I heard whimpering in the dark that night. Muffled sobs, dulled by the pressure of a pillow on her lips. Perhaps I should have forced myself to sleep, we were in for a treacherous day with the test, but I had to listen to her mellow cries. She missed her mother. And her loss laced every teary hiccup. Serena was the only one who longed for home. For the rest of us, home was colder than these concrete walls.

Morning came quickly. Or at least what I presumed was morning-- the lights that flickered on was our sunrise. The artificial brightness stung my eyes into sharpness.

All five of us squirmed and groaned. Apparently, according to Miss Fisher, our wake up time was a luxury compared to other agent teams. Yet still we were groggy and befuddled, barely having the energy or willpower to sit upright.

Miss Fisher would burst into the room in minuets, we knew. She'd jab us all awake with a knife if she had to, she'd done it earlier in the week when we protested 'five more minutes'. So, within the next thirty seconds, we'd all mustered the determination to drag ourselves from the thin cotton sheets.

➰➰➰

Breakfast was rushed and we were ushered along the serpentine corridors of the headquarters. Back towards the aircraft ward, where the most impaired week of my life had began. Miss Fisher and General Chip were meeting us by the bustling entrance for a briefing of the test.

My stomach lurched as my gaze settled on the retired general again. His sheer broadness and girth. But it wasn't particularly that, it was what he was going to say. No, I didn't care if he snarled 'thief' against my face, but it was the briefing of the test. The abhorrent feeling of knowing what traumatic experience was to come. The bomb stunt the day prior had shaken me to the very core, sunken a disturbing fear in my bones. And that was only a taste.

"Team XXA, it's wonderful to see you all again. After yesterday's performance, Miss Fisher and I have decided to take it easy on you today. Board the chopper, we're heading to Sinnoh." General Chip informed in his low, terrifying rasp. Neither of us responded verbally, rather continued onto the tarmac of the aircraft ward towards the active helicopter. The blades spun with a deafening hum and it vibrated my body further into uneasiness.

There was a ghostly feeling between us all in that cramped helicopter. A vaguely familiar silence, the kind where you stare at the shop clerk with stolen merchandise in your pockets. That nothingness where every unspoken word rings in your ears. Like I could feel each thought that passed their minds.

Serena attempted to gaze out the double tinted windows. Or maybe she was just staring back at her reflection. Her honey locks grazing against her cheeks-- ones stained with a permanent rosy hue. Even in the dim overhead lights I could see rough outlines of dried tears. And her cobalt eyes were so wide with reverence it was possible to drown in them. I could practically see the insults and sobs and questions and the word 'thief' on her pursed lips when she looked at me out of the corner of her eye. And I stared straight back.

She looked back at the tinted window. I think she could still see me in the reflection, but I wasn't sure. She never averted her sapphire irises back to me.

We traveled for about an hour, losing our minds to the churning of the chopper blades. It had began to get chilly, like winds from of the outer atmosphere had leaked inside. My skin prickled. I'd never been fond of the cold.

"We've arrived at your destination. Take ahold of the handles above your head, the side doors are about to open." Miss Fisher announced into her microphone, yelling over the loud buzz. My fingers coiled around the handle.

That's when cold air swirled into the helicopter, enveloping everything with it's frigid fingers. I couldn't suppress the gasp that snaked its way out of my throat. Stinging my eyes with the abruptness and nipping at my bare arms.

Once the doors opened, I could see the vast sky inked with blue, cloudless and bright. The sun provided no warmth despite its high reign. A sky so clean was interrupted by the peaking mountains, a boundless mountain range. Capped with glistening snow, powdered like sugar on pancakes. Basking in the golden glow of heatless sunlight.

"Take these." Miss Fisher tossed a bundle of plush fabrics at me. A thick jacket, gloves and a beanie. I pulled them on eagerly, trying to incubate any warmth still trapped beneath my skin. Everyone was bundled in the ultramarine colored jackets that matched our suits. Next, we were tossed professional climbing boots with malice looking spikes on the underside. "Welcome to northern Sinnoh, where mountains rule all. Here, your first test will take place."

"The mountain your going to be dropped onto lost it's southern side in landslide a few years ago. At least, that's what the public thinks. In actuality, it was an attempted assassination of the governors son when he was descending the mountain with a group of climbers. The explosion was delayed but still completely destroyed half of it. It's a vertical cliff face now. Your test requires you to climb the side northern of the mountain from first base. Once you reach the summit, you'll find instructions on what to proceed with and the equipment necessary. Do know that if one of you doesn't complete the climb, the entire team fails the test. Teamwork is just as important as individual skill here. We will be waiting for you at the base of the southern side. The current temperature is negative fifteen degrees celsius. Good luck team XXA." And that was the only explanation General Chip gave us.

A ladder was flung from the helicopter so it swayed and dangled mere feet from the powdered ground at first base. Miss Fisher wasted no time steering us down the thing one by one. I was practically shoved down the first few rungs after Dawn, who let out a singing whistle in admiration of the view at such height. And boy, was that view sweet. It tasted sweet in my veins too, seeing something that could kill you truly was the most fantastical experience.

The spikes on bottom of my boots didn't play well with the ladder rungs, coupled with the constant swaying of the helicopter, however, I managed to anchor myself. Once Iris had planted herself on the ground, and our entire team was bundled on this mountain, the chopper left. We watched it go, no one daring to utter a word until we could no longer here the violent convulsions of the blades.

"Everyone needs to attach themselves onto this rope. There's a metal hook on your jacket." Serena informed, her tone taking authority in full grasp. I wasn't normally one to follow instructions from others, but I think the cold was getting to my head. Or maybe it was just her.

Regardless, we all strung ourselves onto the rope so we were connected like a hoard of traveling sheep. That was when I dared a peak at the journey to come. It was littered in frosted boulders and feet upon feet of powdered snow. And it was cold, all of it smothered in a bitter blanket. But how delectable the air would taste at the summit. And how melodically that cliff face would call me, I wanted to hear.

"Alright, let's fucking do this!" Gary cheered and the mountain almost swallowed all reverberations whole.

Trudging through the snow was harder than anticipated. Much more difficult than charging through sewer tunnels, in which I unfortunately had experience in. My every step sunk two feet under and the icy powder would seep into my boots. Every breath came out like wispy smoke, shy degrees warmer than the outside air.

Serena lead the pack, followed by Gary, then Dawn, then me, then Iris. She chose the most practical routes with critical insight from Iris and Dawn to help, meanwhile Gary and I passed unhelpful comments. She took us towards a section of emerging rubble, rocks rising above the snow that encompassed them. Though, the surrounding paths of sheet ice were much less inviting. One way or another, we'd have to climb a treacherous path.

"Watch your step, these rocks are unsteady." Serena bellowed down the line. She began ascending with cautious steps, tapping gently on each rock to make sure it was lodged into the ground securely enough to carry her weight. Next she would hoist herself skyward and upward. The task seemed simple enough. In fact, this whole test was rather simple. Such thought had my mind turning, playing bitterly delirious tricks.

Was there a catch? Of course there would be. There was always a catch.

My gloves didn't particularly excel in the department of gripping. My fingers slid dangerously across the rock if I didn't find a decent place to wedge them. Considering that the rubble wasn't stable, we were doing a rather good job. Everyone was enveloped within their own world of concentration. The moment was far too tedious for talk.

We'd scaled over half of the rough patch. Confidence had admittedly began to tug at our heads, every movement more swift and every grip more sure. It was almost as if we had tricked ourselves into certainty. And unfortunately, haste was the kind of nature we harbored. Therefore, it wasn't long before someone made a mistake. One that could jeopardize us all. However, it was made by someone I did not expect.

"Everyone stop! Stop now!" Iris yelled from behind me, she was attached to the end of the rope.

"What? What's wrong?" Dawn inquired, peering down from where she gripped a large boulder a few feet before me.

"Both my feet are on unstable rocks. If I move one, I'm going to fall." Iris replied, her voice on the verge of breaking. There was a physical tension on the rope that strung us together.

"Shit!" Gary cursed, not bothering to hinder his frustrations.

"What do we do now?" I growled, well aware of the concequences. If Iris fell, there was a risky chance she'd take us all down with her.

"We stay put." Dawn piped. I could sense Gary's eye roll.

"Alright, just stay here for the rest of our lives. Sounds like a great fucking plan." He hissed, vapor trails leaping into the air with it. Dawn was about to counter with an insult of her own but I cut her off.

"Or we could just detach the rope from her and leave ." I suggested, half with seriousness and half with tease.

"That's the shittiest idea I've heard all day." Iris gnarled, and rightfully so.

"We'd call for help!" I defended, daring a look back at her face which was a mixture of fear and fuming.

"We are not leaving anyone behind. Didn't you hear what General Chip said? If one of us doesn't complete the climb we all fail the test. Besides, why would you be so inconsiderate to leave her alone on this damn mountain?" Serena intervened with her tone doused in what sounded like water from the fountain of knowledge. She threw a glare in my direction, as if she could mentally aim bullets at my chest.

"I'd rather fail than take a tumble down this mountain!" Gary aired and I had to bitterly agree. It was better to endure Miss Fisher's face of dissatisfaction and passively sour comments than broken bones and concussions.

"So what are we going to do? Got any other great ideas?!" I yelled up at her. We were scarcely limited. To the point where it cemented an emotion close fear in my bones. I could only imagine what Iris was feeling, probably on the brink of being sick with the rickety movement of the rocks beneath her feet.

"We're going to hold on and hope for the best."

There was a moment of bittersweet nothingness. Where no one agreed, yet no one disagreed. Just the slow passage of time where our minds attempted to comprehend what Serena had suggested.

"And if we fall?" Dawn finally spoke up, her voice startling me for a brief moment.

"Then we fall." Serena replied. "We're a team now and if we fall, we fall attached to a fucking rope and all at once."

"You've got to be kidding me." Gary mumbled and I wasn't sure if he meant for anyone to hear, and I was surprised I did over the continuos subdued chatter of my teeth frame.

"Serena is right, we are a team now. And as much as I hate to admit it, our best option is to take the chance and let Iris fix her footing." I responded, with enough seriousness, it seemed, that everyone turned to look at me. Even Iris lifted her head from its paranoid focus.

What had changed my mind? I'm not sure. Perhaps it was the impelling image of Miss Fisher's disappointment, if I took a good look at the way her forehead would crease over in angry little lines. Or maybe it was the small sparking fact that I was finally apart of something good.

"Okay, I guess we're doing this then." Dawn said, trying to keep a farfetched tranquility  in her voice. "Everyone make sure the rocks you're holding onto are stable."

I had to relocate my left hand to a rock I could put even a sliver of faith into. Something that could withstand my weight, or even the weight of five people if necessary. The latter was not so certain.

"Iris, on the count of three, you're going to drop. Then as quickly as possible reposition your feet." Serena demanded and Iris replied in a broken stutter. "Is everyone ready?"

There was a brief chorus of yeses as I righted my grip and braced every breathing muscle.

"3"

"2"

"1"

Immense force yanked me downwards, daring me, testing me, to let go. Heaving down a parcel of bleak air, my muscles contracted in an offhand beat. Fingers seizing up with the sudden pressure and gloves lousily gripping the rock. It's rough, coarse surface imprinted into my skin through the fabric.

"Iris, hurry the fuck up!" Gary wailed and you could hear the tightness of his muscles in the callousness of his voice.

"I'm trying!" The olive skinned girl responded, half breathless and with her focus far from the words leaving her mouth.

"My hands are slipping!" Dawn cried. My limbs ached with tension and the faded tremors that shot up the rope as Iris swung midair.

"I swear, Dawn, if you let go..." I began but the words were hard to force out. My body was rigid in a state of desperateness. "I'll...I'll..."

There was the clattering of rubble tumbling down the mountain. And I knew I would be hearing that sound in my dreams at night. The straggling groans too, they'd probably haunt me, added to the ever-growing list portentous sounds. The firing of a gun, the clasp of handcuffs, the click of a safe lock, the yelling of gang members.

"I-Iris!" Serena yelled, like it was a reliever of strain. The rock under my right hand shifted and my stomach careened.

"If you don't hurry up, I'm next!" I howled. The rock was dislodging itself from an icy anchor. I heard an unnerving crack as the ice surrendered. Spinning threads were snapping in front of my eyes.

"I-I got it!" Iris confirmed. I felt slack in the rope again and the downwards force ceased. Relief swelled inside my chest as extra tension drained away.

"Oh thank fuck." Gary cursed with a sigh of happiness.

"Do you really have to swear in every sentence?" Dawn questioned him as she shakily began ascending again.

"Yes, it's fucking necessary." He replied mockingly, craning his neck to give the bluenette a glower.

As soon as I moved my right hand to grasp a more sturdy foundation, the rock fell from its socket. Iris scarcely avoided it, ducking as it plummeted passed her.

"A little warning next time." She grumbled.

"Sorry." I apologized sheepishly. That's when I realized this organization was changing me. I never apologized.

Pushing the thought aside, I continued to heave myself skywards on half-trustworthy rocks, hoping my fate wouldn't suddenly fall into the hands of that steep slope or the low whines the wind made against the cliff face. Everyone moved with much more caution afterwards in fear of a repeat. My arms began to throb with steady pulses as a result of dragging my weight. But eventually, we found ourselves on more predictable ground and the gradient decreased. From there, the summit was visible, partially covered by the whims of clouds and gaseous ice.

We walked for hours, mostly wordlessly, entranced in our own thoughts. Though we trudged through more rough patches, unavoidable sheet ice and misplaced boulders, but nothing nearly as challenging as beforehand.

My body did not enjoy negative fifteen degrees. It penetrated my coat, frosting over sweat. The cold was committed to making me undeniably uncomfortable. My toes had lost all feeling and my fingers unyielding sticks. The higher we climbed, the colder it got. And when the wind picked up, the temperature dropped an extra five degrees.

"Can we just rest for two minuets!" Dawn moaned through her teeth, batting her eyelashes which were heavy with ice. The chilled wind had brought small crystals with it and they got caught in every hair of our bodies.

"Sure, why not. We've been climbing for four hours now." Serena sighed and everyone instantaneously halted their tired, halfhearted steps.

"It's so fucking cold." I complained, trying to shake feeling back into my solid fingers. It hurt like bricks were being forced through my veins. We all instinctively huddled together, trying to draw what little warmth was left into the air that encased us.

"Your nose is white, Ash!" Serena exclaimed, and I couldn't tell if her face had turned ghostly pale at the sight of it or because of the cold. Dawn whirled around to witness my blanched nose, eager like a small dog.

"That's first degree frostbite." The bluenette stated as she inspected my nose with precision.

"Frostbite!" I panicked. "Frostbite as in the thing that makes your fingers fall off?!"

"Oh don't worry yourself, it'll take a few more hours before it gets to that stage. We should be off this mountain by then." Dawn waved it off as if it were nothing. "Besides, you're not the only one. Iris has it on her ears and Gary on his finger where there's a hole in his glove."

"That's frostbite?! I thought it was just snow that wouldn't come off!" Gary shrieked.

"Calm down! You'll be fine!" Dawn dismissed us.

"Look how close we are to the summit! I'd bet only thirty more minuets of climbing. So suck it up ladies, let's go complete this test." Serena cheered, weaving a spontaneous insult into it.

The final push. The forgetting of every uncomfortable cranny until the cleanest air filtered through my lungs.

"Why is it so white anyways?" Gary mumbled as the great trek began again.

"That's the cold killing your skin cells." Dawn responded in a sing-song voice.

"You're not helping, Dawn!"

"You asked!"

So we pushed. There was groans, moans and animalistic growls of grievance when the snow would not cooperate. Angry and impatient footprints in our wake. I wondered if my toes had gone the same frostbitten white but would never dare myself a peek. Everything was numb, blood retreated to the inner circle of my body. But I didn't care. I didn't care about anything but that summit.

My fingers curled over the corroded edge of emergent rocks and heaved myself onto the very top of everything. Happiness accumulated in every breathing cell and I could laugh. Not bitterly, but with genuine. I could listen to the echoes of my bellows off all surrounding mountains. None of them seemed as tall from here. Did the air up here contain fragments of adrenaline itself?

"We did it." I breathed and joy washed in and out of me like ocean waves.

"Of course we did. Now time for phase two." Iris enlightened as she righted herself next to me. Our complete team now stood on the peak.

"Phase two?!" I screeched, my happiness diminishing almost as quickly as it came. I swear, if my deadened feet had to climb one more step, someone would have to act as a punching bag.

I followed Iris's gaze to where it settled across the icy summit. There was platform built so it protruded off the edge of the southern side. A pile of elastic cords and harnesses and steel links. And finally, a note taped on top. Serena approached the passive equipment and ripped the note off, her cerulean eyes scanning it frantically.

"What does it say?" Gary pondered and we all tuned in for the answer. The catch. Another challenge. Something that took away the simplicity of it all.

"Jump" she replied.

No, fear and terror didn't rush through me. Instead, it was elation. Rich and thick, through every blood vessel. It could melt away frost.

All five of us gathered on the edge of the platform, itching to peer down. Just as General Chip had said, it was a vertical rock face. Down, down, down to where the snow looked plush but in actuality, it was fatal.

Adrenaline plummeted to my stomach and my blood roared. A smile perked up my lips.

"They're treating us." Serena stated with wondrous eyes.

"Well, I'm not going to complain." Dawn shrugged afore turning to dig into the pile of equipment.

We all equipped ourselves with a harness, fixing the clasps across our waists and attaching it to the link, and the link to the bungee cord. My gloved fingers fumbled meagerly. Our grim faces had been swamped for beams bright enough to reflect the heatless sun, which was now beginning to fall behind the fluctuating horizon.

"What do we attach the bungee too?" I wondered, lethargically holding the end of the cord in my left hand.

"I'm tying mine to a boulder. It should sustain my weight." Dawn replied as she wrapped her bungee around a nearby boulder. She kicked it with the inside of her foot to make sure it was secure before knotting it robustly.

"As much as I don't trust a single rock on this mountain, I don't think we have another choice." Iris stated as she sought out her own foundation. The olive skinned girl was very picky and cautious with her selection.

Gary was quick to follow, a grin dominating his features and he'd completely forgotten about his frostbite. Serena and I made unintentional eye contact. I wasn't even sure what drew my gaze to her in that moment, but I immediately preoccupied myself with the task of firmly knotting my bungee soon after.

"See you at the bottom, suckers!" Dawn yelled and I only managed to glimpse her body nose diving from the platform. Her whistling howl still floated into our ears as she plunged.

"I guess it's my turn. See you little shits later." Gary farewelled. He stood with his heels edged off the platform, arms spread wide like he wanted to taste frigid wind. Then he let himself effortlessly tip backwards and gravity work it's majestic magic. The mahogany haired boy let out wild roars of belting laughter as he dropped. By the time I had successfully knotted my bungee, Iris had taken the stage.

"If I die because the fucking rock breaks, I'm coming back to haunt you guys." She warned. Then she spun on her heels, chocolate eyes focused on the white void below, did a skittish hop and leaped off the platform, head first. I chuckled heartedly at her comment.

Then there were two.

It should have been my turn next. Serena was busy tugging on her cord, as if to test if it would snap. She seemed disappointedly hesitant.

"Scared of heights, Pretty?" I questioned, inching my way closer to her with curiosity furrowing my brow. The honey blonde ceased her tugging.

"Not a chance. I just don't trust myself to tie it properly." She replied, giving a the bungee another forceful yank.

"Well, if you don't trust yourself..." I began as a spurring idea swirled in my head. I untied her knot without content, though it was already perfectly fine, and subsequently tied it myself.  "Then you're going to have to trust me."

"Ash...no...don't." Her attempts to halt me had no effect, no impact. I smirked at her and she glared, royal eyes hostile in a way that was hard to assimilate. Serena had her arms crossed over her chest, unamused frown playing on her lips.

"Ready?" I asked, feeling my smirk widen.

"I'd rather walk through hell." Her lips reached the nethermost part of her face. A faded pang, that really wasn't there at all, made me realize I didn't like that frown.

"We're already half way there."

I surge towards her, grasped her hand from her chest, and encased her within my momentum towards the platform. Serena staggered at first but retained her footing quickly. I half expected her to protest more, but she didn't. So we ran to the edge of nothingness at full speed and with no intensions to stop.

"Ash, I don't tru-" She started but never made the extra effort to finish.

Our feet hit the edge and we sprang into midair with our intertwined hands plunged first. There was a brief moment of elevation, where we just hovered, feeling like we were moving no where at all. And then the drop happened. Fast, frantic and coming at us like a train down crooked tracks.

The wind was unforgiving, yet it welcomed us into its kingdom like seeds into loam. Our beanies were swiped from our heads without a second thought, but it didn't matter, I could see her eyes better. They were rimmed with feeble icicles, latched onto her lashes. Despite herself, Serena smiled as we fell. She giggled, eyes tracking the vigorous movements we made.

There was an unforeseen jerk that sourced from the rocks above, where we tied our bungee cords. The honey blonde yelped as her body rattled and blurred in my eyes. She gripped my fingers more intensely, throwing her body into mine and clutching my bicep in her other hand. For a sweet second, I saw concocted fear in her features, but they were soon hardened into a stone cold stare.

"If your knot snaps, you're coming down with me!" Serena screamed over the deafening buzz of wind pressing into our eardrums.

"Fair enough!" I replied in a voice of equal amplitude.

The bungee continued to spring up and down, gradually decreasing in fortitude. It was like putting at fisheye lens over my vision, the rapid change of closeness. I watched intently as the powdery ground zoomed in and out at a fleeting pace.

And I could not describe to you the natural euphoria that coursed through me. Enough that I could barley feel Serena's tight grip. To the point where I hardly felt her lithe body pressed into mine as she watched our height fluctuate. But I could see her, closely too. I could see that there really was perfection to her skin, and my eyes were not just deceiving me. I could see the true largeness of her eyes and fullness of her lips and the way it all seemed so exotically innocent, I could trick myself into believing she was unscarred. Unbroken. Just merely caught in the perfect moment in time, where everything was perfect.

Before I felt I had analyzed every inch that was Serena Yvonne, we slowed to a stop and the agitating hum of helicopter blades tore through the walls of our oasis. Gary, Dawn and Iris had already begun hoisting themselves up the ladder rungs.

"You don't what?" I questioned Serena as we dangled, neither one of us daring to move as we awaited pick up. It was regarding what she had said before we jumped, the sentence she never got to finish.

The honey blonde was muddled and dazed, still in a drunk state of mind. It was rude of me to take advantage of her like that. But the angry, indignant response I got was all worth it.

"A-Ash...I-I don't...know why I wouldn't trust you." She replied, not fully comprehending the words her mouth was shaping. I think it was my roaring laughter that finally burst her out of it. "I-I mean...you idiot! Don't ever do that to me again! I wouldn't trust you to look after a goldfish, never mind put my life in your hands!"

"I know exactly what you mean." I taunted. She was about to argue, I could see it in the way her brow furrowed with enragement. But she was cut off by the approach of the chopper and Miss Fisher's booming voice on a microphone.

"Well done Team XXA, you've successfully completed your first test."