Welcome To... Chichester : Pre-History

This details the protagonist's training before becoming a full agent for The Phoenix Custodians :

The fluorescent lights of the Phoenix Custodians’ training facility hummed with a sterile, relentless energy, mirroring the atmosphere within its walls. Kayleigh, fresh out of a life she barely recognized anymore, found herself a square peg in a very sharp, very unforgiving round hole. She was here, in this clandestine organization based somewhere in New Hampshire, USA, because two unsettling men in a ruined city had given her no other choice. A "job for life," they’d called it, a phrase that now echoed with a chilling finality.

Part 1: The Phoenix Crucible
The air in the training barracks was thick with the scent of sweat, fear, and stale ambition. Recruits, hardened and cynical, moved with a practiced detachment that Kayleigh found deeply unsettling. She, by contrast, was a "sanctimonious do-gooder," a label she’d heard whispered behind her back, often accompanied by a dismissive snort. Yet, it was this very nature that set her apart.

One evening, after a grueling session of hand-to-hand combat, a young recruit named Liam sat hunched on his bunk, his shoulders shaking. He’d failed a critical drill, and the instructors, brutal in their methods, had made an example of him. Kayleigh, despite her own exhaustion, felt a familiar tug of empathy. She approached him quietly, a bottle of water and a protein bar in hand.

"Rough day, huh?" she offered, her voice soft.

Liam flinched, then looked up, his eyes red-rimmed. "They said I'm weak. Said I don't belong here."

"They say a lot of things," Kayleigh replied, sitting beside him. "Doesn't make them true. You got through the obstacle course, didn't you? And your aim was spot-on in target practice." She pushed the water and bar towards him. "Hydrate. Refuel. Tomorrow's another day."

Liam stared at the offerings, then at her. "Why are you being nice?"

Kayleigh shrugged, a small, genuine smile touching her lips. "Because it's the right thing to do. And because we're all in this together, whether they like it or not." Her simple act of kindness, a stark contrast to the facility's harsh ethos, provided a small, much-needed flicker of warmth in the cold barracks. She had a knack for helping fellow trainees through tough times, a trait that often put her at odds with the instructors.

Her defiance wasn't limited to quiet acts of compassion. During a particularly brutal interrogation simulation, an instructor ordered a trainee to endure a prolonged, psychologically damaging punishment for a minor infraction. Kayleigh, witnessing the trainee's breaking point, stepped forward without hesitation.

"Sir, this is excessive," she stated, her voice clear and unwavering, despite the tremor in her hands. "The objective has been met. Further punishment serves no purpose but cruelty."

The instructor, a burly man with eyes like chips of ice, turned slowly. "Are you questioning my methods, recruit?"

"I am questioning the ethics of this action," Kayleigh retorted, holding his gaze. "It's wrong."

A tense silence descended. Other recruits shifted uncomfortably, knowing the consequences of such insubordination. The instructor's face darkened, but before he could unleash his fury, a sharp whistle cut through the air. A senior officer, observing from a hidden gallery, signaled for the session to end. Kayleigh knew she’d just painted a target on her back.

Indeed, the training facility tried repeatedly to "get rid of Kayleigh." Her unwavering adherence to her personal ethics, her tendency to rebel against orders she deemed incorrect, and her intervention in the punishment of other trainees made her an anomaly, a disruptive element they couldn't control. Yet, every attempt to dismiss her was met with a "firm 'no'" from higher up. She was staying put, a decision that baffled many, including Kayleigh herself.

The pervasive culture of the Custodians was another constant battle. Outside Charles Mount-Acre’s office, the "usual misogynistic attitudes towards females, especially the younger ones," continued unchecked. Charles, her eventual boss, had tried to stop it, but his efforts were met with the dismissive, albeit officious, sentiment of "boys will be boys." It was a deeply ingrained rot that Kayleigh felt, even as a new recruit, and it fueled her quiet determination to prove them all wrong.

Part 2: The Shadow of Friendship
It was during one of the grueling urban combat simulations that Kayleigh first truly noticed Chloe Yeats. Chloe was assigned to her squad, a quiet, observant woman with sharp eyes that seemed to miss nothing. She moved with an understated efficiency, always in the right place, always with the right information.

"Good work on that flank maneuver, Kayleigh," Chloe commented one afternoon, as they debriefed after a particularly messy exercise. "You anticipated their counter-attack perfectly."

Kayleigh, still wiping grime from her face, managed a tired smile. "Thanks. You called out that sniper nest just in time. Saved my skin."

Chloe offered a small, almost imperceptible smile in return. "Just doing my job."

Their interactions became a quiet rhythm in the chaos of training. Chloe was always there, a steady presence. She’d often leave reports on Kayleigh's desk, neatly organized, anticipating Kayleigh's needs before she even voiced them. "I've left the report on your desk," Chloe would say, her voice calm.

"Great! Thanks!" Kayleigh would reply, genuinely appreciative.

Chloe would sometimes linger, a thoughtful expression on her face. "Hmmm..." she'd murmur, observing Kayleigh. Kayleigh, misinterpreting the gaze, would often joke, "Don't worry - I've got no intention of stepping on your toes..."

Their conversations often revolved around their assignments. One morning, Kayleigh was fuming over a stalled investigation. "Go and have another word with our dear Ms. Kendra Ruiz," Kayleigh instructed, exasperated. "A three hundred thousand tonne container ship can't just disappear whilst in a dock."

Chloe nodded, her expression serious. "Yes. I think she knows something."

"Oh, no doubt," Kayleigh agreed. "It's been either sunk or airlifted elsewhere - in both cases, it'll be for ransom money. This is especially likely as your operation caught her red-handed with some of the cargo. Get her to talk... but do it properly."

"Will do! See you later!" Chloe replied, turning to leave.

"Bye!" Kayleigh called after her.

What Kayleigh didn't know, couldn't possibly know, was that Chloe Yeats was merely a facade. Her true name was Esme Weeks, and she was a double-agent, embedded within The Phoenix Custodians by The Council. Esme had been sent to infiltrate the training base specifically to scout talent, to identify recruits who might be willing to defect, or, more importantly, those who might cause "trouble" later on. Kayleigh, with her unwavering ethics and tendency to challenge authority, had been flagged by Esme early on. At the time, Abigail Herrera, Esme's handler and a leader of The Council, hadn't paid much attention, focused on more immediate threats. But Esme's reports continued, detailing Kayleigh's unique blend of ethics, strong morality, and distinctive working style. Abigail's interest in Kayleigh would grow, seeing her as an "unexpectedly good fit for The Council," a person who could bring "fresh ideas" and even "ethics to blackmail, extortion and so on," making their nefarious activities "even more potent."

Another constant in Kayleigh's early working life was Cody. He was a colleague, but more often, an irritant. He’d often lurk near her office, offering unsolicited, cynical advice.

"Do it properly!?" Cody scoffed one day, overhearing Kayleigh's instructions to Chloe. "HA HA!"

"Cody..." Kayleigh began, her voice strained. "...don't you have work to do?"

"I am doing it, by telling you how to do your job," he sneered.

"So noted. Now, if you'll excuse me..." Kayleigh tried to dismiss him.

"You're not going to get anywhere by mollycoddling those 'The Council' bastards," Cody continued, ignoring her.

"Yeah, well, when you get to my position, you can do what the hell you want," Kayleigh shot back, her patience wearing thin. "Until then, everyone follows my rules."

"Well, at the rate you're going, you'll either end up being kicked out of here, or face down in the local river," Cody retorted, a cruel smirk on his face. "Either way, it'll be no great loss."

Kayleigh simply stared at him, her jaw tight. "Get out of my sight!"

Cody just laughed, a harsh, grating sound, and walked away.

"Sigh," Kayleigh exhaled, rubbing her temples. "He's another pain." She wished she could use Cody as a dartboard, but there was, unfortunately, work to be done.

Part 3: Seeds of Doubt
As weeks turned into months, Kayleigh settled into the demanding rhythm of the Phoenix Custodians. She completed countless reports, each one demanding and time-consuming. "DONE!" she'd exclaim, stretching her aching wrists. "At last! Not a moment too soon, either." The sheer volume of paperwork for even trivial incidents was astounding.

Despite the grind, Kayleigh found a strange comfort in the routine, even as she wrestled with the organization's inherent flaws. The "job for life" policy, initially a daunting prospect, now felt like a cage she couldn't escape. She knew, deep down, that her ethics would always clash with the Custodians' pragmatic, often ruthless, methods. Charles Mount-Acre had warned her, after all, that her future battles would be "more importantly against your own people."

Chloe remained a steady, if somewhat enigmatic, presence. She was always helpful, always efficient, a quiet ally in a world that often felt hostile. Kayleigh trusted her, perhaps more than she should have, given the pervasive secrecy of their world.

One afternoon, as Kayleigh was about to head out for lunch, a new face appeared at her office door. A woman, impeccably dressed, with an air of quiet confidence. "Ummm... excuse me," she began.

"Yes? What can I do for..." Kayleigh started, then paused. "Hmmm... I don't remember seeing you before. Do you have a reason for being here?"

"Oh yes, I do!" the woman replied, a subtle glint in her eye. "I'm looking for... Xavier."

Kayleigh directed her to Xavier's office, noting that the woman had an interview for a personal secretary position—Kayleigh's long-requested assistant. A strange feeling settled over Kayleigh. No one had told her interviews were taking place. Something was "fishy."

Just as Kayleigh considered calling security, Xavier himself appeared, his voice cutting through the air. "Stand down, and that's an order!" He dismissed Kayleigh's concerns, claiming he hadn't wanted to get her hopes up and that she'd been too busy to be involved. He introduced the woman as Emily, the "ideal candidate," loyal, trustworthy, and impeccably honest.

Kayleigh, though still uneasy, accepted it. She had no idea that Emily was another layer of deception, a triple agent whose true purpose was to orchestrate a war that would consume them all. She also had no idea that Chloe, her quiet, trusted colleague, was a double-agent, meticulously reporting on Kayleigh's every move, her ethics, and her vulnerabilities to The Council.

As Kayleigh left her office for lunch, the unsettling feeling lingered. She was a "sanctimonious do-gooder" in a world of shadows, a moral compass in a labyrinth of deceit. She had survived training, made a friend in Chloe, and navigated the internal politics of the Custodians. But the true nature of the game, and the unseen threads that bound her to a destiny far grander and more perilous than she could imagine, remained hidden, waiting for their moment to unravel.