Leah adopted a bored expression as she regarded Lynch and the two strangers. Military, by the look of their stance, she thought.

She settled behind Pop's desk and propped her feet up. With Lynch, it was all about power, and she'd be damned if she'd let him think he had the upper hand.

"What is it now?" she asked, carefully adopting a bored tone to match her expression.

"You're being reassigned," stated Lynch, the mocking tone in his voice all too apparent.

Leah tried to hide her surprise. "Really?" she drawled, glancing at the other two in the room. "Just where am I going now?"

Lady Jaye regarded what was to be their new operative. This was not what she had expected and she could feel the same vibe coming from Flint. They had worked together for so long, it wasn't hard to read the other. This woman - this girl - barely looked in her 20s. She was insolent, defiant, and judging by her surroundings, none too trustworthy.

Lynch leaned in closer to her, his lips barely able to suppress his smile. "You're being reassigned to work with GI Joe."

Leah couldn't help it. Her feet hit the floor with a bang and she stood, glaring at Lynch. Lady Jaye and Flint wondered where all the hostility had come from, not to mention the lightning quick change of attitude the woman was displaying.

"You think this is so funny, don't you?" she ground out, her teeth clenched, eyes narrowed. "You know I work alone. I don't do teams." The last she directed at Flint and Lady Jaye.

"Well," Lynch drawled, his smile full on, cupping her chin tightly in his hand, "you'll have to adapt now, won't you?"

She jerked her head, but his fingers dug in deeper. "Don't forget, dear Leah, who holds all the cards!" He suddenly let go of her chin and reached into his pocket, pulling out what looked like a remote.

Leah recovered quickly, refusing to rub her chin where his fingers had dug in. She glanced at the remote and then at his face. She would just love to wipe that mocking smile off his face permanently, but knew what the consequences would be.

"You…" she began, but Lynch interrupted her.

"Now, now, we have an audience. Let's stop all this childish nonsense and get back to business," he stated, his tone turning very formal. "Whether you like it or not, it has been decided that you'll be better off on a military special forces team. They have need of your, ahem, skills. After your last two failed assignments, we hope you'll find better success with them." The last was stated in a sarcastic tone. Leah knew he wanted her to look bad in front of these two Joes and was probably being fairly successful with his plan, judging by the looks on their faces.

Lady Jaye nudged Flint, who started, then stepped forward, holding out his hand. "I'm Flint, and this is Lady Jaye. I realize," he began, with a glance at the CIA agent, "that this is something you've just found out about, and I apologize that you had to be notified this way. However, I am sure you'll be a good fit to our team. Your file states that you are a sniper as well as a covert agent, and it's something we have a need for at this moment. We specialize in preventing terrorist attacks and I'm sure you'll be an asset to our team."

Leah regarded his hand for a moment, not moving. Finally, after a long spell, she took his hand and shook it. Flint introduced Lady Jaye as well and Leah nodded at her. She could already read the disapproval in Lady Jaye's eyes. Just great, Leah thought, trying not to roll her eyes. Thanks a lot, Lynch!

"When do I need to report?" Leah asked briskly, already working out an escape plan in her head. She'd be damned if she would be joining GI Joe. She could tell Lynch thought it was one big joke, knowing her past history. He already had to throw in that she had refused her last two assignments, almost guaranteeing that she would be a failure with this unit.

Flint looked confused and glanced over at Lynch. Typical CIA, he thought angrily.

Lynch glanced at his watch, then back at Leah. "Now," he simply replied.

Leah knew he wanted a reaction. She had to bite down hard on her lip to keep from shouting out. Granted, Pops knew the CIA used her for their dirty work and she had to go at a moment's notice, but this was different.

"I need to pack a few things first," she managed to get out without wrapping her arms around Lynch's neck.

"There's no time for that…" Lynch began when the man, Flint, stepped forward.

"I think with the miscommunication, that's more than allowable, don't you think?"

Well, score one for him, he had balls, Leah thought with what was almost an approving look. Lynch let his control slip for a second and looked royally pissed off. He recovered quickly, though.

"No, it's a stall tactic she uses. She knows to have a bag packed at all times, since we usually call on her at the last moment."

"This is different than a mission. This is a transfer, remember?" Leah said, her frustration evident in her tone. "What, you don't trust me? Think I'll escape by the back door? Start a brawl and sneak out in the chaos?"

"It wouldn't be the first time," Lynch muttered, then looked surprised as the others glanced over at him. He obviously hadn't meant to let his control slip and say it aloud.

Score one for me, Leah thought, a smirk playing on her lips.

"Do you have a weapon that needs to be checked?" Lady Jaye asked, her eyes seeming to take everything in.

"Oh, no, the CIA doesn't trust me with my own," Leah replied in a sarcastic tone. She sent a scathing look at Lynch. "Clumsy me, I might cause an accident."

Lynch cleared his throat. "We've already wasted enough time. Leah, grab your duffel that is behind the desk and let's go. I'm sure the Joes will provide you a uniform, so no need to worry about packing all your belongings."

Leah shrugged, not wanting Lynch to get the last word. "It's okay. I'm used to traveling light." She grabbed the duffel he referred to and hefted it over her shoulder. She saw Flint move forward, but was stopped by Lady Jaye's hand on his arm. So that's how it is, Leah observed, her eyes narrowed. She filed that fact away for later.

They started to leave the office when Leah paused and turned to Flint and Lady Jaye, a thought occurring to her.

"Since I'm now under GI Joe," she began, "I no longer work for the CIA, correct?"

The two Joes and Lynch exchanged glances.

"We'll be checking on you and trust me, your superior officer has been thoroughly briefed on you and your past," Lynch stated. "Or we could go through that now."

"Bastard," Leah said, eyes narrowed. She turned to Lady Jaye and Flint. "Let's go. The more distance I put between me and this asshole, the better."

Flint cleared his throat, then said softly, "He drove."

"Great."


A/N: Okay, so I had to pay homage to one of my fave movies that "all" the CIA agents were called "Lynch." I hope you're enjoying it so far! I will try to publish chapters when I can. The story is already worked out in my head...getting it all down is a whole other thing!