It took her twenty minutes to reach the women's locker-room, and, as she had assured Adam, she was calm by the time she reached it. By then she was only about half an hour early for her shift, and others were starting to straggle in. She accessed her locker by leaning her head against it, resting her hand on the fingerprint ID pad, and mumbling a pathetic "Jaden Korr". The door swung open; she stripped to her underwear and began to pull on her under-armour. The under-armour had become more of a necessity of late – the League of Danall was expanding its territory again, and they often used weapons that would kill a human if it could reach the skin. The under-armour consisted of a material similar to Kevlar, which was more breathable and fit like a second skin. It protected the wearer's body from heat, cold, electric shock and would dissipate some of the force of an impact, such as a fall or a blow from a Vampire. It looked merely like a pair of leggings and a shirt with quarter-length sleeves, but it had saved Jaden's life more than a few times, so she made sure to wear it every single day, unlike some of her colleagues. Once she'd donned the layer of under-armour, she began to wrestle the over layer of protective gear, which consisted of: a bullet proof and laser resistant padded vest; a utility belt that had its pockets full with grenades, various poisons and antidotes, an ultra-violet ray gun known as a sunburst, a small handgun and cartages, and a small first aid kit; a communication ear piece; a watch that tucked its way under her gloves, serving as both a time piece and a controller for the communicator; and a neck brace of sorts. The brace had the dual purpose of having built in microphones for the communicator, so the wearer could either speak into the watch or into the brace, as well as serving as protection against vampires who got too close. To Jaden, wearing her armour was like receiving a big protective hug. It evened the playing field between her and her enemies a little bit.

Vampires used to be a story. Vampires used to be a figment of the imagination. People used to wear pretend fangs made of glow in the dark plastic and paint fake blood on their necks and go to parties. Vampires in the present day were hardly the topic of fun and games. With four razor sharp fangs in their upper jaw, immense strength and super-human agility, they were at a distinct advantage over the Agents who battled them.

Agent Jaden Korr was twenty years old, slender and athletic, and of average height. She had chocolate brown eyes and brown hair that had highlights of gold and red that appeared in the sunshine. Because she was mostly active at night, they weren't often seen. When her hair was loose, it hung to her mid-back, but more often than not it was tightly braided and knotted at the base of her neck. Female Agents were encouraged to wear their hair short so that their enemies would have less to grab onto, but Jaden had become adept at withstanding brutal hair-pulling, so she didn't concern herself overly. She wasn't as imposing as some of the other female Agents were, but they were also twice her age. If she lived that long, she figured she'd be as imposing as they were.

She had been made Junior Agent eight months previously. It had caused some controversy. She was about two years younger than the average age of other Interim Agents promoted to Junior Agent status. But Jaden had earned it. She had passed the tests, the same as anybody. She had also entered the Academy younger than most of her classmates, and had advanced through the classes a year faster than those she started out with, thus she graduated earlier. She was an Interim Agent before some of her first-year mates had graduated. She made Junior Agent before they became Interim Agents. People whispered that she only advanced as she did because her father was Chief Commander at the time. Maybe it was the case, but not to Jaden. She had earned it fairly in her own mind, and that was how she was going to accept her promotions. Besides, there were those who were younger than her who were promoted faster. There weren't any from her graduating year, but she wasn't the first Junior Agent who was younger than new Interim Agents.

By the time she was completely armoured, most of the other Agents on Night Shift were arriving, and she had to surrender her spot on the bench for others to change. Jaden wandered out of the locker-room, greeting those Agents she was friends with, ignoring those with whom she wasn't. She joined the prepared Agents in the muster room, awaiting the Shift Commander's arrival with their assignments for the night. The previous night, Jaden had been working with her former mentor, Senior Agent Thomas Green, or Tom, as he insisted she call him. She quietly hoped that she would be working with him again. She wanted someone she could trust implicitly to watch her back tonight. Despite her assurances to Adam, she was off her game tonight, she could feel it already.

As if her wish for him summoned him, Agent Green appeared at her elbow. He was just over average height for a man, with sandy brown hair and hazel eyes. His most common facial expression was a smile. "Hey kiddo," he said brightly, grinning cheekily. He clapped her on the back in a friendly manner. When he saw the half-hearted nature of Jaden's returning smile, he sobered instantly. "What's wrong Jaden?"

Jaden took a deep, steadying breath. "I found out this afternoon that Karla Dawson is L3Q," she told him. "It doesn't look good."

"Shit," Green swore quietly. He pulled her to him in a brotherly embrace. "I'm so sorry, kiddo," he said into the top of her head, squeezing her. Jaden clung to the comfort for only a moment. Green, as her former Interim Agent Mentor (IAM), had been there for her when her father was killed, and he knew better than anyone that she wouldn't want a scene caused by her grief, but a moment of consolation was needed. He pulled back before anyone around them paid mind to their actions and looked her dead in the face, searching in her eyes for the answers he needed, "Are you going to be ok?" Jaden swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded, brushing an unfallen tear from the corner of her eye. "Are you sure?" he prodded.

"Yes, Tom," she said, her sadness making her sound peevish. "I'll be fine." While their exchange was going on, a young man had walked up to the pair. He was slightly taller than Green, with dark hair shaved down to stubble, blue eyes, and a serious face. Jaden frowned and looked at him. The room was fairly empty, so he had a purpose for approaching.

Tom glanced at him when he got close enough, and smiled at the younger man in a friendly manner. "Hi there Olson," he said, shaking the young man's hand. "Jaden," he prompted, "This is my new student, Interim Agent Nicholas Olson; Olson, this is my former student Junior Agent Korr."

"Hi," Olson said, shaking Jaden's hand. "Call me Nick, everyone does." He smiled, but it was one much like Jaden's, it never reached his eyes.

"Jaden," she offered, nodding and smiling politely. "I didn't know Agent Green had become an IAM again," she admitted, a little confused. "You didn't say anything last night, when we were on shift together," she added, raising a brow at Green.

"This is a new development," Green replied. "Nick's training was interrupted, and he's returning to the field tonight." Green looked grim, and Jaden could guess why.

"I've had three months experience as an Interim Agent. My IAM was attacked and killed two weeks ago," Olson said quietly. "I was injured, and I haven't been cleared for duty until tonight."

"I'm so sorry to hear that," Jaden said, now understanding his withdrawn demeanor. "Who was your IAM?" She didn't remember ever seeing this young man before, not that he was all that young compared to her. Likely he was actually older than her, despite the fact that she outranked him.

"Senior Agent Martin Brenner," Olson replied somberly.

Jaden grimaced. "He was a good Agent," she said consolingly. "He was greatly admired, and I'm sad I didn't get to work with him more." She was lying. She was blessed in not having worked with him. Brenner had been notorious for being late, ill-equipped, and for invading the personal space of female Interim and Junior Agents. He was rumoured to have been drunk on the job more than once and he didn't know how to teach his trainees not to get killed. But saying such things would have been cruel, so Jaden lied to save the feelings of the grieving young man. Green's grim jerk of a nod in response to Jaden's comment showed that his feelings were similar to hers.

Things became awkwardly quiet. To make an escape, Green said suddenly, "I'll go see where we're all stationed. I'm pretty sure as my last IA, Jaden, you'll be placed with the two of us." With that, he walked away. Jaden sighed. She was likely to be with them. Traditionally, in the first few shifts that a new IA and IAM pair was made up, one of the IAM's former students would accompany, in order to provide moral support, as well as to learn about teaching new Agents the tricks of the trade. Normally she would have been very excited for it too, it was a great learning opportunity. Normally, however, her godmother wouldn't be in Level 3 Quarantine, it wouldn't be the week of Halloween, and she wouldn't be so distracted by the confusion of dark dreams. In addition, it seemed that the IA was an idiot, an opinion she formed when she noticed a bare patch of skin between his pants and his protective vest as he raised an arm to scratch the back of his head.

Quick as lightning, she flicked out her baton, and whacked him, first on the outer left thigh, then on the opposite hip. Olson cried out and stumbled back. "What the hell are you doing, crazy bitch?" he exclaimed, rubbing his thigh. Jaden hadn't hit him hard enough to bruise, but it still smarted fiercely.

Jaden glared at him. "That would have hurt a lot less if you were wearing your under-armour," she snapped. "Why aren't you wearing it?"

Olson rolled his eyes, "That shit has a forty-percent fail rate, and you know it," he retorted hotly. "It's barely worth it to wear it."

Jaden whacked him again, this time on the other hip, up and beneath his vest. When he cried out again and seized her baton, she jerked it roughly backwards, causing a small friction burn on the palm of his hand. "If it has a forty-percent fail rate, that means it works sixty-percent of the time. Besides, that's just a stupid rumour that the Day Shift came up with, so that they wouldn't have to wear it on hot days. I know that, to date, it has saved me from knives and tasers on dozens of occasions," she countered with as much venom. "So you are going to march back into the changing room and put it on, or we're not going out at all. Do you understand me?" Jaden was now standing within an inch of Olson, staring up at least eight inches into his red face, flushed with anger and embarrassment. He huffed and stalked off to the change rooms.

Green returned as Olson disappeared. "You know, Jaden," he said conversationally, "You're not supposed to hit the newbies." He had seen her strike him, but had been too far away to hear her chastise Olson.

Jaden glared hotly at Green. "The dumb-ass wasn't wearing under-armour," she snarled. "Stupid shit like that will get him killed, and you know it. I merely was proving my point."

Green didn't say anything until Olson returned. "You weren't wearing under-armour?" he asked the young man.

Olson flushed again. "Senior Agent Brenner never made me," he replied sullenly, shooting a hostile look at Jaden.

Green raised an eyebrow. "I always wear my under-armour," he said firmly, "as do all of my students. That's why I am alive, and possibly part of the reason why Senior Agent Benner is not. As your IAM, I am ordering you to never go out on shift unless you are wearing your under-armour. Is that understood, Interim Agent Olson?"

Green had been speaking in an undertone, standing close to Olson, so none of the Agents around them heard his dressing down. Olson looked furious and humiliated. "I understand, Senior Agent," Olson said through gritted teeth.

"Lovely," Green exclaimed, suddenly jovial, clapping Olson on the shoulder. "Now that that business is out of the way, let's get going. We're in Sector 12 tonight."

Olson was taken aback by Green's sudden mood change, but Jaden was unaffected. After two years with Green, his lightning fast mood changes were common-place to her. He was a happy-by-nature kind of person, unlike Jaden, who tended to brood. His style for disciplining his students was to be harsh, and then instantly revert back to his cheerful self. He also hadn't struck Jaden to prove a point. She felt badly suddenly for having assaulted Olson.

The three of them moved in silence to the shuttle dock, taking a transport to Sector 12. It was a quiet district of Venisa, well away from the borders of either of the Vampire controlled districts. It was an ideal place for training new Agents. As they were leaving the shuttle, with the crowd of other Agents in also assigned to Sector 12, Jaden pulled Olson aside.

"I'm sorry I hit you," she said abruptly. "It was inappropriate. I received some very bad news today, and I reacted without thinking. That does not excuse my behaviour though, and I apologize if I offended or hurt you." She said it sincerely, keeping eye contact. She had a grip on his bicep to keep him from turning away.

Olson softened slightly, the angered look fading from his eyes. "I understand," he said grimly. "We're all not ourselves these days. Thank you for apologizing." Jaden nodded and released his arm. He grinned half-heartedly. "You are fast, I'll give you that."

Jaden couldn't help but grin in return. "Why thank you," she said, with an elegant dip of her head.

They proceeded to the end of the ramp, where Green was waiting for them. "Everyone friends again?" he asked, looking from Korr to Olson, and back again. The two nodded, and Green grinned at them, "Good." He strode on, leaving the younger Agents to follow. "Have you worked much in Sector 12, Olson?" Green asked over his shoulder.

"No sir," Olson replied. "We were usually in Sectors 8, 15 and 16." That was League of Danall territory, though either not very deep in, or just inside the Agent's borders.

Green nodded, walking on, watching roof tops as they began their long night of walking the streets. "We, Korr and I, are usually in League of Nichelle territory. Sector 12 is a rarity for us as well. But variety is good. It keeps you on your toes," he said with a smile at the last part. "There won't be much action here, unless we're called elsewhere, or the Leagues get bold tonight."

"And that doesn't happen all that often," Jaden muttered sarcastically.

"What have I said about mumbling, Korr?" Green asked in a sing-song voice. He was deliberately being obtuse. Jaden rolled her eyes at the comment, Olson grinned. "Take note, Olson," he said loftily, "I can't stand muttering and mutterers. Makes me think that people are talking about me, and distracts me. If you're going to say something, say it loud enough for the class to hear. Right, Jaden?" Korr made a face at his back while Olson laughed. The semi-feud between the younger Agents was all but forgotten by the offended party. The three signed in at the sector command station and headed out into the night as the sun was fading behind the buildings and the Day Shift Agents began trickling in from their posts.

I'm hoping that 3 chapters right off the start will get you interested.
Let me know what you think!
~Julianna