Term Finals Arc

Note that the arc title and following sub-headings are fan-made and used to better organize the story.
The Term Finals Arc is the fifteenth and ongoing story arc in SPY x FAMILY.
Operation Strix is now at a crucial point. Anya is about to face the term final exams at Eden Academy, which will determine her future in the academy. Struggling to find a way to have success, Loid finds an unexpected ally that could help Anya pass the exams.
== Summary ==
=== A Strange Old Man ===
While taking Bond out for a walk, Yor and Anya go to a park. There, Anya comes across a strange old man feeding birds. The other kids at the park also notice the old man's strange behavior and want to report him as they believe he might be an enemy spy. Upon hearing this, Anya decides to read the stranger's mind, but the old man is simply lost. The kids start accusing him as a spy, and the old man is chased out of the park. 
Anya moves to an obstacle course, but the old man returns. He starts climbing the obstacle course and nearly falls off one of the wooden beams. After getting helped down, he explains that he is lost, and so Yor decides to help him. The old man finds a note in his pocket resembling a shopping list. So they proceed to a nearby market in an attempt to jog his memory.
At the market, the old man starts talking about the past. As they continue, they end up back at the park where they started. So they try again, but they end up at a mafia branch office, and the members proceed to open fire on them in hostility. After getting away, they stop by a florist and a waffle shop. The old man offers Anya a waffle after coming to see her like a granddaughter, which makes Yor think about her, Loid, and Anya's lack of grandparents. As the old man puts his wallet away, Yor spots something falling out of it, which Anya recognizes are coupons from a candy store close by.
They take him to the candy shop, but the old man remains lost. However, Bond starts leading them in one direction after catching a scent. Believing that Bond has picked up a trail, they follow it, but it leads them back to the Forgers' apartment. As Yor apologizes, an old lady walks out of the front door and greets the old man as Sigmund. The old man recognizes the lady as Barbara, his wife. Loid also appears, explaining that the couple are their new neighbors and that he is helping them move in. They introduce themselves as the Authens. After the elderly couple make a show of affection in front of the Forgers, a flushed Yor hurries the family back inside. 
=== The Charity Bazaar ===
Anya and Yor run into the Authens on their way to school and work respectively. Yor briefly mentions that she is heading to the city square early in order to help out with the charity bazaar and invites the Authens to come along.
At the city square, Yor and her co-workers help with setting up the event. Millie begins to moan about the task at hand while Camilla gossips about the presence of a celebrity with Dominic. Matthew McMahon tells them to cut the chatter as the Wounded Veteran Alliance and the Lady Patriots Society are watching them. The mere mention of the Lady Patriots Society draws further irks from Camilla and Sharon but Yor is excited upon realizing that it is Melinda Desmond's club. When Yor explains that she knows Melinda, her colleagues do not believe her.
As the event goes underway, Millie freezes and attempts to excuse herself. Her colleagues console her but are interrupted by women from the Lady Patriots Society, who tell them to hurry up as the club members cannot set up until the city workers finish their part. The society then remarks that the young people do not appreciate the cost of peace or the respect that the soldiers deserve. This prompts Millie to talk back, saying at the very least, they get to come back, unlike her father. Millie's remarks incurs the society's wrath. Frightened, Millie tries to get away but the society ladies continue to berate her. Yor gets in between them, demonstrating that not everyone is the same by lifting up a stack of boxes and asking them to do the same. The society members respond that they can't as they are not strong like her, Yor then asks why they think Millie would be the same as them.
Things continue to escalate as the city workers also chime in and the leading society member has now become extremely angry but just as she is about to slap somebody, she gets pulled back by the society's chairwoman, Melinda. However, before a proper explanation, Melinda goes to greet Yor. Surprising her colleagues, who realize that Yor was being truthful. Millie loses her temper upon seeing this as she believes the Desmonds were responsible for starting the war. Matthew then corrects her, saying that Donovan Desmond was not the prime minister when the war started. Nonetheless, Melinda apologizes as her husband was in charge during much of the war. As Melinda gets called away, Millie also apologizes.
Camilla asks if Millie wants to leave but she decides to stay as she does not want to be alone then. They then change the topic to Yor's friendship with Melinda, pointing out she did not even try to be "posh." The girls agree to teach her over drinks after work. When Yor gets home, Loid is confused with what Yor is saying.
=== The Term Finals ===
The day of destiny approaches, and the term finals that will divide the class will be happening the following week. For Anya, failure is not an option: there is the pitfall of Tonitrus Bolt as well as the collapse of Plan B and she will be all alone. However, as past quizzes have shown, cheating via mind reading is not an option, there is the issue of figuring out who actually knows the correct answers, and those who know move on so quickly that Anya cannot keep up.
At the Forger residence, Loid goes through the events of the past in his mind. He cannot risk sneaking into Eden to change the score as they have strengthened their security following Daybreak's exploits. He wonders if Anya might earn a Stella if they focus her study on Classical Language, given her particular strength in the area. However, he quickly changes his mind upon seeing Anya's playful behavior. As Loid starts tutoring Anya in Maths, she shows signs of struggle once again. As he contemplates the option of calling Yuri for help, the neighbors are at the door: the Authens have come over to offer cookies.
Accepting their offer, the Forgers go to the Authens', and everyone shares a bit about their past. Sensing risks with the topic at hand, Loid changes the subject, pointing out the impressive library the Authens have. Noting that many of the books are related to languages, particularly classical languages, leads to Anya talking about her upcoming test. Sigmund offers his help and starts by asking Anya about her favorite books, to which she responds with Spy Wars. He then pulls out a first edition of Spy Wars and uses it as a textbook. Loid is unsure at first, but he comes to see the wisdom in encouraging Anya to find joy in her studies. Times pass, and as the Forgers take their leave, Sigmund asks Anya about her ultimate goal beyond becoming an Imperial Scholar. Anya responds with "world peace," and Sigmund compliments her for such a grand goal and gives her a hug.
Throughout the rest of the week, Anya continues to come to the Authens and study hard with Sigmund. The day before the exams, Anya, with a rugged look and stubble on her face, confidently promises her old neighbors that she will bring back Stellas. On the day of the exams, Henry is surprised by the presence of her stubble, which Anya explains that she drew on herself with a permanent marker and it would not wash off. Moving on, Henry announces that the final exams will now begin, and Anya is ready to start them, having received some enlightenment.
Five days later, the grades for the final exam are posted in the courtyard, and all the students gather in front of the blackboard, wanting to see their results.
=== The Results and the Mysterious Brother ===
The results have been posted outside, and all the students excitedly race out to check their results. Damian is calm at first but joins in the rush at Emile's urging. Once they see their overall rankings, Becky and Anya are glad that their rankings have gone up. Then they check the subject rankings and first find that Damian has earned a Stella for getting the highest score in History. Becky and Ewen are disappointed with fifth and ninth in Language Studies and Science respectively.
A smug Anya tells them to check out the top of the rankings for Classical Language, only to find that someone else got the top score. However, everyone is then shocked to see the student with the second highest score is Anya, and she jumps back up in excitement, happy that she has earned a Stella. Damian is in disbelief while Ewen accuses her of cheating, but Becky defends Anya. Her joy is short-lived as Bill, who has earned a Stella as well for getting second in Math, calls her over. Her score of 24 is below the cutoff, meaning she is getting a Tonitrus Bolt as well.
Back at home, Anya presents her results to her parents. Loid is shocked but he decides against scolding and instead complements her for doing a good job. Anya then shares the news with the Authens who also congratulate her. Sigmund states that being rewarded for hard work is something to treasure, even though one day she will experience the frustration of not being rewarded despite hard work. Later that night, as Loid tugs Anya into bed, he asks if she was in an environment where she needed to use classical language but Anya is unable to remember.
The following day, everyone receives their respective Stella for their achievement. As the day wears on, the other school year students also get their rewards, with Damian's older brother, Demetrius, in particular receiving six Stellas. Instead of heading back to class with the others, Damian has decided to stay behind. Soon Demetrius comes out of the hall with his brother coming to greet him. Damian's friends and Becky are in awe of his genius and appearance.
Anya tries to read Demetrius's mind but is unable to do so, much to her surprise. She is finally able to do so, and while Damian tries to have a chat about their father, Demetrius simply walks away, saying he is not in regular contact with their father. Ewen and Emile try to greet the elder Desmond brother but are given the cold shoulder. Anya, who has been reading his mind throughout only finds out that he does not understand people and to do so is a waste of time. The others for their part find him creepy and a little scary. Anya cannot help but note how weird Damian's relatives are while Damian wonders if he has been wrong about the relationship between his father and brother.
When Anya returns home, Loid asks her for the Stella before she loses it. She simply gives him a blank expression like Demetrius, stating she will stay like that until she becomes a genius and Loid simply sighs.
=== The Reward Ski Trip ===
Anya watches an episode of Spy Wars, in which Bondman escapes from the bad guys by skiing. This prompts Anya to exclaim that she wants to give skiing a try, but the idea is quickly shut down by Loid, saying they do not have the time, and Anya weeps...
And so the Forgers set out to the mountains for a skiing trip. Yor comments that Anya deserves such a trip given the hard work she put in for her exams, while Loid tries to forget about the Tonitrus Bolt that she also received. As Loid gives Anya lessons on skiing, Yor is having trouble skiing herself. Due to the struggles Anya is having, she gives up and simply enjoys the rest of the day with Bond pulling a sled for her.
A blizzard forms as the day wears on, blocking the roads in and out of the area. Seeing no alternatives, the Forgers head to a nearby lodge to stay the night. The lodge itself only has one room vacant, leaving the Forgers no choice but to share a room. They then greet the other occupants of the lodge, a group of college students, the lodge owner and his wife as well as a lodge employee, a tabloid writer and an avid skier. The news is that the road will be cleared by morning, which the drunken tabloid writer hopes that is the case since there is a haunting legend in the area. The legend of "The Red Snowman," who murders the townsfolks one by one during blizzards. He tries to scare Anya by saying the monster's favorite target is noisy children who stay up late, but Anya is unfazed, wanting to find "The Red Snowman" instead.
After dinner, people begin to scatter but are reminded to return in an hour as cakes will be served. The Forgers also take their leave and check their room, and the thought of sharing a room with Loid gets Yor flustered, so she goes back outside to calm herself down. Loid decides to check for escape routes, but Anya wants to tag along. Unbeknownst to them, a shadowy figure is lurking in the corridor with a weapon in hand.
Later, as cakes are served, a sudden noise catches the attention of everyone present. Yor finally returns when everyone investigates the origin of the noise. The college students cannot check their room as one of them, Max, has locked himself inside the room. The lodge owner opens the room with the master key to find Max lying on the floor, stabbed with a weapon. Loid has Yor bring Anya to their room as he tries to resuscitate Max. They then notice the weapon, a frozen carrot, and everyone realizes that the legend is coming true.
After doing everything he can for Max, Loid asks if contact has been established with the authorities, but to everyone's horror, the lodge owner explains that the phone lines have been cut. With everyone in a panic, Loid calms everyone down and fixes the phone lines. After calling the authorities, Loid explains the situation to everyone present: the perpetrator is not the snowman nor an outsider but one of them. Yor is accused since she was unaccounted for when Max was attacked. As Loid tries to figure out the case, Anya uses her telepathy to figure out that the lodge owner is the culprit. Together with Bond's precognition, they work out where he would strike next, and Anya influences Loid to catch him in the act.
With the culprit apprehended and the case solved, the Forgers finally leave for home. Loid is tired due to a lack of sleep, and Yor comments that this trip was meant to be a reward for Anya. Anya, on the other hand, finds the trip exciting, saying it was the best trip ever. Loid and Yor warn Anya about the danger and to stay away from dangerous people, but she thinks to herself that her parents are also dangerous people.
=== Preparations for the End-of-Class Gala ===
With the exams out of the way, a gala is scheduled to celebrate the end of class, and students are asking around for dance partners. Becky states out loud that she would like to invite Loid but is told by Henry that guardians will not be attending. Damian is asked by Emile if he has a partner in mind, but he finds the idea repulsive. Henry advises him that these events can be useful experiences, as dances are common at social events. Upon hearing that, Becky eggs Anya on to ask Damian to dance with her, which she does. However, Damian rejects her and immediately runs away, blushing, only to get told off by Henry. Becky then encourages Anya to keep trying and they plan a date to get their dresses.
Anya and Becky are accompanied by Martha to a dress store to pick their dresses. Anya chooses a black dress that reminds her of Yor's assassin dress, while Becky goes for one with a cute vibe and some sparkles. When Anya returns home, Loid is dismayed that the dress costs 5,000 dalc, which Anya reveals cannot be returned. Deciding to ensure that this investment will yield results, Loid gets Anya to practice her dancing. The practice does not go well, with Anya struggling to keep up with Loid's instructions, and she ends up causing a mess in the house after accidentally stepping on Bond's tail. Loid gets exhausted and decides to give up on the dancing, reminding himself that there is still Yor's Plan C, prompting Anya to insist on continuing their practice until she gets it right. Loid relents and agrees to practice some more after school the next day. However, after Anya is made fun of by Damian and his gang for her shaky feet from practicing at school, she herself decides to give up on dancing to make up with Damian.
=== The Day of the Gala ===
On the day of the gala, after Martha drops off Becky, she runs into Henry. He thanks her for her help during the bus hijacking and asks if she would like to help out as they lack sufficient volunteers, which Martha agrees to. At the hall, Becky is surprised to see not just her class but the entire grade. Henry tells her that this serves as an opportunity for her to mingle with her potential new classmates when they are reassigned based on their academic performance. Meanwhile, Damian's friends have come to get him to join in the party, with them telling him that the girls from other classes are already whispering about him. Then Anya arrives in a rather stunning dress, and she immediately gets everyone talking about her. As Becky comes to greet her, Damian once again looks down on her but is surprised when George tells him that more people are whispering about her than him.
They are then interrupted by the host, who announces the games for the night. Each class is pitted against each other in three rounds of activities. It starts with a quiz, followed by a quality quiz, and finally ends with finding a Stella Star within a pool of Tonitrus Bolts. In the end, Villiers Hall is declared the winner.
As the competition wraps up, the students have a 30-minute break before the dancing starts. As the students jostle for a dance partner, Damian is once again asked by Emile about the dance, but Damian once again brushes it off as he plans to bail later. Loid, who has been listening while disguised as a waiter nearby, thinks to himself that he needs to make some effort to advance on Plan B. Anya overhears his thoughts via telepathy and points to him as Becky talks about wanting Loid as her partner. She is then approached by several boys, asking to be her partner for the dance, but she rejects them all, stating she is not interested in children. Henry thinks to himself that the gala is not just a dance party but also political maneuvering, which is why parents and guardians are not in attendance. 
Various girls approach Damian but are rebuffed. However, he then spots Anya being approached by a couple of boys for the dance. Emile comments on their poor taste, while Becky teases Damian that he is about to lose out on her. Another boy approaches Anya for her hand for the dance, and he introduces himself as Arnold Crowley, the top scorer in Classical Language during the first term finals. Damian interferes by throwing a piece of rubbish at him and in return, Arnold asks Damian what gives him the right to interfere. Becky informs him that Anya has previously asked Damian for the dance, but Emile states that Damian would not accept such an offer, so more boys approach Anya.
Unsure, Anya looks towards the disguised Loid, who believes none of them are worthy intelligence sources but concedes that it is Anya's as well as Damian's choice. Having heard Loid's thoughts on the matter, Anya once again reiterates her desire to dance with Damian. Becky is impressed while the other girls start badmouthing, saying Anya has no shame. As they look at each other, other girls start surrounding Damian. Emile and Ewen then declare themselves Damian's dance partner selection committee, who will help Damian pick a partner for the dance. Damian once again states that he has no desire to dance. As Anya prepares herself for the challenge, Loid looks on, with the belief that to ensure peace between the East and the West, people's feelings cannot get in the way.
The selection process begins with the clapping scarecrow endurance battle, where one stands on one foot and claps along the rhythm. Loid approaches Anya with the excuse that she has lint on her dress but in reality, he has tied Anya on some wires in order for her to cheat her way through this round. With Loid's help, Anya starts getting cocky and starts moving around, unaware of the strain it puts on Loid's hand. However, Loid is determined to get Anya through. 
While Ewen and Emile are surprised that Anya pass, Damian has no qualms with that even though he would rather Anya fails. They then proceed to the next round, an obstacle course to test their flexibility. Loid rationalizes that there is no way he can help Anya cheat other than sabotaging the other contestants. However, as the other girls are worried about their dress and look, Anya pays no mind to such matters and manages to complete the challenge in the top three.
They then move to the final challenge, a quiz about Damian himself. Some of the questions are relatively straight forward but there are some obscure and personal ones that Anya figures out using her telepathy. One particular question, what event made Damian scared of dying when he was four, which Anya correctly answers it was when his dog jumped on him and knocked him into the pond. The answer raises some suspicions from the boys, so Anya decides to deliberately miss some of the following questions. Then Anya answers the final question correctly, winning her the right to dance with Damian. Ewen and Emile try to protest but Damian accepts the results and reluctantly agrees to dance with her. 
On the dance floor, Henry invites Martha to dance "for old time's sake." Anya and Damian struggle to get into a rhythm and they start bickering, which causes a scene. Henry promptly tells them off and the two finally start dancing properly, albeit somewhat awkwardly. Damian notes Anya's dancing and compliments her family for helping her practice, but he cycles back to the answer she gave earlier about his dog and the pond and he asks if she can read his mind. Anya answers truthfully but Damian discards it, believing that Anya is conjuring up some wild fantasy with her response. They start fighting again as the others watch on.
=== Henry and Martha's Story ===
The day after the gala, Henry is teased about his dance with Martha the night before. Henry then recalls his time as a student at Eden, nearly fifty years ago.
Going back to the past, seventeen-year-old Henry first met Martha, who had transferred in through a scholarship, at Cecile Hall's talent show. Henry was mesmerized by Martha's ballet performance to the point he blurted out "Elegant" as she clapped his hands. The two then had a run-in when Henry was having tea in the school's gardens one morning. From that day onwards, Martha would stop by every morning on her way to ballet practice before class.
One day, several students who held a grudge against nineteen-year-old Henry approached to harass him. Martha came to his aid in disguise just as the encounter turned violent, and together they knocked all of the assailants unconscious. Henry saw through her disguise with ease, and while she saved him, Henry was not impressed that she not only resorted to violence but did so using ballet, the art that he admired. However, she reminded him that he threw a punch as well, and after a brief pause, he ran away to the teacher to get himself punished. To Henry's disappointment, the teacher decided to hush up the incident because one of the bullies who attacked him belonged to a vitally influential family.
Henry returned to Martha, believing that he had failed as a gentleman. Martha countered that he did not fail as he protected her, and besides, what else he could have done. Her words gave Henry an idea; he decided that he would do so through education, and he decided to work towards becoming a teacher. Henry turned the topic back to Martha and asked if she planned on pursuing a career in ballet. Martha explained that her family was not wealthy, so it all depended on how she would perform in future competitions.
Soon Henry's graduation approached, and during one of his daily tea parties, Martha noticed his tea had become bitter. Henry explained that prices had become too expensive, and if things continued, war might put an end to their tea parties. Regardless, he was going to graduate soon, so it fell on Martha's shoulders to continue their tea party tradition by becoming an Imperial Scholar. Martha then changed the subject and asked if he planned on inviting anyone to the graduation party. However, Henry was too focused on his ambition and turned her down.
Martha, who has been recounting her side of the story to Becky, explains that she failed to understand the concept of love or her own feelings at the time. After Henry's graduation, a young Martha was devastated to find him gone. Soon Martha reached her final years of study at Eden, becoming an Imperial Scholar and almost forgetting about Henry. However, during her final term, she was shocked to find that Henry had returned to Eden as a teacher.
On the same day, Martha came to see Henry, expressing her surprise at seeing him back at Eden. Henry explained that he was allowed to graduate half a year early due to a shortage caused by the war. Martha, meanwhile, was showing off her Imperial Scholar cape to him. The two then caught up at the tea parties like they used to.
During an air raid drill, the two had a chat about the war, during which Henry revealed that his draft had been deferred and was being questioned by his family about it. One day, Henry came to comfort a distraught Martha, who was grieving over the news that the ballet troupe she was hoping to join was going to disband after multiple members were killed during an air raid. However, Henry would confront her over her decision to join the armed forces shortly after, leading to a heated argument about their ideals and the desire to protect things. With neither willing to back down, the two bitterly parted ways.
With graduation coming up, students started preparing for the party. Martha walked past the staff room and overheard Henry talking about his relative being a casualty of the war. The topic then switched to Henry's parents pushing him to get a spouse before getting drafted. Martha was shocked upon hearing this and ran away crying, wondering what to do. She then witnessed a couple agreeing to be partners for the graduation party, and Martha made up her mind.
At the party, Martha approached Henry in her military uniform, asking for a dance. The two shared an awkward dance due to Henry's lack of dancing skills, which Martha noted. Henry apologized for his lack of skills as well as for trying to force his ideals onto her. At this point, Martha decided to confess her feelings, but her confession was interrupted by the air raid siren.
== Story Impact ==
* The Forgers get new neighbors, Sigmund and Barbara Authen.
* Demetrius Desmond makes his first physical appearance.
* Anya Forger earns her first academic Stella in Classical Language, with both her and Damian Desmond tied with three Stella Stars.
* Anya and Damian dance together for the first time and their relationship takes a significant step forward. Anya also confesses her telepathic abilities to him, but he does not believe her.
* Parts of Martha Marriott and Henry Henderson's past are revealed: their meeting, their last years at Eden Academy, their experiences at the beginning of the war, as well as Martha's unspoken feelings for Henry.
== Characters Introduced ==
 
== Trivia ==
* Millie's surname and past are revealed for the first time.
== References ==
== Navigation ==
Category:Story Arcs
Category:Term Finals Arc