MISSION MOONLARK, kotlc

1 - prologue

"You're a freak! Nothing but a stuck-up know-it-all with-" 

Sophie buried her head deeper into her hands as she sprinted through the hallway, trying to blend in with the floor. If she could dig herself a hole and die in it, she would- but it wasn't like this was anything out of the ordinary.

She was a freak. As a twelve year old high school senior, those kind of thoughts ran through her head constantly.  She'd never fit in- and never would.

"You're supposed to be a tiny little sixth grader! Go back to your little-"

Sophie kept running, wishing she could run from her own life.

She was all set to keep sprinting until she collapsed, when she felt herself collide with somebody-

Her body crumpled against the hard concrete. When she finally looked up, she saw a boy staring down at her. He had bright teal eyes and chestnut brown hair that was styled almost professionally. With his rather impressive physique and inhumanly good looks, he could be a model.

"I'm sorry," Sophie whispered, hurrying to clean up her books. She braced for taunting and yelling and-

"No, I'm sorry," the boy said, offering her a hand. He flashed her a smile. "The name's..... Fitz."

Sophie was almost too shocked at his kindness to say anything. "I... I... I have to go."

She finished stuffing her books into her bag, slinging the strap over her shoulder and resumed her panicked running.

"Wait! Sophie! I-"

"How do you know my name?" Sophie asked, stopping abruptly.

"Please wait up," the boy- no, Fitz, begged. 

She squeezed her eyes shut and felt tears trickle down her cheeks.

"What do you want with me?"

He pulled a square device out of his pocket. "Agent B? Do you copy?"

"Copy," a female's voice crackled through the device. 

Sophie's hunch told her to run- but she was too entranced to do anything but stare.

"I'm really sorry Sophie. I wish we could do this some other way, but Agent Leto said it was crucial for you to understand-"

"Understand what?" Sophie demanded, her heartbeat quickening. "Stop-" 

The sounds of screams echoed through her ears, and she felt sour sweetness coat her tongue....

Then the world turned black.

-------------------------

"... she didn't look like anything but some weak twelve year old," somebody's gruff voice snorted.

"Don't," another voice warned. "She's waking. I wish to speak to her alone."

"Yes Agent Leto," a few voices said, and the sounds of a door slamming woke her up out of her half-consciousness.

Sophie forced her eyes open, to find herself... in a car? The seats were the cleanest she'd ever seen- smooth mat black cushions, a sleek design, and fingerprint-less windows. In the front seat sat a wrinkled, bloated figure.

"About time," the man said, sounding amused. "Call me Mr. Forkle."

"Call you...." Sophie's voice trailed off as the memories came flooding back. "Wait a second! You abducted me! You... you... you sedated me! I'm being kidnapped?!"

"Quite the contrary, Ms. Foster. You are being recruited."

"For what? And if you say 'therapy', I'm going to scream-"

"Ms. Foster. We are recruiting you as a spy for the Black Swan."

Silence settled, and it took a full minute to fully decipher what Agent Leto had said. "A... a what?"

The car took a sharp turn, and Sophie could hear the tires squeak on the wet city streets.

"The Black Swan is an undercover organization. A spy agency. That wants to recruit you," Agent Leto said slowly.

"Why me? I'm just a..a... twelve year old freak! Why not one of those government officials-"

"Because there is a lot more conspiracy happening beneath your nose than you know," Agent Leto informed her. 

Rain fell against the window and the fog forming outside was thick enough to obscure the rest of the city skyline.

"I.. I don't want to leave. I want to see my parents," Sophie whispered.

"Those are not your... never mind. We can talk about that later. For now- we've arrived. Welcome to Alvuterre, the Black Swan's secret headquarters."

"And why should I assume that your not lying?" Sophie demanded. "Why should I assume that your not just trying to kidnap me or-"

"I cannot say," Agent Leto said simply. "But I give you my trust. And sometimes trust is all we have."

"I'm not going to-"

He pulled out the same square device that Fitz had from his pocket. "Agent FV, you were right. She's stubborn. Can you come out here? We're just in front of the building."

"Yeah. On my way."

A moment later, somebody opened the door. His face looked familiar...

"Fitz?"