A/N: This story is dedicated to that one beautiful song 'Past the Mission' by Tori Amos.
Past the Mission: Time for another mission
Friend left a while ago. Martin is still up, late into the night. He's hunched over, barely sitting on the edge of his bed, by the bedside lamp. The lamp's light stains him in a hostile yellow tint, washing out his messy blonde hair, and sickened complexion. He sits, his body frozen, rereading over and over every word of his dad's last letter.
His last letter ever.
'My dearest daughter Diana,' the letter says, 'I'm writing back to let you know that I received your letter. I would also like to let you know that you are absolutely right. Those days when I wrote letters to people were far better than any email I could ever send in an instant! Writing letters, after all, was my specialty! I'm glad you found writing letters to be just as enjoyable. I'm also happy to hear that you and Martin are getting along well at school. Your mom and I are doing fine, but of course we miss you both very much! Here's an idea: this summer why don't we all go on a family vacation to Spain? We could tour the many beautiful cities there and at the same time catch up, right? Let me know if you two are available this summer. Love, your affectionate Dad, - Gerard.'
Martin's eyes become hard and dry, from tiredness. His parched eyeballs burn across the lids of his eyes as he continuously scans the running cursive script. It's so late into the night. It's not right. He stole this letter from Diana; it wasn't right. He stole his Dad's existence from Diana.
He remembers how easy it was. Diana had rushed over to him one day randomly at school. In her excitement, she pulled out the letter from her purse and allowed Martin to read. She was so excited. She hadn't even waited a second to register Martin's reaction to the letter. She ran off as she had a mission to write back to Dad immediately. It was only after a day had passed that she felt the need to ask Martin about where her letter went. Upon learning the news of Dad's death, just moments after receiving the letter from Diana, Martin locked the letter away in his desk drawer and kept it all a secret. Diana would forever blame him for losing it, but secretly she would blame herself. He would always know this. It makes him sick knowing that.
Dad's last written words linger, interchanging with the words Friend had told him earlier: "Come on, man. She needs to know. She's your sister."
Suddenly, a piercing, whirring noise arises. The sound comes from his state of the art watch, which is haphazardly tossed on top of a growing pile of dirty laundry on the floor.
Martin gives the watch a look of annoyance, and stares in silence, as it painfully drills its whining into his ears. Time for another mission.
With a limp hand, Martin sweeps his bedside table to grab his cell and dials for Diana.
He counts three rings.
"Martin?" Her genteel voice makes him quiver, all the while, the constant whining noise about him chokes him up.
"Diana, come meet me! We've got a mission!" With that, he curtly hangs up. He doesn't have the heart to say more. Java's call is next. The whining grows faint.
Martin scrambles to his feet, storms out the door of his dorm and attempts to trace the signal. He meets Java and Diana, moments later, running for him outside in the school's main parking lot.
"Signal here!" Java barks. He points to a random cluster of bushes that border the parking lot.
The portal is in the form of a round circle flat on the ground, neighboring the round bushes.
"Great, let's go!" Martin says.
In a single file, the trio drop themselves down into the portal, liquefying out of sight.
M.O.M. spins around on her chair, behind her desk, and faces the door in front of her. She glares up, eyeing the trio as they dawdle their way into her office. Her jet, black hair is slickly combed and frames her face elegantly. Her light complexion glows by her shiny, crisp white suit, even though it's so late in the night.
"Hello, agents," She says calmly. Her slender fingers circle a glazed, porcelain mug of coffee. "Glad, to see you all up at this late hour."
Martin looks like death. His bloodshot eyes bore like a zombie onto the woman in charge. Diana and Java mirror the same facial queue.
This unsettling scene makes M.O.M. clear her throat, and settle more upright on her chair. She continues, "Anyway, a tiny village in Spain is reporting a number of mysterious break ins. We think it might be paranormal in nature, due to traces of extraterrestrial phlegm left off at every crime scene. At this time, whatever it is, is not fully known. It is up to you three, to find that out."
"Wait, where did you say this was in?" Diana asks. Martin can't help but notice a familiar root of anticipation in her eyes. He knows what this mission means to her.
"Spain," M.O.M. replies.
It is then a large oval portal cracks near the trio in the room.
"I'm finally going to Spain…" Diana says. It should be excitement, but it's not. She exchanges a tender look with Martin. She is sad eyes and a weak smile.
Even in his tired state, his whole existence becomes swallowed up in her gaze. His heart melts. He curses the thoughts arriving in his mind. 'Yeah,' he thinks,' and you're probably wondering if you're still going with Dad.'
In front of M.O.M., it's so hard trying to resist the temptation to just hold her right there. He knows he can't. He loves her so much. She is the biggest love he's ever known, and the biggest lie he's ever kept.
"Goodbye, agents."
Immediately after M.O.M.'s farewell, Java runs into the oval portal first.
Shaking, Martin clasps Diana's hand. Her eyes widen with surprise at this abrupt display of affection. "Come on!" Martin huffs. He tugs on her arm forcefully.
Not caring to look back at M.O.M., Diana tightens her clasp in her stepbrother's hand and they both run into the portal together to Spain.