Chapter Text
Evander tapped his foot impatiently as he watched The Handler and an unknown recruit argue back and forth. Well, it was more one sided than anything. All she did was lean on her desk and look at the man with mirth in her gaze.
“I don’t understand why you’re dropping this on me now!”
“Well you’ve been working with us for over a year now. Don’t you think it’s time to learn to work as a team?”
Instead of replying the mystery agent just huffed and stomped away, shouldering past Evander with no regard. Evander rolled his eyes at the petty behavior and stepped into her office. When The Handler saw him she brightened immediately, as if the conversation with the rude man from before never had happened. “Evander! What a pleasure to see you!” She pulled him into an embrace. “I heard about the success of your recon mission in Iceland. Congratulations on your recent promotion!”
Evander pulled apart from her. “Thank you. If I’m being honest it probably wouldn’t have been possible without your training.”
She laughed and walked back to her desk to lean on it. “That was all you, sweetie. I just gave you a nudge in the right direction.” She cleared her throat and straightened up. “It was great catching up but we must get to business. Now, the reason I called you here so early was to give you a new assignment. I want you to mentor our new recruit.”
Evander blinked and took a moment to register what she said. “You want me to mentor someone? Who?”
She sighed loudly. “His name is Five Hargreeves. He was employed only a few weeks after you left for Iceland. He’s very effective on the field but the board has come to a collective agreement that he needs to work on his temper management and found it was best to nominate you to help. From now on you will be completing missions together.”
“I…I don’t know what to say.”
“Evander, this will be one of the toughest things you’ve had to do during your employment here. Five is very…stubborn to say the least and doesn’t work well with others. He will absolutely despise you. But I have some hope you can fix him.”
Evander’s stomach churned uncertainly at the word. Fix. They wanted him to fix this guy. How was he of all people supposed to help with this stubborn guy’s temper. There were times where he couldn’t even keep his own in check what made her and the board think he could help with this agent’s.His thoughts were interrupted by The Handler’s hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry.” She put a thin file in his hand. “You’ll be fine.” The Handler walked away, the clacking of her heels echoing throughout the empty halls.
Evander groaned and made his way to his desk.
——
Two hours of pouring over the file got him absolutely no where. He tried running a hand through his auburn curls but his fingers got stuck halfway through. He pulled off his glasses and tried to rub away his oncoming headache. He closed his eyes and tried to think but nothing was coming to him.
“You’re Evander right? He opened his eyes quickly and fumbled to put on his glasses.
“Yes that’s me.”
Evander finally looked and saw that it was the impolite man from earlier. His dull eyes bored into him. “Give me the file.”
Evander glared. “I’m sorry, who are you again?”
“That’s none of your concern so I would appreciate it if you gave me the file.” The unknown agent held out a hand for the file but Evander slid it away.
“Yeah I don’t think so.”
“Just-!”
“Now now Five be nice to him.”
Evander’s blood turned to ice. The man, or Five, flinched violently at the sudden appearance of The Handler. Evander straightened up and began to stutter out apologies but The Handler held up a hand to stop him. “It’s not you who should be apologizing it’s Five.” A hand he hadn’t even notice tightened on Five’s wrist. Evander looked at Five but his gaze was focused on the floor, his expression vacant. “Apologize to Evander.”
“Sorry.” It came out lackluster.
Her grip fell from his arm. Five put his wirst back by his side but he could tell by the constant shifting was bothering him. The Handler came closer to whisper quietly in Five’s ear, quiet enough to where Evander couldn’t hear.
The Handler stepped away and clapped her hands together. Smiling all the while. “Well I’ll leave you boys to it!”
Five dragged a chair from an empty desk and pulled it up next to Evander. He sat down heavily and tried to cross his arms over his chest angrily but jolted when his injured wrist brushed his arm. He put his hands in his lap instead.
Evander glanced at him warily. “Are you…okay?”
Five sent him a nasty glare. “Shut up and work on the damn file.”
Evander held back every angry retort that came to his head and did what was told.