‘Look at that grin,’ Bruce teased, as James loaded his plate with bacon, eggs and sausage. ‘Someone got lucky last night.’

‘Where is Kerry?’ Kyle asked.

‘Shower,’ James explained.

Lauren was eating with Capstick at one table, while a rowdy crowd of current agents sat at the next.

‘Why you holding your back, Kyle?’ Alfie shouted. ‘Need a walking stick? Or maybe a Zimmer frame?’

Bruce narrowed his eyes. ‘How’s them ribs I smashed into the poolside, Alfie? Nice and bruised, like Daniel’s eye?’

‘You guys should probably take things slow today,’ Leon added, as he stuffed scrambled egg into his mouth. ‘People your age gotta think about your blood pressure.’

‘Or popping your haemorrhoids,’ Alfie added, as his table erupted in laughter.

Friendly whoops went up as Kerry rolled in. Lauren and Kyle gave her hugs.

Kerry turned sharply and looked at Bruce. ‘So, when do we get to smack these sarcastic brats around the dojo?’ she asked.

‘Soon enough,’ Bruce said, as he took a seat next to Lauren. ‘See how smart they are tomorrow morning, when they’ve got no front teeth.’

‘I’m not scared of you,’ Alfie told Bruce. ‘I’ve found bigger objects than you up my nose.’

Laughter roared around the current agents’ table. James gave Kerry a kiss as they passed in opposite directions. James with his plate stacked, Kerry heading to the buffet. As James settled between Lauren and Kyle, Tovah darted out of the kitchen, holding a fruit plate covered in cling film.

‘What?’ James asked, as he poached a hash brown on his fork.

‘Bad news,’ Tovah told James. ‘I did some calculations. If you want to fly on this mission, you need to lose four kilos.’

James gawped as Tovah swapped his bacon and eggs for sliced melon, garnished with two red grapes.

‘You’re kidding me,’ James said, pointing at Kyle. ‘He’s fatter than me.’

‘Hey!’ Kyle yelped.

Tovah shook her head. ‘Kyle may be overweight for his body size, but he’s shorter so he’s still only sixty-four kilos. You need to be under seventy-five.’

Everyone apart from James started laughing.

‘Who ate all the pies?’ the teens at the next table started singing. ‘Who ate all the pies?’

‘These sausages are dee-licious,’ Kerry teased, as James glowered at his melon. ‘Is it every meal, or just breakfast?’

‘Every meal,’ Tovah said. ‘Serious calorie restriction is the only way James can drop four kilos in five weeks.’

‘Hey,’ James growled, as Lauren snapped a pic with her phone. ‘What are you doing?’

‘Had to, bro,’ Lauren explained. ‘Your expression right now is priceless!’

While CHERUB had blown its investment budget on the swanky new Campus Village, the summer hostel had been neglected. The gym was no exception, with creaky floorboards, cracked glazing and fighting mats patched up with duct tape.