Chapter 2- What it's like p4
453 Words
Vinse stood before him, shoulders squared but eyes downcast. "I'm sorry, boss. I told you, I tried. We tried to kidnap substitutes."
"One!" Mr. Techno slammed his fist on the table, rattling the scattered files. "I need dozens! I need an army! They're meant to be evil troops, unstoppable. "
"It's not easy," Vinse argued, her voice tight. "The police are on high alert. We're being watched."
"Then find a way! I'm pouring resources, manpower...everything! I'm trying my best, Vinse, and all I see is failure." He slumped back into his chair, the anger momentarily replaced with a weariness that aged him ten years
"I know you are, and I know you're trying." Vinse replied, with understanding . "Please just...trust me to figure this out. This won't happen again."
Mr. Techno simply waved a dismissive hand.
Vinse, defeated but not broken, retreated to the guesthouse. A stiff drink usually eased the tension, but whiskey felt like sandpaper going down her throat tonight.
Code 1 found her there, moodily swirling her drink. "Tired of mission fails?" he asked gently.
"Tired of everything." Vinse sighed. "Your father...he never sees the work. Just the results. It's exhausting."
"He's under pressure, just like you. He wants to help Mom defeat one of Flendale's henchmen. I think he's running his own private agency."
"I know, I know..." Vinse ran a hand through her hair. "Can we not tonight? Just...help me unwind?"
"You need to relax. I know being a commander isn't easy, but Rautha will be promoted soon, and she will be a good commander after her rank up."
Vinse looked at him, a flicker of something akin to hope in her eyes. "Maybe...Maybe you're right. And besides," she added, a hint of a smile playing on her lips, "there's no rule against a little company, is there? Especially...someone I care about."
"Someone I've always loved," Code 1 confessed, stepping closer.
He gently caressed her cheek, and she responded with a kiss. The weight of the day, the pressure of the mission, began to ease as they embraced, two souls seeking solace in the shadows.
Meanwhile, across the city, Emily patrolled the park, her brow furrowed with concern. Florian arrived, his face grim.
"Two girls were almost kidn*pped," he reported. "They're terrified. It was definitely Techno's crew. The Evil Forces."
"They never learn, do they?" Emily muttered, her hand resting on the hilt of the energy pistol at her hip. "I promised to protect this city."
"And you will." Florian affirmed. "But Flendale needs to know."
"He will," Emily confirmed. "Right now." She knew that even in the glittering metropolis, where good ostensibly reigned supreme, the shadows held a tenacious grip, and the fight was far from over.
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