Second Chances Always Have A Catch To Them

How did this happen? How did this happen? HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?!

In this small office on the top floor of a forty-story building, in the middle of the room, lay the body of a portly old man surrounded by blood. His eyes were rolled back and his tongue lolled out. The office was a mess with pieces of glass and ceramic and dirt everywhere. A desk split down the middle and a topped over file cabinet with its contents splattered across the room completed this chaotic scene.

‘This was supposed to be an easy mission, so how did it go like this?’ cried Dai.

To understand what happened, we must go back to the day before….

“Here you go,” cheerfully said the receptionist, handing Dai a paper.

“Thank you,” he said with a depressed sigh.

“Being let go for ruining a mission, that must be rough,” said the receptionist pityingly.

“Yes, it is,” replied Dai with a nihilistic smile.

“Well, good luck with your future ventures!” offered the receptionist, returning back to her cheerful self.

Dai took the paper and slumped towards the exit of the building. He went out the door and slumped down on one of the benches outside. He let out a heavy sigh. “How did this happen?” he asked himself pitifully. Just a few hours ago, Dai had a place as a member of one of the greatest spy groups in the entire kingdom: Übermensch. He was their go-to strategist, responsible for providing guidance from behind the scenes. However, during the last mission, one of their field agents suffered from a stomach virus just moments before making contact with their target. Dai was then chosen to replace the agent and put out on the field. Within the next five seconds, he stepped into a trap he had set up for himself due to his inexperience out on the field and initiated an unintentional shoot-out between his team and those of the target. Übermensch were able to survive by the skin of their teeth and complete their mission. After getting back to their hideout, it was unanimously decided to kick Dai out of the group. When asked why, they scathingly answered: “We can find good Strategists anywhere. And many of them have better stats than you by a big margin. Just because you have a good eye and a big brain doesn’t mean it makes up for your averageness in other areas.”

Dai already knew that he was average. He was an average guy of average height with average black hair and average brown eyes and average plain features. He already knew that the only thing he had going for him was his above-average brain power and heightened senses. But did they really have to make fun of him by comparing him to other Strategists who clearly have better qualifications than him? That was just plain mean!

“Maybe I should just quit being a spy and become a confectioner instead,” he told himself with a sniffle and teary eyes. He quickly dried his eyes and inhaled back his snot. “I’ll do just that! Why did I want to be a spy in the first place anyway? Being a confectioner is a way better job, and a grateful one, too! I can become famous by coming up with my own brand of candy or chocolates! I can create new and ingenious recipes that will sell for millions! Yeah, there’s more than just one way to use this brain of mine! With my skills, I can probably start my own confectionery empire! Hahahahaha, that’s what I’ll do! I’ll be the Confectionery Emperor!”

“Ah, Dai, are you still here?” came the receptionist’s voice. She had quickly exited the building to look for him. The sound of maniac laughter caught her attention and she saw Dai laughing to himself with a scary expression on his face. “Um, Dai?” she said, carefully approaching him as one would a rabid dog.

Dai stopped mid-laughter and turned around. He quickly returned back to his usual self and laughed to try to downplay his embarrassment. “Did you need something?” he asked sheepishly.

“Actually, Miss Gilda wants to see you,” informed the receptionist.

“The chief handler?” asked Dai. The receptionist nodded. Without another word, he followed the receptionist back inside the building.

Dai stepped off the elevator at the top floor. He made it to the door and took a deep breath before entering. He had met with the Bond City Agency’s chief handler a few times before, but that was when he was still a member of Übermensch. Dai opened the door and stepped inside. Sitting at the desk was a woman who looked no younger than 30, with carefully permed ginger hair and icy blue eyes behind a pair of thin-framed spectacles. Her lips were a beautiful rose color. This was Miss Gilda, chief handler of Bond City Agency.

“Ah, Dai, just the man I wanted to see,” said Gilda with a playful smile. Her voice was smooth like wine with a playful tone, but there was also a hint of something dangerous deeply hidden within it that one would do best not to wonder.

“You called, Miss Gilda?” asked Dai with a forced smile.

“Firstly, I would like to express my condolences for your exit from Übermensch,” said the chief handler.

“Oh, well, you know, that’s how it goes,” laughed Dai to show there were no hard feelings.

“Secondly, how would you like a second chance?” offered Gilda with a smile.

“Second…chance…?” repeated Dai, seriously taking those words into consideration. “No thank you!” he immediately responded. “I already decided that I’m going to become a confectioner! I’ll be the emperor of my own confectionery empire! I may not have the necessary skills yet, but I plan on enrolling in a culinary school and becoming a leading confectioner.”

“Oh, really? I didn’t know that you had other plans in place in case this didn’t work out,” said Gilda, feigning surprise.

“Well, I, it’s not, I-I-I didn’t really have any plans lined up,” said Dai, his voice growing softer and softer until it became inaudible mumbling. His lips were pursed and his cheeks were a deep rouge while his eyes averted Gilda’s gaze. “It just sort of happened,” he mumbled while shifting his body awkwardly.

“I see!” announced Gilda with a loud clap of her hands. The sudden sound made Dai jump back with a girly yelp. “Well then, if you already have other plans, I guess we’re done here. I can see if there are any other Agents available for this task,” she told him while nodding her head understandably.

Dai’s eyes widened and he became anxious. “A-A-Are you sure?” he prodded.

“Oh, yes! I mean, I don’t want to be in the way of you and your dream,” explained Gilda.

“W-W-Well, I g-guess I can at least hear you out,” said Dai, folding his arms and putting on a brave face.

“Are you sure? Instead, how about I refer you to a good culinary institute instead? I have a friend who’s a professor there,” offered Gilda.

“I said I’ll hear you out!” demanded Dai.

Gilda couldn’t contain her laughter any longer and let loose. She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye and cleared her throat. “Sorry, I was just having some fun with you,” she told Dai. She produced three files and set them on the table. “The task I have for you is simple,” she explained, “I want you to lead a new team of agents.”

“Lead a new team of agents?” repeated Dai. He didn’t know if he should feel anxious or excited, but a mix of those very emotions were coursing through him right now.

“Those files are of the agents I want you to form a team with,” added Gilda.

“What’s the reason for this new team?” asked Dai.

“It’s just an experiment to see if a team composed of very unique characters could produce better results than a standard by-the-book team,” answered Gilda. “Don’t worry. Since your team is new, you will only receive low level missions befitting your team until you level up.” Dai breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing those comforting words. “Right now, I want you to go meet these new agents. They will be waiting for you at this location.” She handed Dai a small map with the location.

‘Eh, what do I have to lose?’

The world of Asper was a world that, at a glance, could be perceived as a world very similar to our own. However, it possesses a uniqueness unlike any other that is exemplified by the very natural scientific laws that govern it. In this world, humans are capable of possessing abilities that circumvent the very laws of science in accordance to our own understanding, but still acts within the bounds of the laws of that very world. When a person is born, they are immediately examined by a supercomputer that analyzes their physical and mental attributes. These attributes are given a grade that provides insight into the capabilities that person is capable of. The attributes are: Intelligence, Athleticism, Power, Creativity, Communication, and Potential.

Intelligence is the attribute that measures logical reasoning, observational skills, understanding, learning, pattern recognition, and memory. Athleticism is the attribute that measures fitness, speed, dexterity, reflexes, agility, coordination, and balance. Power is the attribute that measures physical strength, willpower, mental fortitude, endurance, durability, and stamina. Creativity is the attribute that measures artistry, imagination, ingenuity, organization, and design. Communication is the attribute that measures eloquence, language mastery, social skills, etiquette, cultural understanding, and leadership. Potential is the attribute that measures, well, one’s potential.

Furthermore, these attributes are graded using a scale from F to S, with F being the lowest end of the scale and S being the highest. These grades help to provide a general picture of a person’s affinity for certain skills and career choices. Although the people have the freedom to decide how to live their lives in the end, they still use these grades to inform them of the best possible life for them to lead.

Additionally, the people of this world possess the ability to learn Skills—special techniques and abilities that one learns and incorporates into their lives for enrichment, recreation, or other purposes. Skills are taught in schools and similar institutions, but they can also be learned from others who already possess them. Like attributes, Skills are also graded to show their level of potential. For Skills, the lowest grade is F while the highest grade is SSS.

Just like any other world, the people of Asper take on various occupations to support themselves and their society: teachers, merchants, manufacturers, public servants, entrepreneurs, scientists, artists, musicians, etc.. But the most important occupation that one can take in the world of Asper, besides that of nobility or royalty, is that of Agents. Agents are people employed by kingdoms and nations tasked with the following four responsibilities: information warfare, national security, special operations, and upholding justice. They are registered members of guild-like organizations called Agencies, which are town/city/village level organizations that are responsible for providing Agents with missions and paying them their rewards upon completion. Agencies are managed by regional organizations called Regional Offices, which are further governed by a National Intelligence Committee. The N.I.C., as they are often referred to, are directly under the control of the government. In short, Agents are government employees who work directly under the leader of their kingdom or nation.

To become an Agent, one must complete their education at an Agent Academy. Upon completing their education, one gets formally recognized as an Agent and is usually matched with an Agency that the Academy is affiliated with. Becoming an Agent is not an easy task and though many dream of becoming one, only a few actually achieve it. It takes mental fortitude, skill, strength, talent, and (some might even consider the most important of all) luck. Why luck? Well, as you will see in the story to follow….

Dai arrived at the location on the map: a run-down red-brick apartment building. A broken neon sign with a few of its lightbulbs cracked hung from the side of the apartment. Parts of the building was covered in graffiti, and another good portion of it was full of chipped paint and holes. Dai could only stand there with his left eye twitching at the dilapidated sight before him. ‘Seriously?’ he wondered to himself in disbelief.

He forcefully shook off any negative thoughts in his head and entered the building. The receptionist wasn’t in; instead, there was a sign on the desk that read: ‘Out for Lunch. Please refer to the sign-in sheet in front of you. Will be back in, like, whenever lunch is over.’ Dai did just that and signed in. He then walked to the elevator and stepped on. He pushed for the third floor and felt his surroundings shake rather aggressively. “Is this safe?” he asked himself out loud. The elevator creaked and slowly went up, shaking violently and moaning along the way. By the time he reached the third floor, Dai felt all his confidence leave him. His stomach was a tumbling mess and all the color was drained from his face. The elevator doors opened and he stumbled out of it like a zombie.

Dai miraculously reached room number 333 and held out his hand to stabilize himself against the door. After a dry-heave or two, he reached into his pocket and took out the key. Once he was in, he cleared his throat and righted himself once more. Before he could take another step, however, a projectile came out of nowhere and exploded right in his face. Suddenly, his eyes became dark and his ears were ringing very loudly and he quickly passed out.

When he finally came to, Dai found himself surrounded by three unfamiliar faces. To his right was a very handsome black-haired young man in a fedora; to his left was a red-headed girl dressed in an all black suit with a pair of black sunglasses; and right in front of him was a beautiful girl with straight blonde hair and bangs and pure white skin.

“Oh, he’s alive,” said the girl in all black. Her tone was very dismissing in a very cheeky way.

“You’re lucky that he survived that,” admonished the handsome young man with a kind smile. “Maybe next time, we should use another method. Especially since we were in an enclosed space and all.”

“Good thing we had protection,” said the blonde-haired girl in a voice devoid of any emotion.

“All knows that only the power of explosions and fire can deter villains. I am a devout follower of this teaching, this divine teaching that I have made my goal to preaching to the nonbelievers of this world!” objected the girl in all black in a grand manner.

“W-Where am I?” uttered Dai dazedly.

“Hm! Perhaps your memory has fallen prey to my powers already,” said the girl in all black. “Well then, I shall have mercy on you and recount to you your deed that have brought unto you the unfortunate fate of coming across my power!”

“Power? Deed? I’m sorry, but can you speak using sentences I can understand?” asked Dai, confused and annoyed.

“Trespasser. Criminal. Pervert. Trespassing pervert. Unlucky pervert. Sexual harassment,” listed the blonde-haired girl.

“Who are you calling a pervert?!” objected Dai hysterically.

The handsome young man placed a hand on Dai’s shoulder and said, “We were acting in self-defense, you see. Someone we didn’t know suddenly came in unannounced and we panicked to try to protect ourselves.”

“Oh, um, I apologize for that,” said Dai.

“However,” continued the handsome young man, leaning closer to Dai’s ear and whispering in a seductive voice, “if it was me all alone, I wouldn’t mind it even if you broke in without a key. In fact, I’d prefer it if you rushed in and forced me down….”

Dai’s face turned a deep crimson and he immediately pushed himself off the couch, landing on his knees. He quickly picked himself up and thought to himself, ‘Who the hell are these weirdos?!’ That’s when he remembered the files Gilda had given him and fished them out. He looked at the files and glanced back at the three in the room. He went back and forth a few times before turning his head to the ground and trembling. ‘No, no, no, no, this can’t be right. Not these weirdos. Please, God, tell me that this is not the group that I’m supposed to lead!’ he pleaded desperately.

“Excuse me?” politely interrupted the handsome young man.

Dai looked up and cleared his throat to regain back his posture. “My name is Dai, codename King, and I was sent here by Miss Gilda from the Agency,” he introduced himself.

“Ah, so you’re the one Miss Gilda told us about,” said the handsome young man with sparkles in his eyes.

“Yes,” confirmed Dai with a nod.

“Intelligence: A+, Athleticism: C, Power: C-, Creativity: B+, Communication: B, Potential: A,” recounted the girl in all black. “So average,” she added with a snicker.

“Skills include: ‘Analysis’ A+, ‘Pinpoint’ B, ‘Hand-to-Hand Combat’ C-, ‘Gameplan’ A-, ‘Heightened Senses’ S-, ‘Evasion’ B+, ‘Shadow’ C, ‘Detection’ B-, ‘Critical Eye’ B+, ‘Observer’ A-, and ‘Perversion’ SSS,” recounted the blonde-haired girl.

Dai realized that the both of them were reading off a piece of paper in the former’s hand. “Hey, who gave you my information?! And what the hell kind of skill is ‘Perversion’?! And why is it ranked SSS?!” he yelled at them furiously.

“Miss Gilda gave it to us beforehand,” explained the girl in all black. “Hm, are you unaware that it is formal tradition for one to be aware of their own members, including those tasked with leading the team?” she added with a sniff.

Of course Dai was well aware of that, but the thing he had a problem with was the fact that his information was being handed out without his consent or knowledge! Team leaders are always given files of their teammates beforehand, but that's only after consent is gained from the other members through their acceptance in joining the team. The team leader's file is then shared to the other members after the fact with the leader's consent. In other words, the real way is nothing like this current situation at all! ‘This is a total invasion of privacy!’ he cried to himself.

He decided to not dwell any further on this matter and continued with where he left off. “Miss Gilda handed me your files beforehand,” he told them with emphasis. He looked at the first file and read it: “Firstly, we have Henri, codename Catnip.” The picture next to the name was of the handsome young man in the fedora. “Age: 21, Role: Infiltrator, Sex:…Yes?” As Dai read that, he could see Henri squirming their body as if in ecstasy. ‘Don’t think about it. Just continue,’ he told himself. With a clearing of his throat, he went on: “Intelligence: B+, Athleticism: A, Power: A, Creativity: B-, Communication: S, Potential: C.” Based on his stats alone, Henri had quite the makings of a good Agent. Dai was pleasantly surprised by what he saw and continued on to see their skills: “‘Shadow’ A+, ‘Evasion’ A, ‘Thespian’ A+, ‘Copycat’ A+, ‘Mimic’ B+, ‘Hand-to-Hand Combat’ B, ‘Temptress’ A, ‘Fortitude’ A-.”

“With skills like these, I don’t see how any team would not want you,” said Dai with a confused tilt of his head.

“Well, I used to be the Infiltrator for Moonlight,” revealed Henri.

“Moonlight?! Really?!” exclaimed Dai in surprise. ‘Moonlight is one of the top teams in the entire kingdom! They may not be as prestigious as Übermensch, but they are still an A ranked team!’

“Well, I got let go after a mission,” continued Henri, throwing their hand behind their head with a laugh.

“Let go for what?” asked Dai.

“Neglecting my duty,” revealed Henri. “You see, we were on a mission to catch a crime boss and I was put in to act as a decoy. One thing led to another and I ended up hitting on the crime boss’ woman.”

“You idiot!” quickly rebuked Dai. “Why would you hit on a crime boss’ girlfriend?!”

“Girlfriend? Oh no, it wasn’t his girlfriend,” corrected Henri, “It was his mother.” He then laughed out loud without an ounce of guilt for what he did.

‘Mother?! That’s even worse! Who would be stupid enough to do that?’ thought Dai with a dead expression. He facepalmed and then continued with the next file. “Next we have…Solanus? Codename is also Solanus.” Dai wrinkled his eyebrows and looked back and forth between the only two agents left. “I’m pretty sure that whoever you are, Solanus is not your first name,” he said matter-of-factly. Of course it wasn’t uncommon for Agents to use their name or a variation thereof as their codename, but never the other way around!

“Hm, so you refuse to acknowledge my true name,” came the girl in all black. “Mortals are the same no matter wherever you go. They are foolish beings who do not recognize a god when they see one. Oh, how foolish you are!”

‘Of course it had to be the craziest one here,’ groaned Dai.

“Solanus is the name of a god of the sun and of fire and explosions! And I am his avatar! Therefore, I am Solanus, god of fire and explosions!” announced Solanus grandly.

“Sure, sure, let’s move on,” interjected Dai. “Age: Immortal, Role: Saboteur, Sex: Secret—it’s clear as day that you’re a girl!”

“Then you may call me a goddess!” declared Solanus with a smirk.

“In your dreams!” objected Dai. “Intelligence: A, Athleticism: B-, Power: C+, Creativity: S, Communication: E, Potential: A.” Looking at her attributes, even with her rather low Communication grade, the average was still on par with a decent Agent. Dai was especially surprised as how high her Intelligence and Potential was, never mind her Creativity score. “Skills include: ‘Pyrotechnician’ S, ‘Munitions Expert’ S, ‘Sabotage’ A-, ‘Schematics’ B+, ‘Demolitions’ S, ‘Target’ E.” Dai couldn’t believe at the high level skills this weirdo possessed.

“Judging by the look on your face, you are now aware of my greatness, I presume,” chuckled Solanus. “If you must know, I once belonged to the best covert operations team in the entire kingdom. Yes, I once lent my godly powers to the one and only, Black Knights!”

‘The Black Knights are a B ranked team, but they are indeed regarded as the best covert team in the entire kingdom,’ recalled Dai. “So? Why did you leave?” he asked her.

“Hm, sadly, my services were not required any longer,” answered Solanus with a nostalgic expression in on their face.

“Were you let go?” guessed Dai. Solanus simply nodded their head with the same nostalgic expression on their face. “What was it for?” Dai asked her.

“Neglecting my duty,” answered Solanus with a smile.

‘What the hell is exactly great about that?’ wondered Dai regarding the smile.

“The Black Knights, who dared to call themselves my comrades, dared to disavow me of my godly right to propagate words of my greatness to the enemy!” said Solanus with a shake of her head.

“You’re a Saboteur! You’re not supposed to do anything to reveal your position to the enemy! It’s a covert position! Of course you would be let go! You just gave up your own teammates to the enemy!” admonished Dai hysterically.

“The enemy must know when judgement strikes upon them!” argued Solanus.

“No, they don’t!” quickly barked back Dai. He pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a frustrated sigh. “Alright, the last one is Kimmy, codename Link,” he said, continuing onto the last file, “Age: 19, Role: Hacker, Sex: Female.” He let out a sigh of relief: ‘Finally, a normal file!’ He continued on: “Intelligence: S, Athleticism: C+, Power: E, Creativity: A-, Communication: C, Potential: B+.” Although Kimmy’s abilities were rather average besides her Intelligence, it made sense for an Agent of her role. He continued to see her skills: “‘Data Expert’ A+, ‘Hacker’ A+, ‘Cryptography’ A-, ‘Analysis’ B+, ‘Schematics’ A, ‘Programming’ S, ‘Technomancy’ A, ‘Safety Protocol’ S+.”

“Cyber Dragoons,” said Kimmy, holding up a V.

“You were a member of the Cyber Dragoons?!” spat out Dai in wide-eyed surprise. ‘The Cyber Dragoons are the premier team of Hackers, consisting of geniuses across many technological fields! I mean, looking at her skills, it doesn’t seem impossible for a person of her caliber to be a part of that team! But, still, an S ranked team?! Just how strong is this girl?’ That’s when he remembered who he was talking about and the surprise disappeared. Judging by the pattern he had already seen with the previous two, he knew all too well that this girl was also subjected to a very disgraceful firing from the party for some kind of improbable antic. “So? What did you do?” he asked Kimmy with a groan.

“Neglection of duty,” answered Kimmy.

“Of course,” muttered Dai to himself. “What did you exactly do?” he asked her.

“Too many safeguards,” she simply answered back.

“Too many safeguards?” repeated Dai with a confused tilt of his head.

“Too many safeguards. Time ran out. Teammates couldn’t get in. Mission failed,” said Kimmy as succinctly as always.

“Link is a force to reckon with,” said Solanus with a chuckle, referring to Kimmy by her codename. “Can you believe it? In order to protect her teammates, she conjured up many schemes to ensure their preservation in the face of danger!”

“Uh-huh,” said Dai with an unimpressed expression.

Henri leaned forward and whispered the actual story to Dai. “Link is a very cautious Agent. Her team was on a mission to retrieve a dangerous piece of code. Link was tasked with encoding the piece once the other members retrieve it. However, when they finally retrieved it and sent it to Link, she had already quadruple encoded her own connection for her own protection. They couldn’t decode her encryption in time and failed to complete their mission. Oh, by the way, the dangerous piece they were sent to retrieve was for a stolen missile launch code.”

Dai’s head exploded from the information and he opened his mouth wide to let out a very loud scream filled with frustration and what little sanity he had left. “Just how protective can you be?!” he finally yelled out, throwing his hands into the air. ‘I can’t do it. Not with these maniacs,’ he muttered to himself like a crazy man. He picked himself back up and put on a very bright smile. “I’m sorry, but I can’t take this position. Not with this team consisting of a perverted deviant, a delusional reckless maniac, and a pain-in-the-ass enigma. Therefore, I must now take my leave. I wish you all good luck and good health.” He said it all with the same smile and bowed politely when he said his farewell.

He turned around and headed towards the door. Before he could even grab the doorknob, the door opened and an all-too-familiar voice stopped him in his tracks. “Are you refusing to take this offer after all, Mr. Confectionery Emperor?” greeted Gilda with a smile and wink.

“Miss Gilda,” gasped Dai. He stilled his heart and put on a confident face. “That's right! I refuse this offer!” he told her straightforwardly.

Gilda let out a sigh. “I thought that being on a team with three cute girls would get you to accept the job,” she said with a shake of her head. “Other guys would kill to have a team like this, you know?”

“Three cute girls?” asked Dai with a raised eyebrow. “I’m sorry, Miss Gilda, but are you drunk right now? There’s only two girls in this team. The other person is a guy.”

“Oh, you didn’t know? Catnip is a girl,” said Gilda matter-of-factly, referring to Henri.

Dai quickly turned to Henri and noticed the former blushing with an embarrassed smile on their face. “Henri is short for Henrietta,” she told him shyly.

“Henrietta,” repeated Dai.

Henri immediately appeared before Dai with a dangerous look in her eye and said the following words in the most threatening voice Dai had ever heard from a girl in his entire life: “Call me that again and I will bury you six feet under headfirst.”

“Yes ma’am,” quickly yelped Dai.

“Now then, shall I give you your first mission?” suggested Gilda.

“Wait a minute! I just said that I refuse to lead this team!” protested Dai vehemently.

“Now, now, how about giving it a trial run first?” replied Gilda in a disarming tone. “You saw that the girls all possess great skills and decent attributes that are worthy of skilled Agents, didn’t you? Why don’t you give them a chance first and see how they function in the field before deciding anything?”

“Why are you so intent on having me lead this team?” asked Dai.

“Because I know that you can do it,” said Gilda. “You are a great Strategist. Many great leaders are Strategists and I can see that you have the potential to become one yourself.”

“Well, you think too highly of me,” dismissed Dai.

“This can be your chance to finally make a name for yourself as an Agent that will go down in history,” persuaded Gilda. “Think about all of the accolades that would come flowing in for being a leader capable of turning a ragtag bunch of rejects into the greatest team in spy history!”

Her words greatly affected Dai’s imagination and he found himself lost in those flattering fantasies. With gritted teeth, he admitted defeat and said, “Alright, I’ll do it.”

“I knew you would come around!” happily exclaimed Gilda while clapping. She reached into her coat pocket and brought out a dossier. “Here’s your first mission.”

Dai took the dossier and read over the information contained within it. “A level 0 mission,” he said as he flipped through the documents. “Seems like the perfect mission to see how well we work out as a team for the first time,” he added agreeably.

“Now, before we part, it is Agency policy to require a name for any new registered team,” said Gilda.

“A name…,” thought Dai.

“We shall henceforth be deemed Immortal Titans of the Kingdom of Surtr!” grandly declared Solanus.

“Hell no!” rejected Dai vehemently.

“Then the Holy Knights of the Dark Cavalry!” proposed Solanus yet again.

“What the hell is even a holy knight of a dark cavalry? Wouldn’t they be opposed to each other in the first place?” rejected Dai yet again.

“Omega Abzu Khan Samhain Mictlan!” chanted Solanus with their hands held out in glory.

“A spell?” reacted Dai with a cringe.

“Protector Guards,” offered Kimmy in her usual deadpan manner.

“That’s just redundant,” reasoned Dai in frustration.

“Agents of Safety,” changed Kimmy.

“Anemoi Quatre Magnifique!” interjected Solanus.

“Super Safe Agents,” offered Kimmy.

“Dragons Above Gods!” said Solanus.

“One Hundred Percent Safe.”

“Avatars of Maat!”

“Firewall Security.”

“Valkyries of Vengeance!”

“Kills 99.99% Germs.”

“The League of Legends!”

“Those last ones aren’t even names!” shouted Dai in vehement protest.

“H-H-How about, hehehe, h-how about Slippery—,” said Henri.

“Rejected!” quickly interjected Dai before the former even had the chance to finish their thought.

“Well, you can take all the time you need,” said Gilda. “But I will need one soon if you want to begin this mission. You can always change it later for a small fee.”

Dai knew that, of course, but he wanted to avoid having to pay that fee in the first place. Therefore, he must come up with a very good team name right now so that they won’t have to change it later. But what name would be acceptable for them?

“Beyond,” said Kimmy.

“Beyond? That doesn’t sound too bad,” said Dai, warming up to the idea.

“Yes, that sounds about right for this team,” agreed Gilda. “Beyond perverted, beyond reckless, beyond protective, and beyond average,” she said with a laugh, pointing at each of the members as she said those descriptions. “Okay, I’ll write it down!”

“Wait a minute, when you put it like that—,” protested Dai.

“Done!” said Gilda cheerfully. “Alright, team Beyond, I’m counting on you to complete this mission!”

“Yeah!” cheered Henri, Solanus, and Kimmy in unison.

“This team is beyond help,” muttered Dai with a facepalm.

Gilda stood up and stretched her body. When she was done, she made her way to the door. “Good luck with the team, King,” she told Dai with a wink. Before she slipped through, she remembered something and said, “By the way, those girls graduated from the Academy at the bottom of their class. Hope that doesn’t affect your team dynamic. I meant to tell you this sooner, but better that I told you now than later, right? Alright now, ta-ta!”

‘Graduated at the bottom of their class…,’ repeated Dai to himself, his left eye twitching. He slowly turned his face back to the girls and immediately saw them in an entirely new light. ‘Of course girls like these would graduate at the lowest of their class,’ he affirmed. “Give me back my second chance!!!”