...Maryland has been acting weird lately... she's always so busy and tries to, at all costs, keep me and the Director from visiting.  I'm worried.  What is making her so jumpy?  Even though I am sneaky enough, I don't see a lot of the other Freelancers as well.  Everything seems to be chaotic. 

I'm locked in my room a lot and it's boring me to death... I've resorted to journaling... anyways, I guess all I can do for now is go into more detail.

I've always trained with Mary all the time.  Whenever we can get time to be with each other we're training, it's basically the only way we can hang out anymore.  However, she hardly has time for me anymore.  I go to her room sometimes and she's not there so I sit on her bed and wait... but she never comes.  Nobody does.

I'm so lonely right now... my whole life I've had Mary.  And even when I didn't have her, I always 'hung out' with the other Freelancers.  Now that I don't have either, and can't even go to the Director, I'm going insane!

I've tried asking Mary, when I do see her, what is going on, but she always brushes off the question.  She has never been super secretive about anything except the picture she has in her room.  She never will tell me who the two other people in the picture are.  That got me wondering, maybe this whole weird thing has something to do with them.

Although, it's not like I could find out, the Freelancers aren't around to gossip anymore, so I feel so out of the loop.  It's awful, and I don't know what to do.  I haven't had any orders or missions from the Director in ages.  Have I done something wrong?  I'm so confused!

In frustration, Sota dropped her pencil and slammed the little booklet shut.  She ran a hand through her blonde hair and looked around her room.  It'd been the same ever since she could remember.  They never matured it like she was.  It still looked like a three year old's bedroom.  She scowled angrily.

Just another sign that nobody cared about her.  Not anymore.  She still didn't understand what she did wrong.  She didn't think she was dissing the Director too much out of the ordinary.  Did he finally get fed up?  After thirteen years?  She doubted it, he would've blown up years ago as calm as he was. 

Lost in her thoughts, it took a bit to realize someone was knocking on her door.  She jumped out of her bed.  It was strange, usually nothing got by her.  Was she just not expecting anybody to come visit her anymore?  She swung the door wide open, ready to give Maryland a big hug.

She froze before she went into an embrace.  It wasn't Mary, it was Virginia.  She immediately stiffened and went into a stance.  "Agent Virginia."  She acknowledged.  "Come on, Minnesota, there's some others the Director wants you to meet."  Gin beckoned her to follow her then turned and went down the hallway without checking to see if Sota would follow. 

Others to meet?  Sota couldn't help but given a small smile.  New people to train with?  Were the Freelancers back from a long mission or something?  She was too excited.  She hurried after Virginia and silently followed the agent to another room.  As they entered, FILSS immediately recognized the two agents.  "Welcome Agent Virginia and Agent Minnesota!"  She greeted.  "Hey, FILSS."  Gin replied casually.

Sota looked around the room, but she didn't get to take a lot of it in before another door opened.  It was the Director and another girl about her age.  Sota's expression matched Sage's look of shock.  "Agent Minnesota,"  the Director rode his voice.  "Meet Agent Washington."  He gestured to the girl.  "Agent Washington, this is Agent Minnesota."  The Director finished the little introduction.

Sota and Wash looked at each other curiously.  She finally had a new friend!  Someone around her age it looked like, too!  "You two will be working very closely from now on."  The Director informed.  "I'm moving both of you to the same room so that your previous bedrooms can be... put to better use."  He explained vaguely.

"Now Agent Virginia and I will be back, we just need to discuss some things.  Feel free to get to know each other."  The Director beckoned Gin and they went out of the room. 

The two girls felt the weight of the silence in the room.  They shifted awkwardly, not knowing what to do.  "Um... hi."  Sota finally murmured.  "Hi."  Wash responded shyly. 

"The Director said I was Washington, but my name is-"

"We're not allowed to give that information, Washington."  Sota warned her.  Wash looked around in irritation.  "Of course.  Everything is so dang secretive here.  Well if you ask me, the Director did say we should get to know each other."  She told her confidently.

Sota frowned.  "You want to go against protocol?"  She asked in confusion.  "My name's Sage."  Wash ignored her question but also answered it at the same time.  She smiled at Sota warmly.  Sota had always followed almost every command she was given, and usually they were from the Director.  She figured this wouldn't be any different.

Sota smiled back at her.  At her new companion.  At her new friend.  "I'm Joy."

~~~

"We don't have much time."

"Bring them in, quick."

"They're very hostile."

"They're children!"

Several shouts from the soldiers around Sota and Wash confused them.  "Joy, what's going on?"  "Wash!  We're around soldiers, at least use our agent nicknames!"  Sota whispered urgently.

"Agent Washington, Agent Minnesota, come with me."  Virginia was suddenly behind them.  "Gin, what's going-"  "We don't have time for questions, Agent Minnesota, let's get going."  Gin pressed her hands on the girls' backs and gently pushed them forward. 

Wash and Sota glanced at each other in confusion.  "Where are we going?"  Wash whispered but Sota didn't have an answer.  They walked down several familiar hallways until they got into a room that Sota had never been in before. 

Virginia then stood to the side and the Director came in.  Sota's gaze hardened at him, but she stood at attention.  She and Wash then realized that there were other children in room with them.

"Hello children."  The Director greeted, then the conversation seemed to go by quickly, Sota tried to process sly the information that was indirectly given to her.

"Are you Grandpa Church?"

"Get off of him, that's the Director, Leonard Church."

"My name is Leo, my Mommy says I'm named after Leonard Church!"

Sota could feel Wash's gaze on her, but she remained stiff and at attention.

"I was thrilled when I heard that.  Samantha is very special to me.  Leo, Oliver, Evan, Ophelia, these are Agents Minnesota and Washington."

All eyes were on them and the two girls wondered why these children could be addressed by real names and they couldn't.

"Why are they states?"

"Those are their new names.  They used to be Joy Kelly and Sage Moor, but they are now Minnesota and Washington.  You will get special names yourselves tomorrow."

Sota swallowed hard.  He made it sound like they were completely different people.

"You are now the property of Project Freelancer.  Agents Maryland and Virginia will be training you.  You are not to speak to Agent Nevada.  I will leave you to get acquainted."

What was it about Nevada?

"Bye Grandpa."

The door closed and the kids all looked at each other.  This was only the beginning.

DISCLAIMER!!  The end at least was taken from one of Minor's one shots, I take no credit :P
Sage Moor belongs to Squatchy
the other children belong to their respective owners
Virginia belongs to Minor