Sky Full Of Stars: Ruby Redfort One Shots

Bradley gets Hired

So I wanted to do a one shot for each of the trio about how they got hired into Spectrum. Bradley's up first. I hope you enjoy xx.

Agent Ward, Head of Spectrum 8, was waking up and down the corridors frantically. What were they to do? Exactly one week prior, their code cracker, Agent Belamey, had been brutally murdered by Count Avon Viscount. Another agent down, and with all of these codes and puzzles to solve, they needed a new code cracker as soon as possible. Sure, they had backup agents but they needed someone to take up the full time position. Ward sighed in fury. He wished he didn't have to do it, but he had no choice. He would have to hire the orphan kid from Phoenix, Arizona. What was his name? Baker, that was it. Bradley Baker. The thought of hiring children was a strange one to Ward but he knew he had to. This Baker kid was their only hope. He sighed again and trotted back to his office in the yellow corridor.
"Send in Agent Grayson," he growled into his watch to his assistant.
"Right away sir," came the scared voice.
A few moments later, George Grayson, walked through the door. He took a seat and looked at his boss. He really looked at him. Ward was not an old man, only in this early thirties or so, but the sadness that filled his eyes and the tired expression on his face gave him a look of a man who had seen a little too much pain in his short lifetime. Which was true. Ward has seen a lot of suffering. Grayson himself was a little younger, late twenties with auburn hair and the brightest blue eyes. They sparkled like the ocean which gave him an almost childlike look of wonder. He was a kind man but by no means innocent. He was the 1930's leading Spectrum field agent and a good one at that. The two men had great respect for one another and one might consider them good friends. Grayson smiled.
"What's the issue boss?" He asked.
"That kid in Phoenix," said Ward.
"Baker?" Asked Grayson.
"Yeah, him. Due to the loss of Belamey, I see no other option but to hire him," the man sighed. "He will be in your care and you will mentor him and keep him out of trouble. I'm trusting you Gray,"
Grayson nodded and smiled.
"You can count on me James. So when do you want me to go find the kid?" He asked.
"Right now. Take the jet to Arizona. He's in an orphanage called Westpoint Homes,"
Grayson nodded again and stood up to leave.

THE NEXT DAY IN PHOENIX:

Bradley Baker was a nice kid only he tended to get himself into a lot more trouble than he was worth. But, despite his mischievous attitude, there was a charm about him that made him almost impossible to dislike. In fact, only one person in his entire lifetime would ever hate him. A certain Casey Morgan he would meet six years from where we are now. On that early May morning, he was reading in the garden of his orphanage, hiding from the other kids when he heard a loud voice shouting him. He gulped. Mrs Remilda, the cook at Westpoint. Oh god how she scared him. She was a very tall, round woman who was always waving a ladle around, threatening to beat kids with it and sometimes she did. Bradley shuffled back further into his hiding spot, a hollowed our part of a shrub, trying to be as hard to see as possible. From under the leaves, he saw her shoes, those bulky boots she always wore, and gulped once more. Then he noticed the other shoes. Sneakers and the cuffs of a pair of jeans. Who could they belong to? Not one of the house mistresses. No, these feet were rather large and, by the look of the shoes, they belonged to a man. But why on earth would someone be looking for him? He was just an orphan after all.
"A mere boy who held no power nor significance in the world." That was what Mrs Remilda would always say to him. He was a curious child so, ever so slowly, he began to shuffle forward, trying to get a glimpse of this man. Big mistake. Mrs Remilda caught the back of his sweater in her grubby hand and lifted him out of the shrub. She held him a few inches off the ground, making it slightly hard to breathe because his collar was strangling him. He coughed a little and she put him down.
"I don't know what you want with 'em sir," said Mrs Remilda, addressing the man. "He's a right pain,"
Bradley looked up slowly to see the kind face of a young man looking down at him. The man, ignoring Mrs Remilda's comments, bent down and kneeled on the floor so his eyes were level with Bradley's.
"So, you're Bradley Baker," he smiled.
Bradley nodded slowly.
"You wanna get out of here?" Asked the man.
Bradley nodded rapidly. Grayson laughed and stood up once more. The rest of the conversation was lost because Bradley was thinking too hard to hear them. Who was this guy? He seemed nice and for some unknown reason, Bradley felt like he should trust him. Yes, he had no idea who this man was but there was something about the way his bright blue eyes twinkled in the light that made Bradley believe that he was one of the good guys. Everyone always thinks their the good guys, mused Bradley to himself. Soon enough, Bradley Baker was sitting this man's passenger seat, driving away from Westpoint. He was glad to be leaving, even if he was about to be murdered. A small smile played on his lips at the thought. What if he was just going from one hell hole to another? Surely nothing could be as bad as that dump though? Right? He hoped he was right. The two drove in silence for most of the way until Grayson finally spoke.
"So kid, I hear your quite the code cracker"
Bradley nodded.
"Jeez, you don't talk much do you?" Said Grayson.
"Mrs Remilda says that boys like me are never going to be heard so we may as well shut it," sighed Bradley. Grayson looked over at the boy and smiled.
"Well, in my opinion, that Mrs Remilda is a bit of an idiot, " he grinned.
Bradley smiled too.
"Don't let her hear you say that or she'll lock you up in a dark room where the crows will eat your eyes out," he joked.
Grayson laughed and nodded.
"Here we are," he said as they pulled up in front of the Spectrum jet.
Bradley looked a little taken a back for a moment.
"You ok kid?" Asked Grayson.
"I've never been on a plane," sighed Bradley. " I've always wanted to fly one though. That was one of the three things on my bucket list,"
"Really? What are the others?" Asked Grayson as they both climbed out of the car.
"Well, I wanted to fight some bad guys like in one of those action movies," he grinned. "And I really wanna be a secret agent. It's always sounded so cool to me," he sighed dreamily as if imagining it.
Grayson grinned happily and turned to the kid.
"What would you say if I told you that I was a secret agent?" He asked. Bradley raised an eyebrow, not believing him for a moment. Until he looked into the man's eyes again and saw them glint.
"Really?" said Bradley, excitedly.
"Really," grinned Grayson. "And what would you say if they want you to work for them kiddo?"
Bradley gave a little squeak and jumped up and down in his seven year old nature.
"Are you for real?" He asked, still jumping.
Grayson laughed heartily and patted the kid's head.
"Yep," he chucked.
"That's awesome, Agent... erm... what's your name?" Asked Bradley, still jumping like a mad man.
"I'm Grayson. George Grayson,"

ANOTHER DAY LATER IN TWINFORD:

Grayson felt the brick begin to wobble as he removed his hand from he scanner. As the wall was pushed aside, a cozy glow of indigo was flashed in their faces. Grayson placed a hand on Bradley's shoulder, and lead him into the colourful space, as the wall slid back behind them. Bradley's mouth gaped open as he was lead through indigo to blue and from blue to green and into a huge open space with a man sat at a desk answering a lot of clouded telephones.
"Welcome to Spectrum kid,"

Hey guys, thanks for reading this chapter. Let me know what you think in the comments, I really appreciate you're feedback and comments. Be safe xx