Sorry this chapter took me so long to get out. For that reason, I am making it extra long (also, cause I had a lot to fit into this chapter). Hopefully, this will be the last filler chapter, the optimum word is hopefully! And, I am sorry if there is some grammar or spelling mistakes in this chapter. I proofread it a bunch of times and I am still not sure I got everything to sound the way I wanted.

A gray Toyota Prius pulled up three blocks from the Vega residence at 7:00pm on Sunday night. Inside the Prius were Tori Vega and one of her "trainers" Kira.

"Sorry we have to drop you off so far away, but…"

"I know, I know." Tori mumbled, wincing at the sting those four simple words caused her body. She had been given a shot for the pain right before they had left what Joe and Kira called "The Facility." The shot had taken the edge off the pain but Tori still felt like her entire body had been through a blender.

"Here, take these." Kira said, handing her a bottle of what Tori assumed were painkillers. "They should help you deal with the pain and not make you feel too out of it." Tori nodded her head as she gingerly reached out to take the bottle from Kira's outstretched hand.

"No more than 2 every 8 hours. We can't have you overdosing on these pain meds." Kira chuckled slightly as she turned off the ignition and got out of the car. She went around to the back to retrieve Tori's bike which had been shoved into the trunk.

Tori slowly opened her door. Her body hurt all over and her head ached from all of the screaming that Joe and Kira had done. Not only had they hurt her physically but they had also yelled awful things at her, trying to break her spirit along with her body.

Kira reached out a hand to help Tori out of the car. "Now remember, take it as easy as you can. You should be feeling a lot better in about a week or so."

Tori groaned as she thought of going to school and having to silently endure her many injuries. Nothing had been broken and to the naked eye she looked completely fine. However, if one were to look closer, you could see the numerous cuts and bruises all over her body. Kira had used body makeup to cover as much up as she could. Additionally, she and Joe had attempted to stay away from harming Tori's face since they knew she would be returning to her family.

"I wish I could walk with you." Kira sighed as she looked helplessly at the young woman in front of her. Never before had it been so difficult for her to do her job. She knew it was partially because she saw a lot of herself in Tori Vega. When Kira had been plucked from the C.I.A. 6 months ago to join S.T.A.R.S. she felt honored. The government had just pumped tons of money into the program and it was being highly touted as the newest and best way to conduct espionage. Little did she know that her job would entail torturing teenagers.

"You have your Spring Break in two weeks right?" Kira asked Tori as she passed the girl her bicycle.

"Yes." Tori said as she felt her eyelids begin to droop from lack of sleep for the past 48 hours.

"Good. Don't make any plans. You will be spending it at The Facility."

"I really don't think my parents will be okay with me spending my vacation with some woman they have never met."

"Don't worry, I will find a way to get you out of the house. And don't look so glum. The next part of your training is the fun part." Kira said, forcing a smile on her face.

"Whatever you say." Tori whispered as she took her bike and began to walk towards her house.

It took her a lot longer than normal to walk the three blocks to her home. This was probably due to the fact that she was moving at the pace of a snail since her body ached every time she lifted a foot. The whole walk back Tori reflected on the weekend and what she had gone through. She honestly couldn't believe she had survived the hell that Joe and Kira had put her through. It made her feel a little better that Kira had told her that a couple of times she had to leave the building so she wouldn't break down in front of Tori.

As Tori reached her front door, she pasted a smile on her face and forced herself to walk at her usual pace. As she reached for her key to unlock the door it flew open and David Vega looked down at his daughter, unhappiness apparent on his features.

"Where have you been young lady!" He fumed, his voice rising above its usually gentle tone.

"I was at Cat's house dad, you know that." Tori said defensively as she placed her bike on the front porch and walked through the door as if she had done nothing wrong.

"Well, I didn't expect you to get home at 7:30 on Sunday night. Have you even started your homework?" David questioned as he watched his daughter inch her way towards the stairs.

"Of course dad. Cat and I did it yesterday afternoon." Tori said, while internally panicking that she hadn't done her homework. She suddenly remembered that she had taken her school bag with her when she went to her meeting. As she quickly rifled through her bag she saw a note taped to one of her books.

Got your homework done…I forgot what a bitch Trigonometry is! Joe

Tori breathed a mental sigh of relief knowing that she had one less thing to worry about. Just as she was about to head up the stairs she heard the back door open.

"I'm glad you're finally home Tori. Your dad and I were getting worried. We thought you might have gotten involved in one of those crazy schemes involving Cat's brother that she is always talking about." Holly Vega stated sternly as she walked in the back door carrying takeout Chinese food cartons. "I have been calling you all day and I just kept getting your voicemail."

"I'm so sorry mom." Tori responded as she quickly tried to think of a good reason for not answering her cell phone. "Cat and I decided to have a movie marathon so we spent the whole day at the movie theater, catching up on all the new releases."

"Well next time you do something like that, you need to check in with us." Holly declared as she gave Tori a serious look. "This is your only warning Tori, we would hate to have to punish you over something so trivial."

"And, I hope you didn't just buy a ticket for the first movie and sneak into the rest of them." David said, looking sternly at his daughter.

"C'mon dad." Tori replied, laughing weakly. "You know I know better than to do that. My father is a police officer. If he ever caught me doing that I would be in so much trouble."

"Ha ha…make fun of the old man because I like to follow the rules." David smirked as he pulled his youngest daughter into a bear hug. Tori almost cried out from the pain of him squeezing her. As David finally let go of her and Holly began to set out the food on the kitchen table, Tori attempted to make her exit from the room. All she wanted was to go upstairs and take a long hot bath, followed by sleep, sleep and more sleep.

"Well…..I think I am going to go take a bath."

"Don't you want any food hon?" Her mom called from the kitchen.

"Not now, Cat and I had a lot of popcorn at the movies. I will grab some later when I get out of the tub."

"Okay, well I am exhausted. Trina dragged me all over the mall today looked for some new shoes by Fazino, Farzani, you know what I am talking about." Holly said. "So, in case I head off to bed early, goodnight. I love you sweetie." She said, walking over and giving her daughter a kiss on the cheek and a hug. "And remember, just let us know what you are up to, we only ask because we care."

"I know mom, I love you too." Tori said. Her eyelids closed as she inhaled the familiar scent of her mother's perfume, causing some of the weekend's trauma to dissipate.

A week and a half later Tori found herself back at "the warehouse from hell," as she now called it. She couldn't believe that Joe and Kira pulled it off but they had gotten her parents to agree to her spending her spring break at an "acting workshop." She was supposed to be in Palm Springs for the next week and a half, at least that is what Holly and David Vega thought. Needless to say, Trina had been furious when she found out Tori had been invited to the exclusive workshop and she hadn't.

"I cannot believe that they invited you and not me. It must be because they know that I am already beautiful and talented and they think you could use the extra work." Trina reasoned to herself. Tori had just nodded her head and kept her mouth shut, letting Trina continue living in her delusional world.

When Tori had explained her vacation plans to her friends, she had gotten mixed responses.

"Oh Tori, that is so neat. I am so excited for you." Cat squealed before pulling Tori into a big hug.

"Great job girl, you totally deserve it." Andre replied as he too hugged Tori.

"That is so rad cool!" Robbie said, giving Tori a big smile.

"You're going to be the one giving me acting tips when you get back." Beck smirked as he ruffled Tori's hair.

"I'm not surprised, your acting sucks." Jade said coldly before going back to picking off her black nail polish.

"Can I come? Robbie's going to stay with his grandma and she always makes me sleep in the garage." Rex pleaded as Tori rolled her eyes.

Principal Helen had even helped out her cause by coming to the Vega household to discuss how much it would benefit Tori to attend the workshop. She assured the Vega's that an extremely well-respected organization was putting it on and that Tori would be well taken care of throughout her stay.

"Like anything dangerous ever happens in Palm Springs." Helen said, causing the adults to burst into a fit of laughter at the thought of something dangerous happening in one of the most posh areas of California.

"Hey, you made it!" Kira yelled from across the warehouse, snapping Tori out of her thoughts. The warehouse actually had an extremely sophisticated security system. But, someone would never know it if they didn't know what to look for. Tori had to use a special key card followed by a retinal scanner to enter through the front door.

"Yup, I made it." Tori answered resignedly as she dropped her suitcase on the ground and looked around. "So where's Joe?"

"You are just going to be training with me for the next week and a half. Joe has other commitments and plus, you are going to have to toughen up a lot before you can take on Joe." Kira smirked as she quickly perused Tori's clothing and seeing she was fit to begin training, threw her some head gear and a pair of boxing gloves.

"Let's get started with some fight training." Kira pronounced as she led Tori to a makeshift boxing ring where mats covered the floor.

"So what am I supposed to do?" Tori asked as she tried to fasten her head gear to no avail.

"Well, we are going to start with some simple stuff. Like right now, we need to get your stamina up so we are going to do some boxing." Kira said as she helped Tori adjust her head gear and get her boxing gloves on.

"So what, you don't even teach me anything? You just…oommpphh" Tori said as she felt herself fall to the ground. "Owwwwwwwwwww!" Tori yelled as she clutched at her sore jaw.

"You could have at least told me we were starting." Tori said angrily as she stood up and faced Kira.

"Your first and most important rule to learn Tori is to always be prepared. Do you think your enemy is going to tell you when they are going to attack you? You have to become constantly aware of everything going on around you. Your guard must be up at all times, even when you are asleep." Kira said as she gave Tori a somber look.

"When I'm asleep but…hey!" Tori yelled as she quickly jumped out of the way of Kira's oncoming punch.

"See, you were prepared that time. You knew not to trust me to just stand here and talk to you."

As the two women danced around one another, Kira throwing jabs and Tori attempting to throw jabs, Tori questioned Kira. "So, how did you get stuck with this job? I'm sure you would rather be out there, actually doing what you are teaching me."

"I've been out there for the past 10 years. I needed a break, a chance to stay in my own country for more than two weeks." Kira answered as she swung at Tori and connected with her stomach.

Having the wind knocked out of her, Tori fell to her knees, clutching her ribcage. She was sweating and taking in huge gulps of air, trying to get her breath back. "Yeah, I guess I can understand that." She groaned as she slowly got to her feet. "How long do we have to keep doing this for?"

As Kira looked down at her watch she quickly realized her mistake as Tori took the opportunity to punch her directly in the nose. As blood started to stream out of Kira's nose, Tori quickly threw off her boxing gloves and ran over.

"I am so, so sorry, I was just trying to distract you long enough to get in a punch and…"

"It's okay Tori. It was actually a really smart play which I cannot believe I fell for." Kira said as she held her nose and elevated her head. "There is a refrigerator over there in the corner." Kira said, pointing to an area south of where they stood. "Could you grab me an ice pack from the freezer?"

"Yes, of course." Tori cried as she hurried over to the refrigerator. She quickly brought the ice pack back to Kira, along with some paper towels she found sitting on a nearby table.

"You pack a pretty strong right hook Miss Tori Vega." Kira smirked as she stuck some paper towels up her nose before putting the ice pack on top of it.

"Thanks." Tori replied sheepishly as she looked down at her toes. "So, how long does this whole training process last for? Am I allowed to ask that? If I'm not you don't have to answer." Tori declared hurriedly, not wanting to get herself, or Kira, in trouble.

Kira laughed as she watched Tori work herself into a fluster over a simple question. "Yes Tori, you can ask me that question. Usually, people train for years before they are allowed to take their field test. However, the U.S. government has developed something that we are hoping will help speed up the training process to where it will only take about 6 months."

"What kind of thing…it isn't some weird chip that I have to have inserted in my brain is it?" Tori exclaimed anxiously.

"Well….no, not exactly." Kira answered. She slowly got up and walked towards a part of the warehouse that Tori assumed must be the "technological" part of The Facility. She retrieved a box from within a storage locker and began the long process of opening it. Tori guessed she must have used about seven different pass codes, followed by a handprint and retinal scanner. Finally, after what felt like was an hour, the box unlocked and Kira grabbed something out of it.

"This is what we call "The Dream Maker." Kira said as she held up what looked like an elaborate type of gun.

"Oookkkaaayyy…and what exactly does this thing do?" Tori asked as she nervously eyed the thing Kira was holding.

Kira looked at Tori anxiously as she replied. "Now, don't freak out but, it injects a chip into your spinal cord, at the base of your neck." Tori's eyes grew wide and she started to unconsciously back away from her trainer.

"You are not putting that thing anywhere near my neck." She pronounced.

"Jesus Tori, you think I would just forcefully inject you with something? Remember, I am on your side." Kira said as she sat down at a nearby table. "This piece of technology I am holding has been in development for over 25 years and if it does what it is supposed to do, we can make you one hell of an agent in a very short time period."

"Well no, I didn't think you were going to just inject me, it's just that I saw you holding that thingy and…" Tori allowed her sentence to remain unfinished as she forced herself to calm down. After a few moments, she walked over to the table and sat down next to Kira.

"So, tell me what exactly this thing is supposed to do?" Tori asked expectantly as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"The main function that this chip serves is as a mind and body enhancer. Whenever you are learning a new skill, your body is sending messages to your brain that cause it to remember different aspects of what you have learned. This chip just speeds up the learning process. It sends different impulses to your brain and your body that allow for a quicker understanding and better retention of things learned, both physical and mental. Additionally, these chemicals help your brain retain that information and send it back to your body in a quicker and more efficient manner. This allows for less time spent teaching someone how to perform a skill."

"Ummmmm, exsqueeze me! I have no idea what you are talking about!" Tori replied as she banged her head on the table out of frustration.

"Okay, let me try a different way of explaining it." Kira said while trying to think of a good example. "You've heard of people who have a photographic memory, right?" Kira asked as Tori nodded her head in the affirmative.

"This chip makes allows for anyone to have a photographic memory. But unlike photographic memory where there are limitations on what you will remember, with this chip there are no limitations. You can remember as much information about as many things as possible." Kira said looking at a still very confused Tori Vega.

"Omigosh!" Kira exclaimed as she suddenly had a thought. "You've seen the show "Chuck" on TV right?" Tori nodded her head unsurely as Kira continued. "You know how Chuck has that thing in his head, the intersect? That is almost exactly like what this chip can do! The only difference is that the chip isn't implanted with any information, you have to learn everything yourself. Once something is learned though, the chip retains all of the information and allows your brain to access it whenever needed."

Tori's mouth fell open as she remembered what exactly the intersect allowed for Chuck Bartowski to become…a super spy!

"So, if I get this chip implanted in my neck, whenever I learn something I will remember it?" Tori asked.

"Technically, the chip will remember it but pretty much, that is the gist of it. There is a lot more that goes into it but it is all technical jargon that even I don't understand. Gone is all of the time it takes to teach someone how to correctly shoot a gun. With this chip, once I teach you the correct way, you will remember it and our job will just be to translate what you know into actual performance."

"So then why does it even take 6 months to train someone? If you could just show them the right way to do something and then they would automatically be able to remember it? Wouldn't you be able to get a person trained within a few days?" Tori questioned.

"Training isn't all about knowing how to do something. It is about knowing how to do it well. Just because your brain can tell you how to disassemble a Beretta M9, doesn't mean that your body will allow you to do it perfectly. That is why it still takes some time. We have to build up your endurance, strength, stamina, etc. Essentially, we have to catch your body up with your brain." Kira smirked.

"So, do I have a choice or do I have to do this?" Tori asked Kira, a look of extreme anxiety etched across her delicate features.

"I would love to say you have a choice but you kind of don't. If you are going to be field ready in the amount of time we need you, the only way you will get there is through having the chip implantation."

Suddenly, a loud voice boomed from the front of the warehouse, "This is the point where you can leave the program, if you want." Tori looked up to see Helen standing right inside the front door. Her eyes widened as the larger than life woman walked towards where she and Kira sat.

"I thought you said that there was no changing my mind, no backing out." Tori asked as she eyed Helen skeptically.

"I know what I said honey. Listen, you have made it a lot farther than most potential agents." Doubt crossed Tori's face at those words as she remembered that weekend not too long ago.

"Most people don't get through the first weekend." Helen said, seeming to know Tori's thoughts. "The trainers have the right to stop their actions if they feel that the trainee cannot handle anymore. Kira seemed to know that you could make it all the way. Joe wasn't so sure but she must have changed his mind or you wouldn't be back in The Facility right now."

Tori looked over and met Kira's eyes. The half American/half Chinese woman gave her a small smile and nodded her head in agreement with Helen's words.

"I know I said that there was no changing your mind but this is your last real chance." Helen said before pausing for a moment.

"Tori, we cannot force you to have that chip implanted. But, if you choose not to than you are automatically out of the program. I picked you for this because of your ability to think outside the box. You are a problem solver, quick thinking and able to adapt easily to a lot of different situations. In my opinion, you could be a real force to be reckoned with but you have to make the decision first. To chip or not to chip, that is the question." Helen uttered, chuckling slightly at her joke as Tori and Kira rolled their eyes.

Tori pondered her decision for a few moments. "Are there any bad side effects?" She asked, looking back and forth between the two women.

"Occasionally they malfunction." Kira answered which earned her a glare from Helen. "Well, she has a right to know." Kira retorted to the woman's silent command to keep her mouth shut.

"We have had a couple of instances where people have gotten hurt due to these malfunctions but the chance of that happening is very slight. We hope you agree that the small risk is more than worthwhile for the rewards you will gain from the implantation." Helen stated as she attempted to give Tori a somewhat motherly smile.

"Well, it doesn't sound like I have much of a choice. This thing can be taken out after it is implanted, right?"

"Of course, you would have to have a minor surgery to remove it, but it most definitely can be removed."

"Oh god…I hope this is the right thing to do." Tori pondered aloud as she furrowed her brow and looked up at Helen.

"Okay, let's do this." Tori said with finality in her voice

"You made the right choice honey." Helen said as a sly smile crossed her face. Finally noticing that Kira had paper towels stuffed up her nose, Helen grew concerned.

"Kira baby, what happened to your nose?"

"Tori got in a good punch. I don't think it's broken though." Kira said as she gingerly felt the top of her nose. She then stood up and proceeded to walk around to the back of Tori's chair.

"Now Tori, I'm not gonna lie to you, this is going to hurt like a bitch. You should probably pull your hair up so I've got a very clear target."

Tori pulled her hair into a high bun with the rubber band she always kept around her wrist. She tried to keep her nerves under control but she felt herself begin to tremble violently at the thought of what was about to happen.

"Helen, can you hold her shoulders? She is shaking and I have to get this precisely right." Kira said as she sprayed a numbing agent on the black X she had made at the base of Tori's neck.

"Ahhhhh, cold." Tori whimpered at the sudden rush of cold wetness on her neck. Helen scooted the table over and went to stand in front of Tori. She placed her hands on the girl's shoulders and put pressure down in order to stop Tori's body from shaking so badly.

"Okay Tori." Kira said as she lined up the machine. "At the count of three I am going to inject you, okay?" Tori couldn't find her voice to speak so she simply nodded her head.

"One."

Maybe I should just tell them I change my mind, that I cannot do this. Tori questioned in her mind.

"Two."

Jesus Christ, what have I gotten myself into? Tori thought, truly beginning to panic.

"Three."

Before she could get a word out she felt something pierce the base of her neck and what felt like a screwdriver being jabbed into her. And that is when Tori Vega passed out.

A few minutes passed before Tori awoke. She opened her eyes to see Kira and Helen standing over her.

"How do you feel Tori?" Kira asked, obviously concerned over Tori's well-being.

"I guess I'm okay." Tori replied as she slowly sat up from the cot she had been placed on in her unconsciousness. Reaching up to touch the base of her neck, she flinched when her fingers brushed over the extremely tender area. She also felt the small lump where the chip was located.

"So that's it, you're done." Helen said brightly as she went to pick up her purse from the table nearby. "Well, I have other candidates to see so I'm off." Helen said before turning and walking to the door. "I'm proud of you baby girl." She called as she turned and grinned one more time at her newest agent.

"Thanks, I guess." Tori moaned, feeling her neck begin to throb where the chip had been implanted. "Is it going to feel like this forever?" She whined to Kira.

"No, the soreness should go away within a couple of days. Quit being such a baby." Kira teased Tori as she replaced "The Dream Maker" and relocked the box.

"Now, let's see if that little fucker works!" Kira exclaimed excitedly as she pulled Tori up from the table and back towards the training area.

Cue awesome training montage where Tori learns how to use all different types of weapons, how to speak numerous languages, how to fight using many styles of martial arts and all kinds of other cool things!

So Chapter 5…what did you guys think? I am getting ready to go out of town from March 24th through April 2nd and I won't have access to a computer. I am going to try to get at least one more chapter done before I leave though. And as always, read and review!