May POV

I rubbed my eyes tiredly, damn this stupid facility, forcing me to stay up until ungodly hours of the morning doing its bidding. I was so sluggish; I'd barely gotten any sleep the night before due to the mission I had to go on. As of late, Dawn was now part of out team which meant we had an extra agent with us to help get the missions done faster.

I was glad that she'd been put into our team; the bluenette seemed to have quickly grown on all of us during these passed few months.

I eventually stopped my spacing out as the corridor I was making my down was becoming less and less deserted. There was a tension in the air as the entrance exams were starting tomorrow.

They seemed to change the subject of the theory work which needed to be completed for it every year so that the older students could not help the younger ones. This however was not the case with the last test. The last one was always the same, it was the most disgusting and scarring of all of the tasks. It was a fight to the death.

They took the theory exams and marked them up, using the answers to pair similar people up with each other. Only one came out of the fight, and that one got to stay.

"Oof," I muttered, rubbing my head as I sat rather dazed on the cold floor below.

"Awfully sorry," I heard a voice mutter. I cracked open one of my closed eyes and let out a gasp. I never forget a face, especially one who I'd captured in one of my previous missions; it was almost like a punishment for ruining their lives.

Misty and May had both already made it into the house of their target, from the pictures they had been shown before hand, he was a bald, elderly man with a long white moustache. "Be careful girls, he's awake and sitting in the kitchen which is down the hall and the room to the left." Leaf's voice crackled through the ear-piece both of the young women were wearing. Misty nodded her head as the two swiftly made their way silently towards the kitchen. They both pressed themselves against the wall on either side of the open door. They pulled their scarfs further up their face as May rolled a small metal object inside the room. Thick grey smoke erupted from it and the man inside instantly leapt up from his chair and began to cough violently. The girls sprinted into the room and Misty began to leap for the man but pulled away to narrowly avoid being stabbed in the stomach with a small metal dagger.

"You're the…" I began to stutter; this was new for me, I'd never seen my victims ever again and so I wasn't exactly mentally prepared as I gingerly made my way back onto my feet.

"Ah yes," the man stated, rearranging the dark glasses which previously sat askew on his nose. His long moustache seemed much less kempt than when I first saw him, which may have been due to the poor living conditions he was likely residing in. His right hand was completely bandaged up and I wondered what wound could have been hiding under the material.

"You're the young girl who brought me to this place, are you not?"

"I am," I replied uneasily.

"I see… Well, I do have to thank you to some extent, the research happening in this company is most amazing," He then seemed to glance down at his arm and wince, "My name is Blaine," he added shortly afterward.

"May…" I said, feeling rather stunned as the old man waved with his good hand and seemingly continued on his way. This was very weird; I wondered what the company could be doing to go to the extent of allowing an enemy to assist us.

The rest of the day quickly passed and I had trouble sleeping due to the entrance exams happening the next day. Max wasn't exactly the best fighter compared to his peers and if he was paired up with a much stronger opponent…

I shook my head; I needed to think positively because the thoughts currently going through my head were just getting me down.

"Listen, if you get into a head lock, you know what to do don't you?!" I frantically spewed out questions as Max rolled his eyes.

"You really need to stop worrying May, I'll be alright!" He exclaimed cheerfully. I could tell he was trying to be brave, for my sake more than his own. I sighed, pulling him in for one last hug. "It'll be fine," he repeated quietly into my shoulder before pulling away and heading into the examination room without looking back.

I stood in the same spot for a while, chewing desperately on my already bitten down nails. If he was to fail this test, he'd be killed right away and wouldn't even be given the chance to fight.

"Has he gone in?" Someone asked from behind me. I was slightly surprised at first as I never heard anyone come into the room I was in. I simply nodded as a taller figure walked over to stand next to me.

I could feel his eyes on me yet I didn't move from the position in which I was in. He put his hand on my bandanna-less head and ruffled up my hair in a comforting way.

"Hey, it'll be okay May, he is a resilient kid," Drew said. I looked over at him then, masking my uncertainty with a bright smile.

"I know he can do it, he's my brother after all!" Drew then returned my smile and we walked out of the make shift waiting room together. "You know," I said once we were nearing the dorms. "I kinda want to be alone for a while," I announced, stopping as we came across mine and Dawn's room. Drew nodded in understanding and waited as I grabbed my key from my pocket and unlocked the door.

I entered with a sigh, closing it again after me and slid down the dark wood. I buried my face in my hands yet I didn't cry; I just sat like this for a good ten minutes. I knew Dawn was out; she'd told me she was spending the Saturday with Kenny and Leona as she'd caught up with her studies for once. I eventually got back up and made my way over to the mini fridge which was stationed over by our small table accompanied by two, wooden chairs.

I pulled out the milk jug and poured myself a class of the white liquid. I needed to do something to keep my mind off of everything that had happened and so I turned on my 'second hand' 3DS and began the 'Fire Emblem' game which had so helpfully been left inside. You eventually learned that if you wanted anything, stealing from your victim's houses was the best way to do it as they provided little entertainment from the small shop bellow.

Dawn POV

I gently shut the door of Leona's room and continued down the hallway, spotting Drew standing outside out door.

"What's up?" I asked curiously, coming to a halt once I was opposite him as I placed my hands on my hips. I couldn't help but think his worried expression had something to do with May.

"Oh nothing," he said, bringing his hand through his grassy hair. "In all honesty, I was just waiting for you,"

"For me?" I asked in surprise, as I was sure that he'd be there for May.

"Yeah, May said she'd like to be alone, so I was just waiting to warn you," he explained. "Would you like to grab a coffee or something while we wait?" He asked with a smile, "I kind of need to get my mind off things,"

"Ah, sure!" I exclaimed, knowing exactly what he meant as I too was more than worried for Max; he'd almost become like a younger brother to me during the time I'd known him. I gave him a heartening smile and we began to walk towards the lounge room where students and agents alike liked to spend their free time. It was a rather cosy place, despite this being a building full of what I could only describe as evil.

Brown leather sofas sat around tables along with comfy wooden chairs. The bar was full of different foods and drinks, slightly nicer than the ones we were provided at the mess hall. Drew and I sat down at either end of a small table, it was quite nice, I'd never really had a proper conversation with the boy, mainly because he was Paul's room mate and I felt that it'd feel awkward if I visited them in their dorm like I did every now-and-again Ash and Gary.

"It's really nice to see you and May finally getting on a little better," I commented with a smile.

"It is nice," he said genuinely, "It's just so easy to tease her, and her reactions are the best. I have to admit I did miss that,"

I laughed, leaning back comfortably in my chair. They really were quite adorable together, not to mention the fact that they tended to bicker like an old married couple when they were together.

"What would you like? I'll go up and order now," Drew said, standing up and passing me a menu.

"I'll just have a hot chocolate," I answered after a brief examination of the foods and drinks they provided. He nodded and joined the back of the short line, awaiting his turn to order. I silently wondered what May was up to, I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't even slightly worried about her; I didn't have any sibling of my own, but I knew how much Max meant to her and considering they'd lost both their parents, if he was to go as well…

I shook my head, refusing to let the negative thoughts consume me; the two had, after all, been practicing for weeks, if not months for this day. There was no way in hell that Max would fail.

I turned to see Drew scooting through the crowd, being careful so that the two drinks he held didn't spill. I smiled thankfully and took mine from him, relieving him of his task.

"Thanks very much!" I exclaimed, blowing on the warm liquid.

"Don't mention it," he said cockily with a flick of his bangs. We talked for over half and hour before I'd decided that it was about time I should go and check on May.

"We should do this again," I commented as we walked out of the room.

"Of course, it was fun!" Drew replied, flashing me a toothy grin. We parted ways as he headed toward his room and me my own.

I slowly opened the door, poking my head in to find that May was no-where to be seen. I frowned as I shut the door, turning my head around the corner with a sigh of relief as I spied the brunette sitting at our table, 3DS in hands.

"Hey," I greeted, coming over to sit in the chair opposite her. May looked up from her game with a bright smile plastered to her face.

"Hi Dawn," she replied, giving me a quick wave before she turned back to her game, seeming to shut out the rest of the world entirely. I sighed and shook my head, slowly making my way over to the sofa to pick up the leather bound book sitting on one of the cussions.

I didn't read it, I just sat on the couch and watched May, deep in thought. I wondered what was going on in her head right now, she was an amazing actor, I had to give it to her. The only problem was she was far too cheery for the situation she was currently in, that was the only flaw in her disguise.

"You know May, if you need to, you can talk to me," I mentioned.

"I'm alright Dawn, no need to worry, right?" She said, turning to me with an almost reassuring smile. I smiled weakly in return; knowing that she was tyring to be strong so that we wouldn't worry.

Leaf POV

Thoughts of May clouded my mind as I mercilessly beat the heavy punching bag in the empty gym. I was concerned for her, yet I knew that she'd most likely want to be alone right now. I'd wanted to go and see her, but I couldn't bring myself to do so, knowing exactly how she felt.

I eventually stopped, my breathing becoming ragged as I slid down the wall at the back of the room, bringing my knees to my chest and placing my head on my crossed arms. May wasn't the only one on my mind, he was as well, and it really wasn't helping my concentration.

My head suddenly snapped up to the sound of the double doors at the other end of the large room opening. I spied a familiar mass of spiky, brown hair and internally grimaced. I watched him from my place on the floor; he was in a loose fitting, white tee-shirt and navy tracky-bottoms, water bottle in hand. He was obviously coming here to train, thankfully not to flirt with me.

He suddenly stopped as he got closer, his bright blue eyes finally landing on my small figure and widening a fair bit before a small smile graced his lips.

"Hey leaf," he called, slowly making his way over to me. I didn't respond and merely turned away from him, waiting for him to reach me. I couldn't be bothered to get up and leave just yet; I'd do that if things got too weird.

"What are you doing here?" He asked once he was standing over me. I sighed and allowed myself to look up at him.

"Nothing much," I answered simply with a shrug of my shoulders.

"Have you seen May yet?" He questioned, moving to sit down beside me, tilting his head to the side in curiosity.

"Ah no, not yet, although I do hope she's okay," I confessed, playing with the hem of my lime green tank absentmindedly.

"I see," he muttered, resting his head against the wall. We sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, and in all honesty, it surprised me. He'd actually gone more than two minutes without trying to hit on me for once.

After a while, I decided to get some more training done, and there really was no reason why Gary couldn't help me. I got up and chucked a pair of focus mitts at him which smacked him right in the face, causing me to giggle.

"You really need to work on them reflexes Oak; I thought you were part of an elite team!" I teased good naturedly. He smirked back at me as he stood up, placing the mitts over his hands.

"I was merely trying to make you feel better about yourself, Green. I mean, I it can be rather intimidating being in the same room as me."

I rolled my eyes, trying, and failing to hide a smile which pulled at the corners of my mouth. I began punching at the centre of the thick padded gloves, his hands recoiling at each blow. I allowed my eyes to wander to his face which appeared to be scrunched up in concentration.

I enjoyed our moments like this; it was almost like we were when we were kids and it was really refreshing. He quickly noticed my staring and gave me a small smile, causing me to look back down to where the gloves were.

We stayed like this for a good hour, swapping over every few minutes so that we both benefited from the work out. Eventually, I decided that I'd had enough and I went to take a swig of the water bottle I'd brought along with me.

"So, how are you holding up then?" Gary asked gently, coming up behind me as I froze mid swallow. I slowly put the bottle down and turned to face him, my defences quickly coming back up and the cold demeanour I usually showed him replacing my previous, almost carefree attitude.

"That's none of your business." I said stiffly, quickly shoving the bottle into my blue bag and hauling it over a shoulder, preparing to make my escape. I really didn't have the strength to deal with the topic I knew he was heading towards.

"I know that it'll have been seven years tomorrow," he muttered, causing the grip I had on my backpack to tighten considerably and my eyes to squeeze shut. "You know, if you're not alright I'm here for you,"

I simply pushed passed him and quickly made my way over to the door, not wanting to discuss anything further on the subject. I'd managed to lock away all the pain that day had caused, deep down within my heart, and I really didn't want him setting it free. It was already pounding at its prison walls and I didn't need him making matters worse, it'd just be easier for me it he'd let it go.

May POV

I paced around the room in which students of all ages were situated, nervously waiting for the hopeful return of their siblings. Dawn and Drew had insisted they come along with me, wanting to see Max if, no, when he came out.

"Calm down May, it's going to be alright," Dawn said gently, coming over to my side and placing a hand on my shoulder as she tucked one of her navy bangs behind an ear. "Come and sit down with us,"

I violently shook my head, shrugging away from her hold and continuing to walk briskly up and down the room. From the corner of my eye I saw Dawn and Drew exchange a worried look and I sighed; I really hated to burden my friends with my fear so I complied to Dawn's previous request and took the seat next to Drew.

Dawn shot me a small smile and sat back down in her own seat on my other side. Some of the people were aimlessly chatting, obviously trying to distract themselves from the heavy matter at hand, whereas other sat quietly, either staring off into space or fiddling with something.

My knee began to bounce up and down, but I couldn't help it. I'd never been one to sit quietly and wait, especially during very serious matters such as this one. I kept my eyes locked on the door which lead to the room Max and the rest of his year group were sitting in. Not only would it be a test of knowledge, but also one of speed. I knew from experience that a certain number of people would have to be eradicated, so only the fastest with over a certain percentage of answers correct would be coming out of here alive. Max had to be one of them, he just had to.

Eventually, after what seemed like hours, children began to slowly make their way out of the room, each one looking grim but also rather relieved. I immediately stood up and Dawn, Drew, along with many of the others waiting followed suit.

I stood on my tiptoes, trying to spy my brother's mop of inky blue hair. My hopes slowly began to dwindle as the mass of kids began to subside. There was no sign of him. Dawn was frantically searching the crowd and Drew was no longer within my range of sight, I just stood in place, staring hollowly at the tacky red carpet below me.

I'd lost all hope; he'd somehow lost and now I was alone in this sick excuse of a world I was living in, I felt empty inside, like someone had taken the part of me which was able to feel and replaced it with something cold and hard.

Suddenly, I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist and I jumped in surprise. Gingerly, I turned around and spied a familiar shade of blue. My eyes began to fill with tears and I ripped away from the person, turning to squeeze the very life out of them.

"You idiot!" I yelled through the sobs as I clung onto him, scared that if I was to let go he'd disappear before my very eyes. "You should have been the very first to come out of that god damned room!" I said, my voice faltering as I allowed the tears to fall freely. Suddenly that feeling of nothingness had been replaced yet again with that of pure joy and relief.

"I'm sorry," he muttered into my shoulder, clinging onto me just as tightly as I was him. "I was shoved to the back and I… I'm sorry I worried you so,"

I shook my head, just glad that he'd come out of there alive. We eventually parted and were greeted with the supportive smiles of two of my best friends. I'd never admit it anyone, especially him, but I once again saw Drew as one of my oldest and closest friends, and honestly I was glad I'd gotten over my stubbornness and forgiven him.

"Welcome back Max," Dawn said with a grin, bringing him in for a hug while Drew ruffled his hair affectionately.

"We new you could do it buddy," he exclaimed, folding him arms over his chest.

"Hey I know!" I called excitedly, clapping my hands together and gaining the attention of my brother and friends. "We could all go and grab something to eat at the lounge to celebrate!" I was met with good natured eye rolls and a smirk from Drew.

"I reckon if you don't cut down on your calorie intake soon, you'll get fatter than you already are," the greenette said arrogantly, smirking as I glowered at him; my happy demeanour completely changing in an instant. Oh how I wanted to rip that expression right off of his pretty little face.

"Well at least I'm not a skinny little runt like you, grass head." I retorted as my eyes narrowed.

"I'm just glad I'm not air headed like you, March," He said, my last comment not seeming to phase him at all as his expression never changed. He took a step forward, using his taller stature to his advantage and looking down at me with what could only be described as amusement.

"Now, now," Dawn interrupted just as I was about to make my comeback, pulling me back a few steps as Max sweat dropped. "We can all go down to the lounge to have a drink and celebrate at least, what do you say Max?" She asked, turning to my brother.

"Sounds alright to me," he replied with a smile. The two bluenettes headed out a few paces in front of me. I turned back to see Drew following me, his hands in his pockets. I stuck my tongue out at him in a huff and hurried over to Dawn's side as he chucked and caught up with my brother.

So, tell me what you thought of this chapter, I've decided I really need to elaborate more on the relationships and interactions people have with each other, so I'm figuring out how to have mini snippets of 'filler' kinda stuff here and there, and I've started the next chapter and it seems alright.

And this is just a heads up for the future guys, however I don't really know how soon this may affect everything. Basically I'll be doing this course for (most likely) the rest of my school career which will all in all, be making me work much harder than the regular curriculum. Long story short, I'll be given work which will better prepare me for uni yada yada yada. Now, due to the fact that (much to my dismay) I only have a week left of the holidays, I'm not quite sure if I'll be able to update as often. I'm also going away with my family for this week as well, however I'll try and get some writing done during this time anyways.

I seriously hope that I'll still be able to update often, I'm just not entirely sure of the workload I'll be given then. I'm so very sorry in advance if this disrupts the fortnight posting ritual I seem to have acquired, but I will try my very best to post on time anyway as I have grown rather fond of this story, not to mention once this is finished, I have others planned for the future!

As always, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and sorry for the rather long author's note, I just wanted to warn you all in advance my dear readers!

~X-Ray