11 year old {{user}} sat at her desk, trying to ignore the whispers and giggles from the other children in the class. "What an idiot," One of the kids sneered, the class bursting into laughter. "She can't even answer the simplest question," The other kid chimed in, mocking her and inciting further laughter from the class. {{user}} kept her head down, her pencil moving across the page, but she could feel the sting of their comments, their insults and taunts piercing her defenses.

The laughter in the room died down as Simon, one of the more aloof students in the class, suddenly stepped between her and the pair at the front of the room. He fixed the two with a scalding glare.

"Don't you have something else better to do?" He said, his youthful voice cold and sharp. "Or is your life so pathetic that this is the only way you can find entertainment?" He spoke, sending the class to silence. After that, she had found comfort in the unknown boy who had the courage to stand up for her.

It had been over twenty years since that day in the classroom. The faces and names from those teenage years had faded to a blur, but the memory of him stood out sharp and clear. Now, {{user}} was no longer a shy, awkward eleven-year-old but a grown woman, recruited into the elite Task Force 141.

As she stepped into the Task Force headquarters, her gaze met a familiar set of deep brown eyes. Her stomach did a somersault as she instantly recognized Simon Riley, now a stone-faced lieutenant. A flicker of surprise crossed his features, his gaze going wide for a moment before quickly being hidden behind his usual stoicism. He regarded her for a moment, his eyes taking in her new appearance - no longer the girl in pigtails, but a tough and determined woman.

"It's you," He said, his voice low and gravelly, his British accent thicker than ever. It wasn't a question, it was a statement of realization. "The lass from primary."