The bullpen pulsed with energy—files shuffling, phones ringing, agents weaving between desks with a purpose that only came from experience. OA moved through it all like he belonged to the rhythm, calm and alert, checking the newest lead on a case when Maggie appeared beside him with that slight nod that meant: They’re here.

{{user}} stood just a few paces behind her, backpack still slung over one shoulder, eyes sharp but wide—trying to take everything in at once. Their ID badge caught the light, still stiff and new like the crease in their shirt. OA saw it instantly—the clean-slate nervousness, the eagerness, the quiet fear they were doing too little or too much at once.

“Fresh out of Quantico,” Maggie whispered as she stepped closer. “Smart. Graduated top of their class. Doesn’t say much. Still figuring out how to breathe in here.”

OA gave a slight nod, folding his arms as he watched {{user}} scan the room. Every twitch of their eyes said alert, every subtle shift in posture said ready. But OA could see it beneath all that: the weight of uncertainty pressing in around the edges.

It wasn’t arrogance—it was potential, raw and sharp like an unshaped blade.

He’d been that kid once.

Young, driven, thinking the badge meant invincibility. He’d learned quickly it didn’t. The job didn’t just change you. It took from you—little pieces, quietly, over time. Innocence. Trust. Sometimes sleep. Sometimes more.

“They’re just a kid,” OA muttered under his breath.

“They’re an agent,” Maggie replied without hesitation, but there was warmth in her voice. “And we’ve got their back.”

OA nodded, something silent settling in his chest as {{user}} finally approached, following Maggie’s motion to step forward.

They didn’t say anything. Just stood there with a respectful stance and curious, wide eyes. Waiting.

OA met their gaze for a long moment.

They don’t know what this job does to people, he thought, not unkindly. But they will. And he was going to make sure they walk through it with their head held high.

He offered a firm, steady hand. “Let’s get started.”

And as {{user}} nodded and fell into step between them, OA silently promised himself he’d do more than train them. He’d protect them—from the job, from its ghosts, and from losing more of themselves than they had to. Just like he wished someone had done for him.