Chapter 7
1699 Words
The Trainee
The first morning without Ricky felt strangely quiet.
JJ woke before sunrise.
For several seconds, he stared at the ceiling, trying to remember where he was.
Then everything came back.
The new organization.
The voice box.
The offer.
And Ricky.
JJ sat up slowly.
He had spent almost his entire life with Ricky beside him. Even when they were prisoners inside Orion Division, they had always had each other.
Now JJ was alone again.
He looked toward the small table beside his bed.
A notebook was sitting there.
He picked it up and wrote:
I made my choice.
He stared at the sentence.
It didn't make him feel any better.
A knock came at the door.
JJ quickly closed the notebook.
The technician from the previous day entered.
"Good morning."
JJ smiled.
"Good morning."
She smiled when she heard him speak.
"Your voice is getting stronger."
JJ touched his throat.
"It still feels strange."
"That's normal. Your vocal cords were severely damaged. The device is helping compensate for the damage, but you'll need time to get used to it."
JJ nodded.
"How long?"
"Everyone is different. But if you keep practicing, you should eventually be able to speak comfortably."
JJ smiled.
For the first time since arriving there, he felt hopeful.
Then the technician handed him a folder.
"Your training schedule."
JJ opened it.
His expression changed.
There were several sections.
Physical Training.
Psychic Ability Control.
Combat Training.
Observation.
Intelligence Gathering.
JJ looked up.
"All of this?"
She laughed.
"You wanted to become an agent."
JJ closed the folder.
"I didn't realize there would be this much."
"You're seventeen."
JJ raised an eyebrow.
"Exactly. You're not expected to know everything yet."
That sentence stayed with him.
At Orion Division, nobody had ever treated his age as a reason to protect him.
They had treated him as an asset.
Here, someone had finally reminded him that he was still a teenager.
---
His first training session was physical.
JJ expected it to be easy.
He was stronger than most people his age.
Probably stronger than most adults.
But the instructor quickly proved him wrong.
"Strength isn't everything."
JJ stood across from him.
The instructor raised his hands.
"Try to hit me."
JJ rushed forward.
The instructor stepped aside.
JJ turned and tried again.
Another dodge.
JJ became frustrated.
He swung faster.
The instructor ducked.
JJ stopped.
"How are you doing that?"
The instructor smiled.
"I'm watching your movements."
JJ looked confused.
"You telegraph your attacks."
JJ frowned.
"What does that mean?"
"You move your shoulders before you attack."
JJ looked at his shoulders.
The instructor laughed.
"You're powerful. But you're inexperienced."
JJ sighed.
"That's why I'm here."
"Exactly."
The next attempt lasted longer.
JJ still couldn't land a hit.
But he learned something important.
Having powers didn't automatically make him good at using them.
---
The psychic training was even more difficult.
JJ was asked to move five metal spheres simultaneously.
He stared at them.
One sphere lifted.
Then another.
Then a third.
The fourth began shaking.
The fifth didn't move.
JJ concentrated harder.
Sweat formed on his forehead.
The fifth sphere finally rose.
All five floated in the air.
"Good."
JJ smiled.
Then one sphere dropped.
He caught it with telekinesis.
Another fell.
He caught that one too.
The instructor smiled.
"Don't panic."
"I'm trying."
"Your powers respond to your concentration. If you become frustrated, your control weakens."
JJ nodded.
He tried again.
This time, he kept all five spheres in the air.
Then he added a sixth.
The instructor's expression changed slightly.
"Interesting."
JJ looked at him.
"What?"
"Nothing."
But JJ noticed the way he was looking at him.
It reminded him of Orion.
Scientists looking at him.
Studying him.
Calculating what he could do.
JJ lowered the spheres.
"I need a break."
The instructor nodded.
"Of course."
JJ walked away.
He didn't want to become another experiment.
---
Weeks passed.
JJ's training gradually improved.
He learned how to use telekinesis without making unnecessary movements.
He practiced teleporting objects over greater distances.
He learned how to retrieve objects without looking directly at them.
He also learned something new about his teleportation.
The farther away an object was, the more concentration it required.
That limitation became important during training.
One afternoon, an instructor placed a small coin on a table.
"Teleport it into your hand."
JJ looked at the coin.
It disappeared.
A second later, it appeared in his palm.
"Good."
The instructor moved the coin farther away.
"Again."
JJ repeated it.
Then farther.
Again.
And again.
Eventually, the coin was placed in another room.
JJ closed his eyes.
He concentrated.
Nothing happened.
He tried again.
Still nothing.
He opened his eyes.
"I can't."
The instructor nodded.
"Now you know your current limit."
JJ looked at the coin.
"Current limit?"
"You're seventeen. Give yourself time."
JJ smiled.
That was becoming his favorite thing about the place.
Nobody expected him to master everything immediately.
---
Despite the training, JJ still thought about Ricky constantly.
He sometimes imagined what Ricky would say about his new life.
He imagined Ricky making fun of his training.
He imagined him complaining about the food.
He imagined them sitting together again.
But whenever JJ thought about calling him, he stopped.
Their last conversation kept replaying in his mind.
I don't want to lose you again.
JJ understood Ricky's fear.
But JJ also understood his own.
He had spent twelve years unable to speak.
Now someone had offered him the chance to regain something he thought he had lost forever.
How could he refuse?
Still, sometimes he wondered if getting his voice back had cost him his best friend.
---
One evening, JJ was eating dinner alone.
A young agent sat across from him.
"You've been quiet."
JJ looked up.
"I'm always quiet."
The agent laughed.
"Fair point."
JJ smiled.
The agent looked at him.
"You miss your friend."
JJ stopped eating.
"How do you know?"
"You're always looking at the door."
JJ looked toward the door.
He hadn't realized he was doing it.
The agent continued eating.
"You'll see him again."
JJ shook his head.
"I don't know."
"Friends don't disappear that easily."
JJ looked down.
"I left him."
"Then maybe you should go back."
JJ didn't answer.
The agent shrugged.
"Just something to think about."
---
A few weeks later, JJ received his first field assignment.
It wasn't dangerous.
At least, that's what he was told.
He was only supposed to observe a suspected smuggler.
His job was simple:
Watch.
Listen.
Record.
Do not interfere unless absolutely necessary.
JJ arrived at the location and hid behind a building.
He watched the suspect enter a warehouse.
JJ carefully moved closer.
Through a window, he saw several people exchanging packages.
He pulled out his communication device.
"I have visual confirmation."
A voice answered.
"Stay where you are."
JJ watched.
One of the criminals suddenly looked toward the window.
JJ froze.
The man walked closer.
JJ slowly reached toward a nearby metal object.
If he was discovered, he would have to defend himself.
The man stopped.
Then walked away.
JJ exhaled.
He hadn't realized he was holding his breath.
He continued watching.
Eventually, the criminals left.
JJ returned to headquarters with the information.
His supervisor looked through his report.
"Good work."
JJ smiled.
"That's it?"
"For your first assignment, yes."
JJ looked relieved.
His supervisor closed the folder.
"You didn't interfere."
"I was told not to."
"Exactly. A good agent knows when not to act."
JJ nodded.
For the first time, he began to understand what this organization wanted from him.
They weren't simply looking for someone strong.
They wanted someone who could think.
---
As the weeks became months, JJ slowly improved.
He wasn't a master spy.
He wasn't an unstoppable fighter.
He was still seventeen.
He still made mistakes.
He still got nervous before assignments.
He still sometimes struggled with his powers.
But he was learning.
And with every successful mission, the organization trusted him a little more.
JJ began making friends with some of the younger agents.
He started feeling comfortable there.
But something was still missing.
Ricky.
Every achievement reminded him of him.
The first time JJ successfully completed a mission, he wished Ricky had been there.
The first time JJ managed to teleport an object across an entire building, he wanted to show him.
The first time JJ spoke confidently in front of a group of people, he wished Ricky could hear him.
His voice had returned.
But the person he wanted to hear it most wasn't there.
---
One evening, JJ returned to his room after training.
He found an envelope underneath his door.
There was no name on it.
He opened it.
Inside was a photograph.
JJ stared at it.
It showed him and Ricky.
They were standing outside the factory where they had temporarily lived after escaping Orion Division.
JJ's expression changed.
Someone had been watching them.
On the back of the photograph were four words:
We know where he is.
JJ's heart began beating faster.
He turned the photograph over again.
There was no other information.
He looked toward the door.
For the first time in months, he felt the past catching up with him.
He picked up his phone.
His thumb hovered over Ricky's number.
He still had it.
He could call.
He could finally speak to him.
JJ pressed the call button.
The phone rang.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
No answer.
JJ waited.
Then the call ended.
He stared at the screen.
A moment later, another message appeared.
Don't contact him.
JJ's expression hardened.
He didn't know who had sent the message.
He didn't know how they had gotten the photograph.
And he certainly didn't know what they wanted.
But one thing was becoming clear.
His new life wasn't as separate from his old one as he had hoped.
Somewhere out there was Ricky.
And someone knew exactly where to find him.
JJ placed the photograph on his desk.
He stared at it for a long time.
Then he quietly said:
"Ricky..."
This time, there was no one beside him to answer.
But JJ had a feeling that their story was far from over.
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