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“WELCOME TO THE FAMILY, AGENT 61!”

 

It has been exactly 3 months after he was first presented to us and through this short training he has proven himself to be a worthy agent. Our team is currently celebrating a little party as his welcome celebration. Agent 01, our leader, was the one that planned it all, ‘at least make him happy before his hell starts,’ he said in our last group meeting.

With his entrance, our group now has a total of 10 members. Even in this tiny circle we still goes by our numbers. Names were only if you trust someone as much as you trust your life to them.

Agent 01 is our leader.

Agent 10 and agent 21 were the ones behind every plan. They’re the geeks, the brains.

Agent 04 and agent 99 is our physical combat specialist. Empty handed fighters at their best.

Agent 88 were our sniper. The calm before the storm.

Agent 12, 94, and I were fielders. We were the red hands, the executioner.

A little note about Twelve, he may seemed small, squishy, and a bit awkward, but when he’s on mission, like a switch has been flipped, he changes. He doesn't feel pity, he doesn't feel pain. He’s the true killer between us all.

Agent sixty-one were assigned to be a fielder with us, as agent 94’s identity were recognizable by a few of our enemies lately so he was to be put to rest for a while.

Oh, right, you must’ve noticed that I am the only female around. Thanks for your appreciation.

 

“Thanks, everyone. Please take care of me!” Sixty-one bowed and let a grin spread on his face.

Politeness. Not necessary in the business, to be honest, but it helps for new guys to blend in.

“You’ll do well, sixty-one,” agent Four said, tapping the taller’s shoulder.

Four is always the one that easily welcomes new members. I remember when Eighty-eight first joined, he was so shy at first, but with Four’s help, he blends soon enough. I’m sure it will be easier for Sixty-one.

 

Later that night was our first meeting with agent 61 present. Little does he know that his ‘first mission’ is actually just a mock mission to test him. The whole team planned this carefully, making the situation as real as possible.

Agent 61 will be assigned along with Ninety-four and I on a guerilla mission, capturing ‘a group of terrorist from the north’.

The ‘mission’ could go on for days. Back when 10 first came to the team, he was ‘captured’ and forced to make a plan for the ’enemy’. Ninety-four and Twelve were told to kill each other because ‘only one of you can enter the team’ as they both enter at the same time. Eighty-eight was commanded to shoot me, the ‘traitor’ of the team. Each of us were tested and each of us were proven loyal. It’s time for Sixty-one to prove himself.

 

It was the third day of the mission. Everything is according to plan; we got the location of the ‘terrorists’, the ‘ambush’ is gonna take place tomorrow, 94 is acting anxious but he won't tell any of us why. Everything went like how it’s supposed to be. It was our last meeting before the ‘ambush’ when a video was shown. A guy in a mask, pointing his rifle at a little girl who were crying badly, calling for her ‘oppa’, her big brother, to save her. That instant, Ninety-four, getting in his role, stood up, hit the table and gritted his teeth.

I smirked. Not bad, 94. Not bad at all.

Agent 01 shot a look at him, in which Ninety-four quickly turn his face away and slumped back at his seat, rubbing his temples in ‘stress’. Anyone would have already guessed that little girl is supposed to be his sister.

Our meeting that night ended like usual, with our ambush plan reviewed and corrected, perfected for our D-day. We were dismissed with Leader asking 94 to stay.

I approached him as soon as we leave the meeting room, “Good luck your first mission tomorrow”

“Thanks, agent Twenty-seven. You too,” he was a little nervous, I could tell by how his shoulders flinched a bit when he heard me calling for him. Save to say that 61 still believes that this mission is real and our ‘terrorist’ is dangerous as they now held hostage of someone important to one of the agents. “Relax, Ninety-four can take care of himself. You, in the meantime, should take care of yourself. Don't mess up tomorrow, eh?” I bid him goodbye.

 

“What do you think of him, Twenty-seven?” I met up with One a little later.

“So far he has been focused,” I shrugged. “We’ll see how he does on direct attack tomorrow.”

“Be careful tomorrow,”

“Come on, leader. It’s not like we’re actually on a mission!”

“Still, be careful. I don't want any of my team member injured.”

“Aye-aye captain!” I chuckled. “You're always too kind to us, Leader. Too trusting.”

“You guys trust yourself under my guidance, the least i can do is to trust each of you,” he smiled. Leader is always like that. Sometimes i wonder how a caring guy like him can lead a killing mission.

“Thanks, Leader. See you tomorrow,” I said as i waved him goodbye.

 

---

 

This mock mission is coming to an end. We’re now past the front rooms and were just outside the ‘ambush’ room. Sixty-one, Ninety-four and I were ready with our Glock 22 pistols waiting for commands from our base through our earpiece.

“27, 94, 61, you’re clear. You may proceed,” we all could hear agent Ten clearly.

On my cue, we broke open the door before us and barge in. Agent 61’s true test is starting.

We were welcomed by a deafening high pitched ring from our earpiece. All three of us took it off in an instant, moments before it blew up to tiny pieces.

 

First, losing our communication with the base.

 

The room we’re now in is pretty much empty, just a few abandoned furniture with another door to the right. Just then, a little girl’s scream was heard from behind the door; the same little girl from the video yesterday. 94 took a few steps ahead of us and turned, pointing his gun at me and 61.

 

Second, facing a fellow team member that turned against you.

 

“I’m so sorry,” agent Ninety-four said with a shaky voice, his gun alternating from me to Sixty-one.

“What. Are. You. Doing?” I put pressure on each of my words, gritting my teeth, pointing my gun back at him. I could see from the corner of my eye that agent 61 is confused, he lowered his gun, unsure where to point it at.

“I have to do this, I’m sorry,”

“Take control of yourself, Ninety-four. We will save her together!”

“No,” 94 huffed. “NO! They told me to come alone, only alone can she be save! And so i will come alone!” Ninety-four’s act is surely convincing. The sound of little girl screaming is louder. This time, the little girl sounded to really be in pain. Ninety-four turned at the door for a split second before his grip on his gun tightened, deciding to set his target on me, eliminating the bigger problem first.

“You’re a selfish little bastard, Ninety-four,” I took a step forward.

“DON’T MOVE!” Ninety-four shouted and shot at the floor, just inches from my feet. If you miss your shot and hurt me, 94, i swore you’ll be the one not moving.

“Stay back 61,” I said as 61 finally decided to set his aim at 94. Despite my instruction, he didn't back down and instead took his position a few steps beside me. Good start.

“Listen to her, new guy. Don’t get involved in this,” Ninety-four also warned him.

“N-no, I won’t. Yo-you’re in the way of the mission now, agent 94,” Sixty-one stuttered a little, but he was firm.

“You know you’ll be dead anyway, Ninety-four? You shouldn’t have done this,”

“They won’t kill me. They need me. And they’re watching,” Ninety-four briefly glanced at the surveillance camera at the corner of the room. “If i didn’t kill you two now, she’ll be killed,” he continued.

Acting quick, Sixty-one shot at the camera.

“And now they’re not watching anymore,” Sixty-one turned to aim at 94 again.

 

Back in the base, everyone is watching this little act through another hidden camera. Looking at 61’s first action, Leader chuckled. “That’s quite a response, big guy,” he muttered. Behind him, Four is laughing to himself, amused by the drama staged in front of him.

 

“Don’t do this, 94,” I took another step forward, only to receive another shot; a near miss through the side of my head. If i haven’t seen how accurate 94 can be, I wouldn’t trust him to do that.

“NINETY-FOUR! WHAT THE HELL?!” Sixty-one shouted.

“I TOLD YOU DON’T MOVE!!” he shouted back.

“You’re a traitor,” I threatened. Taking another step, another gunshot rang throughout the room.

I drop to the ground, letting gravity took control of my body, ‘blood’ gushing out from my chest.

“TWENTY-SEVEN!!” I heard Sixty-one shouted and rushed to kneel by my side. Whops, first mistake, new guy. Should have took care of 94 before taking care of me.

Agent Sixty-one turned and stood up, taking his stand against 94. Quick, Ninety-four shot another bullet just beside 61’s head. He flinched a bit, but it’s enough to see that he’s not scared of being hit.

 

“Disable him, agent 27. Don’t let him pull the trigger on 94,” I heard One’s order through my other earpiece. I opened my eyes and saw that 61’s finger is already lightly pulling his trigger. And so I took my taser gun out and proved that I’m worth the name of ‘shadow’. Sixty-one was out in a blink of an eye.

 

“Well done, agent 94, agent 27,”

“Thanks, Leader,” both of us answered to our earpiece.

“Now let’s proceed, shall we?”

We grinned at each other and high five-ed.

 

Third, life or death interrogation.

 

Agent 61 woke up in a room that was decorated to look like a dungeon. He was strapped, cuffed and chained to an inclined bed. In front of him was a tv screen, showing a masked man carrying an M4 carbine.

“Good evening, agent,” the masked man greeted him. “I see you’re awake now.”

“Who are you? What do you want?” agent Sixty-one grunted as he tried on his strains. It’s no use. The strain put on him was tight and complicated; there’s no way he’s breaking those.

“You don't know me, but I know you,” the masked man said. “The new recruit of the elite secret service. Agent 61. 23 years old. Living as a young street musician before you were recruited,” he continue, showing off how much he got control over the situation.

“Where am I?!”

“What good would it do if you know where you are?” he paused for a while. “I want information,” he emphasised on the very last word.

“You’re not gonna get anything from me,” agent 61 strongly reject.

“We’ll see about that,” the masked man clicked a switch. Something flickered on Sixty-one’s chest.

A time bomb.

10 minutes.

For a second, agent 61 looked surprised. But he regain control of himself and took a breath.

“I’m not scared to die,” he furrowed his eyebrow, meeting the masked man’s stare.

“I hear those a lot, before agents like you finally spill the beans anyway.” The masked man chucked and clicked another switch. The timer starts counting down.

09:59

09:58

09:57

“Tell me the location of your base,” the masked man made his first demand.

Agent 61 ignored the man and focused on the chains straining him down.

“It’s no use, agent. You’ll never break my chains,”

“Tell me your location, agent!!” the masked man continued to pressure him.

 

08:46

08:45

“You might wanna know what happened to your two ‘friends’,” the masked man switched the scene on the television. The picture showing me and agent 94, each with a bullet hole on our forehead.

“Twenty-seven. Ninety-four,” agent 61 hissed. It’s apparent that he’s now angry. Good. He’s not scared.

“You see what happened when you resisted,” the masked man’s voice was heard.

Even without continuing this interrogation, we can all see that agent 61 is strong on his ground.

The questioning continued with Sixty-one’s useless effort of breaking free and his sealed lips. Not a single information slipped from his tongue. Soon, the timer was nearing zero.

 

00:15

00:14

“Your last chance, agent,” the masked man offered calmly.

“Not. Gonna. Happen!!” agent Sixty-one shouted.

“Then you will blast to pieces.”

“I’d rather die,”

Until the last few seconds, 61 still tried to undo his chains.

 

00:03

00:02

“Goodbye, agent,” the masked man turned off his screen.

“Tch,” the last thing that came out of 61’s lips.

 

00:01

00:00

 

*POP!*

 

A mini confetti blast from the ‘bomb’ on his chest.

 

“Wha-?”

 

“CONGRATULATIONS AGENT 61, YOU’RE OFFICIALLY PART OF THE TEAM!!” the ‘dungeon’ door opens to reveal all 9 of us, clapping and cheering for him.

“EH? Wh-what? B-but…?” Sixty-one should see the look on his own face. The surprise, the fear, the confusion. I’ll remember that face for a long time.

“Ninety-four! Twenty-seven! You’re alive??! B-but-! but…!”

“Let’s get you out first, shall we?” Leader chuckled, he too seemed amused by his new member’s reaction. Bringing the keys and all sort of cutting equipment, agent 4 and agent 99 freed 61 from his strains.

“Whoa. What has just happened….”

“We’ll explain in the base. Now, come on, agent Sixty-one. You must’ve been hungry,” agent Twenty-one smiled and pulled the bigger guy along.

 

---

 

“Anything else you wanna know, Agent Sixty-one?” Leader asked.

“Okay, so let me review this. One, the mission is fake. There is no terrorist?” Sixty-one talked with his mouth half full thanks to Twelve and Ten’s cooking. “Two, that little kid is not agent Ninety-four’s sister but just an actor?” he continued after seeing all of us nodded. “Three, you’re not turning against us?” he looked at 94 with hopeful eyes, swallowing the last bits of grilled beef from his mouth.

“Of course not, pabo! I’m the Leader’s trusted right hand, aren’t I, Leader-nim?” Ninety-four grinned ear to ear after he earned a shrugged shoulder from One.

“Okay. Next, agent 27 is not dead. … Right, i could see that,” he continued himself after seeing how I was giving him the obvious look.

“Ya! Why are you only asking about Twenty-seven?! I was pictured dead too!” someone protested.

“Oh, shut it kid!” I roll my eyes at him.

“Then, agent 27 took me out with a taser gun; ‘the shadow’. And the man behind the mask is agent Twelve with a voice converter,” he paused to think. “Um.. How bad was I doing in trying to undo my chains?” he asked, worried.

“You’re doing just fine. With that much stuff straining you down, even our empty hand specialists, Four and Ninety-nine, might not be able to break free,” Ten explained, both mentioned agents nodded in approval.

“Oh…” Sixty-one rubbed the back of his head. I’m pretty sure his head wasn’t itchy.

“Any more question, agent 61?”

“I guess not… Wait. I passed, right?”

“Of course, boy. Except for that one mistake about agent 27, you’re doing perfectly well,” Leader smiled.

“Ah… Thank you. I will learn from my mistakes,” agent 61 slightly bowed to all of us.

“Now, let’s enjoy the night and eat!”

 

“WOOHOOO~!!”

 

“WELCOME, AGENT 61!!”

 

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