Expectations

Part 1- Another Tally On The List of Failed Missions

POV- Aeona

I run quickly to the side as a flash bomb explodes, successfully engulfing the building. Shit, this isn't what was supposed to happen. Truely my lucky fucking day. I grab my communicator and punch in the first number that comes to mind.

"Nelson, this is a code red situation. GET ME OUT OF HERE!" I scream into the black mechanical box. I'm visibly shaking, desperation is getting the best of me.

"Lawson, Lawson, do you really feel like failing another mission?" His calm voice enrages me. This is my life we are talking about. My fucking life. I only get one of them, and seventeen years is a pretty short time to live it, I'd reckon.

"Nelson, they pulled a smoke bomb and disappeared. The building is going to burn down. If you aren't here in 10 minutes I'm dead as a doornail." I scream at him, the tears falling down my face slightly dampening my communicator. I'm scared shitless, stuck in a burning building, and my sonofabitch boss is going to let me die. Oh, lucky joyous day. Seriously, is there a bullet through my head already?

"Right. A helicopter will be picking you up in five minutes. We'll get you cleaned up, then discuss your punishment. This is the third straight failure in a row, Aeona. I may have to demote you." His voice is slightly angered and disappointed, and I feel bad. Part of me wants to scream at him not to demote me, but he's right. I'm A-List. A-List doesn't fail. We always succeed. But my options are die A-List, or live and be B-List, but soon promoted back to A-List. I'll pick the latter. I'd take life over death anyday.

Sure enough, within a few minutes, I hear the familiar whurring of the rescue helicopter. The sound of failure. The sound of my own failure. It is bittersweet, but inevitable. I failed. I deserve it.

They throw the "rope of failure", as the cadets love to call it, at me. I grab it, holding it tight as they slowly pull me up. I hate this rope. I hate what it means. I hate failure. But in essence, I am failure. I hate myself.

I've reached the top, and the recruit heaves me to the floor. I cough roughly, due to the excessive smoke in my lungs. The recruit smirks at me knowingly. "So how was it, Lawson? Smokey, I rec'on." He laughs pietiously at me, and his identity is revealed. Gabriel Tempest. Son of a fucking bitch. My rivil. A-List, the rank I will not be much longer.

"Haha." I tell him, coughing even more, "You try doing one of those A-List missions. You always get helicopter duty."

He tips his cowboy hat at me. "Yes ma'am." He gives me a cocky smile, then continues, "Y'know, you could always tell Nelson to give you something easier if you can't do those missions. I mean, you're only a girl."

Ugh. Already, you get a taste of how unhumanly sexist he is. It's disgusting, like a bitter taste of puke in my mouth. Maybe it is puke, but that is beside's the fact.

"Are you insisting that girls are unable to complete the tasks given. Because if that is so, you are rudely mistaken. I can do anything you can, Tempest. And you couldn't do it either. You're just a sexist male pig." I know, terrible insult, but I'm not quick with words. They always were a terrible challenge for me.

"Wow, what an insult." Of course. He always attacks my insult. He always knows my weaknesses. He knows my strengths and avoids them, and attacks my weaknesses. It's almost as if he's my weakness. But it's not like I'm madly in love with him. He's too cocky.
And too tall. And his hair is way too long. And I know him too well. And I beat him up when we were ten. And he can't be exclusive. I couldn't like him. Couldn't I?

"It is a good insult." I defend myself lamely, knowing how stupid I sound and how he will get me for this later. But I get attacked by another coughing fit, which reminds me that I need to get out of my dirty mission clothes and into my uniform. Nelson won't be pleased if I'm not in proper attire.

I quickly change into my uniform, and brush this ash out my hair. Presentable, I enter the drving compartment, and sit down next to Gabriel. Isn't it funny how me and Gabriel always seem to placed next to each other.

The pilot put the helicopter into landing mode, as the nerves in my stomache make a suprising entrance. Gabriel and I exit the miniature airplane, and we walk in silence to Nelson's office, the only noise being the echo of our shoes and the soft chuckling of Gabriel Tempest, being a smug, pompous bastard as usual.

We turn the corner, and reach the end of the hall. Gabriel motions for me to open the door, and I firmly grasp the knob, twisting it and opening the door. As the door swings open, I am met with the disappointed face of Charles Nelson IV. He removes the pipe from his mouth, blows a smoke ring, then speaks. "Lawson, Tempest, sit down. We have a lot of business to cover." He says in his deep voice due to many years of smoking. He runs a hand through his graying hair as Gabriel and I sit down in our chairs, completely unaware of our fate...