Venessa and Avonari head back to the Presley house after school. Cory and Annelise greet them at the door.

Cory: Hi, girls. How was school today?

Avonari: Webmaster attacked during English, but Cross-Sea and Doomsayer showed up.

Cory: Webmaster? Cross-Sea? Doomsayer?

Avonari: The Keepers have powers and save people. They need superhero names!

Annelise smiles, amused: Who are Cross-Sea and Doomsayer?

Avonari:(likes it’s obvious) Agent Tyler is Cross-Sea. Agent Pearl is Doomsayer. I also came up with a name for Cory: Moltoron.

Venessa laughs: What’s my name?

Avonari: Hmmm…Oracle. You’re Oracle.

Annelise: So, you’re okay, then? After the cyberattack?

Venessa: How’d you know it was a cyberattack?

Annelise: When Avonari said ‘Webmaster’, I suspected that was her name for Code4568 Hostility. She travels through the internet and can recover from injuries using it.*she sighs* I knew that the Keepers would come, but I was still so worried about you.

Venessa: You could feel our fear from that far away?

Annelise nods. Cory places his hand on Annelise’s shoulder. Annelise collects herself.

Annelise: Let’s go inside.

The four of them head inside. Cory and Annelise sit Venessa on the sofa with them.

Annelise: You’re going to go on your first mission tonight.

Venessa pales: Mission?

Annelise nods: Every Keeper goes on rescue missions to help people in need. It’s important that you get practice early on.

Cory smiles: Don’t worry. Until you become a Keeper, you’ll shadow under a Keeper. I think Agent Cassandra will be your guide.

Avonari:(from the kitchen) You mean Octavo?

Cory laughs:(to Avonari) Octavo, I guess. (to Venessa) It’ll be okay. Just follow Agent…Octavo’s directions and you’ll be alright.

Venessa: But…I’m not ready yet. I mean, I just got here.

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Annelise puts her hand on Venessa’s shoulder, but Venessa instinctually twitches it away. Annelise puts her hand back in her lap.

Annelise: Hey. You’ll be perfectly fine. Every Keeper-in-Training has to have a first mission. Avonari had hers a couple weeks ago and look at her now.

Venessa: What if…what if I don’t pass?

Annelise: Pass?

Venessa nods.

Annelise smiles: I have never cared for a Keeper-in-Training who didn’t become a Keeper.

Venessa: Really?

Annelise nods and checks her watch: It’s 5:12. Your mission is in two hours. That reminds me…

Annelise walks into another room and returns with a red jumpsuit and a pair of red combat boots.

Venessa: Is that…mine?

Annelise: Yes, this is your uniform. You’ll be in the Flame Sector when you become a Keeper. Now, go put it on. Agent Cassandra will be here to pick you up in about fifteen minutes.

Venessa changes into her jumpsuit. It’s long-sleeved with thumb holes and a fitted, gaitor-like neck that covers the lower half of her face. The legs are loose-fitting and comfortable. She looks at herself in the mirror and then walks out of her room.

Avonari: Wow! Venessa, you look so cool! I wish I could wear red. I’d look like a mutant Christmas tree, though.

Cory: You look amazing. I’m sure you’ll do great.

Venessa: Thanks. I don’t know what to do with my hair, though. It’s kind of uncomfortable around the neck.

Annelise: I think I know how to fix that.

Venessa reluctantly sits on the couch and lets Annelise style her hair. Her hair is braided in a dutch braid down the middle of her head and ends in a high ponytail.

Jesse walks by with a snack in his hand: First mission, huh?

Cory: Did you ask if you could get a snack from the fridge this close to dinner time?

Jesse frowns: No…I just…

Annelise: I’ll have dinner ready in ten minutes. You can wait ‘til then.

Jesse smirks: How do you know I can wait ‘til then? I could be starving to death.

Cory smirks back at Jesse: You should’ve learned that we’ve heard it all. There’s no tricking me or your mother. Now, go put your cheese stick back in the fridge.

Venessa shifts uncomfortably when Cory says ‘mother’. Like they’re his real parents.

Jesse sighs: Alright.

A few minutes later, Annelise puts dinner on the table and Venessa eats quickly. Annelise hands Venessa what looks like a pair of wireless earbuds.

Annelise: Put these in your ears when you go on the rescue mission.

Venessa: Why?

Annelise: You’ll need them. Plus, you can tap them twice to call me and Cory if something goes wrong.

Just then, there’s a whirring sound from behind the walls. A hidden door opens and a woman wearing a red midi dress with matching leggings and golden, knee-high boots walks in. The mask on her face looks like a measure of red sheet music covering her eyes.

Annelise smiles: Cassandra, welcome home.

The two of them hug.

Cassandra: Hey, Annelise.

Venessa notices that they both appear to be the same age. Cory hugs Cassandra and the three of them exchange greetings. Cassandra spots Venessa.

Cassandra: I’m assuming you’re the new recruit?

Venessa nods tentatively.

Cassandra: Don’t worry. Tonight’s mission will be pretty easy, but it’ll be smart to put those noise-filtering earbuds in.

Venessa puts the earbuds in and adjusts the settings. After saying goodbye to Annelise and Cory, Venessa follows Cassandra into the secret room where they are teleported to the Keeper headquarters. They walk up to Dortor, who is speaking in a strange language to another member of the Cyclone Sector.