The sudden voice sliced through the silence faster than a gunshot.



His hands went limp at his sides and Felix turned his head toward the admin, still heaving heavily from the training. It took a moment, but he eventually answered.



"I'm just passing the time."

THEO BECKETT

What did he think of SPECTRA, huh?

"It went alright. Some of the participants looked promising."

And some didn't, he thought to himself.

Worse of all, it put the extent of Rocket's intel into question. How close were those simulations to real life? Could they really consider that training? Alas, those weren't the type of questions one can go blurting out to their supervisor. Not, unless, he was specifically asked to divulge further.

@tag

Despite the impassive expression he continued to wear, the mercenary felt a zap of shock course through his system..

Him? Promising?

It was a compliment he hadn't expected to receive, much less from an admin he hadn't even spoken to up until now. He half expected most of them to do what his colleagues used to do back in ANVIL-- peer down and bet on the rookies they already vetted, leaving the faceless to seep further into obscurity.

"Goals..." His eyes drifted to the sandbag. Somehow, for the first time in his life, it was actually hard to articulate his objective. As it went far beyond fulfilling the objective of his higherups, and far beyond his own meager objective of simply being able to support August Gallagher .

"To hunt down the league's Avatars, I suppose." His gaze returned to THEO BECKETT , "As long as SPECTRA allows it."

THEO BECKETT

Huh.

Another overloaded question.

There were several reasons, actually. Several reasons he had contemplated in bed for the past few nights (especially after his conversation with Cillian Quinn ). First, there was August Gallagher 's safety, but that wasn't information he'd easily cough up to this man.

Second, there was SPECTRA's established objective.

Third? Well, "I don't like them." He answered plainly, voice completely flat. "I don't like an enemy that's impossible to defend against."

THEO BECKETT

"no enemy is impossible to defend against."

Of course, Felix believed in that notion. Tilt the odds in your favor, and you can secure any victory you desire. But that's where his problem lies: tipping the odds in his favor.

But, as always, he didn't want to argue. He knew better than to engage against a higher up on a topic they viewed to be more knowledgeable in. Even when conceding meant swallowing down his thoughts on the matter.

"Melody Miro ?" He echoed back the woman's name. Last he's heard, she recently got promoted to Elite 4 status, making her that much harder target to secure. "Considering how Sootopolis went, I'd go for a hostage angle." His voice slowed as the clogs of his brain cranked through its thought process, considering the possible costs and benefits of such a plan. "Given how her selflessness appears to the easiest weak point worth exploiting."


Felix took a second to pause, his gaze returning to the sandbag. 

"She isn't currently a target of mine, though."

Not right now at least.

That slot was saved for someone else.

THEO BECKETT

"Katherine Fairburne ."

The answer came quick. Easy.

Its attachment, however, trudged slowly behind it with a second of contemplation.

"And MATIAS SILPH ."

Matias was more of an idea than an actual target, but Felix figured there would be no harm in mentioning the name. Besides, rather not waste an opportunity to hear an admin's thoughts on the matter.

THEO BECKETT