She glanced at Soren's retreating figure, knowing full well her recent tie in combat was just a stroke of luck.
Soren was still nursing an old injury, not yet back in top form.
Percival approached with the detached professionalism of a captain, addressing Anna, "A month from now will be the final assessment. Pass that, and I'll arrange for you to start interning in the lab while carrying out missions."
Anna saluted smartly. "Yes, sir. I won't let you or Vivienne down."
Vivienne watched her with a hint of amusement. The girl was a quick study.
While Leopold drove Vivienne and Percival back to their estate, Anna was left at the Vanguard Agency's training camp to hone her skills.
On the way, Leopold queried, "Vivienne, do you think Anna's got what it takes? The Agency's training isn't for the faint of heart."
Despite Anna's draw with Soren, he was worried.
"If you made it through, she will too," Vivienne replied nonchalantly, leaning on Percival's shoulder.
Percival nodded in agreement, "Right, makes sense."
Leopold glanced in the rear-view mirror, catching the couple's affectionate display, and asked belatedly, "Hang on. What do you mean 'if I made it through'? I'm way better than Anna, okay?" Vivienne lifted her gaze lazily, "She's nineteen. How old are you?"
Leopold fell silent.
Alright, he asked for it. He should just shut up!
With a snap, he pulled down the visor.
Out of sight, out of mind, right?
A month later.
Vanguard Agency officially began. The YQ and TCL
the lab first, taking
just like the one
spent the past month meticulously restoring
working
her mother had once
emerged from within, followed by a
orienting
catching an
to replicate that
lab's month of operation, Holden and his team had
said, "These numbers are correct, but you've got the direction mixed up. Give
stuck for a month, but Vivienne had seen the solution at
Admiration was an understatement.
they eagerly surrounded
asked, "Who's handling
man holding a copy of Hippocrates' Corpus. His hair was neatly trimmed, his nails clean, and he wore silver-rimmed glasses
sized him up, feeling an
name is Rex. He's a recent hire. Young, yes, but a medical prodigy and quite insightful about
handed over his half-finished report.
nodded, impressed by his
parts I'm unclear about. I'll report back to the director once I've
scribbled
numbers for a moment, his
set down the pen and said, "How long have
clutching the report as he headed to his workstation, engrossed in
"Ma'am, he's utterly devoted to
of someone, though that
Percival entered, "Anna's
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