Chapter 2: Everything's About To Change
"So, why do we have to go?"
The pilot whined. The man sitting in front of him sighed in annoyance,
"I've already explained it, Siddeley. Please pay more attention."
The woman sitting beside the young pilot, Siddeley Davis, smirked a bit at her friend's childish behaviour.
"You should already know this, Sid." The former desk agent said, standing up and taking the blue form off the table. "Every year for the past 20 years, CHROME forces agents and other members to give an important presentation at the school."
Siddeley rolled his eyes before replying, "I already knew that, Holley. I meant, why do the three of us have to do it? We've never done it before, it's not our job to do that sort of thing. After all, you two are field agents, and I'm a pilot. We have no business with the school."
The man in front of him glanced at him for a split second, before turning away. Finn McMissile, was a very experienced agent, one of the best. He had been a part of the CHROME agency since he was a child, and dealt with numerous missions which had all been successful. Not that he was bragging or anything, but he was pretty awesome at his job.
Finn was taught at a young age that being a member of CHROME meant risking your life. It didn't matter what position you had; if you were a part of the world of espionage, you were made an immediate target. But, that didn't seem to matter to Finn. Ever since he was young, he had always been the type to take risks and do things that others wouldn't even think, let alone even attempt to do.
The field agent wasn't reckless though, he knew his boundaries. He was suave, and courteous. His elegance and grace could charm anyone alive with just a simple smile.
Everyone in the entire agency knew that Finn McMissile was not one to take missions lightly. While he did enjoy the action, he wasn't oblivious to reason why he had to do the dangerous, undercover work. One thing was for sure though.
Finn always loved a good challenge.
You never feel more alive until you're almost dead.
That was the motto that he'd always lived by. But unfortunately for him, he still had equal duties as a member of CHROME. Like his fellow agents, he also had to take his orders from the person in charge. There was a rank system, but people rarely even glanced at it. It didn't seem to apply to anyone unless they got called out for it.
Finn wanted thrills and action, it was the reason he didn't become a desk agent. While he was just as clever as Holley, he mostly excelled in physical exercises that made his heart run wild.
"Yes, but that's besides the point." Holley Shiftwell said, as she took a book out from the huge shelf that took up most of the wall. She was the brains of the group, always strategizing plans, gathering and organizing information, and using her quick wit to get out of sticky situations. Although, she'd sometimes tend to go overboard, according to Siddeley.
"Volume 2, page 427, subsection 8." She informed Siddeley as she tossed the bible-like book at Siddeley who grunted at the sudden heavy weight.
"You do know that nobody reads these things, right?"
"I did! When I was younger, I'd always do some light reading in my spare time."
"If this is light reading to you, then I don't wanna know you read for fun." The pilot said, placing the CHROME Handbook on a nearby desk.
Finn sighed once again, trying to clear his mind. He really didn't want to waste his time trying to teach hormonal teenagers and immature young adults about the careers at CHROME. He was a field agent, that's all he was. And he didn't complain one bit.
"'Members of CHROME are required to complete tasks given to them by their superiors, (aka, people who are ranked higher than them).'" Finn said, reciting the rule from the handbook.
"Not only that, but everyone's preparing for the annual Information Exchange Conference." Holley rambled, "All of CHROME's international branches are meeting up, and since this is a big thing, they can't afford any mistakes. That, and they have to make sure that the new location is secured."
Finn got up, putting his hands on his desk, surprisingly both Holley and Siddeley. "Well, there's no use arguing about it."
Siddeley narrowed his eyes at Finn, muttering under his breath, "Always the obedient one."
Does he always have to do what he's told? He never does anything for himself, it's like he's a robot.
Siddeley thought to himself as he stared at his childhood friend. Finn was explaining some things to Holley as he gathered some papers and folders together, while she nodded along, scribbling down some notes. Siddeley began to zone out, not paying attention to the conversation anymore.
Always doing what he's told: without question, without resistance, without hesitation. I mean sure, he has his charms and manners, but they're all fake. He holds emotion with no meaning. He's just an empty shell, and he doesn't even care… Even back then, he—
"Sid, you ready?" Holley asked, bringing him back to reality.
The pilot blinked for a few seconds, then sprang up as he grinned. "Yup, let's go!"
Holley walked out of their office first, followed by Siddeley and then Finn, who remembered to lock the door and set the security system before leaving. Siddeley purposely slowed down, waiting for Finn to catch up to him. They walked side-by-side, letting Holley take the lead.
"Something bothering you, Sid?" Finn asked, breaking the silence. Siddeley gave him a small smirk.
"I swear, it's like you have some kind of radar, McMissile." The pilot sighed, before looking at Finn. It was rare moments like these where Siddeley could see the sincerity behind Finn's hollow eyes. Even so, he knew what Finn was really like, but he'd never say a word about it.
Siddeley had a deep respect for Finn as a CHROME agent, and as a loyal friend. But that didn't stop Siddeley from worrying about him throughout all their years of friendship. And although Finn would always claim that friendships were dangerous, he'd never deny that Siddeley was his best, most trusted friend, something the pilot was grateful for.
"Will you be okay? You don't have to go, you know." Finn said quietly, not looking at Siddeley. Luckily for them, Holley was too far ahead to hear their conversation. "I know how hard this must be for you…"
Siddeley sighed, knowing exactly what Finn was talking about. The school building in the distance only brought back old memories, most of which were too painful to remember. Siddeley took a deep breath, then exhaled and gave Finn his signature grin, "No need to worry about me, mate. I'll be okay."
Finn finally looked at him, analyzing his face for any signs of dishonestly. He decided to drop the subject, after taking another look at the all-too-familiar building. Finn shook his head, then smiled back at him, "Oh, and Sid?"
"Yeah?"
"Your fly's been undone for 2 hours now." Finn chuckled, then walked ahead and caught up with Holley.
"What?! Finn, why didn't you tell me earlier?!" Siddeley called out at him,
"Holley told me not to," he replied back, still smiling.
Still… he may be able to fool everyone, but he can't fool me. Siddeley thought as he ran after the pair.
"Siddeley, would you please sit still?" Holley asked, as she drove her shiny magenta-purple Jaguar XJR-15 towards the school.
The pilot and the field agent sat in the back seat, while Holley's laptop, and shoulder bag occupied the front seat beside her. Finn looked out the window, lost in his own thoughts while Siddeley and Holley started to argue again.
"But, I really gotta go!"
"Why didn't you go before we left?" Holley asked, giving him an annoyed look.
"I didn't have to go then!" Siddeley whined loudly.
"Don't be such a child!" Holley exclaimed, not taking her eyes off the route, "What do you expect me to do, pull over so you can go in a bush?"
"Well, if you're offering—" Siddeley was cut off, when a small packet of tissues was thrown at him. He laughed as he playfully put his hands up in surrender, "I'm just joking, Holley."
The field agent let out a 'hmph' as she and the pilot continued to converse with each other. Meanwhile, Finn seemed to be in his own world as he gazed at the other CHROME buildings.
It was times like these where he'd often wonder if there was something more for him. It confused him because he already loved his life the way it was. Finn couldn't ask for more adventure and action. He absolutely loved it.
So why did he feel so empty inside?
Finn would admit that his love life didn't exactly have the best reputation, but he didn't mind one bit. The only person whom he ever truly cared for as a romantic interest was someone that he knew he had to let go. So in the end, Finn let her be with the one whom she really belonged with.
The field agent glanced at his old friend, who seemed to be mocking the former desk agent as she drove. Siddeley was Finn's dear friend, knowing that he had a rough childhood was something that Finn could relate to. Ever since they had become friends, Siddeley had always trusted Finn with his life, and that was something that the master spy could never repay him back for. Or, so he thought. Seeing his best friend happy was repayment enough.
"Well, we're here." Holley's announced as she turned off the engine.
Finn snapped out of his thoughts, his attention was immediately taken away by the familiar stair case that lead to a pair of tall white pillars guarding the grand entrance of the academy. Finn smiled a bit at the nostalgic feeling, while Siddeley just seemed to fidget as he tried looking nonchalant.
As the trio walked up the stone steps, Holley couldn't help but notice that both Siddeley and Finn were surprisingly quiet. None of them uttered a word, not even Siddeley who had a completely serious look on his face as they finally reached the entrance.
Holley knew that both Finn and Siddeley had been friends for a while and that they both went to the main CHROME Preparatory Academy in London, but what she didn't understand was why the both of them always avoided the subject of their time at the school. She never bothered to ask why because she never really saw a reason to. It wasn't that she didn't care, Holley was just raised to be polite and well-mannered. That, and it wasn't really any of her business anyway.
Although the field agent and pilot had accepted her as a part of their team, she still felt a bit left out sometimes, knowing that the two had a shared past that made them who they were. Just because she was a mature and professional didn't mean that she wasn't the least bit curious about her colleagues' situation.
Holley was about to ask them why their behaviours had suddenly changed when her thoughts were interrupted by loud squealing and chattering.
"Is that them?"
"I think that's them!"
"Hey! I can't see!"
"They're the representatives?"
"No duh, obviously!"
It was only then did she realize the large crowd waiting insider for the trio. Holley groaned internally at the loud noise that seemed to echo off the walls of the grand entrance. It wasn't that she hated crowds or the young CHROME trainees, she just wasn't in the mood to deal with screaming adolescents. As the trio entered, she decided to try and take her mind off of the large crowd by lightening up the mood for the pilot, who was still acting quite strangely in her opinion.
"So Sid," She asked with a smirk on her face, getting his attention, "you still need to use the loo?"
Siddeley's face scrunched up as he groaned loudly, "Great! Thanks a lot, Holley. I forgot about it until you mentioned it."
"There's a water fountain over there if you'd like," Holley laughed as she pointed to a large fountain in the middle of the room.
"Oh please, I may not be as classy as you are, Shiftwell," Siddeley said while crossing his arms, "but that doesn't mean I'm some animal who just goes where ever it wishes."
"Calm down Davis, I was only teasing you."
Siddeley rolled his eyes playfully before replying with his own smirk, "At least I don't go into the wrong loo when I need to wee."
"Hey! It was one time—"
"Two, actually," Siddeley winked, nudging her arm.
"Fine, two times!" Holley's face turned a deep shade of red, "It's not my fault though! I was stressed out and exhausted from all the paperwork I had to do!"
"Aww it's okay, Holley," Siddeley cooed mockingly as he wrapped his arm around her and gently pinched her cheek, "We all tend to get a little carried away at times. And if you say you went in by accident, I'll believe you."
"But, I did!" The field agent protested as she tugged the pilot's arm off.
"Of course you did," Siddeley let go of her as he continued to mock the younger agent.
"Ugh, you're horrible, you know that?"
"Oh, calm down Shiftwell, I was only teasing you!" Siddeley laughed, as they unknowingly got closer to the fountain.
Finn, who still didn't say a word, just continued to walk with them. While his companions playfully argued with each other, he just thought about the presentation. He knew that there was nothing to worry about, but like Holley, he always liked to be prepared just in case. Even though he still thought that the idea of doing the presentation was a complete waste of his time.
As Finn continued to mentally plan out everything, he couldn't help but notice that they had reached the old fountain in the middle of the entrance hall. He smiled, remembering how he always used to sit there and read by himself. Back then, the fountain wasn't as popular a place to sit near as it seemed to be at that moment.
Although the large crowd of students were very distracting and blocked most of his view, Finn could still make out a few students relaxing near the fountain. One girl in particular stood directly in front of it, just a few inches away from the edge.
Finn tilted his head to the side when he took notice of the girl's long purple hair. He tried to get a closer look, thinking that it was just a trick of the light.
"Yeah?" Finn could hear Holley's voice coming from the direction of the fountain, only to realize that the two had already passed him and were right behind the girl, who didn't seem to hear the two agents behind her. Finn immediately ran towards them, knowing exactly what Holley was about to do.
"Tease this, Davis!"
"Wait, Holley! Don't!" Finn shouted as neared the two.
Time seemed to slow down for Finn as he tried to stop Holley from playfully shoving Siddeley, but it was too late. Siddeley took a step back to prevent himself from falling, only to shove the purple-haired girl into the fountain. The girl landed in with a loud SPLASH, also getting drops of water on the floor.
Holley covered her mouth as she realized her mistake, while Siddeley just stared at the girl in shock.
"Siddeley!" Finn scolded, not knowing what else to say.
Siddeley snapped out of it, then responded defensively, "What? It's not my fault, she pushed me!"
Finn glared at both of his companions accusingly as he scolded them before taking a deep breath and turning his attention to the girl who was still sitting in the fountain, now shivering as her clothes met the cool air. He immediately took pity on the girl as he reached out and offered his hand to her.
After all, it was partially his fault for not paying attention to his co-workers.
"Are you alright, Miss?" He asked carefully, leaning down a bit so that she could take his hand, "I'm terribly sorry, my colleagues—"
Suddenly, Finn found himself on the white-tiled floor with a searing pain in his jaw. His hand reached up to touch his face only to realize that it was bleeding. He then looked up and gazed into the girl's piercing red eyes that glared down at him with hatred.
The purple haired girl's eyes widened, realizing what she had done. Her mouth opened about to say something when a loud voice boomed from the behind the crowd of students.
"Everyone. CLEAR. OUT." The voice echoed.
The crowd of students immediately scattered, leaving only the purple-haired girl, the CHROME representatives, and the person who the deep voice belonged to; the headmaster of the academy.
The headmaster glared at the girl as he spoke again, "Tenebris, my office. NOW!"
Finn looked back over at the girl, 'Tenebris', who grumbled as she got out of the fountain and started making her way towards the said office. Her feet making loud squishing sounds with each step.
The headmaster sighed, running a hand through his chestnut brown hair before turning to the trio.
"Well, it's been a while, hasn't it?" He smiled sheepishly.
"And, further more…"
Kiara crossed her arms as she slouched in her seat. Professor Aiden Starling, the headmaster of the academy, had given her a towel to dry off, but she was still a mess. Her hair as well as her uniform was still soaked, as if she had just gotten out of a rain storm.
Kiara bit her lip, trying not to snap back at him, knowing that it would only get her in even more trouble. She glared at the ground, nodding her head along to what the headmaster had to say.
Although, if she was being honest, she didn't really give a crap and ended up zoning out for the majority of his little lecture. She already knew how this would end.
Siddeley, who was standing behind her, noticed her sudden interest in the wooden floorboards and took it as his cue to intervene.
"If I may, it really wasn't her fault, Aiden," Siddeley took a step forward, gaining a narrowed glance from Kiara, "it was just an accident that all parties are guilty of."
"He's right, sir," Holley piped up from the other side of the room, sitting on one of the cushioned chairs that lined the wall, "Siddeley and I were being unprofessional, it's all just a misunderstanding. The poor girl probably thought she was being attacked and was just trying to defend herself."
Kiara rolled her eyes, something didn't go unnoticed by the headmaster. His stern eyes lingered on her for a moment before he leaned forward on his desk. He sighed deeply, rubbing his temples,
"Be that as it may, I cannot simply let her go unpunished. The fact is she attacked a CHROME representative in front of our student body, and if I do not punish her for her reckless behaviour, then what kind of message am I sending to the future agents of CHROME? They were told to treat their superiors with the upmost respect."
Do they really have to talk about me as if I'm not here? Kiara thought, And what's up these representatives being here too? It was my fault after all, so what gives? All I wanted to do was make a stupid wish, and this is what I get. How typical.
Kiara opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off as Finn approached the professor's desk.
"Aiden please, this really isn't necessary. Besides, there were witnesses, everyone saw what happened, and what happened was clearly an accident. They should know that it wasn't Miss Tenebris' fault."
Kiara let out a bitter laugh, causing everyone to look at her. Finn was about to ask her what she thought was so funny, when Professor Starling raised his hand up, signalling for her explain.
"Is there something you'd like to say, Kiara?" he asked, and for the first time since they entered the office, all the attention was on the purple-haired student.
"Forgive me, Headmaster Starling," Kiara said after calming down, her voice then returned to the dull monotone that Professor Starling was familiar with, "but with all do respect, I really don't think any of this is necessary."
The trio stared at her in confusion as to what she meant, while the headmaster just raised an eyebrow. And although both, Kiara and Professor Starling knew what she was going to do, he still wanted her to say it out loud, in front of his fellow co-workers.
"Care to explain what you mean?"
"I'll take the punishment, sir. I regret punching the representative known as Finn McMissile, as well as causing a scene. It was my fault and I deeply apologize." Kiara said, before standing up and politely bowing her head to him.
Finn, Holley, and Siddeley all looked at the girl in disbelief, surprised at her surprisingly compliant behaviour.
The headmaster sighed once again, "Are you certain about this, Miss Tenebris. You'll be given a two-hour detention everyday for the next month, as well as helping Professor Diaz with clean up in the science lab every week."
Kiara nodded, her eyes seemly dull and uncaring at the prospect of extra work, "Yes, I'm sure."
"…Alright then, you may leave," The headmaster said, then handed her a slip of paper, instructing her to talk to the office secretary before heading to class.
As soon as Kiara shut the headmaster's office door, she immediately slumped against it, smiling bitterly to herself.
If I didn't know any better, I'd think that they were actually sincere. Kiara thought, unconsciously bringing her hand up to her chest.
"Yeah, right," Kiara said quietly to herself as she started walking towards the main office where the secretary was,
"I'll still be alone in the end. Nothing is going to change that, I'm sure of it."
A/N: I feel that the end of the chapter was lacking. I know that quality isn't always defined by quantity, but I still feel like I could've added more detail to some parts. Also, I feel like their personalities are...hollow? I don't know...
Also, the Doc Manager thingy automatically deleted the username, so I hope it works this time. Special thanks to (babu. miriel) for reminding me of my love for writing.
