"Go to hell, you bitch."
*bang*
The crazy Sentinel tried to rip Lea apart, but a gunshot got him before his attack went through. His body collapsed on the floor like a bag of soggy noodles, and Lea broke free of his grip on her hand.
"Target had been neutralized. The danger level is back to zero. I need permission to exit the combat mode."
Lea looked up at the new addition in the alley.
The cat-girl who saved Lea looked smug but tense. Her body was stiff like a bullet and ready to fly at command. Sara arrived at the scene on time and saved the day.
[Affirmative. We have recognized the vital information of the situation and deemed the request valid. You can stand down now.]
Finally, Sara relaxed and decided to enter the alley. Her gun was also put down, and she made a disgusted face.
"Sara, you came to save me. I am so happy we are friends. So, how did you find me? Was it your Sentinel sensor that led you here? Or was it my charm? Ah, I know I am irresistible, but still-"
"Shut up, you crazy bitch. We tracked you down when we got a report of someone's suicide attempt. Who else would jump down a tower located in the civilian area?"
Sara's red face betrayed how troubled she felt. Sara might want to hide her reaction, but her eyes always gave her away.
Lea could read the worry in Sara's eyes, but she decided not to tease Sara anymore. She was afraid that the shorter cat girl would faint at any more excitement.
"Aww, do you always have to ruin my fun like this? I thought we were closer than this. And, can you not report me to the commander this time? He will nag me all day."
Lea pleaded, but her words had no heat behind them. In short, she did not care if she was being reported to the authorities.
The authorities would let her off easily, just like they had always done. And even if they did want to punish Lea, they did not have the power. Still, pretending was fun, especially in front of Sara, since she never caught the actual tone of Lea's words.
"It's too late to regret your decisions now. The higher-ups already know what you did and are waiting for you to give your report. It would be wise not to keep them waiting for long.
Sara advised Lea. She sounded like a senior despite being the younger of the two.
Lea pouted to pretend she was frustrated by Sara's words. But she did not care. She picked herself up and walked toward the alley's exit.
"Well, what are you waiting for? The higher-ups are waiting for me, right? Then I shall not keep them waiting."
Sara shook her head at Lea's words and actions. She felt sorry for the higher-ups. But Lea was a disaster they would have to face themselves.
"I am coming, Lea. Give me a second, and I will join you."
Sara spoke with a distracted voice. She was distracted by the plump ass and the beautiful body shape Lea was showing off by leaving against the car. Sara wanted to reach out and touch-
'Get your mind out of the gutter. You are already 18 and an adult. You should control yourself better.'
No amount of prep-talk helped Sara in the end. And she followed Lea with a trusty throat. She was horny but also too scared to ask Lea out.
.........
"Do you have anything to say for yourself, Lea? This will be the last time I ask you this question."
Lea looked back at the commander in charge of her this year. Commander Arnold was a man approaching his late 40's and acted like an old man. He was considered one of the most influential people of his time.
But that time had been 20 years, and Commander Arnold's power had slowly dwindled.
"No matter how often you ask me this question, my answer would not change. I do not have anything to say for myself. And what can I say at this point? I am not sorry for jumping down the tower, and I will do so again."
Lea had tried to control her suicidal tendencies. But the more she repressed herself, the more out of control she got.
It had led to a horrible blow-up last decade, and Lea had decided that holding back was not a solution for her.
"We are discussing something important here, so pay attention. You are older than me and still behave like a kid sometimes. Is there something wrong with your brain?"
Commander Arnold was blunt and did not have a hold of his tongue. He believed he was the most critical person in the room and did not like to listen to others.
In simpler terms, he was an asshole, and no one could refute it.
Lea had tried hard to tolerate this man, but there was a limit to her temper. And this man was testing it.
"Maybe if you stop being a bitch and be happy, you will not look like a middle-aged man. You should take some tips from me and correct your lifestyle."
Lea smiled when she spoke. But her pleasant face hid the annoyance she was feeling.
What her face did not show, her aura showed. The air in the room became heavy, and Commander Arnold quickly stepped back and coughed in his hand.
"It seems like we have a misunderstanding here. So please do not get triggered like a child. If you do not want to talk about something, just say it. I will not force you to speak."
The others in the command center pretended not to see and hear their commander changing the subject. Nor did they try to point out that he was contradicting his actions.
"This is ridiculous. If that is all, then I will head out now. I don't think I can take your stupidity anymore."
Lea stood up and started to walk out of the room. But she did not make it far before Commander Arnold also stood up.
"I am sorry, but you must wait a minute and listen to me. The higher-ups are unhappy with you and want you to be restrained. I argued in your favor and got you some time. But they want you to sit still until the next mission and restrain yourself."
Lea stopped walking and looked at Commander Arnold.
The old commander made a sad face that showed how sorry he was for Lea's circumstances. But Lea knew the truth. Arnold was the one who pushed the higher-ups to do this.
He must have interfered more than once to solidify their minds against Lea. And now he was pretending as if he was on Lea's side.
'Tsk, look at this man pretending like he's a saint. I would love to tear him apart right here and now, but I need this man to serve as my shield a little longer.'
Commander Arnold did not know how fortunate he was. Lea was not forgiving, and she hated waiting for someone else. And yet. This man was reaping all the benefits a better person could have taken.
"Lea, you understand what I am saying, right? We cannot disappoint the higher-ups and lose our position. Everything in this society has its place, and we are no exception."
Arnold continued to bark until Lea left the room. His subordinates know better than to say anything when Arnold is in such a crappy mood.
"What? Do you all have something to contribute as well? If not, then go back to your work."
Arnold's subordinates quickly returned to their work. Their boss had a bad habit of blaming his failure on others. And that habit was prevalent on days he had terrible luck.
Today was such a day.
Meanwhile, Lea quickly walked away from Commander Arnold's office and toward the academy. She was in a bad mood, but the walk helped calm her head down.
Commander Arnold's secretary had placed a limiter around Lea's wrist, but it did nothing to her. She could break it if she wanted to.
But she decided to think of the grander goal here and attend the academy.
Lea might not remember much about her childhood or what had happened over the past 200 years, but she knew that the rift was responsible for her powers and her current condition.
'In the end, it all comes down to the rift and its abnormalities. I think I will be able to find something about myself. I wonder how long the fools in the high chairs could stop me?'
Lea was a dragon who was hiding her fangs. But the day she would show her authentic colors would arrive soon. Until then, Lea was content to play the fool.
"Oops, I was supposed to do homework for tomorrow's class. But I guess this is fine as well. It will help me play the fool a little longer."