Richard Marks, one of Britain's top secret agents, paced around the office of Zeus, head of the Royal Secret Service. "I understand what you're saying here sir." Richard nodded, putting his hands in his pocket. "But this is a high priority mission. You can't seriously believe that... He won't be onto us."

"I have taken that factor into account." Zeus agreed, making a cage with his fingers as he leant backwards in his desk chair. "We'll be sending decoys out. A disposable agent, lead by a disposable team, of course. Well take as many safety precautions as possible, of course, but should it come down to it..." He shook his head.

"With all respect sir," Richard asked, placing his hands on the front of Zeus' desk, "Where would you find a group of agents willing to take on a mission like that?"

Zeus considered this for a moment. Then, his eyes wound their way onto a file on his desk, labeled 'Interns'. He opened it up, eyeing the profiles of the four nineteen year olds that the government had just hired. "Don't worry." Zeus smiled. "I think I have just the thing..."

* * * *

"How cool is this?" David asked, doing up his tie in front of his reflection in the TV screen. He glanced over his shoulder at his roommates, who were all wandering around the kitchen. "We work for the secret service!"

"You know David," Riley muttered, taking a bite of toast, "It's going to be so secret if you keep blabbing about it."

Nick snatched a cup out of Genieve's hand behind Riley. "Hey!"

"Bad idea." Nick said, shrugging as he took a sip.

"How?"

"You and caffeine, just... Bad idea."

David joined them in the kitchen, rummaging around in the fridge for anything to eat. He eventually came out with a mostly empty takeaway fried rice. "Sorry Riley. It's just, since I was a little kid I always wanted to be a secret agent, you know? Doesn't everyone?"

"We're not secret agents, Dave." Nick smiled, patting him on the shoulder. "We're just interns. We make people coffee and deliver mail."

"Good point." David nodded through a mouthful of cold rice. "But, we're close to secret agents. Which is still pretty cool."

"Fair enough." Nick agreed.

"How about we stop discussing our new job." Genieve said quickly, jumping over the bench top and knocking Riley's second slice of toast onto the floor. "And actually get to the job on time, before we lose it."

Riley picked his toast up off the floor, and Nick glanced at his watch, swearing loudly. The four of them raced out the door, and piled into Davids car. "Go!" Genieve urged from the backseat.

David looked over his shoulder. "Everybody got their seat belts on?"

"Oh for Gods sake!" Riley yelled, switching the cars gears himself and shoving David. Cursing to himself, David took off down the road.

Despite traffic, the group of friends arrived at their place of work on time. They showed their licenses and registration letters to the woman at the front desk, who gave them each a company ID card, and lead them down a corridor and into a small office space. Their office was nothing fancy. Two desks, each with to chairs, where pushed to the back of the room. A two seater couch and a coffee table sat under a glass window looking into the hall, and filing cabinets lined the walls.

On each desk was a set of earpieces for the for of them. They were told that if anything was needed, they would be contacted the rough their earpiece, and should follow through with the instructions immediately. No questions asked. With that, the woman left the room, leaving the three interns alone in their workspace.

"It's... Not that bad." Riley shrugged, attaching his earpiece. Nick and David each sat down at one of the two desks, and Genieve lounged across the couch. There was a faint static sound in all of their earpieces.

"Hello there," a man's voice crackled to life in their ears, "You must be the new interns. This is Zeus, and I would like to see you all in my office. Immediately." The earpiece shut off.

The four of them stared at each other. "You guys heard that right?" David asked, gripping the arms of his desk chair.

"We can't have screwed up already, surely." Nick muttered, grabbing his suit jacket off a coat rack as he stood up.

Riley rounded on Genieve. "What did you do?"

"Nothing." The young woman answered. "I swear." She ducked out into the hall, quickly followed by the others. They all made their way through the building, towards the office of Zeus.

The four interns stepped into Zeus' office. It was spectacular in comparison to their own. The tall, spacious room was lined with bookshelves, and a rug stretched across the floor. The back wall was completely glass, looking out over the city below them. In front of that window, was a large, semicircle wooden desk, and sitting at that desk, was Zeus.

The man was middle aged, with balding black hair, and a small, beady eyes, which scanned them as they entered. "Welcome, to all of you." He smiled politely. They all muttered their thanks nervously. "Don't worry." Zeus chuckled. "You haven't done anything wrong. In fact, quite the opposite. I've chosen to give you a promotion."

He stood up, and walked around to the front of his desk. "You see, all of our agents are currently... Occupied, shall we say. And we're in need of agents with a certain list of skills. Skills, which you all conveniently have." He handed Nick a folder labeled, 'Project: Thaxis'.

"Dr. John Thaxis." Zeus said, nodding to the file. "A genius billionaire. However, he is... Deranged, to say the least. He is currently the owner of a flash drive that contains the most dangerous virus in the world. With it, he could take down every single electronic device on the planet. He could throw the entire globe back into the dark ages. Unless you four can stop it. One of you, will be out agent in the field, whist the other three guide will guide them from a secure, portable location. Understand?"

"Yes sir." They all nodded.

"Excuse me sir." Riley asked, stepping forwards slightly. "But uh... Who will be the agent in the field?" All of their eyes turned to Nick. He was the most athletic of the four of them. The most charismatic as well, which would surely come in handy.

"Why," Zeus smiled, "Mr. Bronzcert here of course."

They all stared at him. "D-David?" Genieve choked out.

"Obviously." Zeus nodded. "He's clearly the most physically adept and imposing of you." He gestured to David's tall, lanky frame, which towered about half a foot above the others. "And he appears older then he truly is, allowing him adopt more inconspicuous identities, always a good trait for an agent. Your mission details are inside that folder there, and the boys down at labs on the second floor are currently waiting for you to receive your equipment. The first part of your mission is currently at the Royal Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, and you're plan leaves at seven pm sharp. Good day to you all." He nodded, and the others hurried out of the room.

The four interns stood in the elevator, making their way towards the labs. David stood there rigid, pale as a ghost, with his knuckles white on the clipboard he was holding. "Guess you got you're wish after all, Mr. 'I always wanted to be spy'." Riley remarked.

"I shouldn't be a spy!" David blurted out. "Just because I wanted to be a spy doesn't mean I should be one! I mean, if-if they just let everyone who wanted to be a spy be one, then the country would be in ruin! I'd be a terrible spy! I'm going to screw this up, I just know it!"

Nick elbowed him in the ribs. "While I completely agree you'd be a terrible spy, that's too bad. Because Zeus wants you to be an agent now." The doors slid open. "So you'd better actually do it well." They all looked at Genieve, who'd surprisingly been silent the entire trip, and had a huge grin on her face. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing." She smiled. "It's just that Zeus is the only person in history to ever call David 'physically adept'." All of them, even David, began laughing, which gained some odd looks from the scientists and inventors rushing towards them with gadgets.

* * * * * * *

Nick, Riley, and Genieve sat in the back of a large, black trailer, parked in a Vegas side street, behind the Royal Casino. TV screens and computer monitors lined the walls, all connected to the casinos security cameras, and small cameras attached to Davids clothes. A small dart whizzed past Riley's head, sticking into the back door. "Watch it!" He yelled at Genieve, who had a small tranquilliser gun hidden in a watch on her wrist. "Those are not toys!"

"Even so, I could have so much fun with them." She grinned. Riley wrestled the device off her arm, and shoved it in his pocket.

"Both of you shut up." Nick snapped. He tapped a few keys on a keyboard, and put on his one of the three headsets. He tapped the microphone. "David, do you hear me?"

David stood at the door to the Royal Casion, dressed in a lavish tuxedo the agency had provided for him. He lifted the small microphone in his watch to his mouth. "I can hear you." He replied. "I still think this is a bad idea."

"I don't care." Nick said over the device in his ear. "Now, just go inside, and act natural. We'll be with you every step of the way, right guys?"

"Absolutely." Riley's voice crackled to life.

Genieve spoke up, apparently now also wearing her headset. "Miss David as a spy? Never."

David swallowed, lowering his arm, and turning towards the front glass doors of the casino. "And... I'm doomed." He pushed them open, walking inside.

The music and cheering assaulted his ears, and the multicoloured fluorescent lights temporarily blinded him. A rather attractive waitress in a tightfisted get outfit walked past. "You all right hun? Can I get you something?"

"You could get me her number?" Riley suggested over the device.

David ignored him. "No thank you." He adjusted his cuffs. "I'm fine for now." The young man made his way over to an empty booth, and sat down, where he remained for a while.

After about twenty minutes, David checked with the others. "Who am I supposed to be looking for again?"

"Well tell you when we see her." Nick reported.

"There are several people watching you Dave." Genieve added. "You haven't joined in any gambling, you haven't chatted up the waitresses, you haven't even ordered a drink."

"I don't do that sort of stuff." David whispered.

"When then you'd better start." Riley told him. "Go to the bar, and order this. Exactly."

David made his way up to the bar, and sat down. The barman placed down the pint glass he was cleaning. "And what can I get for you this evening sir?"

David swallowed, glancing over his shoulder and fidgeting with his diamond cuff links. "Oh, uh... A vodka martini." He repeated Riley's order. "Shaken, not stirred."

The barman smirked. "You look shaken enough as it is sir."

David froze, before reaching up and adjusting his bow tie. "I-I do? What do you mean?"

"I meant nothing by it sir." The man placed a martini glass in front of him. "Just that you seem on edge. Waiting for someone, are you?"

"You could say that." David nodded, taking a sip of his drink.

"That'll be twelve eighty five sir."

"Put it on a tab." Riley instructed. "You should order a few over the night."

David wrung his hands together. "Um, I'll start a tab, thank you. I have a feeling I'll be back throughout the night." He picked up his glass and began to walk away, back to his booth.

"Sir, what would the name for that tab be?" The barman asked.

David turned back around, almost spilling his cocktail. "Hm? Oh, uh, D—" He regathered himself, adjusting his bow tie again. "Bronzcert." He said calmly. "David Bronzcert." He gave a quick salute under Nicks instruction, and sat back down in his booth.

* * *

It was a few hours, and three cocktails later, until David heard from his friends in the van. "There!" Nick yelled in his ear. "There she is, Katherine Soucie. One of Dr. Thaxis' assistants. By the poker game."

Davids jaw dropped as he looked at the woman. She was dressed in a tight red dress, and her dark hair cascaded like water from her head. "T-That's the person I've— I mean we've been looking for?" David stammered. Really?"

"Yep." Genieve confirmed. "That's her. Go over and join that poker game. See if you can draw some attention to yourself. The gear you've got should allow you to win easily."

"I can't do that." David said flatly.

"Listen, if this about being shy then—"

"No I mean I literally can't." David said. "I don't know how to play poker."

There was silence on the other end of his communication device. "You are the most inexperienced person they could have possibly chosen for this mission!" Genieve snapped at him after a moment. "Just... Go over there, I'll walk you through it. The game itself is simple, it's just the tactics and strategy that make it hard."

I'll take you're word for it." David said, standing up and sitting back down at the poker game. "Deal me in." He said, under Genieve's instruction. The man running the game handed him a stack of small differently coloured chips, equal to the amount of money David gave him, and deal him a hand of cards. A few games later, David had amassed a large pile of poker chips, probably accounting for thousands of U.S dollars, all without knowing exactly what he had done to get them.

David watched from the corner of his eye as Kathrine Soucie made her way over, and sat down beside him, curling her arms around his neck. "That's quite a large pile of chips you've got there." She said quietly. "Seems you're one lucky guy."

"I suppose so." David said, trying to conceal his nerves.

"Oh my God David." Nick told him. "Whatever you do, don't screw this up. Repeat after me..."

"How about I go buy us some drinks, and I can show you just how lucky I am." David related to Katharine, who smirked at him.

"I'd like that." She told him, and David made his way over to the bar.

"I'm out of my depth here guys." David said through his microphone, before order the drinks.

"Don't worry," Nick told him, "I've got a plan. All you have to do, is seduce this woman." Genieve burst out laughing, before her microphone suddenly cut off.

"I-I can't do that Nick." David laughed nervously. He took the two drinks, nodded to the bartender, and made his way back to the poker game.

"I'll help you do it then." Nick stated, standing up in his chair back in the van. "I swear, for the sake of mankind David, you will seduce woman."

Back in the van, Nick sat down again, running his hands over his face. "Is this really what we're relying on?" Riley asked him, shutting off all three microphones.

"It's all we've got." Nick sighed.

They all sat in silence for a minute, before Genieve spun around in her chair. "Well, the world is doomed."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

David sat bolt upright. He expected to see his bedroom around him, hoping it was just a dream, but the different room and his throbbing head confirmed otherwise. He nearly jumped out of his skin, as he looked down and saw Katherine lying in the bed beside him. David ran his hands over his face, before scrambling out of bed and rampaging through his clothes for his watch. "G-Guys?"

"Morning sunshine." Genieve grumbled. "I hope you had a... Pleasant, evening last night."

"Uh... Yeah." David breathed, checking to make sure Katherine was still asleep.

"And thanks to Riley, we got no sleep." Nick yawned.

"I don't snore that loud." Riley muttered indignantly.

"More import matters, guys." David hissed, frantically pulling on his clothes. "Where am I?" There was a faint sound of clicking keys on the other end of his communications, and a small amount of profanity from Riley. "Woah, what's going on?" David asked, pulling on his tuxedo jacket and retrieving a gun from inside a concealed pocket.

"Well, that's the interesting bit..." Nick muttered. "You're inside Dr. Thaxis headquarters."

All of them were silent for a few moments, the only sound the sheets rustling around Kath as she breathed. David sat down on a chest of draws. "I-I didn't expect to get this far..."

"Well don't just sit there!" Genieve called. "Get out and get the flash drive!" David shot to his feet, and quietly exited the room.

A long hallway stretched out in either direction. At one end, two guards stood facing into a giant room. "I'm guessing I need to go down there?" David muttered to himself. He crept along, and stopped behind the guards. After waiting for a moment, David slammed the handle of his gun into the back of the guards neck, on after another. The two men crumpled to the floor.

"That was actually pretty cool." Riley admitted. David could Genieve's sarcastic clapping through her microphone. He ignored them, and moved on.

David stopped in front of a large metal door, with a key pad set into the wall beside it. Glancing over his shoulder, David removed the casing from the lock, revealing the wires inside. Nicks voice crackled to life in his ear. "There's a-"

"If there's one thing on not totally useless at," David hissed into his watch, "It's electronics." He fiddled around with a few wires, and leapt back as sparks flew out from the small box. There was a soft beeeeep... And the door slid open. Before David had time to celebrate, he noticed what was inside. "Great." He muttered.

A web of bright red laser tripwires stretched across the entire room, and in the centre rested a pedestal. On that pedestal, locked inside a glass case, was the flash drive. "Let's hope this isn't a decoy." Riley muttered.

"Dave, if you screw this up, I'll kill you." Genieve told him. "Provided Thaxis and his men don't first."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence there Gen." David muttered, taking a set towards the lasers. As carefully as possible, he stepped over one, and ducked under another. Unfortunately, it didn't seem the rest of the way was going to be quite so easily.

David twisted around one laser, then under another, sweat beading on his brow. "This is the most coordinated you've ever been David." Riley laughed.

"Don't jinx it..." David muttered, and Riley stayed quiet. Just as David went to take another step, the lasers shut off. The young man placed his foot slowly on the ground.

"Freeze!" A gruff voice called from the doorway. Slowly, David raised his hands above his head. "Drop you weapon!" David didn't move. "I said, drop your—" David wheeled around and shot at the guard. The sound of the gunshot rang through the halls, the bullet hit him in the chest, and the man collapsed.

"I-I just shot him. I just killed-"

"Your gun is filled with tranquilliser darts." Nick admitted. "There was no way we were ever letting you go alone with a real gun."

David was both hurt, and relieved. "Oh. Well, thanks I gue—"

"You've got bigger problems then that right now mate!" Riley yelled in his ear. "A dozen armed guards, all heading your way. Two entrances, one ahead of you, one on your left. No, right!"

David spun around in both directions, his gun held out in front of his chest. The first two men charged in from the entranced he'd used, their guns already aimed at his chest. David dove out of the way, one of their bullets connecting with his upper arm. The ginger crashed to the ground, firing back with several rounds, two of which connected with their intended targets, and the henchmen dropped to the ground.

Another six soldiers charged in, bullets flying everywhere. Several hit the case protecting the flash drive, which eventually shattered. David fired back, tranquillising the guards, before launching forwards in an attempt to grab the flash drive. He stretched out his hand, and a bullet hit the devices support stand, sending it skidding across the floor.

Another three guards charged into the room, and David barely managed to avoid their oncoming fire. A bullet his his shoulder, and another left a rather nasty looking hole in the side of his jacket, which trailed behind him as he darted for the flash drive.

Nick, Riley and Genieve were screaming frantically in his earpiece, but any useful information was being drowned out by a the sound of gunfire, and decent amount of profanity from their end. Eventually, all of the guards where lying on the ground. David rolled over, grimacing in pain as he pushed himself up to his feet. He picked the flash drive up off the ground and leant against the casing.

"Guys..." He wheezed. "I-I did it."

"I don't get it." Riley muttered. "The scanners read twelve people coming towards the room..."

A slow, sarcastic clap echoed through the room. The colour drained from Davids face, and he slowly turned around. The tall, gaunt, greasy haired for of Dr. Thaxis stood in the doorway.

"Well done. Truly, congratulations... Mr. Bronzcert, wasn't it?" He grinned. "And here I thought it was hard to take over the world." He shook his head, lowering the gun he had pointed at David. "But if you're the best the government has to offer, well, I don't see why more people don't try." He laughed. "I mean, what? They send a teenager to knock out a few guards, and they think that can stop me from—" David shot him with a tranquilliser dart.

"David!" His friends all screamed at him in unison. "What did you just do?"

David leant back against the pedestal. "Well... He was just standing there talking... I mean, he was gonna shoot me when he was done, so..." The others were silent. More footsteps echoed down the hall, and David stood upright, raising his gun once more. "I'm really sick of this." He grunted, slipping the flash drive into his pocket and pressing his free hand against his bleeding arm.

A lean, fair haired man, in a three piece suit burst into the room, and stared at David. "Who the bloody hell are you?" David shot him with a dart.

He dropped the gun. "W-What did I just do?" David asked

"You shot him." Riley answered, slightly bemused.

David looked at the man on the ground. "That's... That's Agent Marks. Richard Marks. The governments top agent. I just shot the best agent in the secret service." He leant again and the pedestal and slid down, sitting on the floor and letting the gun fall from his hand.

"We told you," Nick assured him, "Those guns only had tranquilliser darts. He'll be fine."

"That's not the point, Nick." David said quietly, the words getting caught in his throat. "The point is he was here."

"I don't—"

"I'm decoy, Nick!" David yelled. Tears began to form in the corners of his eyes. "I'm a fake. A place holder. I was supposed to screw up, hell, even get killed, just so they wouldn't know he was coming." David tried to stem the bleeding from his arm and shoulder. "I-I was expendable. I should have died."

They were all silent for a few minutes, and David sat there, bleeding out into his clothes. "But you didn't." Riley said after a while. "You didn't die." They all considered this. "You were supposed to screw up. But you didn't. You completed the mission, in fact, you beat out Britain's top secret agent. Yeah, you might have been a decoy. But you're not anymore."

Everyone was quiet for a moment. A smile crept it's way across Davids face. "Thanks, Riley." He said quietly. Riley didn't respond. David began ripping apart his jacket, using the pieces to bandaHe his wounds, before he slowly picked himself up off the ground. "I guess I'd better get out of here."

"Check Mark's body." Genieve suggested. "You know... For gadgets and stuff."

"No." David said flatly.

"How about car keys?" After a moment, David leant down, and fished the keys out of Agent Marks pocket, before making his way down the hall, Nick and Riley feeding him directions.

David could see daylight coming in from a large opening. "D-David?" He slowly turned around, to see Katherine walking towards him, terrified. "You... You were a secret agent."

David looked at her for a moment, unsure of what to say. "I... I suppose I was."

Kath's expression was unreadable. "You used me."

"What's? No, I-I would never—"

"Was anything you said to me last night real?" Katherine asked, folding her arms.

Davids lip twitched. "Every single word." He smiled at her, before turning around, and staggering towards the door. There were more footsteps, and Kath pulled him around... And kissed him. David could hear Nick applauding him in his earpiece.

The pair stood there for a moment, alone in the entrance way. Eventually, Kath pulled away. "I-I guess this is goodbye." David nodded slowly. The young woman turned around, and began to walk away, a tear sliding down her cheek.

"Come with me." David called after her. "I-I'm sure I could help you get a job at the agency."

"David..." Riley warned.

David reached into his ear, and switched off his communications device. "You were one of his assistants, right? I'm sure you could do something."

"I can do some... High level coding." Kath laughed, wiping away a tear. David stretched out a hand, and she took it. Together, the pair made their way towards the door.

"Do you have a ride?" Kath asked. "You came here with me."

David nodded. "I think I do." He pushed open the door. Sitting outside, was a magnificent silver convertible. David pressed a button on the keys, and the lights flashed as the car unlocked. "Yep." He grinned. "I defiantly do."

* * * * * * * *

3 Days Later

David and Kath, Nick and his girlfriend, Riley, and Genieve, all sat around a table at the local pub. Nick stood up, holding his glass in front of him. "I'd like to propose a toast." He suggested. "To new jobs, new accomplishments, new friends—"

"And a new car." Genieve interrupted, chuckling.

"And a new car." Nick added, shaking his head. "To us."

"To us!" The others repeated in unison, knocking their glasses together against his. Nick sat back down, and they all resumed their conversations.

A few minutes later, someone tapped David on the shoulder. "Excuse me, Mr. Bronzcert?"

David wiped the beer foam from his upper lip, and stood up. "Oh, um... Yes?"

David turned around, only to come face to face with Agent Richard Marks. "Hello again." The man smiled. He punched David square in the face, before walking away...