"Why didn't you tell us this earlier, Tamara?" Alexa  asked, pouting like she always did when something didn't go her way. Tamara looked away from her.

"I don't know, maybe because my former best friend just happens to be the guy we're being trained to kill? No big deal, seriously, he's only public enemy number one." She muttered, leaning against the outer wall of the Enforcement's base. The four friends were in the corner of the courtyard discussing Tamara's past during their free time. Being a team, their schedules were mostly the same and they all got off at the same time.

"He wasn't when you were friends with him, though... I don't see why it's so wrong to have been friends with him before all of this started. From what you told me, he seems like he wasn't a bad guy at all." Jack said, trying to be open about all of it. Lee was oddly silent throughout the whole interrogation, which was very unlike him, and Alexa was unnecessarily harsh to Tamara, accusing her of being evil.

"I had to sit next to him once or twice in middle school. He was always weird," Alexa snarled. "Oh just shut up about it already, Alexa!" Tamara yelled, at the end of her patience. Alexa had been saying snarky comments to her face for the past half hour, and she was sick of it. "You didn't know him so shut your mouth or I'll shut it for you!" She roared. Alexa flinched back and Tamara breathed heavily through her nostrils. "Yeah, that's right," She growled. "You shut up."

Jack put a hand tentatively on Tamara's shoulder. "You good?" She crossed her arms and nodded silently. Alexa let out a noise of utter disbelief. "Isn't anyone going to ask me if I'm okay?" She whined.

"You deserved it for saying all of that crap," Lee muttered. "You can't just insult Marx or Tamara like that." Tamara looked at his strange expression. "You say that like you knew him more than just being able to match the face with the name," She said slowly. Lee shrugged, not meeting anyone's eyes. "Of course I know my cousin," He said.

"Your cousin?!" Tamara half-yelled. "How come I never knew this?!" Lee wouldn't meet her eyes. "It isn't like he knew all of your cousins... Why should you know who all of his are? Anyways, we weren't friends until he was gone so there was no way I could have told you..."  A cloud passed over the sun, making the spring day seem suddenly dark and foreboding. Jack, Alexa, and Tamara's eyes went wide, as if it had been his fault that the cloud went over the sun. Lee looked up at the three of them. "Stop looking at me like I'm a freak! I'm not cursed like he is, you-" He cut himself off as a random seven-year-old began walking purposefully towards them.

"The Enforcer summons you," She said, bowing. Her hair was bleach white like the Enforcer's and she had a strange uniform on. She was deathly pale and looked like she hadn't eaten or slept well for weeks, and there was a terrible cold, blankness in her nearly colorless blue eyes. Her face was totally devoid of any emotion.

"Are you alright, kid?" Tamara asked, a little unnerved. "You don't look so well, maybe you should visit the infirmary." She said caringly. The girl's eyes narrowed. "You are to come with me, all of you. Do not argue." Her voice could only be described as dead. Cold and dead. It sent shivers up Tamara's spine.

The four friends stood, deeply unsettled, and followed the tiny girl into the upper floors of the Base, where she took them to the very top floor and ordered them to wait outside a huge pair of doors. She entered the room ahead of them and the four friends stood in silence.

Not a minute had passed when suddenly the girl was there again, beckoning for them to enter. They walked through the huge doors and into the Enforcer's office, surprised at how bare it was. The walls and floor were totally white, and the entire back wall of the room was a huge, bluish window looking out towards the bowl. There was a simple desk a few feet forward from the window where the Enforcer sat, looking stern and disciplinary. She inclined her head as they arrived and gestured to four chairs placed in front of her desk.

"Please, sit." Her voice, almost reptilian, crooned. The four sat, feeling uncomfortable. "You are probably wondering why I asked for you," The Enforcer said. The four nodded. "Yes, ma'am." Tamara said. The Enforcer looked pleased and continued. "I called you because I feel that you may have some information for me, yes?" When the four were silent, she said more forcefully, "Is that correct?" Tamara, Jack, and Lee shifted nervously in their seats. "Excellent. Alexa, dear, please return the voice recorder I gave you." Alexa's nervous expression disappeared and was replaced by a cold, confident look. "Yes, ma'am." She said. Tamara looked up at her in surprise. "Alexa?" She said, feeling betrayed.

"Very good, Alexa. You've done very well. Well enough to become my top spy, even. How does that sound, my dear?" The Enforcer said, her voice dripping with false sweetness. Alexa ate it up. "I would like that," She said, trying to hide her delight. "Oh, I would like that very much!" The Enforcer nodded. "Very well, you may return to your dormitory. Pack up your things, because you will be getting a new room." Alexa nodded, then bowed. "I won't disappoint you, ma'am." She said. The Enforcer smiled.

After Alexa left the room, the Enforcer lost her disturbing smile and adopted a more cold and detached expression.  

"I have cold, hard proof that you are sympathizing with the enemy. I recommend that you be very, very careful from now on. Am I clear?"

Tamara felt her heart beating fast. "Yes, ma'am." She whispered, looking down.