“I’ll save the introductions for later,” she said, standing and stepping out of his arms before she ended up bent over the table. With the way his hands couldn’t seem to find a place, she knew it he was being distracted by . . . other things. She did them both a favor and let him tend to his business, allowing her time to get up to the apartment to start dinner. A few days later, Ava was on a jumpjet to some unknown location up north for training. It was cold, and a thin layer of pristine white snow blanketed the ground. The bite of the chill that was carried by the wind made her shiver, but she pressed on to head to the cabin. When she was mere steps from the home, a tall man swung the door open. She extended her hand to him, only for him to look down at it as if it were some alien appendage that he wouldn’t dare touch. “Get in here, little girl. We got a long day ahead of us.”<br/><br/>The first day was dedicated to testing her raw ability, the innate skills that she already possessed. She thought he might be impressed that she was a quick study, but—a lot like the commander—he was incredibly difficult to read. She couldn’t tell if he was annoyed with her or if he simply didn’t care to converse. Ava assumed that it was a combination of both. People didn't live in the middle of nowhere because they adored interacting with others. After a few days of testing, he began instruction, teaching her how to readjust aim and position, how to be concise with her direction, how to track shots, and how to use various equipment. Never once did he praise her for flawless execution or a job well done. She was going to go crazy from lack of human interaction, because when she wasn’t being barked at during training or running through some intense drill or exercise, the cabin was quiet—except at night. Josh snored like a grizzly bear, making her sleep with a pillow over her head down the hall.<br/><br/>The first night, he made a big pot of some hot slop that didn’t look so appetizing. “What is this?” She asked, dipping her spoon in the mystery food.<br/><br/>“It’s gruel, princess. It’ll keep you full all day.” He informed her, staring hard as he watched her take a bite, daring her to make a face.<br/><br/>Ava gulped it down, “It’s . . .<i>great</i>.<i>” </i>Her neutral expression said otherwise, but Josh seemed pleased with the response since he went back to eating.<br/><br/>It was gruel for every single meal for two weeks, and by the end of it—or close to the end—she was ready to kill someone for a candy bar. She was over being called “princess” and “little girl”, “short-stuff” and “buttercup.” And, she was ready to get back to the thirteenth, had been since day four. The snow had melted away in time for her field test, where they dumped her in the middle of a field with very specific instructions. She was either to escape, take out the three instructors she’d been working alongside for two weeks, or simply survive. With the instructors patrolling, it would make escaping undetected and surviving difficult. She knew that she would have to go on the offensive and get them off her back. Stealthily, she located each and every one of them. It took her hours to learn their patterns, to learn the perimeters they walked and what equipment they carried. When she believed that she had accounted and assessed every little detail, she made her move.<br/><br/><div style="text-align: center">***​</div><br/>Josh would put a call in for Nick, letting him know that he should be expecting Ava in a few hours. “She took out all three instructors. It took her a while to do it, but I’m giving her a pass . . . with flying colors.” He informed him, later explaining that he would send him a full report when he could.<br/><br/>“I’d like to say it was a pleasure, but . . .” Ava told Josh as the jumpjet was lowering to the ground.<br/><br/>“You did good, Ava.” He said, almost reluctantly.<br/><br/>“What?” She beamed. “And you called me by my name. I’m . . . astonished. I didn’t think you knew my name.”<br/><br/>“Get on the damn plane.”<br/><br/>“Okay,” she said, figuring she was very close to pressing her luck. Ava was able to relax for the duration of the ride, but when the compound was in sight she knew her downtime would be minimal. Preparations were being made, units were being deployed, and last minute supplied were being loaded. She stepped off the jumpjet, her exhaustion tempering the excitement she felt to return. The elevator took her up to the apartment. After sharing a bed for several months, and spending nearly every waking moment with Nick, she missed him quite a bit.