A resounding click of the front door echoes through the silent room.
"Mama has been leaving early a lot, Papa." His daughter, ever the observant one.
"Yes, she has been going in early quite frequently." Anya looked over the table at him with a slight tilt to her head.
"Free-wen-tee?" A breath of amusement escapes him, and he can feel the slight upturn of his lips in a genuine smile.
"Free-kwent-lee." Sounding out the syllables for her benefit. "It means doing something a lot, like how you watch spy wars everyday."
"I watch spy wars frequently." She said with her head held high.
"Very good." He could not disguise the mirth in his voice. "Now if only you could learn world history as quickly."
The look she gave him in that moment was priceless, the shock on her face will always amuse him. He laughed again, then he reached over the table to pat her on the head. She adopted a look of abashment, but he could see through her disguised contentment. After a moment, he removes his hand and resumes eating his breakfast. Anya glances at the empty seat across from him, then goes back to eating as well. Anya seems to be unhappy about Yor leaving so soon. Which is to be expected, since the last time the three of them ate breakfast together was two weeks ago. Which also means it has been two weeks since they have both seen Anya off to school. Other students and faculty must have taken note of the missing Forger these past couple weeks. He has already heard murmurs of adultery from the other tenants in the building. If rumors were to spread of this, then he could surely see the secret police coming to pay him a visit. It actually seems like it would be guaranteed, knowing that Yuri works in counterintelligence. Luck and alcohol saw them safely through the first time Yuri was invited. He could not start relying on luck, that is how you end up getting yourself killed, or worse, caught by the secret police.
"Anya, are you finished eating?" He asked, already knowing the answer. As if the pyramid she was trying to make with her cutlery was not answer enough.
"Oui!" She said without even sparing him a glance, if only she could focus on her studies with this much diligence.
"Well it's time to go to school, so go put your shoes on." She nods her head and slowly backs away from her wobbly masterpiece. Once she sees her creation is staying upright, she turns and leaves to do as instructed. He stands from the table while slowly shaking his head, then he gathers their dishes. He walks into the kitchen and deposits the dirty dishes into the sink. He quickly rinses them with water, and heads back into the living room. Yor will handle the dishes when she gets home, unless he finishes work before her today. Stepping out of the kitchen, he can see his daughter sitting on the floor by the door. She is putting her shoes on, well, attempting to anyway. Did he struggle with which shoe went on which foot? Perhaps, but it was so long ago he could hardly recall any memories of his time as a child. Few happy memories anyhow.
"Papa! Help!" He blinks, clearing his thoughts, then looks down at Anya. "Buckle my shoes."
"First, we need to put them on the correct foot." He squats down in front of her, and removes the shoes from her feet. The leather feels smooth in his hands, and shines like the reflection of sunlight over the surface of water. They are strikingly well kept, he can even make out the subtle features of his face in them. He prides himself in maintaining the perfect image of an upper crust household, but even he expected his daughters shoes to be smudged up with dirt. It is just the nature of the beast, the beast being his daughter and other children her age. Thankfully his wife is very meticulous when it comes to the more mundane aspects of cleaning. Not that cleaning is exciting per say, but Yor always seems to be happy whenever she does it. He quickly switches the shoes in his hands, and begins placing them on their corresponding foot. "At this rate, I'll need to mark your shoes with an 'L' and an 'R'."
He peeks through his brow at his daughter, and he can make out the creeping of color slowly crawling up her neck and onto her cheeks. It is doubtful to think that other students struggle with their shoes as well. Does she not notice the slight curve that is proportionate to the arch in a foot? He knows that his daughter is not stupid, perhaps naive as all children are, but not stupid. He has seen her astuteness first hand on several occasions, and she has a way with understanding others. it is coming to the point he is unsure who knows him better, Handler or his daughter? Of course, Anya has no clue he is actually twilight though, but who can tell in a couple years time. Depending on how long this cover will go, she may be able to piece the puzzle together before the mission is completed. Well, if a grown woman like Yor has not seen through his guise yet, then he should be fine. He quickly buckles her shoes to keep them tight, then puts his hands in the crook of her arms and stands her up.
"Do you have everything?" Upon hearing the question, Anya looks up at him. She blinks once, twice, then turns and runs toward her room. Loid watches her disappear into her room, simply waiting for his daughter to return. After a moment, Anya returns with one hand trying to secure her hat to her head, and the other dragging her backpack across the floor. He can not help the smile that graces his face as he watches his daughter struggle cutely while attempting to put together her ensemble for school. He steps forward and grabs her bag from her, so she can rightfully set her cap upon her head. He holds the straps out to the side, spreading them apart for her. She slides one arm through the loop of a strap, and turns with practiced ease while he helps her secure the other strap. With her backpack and hat securely in place, she reaches one hand up to him. He gently wraps his fingers around her little ones, and she smiles brightly up at him. "Ready?"
"Oui!" She says with excitement dripping from her voice. He nods down to her, then opens the door leading out to the hall of their apartment building. They saunter down the hall hand in hand, looking rather convincing of their familial relationship. Thankfully, it is only the two of them in the hall this morning. The last thing he wants to hear is their neighbors talking of adultery and how they should call the secret police. The less attention they receive the better, that is what makes a good spy after all. He feels a slight twitch in his hand, and looks to see that Anya has moved closer to him. She is looking over her shoulder, and practically hugging his leg at this point.
"Anya, What's wrong?" He waits for a moment as she peers behind them. Soon, she turns around and tilts her head up to look at him. He can see that her eyebrows are furrowed, and her eyes shine with determination.
"Making sure no one spots us." Well, it looks like he was not the only one that noticed the elderly women gossiping everyday. This is not something a child as young as her should be worrying about, her only worries should be homework and the newest episode of spy wars. The sound of his sigh breaks the peace of the hall, and he sees that Anya has resumed looking down the hall for interlopers. He gives her arm a slight tug, so they can resume their walk to the bus stop.
"Anya, we're going to miss the bus." She whips around so fast he thought for sure she would get whiplash. All is well however, and they resume their walk through the apartment building. They soon approach the stairs at the end of the hall, and Loid rests his free hand on the rail while the other holds onto Anya. He watches in amusement as Anya takes the steps two at a time. As in, she plants two feet on each step, and has her free hand holding the rail above her head. They slowly but surely ease their way down the steps. It is usually much faster when Yor is here, hence why they need to leave earlier to reach the bus. Typically, Yor will hold one hand, and Loid the other, so they swing Anya down the steps as they go. Anya would giggle and cheer the whole time, and it doubled as an efficient way to get Anya to the bus quickly.
So, here they are. Ambling their way down the steps, because on the first day without Yor, Anya insisted on taking them herself. He can feel a slight warmth in his chest as he watches her slowly take each step. This feeling has been occurring frequently since starting this mission and adopting Anya. Before starting operation strix, this feeling would happen from training agent nightfall and watching her progress.
Pride.
Yes, he is proud of Anya. From something as simple as watching her take the stairs in her own little way. Of course, this moment is nothing compared to the pride he felt when she saved that boy from drowning. Well, the stella star she received definitely helped. But the thought of Anya saving someone all on her own? The amount of pride he felt as an agent, no, as a father was immeasurable. He is proud to have Anya as his daughter.
And it terrifies him.
He stops once they reach the bottom of the steps. Anya jumps from the last step onto the carpeted floor of their apartment complex. She laughs, breaking the quiet of the hallway. At the end of this hall they can see the exit. Light beams shine through the glass of the wooden door, illuminating the dust lingering in the air of the hall. He feels Anya slip from his grip and run towards the exit. The sound of her giggles and the impact of her footsteps echo through the hall. He follows at a leisurely pace, simply enjoying the time he has in the morning with Anya.
"Papa!" She yells, surely waking a few tenants. "Hurry up!"
"Anya!" He faux whispered. "Use your inside voice."
He sees her tightly seal her lips together, and her eyes follow every step he makes toward the door. Ever the excitable one, she rocks back and forth waiting for him by the door. He shakes his head, and feels another honest smile grace his lips. Eventually, his feet stop just shy of the door. He reaches down towards Anya with one hand, and grabs the doorknob with his other. Cool metal chills the skin of his palm, while his other palm is filled with tender warmth from the hand of his daughter. With a twist of his wrist, the mechanism in the door clicks, and they are greeted by the cool spring air.
"Brrr." He can feel a slight vibration come from Anya. "It's cold, Papa."
"Hmm." The weather report said it was supposed to be warm today, twenty-two degrees(Celsius). "It is chilly this morning, do you want to go back and get a coat?"
"No." He gazes down at her, to see her eyes staring intently back at him. "I don't wanna carry it when it gets hot."
"I see." She must have overheard the weather report last night. She typically does not care about any program, unless it is that cartoon she watches. Perhaps the weather report was simply more entertaining than her studies. A sigh escapes him, then they both begin their walk down to the bus stop. The streets of Berlint are relatively barren in this early hour. A few other pedestrians move along the sidewalk with them, and he sees a couple cars drive past. It would seem the whole city is slowly waking up today. The sound of birds singing fills the air, a sharp contrast to the occasional horn from a car. The sun peeks over the top of the many buildings lining the street, getting up with the rest of the city. It is a peaceful morning in the fair city of Berlint. And it is his job to make sure it stays that way. Afterall, the peace in this world is like the eggs he used for breakfast this morning.
Fragile.
"Hey! Wise guy, hey what do you think you're doing!?" The sound of the angry man grabs his attention, and a few other passersby as well. He looks across the street and can make out two men trying to load a couch onto a truck. "Use the legs like handles! It should be easy!"
"Sorry, Boss!" The other man looks over the couch to his boss. "I'll remember that, and use them right away!"
"Papa." He looks away from the scene, and into the worried gaze of his daughter. "I'm gonna miss the bus!"
"Right." He turns away from the scene, and begins walking back down the street with Anya. "we're almost there."
True to his statement, he can see the bus stop at the corner of the street. They approach the stop, and as luck would have it, the bus arrives as soon as they get there. The bright yellow machine shepherding all future hopefuls of Ostania. The door slides open, eagerly awaiting a new passenger. He releases his grip on Anya, so she can get onto the bus. Anya raises a foot up onto the first step, but stops and turns around. She runs back over to him, and stops a pace away with her arms held wide. He blinks in surprise, but smiles and kneels down spreading his arms. As soon as his knee touched the ground, Anya barreled into his chest wrapping her little arms as far as she could around him. He embraces his daughter in a warm hug, and she raises her head to smile up at him. His chest feels tight, and not from the little arms around him.
"Bye, Papa." He feels her tighten her hold onto him. "I love you."
"Yea." He smiles down at her, and tries to ignore the swelling in his chest. "I'll see you after school."
She pulls away from him, and his arms follow after her, not wanting to let her go. He stays kneeled while she walks onto the bus. He can see her head pop up against one of the many windows a moment later. She smiles and waves at him. He straightens himself to a standing position, and puts his hand up in a casual wave. The bus slowly pulls away, taking his daughter with it. He stands there for a moment watching the bus take his daughter away. He lowers his hand to clutch at his chest, right where his aching heart is. This is not good, he is becoming painfully attached. Letting his daughter leave, if even for school, is causing him slight distress.
Wait.
His daughter.
When did he stop thinking of Anya as being fake? His hand releases the hold on his chest, and he turns to walk to one of many WISE locations. His walk takes him past several shops with many proprietors that recognize him, well, recognize Loid anyway. He waves at the smiling faces of these people on his walk, and many offer a kind smile or wave in turn. Some try to stop him and ask about his daughter, but he reminds them of school and continues on his way. Most of these stores he has visited this past year in Berlint with his family. He makes his way past the store where he buys peanuts for his daughter on his way home. Across the street is the outlet where his wife buys most of her cleaning supplies from…
His Wife
This is not a good sign. First it was the attachment ro Anya, and now he is even thinking of Yor in the same manner. It is important to be in the mindset of the act you are supposed to portray. But, even his own thoughts are betraying him, and only time will tell how much worse this will become. The pedestrians all around him see a regular man going to work, maybe slightly tired from the early hours. They see Loid Forger, the perfect cover he has established this past year. Inside however, he is unsure where this cover ends. When he meets Handler today, he will need to put up a strong front. That way she will not be able to detect anything out of the ordinary. Another issue brought to the forefront of his mind.
When did Loid Forger become the norm, and Twilight the cover?
Who would have thought that Twilight would be compromised? Not from outside forces, but by his own failings inside? He should let Handler know right away, for the sake of the mission. Yes, his mantra, for the sake of the mission. What drives him forward when he has nothing left in the tank to keep him moving. To make a world where children do not have to cry like he did all those years ago. What happens after he tells Handler then? Well, protocol suggests that he would be removed right away. Taken for a psych evaluation, and then given some time to adjust back to his usual self. Perhaps with some lingering effects from the act of playing Loid Forger. Like how he takes his coffee with milk now, instead of black before this all started. That is just a minor effect, and one that can be shrugged off as a mere inconvenience. A more detrimental one, is when he had to let his daughter go to school today. It is the lingering attachment that would cause so many issues. So better to end the charade now, and deal with this issue while it can just be called a minor after effect.
For the sake of the mission.
He swallows nothing, and feels his hands shake slightly. He clenches his fist at his sides, and his breath quickens. The tightness in his chest returns, and it feels like a knife has ripped right through him. He closes his eyes and takes a shuddering breath trying to assuage his rampaging heart. His eyes quickly dart left and right, trying to ascertain any immediate threats in the area…Nothing. All the pedestrians moving along the sidewalk have no bloodlust or appear to be acting out of the ordinary. Calm down, Loid, get it together. Calm down, Twilight. Just analyze the situation, and move to discover what triggered the fight or flight instinct. Judging from the casual walk pace and demeanor of those around him. It is safe to assume it was not caused by external stimuli. That leaves the conclusion of it being internal. In his field of medicine, one would simply accustom this to a panic attack. The symptoms are eerily similar. So, he was panicking? Perhaps it was his thoughts that led to this condition. Was it his thoughts about the mission? No…He has never felt a reaction like this to any mission. About telling Handler this act is slowly becoming real? That seems to be part of it, he is slightly nervous about it. Then, is it the thought of him being taken away from his family?
Ba-dump.
He is a little more prepared for the reaction this time, as his heart slowly begins to rise to a thundering crescendo. He takes a deep breath, and holds for a few seconds before slowly exhaling. Calming himself down, lest he attracts unnecessary attention to himself. It seems that everyone is preoccupied in their own thoughts, or still shaking the grogginess of sleep to notice anything that is not jaring. Deciding to deal with this information later, he calms himself down and continues to work. He slows to let a few people pass him, then turns in the direction of an alley. He makes his way out from under the sun into the shade of the alley. Between the light of Berlint, and the seedy darkness of this backstreet hiding the truth from passersby. A rat scurries from a dumpster jumping into a broken grate disappearing in the darkness. He walks past the grate running his hand along the masonry of the building beside him. Graffiti covers the bricks leaving quite the colorful rendition along the wall. He feels along the wall until his fingers feel a slight indent. It was no larger than a coin, looking like a mere chip in the old stonework. He looks left and right down the alley, making sure no observers are present. Once satisfied, he quickly removes the glove on his left hand, then places his thumb against the indent. A moment passes, and the brick next to the indent is pushed out slightly. He looks left and right one last time before pressing the brick back into place. Then he was falling.
A chute opened below him, and his back pressed against the slick metal. Air rushes past him as he slides down the pitch black chute. His air whips past him and it is a good thing Loid enjoys the slightly messy look. Within moments he evens out, and he can see light coming from an opening in the tunnel. He eventually slows to a stop as an opening in the tube allows him to see inside WISE headquarters. The fluorescent lights and stark white walls greet his eyes like a slap to the face. After all these years his eyes still need a moment to adjust to the unnatural brightness. With eyes squinting, he stands up out of the tube and steps into the fairly vacant office. A few other agents glance his way, then resume their work at their desk. Not all spy work is as exciting as that ridiculous cartoon, most of the agents simply perform menial tasks like paper work. He nods at the few who meet his gaze, and continues through the office to meet Handler. Thankfully no field agents are here today. He always feels like some sort of celebrity when any other field agents see him, and it is a little unnerving.
He walks past several desks with agents working behind them, and several more that look as if they have not seen any use in months. It would appear that these spy hunts are growing more successful by the day. Hopefully a new influx of recruits can help fill some of these desks, and alleviate some of the workload. He continues walking, and stops in front of the desk of his boss. Handler turns her head slightly recognizing his presence. She swivels in her chair to face him from behind her desk.
"Good day…Or perhaps good evening, Twilight." He can see the bags under her eyes, the spy hunts seem to be affecting everyone.
"Hello, Handler." She brings a hand up to suppress a yawn. "What was so urgent that you used WISE's cant out in the open to relay a message to me?"
"I'll cut to the chase, as I'm too tired to humor you." His eyes narrow hearing the tone change in her voice. This is serious. "Operation strix is in danger."
"What!?" He could not disguise the surprise in his voice. "What happened?"
"Nothing." She narrowed her eyes at him. "And it's up to you to make sure it stays that way."
"Another mission?" There is no way she could have figured out his compromised feelings. She stands from her desk and directs his attention to the white board behind her. "Handler, about operation st-."
"Quiet." The tone in her voice has him snapping to attention, much like all those years ago when he was training under her. "We have reason to believe that Donovon Desmond is going to be assassinated."
His eyes widened upon hearing her words. Why would anyone in Ostania assassinate Desmond? As the leader of the national unity party, he seems practically in charge of the country. His attitude seems to push for war crushing the west, which many in Ostania seem to agree with. The majority favor his views, and the people hold him in high regard. This just does not make any sense.
"Who is your source?" He scrutinized the white board behind her, picking up ideas of infiltration and escorting desmond.
"Agent Nightfall." Well, that is as reliable as they come. "She went undercover, going on dates with a member of the national unity party."
"I see." With her skills, she could probably glean information from such members. "How reliable is the information from this target?"
"Honestly?" She turns back to look over the white board. "There is a fifty percent chance that this will just be a waste of time."
"Fifty?" He does not like those odds. They typically send agents out on missions where the chances for incidents occurring are less than ten percent. "What would you have me do?"
"That's the hard part." She looked back at him and sighed from exhaustion. "Desmond is so reclusive, there is not much we can do but sit and watch."
"Do we have any information?" There is no way it is fifty percent likely with nothing but a name and request for a hit.
"We have the date and time." He sighed in relief, at least having something to work with. "When is it?"
"Tonight." He almost fell over.
"Come again?" He needed to hear it one more time.
"It's going to be tonight, Twilight." She sat down in her chair and rested her forehead against the palms of hands. "If this was happening months from now, it would be convenient."
"How so?" Genuine curiosity overcame him.
"Well…" She lifts her head up to look past him for a moment. She returns his gaze and begins speaking much more quietly. "It was a failsafe, in case operation strix failed."
"Failsafe?" This was news to him. He probably is not even supposed to know about this.
"Yes." She leans back in her chair. "It was highly classified, only those who were directly involved knew."
"How many?" He asked curiosity, winning again.
"Three." She said while raising three fingers in front of him. "Myself, the director, and the agent involved."
"Who is the agent?" It seems strange that they would choose someone other than him for something so important. Not to seem arrogant, but he is the best.
"New Moon." His eyes bulge out of his head.
"New Moon is dead!" He perished on the job years ago.
"No." Then she laughed, like she was talking to a child. "Simply wished to retire."
"But…" Why go through so much? He could simply return to Westalis and retire happily.
"He is Ostanian." Now that was another bombshell she just dropped on him. "He was a double agent."
"I never knew we had anyone from Ostania in WISE." He admitted astounded.
"He wasn't always a double agent." Oh? Another revelation? "In fact, He was an Ostanian spy."
"So he defected?" Handler nodded in the affirmative to his question.
"Once he got a taste of life in Westalis." She said with a shrug, like it was the obvious outcome.
"So what is this failsafe then?" There are too many variables for him to solve this problem.
"He was to be the new leader of the national unity party." She said with a smirk. "Afterall, he is getting on in years, and who would suspect their own countrymen of subterfuge."
Once she said that the pieces all fell into place. They were grooming a new leader for the party that would take direct orders from WISE. Slowly elevate his standing among his peers, and eventually usurp Desmond. Whether assassination or some other means to indipose him. This process would take a lot of time however, and that could be a commodity they do not have. When Anya got her first stella, Handler expected her to be an imperial scholar within eight months. Operation: Strix is a long mission, and results are slow and steady at best. This plan should have taken years to implement.
"You said a few months earlier?" Handler crosses her arms listening to him. "This sounds like an op that would take years to accomplish."
"We actually got lucky for once." She said with a smile. "Brennan the director of auditing."
"He was killed last year." Her smile widens hearing him say that.
"Yes." She closed her eyes as if reliving a fond memory. "Which led to the arrest of several members of the national unity party."
"So those two events were related." He had his suspicions, but could never confirm it.
"The government omitted most of the details." She opened her tired eyes to stare back at him. "Several members were arrested for tax evasion."
"Which allows New Moon to rise in the ranks quickly and unsuspiciously." How fortuitous.
"He has good standing in the party." Handler sighs again. "But not enough to be elected as the new leader once Desmond is removed."
"So that leaves me to save operation strix, and operation…"
"Operation red herring." She fills in for him.
"What would you have me do?" She stands back up from her desk and turns to face the white board.
"You're going to stake out the Desmond residence." She looks over her shoulder at him. "We know that the assassin won't be from one of his retinue."
"So, I'm watching for an intruder" It seemed simple enough. "How do you know it won't be among his many housekeepers?"
"Because…" She turned to face him, and sighed again. "The request was sent to Garden."
"Shit." He could not help but swear. Going up against the best assassins in the world is not something he wishes to do. "Any support on this mission?"
"Negative." She stretches her arms wide motioning to the vacant desks. "We're stretched thin as it is."
"Right." He sighs and turns to leave.
"Twilight." He stops to look over his shoulder at her. He is surprised to see genuine worry and fear in her eyes. "Don't die on me."
"I won't." He turns back around and heads back through the office to prepare for another mission. Once again, the fate of the world rests on his shoulders.
AN: Well, that's chapter 2. I really enjoyed writing this chapter a lot, especially Anya and how adorable she is. Speaking of, it would seem that Twilight has some conflicted emotions about his fake family. Well, I'm sure everything will work out, right? I got to write my favorite character in the manga in this chapter. I simply love Handler as a character, whenever she shows up I get so happy. Her design on top of her being a top class agent herself, it's so cool. I've also mentioned my own OC for the story here, agent New Moon will show up eventually. I almost forgot to mention that I am also currently in the works of another SpyxFamily story. Expect the first chapter for that sometime during this week or the next. It will be a fantasy setting where Twilight is a rogue working for the kingdom of Westwind, operating in the Empire of Ostanlis. I'm purposefully being vague, but if fantasy is a genre you enjoy, then look forward to it. Thank you for reading, and I will see you in the next one. Ciao!
