SA: The Revolution

"Godamn you! I specifically told you NOT to do that! Do you ever listen, Bryant?! EVER?!" Raquel was screaming at her assistant. He was close to wetting his pants. But, come on! How was she supposed to come up with the perfect formula for underwater breathing if that fool kept giving her the wrong chemicals?!

"Raquel, honestly, give the guy a break. He's just an intern." Raquel's partner, Joel, said as he walked into the lab studying a file in his hands. He rubbed his temple as he continued, "Not to mention all that screaming is giving me a headache."

"Sorry, Joel, I'm just having a bad day," she explained.

Joel shook his head. "I'm not the one you should be apologizing to."

Raquel smiled sheepishly as she looked back to Bryant. "Sorry, Bry. I shouldn't be taking this out on you. It's not your fault."

"It's okay," Bryant blushed.

"So," Joel interceded. "What has got you in such a mood? You're usually so calm."

"Remember Madison?" she asked.

"Ah," he nodded, understanding. Joel had been a student along with Raquel and Madison in Striker Academy. He knew a lot about the famous daughter of the Strikers. They had been studying her case since they were juniors, when she first ran away. The Strikers wanted to find her because they wanted to be her parents again. Verona wanted her back because she was a prized student. Her friends and students wanted her back because she was what made Striker Academy so much fun. Then there was the Institute; they wanted her because they wanted to use her. She had everything an agent needed and more. Plus she ran off with a lot of information. If she was spiteful enough she could've given the information to an enemy and cause a lot of trouble for everyone.

"What about her?" Joel inquired.

"It's her 19th birthday today. August 23rd, right now we would be celebrating. I probably would've come up with some great invention we could use irresponsibly. She'd be telling me to calm down, that even if we got caught, I wouldn't get in trouble. We've gotten caught a few times before, and she was always right. She made sure I was okay, and if she had to do extra time, she'd take it gracefully. She was such a great friend. I don't know what happened." Raquel reminisced.

Bryant spoke up then, "Are you talking about Madison Striker?"

Raquel glanced over at him, curiosity filling her expression. "Yeah, why?"

"I've heard of her," explained Bryant. "Apparently she's wanted for a number of crimes committed across the world."

Raquel gasped and her eyes widened in shock. "She's not a criminal. No matter what, she's not a criminal. This is Madison Striker we're talking about! She's a sneak and doesn't play by the rules, but she always gets the job done and done right. She's the epitome of a perfect agent!"

"Raquel, calm down," Joel soothed. "They're probably mistaken. You know the police force isn't on the same page as the Institute. They may think she's committing crimes when she's really saving the world."

Raquel turned to him, tears in her eyes. "What I don't get is who could she possibly be working for? She ran away from the Academy and Institute, she doesn't work with us anymore. So why is she quote, unquote, saving the world?"

Joel smiled warily. "She doesn't have to be getting paid for saving the world. She does it for us. She works for us. That girl cares. Her heart and soul are into keeping us safe. Right now, as employees for the Institute, we're just helping her along the way."

Raquel began crying. "I just miss her, is all. I want to be by her side, handing her top of the line gadgets. I want to see her again. I want to watch that smirk of hers cross her lips when she's face to face with an alien that's about to blow her brains out. I don't want to hear about my friend committing crimes across the world."

Just then the intercom buzzed. "Raquel Adams, agent 1217R8, please report to the office of Chemical Studies. You have a visitor."