The Free Agent - Christmas Mission

Merry Christmas people!

While it is not fully necessary to do so, it is best advised that you have read The Free Agent before this.

The Free Agent - Christmas Mission

?December nineteenth and this is how we?re spending it. Sitting in a freezing cold briefing room in London for a mission that sounds pretty boring.?
?Wow. Spot the cynic.?
?What? Just voicing my opinions here Hayley.? Agent Firius grumbled to his partner.
?Yeah, yeah. Fully aware of that Tony. Besides, it?s not that cold.? Agent Glacia shrugged.
?Oh, I wonder why that is, little miss ice elemental?? Firius raised his eyebrow, ?Just wait till summer comes along, you won?t be so smug then.?
?And when I have to wear fewer clothes to compensate, your smugness will just melt away.? Glacia grinned. ?You can?t win, mate.?
Firius grumbled his defeat. The two free agents had been in London for a day now, having been sent out to assist agents from several other countries with a possible terrorist threat regarding a delayed meeting of the EU. Meetings of the past two years had brought about bombings in buildings nearby the meetings, resulting in an attempt to delay the meeting for this year to Christmas, alongside a venue change from what had been initially mentioned in the news. Several countries both in and out of the EU had volunteered free agents ? whom were still seen as relatively expendable by most governments ? to help in maintaining security and apprehend any suspicious activity.
This was all information that Firius was fully aware of, having been briefed by Colonel Wilson before heading out, so he found the twenty minutes it took for this to be re-briefed to the group to drag on considerably. Eventually, they got to the part new to Firius: the patrol teams.

?Glacia, your shift?s over.?
Glacia turned towards Firius, standing up from a small chair she had brought to her patrol spot and stretching.
?You weren?t falling asleep now, were you?? Firius grinned.
?Of course not. I?m not quite the lazy bones you are.? Glacia retaliated, sorting the scarf around her neck.
?Well, I guess you?d be used to staying up stupid hours of the night.? Firius shrugged, knowing Glacia would react to this.
?W-what do you mean?? Glacia seemed worried, which amused her partner.
?Yeah, I know you?ve been staying up late to watch T.V? Firius told her. ?Didn?t know you were still in to all that anime, thought you?d have outgrown it or something.?
?I?It?s not kiddy crap! There are some really good, mature shows out there!? Glacia panicked in a way that reminded Firius of similar times that he?d tease her for this when they were younger. He chuckled a little to himself and patted Glacia on the head.
?Alright, alright, I?ll take it back.? He smiled. ?But when we get back, I want examples of this mature stuff, right??
?Oh...okay.? Glacia was surprised at Firius? calmer-than-expected reaction. ?Best go and get some rest, I suppose.?
?You do that.? Firius replied, sitting down on her chair. ?See you later then.? Before Firius could get comfy in his seat, he felt it being suddenly snatched from underneath him. Falling on to his back, he saw Glacia standing above him.
?I?ll be taking this, then.? Glacia gave him the nicest smile she could muster while trying to hold back laughing. ?Enjoy yourself.?

Shift over, Hayley wandered down the streets of London by herself, head facing the ground as she watched her feet crunch through the snow. With her mind no longer having to focus on work, nor having to stop Tony from worrying about her, she was now able to fully lament on her current situation. With a cup of freshly bought coffee in her hand, she found a bench to sit on, dusted some of the powdery snow off and took a seat, resting her fold-up chair next to the armrest.
?It?s really been six months, has it?? she sighed, watching the wisps of her breath dance above her. Even with the half-year gap, she found herself remembering the events of the past June more so than she would have wished to. The double-agent betrayal of her boyfriend had hit her hard, which had resulted in a few months of therapy and considerable bouts of depression. She had recovered since then, but she still felt some bouts of depression when she was all alone, though she tried to hide it so as to not worry those around her anymore. Taking a sip of the steaming hot coffee, she threw her head back on the bench as the drink?s warmth spread through her.
?Didn?t think he knew about me still being in to anime.? She smiled, trying to move her mind to more pleasant thoughts. ?Thought he?d berate me more for electric bills or still being in to stuff he?d find for kids or something. I guess that?s just my mind being a bit stupid again.? Taking another sip of her coffee, she took her phone out to check the time. ?Just after nine AM. Might as well head back to the hotel and get some sleep.? She decided.
Sitting up straight, she straight away noticed something that surprised her. At the coffee stand not too far from her bench, she noticed a young boy in a wheelchair, talking to the stand owner. She noticed the owner say something she couldn?t quite hear, to which the boy?s head bobbed down. He then turned his no-electric wheelchair ? a rarity nowadays ? around and pushed himself away. Hayley got to her feet and walked back towards the vender and watched the boy slowly leaving by himself.
?It?s a real shame, isn?t it??
Hayley turned towards the vender, who gave her a melancholic smile. ?Poor lad?s got some kind of bone condition. Four years he?s had that for.? He said, the accent of his voice giving evidence of Scottish roots.
?Four years?? Hayley couldn?t take her eyes off the child as he turned a corner and went out of sight. ?For him to be out on his own like this, aren?t his family worried??
The vender sighed. ?From what I?ve heard, his mother died when he was young; while his father abandoned him about the time he was diagnosed. Probably couldn?t afford the cost of curing the lad.?
?I see?? Hayley had nothing but sympathy for the child. ?I?m guessing he?s currently at an adoption home??
?Aye. You?re not thinking of taking him under your wing or anything, are you lass??
?Not quite, but I do want to at least visit the place.? She responded, finishing what remained of her coffee in one mouthful. She wasn?t sure what it was, but she felt some sort of intuition telling her to follow the child.

After a while of navigating her way around an unfamiliar city, Hayley found herself standing in front of a run down building in a quiet, out-of-the-way street.
?Caring for our future, eh? More like shoving them out of the way.? Hayley muttered, disgusted by the obvious views the council seemed to have. Returning to her reasons for being there, she began to think over what to do. Not knowing the child?s name, she figured that asking at the front office might end up going the wrong way, so she decided to go for a more hidden approach. Walking down an alley next to the building, she found the fire escape slightly out of her normal reach, so made a quick run and jump to reach it. Climbing her way up, she looked in to the window of the first floor, amazed at her luck when she saw the child sitting at a desk, writing in to a small notebook.
?Seems that poor kid just got that diary for company, huh.? Hayley observed , hearing the sounds of other children playing without him. A sudden knock on the door prompted Hayley to pull back away from the window, waiting quietly as she heard one of the caretakers call for the boy for something. Upon hearing the door close, she slowly peeked her head around to check that the coast was clear, then quietly opened the window and jumped in.
?I suppose kid?s diaries were made to be read by adults?? Hayley told herself; as much of a hunch as she had on this, she still felt uneasy about breaking in to a child?s room, let alone that of an abandoned one. Picking up the book, she glanced through the entries, only reading enough to get an idea of what he was talking about.
?Poor guy really misses his father.? she said disheartened. She couldn?t help but feel terrible about this. ?Wait.?
She paused as she noticed a recent entry.

?I got a letter from my father today!
He didn?t say much on what he has been doing or where he has been, but I?m just so happy to hear from him again. He says that while he may seem different after all this time, he may very well have the answer to all of our problems. He says he may even have found a way to get the money for the operation!
This is the best Christmas present I could have ever wished for!?

?Just three days ago.? Hayley pondered over this.
The creaking of floorboards outside the room alerted Hayley to her time being up. She quickly closed the book and jumped out the window, closing it just as the door opened.
?I think I need to think this over.? Hayley thought. ?Something just doesn?t feel right??

?Oh, there you are.? Tony greeted Hayley as she entered their hotel apartment. ?Where?ve you been, Christmas shopping??
?Um, not exactly?.? Hayley responded, thinking over whether or not to tell him about her suspicions. ?Just been wandering around the city a bit, that?s all.?
?Ah, fair enough.? Tony fell back on his bed. ?Should probably make a start on mine at some point.?
?It?s December twentieth, are you not leaving this a little late??
?I?ve had closer scrapes.?
?Trust you.? Hayley rolled her eyes as she slumped in to her own bed. ?How was the ?riveting? look-out then??
?Uneventful, as you can guess.? Tony answered. ?Do they really expect a terrorist to show his face out in public so casually??
?he may seem different after all this time? a snippet of the diary flashed through Hayley?s mind.
?Maybe that?s it?? Hayley muttered to herself.
?You say something??
?Oh, sorry, never mind.? Hayley shrugged it off.
?Oh?kay?? Tony paused for thought. ?Anyway, we did get some newly released information during my shift, not sure if you got it.?
?Oh??
?Two things that have become possibilities. One, the likelihood of the terrorist using a prosthetic body; and two, they may have relatives living around here.?
?How was this all found out?? Hayley asked, surprised.
?Not sure. Just a bit of digging I guess.? Tony answered. ?Something of this scale, it?s going to be impossible to leave a trail that the higher-ups can?t find.?
?Yeah?? Hayley murmured, the separate threads beginning to tie themselves together in her head.
Tony sat up on his bed and looked over towards his troubled-looking friend. ?Something wrong?? he asked her.
?I think?I have a lead on this case.? she decided to share.

?A little kid in a wheelchair that might be the terrorist?s son, huh?? Tony went over Hayley?s thoughts yet again. It was December twenty-first, the eve of the EU meetings and the predicted day of the attacks. Tony?s shift was finished, giving him the time to go to the same park that Hayley had told him she first saw the child in.
?This is a bit of a long shot in terms of finding something concrete.? Tony thought, staring over at the coffee stand opposite him in-between the fog floating up from his mouth every time he exhaled. ?We?re completely reliant on the boy showing up to get some evidence that this guy?s involved.?
His thoughts drifted back to her suspicions on the meeting the boy had with the stand owner from the day before.

?You suspect the coffee stand owner?? Tony queried, unsure of Hayley?s reasoning on this one.
?Yeah.? Hayley went on to explain. ?When I spoke to him after they met, he knew quite a lot about the boy?s condition and history, so he most likely knows him.?
?Maybe, though the child could have told him most of that stuff.?
?Yes, but the way he said it that leads me to believe otherwise. You do remember I took some classes on behaviour psychology, right??
?Oh yeah?I used to mock you for that.? Tony admitted sheepishly.
?You did?anyway.? Hayley glared at Tony for a moment before continuing. ?When he spoke to me, he never made proper eye contact and gave me a smile of insincerity. What?s more, when he spoke to the child, I was able to roughly lip-read what he said.?
?Oh??
?He has not decided when yet, come back tomorrow afternoon.?

?Hayley, you?re a genius.? Tony muttered, looking up as he noticed that the child in question had made his appearance. Watching the stand owner converse, he noticed the child?s body straighten up as if excited.
?Looks like the word?s out.? Tony analysed. After waiting a few minutes for the child to leave, Tony stood up off of his bench, tightened his scarf and approached the stand. ?An excitable one, isn?t he?? Tony started the conversation, leaning on the counter as he did so.
?Aye. I?d be too if I were in his position.? the stand owner responded. ?The wee lad?s just heard about his fath-?
?Yeah, I?m well aware of his father.? Tony interrupted, taking his badge out of his trench coat pocket and presenting it. ?What I?m interested to know is your connection in all of this.?
The man?s expression quickly changed from joy to stern, mumbling inaudibly as he searched for an answer. The man suddenly threw a right hook at Tony, catching him off guard and knocking him to the floor. As Tony got back to his feet, he drew his pistol as the man left his stand and ran in the opposite direction to the boy. Preparing to shoot, Tony noticed the man slip and almost fall on the icy paths, yet carried on running. Holstering his gun, Tony calmly walked forward and clicked his fingers, using his fire elemental powers to melt some of the ice in front of the man. Still slipping, the man hit the melted patch and - due to the sudden stop from regaining his grip - fell to the ground face first.
?I?ve had people of better physical condition unable to get away from me. You had no chance.? Tony mused as he stopped next to the fallen man. Crouching next to him, he turned the man on to his back, gave him a quick revenge hook to the face and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt.
?Now, back to our previous topic.? Tony sternly told him. ?Like my partner, I have some skills in lip-reading, so I know you told that kid that his dad?s wanting to meet with him at seven tonight. What exactly do you know??
?Please?let me go. If I were to tell you anything, I would be killed!? The man begged.
?We?ll protect you if you confess to what you know.? Tony went through what felt like a routine statement for him. ?Besides, if past examples have taught me anything, then just you being seen here with me will result in presumption of the worst. Now, let?s start with this; where are they meeting??

?An old church? How clich� can you get??
?Tell me about it.? Firius responded to Glacia via his earpiece. ?Is that you in position??
?Yeah. I can see him in the stands near the front. Got a clear shot if he starts to act up.? Glacia informed him. ?Be careful in there. With that prosthetic body of his, we don?t know what kind of tricks he?s got up his sleeve.?
?Don?t worry. I know to expect all kinds of crazy stuff these days,? Firius reassured her. Taking a grip of the door handle in one hand while holding his pistol up in the other, Firius quickly swung in and aimed his gun straight ahead. Noticing that the man didn?t react, Firius slowly moved forwards him as he knelt praying. Firius - not quite expecting him to be praying - stopped a comfortable distance away from the man, allowing him to finish his prayer. As he finished, the man glanced towards Firius, but otherwise didn?t move.
?What beckons you to brandish a firearm in the house of the Lord, my friend?? he asked Firius.
?What makes you think that you can seek redemption before attempting to murder innocent people?? Firius threw the man back a question. ?Not sure if it?s something the big guy can forgive, even so close to his son?s birthday.?
?So, you are aware, huh?? he sighed, rising to his feet. ?Perhaps you are right. However, it never hurt to at least ask for mercy, no??
?Doesn?t explain why you did it.? Firius stated, taking a step forward to show that he was being serious.
?Y-You have to understand, this was the only option I had left.? the man stuttered, the gun starting to make him nervous. ?I was desperate for the money. You see, my son?he has a bone condition that will render him handicapped unless he gets an operation.?
?All this?for your son?? Firius was surprised. In the time both before and after his promotion to free agent, he had never come across someone who had acted for means other than for themselves, not even his own father.
??Dad? Is that you??
Both of them turned towards the open door to see the wheelchair-ridden boy sitting before them, tears in his eyes.
?Anthony?my son?? the man ran right past Firius towards his child, while the free agent was too shocked to do anything.
?Why?why does this remind me of my own father?!?
?Firius, the target?s moved out of my current position. What?s going on down there?
?All he wanted was to fund a future for his boy??
?Firius? What?s happening down there? Firius?!?
?I-I?m alright, sorry.? Firius snapped back to his senses. ?The kid just entered the scene.?
Raising his gun back towards the terrorist, he noticed that his prosthetic arm had unfolded, revealing a hidden shotgun.
?I am sorry, but I cannot afford to lose here yet.? he said. ?I need to do just this one last job, one last bomb, and then I will finally get all the money! We can finally be a family again!?
?Dad! No!?
The man looked down to Anthony, shock stricken all over his face. ?But?this is what you wanted, right? You?ll be able to walk again!?
?Yes, but not like this.? Anthony face was soaked with tears. ?I?d rather stay in this chair forever than be cured through something like this! I just want you home for Christmas.?
The father staggered back from his son at this revelation, falling to his knees as tears leaked from his eyes.
?What have I done?? he sobbed.

?So?have you wrapped your mind around all of this yet?? Hayley asked, relaxing in to her chair with a cup of coffee.
?Taken me about four days, but I think I?ve got it.? Tony answered. ?To sum it up, it?s actually rather simple. One single parent wanting to do anything to give their son the best gift that he could ever give him.?
?To go for the route of the mafia though. Is that not a bit extreme?? Hayley pondered.
?I suppose it is?? Tony said, his spirits downed a little as he recalled his hesitation back in the church. ??kinda like someone else we know.?
?Oh, no. Sorry, I didn?t meant to-? Hayley realised what Tony was meaning, pausing to stop herself from saying anything worse. ?Don?t really know what to say other than I didn?t meant to go that way.?
?It?s ok. I know it was unintentional.? Tony replied. ?Guess we?ve both had a hell of a year, huh??
?Yeah.? Hayley glanced to the floor for a moment as she recalled her year. She turned back to Tony to try and lighten the mood. ?So, should we wait for Jason to wake up??
?Nah. With how late he got back last night, he?s not going to be surfacing till noon at least.? Tony mused, to which Hayley let out a little giggle. ?Presents, then??
?Yeah, sure.? she responded. Tony reached under the small, artificial Christmas tree set up next to his chair and picked up two presents; his for Hayley and Hayley?s for him. Giving Hayley her present, Tony ripped through the paper, only to be caught off guard by the Blue Ray Hayley had gotten him. ?Cowboy Bebop? Um?thank you, but what kind of show is this?? he asked.
?Oh, it?s anime.? Hayley smiled. ?It?s a bit of an oldie, but you said you wanted to watch some mature stuff, right??
?I did, didn?t I?? Tony remembered saying that. ?Ah well, looks alright, I suppose. Thanks, Hayley.?
?You?re welcome, Scrooge.? Hayley said. She knew he was grateful for it, he just sometimes had some problems showing it. She began to open her own present, finding herself in absolute shock when she unveiled the silver necklace inside of it.
?Tony?how did you?how could you afford this?? Hayley managed to splutter out, unable to find any other words.
?Since our first mission managed to fully pay off my family?s debts, I?ve been able to save up a bit.? Tony said modestly. ?Besides, I?ve had a few Christmases to catch up on.? Tony looked at Hayley as she stared back with her mouth wide open, eyes welling up with tears.. ?It?s ok, is it??
Hayley leapt out of her chair and hugged Tony with all her might, taking him by surprise.
?It?s perfect! Thank you so much.? she exclaimed. Tony, feeling the warmth of Hayley?s love reaching his heart, held his arms around her in return.
?Merry Christmas.? Tony told her as he looked out at Christmas morning.