It was known knowledge that the Circle was secretly behind known conflicts and political decisions from the beginning, okay, not the beginning of time but since many of the nations had some sort of way for governing people. Was it crazy that she was a part of a family as ancient as this organization? Maybe. She hadn’t decided on how she felt about that yet.

They were not heading out until next week, but things were hectic. Astrid tried to ignore the concerned looks she was getting from the rest of the team.

Keep it together. Keep it together. She repeated to herself as she went about her chores around the house.

“Are you okay?” asked Cameron.

“I’m okay,” said Astrid as she put the devices on the table. “Tired is all.”

Easton walked into the room wearing regular clothes after a quick military styled shower. Astrid had been up since three in the morning, even though her brother, the oldest sibling in her big family was in the elite unit of the British Armed forces, the SAS, Astrid was still the smartest.

Any subject that could come to mind. She knew it. Astrid was tapping her gel pen against the wooden table and constantly clicking the pen she had in her hand.

“Right… tired,” said Easton.

Easton had joined the military right out of the college. She had not officially met her brother until she, herself, had joined the military into her brother’s unit but that did not mean she was treated specially.

The rest of the team had not realized how serious her job was until they had seen in her the hospital that day after getting sniped.

“You really need to drop that habit,” commented Andy.

“I’m still a teenager and it helps me think and concentrate on something,” said Astrid as she looked up at the medic. “It is a little immature, but… you can’t expect me to be completely adult-like, can you?”

“She has a point,” said Matt.

“I know… but I mean, I still can’t believe that the world’s best spy is a seventeen-year-old,” said Samuel.

Samuel, or Badger, was a part of her and Ben’s old unit. Her brother’s unit. Ben joined the Shadows, so that he could watch over her.

“If it makes you feel better, I turn eighteen in eleven days,” said Astrid.

“You’re only seventeen and you have more assassination attempts on you than any teenager I know,” said Ben.

“I would have the same amount even if I was not an agent,” mentioned Astrid. “Nox has been after me from the moment I was conceived. I’ve always had a target on my head, regardless of I was in this field or not.”

“You don’t need to remind me of that,” said Easton.

Even though, Easton seemed all tough and rough. If you really knew him though, he was very soft and caring but he didn’t like to show that.

“Let’s keep working on this,” said Astrid. “I am reviewing the security footage from the warehouse, so we know how to make it seem convincing.”

Later that evening, Cameron pulled Astrid aside to talk to her about what went on inside the house earlier today.

“Want to talk about it?” asked Cameron.

“About what?” asked Astrid.

“You were so defensive with our brother earlier today,” said Cameron as she handed the mug of hot cocoa to her sister. “And I know you, Astrid, and that’s not who you are. I also know that you don’t usually act out. So… you want to tell me what exactly is going on with you.”

“Maybe, I was overreacting to what our brother was talking about because I, myself, am nervous about this operation,” said Astrid as she looked nervously at her hands. “The board of directors for the organization are the scariest people I have ever met… and the only way out of the organization was death.”

“Astrid…” said Cameron. “How did you get out?”

“I did something really stupid,” said Astrid, she raised her voice to a pitch higher, as she laughed through her tears while she sipped the hot warm chocolatey liquid. “I gambled and let slip my location when I was doing a job.”

“You wanted to get caught,” said Cameron.

“I wanted out,” explained Astrid. “And this way, I could get it without having to run and potentially being shot down. I was not officially with the circle then though; it was a subgroup of the organization I was with. I gave everything I knew about the organization to the Shadows and then with Joseph’s help I became a part of the organization.”

“Oh… Astrid, we all make mistakes,” said Cameron.

“The Circle has been after me ever since I was young, well, both of us, since we were young,” said Astrid. “But it seems what I did taking down a part of their organization gave them more fuel to their fire.”

“I can’t believe you took down one of their subgroups when you were only fourteen,” said Cameron, as she turned toward her sister “That is pretty cool. All I am saying, is that you are the same person you were back then when you took a part of their organization down. And yes, they may be powerful but so are you. You are smart and so talented… and that never changed since back then.”

Astrid put her cup down and turned around, hugged her sister with tears in her eyes.

“Thank you, Cammie. I really needed to hear that, and I will keep what you said in mind,” said Astrid. “Want to go back in and join everyone else? I have some apologies I want to give to a certain group of people.”

They were all waiting for her inside when she came in. Astrid stuffed her hands down her pocket and let out a heavy sigh.

“I… wanted to apologize,” said Astrid. “I have been snapping and pushing you guys too much these days and that was my fault because I was worried about things going wrong when we go out there and that’s because I was not confident in my own abilities, but, thanks to my sister who knocked some sense into me, she made me realize that I was the same person I was all those years ago. So, let’s get these guys together.”

“Apology accepted,” said James. “As long you don’t try to boss us around all the time.”

“Deal,” said Astrid. “And these past few weeks, I have had a lot of time to go through multiple scenarios. I have an idea that will work but it will include all of us. It’s time we end this. Together.”