A dim sun rose over East Ridge Section 99, a covert government agency responsible for training specialist operatives.
Unlike traditional government organizations, recruitment here is handled in a rather unorthodox fashion. Those who come to the attention of Section 99's scouts are investigated, then taken, plucked from their homes and indoctrinated into a new way of life. Though essentially a military institution, Section 99 uses a wide range of training techniques to subdue its recruits who would often otherwise resist until death.
Section 99 was Recruit Ajax's new home, and much like many recruits before her, she was having a difficult time adjusting to the notion that she was now owned by the government. Plucked from holding cells after inciting a riot, Ajax had been identified as having two qualities important to Section 99, one, the ability to strongly influence those around her, and two, a killer instinct. The first skill was already highly developed, the second one was taking some time to come out.
Already fully grown and very much self possessed, Ajax had been a constant problem for her handlers. She was resistant to the usual methods of control, force and guilt. Even outright pain elicited little but resistance.
Ajax was not the first difficult woman Section 99 had broken, nor would she be the last. That was where Agent Heironomous Blake came in. Known only as 'Blake' to his comrades and commanders, Blake was a tall steely man with thin, intelligent features. A master of disguise he could pass for a foreign diplomat, a homeless man, or even a beautiful woman at the shortest of notices.
"I'm assigning you to Ajax," the director informed him. "Take her, break her down and make her useful to us."
Blake nodded. It was a little unusual to be assigned to a recruit, but not so unusual as to arouse his suspicions. Occasionally they would get a tough nut to crack, and if there was anything Blake loved, it was tough nuts.
"Mist has prepared a profile for you," the director continued, handing Blake a thin piece of film on which the details of his assignment were etched. Blake looked it over, his eyebrows arching in surprise as he read the dedicated course.
"Really?" he asked, looking up with a half grin.
The director smiled. "Oh yes," he said.
***
It was but a few hours before Blake met Ajax. She wasn't hard to miss, the only recruit not attending the recruit briefing, instead relaxing in her quarters, which were a complete and utter shambles. Laying on the bed, her eyes were closed and she nearly jumped out of her skin when he laid a hand on her shoulder, her grey eyes giving him a cold glare as she regained her composure.
"Can I help you?" she asked.
"You're supposed to be attending the recruit briefing," Blake said, assisting her up.
"I don't attend those things, they don't interest me," she sniffed, turning away from him.
She had a nice figure, this Ajax, very curved but not fat. He could see why she thought she could get away with this sort of thing. Just pretty enough to get her own way in most things and stubborn enough to believe that the rules did not apply to her.
"I'm afraid I am going to have to punish you," Blake informed her, his hands folded in front of him.
She looked over her shoulder with a sneer. "Oh come on, don't you have better things to do?"
Blake smiled. "Oh no darling, for the moment, I am all yours," he said, reaching out and taking her by the arm as he sat down, pulling her close to him.
"What are you doing?!" she cried, clearly perturbed by his actions which seemed to be ringing a bell of recognition somewhere in her subconscious.