Do you ever feel lonely?

Even when you're around people?

It was never easy, being the newbie. The strange,
stern glances they shoot at you, the occasional gossip, the laughter, the whisper. Been there, done that. Lucy had her share. But would she take it personally? No. Honestly, she would have done the same if some middle-aged, odd-looking woman just blurts into this huge building, strangled eagerness in her eyes to start a new, fresh way in her career, tip-toeing on high heels with her lanky body and the funny red hair through the halls and aisles and introducing herself to everybody as ' the new one.'

It didn't bother her, no. She came here to work – not to deal with immature behavior.

Lucy Wilde, thirty-five years old, freckled face and tiny, painted fingers, pressed the buttons of the elevator to drive up the long, monstrous building within the submarine. She didn't feel anything, no swaying, no motion-sickness while the machine moved through the pacific. Good, she thought. Sea-sickness during work would be the last thing she wished for. Day three of the week, and all she ever worked on was paperwork. Well, the unpleasant work for those agents that are not entrusted enough to take missions outside the league. Not that she had thought of anything else, she knew – she had to be patient. She had to be diligent. Prove herself as a potential super-agent. And everything started small, didn't it?
And her boss, Silas – he was great! Professional in every way, kind yet, and even though his british sophistication and roughness was probably misunderstood by most people, Lucy was glad to have someone like him around her who seemed to just want the best for her. Yes, it was almost like he was having his wings around her, protecting her from harm and fear. He wouldn't admit, she knew. But she always just saw the best in people.

It was nearly lunch-time when Lucy finished her work and stretched her arms, cracking her knuckles, yawning. The day was still young and yet she felt like she had been working nearly ten hours non-stop. She figured that she should eat something to get her head clear and her tummy full. Inside, Lucy really didn't like the paperwork. It was hard and boring – after a few minutes you start to wish you actually could do anything, anything but this. Lucy, for example, wished she would be one of the big cheeses already – to catch villains, criminals, to run, do jump, to grab, to shoot – she was trained and fit in every muscle. It was certain that people would gnaw off their arm to have her in their team. But sadly, she yet had to prove herself – just how? She was forbidden to follow the other agents outside on missions. And other than the training ground, there were no other opportunities to move freely and show what she was capable of – what a shame though that Silas never visited the training ground and by now, she was too scared to ask him if he wanted to observe her. It was a curse. She would be stuck forever in this situation, stuck forever in the tasks she did currently – ordering files and folders and shredding paper. UGH!
In the cafeteria, she literally gobbled her food down. She needed energy, and especially the psychical strength to continue with her boring, dull tasks. Around her, she could see her co-worker chatting and laughing, sharing their experiences on their missions and their day and life. She sighed. She was alone. She had no friends, at least not yet, to share her 'great' experience in the AVL so far – shredding paper and looking over folders of people she never had seen and never will. It was kind of like they were avoiding the newbies in particular. But she didn't mind, she was sure at some point, she was going to be one of them. And as it seemed, it wouldn't take long – Lucy suddenly cringed by the loud buzzing on her new watch around her wrist. What seemed like a usual watch was a multi-functional tool she also used to receive messages. And, to her surprise, it was from Silas.

" Miss Wilde, you may come to my office, this instant. "

Nervous giddiness bubbled up inside the redhead as she bounced happily through the hallways to the elevator and up, up, up to Silas private office all at the top of the submarine. She always had wanted one of these offices – in the upper floor of a huge skyscraper, looking down on the tiny line that would be a street, and with the best sight outside at the city she worked in. But as she said to herself; patience. One day, perhaps, she would be up there. The elevator stopped and lucy stepped outside, into the large office that belonged to Silas. It was oddly simple, the desks and a big armchair, a few pictures on the walls, behind him the open riff with fishes swimming past the windowpane. It was beautiful. Nothing compared to the small office she worked in.
"Mister Ramsbottom?" she asked, shyly. The man turned around in his chair, facing the youngest agent. "Yes, hello, g'morning Miss Wilde. Please – 'ave a seat."
Lucy nodded and gulped, before she sat on the stool in front of the desk. She suddenly felt like she had shrunken down. Or maybe the chair was just too small for her.
" You have asked for me – may I help you with anything?"

"Yes, yes indeed, I did. And to answer your question; I 'ave a mission for you. Jus' for you."
Lucy squirmed in her chair in sudden excitement. A mission! Just for her?! JUST FOR HER ALONE?!
Her jaw dropped and her eyes went saucer, blinking at the other.
"Miss Wilde – close tha' before flies get in." he answered dryly and Lucy stammered a few words before closing her mouth, cleaning her throat awkwardly, but the bliss stayed.
"Y-You really – you really give me a mission? B-But sir, I—I mean I feel honored, I do! But – are you sure you – are you sure you want to give a single-mission to… me?"
"I dun' see a reason why I shouldn't, Miss Wilde." Silas turned slightly and dug inside his folders for the required information. Lucy's face heated up in rapture. Was she dreaming?! She was going to become an Agent after all?!
"Oh, Mister Ramsbottom, I'm – I'm feeling so honored, Sir, I-I can't believe you're doing this for—"
"Miss Wilde." The leader of the AVL said briefly, making lucy shush for the moment.
"E-Excuse me, Sir." She mumbled embarrassed over herself, blushing madly.
Ramsbottom merely shook his head, before he turned back to his folders, sorting out the required papers.
"But – may I ask you – how it comes you chose me? I mean …look at me. I am a newbi- the new one. All I have done is sorting files."
"I know – and that's why I thought about giving you something that would be perfect for you – and only you." Lucy jumped inwardly. Man, he knew how to make her tense, for she was literally bouncing in her chair.

" 'ave you ever heard of the presently most famous villain, Gru?" he asked.
Lucy's heart jumped. Gru. Yes. Yes of course she knew him. She was literally his biggest fan! Every move this man made, every deed he did, every crime and theft and remarkably intelligently thought plan was followed by her. She invested much time in informing herself about him, had been studying his files a lot. It was wrong, admiring a villain when you're working for an organization that was established to catch these certain kind of people. But she couldn't help it – he was a huge inspiration for her, especially in her choice of jobs.
"Y-Yes, yes I do." Lucy nodded. Suddenly, she realized that this mission was probably about catching him. Or spying him out. She wouldn't do it of course if it wasn't for her job – but knowing the files, she was informed that his last great deed has been years ago and apparently, he started to live a normal life outside criminality.
"Good." Silas nodded. And with that, he passed her the file. Lucy stared at it as if it was pure hold. With itchy fingers, she grabbed it and opened it instantly. Her eyes scanned the text, soaked in every word and every information. And within seconds, her smile slowly faded. The words 'Caretaker' and 'personal nurse' appeared. And suddenly her throat felt dry and the excitement vanished into disappointment.
"Mister Ramsbottom—" she started with quivering lips.
"Miss Wilde, you may not have heard of it – but Mister Gru is the number one wanted villain of this league. Right now, we are very sure that Mister Gru is working on a new crime, our investigations tell us he's building a device that has the potential function to break the atmosphere of our planet."
Lucy looked up at Silas, slightly confused. "A rocket, Miss Wilde." He explained.
"S-Sure, but, uhm…Mister Ramsbottom – I don't understand." She closed the folder. "My files says something about 'caretaker' – I-I am not really grasping your idea behind this. Is this a spy-job?"

Silas folded his fingers. "Why, yes it certainly is a spy-job, no doubt. You see, Mister Gru had a terrible accident some weeks ago while fighting off a second villain which information are not given yet. He lost his eyesight in this battle, along with a few more injuries. However, all we know is that he is still resident in his house and hasn't left it yet. Miss Wilde –" he leaned over the desk, his voice deep and deadly serious. " Mister Gru is blind, and this is your chance to prove yourself to be a potential spy. It will be easy to infiltrate you in his resident as his new caretaker, and from there on, you need to keep yourself around his hidden lair to gather information about his new plans."
"He lost his eyesight…?" she whispered, shocked by these information. A shudder ran down her spine. He, the man she admired, the villain she loved – he was blind. And she had to defraud him behind his back while he wouldn't even notice. Lucy's heart grew heavy, so heavy she gulped down the lump in her throat. Would she be able to do this? Would she be able to do this to him? To an helpless man, incapable of seeing a thing?
"Silas…" she looked back at the man, hoping to find at least a hint of regret in his eyes. But nothing. He was serious.

"I-I am honest with you, Sir, but – I don't know if I can do this."
Silas already stern glance darkened only more by her words. Lucy gulped again, but continued. "I-I don't feel like – like I am able to do this to an helpless man like him. To take care of him and then bring him into jail – furthermore…,"
Lucy got up from her chair, the file resting on Silas desk. "I am an agent – and not some nurse. I may be new to this organization, but I am not going to take care of the donkeywork."

Silas stared at her for a while, at the furrowed eyebrows of the redhead, before he chuckled softly.
"Miss Wilde – do you really think Mister Gru is a helpless old man? You forget that he is a criminal. A villain. Two days after his incident, he had left his 'ouse in the evening to finish what he had started and find his opponent – and the loss of his eyesight is not a bother to him. He still has his other four senses, and he will use all of them. Furthermore – this mission, my dear, is far more serious and dangerous than any mission I have ever given to any spy before you. You're going to expose yourself to a mildly handicapped person who would be able to kill you. I cannot guarantee you that Mister Gru will be foolish enough to trust your disguise, and as such I can also not prevent you from doin' an 'orrible job ad getting caught too easily. So think again when you're given the 'donkeywork'." Silas picked up the file again, holding it infront of Lucy's face.

"I would advise you to start and train yourself in takin' care of blind people. Learn their ways of reading. Learn their ways of hearing. Learn their ways of living their lives without sight and depending on nothin' but their orientation sense, ears and hands. Learn to be like 'em and there will be a chance Mister Gru will trust you."
Lucy hesitated. She felt something which was an absolute taboo-word in her new job. Pity. She felt Pity for the man she was going to backstab. She felt pity for the villain she adored and still adores, felt pity for his condition and Silas plan.
Her brain told her to grab the file and go, but her heart was filled with anxiety.

Finally, her brain succeeded and she grabbed the file.
"Th-Tha-Thanks, Mister Ramsbottom. I will – I will get to this at once." She turned around, heading outside to the elevator

"Miss Wilde?" Silas voice reached her and she looked back at him. "When you will come back successful, you'll return as a true, super-agent."
"S-Su-Sure." Lucy nodded, trying to feign happiness. But while she drove downwards again, all she felt was hatred.
And sadness.