Breaking News: “Comrades, we just received news that the Resistance has blown up our beloved sports stadium today. Within a weeks time, it was set that celebrations for the glorious founding of the Party was to take place there. No casualties reported…….”

Jessica stood by all her colleges watching the special Party report, “This is the first time they are not wrong, we did blow it up.” Turning to see people at the work sigh in relief, “At least they are not reporting any deaths.”

Jessica nodded thinking the plan went well, “Okay everyone back to work!” Seohyun’s voice could be heard echoing throughout the office space, “We have to write about this story and the integration of Resistance members coming back here. We want to do a special piece to help them along…Jessica you are new here, I want you to take on that task.”

Jessica watched a bit more of the report, seeing the damage to the building wondering where the events for the 30^th would be moved to.

“Jessica? Are you listening to me?”

Breaking from her thoughts, Jessica quickly turned around to face Seohyun, “Yes mam.”

Seohyun sighed in frustration, “We have a lot of work to do and you are daydreaming? I said write an integration piece for the undercover members coming to live down here again.”

“Yes mam.” Jessica repeated although Seohyun was younger than her, she did give off a strong aura that she didn’t want to mess with.

Eventually everyone dispersed from the Party updates and went back to work. They had a lot of news to cover for the newspaper and needed to meet their deadline.

With the new training schedule, work was harder than usual and the struggle to meet tight deadlines, was stressing out the workers. The use of guns made this war look a lot more real than it ever felt before. Jessica is just lucky that her training in the Party has prepared her for most of the training that the Resistance is now requiring. It is not her first time holding a gun.

~Several years ago~

“Keep both eyes open! Watch for the recoil so keep your elbow locked!”

Poised, Jessica cocked her gun and shot three rounds one after the other at the target. With a smirk, Jessica put down her gun as the instructor came by to see all three shots dead center, “As expected Jung.”

Taecyeon looked over at Jessica’s target and then back at his, “How did you do that? It doesn’t seem like you aim.”

Jessica laughed seeing how spread out Taecyeon’s rounds were, “Do you need some advice?”

Taecyeon laughed, “No. Today was just a bad day.”

Jessica set down her gun and disassembled it before cleaning out the barrel, “I am going to lunch are you coming?”

Taecyeon frowned as he looked at his target, “I will stay a while. See you later Comrade Jung.”

“Don’t work too hard. Your hands will get blisters.” Jessica finished cleaning her equipment before handing it back in to another student and walked out of the dingy basement where combat training was held. The sun blinded the girl at first but her eyes adjusted enough to see her friends heading towards the cafeteria.

Running ahead, Jessica caught up with them, “Comrade Goo, are you going to lunch?”

The girl flipped her hair and flashed a smile, “Comrade Ok stood you up? He usually follows you around.”

Jessica laughed, “It seems he is struggling with the armed weapons course.”

The girl shook her head, “I heard he wanted to get into security. Students need nearly perfect marks on the combat training courses.”

Jessica followed behind as they entered the student cafeteria, “I heard the same. He must really want that job after we graduate. I told him that there are other jobs that don’t have such strict combat skill requirements.”

Comrade Goo nodded as she took a tray filled with food, “Yes. Your father is in Defense. It is close to Security but without the combat…I think it is strange that you want to follow your father’s footsteps when you could easily make it into Security. It is no secret that your marks are high. Even the instructors are impressed with your gun and knife skills. Perhaps you should help Comrade Ok?”

“He refuses. A man’s ego is something.” Jessica took her tray of food and followed her friends to a table, “He is determined so I wouldn’t worry much about it.”

“This is true. Remember when we were growing up and he was just learning his father’s business?”

Jessica nearly spit out her milk, “Yes. Every time I went to the bakery with my parents, we would smell the burnt bread.”

“But now, he is very good at it. I think he is a bit clumsy but finds his way eventually.”

Jessica smiled fondly at the memories, “Yes.”

The other girl smirked at Jessica, “You have feelings for him don’t you?”

“What?”

“Oh come on. You don’t need to hide it from me. He is a great guy. A good catch. Although his family doesn’t have status like ours, he will be a good supporter after graduation.”

Jessica waved off the idea, “He and I are just good friends.”

“Good friends can make a loyal and supportive husband. You should think about it some more. I think your dad would approve.”

“That is silly talk. We are here to focus on our skills to contribute to the Party and defend our nation against the Resistance. Who has time for love?”

“Even in times of war, love exists.”

Jessica shoved some food into as she gave it some thought but her head kept telling her no. Taecyeon has been with her since she was young, there is no way he is more than just a brother.

“After lunch I am going to study for the next exam, did you want to come?”

Jessica stopped her daydreaming, “Which exam?”

“I know it is a way off but I wanted to make sure I did well on the next technology lab. I am not so good with coding and programing portion.”

“I think I will go to the gym. I am not so concerned with that exam.”

“You always do well with exams but I am not so lucky. I need to study. I wish I could be a fraction as smart as you.”

Jessica laughed, “I work hard too. I just have little interest in the technologies courses. I don’t think new inventions will solve our problems with the Resistance. When the war starts, what is going to matter is if you can survive a bullet.”

“There are other ways to win. Fighting can also be done with the mind. I enjoyed the interrogation techniques we learned last year. I wish to do more courses on that.”

“I find it a waste of time. The Resistance has been allowed to survive this long because the Party is too afraid to act. Eventually we will go to war and the Resistance will have recruited more members. I believe the Party made the mistake to let them live this long. If it were me, I would have bombarded them with all the artillery we have until not a single one was alive.”

“Comrade Jung I would not want to be on the other side of your gun.”

“Lucky for you, I am with the Party. The only gun I will be pointing is one to the head of the Resistance.”

Sitting at her desk, Jessica adjusted herself in her seat as if to write something but her mind was back on the report from the Party. She didn’t know why she kept thinking back to it or why she cared so much. She was with the Resistance now and she knew why they blew up the stadium. However, thinking back to her training, she wondered what kind of action the Party would make. Retaliation would have to come, but where and when? The thought worried her.

However, those thoughts were quickly diminished when she spotted Seohyun making rounds again and her fingers quickly started to type away.

-----------------

Mr. Ok came up to Taeyeon and put his hand on her shoulder, “The ravishes of war are never fair.”

Taeyeon wiped the tears away from her face, “I know.”

“I don’t want to give you hope because the situation looks grim, but we can’t be sure they are gone…”

Taeyeon shook her head, “I don’t want that kind of hope. I held onto something similar when the train accident happened and was crushed even more when I saw the truth with my own eyes. I accept Yuri and Siwon are no longer with us…”

“You really have matured a lot since I was gone. Sometimes when I look at you, I still see the little girl I picked up from the road.”

Taeyeon giggled, “You have matured a lot since then too. You have become more brave and taken Party members and converted them to the Resistance instead of manipulating the mind of the young.”

“I still do that too. The Party was the one who started recruiting the young so I thought to save these young souls before that happened. Plus, you looked like you needed a warm home.”

Taeyeon found herself smiling again, “What you gave me was more than just a home. You gave me a family.”

The man patted Taeyeon on the back, “I wish I could have done more to keep that family safe.”

Taeyeon nodded, “More than anything, I wish that too.”

“Talking about family…Taecyeon is here.”

Taeyeon looked up in surprise, “Why?”

The man shrugged, “He came on his own. I have a feeling many Resistance members will not accept his return. He has been in the Party for most of his life.”

“Has he been vetted?”

The man gave Taeyeon a stern look, “I know where his loyalty is. You look after him. I have other matters to attend to. With Taecyeon’s return, we have other matters to look into now. You may have thought we made the first move with the stadium, but I am afraid the Party has acted ahead of us.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means, the return of Taecyeon is not welcomed by Level 1 either. Keep him safe.” The man handed Taeyeon keys, “Go talk to him.”

Taeyeon took the keys, “of course.”

Getting up the man groaned, “I may not see you for a while. Changsung might be giving out my orders again.”

Taeyeon nodded, “I understand.”

The man gave Taeyeon a warm smile and nodded as he walked away.

Taeyeon watched the man leave the room before she got up out of her seat. The room she was in was long emptied from the bustle of those that were there before. The meeting was long and her team was sent to the infirmary soon after.

This mission has thrown the whole Resistance into chaos. Although death is not new to the Resistance, a mission of this magnitude was not something the Resistance pursued in many years. Also, the return of nearly all the undercover agents was not part of the original plan. Taeyeon was afraid too that the tables have turned into the Party’s favor once again. She couldn’t let that happen, even if she were to break all the bones in her body, Taeyeon would not let the Party win.

Tightening the grip on the keys in her hand, Taeyeon knew she needed to talk to Taecyeon.

Going down to the Level 1 room assignments, Taeyeon thought of different questions she wanted to ask the man that was hidden in the Party for so long. She need to know what strategies the Party wanted to use, how much firepower they had, manpower, and what they were willing to sacrifice for the victory.

With every step closer to the room, Taeyeon’s rage intensified. What were tears a few minutes ago, have now morphed into something close to vengeance.

When she reached the end of the hall, she inserted the key into the door and clicked it to unlock. Slowly she opened the door and stepped inside, but without a moment’s hesitation, she was pulled in and a knife was at .

The man stared into Taeyeon’s eyes with a dark intensity, “It has been a while Kim Taeyeon.”