"What kind of schedule exactly?" Aimee queried nervously, before Stefan tightened his grip on the door handle.

He turned to face the group of RDAs – a group that had become noticeably smaller. "Well, we'll decide when you'll train in The Arena and when you'll come here for extra training. And if you'd like, we could also train at my house on other days. Or I'll come to yours," he blushed. "If that's okay..."

It sounded like school: classes, soccer and homework, all tucked into a daily schedule. She knew that this was very different, – dangerous, in fact – but in a way, she wanted to adopt the belief that training for an impending war was the norm for a seventeen-year-old. Aimee wondered what Molly and Clifford would have to say about all this. She still had to tell them... everything. And then she was reminded of the unsettling fact that their whereabouts were still unknown to her. If her physical capability was as resilient as her worrying, she would need but one day's training.

She nodded and replied simply, "That'll be just fine."

He smiled, "I'll go type up a temporary schedule so long. Okay, so, Valerie and Finn can start training you while I'm gone." He glanced at the two, "Show her something I taught you."

As Stefan stepped out of the room, the twins whispered jovially between each another. Aimee ogled the movement of their lips to piece together their sentences, but the two were wittingly inaudible. She wondered whether they could teach her that skill.

"So, what can you show me?"

"Anything from a backflip to a bicycle kick," said Finn, animatedly doing the actions he named.

"I can teach you how not to humiliate yourself," Valerie joked, using her brother as an example of said humiliation as he stuck his tongue out at her.

Their antics and their laughter were interrupted when a beacon appeared brightly on that white wall. It popped up with a loud but low pitched BING. Suddenly, it was time for the Ranks. One by one, the names of all seventy-something RDAs were plastered on the screen. Finn and Valerie gestured Aimee to the front of a forming crowd. Dominick was elsewhere. Aimee looked around for him, or Gavin, she was not exactly sure. It just felt as though someone was missing. She then observed the faces of anxious, excited, smug and proud RDAs who were waiting to see their grade. She followed the eyes of one brunette-and-blue haired girl and watched the screen. The RDA's names and scores were written on the backs of wide, virtual slates that flipped over impatiently to divulge their position.

1.      Luna Hinto – Native American – 740p

2.      Kimiko Kei – Japanese – 732p

3.      Dominick Klyke – Russian – 729p

"Is that Dominick-Dominick?" she whispered solely. She finally saw his face in the crowd, but her controlled attention returned to the ranks.

4.      Liu Ling – Chinese – 704p

5.      Gavin Malec – Irish American – 702.5p

6.      Aziza Luther – Egyptian – 700p

7.      Stefan Summers – British American – 697p

Stefan Summers. Seeing his name at number seven brought Aimee mixed feelings: Buckley's insistence for Gavin to be her mentor – him being only four and a half points above Stefan – implied that Stefan was nowhere near even the top twenty. She knew he was amazing, and now more than ever.

8.      Penelope Giovanni – Italian – 696.2p

9.      Lucas Harrington – British – 696p

10.  Finn Trimble – Irish – 694p

11.  Olivia Bolton – North American – 692p

12.  Nina Ferreira – South American – 691p

13.  Valerie Trimble – Irish – 689p

The names in the forties were already popping up by the time Aimee had seen Valerie and Finn's names.

"Oh, come on!" she heard Valerie's voice, and her brother was cheering triumphantly.

Aimee giggled at him, with a surprised expression on her face. Although they bickered passionately about who was the better agent, Aimee could tell that Valerie was proud of her brother, whether or not she chose to show it.

By then, all the RDAs, up until lucky number 74, had their names and points on the screen for their peers to see. Aimee wished Gavin and Stefan would return already so that she could congratulate them, too. She stared at Stefan's name one last time, before being squeezed by the twins in a group hug.

"Come on, daydreamer," Finn said.

"Congratulations, by the way!" Aimee replied.

"Thank you," Valerie humorously interjected. "Someone's been stepping up his game," she smacked Finn's arm, somewhat aggressively.

"Ouch," he retorted sarcastically, chuckling at her.

"Those five points are going to catch up to you, Finny."

In that moment, Aimee found that she was even keener to practise than before. "So, what now, do we continue training?"

"Yes, we do!" Valerie replied, cheerily emphasising each word, and she led them towards a mechanism of some sort on the other end of the Ranking Room.

The Room had been dimly lit since the screen had come up, but the area was furtively beginning to brighten. The mechanism in front of them was a shiny metal structure with velvety white padding, obviously to be sat upon. Aimee stared at it with concern.

"A recliner? I'm supposed to train while sitting on a recliner?"

"No, weirdo. It's a simulator," explained Valerie. "Come on!"

She sat Aimee down and pulled out a huge pair of goggles – attached to a helmet-like headpiece – from the chair's spine. Finn hid his grin behind his hand; the goggles were massive on Aimee's elfin face.

"Stay calm," uttered Valerie, still adjusting the goggles, "and focus hard."

"On what?"

"You'll know. I think that if you can do this, you'll be ready for The Arena."

She reached behind the chair to press a button, which activated the mechanism. Aimee lay down and held composure. She could not hear anything now. She thought that once she closed her eyes, her vision would escape her as well, but, as her eyelids met, another image rapidly appeared.

She found herself in a great and empty room – steel on steel, from ceiling to floor. She lightly stepped through the room and watched the walls, just waiting for something to surprise her. There were no windows, no doors, but she would not let her guard down.