Hello, World! (Sam)

[Luke St. James]

It was nice to be Luke St. James for once. Typically, he was incognito, answering to a false name, hair dyed, voice altered. Or he was Agent 302. And as much as Luke loved his job, he needed these vacation days. Of course, tomorrow, he'd be back in GJ headquarters and answering to Agent St. James or "302".

Since it was only one day of vacation, Luke didn't venture far. Middleton was, what, less than an hour from Go City? And he liked the small town feeling. It was a world away from Go City and Tokyo-- where he'd just spent his last assignment, posing as a French diplomat. It was nice to be outside, where the sky was blue and the grass was green.

Just for kicks, Luke rented a pair of roller skates and headed down to the park's outdoor rink. It was a lovely spring day and as nice as relaxation was, Luke was never one to hit the spas and idly lay back. He had to be doing something. He made his way confidently onto the rink and glided across the concrete happily.

[Sam Able]

Roller skating was not her thing. So why was she spending her break doing so? Tentatively, she rolled onto the rink. slipping as she did so, landing on her rear end. She didn't understand. She could go through the hard, laborious GJ training she needed. She could endure the battle sessions, but she couldn't rollerskate.

Sam pulled herself up , kicking her rented skates into the rink. She walked, sock-footed to the benches, messaging her feet and sighing to herself.
She needed a cigarette, and she needed it now. She searched frantically through her purse for one.

Lighting it and puffing absently, she watched the roller skaters do what roller skaters do best-- skate. Figure eights wheeled around, invisible designs were made in the concrete and she watched them, amazed at the whirring colors and the how the people blended harmoniously together. This picture was beautiful and Sam searched her mind, but she still couldn't find anything that would make a better vacation.

She didn't realize how long she spent staring at this entrancing scene until her fingers began burning as her cigarette ran low. She quickly stomped it out and resumed her hypnotized trance on the roller skaters.

[Luke St. James]

Luke pulled up to a bench for a rest. There was a pretty blonde sitting there, holding a lit cigarette, but not smoking. He smiled at her, but she seemed not to notice him, instead, her big eyes were transfixed on the skaters. Luke supposed he could see why. They were graceful, or at least, most of them weren't falling on their faces. But then he heard her yelp and he looked over. She'd burned her hand on her cigarette.

"Not that it's any of my business," he said, a little loudly to get her attention, "but you should get that treated ASAP. Minor burns can become major pains really, really fast."

Not like he didn't have any scars from burns. But his were justifiable. He'd gotten them on missions to save the world, usually from supervillians, hellbent on revenge or flying, burning debris of exploding lairs.

[Sam Able]

Sam looked to her right. There was a handsom man there sitting next to her. She smiled at him.
"Oh, yeah. Thanks, but I don't think that's nessicary. I get burns like these all the time." Sam glanced down at her reddening fingers, then back at the man. She stared at him, examining every facial feature. Something about him looked familar. She caught herself staring, lost in her own thoughts again. "Sorry," she said. "You just look... really familar." Sam looked away, her blue eyes transfixed on the skaters again. They moved as if in slow motion, the colors blurring beautifully.

There was a lull in the conversation. "Lovely day today, isn't it? I'm Sam, by the way." Sam. It was nice to have a name and not just a number. Sam never saw herself as a part of a group until her training began and she was suddenly thrust into a category-- the trainees.

[Luke St. James]

Familiar? Though his insides stiffened, Luke didn't outwardly move. Maybe his hand twitched, involuntarily. He didn't know. Familiar? Familiar? That was never a good thing...

He studied her. She was young. College age, maybe, if not high school. And then, when she said her name it hit him. Sam Able. One of the weird-name trainees. Ron Stoppable. Kim Possible. Sam Able. Just what drugs were their parents on? He smiled.

"I'm Luke... Do you go to Duketon? I think I have you in one of my classes." By "classes", he of course meant the class he was teaching. But that wasn't something he was going to outright say. He was posing as a Master's student (and actually getting the degree in the process). He couldn't blow his cover in a public place.

[Sam Able]

Now she knew who he was. "Yes! Yes, I think that's it. I believe I am taking one of your classes. You're the Masters Student in my physical combat class. You're really good!" Sam said, reaching into her purse for another cigarette. "Do you mind?" she asked.
Upon opening her pack, she saw there were no more. :Oh. great. Its empty. That's just wonderful..." She sighed, talking to herself.

"Anyways, it's very good to formaly meet you, Luke. Do you mind if I call you Luke?" She asked, reaching for the soy latte beside her purse.

[Luke St. James]

"Well... it is my name," Luke said, smiling.

He wasn't sure if that was the appropriate answer; at work he'd have to be Agent 302 to her again. But he was off duty. He didn't mind being just Luke for now. It felt good to be normal every now and then.

"So, Sam, how are you liking Duketon so far? We haven't scared you away yet, I hope."

He was in a light-hearted, casual mood. He didn't mind being friendly to the trainees. They were, after all, his responsibility. And they weren't tons younger than him, either. Which, admittedly, was the hardest part of it all. He didn't want to be the scary authority figure, but he needed their trust, admiration, and respect.

Otherwise, he was a horrible agent.

[Sam Able]

"Scared me away? No, not at all. I wouldn't be doing a physical combat class, now would I?" Sam said with giggle. "And yes, I am enjoying Duketon, a bit big isn't it, though?" Sam said, waving her hand, implying hse often got lost. If Luke didn't recognize her, he certainly would now. She was the one who was always a minute or so late to class.

She glanced down at his feet, clad in rollerskates. "So... You skate?" she asked, oblivious to the fact that it was obvious he skated by looking at his feet.

Just as she said this, a man, rollerblading down the ramp (going to fast for it to be considered "safe") dripped over the skates Sam abandoned at the rink. He cringed as the man fell to the ground. Uh-oh. That does not look pretty. I knew I should have moved those.

[Luke St. James]

Big? The campus was not only private, but tiny compared to Go City University. Well... At least the part seen by the public was small. The GJ Complex sprawled for several miles underground. Luke smiled. He remembered when it seemed big to him, too. God, that felt like a long time ago. It really wasn't. He murmured a reassuring, "I guess."

But her eyes, which seemed to latch on whatever she felt most entertaining, interest drifting, moment to moment. Now, his skates held her interest.

"Yeah... Sometimes. I mean, I'm not, y'know amazing at it or anything…."

A man on the roller rink suddenly took a tumble. Luke wouldn’t have taken particular notice of it, but Sam cringed. Immediately, he was on alert to help with offers of first aid and whatnot. Instead, the guy got up, swore, and threw the skates onto the grass a few inches from where Sam and Luke sat.

“Who leaves skates in the middle of a rink, anyways?” Luke said, shaking his head. “Honestly, some people are so careless… Of course, that guy didn’t have to throw them over here. Could’ve hit us…”

He sighed, stood and picked up the skates.

“I suppose that leaves us to do the right thing and turn these in, huh?” he said, smiling at Sam. “Come with me.”

[Sam Able]

When their conversation was inturrupted by a sudden fall taken by a man in the rink.
Sam cringed when Luke said how irresponsible the person who left the skates there was. Then, suddenly, they were chucked at them.

"Go-go with you?" Sam asked, just now recovering from the fear she got thinking that the skates would hit her.
"Sure!" She wasn't sure if she sounded too excited or not excitec enough. She just wanted away from the rink.

They walked to the return area where they rented out skates, sold cigarettes, soda and candy, and provided first aid.
As Luke handed back the skates, Sam asked for a light blue pack, eagle on the front and a Kit-Kat bar.
"Would you like anything? My treat," said sam, receiving her cigarettes and candy bars.

[Luke St. James]

They made their silent way to the kiosk and Luke returned the skates. A flash of blue caught his eye. So she really did smoke? Well... GJ would stamp that out of her by the time she was done there.

"I'm good, I think." He pointed to his army green backpack. "I always bring my own drinks."

He was a tad paranoid after several assassination attempts. He didn't mean to be... but, hey. It was better to be careful than dead.

"So, what are you majoring in?"