"Beckett."

His gaze was sharp as he turned towards us, looking as though he was still in fighting mode. Realizing it was just us, I noticed his shoulders relax slightly, but his expression remained blank and unconcerned. "What?"

"I've got to meet Collins in the lab in a few minutes, so I need you to watch Aspen."

"Why me?" he asked in an unimpressed tone at the same time that I said, "No way."

Our gazes snapped towards one another, though while his eyes narrowed and flashed with aggravation, I simply crossed my arms and stood my ground defensively.

Undeterred by both of our protests, Kira turned to me with a stern expression. "I'm sorry, but I'm not leaving you alone," she said firmly, leaving no room for an objection before her words were directed towards Beckett. "And as for you, you've been on her security detail for months, so this won't be much different," she explained. "Plus, I don't think Catherine would be very pleased if she heard you let her wander the grounds on her own."

Kira's features were challenging as she waited for a response from Beckett, though from her confidence, she knew he wouldn't refuse. I didn't know who this Catherine was, but whoever she was, she clearly meant something to Beckett, because while I noticed a vein in his neck tick with irritation, he also nodded stiffly after a few moments.

"Fine," he said gruffly.

A smug smile grew on Kira's lips. "Great," she chirped, and with a pointed look in my direction, she let the air around us thicken with tension as she turned to walk away.

"Don't I get a say in this?" I asked loudly and with disbelief.

"Sorry, but no," she replied, waving quickly before disappearing through the barn doors.

Trying to push down my irritation, I turned back to Beckett only to see his retreating back moving away from me. For a split second I thought that this could be a chance for me to leave, but even I knew Kira's worries about me wandering around on my own were warranted. This place was huge, and truthfully, I hadn't been paying all that much attention when Kira had walked me through the main passageways.

"Are you coming?" Beckett asked, stopping near the edge of the barn to glance back over his shoulder at me.

Annoyance flared through my veins as I stomped over towards him, but before I could reach him, he started moving again. His strides were purposeful, and when I finally managed to catch up with him, he didn't spare me a second glance.

"You didn't think you could, oh, I don't know, wait for me?" I asked in a huff of anger.

"Pay better attention and you won't fall behind."

So far, I had managed to control my bubbling anger, but in the presence of Beckett, my temper was being tested. That left me with two choices – either let my rage continue to grow until I couldn't control it, or direct my emotions to another priority, like getting answers. Kira didn't do much in terms of explaining why exactly I was here, just what had happened, and though I didn't like the option, I had a strong feeling that Beckett knew much more.

"So..." I trailed once we were back inside, "Any chance of you telling me why you broke into my apartment last night?"

"No," he replied quickly, his voice low. "And it wasn't last night, it was the night before."

"Wait, what?"

His steps slowed as he turned to look at me, only to see that my eyes were wide at this new information. He furrowed his eyebrows slightly. "Didn't the nurse tell you that you were out for about a day and a half?"

"No," I whispered, still in shock, "she didn't."

For a moment, I thought I saw the resemblance of compassion cross Beckett's features as my eyes met his, but it quickly disappeared as his eyes turned dark and his expression mirrored a blank canvas. He didn't say a word, simply continuing down the hallway looking more tense and uncomfortable than he had previously.

The fact that I'd been unconscious longer than I'd believed had me feeling slightly wary, and as I caught up to Beckett once again, I knew I could've continued to push for answers, but I stayed silent.

Unlike the way Kira had pointed out the rooms we passed and how she'd dropped little factoids about Division 27 into our conversation, Beckett did nothing. He simply marched forward with a purpose, checking to make sure I was still following him every now and then, and as the minutes passed, the silence was enough to bring a spark back to the irritation that had begun to fade.

"I thought you were supposed to be showing me around," I commented sarcastically. "Right now, all I'm seeing is a bunch of closed doors and dusty hallways."

"Just because Kira pawned you off on me, that doesn't mean I'm obligated to listen. I have better things to do then become your own personal tour guide."

"What, you mean beating the shit out of people? Didn't really seem like you needed much more practice."

He glanced my way, raising an eyebrow. "Impressed?"

A noncommittal sound rose from the back of my throat. "If you were so busy," I started, ignoring his comment and the way he so easily flipped between sarcastic and serious, "why even listen to Kira in the first place?"

"Because god forbid I left you to fend for yourself. This isn't some place you can just wander around. There's things you can't see, things you probably don't want to see, and things that would probably scar you for life."

I narrowed my eyes. "I wouldn't even be here if it weren't for you."

"Let's get something straight," he started forcefully, "I brought you here for your own good, because whether you like it or not, you're safer here. I didn't do anything other than my job, and if you have a problem with that, bring it up with the Head of the Division."

Just as I was about to point out the fact that I had no idea who that was, my retort was lost on my tongue. Beckett led me around a corner to a tall spiraling staircase built directly into the stone, and while he began to take the steps two at a time, my climb was much more hesitant.

As we reached the top, the hallway widened once again into a small landing that housed multiple offices. All the doors were shut tight, but with a glance at the plaques next to them, it was clear that this was where the influential people of this place resided. Following behind Beckett, my thoughts were confirmed as we stopped at the very last office and I took a moment to read the plaque that hung to the left.

Catherine Sommers. Head of Division 27.

Now I knew who Beckett was worried about disappointing.

With two hard knocks on the door, Beckett didn't wait for a response before turning the doorknob and entering the room.

The conversation came to a halt as two sets of eyes turned towards us – one belonging to a middle-aged man dressed in a similar fashion to Beckett and the other belonging to a woman I assumed to be Catherine. She wore a pair of black pants and a tight black blazer, though the red shirt that peeked out from underneath was both surprising and refreshing. Not a word of complaint left her lips at our interruption, but I found myself unnerved at the fact her gaze latched onto me and never wavered.

The man, on the other hand, let his gaze flicker between Beckett and I for a moment, understanding filling his features before he looked back to Catherine. "We'll talk later," he said, waiting until she nodded to start towards us. "Donovan," he continued as he clapped his hand on Beckett's shoulder, "I think it's best that we leave these two women alone to talk."

While he at least spared me a glance, barely a few seconds passed before Beckett stepped away from me and followed the man out of the room.

I gulped as I watched the door close on the two of them, slowly turning back to face Catherine. She didn't look particularly dangerous, though there was no question to the fact that she held authority, and that alone was intimidating. Her sleek black hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail, her stance was strong and her features were serious, though as my hesitant eyes met hers, I saw an unrecognizable emotion flicker across them.

"Aspen," she said welcomingly, holding out her hand in greeting, "I was starting to wonder when you'd find yourself here."

"It wasn't exactly by choice," I mumbled still loud enough for her to hear as I averted my gaze but still shook her hand.

With a wry tilt of her lips, she took a step back and nodded towards the desk behind her. "I know this place can be a little intimidating, and it's a lot to take in," she begun, rounding the desk and taking a seat as I nervously sat down across from her.

"That's an understatement."

She nodded in agreement. "It may very well be, but that doesn't change the fact that you're out of your element here. Trust me, I was younger than you when I first stepped foot in this building, and it was overwhelming." Silently agreeing, I didn't speak because while she paused, the calculating look that crossed her features told me she was simply trying to figure out how to put her thoughts into words. "I want you to be comfortable here," was what she ended up settling one, "so if you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them."

There were a lot of ways that I could've responded – a myriad of questions swirling around in my head that had yet to be answered, but one stood out above the rest. "Who were the guys that attacked me?"

A flicker of surprise lit up her eyes at my bluntness, though it quickly morphed into a shadow of anger. "They were part of the Gemini Clan."

"The... who?"

"The Gemini Clan," she repeated. Intent concentration replaced my confusion as I watched her sigh, looking as though this was the last thing she wanted to be talking about. "A long time ago, an underground branch of central intelligence was created to deal with situations that the government wasn't equipped to handle. There were ethical issues that needed to be crossed to get certain jobs done, so a few agents from the CIA and MI6 came together to form the organization for Strategic International Covert Operations."

"S.I.C.O began to flourish, but with everything that was going on, the original founders didn't notice that one of their agents had turned his back on them. He started the Gemini Clan, and even when he was caught and sentenced to death, it was too late to stop the Clan from expanding." She took a breath, shaking her head solemnly. "The people that S.I.C.O was formed to protect the world from began to turn our own members, and now, even though we don't acknowledge it, they're known as Division 13."

Horror creeped through my veins as my eyes widened. "You mean," I stuttered, "this place is associated with them?"

"Officially no," she replied confidently. "Division 13 was disbanded from S.I.C.O years ago, but looking back in history, yes, we've had traitors who've helped build up the Gemini Clan."

It was a lot to digest as I sat there gripping the arm rests of my chair. It was a few moments later when I mustered up the courage to ask, "so what do they want with me?"

"I'm not sure," she replied, a hard edge to her words. "We've got our sources on how to figure out what the Gemini Clan is up to and what they're next moves are, so when your name begun floating around late last year, I assigned a group of agents to watch out for you."

"And now that I'm here?"

That was the question that had been eating me up inside since the moment I stepped into the office. I wasn't one of them – I couldn't be. Sure, I knew the basics of fighting, and maybe if I tried hard enough I could string together a few sentences in Spanish, but everything else was out of my league.

"It's really your choice Aspen," she explained. "You're welcome to join in on the beginner classes right away or simply look around and gain your footing, but I would advise getting involved in something while you're here to keep your mind off the Gemini Clan."

I honestly didn't think that was possible, because now that I knew a group of psychopaths were after me, it was all I could think about.

What did they want? Why were they so focused on me? How long would this last?

While I desperately wanted the answers, as I lifted my gaze to meet Catherine's, there was a large part of me that knew once the information was out there, there'd be no turning back.

----------

After succumbing to the hunger that was quickly taking over my body, it was a wonder how I managed to find my way to the Grand Hall. This building was a maze, and one that, apparently, I'd have to master quickly.

Catherine had given me directions as I left her office, but I knew that I must've taken a wrong turn somewhere, as I very quickly found myself mindlessly wandering down the halls. Turn after turn I was graced with nothing but empty, dimly lit hallways, but when I eventually found myself in the midst of a small crowd, I took to following them.

The Grand Hall appeared to be just as busy as it had been earlier, and as I made my way towards the food counter closest to me, trying to draw the least amount of attention possible, I could still feel the numerous pairs of eyes burning into my back.

Ignoring the stares, I stopped in front of the salad bar, throwing together a few things in a bowl before filling a plate with pasta and grabbing a bottle of lemonade. Noticing an empty table near the far left corner of the room, I gripped my tray and hoped that, as I sat down, I'd be left well enough alone.

Nobody seemed to want to bother with me, which caused me to breathe a sigh of relief as I dug into my food, however, luck was only on my side for so long. Just as I finished up my salad and took my first forkful of pasta into my mouth, a looming figure cast a shadow across the table.

Flicking my gaze upwards, my mouth went dry as I saw the man standing across from me. He sported a bruised jaw, visible through the stubble on his face, and with the sleeves of ink that ran up and over his muscled arms before disappearing under his tight black t-shirt, he looked dangerous. Somewhere between blond and brown, his messy hair tumbled over his temples while his piercing green eyes caught my attention as they gave me a calculated once over.

"Hey," I said warily, watching his eyebrows draw together.

Awkwardness filled the air between us as he didn't respond, but as I ducked my head to continue eating, his voice cut through the silence. "You're Aspen, right?"

"Um, yeah." I bit my lip nervously. "How do you know that?"

"We don't get many new people around here, so when somebody shows up out of the blue, news gets around quickly," he replied.

"Great," I mumbled under my breath, stabbing at my food with my fork as I realized that everyone probably knew exactly why I was here.

"I'm Finn by the way," he said, throwing his leg over the bench as he took a seat. "So, how are you adjusting to everything?"

The intensity I first noticed started to fade as his features illuminated with genuine curiosity, though at the moment, I didn't need anyone else on my case. "I'm fine," I said sharply.

"Really?" One of his eyebrows rose inquisitively, a spark of amusement in his tone. "Because I remember being completely freaked out when I first learnt that my parents were a part of this craziness."

Tension seeped from my shoulders as I let out a quiet laugh. "Okay, so maybe I'm not completely fine." I dragged a hand through my hair as I sighed. "It's just a lot to take in."

"It can be," he agreed, "especially if you didn't see it coming. A lot of us are here because we have family in the Division, so we were eased into everything, but when there's people like you, you're kind of just thrown in the deep end."

'And expected to swim,' I finished silently. "That sounds about right."

He stood up suddenly, hooking his thumb over his shoulder. "I've got to head out, so I'll leave you alone for now, but if you ever want someone to show you the ropes around here, I'm your guy."

Surprised by his offer since Beckett, who I assumed Finn had a similar role to, wanted next to nothing to do with me, I found my lips turning upwards. "I'll remember that."

Watching as a friendly smile spread across Finn's lips before he turned and headed for the exit, I felt an odd sense of relief wash over me. While a lot of the people I'd met so far seemed to be bound and determined, maybe it was possible that not everyone here was like that.

a/n: I know there wasn't a lot of action in this chapter, but it was more of a character development chapter to get you guys prepared for the next few! In the meantime, do you guys have any early thoughts on how this story will play out? I'd love to hear them!