The Truth is Undercover

Mission 1: Arcade Raid

A couple days after our eventful sparring practice, I'm feeling myself again. So is Torin. But I do feel bad for Natalia, she's got a big bruise that hurts to the touch. She's been instructed to put an ice pack on it at least twice a day for no less than thirty minutes at a time. Unfortunately, she's been benched for a little bit.

I had apologized to her a bunch and each time she said it's okay and she understands. I really hope she does and isn't already getting off on the wrong foot with me. Torin is still keeping a little distance between us, but he has started to talk more. He's started a couple conversations between us now. The three of us have been spending more time together because we have nothing else to do and our supervisors want us to build a better bond, especially after we all beat the crap out of each other.

It's finally on the third day I'm with them that we get our first mission. While the three of us were eating lunch, an intern calls Torin and I into the missions office. We walk in and are greeted by Jones. "I have your first mission as partners. One of our scouts has identified some shady business going on at the local arcade. I want you two to find out what it is and shut it down."

We both accept the job and leave almost immediately. We're in some casual clothes, so we can look like normal customers but have a bag in the back of our car that has some professional spy gear just in case. Torin drives and I'm in the passenger seat. We arrive to the location shortly and climb out.

As we enter, we're greeted by the loud noises of video games and children. I notice that Torin is trying to look professional, but there's a small twinkle in his eyes. I knew, he wants to play the games.

"Try not to get distracted, we're on a mission." I remind him.

"I know. And I'm the leader here since I'm the actual spy, remember?" He retorts.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. If it makes you feel better." I say and walk around, trying to look for anything suspicious. I notice Torin went the other way. As I walk around, everything seems normal until I approach a machine that reads "Out of Order." I go up to it and investigate it. Nothing from the outside seems broken, so I press a button and it lights up.

Idiots, I think, they could've at least unplugged it. It's a claw machine with some fluffy bunny stuffed animals in it. I examine the inside and see a small bag attached to a bunny. I need to get that bunny. I go to the front counter, by some tokens, and return to the machine to attempt it. First try I fail. Second try I get the bunny next to it. Third try I examine the area next to it and really level it up as best I can. Right as I'm about to hit the drop button, I hear a voice behind me.

"I thought we weren't getting distracted." It was Torin. He gave me a small startle and I bumped the lever, moving it off slightly. I groan cause I'd need to readjust it but the time ran out so the claw dropped before I could. It didn't pick up anything.

"You messed me up! It was perfect." I muttered through clenched teeth.

"I see you already got one. Are you greedy or getting one for me so we can match?" he says in a taunting way.

"This machine claims to be broken but it's working just fine, as you saw. But there's a small bag attached to a bunny, the one I almost had until you messed me up. I'm playing the game to get the special bunny because maybe that bag may be a piece of evidence." I explain.

"Hm. Try again." he says.

"Don't worry, I will." I say, inserting another token into the machine. I line it up again and drop the claw. It of course doesn't pick it up. "Dumb rigged machine." I grumble. I hear Torin laugh. "You want to try? Go right ahead." I demand.

"Okay." He says, approaching the machine and holding out his hand. I drop a token into his hand and he inserts it. Then he begins controlling it, "claw machines are a game of chance, but I'm sure you already knew that. The chances of actually getting a prize are usually one in every fifty tries. You got one two tries ago, correct?" He explains coolly while moving the claw towards the targeted bunny, "so by logic that means in roughly forty-nine tries someone will get the bunny. But let me say this right now, not me." he drops the claw. I roll my eyes from his little lesson but am surprised to see the bunny get successfully lifted, carried to the hole, and dropped into it. He reaches in and retrieves his prize, holding the small bunny in his hands up below his face and smiling. Then he tosses me the bunny, "for you."