leg armor Maine walks over to me and remove his helmet. I look up at him and sigh "Hi Maine good to see you again." I say giving a small smile as well. "How are you here?" he asks I sigh looking at my lap "I have kept secrets from you in hopes that if I got into trouble you wouldn't be dragged into it. I am an assassin Maine I did not plan to work for freelancer but it was either this or spend my life in prison as an employer betrayed me." I say softly he sits on the bench next to me. He is silent for a while as I remove the rest of my armor and change out of the Kevlar body suit into a pair of sweatpants and a tank top. "Why did you keep this from me? Though I have to say it explain your scars better than you being clumsy" he says in a calm voice

"I knew that with my profession that it was only a matter of time before I was either put in prison or an unmarked grave somewhere." I say with slight bitterness "I never wanted you mixed up with that part of my life that way you could never be punished legally for what I had done." I admit

He sighs and reaches a hand out I walk into his arms accepting the hug. "So your plan was to just disappear and I would never know what happened." He says I shake my head "I left two letters with my mom one for if I was arrested the other well if I was killed. She would have given one to you to explain what happened and why I was gone I updated them or added to them every few weeks." I say running my hand through his hair.

I feel him relax slightly knowing that I wasn't planning to just disappear. "Please don't worry about me when in combat." I say he snorts "I will worry about you no matter what but I promise to not be over protective." He says I smile down at him "let's go get something to eat I have a feeling that what happened in the match has been passed to the others." I say pulling away

He stands and we walk up to the mess hall all noise stops when we walk in. whispers start back up I grab something to eat before taking a seat with other Alpha team members. "So you're the new agent," South says "yeah and I am assuming by your armor you are South and the male next to you is your brother North," I say I take note of the others at the table as Maine sits next to me. York and Carolina walk in and she is fuming from the training match. "I guess it's true then you beat her and York in a training match." North comments after seeing Carolina walk by and glare at me. I simply nod and continue eating unfazed.

"So where are you from?" North asks "Same place as Maine just instead of military background I was an assassin." I shrug South and North share a look "So you're a criminal then why did they let you join up." South says "I was in prison for all of two days before the director made the offer. I don't know why he wanted me to join but it was better than the alternative and I will say this it was the first and will be the last time I end up in a cell. They wouldn't even have been able to bring me in if the hadn't brought in Spartan squads to detain me." I say off-handedly

"They sent Spartans after you and you managed to fight some off to the point the Spartans called back up." North says slowly trying to comprehend that fact I nod "I was trained from the time I could stand by the best of the best my father had a legacy to maintain after all. Plus no way in hell was I going quietly." I say

Maine nudges my leg under the table I look at him and can tell there will be a lot of questions from him later and when we are not around the others. "Well, I am personally glad to have another female around there are way too many males. It should make team bonding nights more fun." South says with a smirk I couldn't help but return Maine and North give a tired sigh" I think South this is the start of a wonderful friendship." I say giving her one of my crazy grins. She laughs and nods North drops his head to the table and gowns in defeat.

North and South leave in a few minutes for a training match themselves. Maine heads to the locker room to change out of his armor. I go off to the rec room to relax and to wait on Maine to have the talk I know is coming. Maine walks in a few minutes later and sits on the couch across from the one I am on. "Talk Straza." Maine says I sigh "My father was and still is one of the best assassins in our home system. I am his only child and was kept secret from the public until I was 13 at that time I was sent to public school where I meet you of course. My father didn't want me to make friends he would warn me that they would be a weakness to be used against me. "That's why you didn't want to be friends at first," Maine mutters more to himself than me.

"He left the colony shortly after my 15th birthday leaving me alone I started to take jobs shortly after as well. I knew that I wouldn't be able to stay away from you so I made the choice to keep the other side of my life from you after we started dating to keep you safe. I started the letters last year though I was nearly killed while you were away for military training. I didn't want you to think I just disappeared so I wrote a letter and gave it to my mom to pass to you after I was either arrested or if I go missing." I spin my ring around as I speak not wanting to look him in his eye.

"You could have told me what you were doing." Maine says I close my eyes "I didn't want you to worry or to be put at fault if I was arrested." I open my eyes and look at him. We sit in silence for a few minutes before he stands and moves over to my couch he sits next to me and pulls me to him. I pull away after a few minutes and move to grab a book sitting on one of the shelves. A short time later Wash and C.T. walk in. I take note that there not in their armor there for done for the day.

Soon more of the alpha team join us. Carolina is one of the last to enter the room. Florida clears his thought "so you're the new agent." He comments looking at me I nod in responses "please don't tell me you're like Maine and refuse to talk." Florida says "No I am not, though he will talk quietly a lot when he wants to." I say Florida raises an eyebrow "Ohh and how would you know that?" he asks I shrug "Maine and I are close went through high school together." I comment leaving it at that. The other look over and look between Maine and me.

"So can you understand his grunts?" C.T asks "well yeah there are times when we would go days with silent communication." I said shrugging my shoulders not thinking it as a big deal. "Now I really want to see you and Maine in a team match together," South said with a smirk I just roll my eyes I grab my tablet and notice that F.I.L.I.S had uploaded my training schedule. "Well you won't have to wait long it's on my schedule for tomorrow. Actually, all of tomorrow I have team training matches." I say looking through what was planned. "Sweet it will be interesting to see how you're fighting style pairs with someone else's," South says enthusiastically

"Who are the people you will be working with tomorrow? "Wash asks "Maine, South, North then Both North and South, Wash and York. They are who I am paired with then I have more team matches the rest of this week." I say while looking through the rest of the schedule. "We will have to check our schedules as well then." Wyoming says I stand and stretch "I should head to bed I am going to match all day tomorrow." I say as I turn to leave I hear a few goodnight as I leave. I was given a room to myself which I am thankful for. I drop into bed not bothering to change.

End Chapter 1