"You really must be joking," A3K2 replied as he looked down at the pre-teen that was going to assist him and his partner on their mission.

"Do I look like I joke, A3?" the B1 replied, and it was true that the kids face didn't look like it had smiled once in his life, "Iverson said you needed an extra man."

"Yes, a MAN, or a WOMAN, not a Dash!"

"I am a fully-fledged agent, A3," B1 replied and held out his pin. A Dash's pin was blank, but the boy already had two stars on it.

A3 looked over at his partner, a Jermite who had an unnatural fondness for explosives and found his home planet a little too tame. The Jermites amber eyes looked the boy up and down and then it sighed.

"Let us leave then."

()

Agent B1A5 sat quietly in the back seat. A3K2 kept checking him in the rearview mirror as he drove; almost like a twitch. His partner, Agent Pepk, tinkered with the device in his lap.

"What happened To B1K10?" A3 finally asked.

B1 took his time answering, "He died during his last mission."

It took A3 a moment to realize the snark in the answer. It was a dark humored answer.

"I've been on a few missions with him, can't see him slipping up very easily," A3 replied, urging along the conversation.

"He was old."

"He was only 29, that's hardly old."

B1 shrugged, "old enough to…what did you say 'slip'? Yeah, he slipped."

"…you don't seem too upset about it," A3 was seriously starting to get creeped out.

"It was a year ago and my first lesson was to not look back, so, are we going to discuss the present mission or are you thinking of practicing psychology some more?"

"I see you've picked up your trainers love for work," Pepk said, "he also disliked what you humans call 'small talk'."

"It never killed anyone," muttered A3.

"You would be surprised how many times small talk has killed someone A3," B1 replied, "now, about the mission on hand. Iverson told me there's a Canyon in East Texas that's a bit of a problem. Then he told me you would fill me in on the rest. So fill."

"The canyon is a hot spot for unwanted guests," A3 said, "sometimes a party arrives and we have to crash it. A rather large ship landed about an hour ago and while S section deals with the media and people who saw it, we're going to clean the spill. Pepk will make their ship unable to fly and we'll round up the group and detain them. Then when-"

"I am familiar with detainment protocol A3," B1 sighed, "Is there anything else I should know? Or is this all standard?"

"Its pretty standard," Pepk replied, "there's just a few more than the two of us can handle at once."

B1 sighed again and looked bored as he stared out the window.

()

The next few days Jackson found a routine. He rose in the morning, did physical training with A3, Shower and breakfast with Hunk and the others, Technics with Coran (and a little input from Hunk and Pidge), lunch, Diplomacy with Allura (and manors with Shiro if he happened to be around), dinner, then it was back to training with A3 until bed.

After about five days of this, Jackson began to wonder where B1 had gone. He hadn't seen him at all since the huge fight on the bridge. When he asked Harvy about it, the man told him that if B1 did talk to him, then he was to tell him everything he said.

"I thought he was a colleague," Jackson said raising an eyebrow, "selfish or not, wouldn't his knowledge be the same as the others?"

"I want to make sure what he tells you is actual fact and not a half-truth," Harvy said, "he's known to be a bit of a sadist with other Dashs'."

"Why?"

"Stars only know," Harvy rolled his eyes, "all I know is the last Dash that followed his advice almost lost a hand. So just, tell me what he tells you and I can fill in the gaps."

So Jackson agreed and spent his days learning as much as he could from whomever was willing to give it. Allura was by far his hardest instructor, and Coran his most confusing, but between his trainer, Hunk, and Pidge, he felt he could get a handle on most of everything that was thrown at him.

"You just have to quickly find something to relate it to," Hunk said while Jackson was starting to get cross eyed during one of Corans tangents, "Listen to what he says, but observe it yourself and think about what you understand and how you would apply the basics in the situation. You remember what I told you about the basics, right?"

"…I think so. It was mostly about currents and the flow of energy as waves and particles, right? Or was it that stuff you said about mass and that other stuff with the fluff and ….size thingy…?"

"Right, you need a break."

Hunk stopped Coran and told him to go to the lounge, "I'll bring you a snack, but you really just need to sit and chill for a bit."

Jackson didn't think that was the proper use of his time, but he couldn't deny that his head felt like it was in a vice. So much was being crammed into it at such an alarming rate, he couldn't tell what time of day it was. He mostly relied on the others to tell him what he should be doing next.

The lounge looked empty at first, but as he came around the side of the couch he saw B1 sitting on the floor, cleaning his gun.

"You look like you've been hit by a train," B1 greeted him with a grin, "Take a load off before you keel over and A3 blames me for it."

Jackson hurried to comply with the order, even though B1 was only, what 7? 8? 9? Years older? Jackson felt he was facing an adult equal to his trainer. He sat on the couch and B1 ignored him, focusing on his gun.

"I've never seen a gun like that," Jackson said, after a while, "where is it from?"

B1 looked up at him, and took his time as he thought about his answer, "It's a Rodakkin weapon. Its name is Pride."

"Oh…weren't the Rodakkin bad guys?"

"Yup."

"why doesn't anyone else use the weapons?"

"Because we don't want to give them the excuse that they have any authority in our alliance," B1 said, "we don't use their tech, follow their rules, or do anything in any way that would give them an opening to invite themselves into our space."

"But you're using their tech."

"This is mine," B1 said, "I won it."

"Like, in a game of cards?"

"Sure," B1 grinned, "Life is a gamble, so let's say I won it in a game of cards."

Jackson didn't know how to respond to that. He'd been trying to joke around, but it suddenly didn't seem like a joke any more. The silence became heavy and awkward as he waited for Hunk to come.

"Where do you go everyday?" Jackson asked instead, curious.

"Where ever you aren't," he said, "You keep to a schedule, so its not that hard."

"Why?"

"Because A3's don't like me very much."

"Why?"

"Because I call them on their BS."

"That's what A3 says trainees are for."

"getting called out by a trainee makes you proud, being called out by a fellow agent that's about 20 or so years younger than you only pisses you off…especially if the younger one is right."

"Soooo, does that mean I have to hate you or can I make up my own mind?"

B1 looked up, a little surprised, then his face broke out into a grin, "quiznak, A3 has no idea who he picked up, does he?"

"I'm a very open person," Jackson said frowning, "I just asked a question."

"A desirable trait in any trainee," B1 nodded, "and in any agent. Question everything, even your trainer. Though I can tell you that A3 is a good man and will do his best by you, your job is to question him in everything, even me right now. Question Allura and Coran and Hunk and Pidge. Question them all and make up your own mind. If you can't trust yourself, then you might as well quit right now."

Jackson sat back and thought that over, "…isn't that the same as not trusting anyone?"

"You catch on quickly."

"But you trust them."

"I trust them, but you shouldn't until you've come to that conclusion on your own."

"So you're saying I shouldn't trust that I shouldn't trust people if I'm supposed to question everything?"

B1 laughed, "kid, you are a riot! I don't think I've ever met a Dash that's as quick as you are. You'll do fine."

By then he'd reassembled his gun and had put it away. B1 stood and stretched as Hunk came into the room with the snack he'd promised.

"Hey, Lance, Keith and Shiro are looking for you on the training deck," Hunk said, "said you left it a mess."

"I did not," B1 scoffed, "I made a perfectly sculpted tower, after I was done, of the dead drones. They just don't understand art!"

He left in a huff and Hunk sat next to Jackson. The boy watched the other agent closely and noticed a subtle changing in B1's face and attitude when Hunk had entered the room. He wondered if that was because he didn't really trust one side or the other, or if he felt the need for a persona one way or another. The change had happened so naturally and quickly that Jackson had to really observe to notice it at all. Was it by habit? Or was it intentional? And who was he hiding from?

"You and Lance have a good talk?"

"Yeah," Jackson said, "A3 doesn't like him very much, but I'm told its because of past head-butting. How did you guys meet?"

Hunk grinned, "We were roommates at the garrison. At first I thought he'd gotten in on bravado alone, but he really did have skill."

"You think he's a friend even though he lied to you?" Jackson asked picking up the little finger noodles that tasted like chicken fingers.

"He's my best friend," Hunk said, "I never doubted that for a second."

"You trust him?"

"With my life."

It was a firm and immediate answer. It was a bit of a blow to the boys conscience and he sat up a little straighter. How could he be so trusting?

"Look," Hunk said picking up a finger noodle for himself, "you guys…agents, have this thing going on. And Lance may have his own issues, but even Lance can't hide the fact that I know a real smile from a fake one. We had fun at the garrison. We laughed and joked and goofed off. He got bossy and I dragged him to classes. I know we're friends because I know the good side of people. You guys may know how bad people can be and think, but I think I've got Lance pegged."

"Really?" Jackson couldn't think the B1 could be 'pegged'. To the boy, B1 was a conundrum mixed with a metaphor and a riddle.

"Sure," Hunk shrugged, "Lance is easy to figure out."

Easy?

"…so…what?"

Hunk smiled, "Figure it out. It really isn't hard."

"I seem to be getting that a lot today."

()

"WHAT THE HELL!" A3K2 roared as he slid down a canyon incline. B1 stood, both guns in his hands, four dead and 2 wounded lay on the ground.

"They fired back," B1 replied, "I spared two for questioning."

"THEY CAN'T BE QUESTIONED!" A3 yelled and took out his radio, "Pepk! Don't worry about the ship! These guys aren't going anywhere!"

"It was self-defense."

"And a little excessive!" A3 snapped as he got to work tending to the aliens injuries.

B1 rolled his eyes and holstered both his guns. And then he stood there and watched A3 do his best to save the visitors lives. It was this that really solidified the A3's dislike for the boy.

When Pepk found them, one had already died from blood loss.

Needless to say as they drove back to HQ A3K2 was NOT happy. He drove, Pepk in the passenger seat reminding his partner to slow down to the speed limit, and B1 sat in the back with a severely wounded alien.

When they made it back, A3 swerved in the parking lot and came to a screeching halt by the curb. "Get out! Pepk, you take care of the guest."

Pepk got out and grabbed the alien, he quickly ran into the building and the med ward. A3 got out and stood, blocking B1's path to the building.

"Explain again, in detail, what happened."

B1 sighed, "I announced myself, they fired. I fired back. Unlike them, I'm a better shot. There's nothing left to say."

"You…you…" A3 had no idea he could ever want to strangle a child, be here he was, stuffing his hands into his pockets in order to keep his impulses from taking over.

"Lance!"

Before his eyes the boys face and very being transformed. The dead eyes brightened and the stiff face split into a wide, childish smile.

"Veronica!" B1 shouted as he turned around and waved, "you came to pick me up!"

"Yeah," a woman in a garrison uniform jogged up to the car and ruffled his hair, "Marco was going to, but then he came down with the flu. Sorry I'm late, did you wait long?"

"Nope!" B1 beamed up at her, "I just got back from a field trip! We went to a canyon and looked at some of the rock formations there. It was SO boring!"

"That's not nice," Veronica said looking up at A3, "I'm sure your instructor here put a lot of effort into his lesson."

"I'm sorry," B1 said turning back to A3, LOOKING sorry as well.

A3 realized just then that his mouth was open. He shut it quickly and blinked several times and ended up gaping at the woman.

"Uh…wh-yeah…"

B1 chuckled and turned back to Veronica, "He only cares about rocks. I don't think he has much experience with a pretty face."

Veronica smacked the back of his head, "I'm sorry, my little brother is such a handful."

"…li-little brother….right…"

This sadistic brat had a family…and they had no idea what he was capable of. B1 rocked back and forth from his heals to toes and back, all with a smile on his face.

A smile.

Veronica smiled, the siblings shared the same smile.

"Well, if you're done, we gotta get home. Mom's waiting for us."

"I just have to get my bag inside," B1 said starting to run toward the building, "Be right back!"

A3 watched him go. Floored with the transformation that took place right in front of him.

"Hey," Veronica got his attention again, "Look, I know the field trip wasn't just about rocks."

"Oh?" A3 put on his own smile. Secrets were still secrets, and he was a very good agent.

"Yeah," Veroinca sighed, "but I want to thank you for looking after him. He really is a handful, but he's the baby of the family. We don't know what we'd do without him."

The baby. A3 would never associate the word 'baby' with that monster. Not after what he'd see that day.

"Yeah, sure," A3 said nodding, "anytime. He's…ah…he's….something…alright…"

He had no idea what to say. He was good at cover ups, but this was the first time his mind refused to come up with anything.

Veronica laughed, "'something', that's accurate. I'll talk with him tonight and make sure he gives you a proper apology next week."

"No," A3 said immediately; he had no desire to see that kid next week if he could help it, "no, its fine. Kids will be kids. I'm not going to be around next week anyway."

"uh-huh," Veronica gave him a searching look and then shrugged.

"I'm back!" B1 shouted waving his backpack in the air. It was blue with an Avengers logo on it. Way too child like for A3's opinion of the boy.

"Mr. Jhonson," B1 said coming to a halt next to them, "Mr. Pepinsky wants to see you inside. Says there's something about the rock we brought back that you should see."

"...Rock, huh?" A3 nodded, a smile still on his face even though his gut dropped into his shoes.

"Yeah," B1 chuckled and wiggled his fingers, his eyes full of childish menace, "who knows, maybe there's an alien inside, like Venom and it will take over and infect the world."

Veronica smacked the back of his head again, "yeah, whatever, get in the car."

"Why you gotta hit me all the time," B1 grumbled and pouted.

"Why you gotta be such a butt, now git. We're already late for dinner," She turned back to A3 as B1 headed towards a blue camri, "see you later then. Thanks again for looking after him."

"Pleasure," A3 said thickly. He watched them drive away and when he finally got back inside the building he found Pepk waiting for him just inside the door.

"Human children are frightening," Pepk said quietly, "may we please request we never work with that one again?"

"Way ahead of you," A3 shuddered.

()

"Huh," Harvy sat and listened to what Jackson told him. The boy was drying his hair after taking his shower and was telling his trainer what B1 had told him that day.

"What does 'huh' mean?"

Harvy shrugged, "I'm not opposed to anything he's said. Its unhealthy to have THAT much mistrust of those around you, but you should always be vigilant and find out the answers yourself. As for who he's able to carry around a Rodakkin gun, its commonly said that the day he became an agent his trainer gave it to him as a gift. I've never heard of him winning it."

"Still, even then, should he be allowed to use it as his standard weapon?"

"B1's get away with a lot," A3 said, "You'll learn this in time. They are a one man show and do whatever they want with little to no repercussion. Just don't get on his bad side if you don't want to be perfectly framed for a crime you didn't commit."

Jackson looked up and let the towel fall to his shoulders, "he's done that?"

"a fair few times," A3 said, "and there's no trace of him ever doing it."

"then how do you know?"

"Because he told me," Harvy said, "We got into an argument and he threatened me, using a previous case as an example."

Jackson frowned, "…i…don't think so…"

"What do you mean?"

Jackson bit his lip, "I think if he was smart enough to do that, then he'd be smart enough to not say anything about it, even as a threat. Actually from what I've heard from the others and from you about B1, I'd say its more likely that he only told you that to make you think he was more cunning than he really is."

Harvy stared at his trainee. Almost unable to believe his ears.

Why had he not thought of that?

"What have the others told you about him?"

"Well," Jackson sat on his bed, "Hunk trusts him completely, like no hesitation at all, and Pidge thinks he's just a big goof-ball who can't memorize his times table. Allura see's him a frivolous flirt and coran talks about him like he's his own son. I've see Keith and B1 interact and Keith seems to take what B1 says either very seriously, or not at all, there is no in between. I don't see B1 with Shiro a lot, so I'm not sure about how they interact, but I did a bit of poking around today and that's what I've got."

"I'm aware that the idiot act is just that, an act, but you're telling me that they still believe he's a complete moron?"

"Mmm, I wouldn't say that. More like they just don't see him as anything to be wary of. I can't get a handle on him at all, but Hunk says he's already got him pegged."

Harvy shook his head, "No, no, more like he's got pegged what B1 WANTS him to have pegged. No one 'pegs' a B1."

"I thought so, but they all seem be really certain about their view of him."

"Then B1 is doing his job and doing it well," Harvy shook his head, "but we in the agency know better. Let them think what they want, but don't fall for anything B1 tries with you. He is anything but an innocent flirt."