Oh no, oh no, no, no, no, no, no! Anya's eyes widened as she pulled the crumpled piece of paper from her school bag. How could she have forgotten about something this important?! The announcement flyer for the Parent-Student-Teacher Conference was supposed to be given to parents a week ago and both were required to be there! Panic began to overwhelm her. Papa had mentioned that Mama was out of town for work and probably wouldn't be back for about a week and a half. That was a few days ago but the Conference was tomorrow! Anya let out an exasperated breath as she fell backwards onto her bed, annoyed with herself. How could she have let this slip her mind? She stared at the ceiling, well…for starters, she was abducted, then Mama and Papa were on the fritz, then there was the scary spy lady, and of course, there was Damian who she was supposed to become friends with but instead they butted heads at every turn. She was very sidetracked indeed. She let out another groan, Papa wouldn't be happy about this at all, and she hated to disappoint him. Maybe it wouldn't be too bad with just one parent showing up? She sat up slowly...it was time to face the music.
Her Papa was sitting at the dining table, looking over some reports for work. "Papa?" She said quietly, head down.
He glanced down at her and gave her a smile, "What is it Anya?"
She handed the wrinkled paper to him and then very fervently slapped her hands together, bowing apologetically, and whooshed everything out at once, words flying out at a hundred miles per hour. "I'm really sorry! I don't know how I forgot! Plus, Mama won't be home in time and I'm afraid we'll get in trouble but I got so distracted with other life stuffs! I'm sorry! Please don't be mad at me!"
She watched her Papa's reaction carefully and waited for the anger that was sure to erupt at any moment…except, it never came. In fact, he seemed happy! She narrowed her eyes and listened to his thoughts. At last! This is the golden opportunity we've been waiting for! Finally, to come face to face with Donovan Desmond! While it does say mandatory for both parents to show up, I'm sure they won't be too upset if I say my wife is out on important state business. Surely, they can't find fault in a hard-working mother? Besides, by getting a face to face with Donovan, it'll all be worth it.
Anya couldn't help but smile, relief washing over her and she let out a long breath. "So…you're not angry at me for forgetting?"
Papa patted her on the head, "Of course not! This will be a wonderful opportunity for us! Even if it's just me, I'm sure it will be fine. Nothing to fret your mind over." Anya's eyes widened at her Papa's last thought, Maybe I'll call Yor and see if she can free up some time to join us. I think she'd want to be there. Anya ran up excitedly to her Papa and hugged his leg. For him to even consider calling Mama had to mean that he actually wanted her there…right? Ever since that weekend at the carnival Papa had been so tense, and she didn't quite understand why. It didn't help when he got the phone call from Mama's boss, Director McMahon, informing him that Mama wouldn't be coming home that day from work and will instead be assisting another location in the transfer of their papers and physical documents into digital files. The project was a large undertaking by City Hall but one of high priority and it would take about a week or so to complete.
She remembered that Papa seemed a little sad at first by the news but then his immediate thought afterwards was that time apart was exactly what he needed. Anya just didn't understand grown-ups at all. One moment it seemed as if he was happy with her, and the next, he wanted her gone. It didn't make any sense to her. How could someone so calm and collected such as he was, be so…for lack of a better word, wishy-washy? She studied him for another second curiously before returning to her bedroom to study. Adults were definitely strange.
Loid picked up the phone and dialed the number Yor's director had given him. After the first phone call that let him know that Yor would be off on assignment, it was a whole two days before she actually called herself. He didn't understand why that bothered him so much, but it did. Of course, she was free to work or do her own thing, and he didn't expect her to check in all the time, they weren't really married after all. She didn't owe him any explanations and yet…the fact that it took her two days to even get around to calling? It stung him.
When they did finally talk, it was very brief, and he noticed that she didn't sound like her normal self. Her voice was hoarse, and she sounded extremely tired. When he mentioned it, she only brushed it off and chalked it up to late nights working hard on the project. She had also apologized profusely for not calling earlier, that everything happened so quickly she was kind of thrust into chaos immediately and simply didn't have the time to call. When she put it that way, logically it made sense and Loid felt a little embarrassed by his earlier upset mood...but still...she couldn't have sent a courtesy text? A simple, "Hey, will be out of town for work. Can't call but will soon?" Loid figured that at the very least he deserved that.
After that though it had been radio silence since and that was exactly four days ago. She had told him that the project would probably take a week and a half to complete but that she hoped she would be able to return home sooner and that she did miss them. It was because of that little comment, that pushed Loid to give her a call and see if she'd be able to make it to Anya's conference tomorrow. If the little girl hadn't announced something this important, he had planned to leave Yor alone with her work. However, this Parent-Teacher-Student Conference was reason enough to call and possibly see to her return earlier. It was for the betterment of the mission of course, he thought to himself. A meeting that required both parents, nothing more. It wasn't as if he was actually missing having her around.
The line continued to ring but to no answer. Loid was just about ready to hang up when he heard the sound of a click. "Hello?" He asked but was met only with silence. He wasn't entirely sure but he felt as if the other person on the line was simply waiting. Yes but, waiting for what? "Hello?" He tried again. "This is Loid Forger and I'm trying to get in contact with my wife, Yor Forger. I was given this—" He was cut off suddenly and the dial tone came on. He had been disconnected.
Hanging up he was unsure whether or not he should try again. Maybe this was a sign that it would be best to leave her be. That this time away from each other was actually a blessing in disguise. He was deep in thought when the phone rang. He answered and was surprised to hear Yor on the other end, her voice seemingly normal compared to the first time he talked to her, although she still sounded a little tired.
"Loid? Is everything okay?" He didn't realize how calming it was just hearing her voice. "I'm sorry I haven't been able to call more but the project should be completed in a few more days. You can go ahead and tell Anya that I'll be home soon and I'm bringing back some gourmet peanuts from this district just for her."
"That's actually why I was calling. Anya has this Parent-Teacher-Student Conference tomorrow and it was required that both parents attend. I know this work project is important though and I would hate to ask you to leave just for our sake, but if you're able to…I think Anya would like it very much if you were there." He didn't hear anything on the other end for a while and he thought perhaps the line went dead again.
"I'll…I'll be there." Her voice was softer than it previously was, and she sounded unsure of herself. Loid hated that he was guilt-tripping her into leaving work for his mission. Lying to her for the sake of his cover was one thing, but purposely getting between her and her employment? What if she were to lose her job over this? And what would happen when he disappeared once this was over? She would be left with absolutely nothing to provide for herself. No, this was a mistake, he was asking far too much from her now.
"You know on second thought, I'm sure I can explain to the Housemaster and the rest of the faculty why you were not able to attend."
"No, I'll be there." Yor's voice was confident now, reassuring, and a small wave of relief washed over him. He wasn't aware of any worry or anxiety he might have had over tomorrow's gathering yet he felt some of the pressure releasing from him shoulders. "I'll meet you there, what time does it begin?"
As soon as he told her that it began at six in the evening, Yor excused herself so she could find the director and let him know of the sudden change. Loid's guilt still tugged at him, "Yor, are you sure you're alright? If you're too exhausted from work maybe you should—"
She immediately cut him off, assuring him that she was fine to attend. This time he didn't try to fight her. They said their goodbyes and the dial tone came back through the other line. He leaned back against his chair, replaying the conversation in his mind. There was definitely something off about the way Yor spoke, but without all the pieces of information, he wasn't able to figure out the puzzle. There seemed to be a growing list of things that didn't make sense when it came to the woman. Maybe that was the reason why he felt drawn to her. Perhaps it wasn't because of something so frivolous as emotions, but simply because she was a puzzle that needed to be solved? He was a spy after all. Most of his missions depended on the information he collected, so maybe what he initially thought was an emotional pull, was simply his investigative instincts coming into play. Here was a woman who he could not for the first time in his life, properly profile but once he did…perhaps the infatuation would cease. He sat back and squared his shoulders, a smile forming on his face. That had to be it! Satisfied with his new theory he turned his attention back to preparing for the Conference. Tomorrow he would finally be meeting Donovan Desmond.
..
The following day's events happened in such a flurry Loid was actually pressed for time and barely running on time to the Conference. It started off fine enough, he had dropped off Anya to school, went by to see Franky for some information regarding another case and then immediately went to visit his Handler…that was where he lost track of time. The meeting was meant to have been brief yet it was anything but. He was simply supposed to give her the most recent mission updates and go through what the best strategy would be to snake his way into Donovan's life once actually meeting him. If he wanted the information he sought, it wouldn't be something as simple as stealing a disc containing war secrets. No, that sort of stuff only happened in movies or silly TV shows like Spy Wars. Most classified information wasn't just sitting somewhere for some hero to steal. No, it was in the heads of top officials closest to the leader, or very few personal allies, all of whom were carefully vetted and screened. If Loid wanted to gain any information to a possible war started by the National Unity Party, then he would have to somehow get close to Donovan himself. Tonight's Parent-Teacher-Conference was one of those rare events in which Donovan would attend, giving Loid the one opportunity to impress Donovan enough to earn a seat in his organization. Or if not a seat, at least an invitation into his inner circle. That all was to be discussed during this meeting with his Handler but somehow the conversation had derailed entirely, and Loid found himself arguing with her instead.
"You're reprimanding me?! Fiona was the one that almost screwed up this entire operation! If anyone is to be reprimanded, it's her! First, she tried to convince me that she should be part of this mission, that I should somehow have her switch roles with Yor, which I refused. So instead, she chased down my wife, insulted her, and tried to convince her to leave me by planting seeds of doubt in her head. If something happened to Yor, then Eden Academy would quickly realize that our marriage was a sham. That I only remarried to get Anya past the entrance exams. Then where would we be hmmm? Back to square one? You need to get a better handle on your agents Sylvia."
The woman in front of him cocked an eyebrow then, a cocky half-grin on her face. "Sylvia is it now? I see. I suppose Fiona wasn't entirely wrong in her report of you."
Loid leaned forward then, clasping his hands together, elbows resting on his knees. "And what exactly did she report?" He asked in a low voice, eyes focused. He watched the woman who sat across from him carefully. With her large black hat, and her long red hair one could perfectly describe her as witchy, especially with her never-ending love for black attire. Except her supernatural ability was not in spells, but that she was also a master of disguises equal to Twilight if not better, along with her incredible evasive tactics to the Nation's strict security surveillance, successfully overseeing mission after mission.
Loid continued to watch in silence, observing her as she looked out the large glass window, her face basking in the warmth of the sunlight. Whatever Fiona said to her was apparently interesting enough that she felt the need to prolong sharing it with him. What could it possibly be? The Handler didn't have many tells, her face was stony and gave away nothing. She was a hard woman to read, never allowing any hint as to what she was thinking away. "Handler. What was in the report?" He urged, and she turned her attention back to him.
"Oh, just your typical writeup. Standard accounting of her time with you, along with the mission details you two were sent on. She praised your ability of undercover work and your continued finesse at creating disguises at the top of a dime. At the end however...she simply stated that perhaps you were getting too close to your cover. That you were having a hard time keeping emotion and duty from intertwining." She cocked her head studying him, the smile was gone now. "You called me Sylvia just then because you were upset that your fake wife could have left you, didn't you?" Loid didn't mishear the inflection. The words "fake wife" was meant as an insult. A sharp reminder that Yor was just a cover for his mission.
He felt the heat in her stare. She was testing him, egging him on to see a response. But there was nothing to hide. He had no emotions for the girl, last night had been the revelation he needed. He was simply curious about her. A puzzle that needed to be solved; another subject that simply needed to be correctly profiled. Perhaps, there was lust, but that didn't mean anything except for the fact that she was a beautiful woman and he was attracted to her. That was only physical, it had nothing to do with emotions.
He flashed her the most arrogant smile he could. "Is that it then?" He leaned back into the sofa, relaxing against the cushions. "I've known you for years Handler. We fought together in the War. Me calling you by your birth name isn't something new. Besides, everybody knows your name."
"Yes, perhaps then, but when reporting back to me as an official agent of WISE, every agent is expected to obey rank. Handler is what I am always to be addressed as no matter who the agent might be. You've been an agent for over a decade Twilight, you of all people should understand the Chain of Command." She retorted. Loid considered his next words carefully, if Sylvia didn't trust that he was on his A-game, then she would start to place countermeasures, and that most likely meant Fiona.
"If you want honesty, then you'll have it. I do believe that this mission was set to fail from the very beginning. Having to depend on a child and some stranger who is now my wife in order to gain access to one of WISE's most prioritized targets was a ridiculous concept from the get-go. Not to mention this has been the most extensive undercover disguise I have ever had to take on, so perhaps when I sat down with you, someone whom I consider a friend, which by the way, I can count on exactly one hand how many I have, I thought I could ease up a bit finally. I didn't think to address you by rank. No pretenses, just us, having a normal honest conversation. Clearly, I misjudged."
The two sat in silence. Staring at each other. Studying each other. They were both well trained in the art of deception. While Loid was wondering if she had bought his reasoning, his Handler was busy trying to decipher if that was the truth or if there was more to the story. Of course, it wasn't entirely a lie. He did consider Sylvia a dear friend, they had fought side by side many times and he did consider this mission to be one of the most challenging he's ever accepted. The only little detail he left out was that he did slip and call her Sylvia because he was upset. But that wasn't something he could admit to her, he barely wanted to admit that to himself.
Sylvia still hadn't said anything though, and he was tiring of being held under a magnifying glass for her to observe. It was time to end this. "Anya has already earned two Stella Stars in a single month. Her grades are constantly improving, and although not exactly on friendship terms with Donovan's son Damian, they are as I have secretly observed, getting along…for the most part. Clearly, these are impressive results are they not? Some students go a whole year before earning even one Stella Star. So, if you have any issue with my handling of the mission and think there is someone else better suited for the job, then so be it."
"Fine." Sylvia finally answered, waving her hand as if she were waving away smoke. "You're right. Your results speak for themselves." Her blue eyes were piercing, as solemn and stern as the day he met her. For professional sake and to everyone around her, she always appeared poised, confident...a woman who had everything together. But Loid knew of the permanent sadness that swam in her eyes. The War had taken too much from her, and for that reason alone he knew that nothing could possibly waver her commitment to the mission objective. If she sensed him as a threat, she would without hesitation call for his immediate removal, friend or not.
She stood up before continuing, her arms now folded across her chest, her eyes never leaving his. "I will allow this to continue at your own lead but Twilight, if I get even the slightest whiff that you are getting in too deep, I will pull you out for the sake of this mission. Am I clear?"
He nodded in response, relieved that this conversation was over. "As clear as day, Handler."
Yor groggily opened her eyes. It had taken her hours to finally quiet her mind and fall asleep, but when rest did come, she welcomed it and slept deeply. She glanced at the clock next to the bed, still in a half-daze from waking. 1:06PM glowed bright red in the pitch-black room. Thick heavy curtains hung up around the windows, making it impossible for any sunlight to seep in.
Stretching her arms and with a final yawn she got up, leaving the comfort of the bed to get ready for what was to be a very interesting day. She had originally planned on staying at the Garden for about a week and half to recover but due to unforeseen circumstances her recovery time would just have to be cut a few days short. She flipped the switch in the bathroom and walked towards the mirror, fingertips tracing her neck. The swelling and bruising on her neck were for the most part gone, only the faintest of yellow still remained, though you could barely see it. Looking at herself now she thought back on the past week:
The pain was agonizing as she lay in the backseat of the car. Every minor bump or turn, sent sharp pains to her head. It rocked her so violently causing her to go in and out of consciousness. There were no pain meds available to her and they were still hours away from the city. Finally, after about two hours of putting up with the pain, she finally gave in to exhaustion, and the world slowly faded to black.
When she awoke, her throat was swollen and tight, that even just swallowing a sip of water brought immense pain. It took all of her strength to move from the bed to the bathroom where she could better take a look at herself. What she saw in the reflection nearly caused her to pass out in shock. Her neck was a frightening vision and the magnitude of how violent her fight with Nikolai had been couldn't have been more evident. A grotesque dark purple and black marred what used to be smooth pale skin. It climbed up her entire neck like some type of decaying disease and she stood in front of the mirror horrified.
"The bruising will fade in a week or two." She turned abruptly at the voice and immediately was met with a throbbing in her skull. No sudden movements. Noted.
"But because it's you, I'm sure your body will heal quite quickly. You're a tough one afterall." As the pain subsided, she relaxed as well when she saw that it was the Shopkeeper. She was safe here with him. The Garden was his creation. A spectacular homebase harboring only the best assassins. Along with weapons, state of the art training rooms, and surveilance tech, the Garden also featured an incredible medical center equipped with spectacular healing machines and medicines collected from all over the world. Yes, this was absolutely the right call to come here.
Yor turned back to the mirror and frowned. "I wanted to see if it looked as bad as it felt," she said softly, her hands going up once again to trace the dark bruises, "but it's even worse than I imagined." She was surprised at the Shopkeeper's gentle hand on her shoulder.
"Come, nothing will be gained by staring at it except to torture yourself. You need rest. In addition to the bruising, you suffered a grade 2 concussion, and some swelling around the ribs." With a nod she went willingly back to the small bed, it was soft but it wasn't nearly as comfortable as the one at home. She couldn't wait to get back to Loid and Anya. They were after all the reason she kept fighting; they had given her the extra strength she needed to defeat Nikolai.
"How long have I been out by the way?" It was hard to tell what time it was in the room. Thick curtains covered the windows so she couldn't estimate a time. It was probably late enough though that she missed dinner.
The Shopkeeper stiffened next to her before answering. "Two days."
"Two days?!" Yor exclaimed, instantly regretting the outburst. Pain shot up and down her throat and a piercing shrill rang in her ears. She fell to her knees clutching at her head. A mess of worried thoughts flooded her mind with as much equal pain. What must Loid and Anya be thinking? Did they think she just suddenly abandoned them? Were they out searching hospitals? What would she say to them? What would she say to Loid?
The Shopkeeper dropped down beside her, quickly explaining that he had McMahon call Loid right away to let him know that she would be out of town for a while. That immediately gave her some sort of comfort. Of course, they would have already secured a cover story for her. The Garden was the real deal. An intensely organized operation that housed the best assassins in the country and although theirs wasn't a real marriage, that didn't change the fact that Loid and Anya would most likely raise questions once they realized that Yor was missing and they couldn't have the government looking into Yor's background. The Shopkeeper was quick to get the situation under control before any alarms were rung. Another example of his complete adeptness. He was always thinking a step ahead.
"I need to call him." Yor stated, her eyes filled with concern.
"No." His response was quick, and exactly what she was expecting but she had to find a way to persuade him otherwise.
"Please. It would seem suspicious if I don't call him myself, he could begin to be cautious of me and what will happen then? Please, it will be brief I promise." Phone calls from inside the Garden to unsecured telephone lines were banned. It was simply too risky. One could never know who could be tapped into civilian lines, listening. Yor knew what she was asking but kept pushing, "Just this once, please make the exception…for me?"
She could see that her plea to him was having an effect. Even though the older man ruled over the Garden with an iron fist, Yor knew that they had a special relationship. He was a tough man but she also viewed him as her guardian, and she was sure he felt more for her as well. He was after all the one that had recruited her to the Garden all those years ago. He had seen something in her that not even she could have possibly guessed was inside of her. That natural bloodlust and warrior's will to fight lay dormant and he had brought that out of her, nurtured it, trained it, until she became who she was today. He had done that for many other agents she supposed, but he had always singled her out for special hands-on hands training with him. He even called her his favorite rose…which was eventually to be the origin of her agent name.
After proving her skills in multiple training missions, the Shopkeeper had officially graduated her from trainee to certified assassin. On her induction day, he had gifted her the two most beautiful gold daggers she had ever seen, light in weight but piercing sharp. Handing her the gift he also spoke the words she will never forget, "As beautiful as a rose in bloom, enemies will learn also of your thorns, my little Thorn Princess. Congratulations." It had been more than just graduation day for her. That day, she had made her guardian proud.
She looked up at him doe eyed, pleading. She hated to exploit his fondness for her, but she needed to call Loid to explain herself. Although she offered that the reason behind the call was to smooth things over for her cover story, it was also because she wanted to make sure Loid wasn't angry with her. She had been thrown around, strangled, suffered a concussion...of course she wasn't at fault. Her body was so worn out she slept through two entire days, but he didn't know that. What would Loid think of her now? That perhaps because their marriage was fake that she truly didn't care enough to even consider giving him a call? She knew if the situations were reversed, she would be hurt. When the Shopkeeper finally gave in she practically jumped into his arms, embracing him in a warm hug. She ignored the pain that still ailed her sides and managed a soft, "Thank you."
True to her word, she had made the conversation with Loid brief. She was relieved when she heard his voice and that he didn't seem upset with her for not contacting him right away. She was even more surprised when he kept asking if she was okay. Even though she tried her best to sound as normal as possible, she didn't think that he would actually notice. After the phone call and the Shopkeeper's insistence that she remain in bed and to take all medicine required, she did as she was told.
The next four days were rather uneventful as she remained bedridden most of the time. Forcing herself to sleep and heal. The tea that she drank had a nasty odor to it and an even worse taste, but the tea leaves came from a far distant continent with extreme healing properties so she had no choice in the matter. It had been almost a week and the bruising on her neck was noticeably better and the pain in her head was for the most part gone. Yor was just about to leave the comforts of her bed to see if she was up for a light jog when there was an urgent knock on her door. The Shopkeeper didn't even wait for her to answer and was already walking through the door, a phone in his hand.
"What's wrong?" Yor asked, concerned with the sudden invasion.
The Shopkeeper shook his head. "It seems to be your husband. We had to verify that the line was secure and that the voice profile matched that of Loid Forger so we disconnected the call until we got the green light. Thorn Princess...we told him to only call if it was an emergency." He looked at her with concern before passing her the phone.
The great emergency however was not what Yor was expecting. In all her assignments as an assassin, when someone was told "call only if emergency," a Parent-Teacher-Student Conference did not ever cross her mind as a valid reason. Having a leg blown off by an enemy, or being dropped into a thirty foot hole of a prison with no food or water, and no chance at an escape...those were emergencies. At first, she was skeptical of going, not wanting to cut her recovery short but the thought of not being there for the little pink fluff of a girl tugged at her heart. Besides, the Conference was mandatory for both parents. After everything they've been through this past month to keep up the lie, it wouldn't do to cause suspicion now.
The alarm clock abruptly rang out so viciously and loudly that it caused Yor to jump. Forcefully bringing her back into the present. 3PM! All this time thinking back on the past week, she didn't even realize that she had stopped getting ready the entire time! Normally she was great at multitasking, but apparently when it came to thinking about Loid and Anya, everything else came to a pause.
Hurriedly, she changed into a coffee-brown knit dress that hugged her curves tightly, the turtleneck collar high enough to cover most of her neck. The bruising was practically gone but she covered it nonetheless. The dress fell right above her knees with lace trimmings, and a row of perfect little white-knit bows were weaved at the bottom. She couldn't help but wonder if Loid would be happy to see her after all this time or if he enjoyed having the house to just him and his daughter once more. She brushed her hair, pinning it up in an elegant bun, her two side bangs framing her face. She was amazed when she looked at herself in the mirror this time. A complete turn-around from seven days ago. If she wasn't the one that actually lived through fighting Nikolai, she would have never guessed just by looking at herself that she had even been black and purple the week prior. Taking a deep breath, she nodded at her reflection. Her week of rest was officially over. It was time to become Mrs. Forger once again.
Anya held her Papa's hand as they stood in front of the gates to Eden Academy, tiptoeing to try to get a better look around people. "Don't worry. She'll be here." She looked up to see her Papa's face smiling down at her, calm and reassuring. That was something she admired about her father. He never seemed to let things bother him. And if something did, he never let it get to his head or freak out. He's so cool, Anya thought to herself proudly, her own personal Bondman! Just like from the TV show. She felt a slight squeeze on her hand just then and looked up to see her Papa nodding his chin forward. She glanced over to where he was looking and immediately ran into a sprint.
"Mama!" She ran right past the other families and straight into her mama's arms. "You made it!"
Her mother fell to her knees to welcome Anya in a warm embrace, her arms wrapped tightly around her. "Of course, Anya. I wouldn't dream of missing this." Even though I was practically strangled a week ago, tossed around like a toy and couldn't return home because I looked like the walking dead. Anya's smile quickly faded when her mama's thoughts rushed through her own mind. Her face going pale as the truth suddenly hit her. That was the real reason Mama didn't come home? She was in a hospital or something recovering?!
Anya looked up at her with concern in her eyes. "Mama...are you alright?" She didn't want to ask any obvious questions, otherwise she'd give away her secret, but she did want to make sure that her mother was alright. She was met with a confused smile and a pat on the head.
"Of course, dear. I've just been working long hours at work, that's all."
Just then her Papa came by to stand next to them. He offered his arm and Mama accepted, slipping her arm into the crook of his, they suddenly looked totally respectable as husband and wife. Anya smiled at the sight but then immediately furrowed her brows in confusion. Like many instances before, the words that were being said out loud by them did not match with what was being thought of in their heads. Her eyes darted back and forth between the adults, completely enthralled. It was like watching a TV soap opera.
"I'm glad you were able to make time from your busy schedule. Anya is very excited to show off her academic achievements and introduce us to some of her classmates." You came back so willingly yet were unable to call for two days. Why is that? Tsk. Come off it already you idiot. Your ego was bruised, let it go. "We'll also be speaking with the Housemaster on Anya's progress for the first part of the quarter so it's quite beneficial that you were able to make it after all." Yes, the mission. I was only asking you to leave work early for the mission...mmm, is that a new dress?
"Loid, I just want to apologize again. I'm so sorry for not calling sooner. Work kept me extremely busy, but it's no excuse. I should have called." If I could have I would! I didn't plan on sleeping through two whole days! "I know how important this is for us to both be here." Please don't think that I didn't want to come home right away. You and Anya were the only thoughts that kept me going. "I can't wait to see everything Anya has worked on so far, I'm so excited!" Why are you looking at me so seriously? Are you upset with me? I promise it isn't what you think…
"Anya!" The little girl snapped her head in the direction of someone yelling her name, pulling her out of the very engaging conversation that only she could hear. It was Becky walking over with an older woman that she had introduced to her before as Martha. She was her nanny whenever her parents were away on one of their many business meetings...which was pretty often so Anya was quite familiar with the woman.
Becky crossed her arms annoyed when she reached her. "I was totally screaming your name Anya. What on Earth kept you so interested that you didn't even hear—" Becky's eyes went large when she looked up to see her Papa. Anya felt a sharp nudge in her side as Becky elbowed her, and with her other hand brought it up to her mouth and whispered, "Is that your dad? He looks like a movie star. I would have totally made the exception of coming over to your house to play if I knew he'd be there."
Anya rolled her eyes. "Ew, Becky. He's like a hundred years old." She went on to introduce her best friend to her parents, and not to her surprise Becky took the reins and led them inside, taking her preferred place next to Papa as she began to give a personal tour of the school halls. Upon reaching their homeroom class that's where the two girls separated, heading off to their designated podiums that highlighted some of their school projects and work assignments.
Anya was proud to show off her and Damian's 'Moral Lesson Project.' At first, she thought that her parents would be just as upset by the drawing like the rest of the class was but to her surprise, they both looked at it with proud approval.
Look at all that red. She perfectly captured the color of blood, it's so...beautiful. Anya looked at her mom appalled. Her Mama's eyes were practically tearing up, hands clasped together as she stood there in awe. Mama was definitely a little twisted and her mind was truly a morbid place. It was just like that day at the carnival when Mama was staring up at the Ferris wheel, visualizing all the different ways someone could fall to their death. It was so terrifying that she refused to even get on that spinning death trap. Anya shuddered. She was going to have to learn how to tune some of Mama's thoughts out eventually. She was a little scary.
Her Papa's thoughts were a little less dramatic. He was genuinely amazed by the moral understanding of the story especially for children of their age. I'm glad she can learn the dangers of misguided trust from a story. She definitely can't learn about honesty from me. My job is to lie.
It was about twenty minutes later when Anya was just finishing showing off her various classwork to her parents when Housemaster Henderson approached them. "Good evening, Forgers. Have you been enjoying young Anya's work? She has made a drastic improvement in her studies since first arriving. You should be very proud." Anya beamed at the compliment, her face practically as pink as her hair.
Her Papa smiled confidently, "Yes we are indeed." Anya watched her father offer his hand for a shake, "I also never got the chance to properly thank you for everything you have done for my daughter. Without your backing I'm positive we would have never made it past admissions. I am deeply grateful."
The Housemaster took her Papa's hand graciously. Such elegance! Such humility! Yes! Great parental role models for their daughter indeed! Anya's smile grew even larger. Things were going exactly the way she had planned in her head. Do well in school and make Papa see that she can be the very best daughter that he wouldn't even think of sending her back to the orphanage. No, even when the mission was completed, she would convince Papa to keep her, and this was definitely the right path to do just that. She could prove useful to him in other missions as well she was sure of it. She just needed to persuade him that he needed to keep her as his daughter. Just then a stutter of whispers flooded the room and all eyes, including her own turned to the front of the classroom. Donavan Desmond had arrived.
Loid's face studied the man at the door. His eyes were wide and even more sunken than the pictures he was shown. He looked as if all energy had been depleted from him, leaving only skin and bones. Even his eyes showed little warmth to them, like a corpse. He didn't carry himself however like a man on the verge of death though. In fact, quite the opposite…he walked with confidence down the room, head held high, hands clasped behind his back. A somber expression on his face as he followed Damian who was leading him to his display of school projects.
This is it. This is my one shot to get close to him. But what is the best approach? Should I simply walk up to him and introduce myself? Or perhaps I could accidentally bump into him and then butter him up with an apology before introducing myself? Hmmm...perhaps the direct approach would be best? Loid was still trying to figure out his plan of attack, when he realized that Donovan was already walking back towards the door of the classroom. Was the man leaving already? He couldn't have possibly seen any of his son's projects nor did he speak to the Housemaster yet.
"But Father! I didn't get to show you—" Damian's voice cracked, the disappointment in his voice painfully coming through.
His father paused to glance back at him. "I've seen all I've needed to. Perhaps if you strive to do better, then you will one day have something I can be impressed by." He continued to walk away, and Loid knew that he needed to do something, anything, to make some type of impression. He needed a way into Donovan's inner circle, and this might be his only opportunity for a long time. This wasn't exactly the way he wanted to go about it but…
"Does your son's achievements mean so little to you?" He yelled sharply at Donovan's back. A murmur of gasps spread through the room like wildfire. This was definitely not the way he wanted this meeting to go down, but if Plan A fails, then you have no choice but to go with whatever direction the road takes you.
Loid continued to stare at the stiffness of Donovan's back until the man slowly turned on his heel to face him. His sunken eyes staring at him, the heavy black bags seeming to darken with his glare. His voice was quiet but grave, "And you are?"
"Excuse me, I am Loid Forger. I couldn't help to notice that while we are all here to learn of our children's progress in their studies, you are already leaving."
Donovan took a slow step forward, and then another, closing the space between them. His hands were still clasped behind his back, his gaze focused on Loid. "I'm a busy man. If my son had anything of interest to show me, I would have said so. As it stands…I must take my leave."
Loid folded his arms, a cocky smile on his face. "We're all busy, it doesn't excuse the fact that we can't take time out of our schedules for our children." He could feel the stares from the other parents watching the scene unfold. The tension in the room quickly building.
Donovan let out a low chuckle. "Please do not assume to understand my responsibilities Mr. Forger. Afterall, one could never truly be sympathetic of another's hardships." Suddenly the man raised an eyebrow in recognition, "Forger did you say? Ah, so it was your daughter who was the one that assaulted my son on the very first day of school."
Loid smiled inwardly. Here we go. This was the turning point. Everything had gone according to plan so far. He had hoped that by catching Donovan with an insult and giving him his name, that he would remember that it was Anya that punched his son in the face. Then he would feign ignorance that he had no idea he was The Donovan Desmond, but that his dedication to his work and to the Nationalist party was something to be greatly admired. He would then ask to perhaps attend one of his party's seminars, that he would be humbled to listen in person to such an important figure. The flattery route was one that Loid didn't much care for, but if there was anything he learned rubbing elbows with the powerful and wealthy was that flattery got you everywhere.
Loid was just about ready to throw his perfectly polished apologetic speech at Desmond when Yor stepped in between the two men, bowing her head deeply. "Please excuse my husband's outburst as well as my daughter's assault on your son. Ever since the passing of his first wife, they have become a very passioned pair as you can see but I assure you they do not mean any disrespect, Sir."
What is this woman doing?! She's ruining the plan! "Yor…" Loid extended his arm, reaching for her shoulder as she stood upright and even though she couldn't have possibly seen him reach out to her, she just as easily sidestepped, his hand falling to his side as she stepped closer to Donovan.
"Please, as you've said, one can never truly sympathize with another. Will you please forgive our grievance towards you and your son?"
Desmond's eyes for the first time in the entire evening flickered briefly with emotion. He was...amused. He brazenly eyed Yor up and down with a look Loid was all too familiar with and he couldn't help the fist that suddenly curled by his side. He didn't like the way Desmond was looking at her, but he kept his mouth shut, deciding that at this point it was wiser to see how this all played out.
"Such is a woman that comprehends my words." Loid stood there in shock as Desmond suddenly reached for Yor's hand and gently kissed her knuckles. "All is forgiven Mrs. Forger but tell me, have we met before?" Loid was taken aback at the question. Desmond rarely went out, in fact that was the whole reason for this facade of a family to begin with. Donovan was such a recluse that it made it nearly impossible to be even within ten feet of the man unless you had a child attending Eden Academy. So how could he have possibly crossed paths with Yor? He waited on edge for her response, but she only shook her head and gave him a small smile in return.
"I don't think it's very likely. I don't get out much and our daughter has only just begun her time here at Eden."
Desmond continued to eye her curiously. "It has been an intriguing night after-all. Perhaps we will meet again in the future Forgers." Desmond still didn't make any eye contact with Loid however, his gaze solely on Yor. It was just a few moments later when Desmond excused himself and took his leave. Loid continued to stare out the classroom until he could no longer see the man. As soon as Desmond was out of earshot the room burst into a flurry of activity. Gossip among the parents and students overflowing.
This wasn't exactly the plan but… Loid glanced over at Yor who was suddenly surrounded by parents wanting to get the full scoop on what exactly just happened. She had somehow inserted the Forgers into Desmond's mind. Which is exactly what he had intended to do himself. She had pushed this mission forward without even realizing it. He made his way over to the growing crowd and gently grabbed Yor's hand, pulling her from the mob of inquiring gossipers.
"That was…interesting." He smiled down at her, leading her over to the far corner of the classroom so they could have some privacy. "Do you really believe what Desmond says? That we can't truly sympathize with each other?"
Yor let out a laugh. "Of course not. I only said what I did because you just insulted Donovan Desmond! Head of the National Unity Party! When you called him out, I wasn't sure if I should be proud of you or worried of your ignorance! There are dark rumors that circle Desmond you know. I had to intervene."
"So, knowing these rumors of Desmond, you still thought that the best method then was to place yourself in front of me? To put yourself at risk? Why?"
"I didn't think I was in any danger. I simply wanted to prevent you from getting into hostile territory with someone like Desmond." Loid couldn't help but find this to be quite endearing. Yor was trying to protect him. Him the spy that could take on fighting multiple men at once with one hand behind his back. Him the spy that knew a number of different martial arts techniques by the time he was twenty-two. Him the spy that has been training and fighting for peace for as long as he could remember…
He didn't understand why that show of affection excited him, especially since he wasn't a man that needed protecting, but it did. He caressed the side of her cheek with his thumb. He had almost forgotten just how beautiful she was in her absence. His gaze fell to her lips. Lush, soft... they were practically begging to be kissed. Against every warning that went off in his mind, he could not help himself when it came to her. He lowered his lips towards hers, he had been craving to kiss her lips ever since he saw her walk up to them in front of the school.
A forced awkward cough behind him immediately pulled Loid back into focus. They were definitely not someplace private he remembered, but instead still in a classroom full of curious onlookers. He took a step back from Yor, but not before catching the disappointment in her eyes that they had been interrupted. The thought of her wanting to kiss him back did nothing to calm his thoughts, in fact it only made his pulse speed faster. He bit the inside of his cheek and silently cursed at the pain. It wasn't ideal but it worked to stop his thoughts from going down that particular path.
He turned around then to come face to face with Housemaster Henderson. The older gentleman forced another awkward cough into his hand, seeming to know exactly what he had just interrupted. Yor blushed and rushed off to find Anya, leaving the two men to speak privately.
"It seems Mr. Forger that you have given the parents at the Academy much to talk about for the next few weeks, perhaps even months. I can see now where Anya gets her vivacity."
"I apologize if I overstepped."
The Housemaster shook his head, "Speak nothing of it. You were simply voicing your opinion as one parent to another. No ill words were spoken nor any act of aggression. In fact, I admire your boldness to defend a student here at the academy, even if that meant making an enemy of a very powerful man. I dare say, I am even more excited to see what young Anya will bring to the Academy after tonight's events." The Housemaster nodded with approval before excusing himself to attend to the other parents. Loid smiled, tonight couldn't have gone any better. He turned around to see Yor smiling with Anya. They were deep in conversation with her friend Becky, and the older woman Martha. He crossed his arms and let out a small chuckle. For as crazy as this plan seemed at the beginning, it seemed to be going unbelievably well.
