Hours later, after they had unpacked their things and made their room a little more "homey", Kate and Rae walked down to 1A1H, where they had been told to report.
Kate glanced down at what she was wearing, suddenly feeling more than a little insecure. She had on dark wash skinny jeans and a snug black tank top on, but next to the sheer formality of all the adults she had seen, she felt very sloppy and underdressed. She looked over at Rae, and felt some relief when she saw that the redhead was similiarly dressed in a t-shirt and jeans.
As they walked up the immaculate hallway to the room labeled 1A1H, the girls saw countless rooms, all with mysterious looking closed doors. The girls exchanged looks of trepidation and entered the room together.
Inside the room was a large table, around which was seated five other kids their age.
Kate looked around the table, focusing on each teenager, trying to memorize their faces and dispositions. A skill that she learned in her years of Undercover Ops. training, Kate was very good at reading body language and had an almost photographic memory. Although she had all but abandoned her training, it had become a habit.
All talk at the table ceased as the door opened again, and the incredibly good lookingguy who had come to Kate's school walked through. He surveyed the room with his unusual green eyes, and Kate shivered as his eyes swept over her.
"You're all here for a reason. Your'e probably wondering why you seven, and not any of the others are here."
The man paused, and took a seat at the head of the table.
One of the kids, a mean looking blind guy, took the time to say, "Dude, who the hell even are you? You don't even look like you're old enough to be an agent, let alone talk to us like we're kids!"
The man just looked at the blond guy, before saying, "Greg Houston? You specialize in...hand to hand combat, am I right?"
"That's me." the bond replied agressively.
"I thought so. Well, Houston, I've been an agent here since you were in elementary school. I've been here fornine years, since I was seventeen. Let me tell you, I have not only the authority to talk to you like a kid, but to kick you out of here so fast your exceptionallyquick hands would have no chance. Understood?" He gave Greg a lookunder which Greg cowered. Then he turned and addressed the room.
"My name is Thomas Liba. I'm better known around here as T.L. I am in charge of the Specialists branch of the TAS. You all, are the specialists."
Kate inhaled shaply, as did a lot of the kids around the room. T.L. continued.
"All of you have been chosen for your exceptional skills in one or more areas, and this rates you above your fellow agents. You will from now on train with this group, eat with this group, socialize with this group, and live with this group. You are a class all your own-not adult level agents, but not teen agents. Your skills have given you this privilege. Do not abuse it."
T.L. stopped to once again look around the room at the teens. "Since you all have different specialties, you should probably go around the table and introduce yourself and let the tohers know your specialty. Let's start with you, Mr. Houston."
Greg swallowed, and said, "Well, he already pretty much introduced me." He shot T.L. a look. "I'm Greg, and my specialty is hand to hand combat. So don't mess with me, cause I can kick any of your asses."
"And so very modest!" Kate couldn't help cracking. Rae snorted to her left, and another girl giggled. Greg glared at her. Kate looked up to see T. L. looking at her with an amused smile. Kate blushed under his gaze, and dropped her eyes.
"Miss Freebird, why don't you go next?" he suggested, still amused.
Kate cleared her throat and said, "Hey I'm kate Freebird. Um... I guess I specialize in Undercover Ops."
"Ummm...not to sound dumb, but what is that exactly?" The question came from ashortblack girl with a cropped afro. She spoke with a
distinct Jamaican accent.
T.L. answered the question, in response to the desperate look Kate threw him. She wasn't very good at public speaking, at leat not when she wasn't in the field!
He replied, "Kate's specialty is in Undercover Operations, which means she has exceptional skills in slipping in and out of opposing operations
without notice. She is essentially an undercover agent, who will cement themselves in with the enemy without their knowing,and gain information from the inside. It is one of the more dangerous specialties, since if caught, an agent must face the consequences."
T.L. locked eyes with Kate, and they maintained eye contact as T.L. spoke again. "Kate also forgot to mention her other specialty." Kate geve him a confused look. "She is also exceptionally skilled with weaponry, especially guns."
Kate blushed again, since she wished that had been forgotten. "I haven't touched a gun in years, though..."
The kids continued introducing themselves, but kate was hardly listening. She couldn't get the image of T.L.'s eyes staring into her's out of her head.