SHATTERED| 1 (UNDER MAJOR EDITING)

12.| Paying A Reasonable Visit

DeVito's large mahogany office door creaks open as Teddy enters cautiously.

"Sir?"

DeVito looks up from his computer screen as he makes eye contact with Teddy before looking back down at his computer screen.

"He arrived.", Teddy says before stepping back and opening the door

DeVito quickly gathers his papers from his desk and places them in his desk drawer just as an elderly, but very fit man dressed formally in a black tuxedo enters.

"Arthur", DeVito chuckles nervously, "I wasn't expecting you this early in the morning."

Arthur's piercing glare with his grey eyes was all it took to silence DeVito. He looks around the room before breaking the silence.

"I came here for two reason and two reason only, Kyle. And it doesn't include sitting down and lying nonstop about how the Academy is prospering.", Arthur finishes as he makes eye contact with DeVito; his glare hardening, "Is she ready and why is he still alive?"

DeVito gives Teddy a quick nod, motioning him to leave.

"She? Do you have a particular someone in mind?"

"Alexandria Warskafi."

DeVito gives Arthur a confused glance as Arthur sighs and makes himself more clear.

"We need to use her back up name now that we know someones still alive."

DeVito's face goes pale before quickly realizing Arthur had caught onto what was going on.

"I have given you two additional years, yet she isn't ready?"

"She has completed her very first mission, but delayed on her return."

"Delayed?"

"She came in two days late."

"And?"

"She told us no further then that."

"Did she complete the mission alone?"

DeVito opens one of his desk drawer and takes out a file with the name of Alexandria Warskafi imprinted in red on the its cover page. He flips through it before taking out two pages clipped together and scanning through it.

"It seems like there was someone else who worked alongside her, but I'm pretty sure you wouldn't want her dead."

"And why's that?"

"Does the name Adeline Jones sound familiar?"

DeVito looks up from the page at Arthur with a winning grin.

"The CIA has been covering up all your...lets just say... illegal doings. So, if you decide to play hard with me I'll make sure the news company and police stations get a clear idea of what has been going on behind their backs. And think about it. Who would they believe? A government agent  who is very liked among everyone? Or a criminal who's been hiding in the middle of nowhere? Think about that next time before trying to prove your point."

DeVito closes the file and hands it to Arthur. Arthur gives him an American smile and takes it before opening it and scanning through it.

"One last question remains."

DeVito shifts his position, nervous, knowing the question Arthur was waiting for to get answered.

"I don't know how he wasn't killed, but if yo-"

"You were there Kyle! How could he escape alive?"

"It might not be him. He was fatally injured and there was no way he could have made it out alive."

"Uh-huh, then how'd he get accepted to become a cop?"

"Like I said before. There is no way it could be him."

"We'll see about that, but on the other hand I want to meet Alexandria. Now let's just hope she has been kept under surveillance."

▼

"This doesn't make any sense!"

Natalia throws her head in her hands and groans. She had stayed up all night trying everything just to get her mind off that dream she had and to get rid of the painful headache, but instead found herself reading the papers she had printed the day before.

The only thing that annoyed her was the fact that everything written on those papers weren't about her, they were about this girl named Alexander Warskafi. Natalia looks up as she begins to examine her bruised knuckles.

"I swear I typed in my name.", she whispers to herself before erupting in anger,"Ugh! these fuckin' headache's make me forget everything!"

She raises her hand and aims it at the light before letting it hit the desk and looking away in disgust.

"And why should I care about him? No! First of all why did I trust him? How could I actually let myself believe that...I'm talking to myself."

Natalia says realizing how stupid she had been and how trying to "comfort" herself  wasn't really working out. Two loud knocks coming from behind her wooden entrance door alarm Natalia making her jump out of her seat and scramble to get all the papers organized and placed into her desk.

But just before Natalia had the chance to hide all the papers the door opened, revealing two Nightcrawlers. Natalia whips around as she gives them both one of her famous death glares.

"You better have a very good explanation why you just barged into my room like that."

They look at each other; sarcasm clear as daylight before one of them responds.

"Actually we do."

Natalia's eyes widen awaiting for them to continue.

"You missed breakfast."

Natalia rolls her eyes.

"I can survive one day without breakfast."

"You know the rules."

Natalia lets a loud sigh escape her lips as she follows the Nightcrawler out of the room. While the other closes her room door and trails behind.

"Oh and one more thing.", says the Nightcrawler from behind grabbing both Natalia and his other companions attention, "After breakfast and training, DeVito wants you to his office immediately."

Natalia's heart begins to pound in her chest as she hopes DeVito hadn't found out the truth.