The scarlet case. (Futuristic four-spy AU)

Violet: A Fight

After we registered our squad name with Astrid, she assigned us a training routine, designed by Jack, and told us that was everything for today.

That was the beginning of a routine we've been trapped in for two weeks now. Penny is a fast learner and incredibly good at adapting. Her charismatic personality made her an ideal choice for Merida, and the old spy announced her mentorship with pride. I know Penny is a friend and that I should be proud of my own achievements instead of being jealous of hers, but, then again, this girl arrived two weeks ago with little to no experience, while I've been here my whole life.

Ever since Merida's announcement I've been on a foul mood. I know it's unfair to say but I suspect Hiro had something to do with the mentorship. After all, he is Hiccup's apprentice and everyone knows he has a crush on Penny. I hate to think something like that, but what if...

No. I make my way though the residential area and into the main manor, where I'm to take my first class of the day. No more rivalry with a girl that trusts me. I sat t¿next to Wilbur and he nodded as a sign of acknowledging my pressence. Penny sits in front of us, next to Riley and Miguel. Class goes on like normal and we meet on the training fields.

I've kept my emotions at bay this whole time. I go to school, I train, I read, and I listen to music until I fall asleep and do this all over again. We were completing our obstacle course and I was fine. Hiro was talking to Penny about some new invention from the tech lab, and Wilbur was ahead of us, even though it wasn't a race. My emotions were at bay until Jack Frost arrived, carrying a red folder in hand. He stayed there, supervising, giving Penny advice and waited until we all finished the course to say the one thing I hoped he wouldn't say.

"Heya kids," he started. It was hard to pay attention since we were rehydrating after such a demanding training session, "As you may already know, Rapunzel suggested that we, senior spies, were to take a Goldfish as an apprentice."

There it was. We all collapsed in the grass and sat to catch our breaths as he spoke. I chugged my drink even faster. Hiro was chosen by Hiccup way before Penny even arrived. And I know full well I'm far from being anyone's first choice.

"So, well,  Wilbur, I decided to take you in." Jack finished, gaining a dubfounded look by my three team mates.

"Wait, what?" Wilbur said, genuenly surprised. Sure, it had been Jack who kicked Wilbur out of his last squad, but it truly wasn't a surprise that he'd chose him.

"Look, I know we've had our highs and our lows, but the truth is," Jack explained, sitting in the grass with us, "I saw myself in you ever since you entered as a junior."

We all stayed in silence for a while. We finished our drinks and Jack finally showed us his folder. He gave it to Wilbur, and he read it out loud to the rest of us.

"Mission assignation: Status, started

Assigned squad: Futuristic Four, goldfish.

Description: Install themselves as Badger Scouts to gain intell on subject a431. Vector Perkins. Agents Pickle and Vixen are to stay in camp to gain trust, become girl scouts, while agents Wind and Hex install audio and image receptors around subject a431 manor. 

Expected result: Intel on subject a431. If mission successful, all squad promoted to Fenix status."

I laughed. I didn't want to cry, not in front of Wilbur, so I laughed. I'm sure eveyone looked at me like I was crazy, but I couldn't stop laughing. Sure, right after they get chosen as apprentices to the Big Four we get assigned our first mission. This was all unfair as it was hysterical. I don't know what got over me, but I kept laughing when Wilbur asked if I was okay.

"Perfectly" I said between fits of manic laughter, "Why wouldn't I be? My squad members are chosen as special little pets of the Big Four while I'm stuck as a lowsy goldfish because my parents went and had a baby!"

"Vi, it's okay, I'm sure you'll get a mentor" But I didn't let Wilbur finish his sad joke of a consolation because I kept laughing as I punched him in the guts.

I knocked the air out of him and that was enough to stop my laugher. So instead, I started crying.

"Sorry" I tried to say, but Jack stopped me.

"Agent Vixen, I think you should go home" said the white haired mentor.

I nodded, tears streaming down my face. As I made my way back into the main building, guilt flooded into me. Sure, I was angry, but that was no excuse to get violent. Someone seemed to notice I was crying because I felt a hand rest on my shoulded. I used my sleeve to dry the tears and looked at who it was. Agent Astrid looked at me, stiff but collected, and asked if I was allright.

"No," I said, "I punched Willbur and I think I might get kicked out of my squad"

Astrid laughed and I felt a pang of pain on my chest. Being a dissapointment was exhausting.

"Oh, young one, if they kicked members out of squads just for a single punch, most squads would desintegrate by their first month" she explained, smiling at me, "Do you want to tell me why you punched your friend?"

I took a deep breath and nodded.

"I feel like I'm being left behind." Saying it outloud felt both relieving and much worse, I was making it a reality, "My family is scattered and Penny, Hiro and Wilbur got chosen as apprentices. Meanwhile I'm here."

Astrid seemed surprised.

"Oh." She said, and looked in another direction, her hands fiddled with her pen and her shoulders tensed. She was hiding something. "Well, I'm sure you'll get chosen eventually, if that's what you want."

An idea popped in my head. Agent Andromeda wans't hiding anything, per se, she was waiting for the right time to announce that she'll be my mentor! I smiled excitedly.

"Agent Astrid, do you have an assigned apprentice?" I asked and she finally looked back at me. 

"Well, no-"

"But you do! Don't you?" I interrupted, "You were trying to tell me that you chose me, right?"

"Woah," her eyes widened, she grabbed my shoulders in an attempt to calm me down, "I'm sorry young one, but I'm afraid that's not the case. It would be a pleassure to work with you, but you know I don't do teenagers"

"But," I tried to say,"But then, why-"

"Look, I can't say yet, but if I tell you that there is an actual senior willing to mentor you, will you stop crying?" She asked, and for a fragment of a second, I could see her poised, serious demeanor break and show actual concern. I nodded, "Then there yp¿ou have it. Someone is planning to take you as an apprentice, but you must be patient. And maybe apologize to Agent Wilbur."

With that, she left me there, feeling just as confused but not nearly as troubled. Although I was feeling much better, my life was just as uncertain as ten minutes ago, so I went home as Jack told me to and shut myself into my room. At least now I could afford a little bit of hope.