Hey everyone...

So this is my new story, based on a crazy idea that popped into my head this afternoon...

I really haven't planned out much, but here's chapter 1!

CHAPTER 1

SIX

By the time my alarm goes off I'm already lacing up my combat boots. I stand up and take a quick look in the mirror, running my fingers through my dark hair and debating whether or not to brush it. It's a mess, but it's not like anyone cares, right?

Sighing in defeat, I pick up my hairbrush and start what is easily the toughest battle of my day, which, considering my regular schedule, is quite a challenge. After tugging and pulling at it for nearly ten minutes I brush it back into my standard ponytail and take one last look in the mirror, scowl at my appearance and head out.

I don't even have to think as I unconsciously navigate through the twisting corridors of the agency towards the control center. This route has become so familiar over the past five years I've been working here. Five years in which I've managed to make quite a name for myself being one of the most promising recruits the agency his ever taken in.

The agency. It's a strange name, but one of the first things we were taught was to not ask unnecessary questions. Too much information could make it harder to make descisions, they told us, and so it became the law. Back then, being here was a dream come true and I had worked so hard to earn my place. Now respect comes easily. With over a hundred successful missions under my belt, it's granted without hesitation.

I reach the control center and walk in confidently as the sliding doors open with a slight hum. The first time I saw this place I was blown away by the sheer amount of tech crammed into a room barely the size of my bedroom, and had gaped openly at the sight. But now I barely notice the flashing monitors as I make my way towards a lanky figure folded into a computer chair in front of me.

"Hey Sam", I say and he jumps, spinning around to face me. "Hey, what are you doing up so early? It's your day off.", he asks me as he motions towards a chair by his side and I shrug as I sit down. "Old habits die hard", I tell him and he chuckles, pushing his glasses up his nose and sitting back, giving me a once over.

Sam's probably the only person in this place I can call a friend. He joined up two years after me and until then I was an absolute loner. Missions and assignments had been my only companions and I never enjoyed mixing with the others, not that they ever made an effort to reach out to me. Sam thinks it's probably because they were scared of me, which is a plausible explanation. He's not the first one to tell me I'm intimidating, just ask any one of the hundreds I've interrogated and they'll back him up. I had been on a mission somewhere in the middle of eastern Europe when I first heard of him. Literally, heard of over my headset that is.

I was in the process of diffusing a rather complicated bomb and was about to follow my handler, Katarina's instructions and cut a blue wire, which was supposed to disable it. My blade was less than a centimetre away from it when I heard shouting over my comm and stopped. A few seconds later Sam's voice rang out and told me to cut the red wire which I had ignored from the start. By this time there were only seconds left on the timer and I impulsively cut the red wire, and heaved a sigh of relief when the timer stopped with two seconds to go.

We later found out that the blue wire would have caused an instant detonation if cut, and that Sam had saved my life. Needless to say, from that day on, Sam Goode became my friend.

Once he's done he asks, "So how was Siberia?", referring to my last mission. "Cold", I reply frankly and he smiles. "Four weeks in the field and all you can tell me was that it was cold? You're gonna have to do better than that Six", he comments and I find myself smiling at the mention of name.

I've had many names since I started my career, from Veronica all the way to Maren Elizabeth, but I've never taken to any of them. Agents aren't supposed to use their real names and so when I found that nothing else suited me, I chose to be called strictly by my code number, and so I became Six.

"Anyway", I ask, changing the subject, "what are you doing up?", I ask and his face lights up. "The newest edition of Extraterrestrial Editorial released an hour ago, and I really couldn't wait until morning", he says and I shake my head. When he's not working, Sam's a first class sci-fi nerd, obsessed with all things strange and unearthly. While I don't believe even the smallest whisper of it, I pretend to enjoy it for his sake.

He opens his mouth, probably to tell me about how Martians have six feet or something and I brave myself for the lecture, but it never comes. Instead, we hear a slight ping from the computer, which I've come to associate with a new mission file being uploaded to the central database. Sam and I turn to the computer and he clicks on the newest file, only to find that it's locked.

"A locked mission file", he breathes and turns to me. I've only heard of such files, never seen one before even though I've spent hours looking. They are for high risk missions, the type that can topple governments and start world wars. The type of mission I've been hoping for.

"Open it", I command and Sam gets to work hacking the password. It's heavily encrypted and takes him longer than usual, but 15 minutes later the file lies printed out in a nearby printer tray. Sam walks over and bunches it together, stapling the end. "We're gonna get in so much trouble for this", he says and I shrug it off. "We'll be fine, they'll never know", I tell him though I'm a bit worried myself. If they found out we accessed a locked file without authorisation, we could be suspended, or more likely killed. But the need for a challenge and adventure pushes me to go ahead, I think it's about time I graduated.

I'm starting on the first page when I hear the sounds of approaching footsteps, and turn to Sam. "Get out of here, and take this with you. We'll go over it later, usual place", he tells me and I nod, slipping the file into my shoulder bag and walking out. He's right, it's too risky to try and read this inside. I pass two guards on my way out and nod politely, and they smile back. I make it out of the building without meeting anyone else and head straight for the parking lot.

I find my car just where I left it and climb in, enjoying the familiarity of the interiors. I pull out of the lot and onto the main road, a smile on my face as I quickly glance at the file on the seat next to me. It's ok to break the rules once in awhile and plus, it's not like this mission can be THAT dangerous, I think to myself as I pull up at a drive-through to buy coffee.

Boy, was I so wrong.

so what do you think? Please leave me a review. Comments, suggestions and questions are welcome.

Until next time

thesecondgarde