September 13, 1996, Cassidy was just in her second month at the police academy until one of her instructors called her over. "Graves, you have a visitor." The instructor spoke, and had her follow him into a meeting room, revealing two men in suits. The young woman looked at the two warily. Her instructor left a moment after, closing the door.
"Good afternoon, Miss Graves. I'm Agent Laurens and this here is Agent Ferguson." The first suit spoke up. "We've been watching you for a long time."
"That's creepy, and I'm willing to bet you know several things about my family then." Cas sat down, making the two suits nervous. "If you even think about threatening-" Cas was cut off by the other agent, Ferguson.
"We won't threaten you or your family. We're here because there's been demon sightings and we need your assistance." Agent Ferguson spoke, taking off his shades. "You're the first person who returned from the underground alive, and you're the reason they are free."
"They didn't deserve to be left there, and I sure as hell wouldn't harm them." Cas replied calmly. The agents looked at each other before Laurens slid a binder towards her. The Graves woman opened it and read through it. "Cult operation nearby then. My cousin lived there because of his mom. Contact him, he'd willingly help take this ring down and save them."
"We have, and he'll be the one to do it. We need you to help with a bigger demon ring." Ferguson's voice rang out as Cas read the rest of the binder.
"Whatever these things are... They sure as hell aren't demons. Experimentation possibly. I'll need to call Alphys, she could probably tell you more. It's definitely not something I've..." Cas trailed off before squinting at a picture as one of the things spotted looked familiar. "What the shit?"
"Miss Graves?" Laurens called out confused.
"Sorry it's just. There's not a doubt this is experimentation. Most likely a new virus or something that someone made. Which means someone or some group out there are experimenting on people more likely. That was a person." Cas spoke, adjusting her glasses. The two agents let out two different swears.
"This was seen recently in a forest of Racoon City." Ferguson admitted.
"Willing to bet Umbrella isn't what it's cracked out to be." The only woman in the room crossed her arms. "Especially if they have someone they're allied with in the government calling the shots." The two agents went silent at the thought. "Did you guys not think of that? How is it that I, an eighteen year old daughter of a private investigator, managed to think Umbrella, a major health corpo, is hiding something. Have none of your superiors thought to look into what their doing?" She asked, receiving no answer.
Ferguson covered his face as Laurens looked at Cas. "Miss Graves, There's a rising task force that the president himself has personally asked to be made to help combat demons and prevent what you have just confirmed for some of our scientists. We have a proposition for you to join that task force." Laurens offered calmly.
"What's the name, and how do I fit in this?" That was the moment Cassidy Graves knew she had to learn more.
"Starcom and its three divisions, Labs, field and desk. Those in the Labs help us determine what's going on and how to reverse engineer viruses to make cures if its possible, while also having a seperate section what will soon be our medbay . Field is what we hope you go into, its fieldwork out there helping and lessening the impact of these things. Desk is the last one, they'll be your eyes, helping us and you informed of what's happening and cracking codes for you." Laurens explained.
"You're overriding what Starcom originally was. No child soldiers? No manipulating people into signing? I heard what the old one was like." The quarter devil crossed her arms.
"That's exactly why the president wanted an overhaul of it. Rebranding it into a better situation. No more child soldiers, those affected by situations like before, will be put with agents who have foster licenses or have been deemed safe enough to take care of kids. Those kids will be given a choice when they become an adult. As for the second thing. There will be consequences if an agent manipulated a person into signing. That contract will be void and null and that person will be sent to another agent to speak with." Ferguson added. Cas motioned for the contract, and Laurens slid it across the table. Of course the Devil hunter read the entire contract with ease, before signing.
"Welcome to Starcom Miss Graves. We'll be sending someone later to help you pack your things here and show you to the base of operations. Ferguson and I had to get permission from your father for this meeting, and now we can inform you that your sister had joined as well. We'll be sending a spy to Umbrella." Laurens shook Cas's hand.
"You're a huge help for us." Ferguson added with a smile, shaking her hand.
"If it's to make sure I can protect the civies, then I'll do whatever it takes." Cas replied with a smile. She walked out of the meeting room to her dorm so she could pack for the next agent that she'll meet to pick her up. Packing her things was easy, keeping her dorm mates from knowing what she signed was not.
"You're leaving? Did something happen?" Heather asked confused.
"Yeah, can't really tell you much. Just that I'll be helping in another way." The eighteen year old replied.
"Damn must be nice if you're packing everything. Stay safe out there Graves, that Kennedy boy will not be happy his crush left." Deloras smirked.
"I don't care what Leon Kennedy thinks, and he can get over it." Cas snarked, as she finished packing. "Besides, my family's business expanded in a sense."
"Real vague, Cas. Really vague." Clover snickered, causing Chara to jab her elbow into his side. "Ow! Chara!" The entire time the ghost children batted at the other, Cas fought the urge to roll her eyes.
"Bye Graves! Stay safe out there and make sure you don't die!" Another one of her dorm mates said, as Cas walked out with her duffle bag and backpack packed with her things. Outside the dorm was an instructor and another agent, a woman who was shorter than her. The agent introduced herself as Agent Johnson and led Cas to a blacked out suv. Cas put her things in the back and got in, unaware that a blue eyed blonde man watched the whole thing with a slight frown, and looked away.
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Cassidy wasn't expecting to actually see Leon two years later, escaping the shit storm that was Raccoon City. She got him and his companions checked out by the field medics. "Apologies you three. I'm agent Graves, and I'm here because of the situation you just went through. On behalf of Starcom, we are sincerely sorry you each went through that." Cassidy spoke with a soft tone.
"There was a group of military agents who went to an Umbrella underground lab and caused all of this." Leon spoke up. The two adults then explained what they went through, not leaving a single thing out. Each sentence made Cassidy's anger rise.
"Excuse me for a moment. Agent Rogers will stay with you as the medics come in and check you three for any real wounds." Cas said as calmly as possible, before leaving the room and the hallway to a room far from the three survivors and punching the wall in that room.
"I don't blame you for getting angry. Honestly, I'm rather angry too." Chara spoke softly, with Clover nodding. Cas ruffled the bangs of her already tangled short brown hair. Everyday it seems that the Sparda bloodline grows stronger as white strands appear within her brown hair more and more.
"If it makes ya feel better, we'll be on the lookout for people looking for you, until you've calmed down." Clover mumbled, before the ghostly cowhand floated through the door to stand guard.
Cas sat down, closed her eyes and repeated the breathing exercises she and her sister were taught to control their strength. "I'm in control of my emotions, my strength and what I do. Center myself with everything. Think of Sam and Nero, think of Lady and Trish, think of Dad and Uncle Virgil. I am calm. They are safe. No harm." Cas mumbled to herself. When she opened her eyes, she heard a knock. Clover flew through the door.
"This person's safe." Clover spoke with a grin.
"Who is it?" Cas called out with an exhausted voice.
"I... It's Leon Kennedy." The deep voice on the other side answered. Cas gave a glare to Clover, as Chara smacked the ghost on the head.
"Come in." Cas spoke up, looking into her bag for her tea as the door opened to reveal the blonde blue eyed man. She pulled out two bottles of homemade iced tea. "My sister keeps packing these into my bag." The sparda kin answered the unasked question.
"She sounds like a blast." Leon replied, sitting down after taking one. Cas just hummed softly before taking a sip. Another person steps into the room, revealing Carlos Oliveira.
"Sam got you with the tea, too?" Carlos asked sitting on another couch.
"This is Carlos, ignore the Umbrella get up. He's the reason we know more about the shit they've been doing." Cas mumbled, closing her eyes. "How was meeting my sister and getting punched, by the way? She's gotta nasty left hook." The look on Carlos's face said everything.
"She sounds violent." Leon huffed out. That was the moment Sam walked in.
"Not as violent as these two make me out to be. You must be the guy my sister felt like punching before the career change in the Academy. I'm Samantha Graves, field agent and part-time medic." Sam smirked, before plopping down next to Cas, who scooted away with a grumble.
"You felt like punching me?" Leon asked amused.
"Your face felt annoying with the layers of smug on it." Cas replied without opening her eyes once. Carlos and Sam tried not to laugh loudly. "So get over yourself, pretty boy." She could tell he looked offended from the fact Sam was shaking from laughter. Soon came in an Agent with Sherry, causing Cas to open her eyes. "Status report?" Cas slipped into her role as head agent on the field. Then the agent explained Sherry's situation and how she was cure from a virus and whatever else they saw.
"And how is Miss Valentine?" Carlos asked, as he watched Cas motion Sherry to her.
"Miss Valentine is doing better now, and another agent has led Miss Redfield to a transport vehicle so she could find her brother." The agent answered before being dismissed.
"You okay kid? I heard you lost both of them. It's gonna be hard, with the grief you'll be going through." Cas spoke quietly to Sherry about losing a parent. She ended up consoling the twelve year old girl as she cried. "My dad would talk about my mom every time it got hard for me. Sam... Sam didn't get to meet her, so we mourn the loss of our mom with our dad and we do our best to keep her memory alive." Cas whispered before humming a song she remembered from the underground. Everyone went silent to not only hear the humming, but to mourn the entire city worth of lives gone.
Thirty minutes pass, with Sherry, who had fallen asleep curled up between Cas and Sam on the couch they were on, leaning on Cas. Sam and Carlos talked quietly as Cas wrote in one of her journals, not so oblivious to the look Leon was giving her. "Ask questions later Kennedy. Preferably when there isn't a sleeping preteen on me." Cas muttered, as she continued to write. The blonde man looked away slightly embarrassed.
Masterpiece of a chapter. 10/10. 👍
But really, great chapter. It was very entertaining and had lot of nice moments. I do like the part that mentioned that Leon and Cas knew one another BEFORE the Raccoon City Incident and Leon even (still) had a crush on her.
Tagging: @platinumrosetail, @arn9tails, @bloodytea, @uniquecutie-puffs, @lovelyjane-stuff
