The two teens lay unmoving. Each held a deadly weapon and yet both were at the receiving end of another. They both knew bullets flew faster than knives could cut, yet Lucas didn't doubt for a second that if he pulled the trigger Amber would find it in her to deliver a finishing blow before passing out herself.

Another second passed in which Lucas made his decision. He didn't want to shoot the girl, so he needed to disarm her before she decided he was better off dead. Unfortunately, the moment he moved he realized that Amber had come to the same conclusion.

As a result, he went for the knife while she went for the gun. Both reacted simultaneously by drawing their weapons away from the other. Amber rolled off Lucas and he in turn leaped to his feet. He whirled almost instantly, gun ready to take aim at its target. However, the moment he came around a foot connected with his hand and the gun went flying. Lucas' second hand grabbed the knife that had been thrust down toward his shoulder.

He squeezed the wrist, tight, and the knife clattered to the floor. Lucas couldn't help raising a mocking eyebrow. In response Amber flashed him a sweet smile. The next moment she came at him from his blind spot. An arm was pushed against his neck and he was pinned back against the wall.

Those brown eyes that made sweet bells ring in his mind stared at him menacingly.

"Who sent you?" the girl hissed.

Despite the situation, Lucas could feel that the threat level from the girl before him had gone down. She didn't seem to want to cause any harm to him either. On top of that, he was finding that he didn't really mind being pinned down by her.

"You know..." Lucas began as he stared at the beautiful girl before him. Why out of all people did it have to be you? He thought in regret. "I could tell you..." The arm against his throat didn't resist as he pushed against it and leaned forward. "But then I'd have to kill you," he breathed.

The girl wavered.

Now! Lucas was about to end it when the doorknob turned.

Amber's eyes widened in realization. "Shoot!"

It was Lucas who acted first. He grabbed the girl and whirled her in one smooth motion so that her back was to the wall. At the same time his foot connected with the gun, sending it sliding below a shelf and out of sight. The same foot came to rest on the blade, hiding it from view.

As the door opened, Lucas finished the move. He shoved Amber against the wall, hand snaking behind her head to cushion the blow. The other hand pined hers above her head and then his lips locked on hers as he gave her a passionate kiss.

For a brief second the girl didn't react, and then she melted into it, her free hand snaking behind Lucas' neck.

"I thought I heard..." a voice from the door began as it opened all the way. "Oh...ah..."

The duo held the kiss.

"E-excuse us." The door shut rather quickly.

It was Lucas who pulled away.

Amber was breathing hard as she stared at him, her eyes filled with confusion.

Lucas swiped a thumb across his bottom lip. "I've been wanting to do that for some time now," he admitted.

Amber's mouth opened and closed, and then to Lucas' surprise her face grew red.

"You...!"

The ECHO agent caught the hand that attempted to slap him. He cocked his head to the side. "Seriously?"

The girl mustered her best glare, but with her flushing face it could only make Lucas think of one word. Cute. He was tempted to pull her into another kiss.

"My brother would kill you," Amber hissed.

"Who? Nathan?" Lucas chuckled at that.

He saw Amber's eyes dart around for the weapons.

"How about we take a break from attempting to shoot or stab each other?" Lucas suggested. The words went against his own training and his mind argued with him. Here was a stranger, a threat. ECHO had taught him that all threats needed to be dealt with right away. And yet for what felt like it was becoming a regular occurrence, Lucas was going against that training. He was doing something he wanted. He was actually thinking for himself.

Amber didn't make a move. Lucas took it that it meant she wouldn't attack.

"So..." He kneeled and slowly pulled the knife out from under his shoe, eyes on Amber the whole time. Show her you trust her and she won't attack.

The girl tensed when the weapon came in sight.

"You're not just some heiress from South Korea I take?" He got back to his feet and then turned the knife back into its dormant pen form before returning it to its hiding place in his clothes.

"No." Amber brushed past him and walked to where the gun had been kicked to. She kneeled, hands rummaging under the bookshelf. "Just like you're not random transfer student with a soppy back story." She turned, gun in hand.

Though it was aimed at Lucas, the boy didn't even flinch. "Random transfer student, no. As for the soppy backstory," Lucas casually leaned against the door. "You'd be surprised."

A quick twirl of the weapon was followed by Amber disarming it.

"You don't think I'm a threat?" Lucas asked.

"I don't need a gun to take you out," came the reply.

That made Lucas grin. "I'm very good at what I do."

"I'm exceptional."

The two stared each other down.

"Nathan?" Lucas surprised himself by asking out loud. But he was curious as to how much the boy knew about his sister.

"Hah." Amber let out a snort. "He's clueless." Fire sparked through her eyes. "And he'll remain so."

"Ahhhh..."

Amber's eyes narrowed. "Did you drag him into something?"

"Hmmm."

The girl stalked toward him. "If you've involved my brother in any..."

"Whoa!" Lucas raised his hands in defense. "I think we should call it something along to lines of he involved himself."

It looked as though Amber was ready to re-arm the gun and shoot.

"What he thinks and what is are not the same," Lucas informed her.

The empty gun was waved in front of his face. "It better not be. If you lead him to be harmed in any way a bullet will be in your brain before you can blink."

Lucas stared into the barrel of the gun. "Noted."

"Good." Amber lowered the weapon once more. "You're not government, so who?"

That rules her out as one of them... Lucas eyed the girl thoughtfully. M18, who was acting as his uncle Zack, had warned him there was another agency after the target.

"You know I can't tell you any more than you can me," Lucas informed Amber calmly. His hands crossed over his chest, eyes still on the girl's every move. "But I can only assume we're after the same thing."

No reply.

"That makes us competitors."

Amber snorted. "Competitor? Please. I haven't failed a mission yet."

"Neither have I."

That made the girl pause. She cocked her head to the side. "Just who are you really?"

Lucas grinned. "Right back at you." He felt strangely at ease despite being in the presence of an enemy. "But as long as you stay out of my way I'll promise not to get in yours."

"You're saying you won't reveal my presence to your side?"

"Maybe..."

Amber eyed him distrustfully.

"Then again...only if you do the same."

"Impossible. Not if we're both going after the same thing."

"Ah." Lucas scratched his head. He was enjoying this moment immensely, and he wasn't sure why. Perhaps it was being alone with Amber that felt...nice. Idiot, he told himself off. What's with these feelings?

"How about we make it competition?" The words spilled from his mouth.

"A competition?" Amber looked intrigued.

The thought was making Lucas excited. "Yeah. Neither of us have failed before yet we're both after the same thing...there can only be one winner."

"So..." Amber mused. "One of us maintains a clean record while the other finally faces a blotch."

Lucas nodded.

"Hmm...you sure? I'm not sure how your side takes to failing."

Lucas inwardly flinched at the thought, yet his outward reaction remained blank. No. ECHO did not take kindly to failure. If it ever occurred punishment was dealt fast and accurately. The bigger the job, the bigger the failure and thus the bigger the punishment. They never revealed just how big this one is exactly... And that worried him somewhat about the consequences. Then again...I've never failed.

He flashed a grin at his to be competitor. "All the more motivation to win, right?"

Amber turned and walked a few paces. She paused. "Lasers, motion sensors, video footage, sound sensors, automated metal panels that seal off the entire room," she whirled, a finger pointing at the ceiling, "including the vents. Oh..." her hand dropped, "And then there's the gas that seeps in and knocks any perpetrator out." Her hands crossed over her chest.

Lucas raised an eyebrow. She knows a lot.

"Finally, an alarm that alerts every agent within the school walls." A finger went to her chin and she tapped it. "And there's a lot of them."

"You've done your research," Lucas complemented.

"Unlike you, it's not all about play for me."

"Have you been keeping an eye on me?" Lucas shot her a playful grin.

In response, Amber cleared her throat and quickly turned away. "What I'm saying is that getting near the target in any way is impossible..."

"So you're giving up and will let me go for it?' Lucas teased. He was having way too much fun.

Amber whirled to face him. "I wasn't done."

"Ah." The ECHO agent waved a hand for her to continue.

"Getting near the target in any way is impossible...except for one."

Lucas straightened as he instantly caught on. "To go in knowing you will get caught."

Amber nodded.

"Well that's troublesome." Lucas was curious as to why the girl was sharing this information, yet he knew an answer would most likely come soon. "How about a way out?"

Amber seemed to have been waiting for this. "That is why my plan requires two people."

The realization hit Lucas. "And you do not currently have a second..."

"Calling in backup will take too long. I'm assuming it's the same for you." Amber watched him. "We could both leave here and do that...but how do we know that the other person isn't going to find a way around and get the target first?"

"Trust?" Lucas suggested.

"In our line of work?"

"Nah." Lucas agreed. "So..." he stretched, "Is this your way of asking me to join hands?"

"Temporarily. Perhaps."

They lapsed into silence as Lucas considered this. It's not a bad idea.

"And when would we proceed with this plan?"

The reply came without hesitation. "Immediately."

Lucas' mind worked. ECHO is getting impatient. The sooner I'm done the better. The plan makes sense but... "I'm assuming you're not volunteering to be the one to go in there?"

"I could...but something tells me you'd be better."

"Personal feelings," Lucas murmured.

Amber nodded. "Some of the agents are bound to be students you've gotten close to. If that's the case you can bank on at least some mercy."

"Not if they've been trained right."

"Government always has issues with its agents and feelings." She put a palm to her heart. "They're all about training young agents but keeping them..." she paused as she glanced at Lucas, "Humane."

"Of course." Lucas sighed. "However, getting caught would be revealing myself. In the case that happens you know where we belong disappears. No one will claim and operative that has been compromised."

"Yet, you don't exist, do you?" Amber asked.

Lucas didn't reply to that. When he had joined ECHO everything had been wiped. Other than the fake identity they had created for him, if he was ever caught on a job it would be as though he had popped out from thin air. No family, no matching prints, no DNA in the database. He was a ghost, appearing and disappearing in accordance to the organization's will. If he had to reveal himself in order to accomplish his goal, perhaps ECHO would find a way to clean the slate for him once more...if he was successful. Or, if things went awry, they would write him off.

"So I would go in and you would get me out?" Lucas clarified.

"Yes."

"How would I know that you'd come for me?"

"I'd have no choice." Amber eyed him. "The target would be with you."

Lucas hesitated. He could think of several ways he could get screwed over, and yet the opportunity was a good one considering the circumstances. "And after the escape?"

"It's a bridge we'll cross when we get to it," Amber replied. She smiled sweetly. "We could make it a competition then to see who gets the ultimate prize."

"Hmm..." Lucas liked the sound of that. For some reason it was also suddenly very tempting to kiss the girl before him again.

"So." Amber held out a hand. "What do you say?"

Lucas regarded her.

"Are you in?"

Well this is interesting, The ECHO agent thought. It was certainly a way he could spend more time with Amber...and he liked the sound of that. It was risky, but he liked risky. He licked his lips as he considered his options.

Options:

a) Be a risk taker. Agree, worry about things as they come up later.

b) Sure...but ask to wait for a day. Use the time to gather information and contact ECHO.

c) Tell Amber thank you but no thank you and attempt to get the object another way with the risk that Amber may succeed first.