A/N: Hi guys :) I promised I'd post Chapter 4 soon to make up for the lack of updates previously, and so I did. I'd like some suggestions about my summary/title because I know they aren't really interesting. If you have some then add them in your review, thanks :)

Okay, here's some bad news- I probably won't be able to update much for the whole of next year. I have these really important exams going on, so I won't be able to use the computer much. I'll try to make up for it by posting a lot when I can… if I can. Thanks for understanding :)


It hurt.

Badly.

But Alistair had to put that out of his mind at the moment. The next meeting of the branch leadership was far more important. It would be his chance to finally redeem himself. He would take back what used to be his father's. He'd take it from Bae. After all, according to Ekat tradition, he should be the one to take over branch leadership.

Revenge never felt so sweet.

Alistair limped into the elevator.

He made a few calls. With the Ekats' advanced technology, everyone was soon informed of Bae's arrest. They would come soon enough, and the branch leadership would be discussed.

Alistair knew that there were investigations ongoing about his "betrayal of the branch", as they called it. Alistair had already discussed this issue with the other teams. He would deny the rumours- first, though he would reveal bits of the truth. Though of course he would slowly make everyone understand that uniting the Cahills would be the wisest move. But obtaining the branch leadership would be the first step to everything.

Alistair waited patiently at the agreed meeting room, and slowly, everyone started trailing in. They were all muttering amongst themselves, glancing at each other oddly.

"Greetings, fellow Ekats," Alistair greeted. "I-"

"Look, I'll cut to the chase," an impertinent man of about twenty or thirty years stood up, his face stony. "What we heard, is it true? You betraying us to the other branches? Sharing your clues?"

Alistair's eyes narrowed.

"Look, young man," he replied, assuming his authoritative voice. "You can investigate all you want, but you will find no evidence that I have betrayed the Ekaterinas."

"It's true," a voice chipped in.

Alistair turned, amazed.

Sitting there, smiling encouragingly at him, were the Starling triplets. Sinead had spoken up. Ned and Ted were nodding beside her. Somehow they had managed to come to this meeting, despite Ned and Ted's troubles.

"Oh," the man muttered, faintly embarrassed.

"Well, if that is what you insist," rose up another man. He was slightly older, with a high ranking among the Ekats. "Though I remember the Starlings were involved as well. But you will not refuse our request to remain investigating, then?"

"Of course not," Alistair replied smoothly.

"I believe that it would be our wish- all of us- to keep you waiting for your position as branch leader while we continue ongoing investigations. At least until we have found absolute proof that you are innocent."

Alistair clenched his teeth, but continued to keep his calm composure.

"Of course," he nodded, fake generously. "But when I've been proven innocent…"

A lady abruptly stood up. She had a well-respected reputation, and everybody stopped to listen.

"I say we allow him to take up the position," she spoke in a crisp voice. "There isn't really an excuse not to. Who here actually liked Bae? He was simply a demanding dictator, almost. I, for one, am glad to be rid of him. If Alistair does prove to be guilty, of course we'll… handle him."

Alistair was thankful the woman had stepped in. She didn't seem kind nor did she look like she was helping him, but simply stating the truth.

"Perhaps… alliances are required, more than ever, these days. There is an uprising threat," the lady continued.

Alistair was amazed. This lady was either incredibly brave or incredibly foolish.

"What?" the second man who had spoken to Alistair cried out disbelievingly. "You want us to… to t-team," he spat the word out, "up with other branches? Impossible?"

"Did I say that?" the lady responded smoothly. She wasn't very tall, but she seemed to be looking down on him. "Simply have alliances. Temporary truces. Not exactly the same thing as teams, is it? But I suspect an uprising threat, as I have already said, one even more dangerous… than the Madrigals."

Alistair immediately snapped to attention and looked at the lady with some wariness. What did she know, and how much?

Things could have been worse, but they were definitely not going according to plan.


Never before had Isabel ever felt inferior.

But, as her guide had snootily said, 'The Vespers were all about first times for everything'. She was getting tired. She had been put through tenuous exercises and training for the whole day, with barely a break.

"The Vespers have to be the best!" the guide had snapped. "Only that way can we prevail!"

Isabel, proud as she was, never deigned to answer. She was determined to show these Vespers that she was Isabel Kabra, and she was not to be trifled with. She was delighted- though she hid it- to find out that when they gave her a few strategy tests, she scored among the highest range. It was thanks to the Lucian serum she had drank, of course, but she had been the one to drink it. Anyway, the strategies they had come up with weren't as complicated nor as strong as the Lucians', though they were comparable. It was something Isabel realised- all their aspects were not as strong as each Cahill branch's, individually, but altogether they definitely outweighed each branch.

There was only one thing that the Cahills didn't have- they were trained on teamwork. They had to learn how to make everyone cooperate on missions, and not by fear, as Isabel did. Well… there was some fear, but everyone was working for a single cause for the whole team- not just themselves. They also had to learn how to keep themselves in check, something Isabel was finding very, very hard indeed. The Vespers had learned from the Cahills- in no circumstances could they be allowed to be broken up, like the Cahills did. It would be the downfall of them, just as it would be- or was- the downfall of the Cahills.

"I'll take you to see Yvonne afterwards," the guide said as Isabel was forced to climb up a rock wall which had moving footholds after a few meters of absolutely nothing but plain wall- "An invention by one of our agents who managed to infiltrate the Ekats for some time," the guide explained- and no safety harness whatsoever. She had had to leap up onto the footholds from a trampoline, which was hard enough, but there was nothing at all to cushion her fall if she fell, since the trampoline had been removed. The only way down would be up, since there was a ladder you could release once you reached the top. The ladder, unfortunately, was also a form of training- the rope was so thin it cut into the skin, and it felt like it would fall to pieces any minute.

Isabel, in her mind, had wondered what would happened if she fell. The guide seemed to have read it- though she didn't, not really. It was just something that everyone who came across the wall would think about. She snickered.

"If you fall, you'll probably break a whole lot of bones," she said. "So I advise you not to. But just to put your little mind at rest-" Isabel scowled, "- you see the carpet below? It's pretty thick. So you won't break as many bones as you would if you fell to cold hard floor."

Was that supposed to be reassuring?

Isabel ran through the list of trainings she had undertaken in her mind. Her first warm up exercise was running on a treadmill- which wouldn't be so bad if she didn't have to do it in a sauna for one and a half hours. The guide came in every few minutes with water and a few cubes of ice to make sure she wouldn't pass out, but that was it.

The next few were not physical. Isabel soon realised that they had training for each branch- there was physical training for Tomas, then there was strategy training for Lucians, acting for Janus (though Isabel had no idea how 'reacting to different scenarios dramatically' was supposed to help) and invention making for Ekats.

Isabel felt her hands getting sweaty as she neared the top. Gritting her teeth, she struggled to keep a firmer hold. Soon, her hands touched the top of the rock climbing wall. Isabel was definitely fit, but she found herself tiring. Soon, when enough of her weight was on the top, she swung her legs up onto the roof.

She actually made it.

But, of course, she knew she would.

Isabel smiled over her triumph and start getting down the ladder. The guide cocked her head at her, seemingly unimpressed.

"Your timing was slow," she simply stated. "We expect you to be much faster next time. Yvonne will see you now."

Isabel fumed, but knew enough to shut up. She dusted off her clothes, which, as requested, were branded and just shipped in from Paris. Couture was very important to Isabel.

She was led through what seemed like a maze of offices and locked doors to a simple office. Simple as it was, it felt so grand. It just felt so… So…

"Yvonne. I am so sorry to disturb you, but as requested, I've brought Isabel Kabra."

Isabel shook out of her reverie. In front of her, sitting at a pristine desk, was the lady who had coaxed Isabel into joining the Vespers. She never stopped typing at her laptop and scribbling on documents, but she looked up briefly. Her guide bowed respectfully. Yvonne nodded and the guide quickly went away.

"I'm Yvonne," Yvonne introduced briskly to Isabel, who stood awkwardly in the doorway, "which you should already know. Take a seat. You've done…" she hesitated. "Well, I suppose you've done above average."

Isabel raised an eyebrow. She sat on a chair to the side of the room. The chair was uncomfortable and hard. Yvonne kept on working.

"So, there's a reason I called you here today. You should take note I never call people in unless I have a reason. I don't believe in wasting anyone's time."

Isabel nodded curtly. She examined Yvonne's immaculate hair. Where did she get it done? It wasn't as nice as Isabel's hairstyle- Isabel had a renowned hairstylist flown in to style her hair for her, so there was no way anyone could possibly match up to her, of course- but it looked like something she might try one day.

Without looking up from her work, Yvonne sighed.

"Stop looking at my hair and pay attention," she snapped.

Isabel bit her lip and nodded. Yvonne was obviously someone not to be trifled with.

"I brought you here to explain some very important things about the Vespers. You must remember them at all times. If you don't…" Yvonne finally looked up. Her eyes flashed dangerously. "You will face the consequences. One of the things you must learn- for everything you do, there will be consequences. No doubt you already know this. But for Vespers, if you fail in anything you do… we can promise the consequences will never be good."

Isabel shivered inwardly, but composed herself and nodded. She was doing a lot of nodding.

"Well. I'm done," Yvonne suddenly said, and pushed herself from her desk. Her armchair was one of those which had wheels on. She turned to face Yvonne. "Now I can concentrate on explaining things to you. Where shall I start?" Yvonne stopped and smiled.

It wasn't a mean smile, not really, neither was it a nice smile. It was… simply empty. A smile that obviously held no emotion. Isabel contemplated this. Was Yvonne acting… or was there something she was trying to express?

"Pay attention, Isabel," Yvonne interrupted Isabel's thoughts, once again. Her smile was wiped clean. There was definitely no emptiness in her anger. "I'll start by telling you everything."


A/N: How was that? Please let me know :) It's getting less confusing now with less POVs, right? I definitely hope so!

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