24. Learning
Sequel to 64, Beginning.
Yamato leaned heavily on her non-dominant arm, her face as close to the paper as possible. This was, of course, so that the answers would have a better chance of making it to her brain when they jumped off the paper. In fact, she had once written a poem using sperm as the metaphor for answers on a test, and--
Something plinked off of her head and landed on the floor right next to her desk. She glanced up to make sure the teacher wasn't looking, then grabbed the crumpled piece of paper off the carpet and tried to decode it.
"1. A
2. D
3. A
4. C
5. B
6. ???
7. A
8. ???
9. National Healthcare
10. ???
11. Diplomacy
12. Weapons
It wasn't signed, but there was a small black tulip sketched on the back of the notebook paper. Yamato furtively scribbled the right answers on the cheat sheet next to the question marks, took down Domino's answers, and scratched out "Diplomacy" and replaced it with "Blackmail." She crumpled it back up, checked once more to make sure no one of import was watching, and chucked it back at Domino.
Quite unfortunately, their Principles of Government Leadership professor picked that exact moment to turn around. Domino and Yamato quickly looked down at their tests, but it was no good. "You two, come with me." He said sternly. The girls got up without a sound and followed him.
Yamato's thoughts ran around like over-sugared toddlers the whole walk to The Boss's office. This was her very last term before she became a field agent; she couldn't flunk out just because she cheated on a test! What would she do if she couldn't be a Team Rocket agent? She had wanted to be one since she had first gone to Rocket Camp ten years before. If everything was messed up, she would... she would... she would slit her wrists! Yes. That seemed like a good way to get revenge. THEN they would be sorry for expelling her from their stupid academy. Who needed Team Rocket, anyways?
The Boss spun around in his office chair as they entered. "Sir, I caught these two cheating during their midterm." The professor bowed and exited.
"Cheating?" The Boss stared at them very sternly. He opened a drawer and pulled out two files. "Domino I'm not surprised by, but Yamato? Your record says that you've always been a star pupil."
Yamato folded her arms sullenly. Domino spoke up. "Sir, I forgot to study because of our late night meeting last night. She was just helping me out."
"I see." He turned to watch Yamato, and she squirmed under the attention. "Do you regret cheating?"
What did it matter? She was going to get expelled either way. "No, Sir, I do not." She straightened. "Given the same situation I would do it again, if I thought I wouldn't get caught."
To her surprise, the Boss grinned and stamped a big, red "A" onto both of their files. "Both of you, go make appointments with Viper. You're ready for your exit exams."
Shocked, Yamato's mouth moved a few steps of her brain. "But... why?"
"Because there's more to being a Team Rocket agent than doing well on tests. There's a sense of teamwork and cunning all agents must learn, and I can tell you two have already learned that."
Yamato leaned heavily on her non-dominant arm, her face as close to the paper as possible. This was, of course, so that the answers would have a better chance of making it to her brain when they jumped off the paper. In fact, she had once written a poem using sperm as the metaphor for answers on a test, and--
Something plinked off of her head and landed on the floor right next to her desk. She glanced up to make sure the teacher wasn't looking, then grabbed the crumpled piece of paper off the carpet and tried to decode it.
"1. A
2. D
3. A
4. C
5. B
6. ???
7. A
8. ???
9. National Healthcare
10. ???
11. Diplomacy
12. Weapons
It wasn't signed, but there was a small black tulip sketched on the back of the notebook paper. Yamato furtively scribbled the right answers on the cheat sheet next to the question marks, took down Domino's answers, and scratched out "Diplomacy" and replaced it with "Blackmail." She crumpled it back up, checked once more to make sure no one of import was watching, and chucked it back at Domino.
Quite unfortunately, their Principles of Government Leadership professor picked that exact moment to turn around. Domino and Yamato quickly looked down at their tests, but it was no good. "You two, come with me." He said sternly. The girls got up without a sound and followed him.
Yamato's thoughts ran around like over-sugared toddlers the whole walk to The Boss's office. This was her very last term before she became a field agent; she couldn't flunk out just because she cheated on a test! What would she do if she couldn't be a Team Rocket agent? She had wanted to be one since she had first gone to Rocket Camp ten years before. If everything was messed up, she would... she would... she would slit her wrists! Yes. That seemed like a good way to get revenge. THEN they would be sorry for expelling her from their stupid academy. Who needed Team Rocket, anyways?
The Boss spun around in his office chair as they entered. "Sir, I caught these two cheating during their midterm." The professor bowed and exited.
"Cheating?" The Boss stared at them very sternly. He opened a drawer and pulled out two files. "Domino I'm not surprised by, but Yamato? Your record says that you've always been a star pupil."
Yamato folded her arms sullenly. Domino spoke up. "Sir, I forgot to study because of our late night meeting last night. She was just helping me out."
"I see." He turned to watch Yamato, and she squirmed under the attention. "Do you regret cheating?"
What did it matter? She was going to get expelled either way. "No, Sir, I do not." She straightened. "Given the same situation I would do it again, if I thought I wouldn't get caught."
To her surprise, the Boss grinned and stamped a big, red "A" onto both of their files. "Both of you, go make appointments with Viper. You're ready for your exit exams."
Shocked, Yamato's mouth moved a few steps of her brain. "But... why?"
"Because there's more to being a Team Rocket agent than doing well on tests. There's a sense of teamwork and cunning all agents must learn, and I can tell you two have already learned that."