Work Text:
Training Day
Standing proud for the date, as he is called for his award. Maeko joins in with the rest of the crowd giving a standing applause for all his hard work. She didn’t know the guy, nor what he did for a living. Yet being in the presence of what seemed to be rich glamorous people, she figured he had to be of importance.
After accepting his award, her date returned to her side putting one hand on her lower back leaning in whispering “Shall we nightcap, love.”
Turning into him finishing the rest of her champagne, glazing in his eyes, she replies “Lead the way”.
Her date signals his security that he’s ready to go. Just as she and her date start to walk off, her date’s assistant approaches him advising to send her home. As the two of them silently discuss her possible departure, Maeko couldn’t help thinking to herself just how attractive the assistant was. She was hoping her date agreed to his assistant, so she could turn in early to start working on her dissertation in the morning. While still in her thoughts, she hears her date deny the assistant many attempts and reasoning of sending her home, brushing him off claiming he is overreacting. The assistant apologized for his overbearing behavior, and walked off in what seemed to be disappointment.
Maeko forcefully smiled and followed her date behind his security detail to the car. Once they were inside the car, she looked out the window watching his security thoroughly check the exterior of the car. She knew she wasn’t supposed to ask questions relating to the details of her date's job, but as the old saying goes curiosity was killing the cat.
She faces towards him asking, “ Should I be worried for my safety, your security team is doing a very thorough check on the car.”
“My security makes sure a pretty face like yours doesn't need to worry about their safety," he replied.
Smiling, she replies, “Well that’s very generous of them, but I get the feeling it’s more for you than it is for me.”
He looked at her in the eyes, grabbing her hand holding it tight saying, “My job pisses off a lot of people. But anytime you are with me, you will never have to worry about your safety. I have hired the best of the best for my security team, you have nothing to worry about.”
The driver gets cleared to drive, and asks, “Shall I drive to the hotel or take the young lady home first.”
“The hotel, please…”, he answered.
Maeko interrupts him, “Now wait, I’m not sleeping with you tonight. My contract agreement states to escort you to the award ceremony and that’s it.”
“I simply just want to enjoy more time with you, that’s all. I’m not trying to sleep with you tonight either.”, he replies.
As the car started heading towards the hotel, she looked out the window thinking his reply was pure bullshit. She decides as soon as the car arrives at the hotel’s location, she’ll Uber herself home.
The car starts to slowly pull up to the hotel. Upon having the door opened for her, she quickly reached inside her purse pulling her phone out clutching it next to her clutch purse. She reaches for her date's extended hand helping her out of the car, once out of the car she adjusts her beautiful red gown before walking to the doors of the hotel. The doorman opens the door for her as she is approaching with a confused look on his face. Feeling awkward she simply smiled walking through the door, and looked back to see if her date was coming. He was still slowly walking up to the doors, talking with a member of his security detail. It was hard to make out what was being said, but she sought it to be a perfect time to order her Uber home. Uber stated it would be out in front of the hotel in 28 minutes. Looking up to see if her date was close by, she noticed the doorman watching her order her ride home. He awkwardly smirked at her as she put her phone back into her purse, pulling his right arm over his face appearing to be wiping his mouth. Yet seemingly to also be moving his lips, she instantly looked away becoming very startled.
Her date approaches, placing his hand on her waist leading her to the hotel elevators. She looks back over her shoulder at the doorman, who was watching them as he was walking over to the front desk. Once she and her date reach the elevator, she turns to her date to tell him what she thought she witnessed with the doorman. As she starts to speak, the elevator doors open and the assistant is on the elevator with other members of the security detail. She steps into the elevator quietly with her date, not really sure of what to think about the doorman now. Thinking she could be overthinking the situation, she decides to calm down and wait for her Uber upstairs.
As everyone was stepping off the elevator, she heard her date give orders to check the room. His assistant assured he already checked the security detail before coming down to get him. He orders for the room to be checked again, the assistant reluctantly goes back inside the room with the security team to check again and comes out in 12 minutes clearing the room of any threats.
She entered the room and quickly became astonished by the studio room’s vintage beauty. The room wasn’t very big, yet spacious for two. Upon walking into the room, there was a spacious sitting area with a beautiful modern kitchen to the left of it. Just behind the sitting furniture were three steps taking you to the bedroom area with a balcony view that looked over the city.
She walks out on the balcony, taking in the night view of the city. She hears her date in the kitchen, grabs glasses and tries to open a bottle of champagne. She reached in her purse to grab her phone, checking on her ride. Excited to see her ride was only 10 minutes away, she hear her date ask her
“Would you like something to drink, more champagne perhaps?” he says.
“Sure, I really hope you don’t mind. I’ve ordered a ride home, I have to get up early tomorrow to start my dissertation.” she replies.
With disappointment in his face, he replies, “One for the road, then...”
Unbothered by his obvious disappointment, she comes inside down the three steps and sits on the long couch. She really wasn’t in the mood to have another drink, but decided by the time she finishes one glass her ride should be here. He comes over with two glasses of champagne, hands one to her, then wipe his face, seemingly his mouth with his jacket sleeve. She instantly becomes alarmed, thinking of the doorman. Now hesitating to drink her champagne, she watches him take a sip from his glass.
“Is something wrong?” he asked.
“I have to use the restroom.” She replies, acting as if she has had to go for a while now.
“Oh, I understand. It’s right in the bedroom.” He says taking a second sip of his drink.
She gets up to walk to the restroom, just as she’s stepping up the three steps he passed out on the floor. She turned around and ran over to him, to find him shaking and foaming at the mouth. She becomes shocked and frightened, as she quickly grabs her phone to call 911.
“911 operator, what’s your emergency?” the lady on the phone says.
“He’s shaking and foaming at the mouth?” she says hysterically.
“Who is foaming at the mouth?” the operator said.
“My date….., I mean.. my boyfriend” she replies.
Now thinking of her doctorate degree, realizing she only knew him by the name on her friend's work file. She quickly starts looking through his pockets for I.D. She finds his wallet, opens it to find his driver license and another I.D that reads Senator Marcus Hall. She instantly started shaking in fear, suddenly she heard a knock on the door from the head of the security detail. She looked over at her champagne glass wondering if he meant to drug her, or did someone try to drug the both of them. She remembers in the car, he stated his job pissed a lot of people off. Suddenly a flash of the doorman's awkward smile flashes in her head. She felt herself starting to panic, not knowing what was going on. The knocks on the door get louder, and more repetitive as if there is more than one person knocking on the door trying to get Marcus' attention. She starts to panic more, feeling the room start to spin, her vision blurring out as she gasps for air.
The security team kicks in the door, and runs inside. As some ran to contain her, others ran to Marcus as if they already knew where he was laying on the floor. Her mind flashes to herself standing in court trying to defend her innocence, pleading for her life, but speaking and yelling at deaf ears who stood before her. She saw herself sitting in a cold lonely cell. Her mind flashes to two guards standing before her cell, coming to get to meet an unjust fate.
As she was being cuffed down to the bed, she started crying, saying she was innocent. Wondering why God would let her go through a cruel punishment like this. She turned and looked at the window, seconds before it raised. She noticed the assistant in the audience, sitting with a blonde-haired white woman with shades on her face. She then looks to see her immediate family and best-friend Ashley, who got her into this mess, crying. She hears movement beside her, looks at a man approaching a dashboard asking if she had any last words.
She looks back out to the crowd crying and says, “I forgive each and every one you.”
She turns her head back straight, looking forward up into the ceiling of lights saying, “I’m not sure what your plan was or is. But I trust you and I’m ready.”
She hears a beeping on the wall, and she closes her eyes as the process begins.
Maeko wakes up to an alarm beeping on a nightstand, feeling like she had an awful girl’s night out. As she gets up to use the restroom, she realizes she is not in her apartment. “Good morning.” said by a medium built Russian man with the most beautiful features she’d ever seen belong to a man. Maeko was nervous and confused as to the latest events. “Where am I?” she asked the handsome man that appeared not- so- safe. “You’re in Section One. You will train for two years and if you excel in your training, you will work for Section.” he answered bluntly. “Do I have a choice?” she asked, sensing that this was not an offer but more a demand. “Yes, everyone has a choice. You can choose death.” his answer shook her bones but pleased her heart. At least she could appreciate his bluntness. “Well who are you and what does “Section” do?” Maeko was accepting her fate. “My name is Nickolas and I will be in charge of your training with the help of another operative. You’ll meet with her when she returns. Section One is an anti-terrorist organization that handles the criminals that other covert agencies can not handle. Section feels your skills, intelligence, and beauty make you the perfect recruit.” Maeko lowered her head in contemplation and fear. She understood she was in a situation that there was no getting out of. Michael understood her acceptance. “Training day begins at 5:30am, I will be here to get you.” Michael exits the room after his statement. Maeko exhales. “Training day? God I hope I make it.”
THE END