By the time the sun dropped below the treetops the following evening, I'd managed to build up a small amount of courage. Not enough to talk to Catherine, but certainly enough to make my way down to the training barn to find Beckett.

It wasn't extremely late, just past eight 'o'clock, meaning that the grounds were still quite lively with people squeezing in their evening training. People milled around the training barn specifically – almost too many people, and when I squeezed my way through the small crowd, it didn't take me long to realize why.

With my eyes wide, I watched as Finn and Beckett stood in the center of the room, their steps calculated as they sized each other up and prepared to fight. Before I knew it, Finn stepped forward and aimed a punch at Beckett's stomach, quickly following it up with another towards his jaw. Beckett's reflexes were sharp however, and he made the work it took to dodge the hits seem effortless. Quick to retaliate, Beckett shifted sideways before aiming a hit at Finn's upper body and a kick towards his ankles.

The back and forth went on for what seemed like forever – both fighters skilled in their movements as I stood at the forefront of the crowd, entranced with the fluidity of the moves and the underlying anger that each attack held. Realistically, by the time Beckett had finally managed to manipulate Finn's stance to his advantage, landing a particularly hard kick to his upper thigh and grabbing a hold of his arm to twist it behind him, only a few minutes had passed. Holding my breath as I watched Beckett tighten the hold he had on Finn, I didn't know whether I was routing for a win or hoping for Finn to escape.

Although it appeared to an untrained eye that Finn had no option other than to tap out and admit defeat, I hadn't noticed the slight movement in his feet as he inched his right backwards slowly before twisting his ankle around Beckett's. Finn sunk to the ground and slipped from Beckett's hold as he stepped backwards to regain his balance, and as Finn rose to two feet, he appeared confident with his fists clenched and ready to go, the last few moments pushed from his mind.

"Is that all you've got?" Finn asked, raising an eyebrow tauntingly as a smug grin appeared on his lips.

A fire ignited in Beckett's eyes as they narrowed and he clenched his jaw. Slanting his body away from Finn, he didn't attack right away, instead waiting with his arms lifted in a defensive position as he tracked the small movements of the man that stood across from him. When a small area on Finn's side appeared open, Beckett's reaction was immediate. He ducked into a squat as he threw the hit, hoping to avoid a counter shot, however, I doubt he expected Finn's elbow to lift out of position.

Landing a cheap shot on Beckett's jaw, Finn took advantage of having the upper hand by lifting his knee and slamming it hard into Beckett's chest before he could stop him. The only sound that could be heard as Beckett stood tall and took yet another hit from Finn was a small gasp, and only when the eyes of others momentarily turned my way, did I realize that it'd come from me.

As I watched Finn step back and Beckett regain a secure position, I pulled the corner of my bottom lip in between my teeth, feeling a rush of nerves flow through me as my eyes flitted between the two of them. I was waiting to see what the next move would be – waiting to see how this fight would end.

My eyes were drawn to Beckett as I noticed the slight shift in his position. I wasn't skilled enough to take a guess at what his attack would be – an uppercut punch, a roundhouse kick, or a combination of the two, but what I wasn't expecting was for him to take two steps back, lift his hands up in a surrender position, and bow his head in defeat.

The silence that had settled over the crowd was broken in an instant as everyone around me swarmed to the center of the training barn. What was just moments ago seen as a space to beware of was now a free for all. I was jostled from side to side as people pushed past where I stood, unmoving while I tried to follow the craziness. Both Finn and Beckett were stuck in the center of it all, but as they were approached by other agents, I noticed, and not for the first time, how different the two of them were.

I watched as Finn got swept up in the theatrics of it all; a wide smile on his face as he stood and happily accepted the congratulations and words that others offered. Beckett however, slowly tried to disappear into the shadows, moving backwards through the crowd and towards the edge, only acknowledging people with a quick nod of the head. When he stepped out of the crowd, his head ducked and his hands tucked inside his pockets, it was as if nobody noticed. He'd successfully diverted any attention that'd previously been on him, and as he slipped out of a small side exit, I took one last glance around the room to see that I was the only one who'd watched him go.

Retreating from the training barn, the darkness in the sky resembled that of thick black velvet, with only a few stars shimmering down and casting a soft glow on the grounds. It was enough to blur that which was far away, but luckily, I was still able to catch site of a figure moving quickly away from me, trying to remain unnoticed.

Beckett's steps began to slow once he rounded the edge of the main building and the training barn was no longer in view. He likely believed that he'd made his escape, but little did he know, his leisurely pace simply gave me the chance to catch up to him.

"So I guess training tonight is out of the question?" I asked, going for the direct approach as I made myself known.

I'd thought my appearance would at least startle him a bit, but as he turned to face me with his eyebrow quirked, the lack of surprise in his features cemented the fact that he known I'd been following him. "For now," Beckett replied shrugging his shoulders as he shifted his gaze back to the path in front of us. "I'll see if it quiets down later."

"And how would you feel about somebody joining you?"

"You?" he clarified, and I nodded as he stole a glance my way. "I guess that depends."

"Beckett," I started, his name the only word it took for his steps to halt and for him turn to face me. Straightening my posture and pushing my shoulders back, my voice was determined. "I understand what you said to me that night in the training barn – that I'm not in any position to be taking on anyone in the Gemini Clan." As much as I didn't want to admit it, I knew it was true. "But I do want to learn how to fight. I want to be able to protect myself – to protect others if the situation arises."

I didn't know what else I could say to convince him, and as he stood across from me, his eyes roaming over my features intently, the only thing that could be heard was the wind whistling around us.

His expression was void of any clues as to what he was thinking as he asked, "how come you're not asking Westin to help you?"

Having only heard Finn's last name a few times over the last month, it took me a moment to realize who he was talking about. "Because he beat you tonight?" He nodded, to which I shrugged my shoulders. "Finn's a friend," I said, "but even though you backed out of the fight tonight, I could tell you were the better fighter." A flash of emotion zoomed through his irises, and I could tell he was impressed by my response. "And out of curiosity, why did you back out?"

Finn's hits had been aggressive when he'd fought and were sure to leave bruises, but I knew just from watching Beckett fight in the past that he could've easily recovered and fought back.

"I don't particularly enjoy getting injured during training sessions," he replied, as though the answer to my question was obvious. "They're meant to hone your skills, challenge you to think outside the box, and strategize new attacks on different opponents. It just so happens that Finn and I get paired up every few months to train together."

"That didn't look like training," I pointed out, "it looked like something personal."

He reached a hand up to drag it through his hair, frustration emanating off him as he ground his teeth. "That happens whenever the two of us get paired together in the rotation," he explained, a rough edge to his words. "Everyone knows that we don't exactly get along, so when we're scheduled to train together, people find it entertaining to watch us fight."

"And I'm guessing that's not something you enjoy?"

"I don't care for the spectacle," he replied. "If Finn wants to bate me and throw in some dramatics to impress people, I'm not going to take it. It's not my style, so it's easier to just step out of the fight."

Talking to Beckett always seemed to be hit or miss. Replies either came quickly and the conversation flowed easily, or the atmosphere around us filled with thick tension that clouded my thoughts and made it difficult to know what to say. Tonight it appeared to be the former, which was why my next question slipped from my lips with ease.

"Can I ask why you and Finn don't get along?" I asked, casting a shot in the dark as I searched for clarity on what exactly had come between them.

A heavy sigh escaped him, and with no astonishment present in his features, I could tell that in some form or another, he'd expected my question. He pivoted on his heel, starting once again to follow the gravel path beneath our feet, and my footsteps fell alongside his.

"It's not some big thing," he revealed. "When he started here we were similar in age and we were both young. We had similar pasts, having both lost our parents to the career we were now training for, and at first, it wasn't hard to get along. We were stuck together so often that it was almost a given that we'd grow close, but because we were both quiet, we didn't really talk all that much."

I raised an eyebrow as he mentioned Finn being quiet; the complete opposite of how he was now, but although I found it hard to believe, I listened on.

"Finn caught up with the training pretty quickly, but the more he learned about S.I.C.O, it was like a switch flipped inside him. The more he knew, the more he wanted to find out. He began branching out and talking to the experienced agents, taking in any bits of information they'd give him, and suddenly he seemed like a stranger to me." He paused for a moment, letting the silence linger between us as I absorbed his words. "Like I said, it wasn't some big fight – we just didn't see eye to eye on some things as our training progressed, and now, I just don't fully trust him."

There was a part of me that'd been hoping for a juicier story than the one he'd given me. One that involved a fight, an assignment gone wrong, or something more than clashing views and differing opinions. My expression must've given my thoughts away, as I noticed the corner of his lip curl upwards.

"What? Expecting something more exciting?"

I shrugged, though he'd been spot on. "Kind of," I admitted, "but I'm also wondering why everyone makes such a big deal about it."

"People are strange," he replied. "Even more so considering almost everyone here has been trained to dissect actions and put a meaning to them."

"I guess there's just some things that we have no control over."

He nodded, and for a moment, it seemed like he wanted to say something more, though decided against it last minute as the silence surrounding us was broken. As we came up on a complete lap of the grounds, the voices from the training barn began to grow louder, and I knew that heading any further would be the last thing Beckett would want to do.

As I expected, his steps came to a slow stop as we reached the nearest entrance to the main building. "You know," he started, looking past me and out at the forest, "you always seem to be in the right place at the wrong time."

While it could be misconstrued as offensive, the careful way his words were spun, paired with the light tone of his voice led me to believe that he'd meant it to be a compliment – as weird as it sounded. "I do what I can."

The smallest and most discreet smile crept onto his lips, and if I were to blink, I would've missed it. "I'll see you tomorrow Aspen," he trailed as he stepped backwards and turned to move towards the main building. He looked back over his shoulder once before his body molded into that of a shadow in the darkness. "Meet me here for training when you're ready."

----------

In a state that rested somewhere between sleep and awareness, a short, incessant beeping roused my senses. At first I felt annoyance seep through my body, grumbling under my breath as I tried to fight my way back to the peacefulness of my dreams, but the more alert I became, the louder the sounds grew.

As my eyes flew open, it took me less than a second to realize that something was wrong.

Sirens as loud as fireworks were going off through the entirety of the building, and as I pulled the covers off my body, throwing my legs over the side of my bed, a quick glance to the clock told me that it was still the middle of the night.

A commotion could be heard throughout the halls. Grabbing the sweater that I'd thrown to the foot of my bed earlier that evening, I slipped on a pair of shoes and was immediately thrust into the madness as I pulled open my bedroom door. Worried screams pierced through the crowd as younger trainees scrambled to follow the senior agents, but while they successfully masked their fears, it was clear by their rushed movements that they knew no more than anybody else.

Moving forward, I was immediately shoved to the side and jostled through a throng of people. Sheer panic clouded the air as the stone structure rumbled beneath our feet, and as I reached the staircase that led down to the main level, the urgency of the situation became stronger.

I had no idea what was happening, but as I listened closer to the blaring sirens, my eyes widened with fear.

Three consecutive alarms – which meant there'd been a security breach.

My composure was hanging by a thread and as I stumbled down the last few stairs, I only narrowly avoided bringing a group of others down with me as my hand reached out and grabbed the banister at the last minute. Righting myself, I was immediately pushed from behind and a sharp pain ignited at the base of my spine. I held myself together though, pushing forward before I hit the congestion that funneled towards the exits.

I didn't know what was happening or who had caused the breach – nobody did, and the uncertainty of the situation was what caused the frenzy of fear.

When I finally stepped out into the fresh air, a strong gust of wind attacked my hair, sending it flying in every direction, but I was able to breathe easier. I tried to get my thoughts in order as I moved further towards the forest – to bring a bit of organization to the chaos that surrounded me, but it was next to impossible as I also trained my gaze to scan the crowd for a familiar face.

"Aspen!"

Kira's voice tore through the air and as I turned my attention to the right, I saw her pushing her way past a group of people to get to me. She gripped her hand around my wrist as soon as she reached me, pulling me further away from everyone as people started to spread out.

"Kira," I said, pulling my arm free from her grip and placing my hands on her shoulders to stop her jitters, "what's going on?"

"I don't know," she said forcefully, though her voice was quiet enough that no one turned to look our way. "We haven't had a security breach in years."

My eyes widened at that intel. Although I was sure the building was constantly on high alert due to the classified activities that the Division partook in, I would've assumed a security breach wouldn't be all that rare. The fact that it'd been so long since the last one brought an unsettling feeling to my stomach as I wondered why, now that I was here, was everything going wrong.

The answer however, came with Kira's next words.

"The only people stupid enough to risk sneaking onto our grounds are the agents working for the Gemini Clan," she said with a certainty that couldn't be argued. A mixture of worry and relief glazed over her eyes when I inhaled sharply. "That's why I'm glad you're safe."

"You think they're here?" I asked shakily.

For some reason, the thought that the Gemini Clan were behind this attack had completely skipped my mind, but it made perfect sense. As far as I knew, they were the cause of most of the threats and problems Division 27 was dealing with, and while I didn't have much intel on current assignments, I wasn't naïve enough to think that whatever plan they were concocting had come to a halt just because I was out of their reach.

Or at least I thought I was.

"If they were," she trailed in response, "I doubt they stayed around long."

I felt a small panic ignite in my chest at not only the fact that there was a chance the Gemini Clan had infiltrated the Division's security, but the knowledge that they would've needed help. Help from the inside.

Looking around, I scanned the crowd as though it'd be easy to spot the traitor. As though they'd stick out like a sore thumb, but with only a few weeks of training, I knew better. If an agent from Division 27 had truly helped the Gemini Clan, they'd be smart enough to act just as worried as everyone else. They'd hide in plain sight. My gaze met several in return, but most of them were practically strangers to me, which made it hard to find an ounce of betrayal in their features.

My mind was jumbled with apprehensive thoughts, and it was only when I locked eyes with Beckett through the sea of people that I found myself releasing the pent-up air from my lungs. It didn't matter that the sky above cloaked us in a blanket of darkness because the lights from the building were enough to bring a dull light to all its surroundings, allowing me to see even the smallest of details. The way that relief filled Beckett's features as his purposeful steps came to a halt and the tension in his shoulders instantly dissipated. The corner of his lips twitched upwards in a genuine smile and I felt my lips mirroring his movements, but it didn't last for long.

It seemed as though he was about to step forwards when his movements froze. His eyes hardened, his jaw clenched, and his muscles went rigid. Confusion fell over me for only a moment, because the next, I felt a pair of strong arms wind around my shoulders and pull me sideways.

I didn't need to pull back to know that it was Finn who had wrapped me up in a hug, and as if on instinct, my arms snaked up around his neck to fall into the comfort. The small break from reality as I closed my eyes and sunk into the embrace was exactly what I needed, but when I pulled back, I quickly turned to glance back at where Beckett had been just moments before. I bit my lip in concern as a tightness squeezed my heart when I noticed he was gone.

"Are you alright?" Finn asked, his voice filled with worry.

I brought my gaze back towards him and watched as his eyes scanned quickly over my features for any sign of injury. "I'm fine," I said reassuringly, taking another step backwards and crossing my arms over my chest. "It's just a bit of a shock, that's all."

"I'd say," he agreed, an unreadable expression crossing his face as his eyes flitted between Kira and I, "especially considering what some people are saying."

"You mean about the Gemini Clan," Kira interjected forcefully.

My forehead creased with confusion as I saw a silent conversation going on between the two of them. Finn's eyes widened marginally in response to Kira's narrowed expression – a small movement that I might not have noticed if my senses hadn't been on high alert. 

"What?" I asked, knowing that I was clearly being left in the dark about something. "What am I missing?"

A grimace pulled at Kira's lips as Finn ducked his head and hunched his shoulders with guilt, avoiding my gaze at all cost. "Look around Aspen," Kira replied faintly.

Doing as she asked, I maneuvered my gaze over the chaotic crowd that surrounded me, not knowing exactly what I supposed to be looking for. I'd already scanned the crowd several times since the alarms sounded, noticing nothing more than the fear and confusion that'd been painted over everyone's facial expressions.

This time however, it was like I was looking at a different crowd. It became immediately apparent what Kira had wanted me to see – the way that everyone's eyes flickered towards me with a harshness that caused me to flinch.

"What – " I trailed, my voice shaking with bewilderment, " – is going on?"

Kira gulped. "There's been a lot going on with the Gemini Clan recently," she admitted, "and not just before you were attacked. Since you've been here it's like their actions have become more frequent. More of their attacks have been successful and we're no closer than before to figuring out exactly what they're planning."

"And with your mom's past coming back into the light, people are suspicious that it might not all be coincidental," Finn added carefully.

A pit of worry opened in my chest, however it was quickly overshadowed by the rush of anger that flooded my veins. I'd been left in the dark about all of this, and with the way I'd been steadfast with my mindset of avoiding Catherine, I'd heard none of the whispers that were clearly floating around. "What past?"

"After you were born," Finn started, "there were a lot of questions directed towards her character, her actions, and how well she truly fit in at S.I.C.O."

I felt the colour slip from my skin. I wanted to believe that what he was saying wasn't true – that he was lying, because pushing my personal feelings aside, I knew she was a good leader and a good agent. The people that worked with her and stood by her were a testament to that, but that was now. I had no idea what she'd gone through the last twenty-one years.

Anything was possible.

"There was a trial, for what I'm not really sure – that's seriously classified information around here," he explained, "but I do know that she was cleared of any allegations that were put against her. They transferred her over to Division 27 after everything was settled, and she's been here ever since."

"Then why do people think that all of this comes back to her? To me?" I asked as things failed to add up.

"Think about it," Kira said softly, stepping back into the conversation with caution. "Nobody knows exactly why Catherine was on trial all those years ago, but people have their guesses." My eyebrows drew together as I tried to think of a reason that would make sense and fit into the puzzle, but when I couldn't, Kira sighed. "There's speculation that she was linked to the Gemini Clan."

"Are you fucking kidding me?"

The words were out of my mouth quicker than my brain could process her statement. It couldn't be. There was no way that Catherine – who now stood as one of the leaders of the organization that wanted the Gemini Clan disbanded once and for all, had once been linked to them.

Glancing around, the sharp and accusing gazes had not only intensified, but they'd multiplied.

"Oh god," I inhaled, and it wasn't panic that reignited in my chest, but outrage at the situation. The speculation was absurd, as no one knew the whole story, but without the truth there was no way to put the rumours to rest.

Gritting my teeth and spinning on my heel, I ignored the calls from Kira and Finn as I pushed my way through the crowd. They wouldn't be able to change my mind. It didn't matter to me that it was the middle of the night or that we were in the middle of dealing with a security breach, because I needed answers.

And I wanted them now.

a/n: I've finally written a longer chapter for you guys, and it seems appropriate as well, seeing as this is approximately the mid-point in this story (which, I know, is kind of hard to believe) but what better way to get the ball rolling with the main plot than a bit more action ;) What do you guys think is happening? I'd love to read your predictions! And as always, vote and leave your comments below <3