Love is Against the Rules [Nemesis and I]

She sat down in a vacant seat as the pilot made his way to the cockpit. Alias was not in the mood for any small talk whatsoever. She did not know where the plane was taking her; she did not know what her next step would be once she arrived. Alias felt the tears she had held back for several hours threatening to overflow and make her bawl like a two year old. Instinctively, Alias reached up and hastily wiped them away. It was neither the time nor place to cry, especially since there most likely cameras surveying every move she made. Rather than sit there and stew, Alias closed her eyes, hoping to fall asleep. The plane vibrated as the engine roared. It began moving towards the end of the pier moments later.

Alias was unsure as to how long the flight lasted but somewhere in between she had fallen asleep. At least it made up for the lost time from the night before. However, just as the plane lurched when it hit an updraft, she was jostled awake. Her eyes widened in the pitch black of the cabin. Save for the wind whistling outside the window, the only noise was a faint humming of a mini fridge near the back. Alias rubbed her sleep filled eyes with a loud yawn, muttering something in a language that was certainly not English. She took out her phone, blinking in the dim light to check the time. It was only twelve in the afternoon. But who knew where she was, or which time zone she was currently in.

The plane landed moments later in what appeared to be an endless corn field. Even though she had been to stranger places, Alias did not quite understand just how intimidating plants could be. But then again, there were ways. With a shrug she focused her attention towards the intercom, waiting the pilot’s instructions. She was itching to exit the plane as she had been cooped up for hours in the tiny space. In the limited space available, one would consider the interior luxurious, however, to Alias it was yet another glimpse at what life could have been like without SHADE’s intervention. Shaking her head, she was snapped out of her musings by the sound of the pilot’s voice. The static emitting from the speakers made the sound quality seem quite poor. Luckily, Alias was able to decipher what the message was being said. She unbuckled her seatbelt and stood up, stretching her stiff arms. Alias shuddered at the sensation of her spine cracking. Gathering up her minimal belongings, she moved towards the exit, pushing aside the thoughts of Dean that entered her mind.

Within seconds of exiting the plane, Alias found herself alone on the damp tarmac, holding nothing but a purse that contained a minimal amount of supplies. The light breeze began to pick up, whipping strands of hair in her face. Alias sighed, swatting them away even as the wind blew them back.

“What was the point of all this?” she muttered, biting her lip. “They bring me out here for nothing?”

Alias glanced around the field but the only thing for miles was a sea of corn in all directions. She shivered and rubbed her bare arms. The shirt she had stolen, no borrowed, from Dean did little in the way of keeping her warm. It was a pin-striped dress shirt which hung just above her knees. Alias tugged at the sleeves. The thoughts were returning again. Images of Dean smiling at her, hugging her, appeared in her mind’s eye. She could almost feel the sensation of his hand holding hers. It was wrong to go with him, she thought. It was wrong to have been so weak and surrender to him. Immediately regret for her actions last night flooded the guilt of deserting him.

Alias had stood there alone for maybe a few minutes, but it seemed like an eternity. When she had nearly reached her limit of patience, a woman outfitted in a neatly pressed suit strode up to her, appearing seemingly out of nowhere. She did not speak a word but motioned with a subtle nod for Alias to follow her. Alias glanced around in confusion but complied. The silence between the two seemed to hover in a thick fog was they walked. A nervous feeling rose within her, the type that predicted something bad to happen. Her eyes automatically scanned the area for any signs of hostility. She was not about to be led into a trap. The woman stopped abruptly in front of a worn out shack hidden by the tall plants.

Alias was tempted to ask what the purpose of bring her there was but years of knowing when to hold her tongue prevented her from doing so. If the woman was going to mention anything she would have done so already. Although it might have helped considering Alias had a suspicious feeling this woman was untrustworthy. For all she knew, this was a trap, even though there seemed to be minimal security on the premises. The mysterious woman quickly typed in a code, which Alias could not see, on a nearby keypad causing the door to hiss and slide open. It revealed a dimly lit corridor dotted with hazard lights.

The woman barely glanced at her as she immediately strode into the dark hall. Alias took one last look behind her before hesitantly proceeding. There had not been any alarm, or automatic entry which made Alias a little suspicious. She instinctively clutched her purse if a gun was necessary. She was sick of the surprises and was yet again tempted to demand answers despite this woman continuing her silent treatment. What does this woman think she can accomplish by keeping secrecy? Alias wondered in disgust. With each tentative step, the feeling of being watched increased. Alias could almost see the cameras moving as they followed her.

It seemed like an eternity from the time she entered the bizarre corridor to the moment they approached a large vault like door. There were no visible card readers, nor fingerprint scanners or even a number pad to grant access. It was literally a solid steel door. Alias glanced at the woman, her grip tightening on the strap of her purse. She had to utter even so much as a single word towards her which made the growing suspicions increase.

“Where am I?” Alias demanded, her shaking voice echoing through the hall. “You have told me nothing!” At this point, the young woman was at her wits end. The longer she remained in a single place the faster agents could track her. There was no time to bother with formalities or vague phone conversations. The strange woman whirled around, lips pressed in a firm line. Alias could not see her eyes as they were still obscured by the thick sunglasses. Her body language revealed little other than authority.

“Remain silent,” was all she said. Her voice was dull, almost monotonous, akin to an automated voice mail. It seemed eerie to even hear a voice emitting from this woman. Alias felt a sudden wave of regret having made her speak. Without further elaborating on the subject, the woman focused her attention on the massive door before them. Without having touched it, the portal swung open with a strangled hiss as hidden bolts clicked out of their sockets. Yet again a dark, seedy room was revealed, however, rather than a dim corridor lined with military vehicles, a large mahogany desk sat situated in the centre. A black chair with its back facing the pair rocked to and fro, indicating the room's occupant.

"Ah, Miss Reyn, I am honored you would show up," a gravelly voice greeted her. Alias hesitated for a moment before the woman rudely shoved her towards the mysterious person. "I hope the trip here was pleasant?"

"Pleasant?" Alias growled, her teeth gritted tightly, jaw quivering. "I am positive it was not pleasant"

There was a brief sigh. "Ah, well, I understand your situation Miss Reyn, and I have a proposition, should you choose to accept,"

Alias blinked, her eyes widened in a glazed stupor. "A proposition you say?"

“Yes, if you agree to my terms, your record will be cleared and any evidence of treason shall be erased,” the voice seemed amused by the situation. The chair swiveled once more but its back remained facing Alias. “All you have to do is abide by the rules and comply with the orders.”
Alias raised an eyebrow, her lips tilting into a frown. “As simple as that?” she deadpanned. “I hardly doubt a…person such as yourself would merely hand out ‘freebies’ if they did not gain something from it.” Her hand tightened on the strap. She was prepared to leave if necessary.
“Yes, however, as you say, it is not a ‘freebie’,” the voice replied icily.
“Naturally,” Alias muttered. “What does this assignment entail?”
The chair moved again as its occupant seemed to mull over her response. “The assignment is to track an agent of SHADE and terminate him.” The person said as a matter of fact. “He is one of SHADE’s higher ranking and is one of the best. He is also very dangerous and has possession of valuable Intel that any side would be willing to pay. Which is why I contacted you; you have connections which few agents have ever received in their careers.”

Alias raised an eyebrow. “Just who is this agent?” she demanded. There was a snapping sound that echoed faintly in the small room. She briefly glimpsed an arm dressed in a grey sleeve before it disappeared behind the chair. A door hissed open to the left, revealing a lithe woman dresses in a simple black ensemble. Her expression was emotionless as she glided up to the desk, laying a manila envelope on the desk. Then she whisked away and the door closed.
“In that envelope is all the information you need,” the voice said. Alias cautiously approached the desk, her reflection blurry in its sleek surface. She reached out with shaking hands to pick up the envelope.
“Open it when you leave, but only then,” the voice replied slyly, its tone threatening.

Alias felt as though she was going to drop the envelope, she was so nervous. “All right,” she nodded, knowing the person could not see her. “I will need a form of transportation as the plane disappeared as soon as I arrived.”

The chair swiveled to one side before returning to its original position. “Ah yes, of course,” the voice mused. There was a snapping sound again and this time a straight faced man marched into the room. He wore a neatly pressed suit void of wrinkles. “Leighton here will take you to your destination.”

Alias glanced at Leighton with a wary eye. He seemed to be the type who followed orders, an enforcer of sorts. She would have to be cautious around him.

Neither Alias nor Leighton spoke as they drove down the deserted highway. The tension between the two seemed to manifest itself into a thick, unseen fog. Alias was at ease with the silence however, since she was accustomed to rarely conversing with unknowns. The less you told someone, the better you were aware and keeping your identity. She fingered the envelop itching to open it. The information was tempting her to do so. Unfortunately, Alias was impatient, very impatient. It didn’t help that the mysterious informant had warned her not to open it until the right time. Alias sighed as she glanced out at the blurry landscape.