Whether Aidan and Jando had bought the flowers or found them in the Cave, Lydia would never know. Regardless, she did procure some potted soil from one of the laboratories. One of the employees was kind enough to give her some advice on how to care for certain plants and gave Lydia a few seeds to grow her own flowers.
She had never had much of a green thumb. That had been her father’s department. He had tried several times to impart his skill to her, but it never took. She preferred to take pictures of his plants, which allowed him to show off his work to potential clients. She didn’t want to wind up with a flaccid sprout that decayed within a day. But in honor of his memory, she decided to try once more.
Lydia had gathered some small cups, filled them with dirt, and planted the seeds deep. Each day, she made sure to water them, and she checked to see if there was any sign of new growth.
During exams, Lydia set aside some time to visit Arthur about becoming an agent. Lydia’s friends encouraged her. All except Aidan. “That just means you’ll be here even longer,” he’d pointed out. Which was true, but she was willing to accept that commitment to have a shot at Finster, Heather, and Mark.
“You’re sure?” Arthur asked her when she told him that she was ready to begin training as an agent. He seemed dumbstruck that she wanted to.
“Very sure.”
“Alright. Come on in.” She sat across from him as he rummaged in his desk. “Mind if I ask what convinced you? Surely not me.”
“I think it’s a good opportunity,” she said. “I’d like to use my ability to help people.” Arthur gave her a funny look. She quickly added, “That is until you guys hopefully find a cure, I might as well make the best of it. Keep others from being hurt. What else am I going to do? Can’t exactly have a normal job in the state I’m in.”
“Oh, don’t be so sure,” Arthur said. “We’re able to place many people into regular positions in businesses across the country.”
“Well, I also like the idea of being an agent, helping people, traveling,” she said.
“Yes, traveling is a big draw. You will be doing a lot of that, I assure you.” He placed a thick pile of papers before her. “I’ll need you to sign a few papers. Standard stuff. Disclosure agreements that you won’t reveal any of our information, won’t abuse your position or abilities, et cetera, et cetera. You can read over them if you want.” He handed her a pen. Then he yanked his hand back before she could take it. “And we will make sure you won’t abuse your position or abilities for ‘personal reasons.’ ” He emphasized the last point and stared at her. “Even if vigilantes are all the rage, you’ll work for us. We’re here to serve and protect under the law, not wage private wars and dispense punishment at our choosing, whether it’s deserved or not. Any avoidable killing or excessive force is not our way. That will be ingrained into you before you’re an agent. There will also be no more unauthorized excursions either.”
Lydia tried to maintain a blank face. Great. Should’ve figured he would catch on, she thought.
“Also, you won’t receive any assignment until you’re eighteen and fit for duty. We do allow you to go into the field sometimes with other agents to gain experience. Once you become official, you will be assigned a partner for the first few years.” He extended the pen to her again. “If you can’t handle that, then you may as well leave. Make sure you think about this carefully before you sign. Are we clear?”
Without batting an eye, Lydia took the pen and signed each paper right away. After she finished, Arthur checked her signatures. “Okay then. We’ll start you off right away with karate and foreign language classes. You’ll need the latter for your high school curriculum anyway. We’ll see how you handle those first, alright?”
“Haven’t I already been learning martial arts in the self-defense classes?” she asked.
“Some. You’ve been offered defensive techniques from a wide range of styles. This class focuses chiefly on playing to your strength, no pun intended,” he said, chuckling. “I’m talking about learning particular styles in full, which center around martial arts, not on your ability.”
“So when do I get a gun?”
“Not until you’re a full-fledged agent,” Arthur said sternly. “We won’t even begin training you with one until you’re eighteen. For now, in one of our classes, we’ll show you how to spot and disarm people with guns.”
Lydia was disappointed, but took solace that she would at least be more lethal with her hands and feet. “Now,” Arthur said, “you start tomorrow. You will still be expected to attend self-defense and physical therapy, as they will continue to focus on utilizing your ability.”
“Okay.” He passed her a sheet with the room locations and her instructors’ names. Then he let her out.