Spies, Volume 1: Hurricane

Chapter 13 - Recovery

Raven sat and watched as the doctor finished wrapping a white bandage over the back of Nick's right hand. "Well, it should heal sometime between 3 to 5 weeks," she heard the doctor say before walking up to him.

"I'm lucky the knife didn't puncture any veins," Nick replied while looking down at his hand. "Thanks for helping me out, Doc."

The doctor gave them a soft smile and led the two agents out of the room before heading back into his office.

Raven had stayed silent throughout the entire drive back to HQ, and was still silent until she looked up at Nick's eyes; the same eyes she had fallen in love with when they first met. "So, what are you gonna do now?" She asked, making a right turn towards the girl's bathroom.

Nick shrugged. "I don't know. I mean, school's pretty much over. We're juniors now," he said before smiling at Raven. He then started to unzip the top half of his uniform, revealing a sleeveless Nike shirt.

Raven started hyperventilating. She had seen Nick's muscles before at school, but not this close up. "I gotta go... yeah. I'll just be right back," she said before rushing into the restroom.

Nick chuckled and walked down the hallway towards the armory as he walked into the changing room and changed into the sleeveless shirt and a pair of matching shorts.

After Raven finished up, she quickly washed her hands and headed towards the armory to place her weapons back into her locker. But then, she heard her name being called out: "Raven, please report to my office." She exited the room and rushed towards the commander's office.

Nick sighed and put on a soft padded glove while on his way to the armory which covered his hand and wrist, protecting it from any further damage. He suddenly heard Phoenix's voice taunting him: you really think this is over, Santiago? The microchip might have been destroyed... but I am still a part of you. He shook the voice away and leaned on part of a wall in the room.

Meanwhile, Raven had arrived in Miguel's office as she knocked and opened the door. "You wanted to see me?" She asked, walking up to his desk.

Miguel nodded and replied, "Yes. It's about Nick's uniform. I feel like I went a bit too basic on it. So, I wanted your expertise on designing so you can help me with a new design." He pulled up the design on his computer and showed it to her.

Raven smiled, attempting to hold back a laugh. "It looks like a four year old splattered paint all over it," she said. "But, I like your idea, though. It's like a collage of all his uniforms put together."

"Thanks, Gonzales. But, before I forget... There's one other thing we could try with Nick," Miguel said while he shut down his laptop and closed it. "Riptide."

"Rip- are you sure he's ready?" Raven nearly backed away from the desk. "Sir, no one's used his equipment in years. What if-"

"He's just like his father. I see shades of Antonio in every single one of his movements. Even with his weapon choices. I'm sure he can handle himself with the Riptide moniker," Miguel explained. "I'm confident in his abilities. He's proven himself worthy of continuing the legacy his father left behind."

Raven nodded. "Okay, then. But, we should tell him when the time is right..."

"Raven... Leave that to me. Meanwhile, I suggest that you and Nick head home and get some rest," Miguel said, calling a taxi for his agents.

She slowly exited the office and texted Nick: Pack up your gear, babe. We're gonna head home early.

Nick felt his cellphone vibrate and shot back a quick "K" before locking his weapons locker and walking out to the parking lot. He looked behind him and saw Raven walk out of the building as she held his hand and gently squeezed it.

"How's your hand feeling?" She asked, as the taxi quickly parked on the sidewalk in front of them. She led the way into the vehicle and paid the amount. "205 Oxford Street, please."

The taxi driver nodded and headed down the road as Nick yawned, resting his head on Raven's shoulder before closing his eyes. About 20 minutes later, they arrived and exited the vehicle and walked up the steps to Nick's house.

He removed the spare key from under the placemat and opened the door, letting himself and Raven in. "So, what do you wanna do?" He asked, leading her up the stairs to his room.

Raven walked into the room, taking in the guitar and music posters on his wall. "We have to study for our final exams, mister. They're coming up next week!" She said, sitting down on his bed.

Nick sat next to her. "Okay. Which one's up first?"

She looked over at the small stack of textbooks on his desk. "Hmm... let's start with algebra first." She walked over and picked up the book.

"You know algebra's my weakest subject, right?" Nick chuckled.

"Yeah, but you still gotta try."

Soon, the pair had loose-leaf papers laid out on the bed, all filled with different questions from the textbook.

"I think I might be ready," Nick grinned.

Raven nodded. "I think so too."

Nick sighed and laid back onto his bed. "You think things might be different now that the ASO is gone?"

"I hope so. I certainly don't wanna have to face Samantha again," Raven chuckled. "She was tough."

He looked over at her. "I ran into her while I searching for you. Said that she was defecting. The ISA could use someone with her skill set."

Raven sighed and laid next to him. "Yeah, but... the thing is, we would have too many agents that specialize in escrima."

"You say that like it's a bad thing—"

"No, I'm not saying it's a bad thing. I just think one of us would have to learn how to adapt to a different weapon."

Nick nodded. "We can focus on this some other time. Let's just try and get through the rest of this year unscathed."

Raven looked over at Nick as they both closed their eyes and fell asleep.