Black Emerald (on hold)

Chapter Three, Part One: Ayla

As the meeting entered its third hour, Ayla's excitement was all but gone. The weekly meetings were usually several hours long, but this one was more unbearable than most. The transcribed records rested in a neat stack in front of her, the original coded pages she had stolen beneath them. Team zero's meeting room was simple and bare, but nicer than most. As the operation's most skilled agents, the members of Team Zero possessed certain benefits, one of those being the nicest meeting room on the base. The room was large, big enough for the wooden meeting table as well as a second table, the surface of which was covered with records, maps, and assignments, the drawers filled with pages upon pages of Team Zero's accomplishments, going back nearly to the origin of the organization.

Her team leader stood at the front of the room, debriefing the team on ongoing missions. On the wall behind him hung a bulletin board covered with pinned up pages. Unlike most of the rooms on base, Team Zero's bulletin board was not covered in pinned records and assignments, but rather a sort of hierarchy. Each member's name was pinned in a pyramid with their current missions beneath. In truth, it was more like an assignment board, but Ayla felt otherwise. The slip of paper with her name, "Agent Winters", was painfully unadorned at the bottom of the pyramid.

Ayla turned her attention back to her team leader, Agent Hale, who had just finished debriefing the team on Agent Pierce's assignment. Agent Hale was the oldest member of Team Zero, tall and muscular, with sharp, dark eyes and black hair he kept shorn close to his head. Most agents preferred to keep their hair short, which was another thing that separated Ayla from the others. She preferred to keep her hair long, although she almost always kept it back in a ponytail, which now fell over her shoulder as she leaned forward to study the papers in front of her again. Agent Pierce, on the other hand, the only other woman on Team Zero, had a short, sharp, platinum blond bob. She was pale and so small Ayla initially wondered how she was ever accepted into the academy. Now Ayla knew better than to be deceived by appearances. Agent Pierce's purple magic was more powerful than almost anyone Ayla had seen, besides herself.

With Agent Pierce's debrief over, Agent Hale turned his frigid gaze to Jacon.

"Agent Porter, do you have any new insights into your target?" Agent Hale asked, his tone implying that he assumed Jacon did not have any information to bring to the table.

Jacon glanced accusingly toward Ayla and began to address Agent Hale, "No sir--"

Ayla interrupted him, "Actually, sir, I have something."

Agent Hale raised his eyebrows at her, irked at her breaking protocol. But Ayla thought he might have looked a little impressed with her, too.

"Last night, I was able to obtain some papers from the target. They were written in code, of course, but I transcribed them all," she gestured to the stack in front of her. Jacon looked murderous now. Ayla continued, "Mostly they are records of meetings, but a few outline plans for future meetings and some even have ideas for causing unrest in the city."

She pushed the papers down the table toward Agent Hale, who frowned. "What code was used?" He asked without looking at her.

Ayla described the simple cipher that she uncovered. At this, Jacon smiled, but Ayla was prepared.

"It is obviously a trap, sir. Once again, this girl has done nothing. Useless," Jacon spat.

Ayla almost flinched at his words, but she hid her reaction. "I agree," she said, holding eye contact with Jacon, challenging. She turned to Agent Hale again, "It is certainly a trap, sir, but why create a trap for no reason?"

"What are you saying, Agent Winters?" he asked slowly, still shuffling through the papers.

"I am saying the fact that this is a trap in no way degrades the quality of the proof provided that this man is, in fact, connected to a rebel group right here in Akarda. Why would an ordinary citizen set a trap for us? An ordinary citizen would not even be aware they had drawn our attention," Ayla sat back in her chair, satisfied with her reasoning. It appeared Agent Hale was as well.

"As true as that may be, Agent Winters," he finally looked at Ayla, "you broke protocol when you did not bring these records directly to Agent Porter. Protocol must be adhered to, always. Do you disagree?"

"No, sir," Ayla admitted. Clearly, her proof of rebels in the capital would not be enough to allow her to escape punishment.

"You will face consequences for this infraction. Regardless," Agent Hale pulled out a thin folder and set it on the table, "you have received an assignment,"
The room was silent for a count of three. Ayla was stunned,staring at the folder. Jacon looked incredulous.

"But, sir, she broke protocol. She should be punished, not rewarded! This is ludicrous," Jacon sputtered.

"This is none of your business, Agent Porter. Agent Winters' assignment is not under my jurisdiction," Agent Hale said, with a tone that shut down any further arguments.

Not under his jurisdiction?

The Commander. This assignment must have come from the Commander himself. Ayla felt a simultaneous swell of pride and fear. Agent Hale handed her the folder, and Ayla spent the rest of the meeting fighting her impulse to immediately open it and consume its contents.

Leaving the meeting room, Ayla stepped to the side of the hall and opened the mission folder, leaning against the wall as she scanned the pages. Her first real mission. There wasn't much in the folder, just the basics. She was assigned to find and capture the rebel leader in Maderna, the most recent country Kellarus had invaded and annexed. She was scheduled to leave tomorrow, short notice, but nothing she wasn't used to. There was some other information about accommodations and potential targets that could lead her to the leader of the rebel group.

Ayla stopped reading. Frantically, she flipped back through the pages, confused.

A mistake. It has to be.

She had been assigned a partner. Ayla Winters did not need a partner. She was the best. She was perfect. She was practically a legend.

She turned back towards the meeting room, barely noticing how the rushing crowd parted around her in fear. She stalked back to the room, anger lacing her whole body tight. She stopped in front of the door and took a calming breath. Then she pushed the door open. Agent Hale looked up from where he was organizing the records from the meeting.

"Sir," Ayla began, "I don't mean to bother you, but I think there has been a mistake,"
Agent Hale turned toward her fully, "A mistake?" He held out his hand, and Ayla turned over the mission folder silently. She bounced on the balls of her feet as he read over the assignment.

Agent Hale shook his head, "Looks to be correct to me. What is the problem, exactly?"

"It says I have been assigned a partner. From Team 264," she placed emphasis on the number. If she had to deal with a partner, they should at least be on a single digit team.

"Yes," Agent Hale agreed, "But what is the problem exactly?"
Did Ayla have to spell it out for him?

"I've been assigned a partner. I don't need a partner, I am perfectly capable of completing this mission on my own," She insisted.

Agent Hale almost looked like he was about to laugh. Ayla's anger rose. A tendril of magic wound around her finger, and Agent Hale paled. Ayla suppressed her magic.

"Listen, I have no control over this assignment. It came directly from the Commander. If you want to talk to him about it, I'm sure something can be arranged. Other than that, there is nothing I can do for you," Agent Hale handed the folder back to Ayla.

"That will not be necessary," Ayla took the folder and left the room. 

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The first part of chapter 3! Did you like it? I just want to say thank you thank you thank you all so much for 1,000 reads and for making Black Emerald such a success! I never expected it to do so well and I am so so thankful!

So now that you have met both Ayla and Kaia you can take this quiz: https://quiz.tryinteract.com/#/5fda6b46d5cde30016cf1e4c to find out who you are more like! (I will put one in the comments you can click on) Comment and tell me who you got!

Who do you think Ayla's partner is? Any predictions for how the mission will go?