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In which potential is realized


The next thing Evangeline felt was the car lurching to a halt in front of a textile factory. The old broken down building contained a million buzzing machines in its depths and it seemed a testament to the strength of modern building materials that it remained standing all these years. "Kid, we're here." The simple statement was enough to jolt the girl out of her seat. As she opened the door, she noticed the faintest traces of a tremor running up and down her legs. The ride had taken quite a toll on her nerves, and her preexisting condition didn't make it any easier.

"What are you going to do to me..?" It seemed an overdramatic question, but considering the circumstances of the past hour or so, one that was perfectly within reason. Fox simply found the question amusing and couldn't help but break into a rather bemused smirk. Without a word, she pushed open the door and after checking to make sure Evangeline was following, began her trail through the lanes of buzzing looms. The noise was almost unbearable and it was a wonder that Fox was not rendered deaf by her constant exposure to the environment. Just as the pair had passed the sixth row of machines, the flurry of workers in front of them thinned out enough to reveal Sloan examining a swatch of fabric.

Fox managed to catch his eye for the briefest of moments, inciting a nod from the Fraternity leader. "Comon, kid. In here." They ducked into the mainframe's adjoining office before quickly shutting the door after them. The room was mercifully quieter.

"I'm sorry, I still don't get this. Why are we in a textile factory."

Fox only gave a knowing smile before the door opened once again allowing Sloane to slide his way in. "Fox. And, Evangeline Chang, I presume?"

Though his face remained the definition of kindness, she couldn't help but nurture a wary attitude towards the wizened man. "Yes. How…"

"Did I know your name? All in good time my dear. From the look on your face, I know, you must have questions for me. I will ask you, however, to let me say my piece, and I promise, I will provide you with all the answers you could possibly want."

Evangeline chanced a glance at Fox, who remained in her place, statuesque and stoic.

"Evangeline, we belong to a group called the Fraternity. Our purpose is to maintain stability in an unstable world - kill one, save a thousand; that's our philosophy. Within the fabric of this world, every life hangs by a thread. We are that thread - a fraternity of assassins with the weapons of fate. Our organization employs a different breed of human; ones much like yourself-"

The girl in front of Sloan held up her hands at this point. For nearly the entire spiel, she had sat fixed in her place, trying to absorb in the gravity of the situation and the choice that was being placed in her hands. The word assassin had been shocking enough. Hearing "different breed of human" was just the icing on the cake. "Wait. Wait. Just hold on." Evangeline placed her outstretched hands to her ears, physically refusing to hear any more. She began to pace across the floor in long sweeping strides counting backwards from 200 to try and regulate her breathing. "I'm not sure I understand."

"It's simple." Sloan walked closer to her and laid his hands on her slender shoulders. "What you're experiencing right now, at this moment is precisely what sets you apart."
Evangeline grimaced. "Sorry? Last time I checked, anxiety doesn't exactly make me a super hero."

The man had to smile at that. "This is not a panic attack."

"Please, I just need my medication."

"Evangeline. Listen to me. You have a gift. We can teach you to control it. Channel it and do some good. Just trust me. Join us; we can help."

Evangeline paused. "Tell me you're kidding. I don't want to play super hero. Please, just let me go."

Sloane gave an understanding smile. "Let me show you what I'm talking about before you make any final decisions." The entire situation was crazy to Evangeline. Assassins, looms, Fraternities. It all seemed like something out of a comic book or bad action film. Before she could offer any words of protest, Fox strode across the room and opened the door, motioning for Evangeline and Sloane to exit. Looking back and forth at the two rather imposing figures flanking the exit, our heroine saw no choice but to comply.

The small party made its way through the maze of machines before passing through the heavy metal port at the opposite end of the room. What met Evangeline's eyes (and nose) was the underbelly of a slaughterhouse, complete with freshly killed bodies of pigs and cows hanging by their ankles. She visibly recoiled before bracing herself and following Fox deep into the recesses of the room.

"Evangeline, allow me to introduce you to the rest of our organization" Sloane motioned to the men that seemed to melt into view from the shadows. "Cross, Mr. X, The Repairman, the Butcher, the Gunsmith, and of course the Exterminator." Evangeline's head was spinning with the array of codenames. All of the men, standing together, some leaning against the table placed in the middle of the room, looked up at the sound of the metal doors clanging together. "Gentlemen, Miss Evangeline Cheng." She could feel their eyes grazing over her body, no doubt questioning her choice of apparel (she was still in her sleep clothes) and her ability to do whatever it was they did.

It was Cross who spoke first. "Well, let's see what you can do." He threw a casual smirk at the man known as Mr. X, and both gave gravely chuckles. The men stepped back from the table to reveal several pieces lying against the rough wood. The one they called the Gunsmith gave a final look at the table before stepping back as well. Sloane opened his hands, "Go on, Evangeline." Fox left her side at that point to join her colleagues in the testing of their new potential member.

Evangeline looked towards Sloane. "Go on and what…" She was at a complete loss for what to do. Sloane offered no assistance and instead simply gave a nod to the table. Evangeline walked forward uncertainly, shivering in the cold of the massive warehouse. Skimming her fingers lightly over the pieces on the table, she looked up one last time and gave a nervous glance to her audience. The men were muttering softly to one another, no doubt about her ineptitude, while Fox simply stared back in silence. She took a deep breath and picked up the closest firearm. Completely unexpected was the weight of the metal. With a small exclamation of surprise, Evangeline haphazardly attempted to keep hold of the gun. Biting her bottom lip, she turned again to Sloane. "What do I do with it?"

This question elicited a few looks of amusement from the others in the room, but Sloane just gave an understanding smile and pointed to a target at the far end of the room. "Aim for the center of that target."

As Evangeline turned to face the bull's eye located hundreds of yards away (a nearly impossible distance for a novice), the leader of the Fraternity turned to Cross and gave a barely perceptible nod. Cross then automatically reached into his jacket and pulled out a small handgun and pressed it to Evangeline's temple. He slowly clicked the safety off. "It's in your best interest not to miss."

As soon as the cold metal pressed against her head, Evangeline's adrenaline kicked in and set the room pulsating about her. Her neck and face warmed up and was undoubtedly turning red as a tomato as she struggled to focus in on the target. Thinking only of keeping her life, she pulled hard on the trigger, letting the bullet fly and hit the x in the center. Immediately, the muzzle was removed and Evangeline slumped down to the ground.

Cross simply walked back to his place in line and muttered, "She hit the center, but nearly passed out trying to do it. That's potential at least."

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