Cmon guys, I couldn't help it.

"Almost finished."

Miles Campbell, a.k.a Castle, was putting the finishing touches on his tactical panels to be a bit more resilient to other methods of attack. He was close to finishing the last panel until something caught his attention.

"Ow!"

The short cry came from the new operator Apha, a.k.a Aruni, who was messing around with her improved gadget.

"You alright?" He asked.

"I'd be better if my gadget wasn't tampered with... but they said it was better so I'll have to adjust."

"Well, I'm almost finished with mine panels so mind if I help?"

She looked at him skeptically before she answered.

"You rather put others before yourself. That's a rare trait to have." She deduced.

"It's just who I am. We're a team so if one is struggling, we all struggle so is there anything I can help with?"

"... You can check the casing of the gadget and I'll regulate the the temperature of the lasers."

Castle nodded as they began their work on her gadget. As the work was progressing, they shared stories of their childhood, their first agency and missions, even their favorite foods and hobbies.

"You're certainly one for conversation." She said as they put the finishing touches on her gadget.

"It's something I learned in the field. It helps to keep everyone in good spirits."

She chuckled.

"Alright, the casing looks fine so see if it's working properly." He said.

She took the capsule and tucked it in her bionic arm. She took aim and shot the projectile at the door and watched it collapse into a laser gate.

"It seems functional. Is it good to go?" Miles asked.

"...Do you trust me?" She asked in a serious tone.

"What do you mean?"

"I would like you to walk through it."

Castle jumped a bit at that command. It wasn't everyday he had to walk through lasers.

"If it's working properly, the gate will rise to let you through. I don't blame you for your caution since I've only been here for a couple days... Nevermind, I'll finish the testing. I appreciate your help."

At that moment, Castle stopped her with a hand to the shoulder.

"I'll do it. I doubt you would try to harm us in anyway. We're a team after all."

He prepped himself before he stepped up to the gate. He could feel the heat coming from lasers which caused a bit of doubt.

He closed his eyes as he walked into the gate. He kept walking until Aruni called to him.

"Hey!"

He turned around to see that he was a couple steps away from the lab. He saw Apha with a smile on her face as she gave him a thumbs up.

"Everything is operational. You certainly helped me out Miles."

"No promblem... wait, how do you know my name."

"They said my gadget was a bit similar to yours and judging from the gear you're working on, it seems you also place a sort of gate similar to mine." She explained.

Miles was certainly stunned by how quickly she can piece things together.

"You're right. It's a bullet proof barricade that's good at keeping people out... I'm bit surprised how quickly you were able to figure it out."

"Hey Apha!"

The voice of Kali broke their conversation as they turned towards the gate. The marksman tapped her foot as she stood in front of the laser gate.

"May you be so kind as to lower the gate. It won't let me through."

"That's the point." She said with a small chuckle from Castle. Kali rolled her eyes as Aruni retracted the gadget back into her arm, letting Kali have entry.

"It's good to see you with us again. You won't regret joining this team... Seems that you're already getting acquainted with one of the operatives." She said as she looked at Miles.

"Nothing wrong with an extra hand in the cause. With Aruni on our side, any attackers will certainly have a hard time breaching our defenses." He said.

Kali kept her eyes on Aruni who was covering her mouth after those words. She could see some small streaks of pink from her cheeks.

"Miles, mind if I have a quick word with her for a minute?" Kali asked.

Miles nodded as he stepped outside of the lab, leaving the two operators alone..

"How are you settling in Apha? Any trouble or uncertainty?"

"It's been a nice change for me Jaimini. It's also nice to meet back up with Jordan and you as well." She said with a small smile.

"That's good to hear. You even met one of your allies on defense... that was the one I was telling you about by the way." She said in a whisper.

"You weren't lying about him either. He's certainly selfless in every sense of the word." She responded.

"I'm sure you two will be the best of friends... maybe more than that." The sniper said with a chuckle as she nudged her friend's shoulder.

Aruni shook her head at that.

"I rather keep it fortified... Well, we have to get to work on his panels so how about we catch up later Jaimini."

Kali nodded as she signaled for castle to come back in and left out the lab.

"We're gonna work on the panels?" He asked with surprise.

"Of course. It's only right since you assisted me with my gadget."

"You sure? I only have a couple more nails to put in. Wouldn't you want to do something else?"

"Well, I could test another one of my gat-"

"The nail gun is on the shelf. I'll grab the last panel from my station." He said as he smiled and head to grab his panel.

A smile that cracked one of her fortress wall.

The two continued their chat as they got to work with Apha paying more attention than usual.

My guys... I'msorry but I couldn't stop... oh yea enough 'distractions' ;)