“Is this for real, Captain?!” Euno asked, as she had shown them the signed waiver.
“Uh-hmm.” She nodded and enjoyed watching them overjoyed.
“He had already granted two of our favors! How did you persuade him?!” Eula turned to her, still can’t believe that it took her no days to make the boss agreed to their favors.
“I didn’t do anything except for explaining the matters.”
They looked at her at once. “What?” she queried cluelessly.
“I never knew he’s quite good at listening. Maybe it’s really your forte to persuade others,” Euno uttered.
“That’s our Eve!” Eula smirked and gave her a thumbs up.
The chatting continues and so is her observation. Something is off, she thought.
“I am just wondering if our previous Heads will be as happy as we are right now if they’re here.” Euno shook his head.
“They will surely be,” one of the members assured smilingly, convincing him to believe.
“Two of our favors are already granted. Two more to go.” Eula glances at them, finally seeing their peaceful life outside the organization.
“Are you sure he never asked you for anything in return for asking the favors, Captain?” Euno looked at her.
She eyed the man. She is indeed thankful that he has grown up so much, but his being a keen observer is sometimes giving her a hard time to hide things from her team.
“He didn’t ask any. I assure you, he didn’t.” She picked up her badge and put it on, making sure she looks presentable, as she doesn’t want to show vulnerability in front of the boss again. Thus, looking authoritative enough will make her presence more refined and dignified.
“Meeting the boss again, Eve?” Eula interrupted her from leaving her seat.
“Yes, to talk about the third favor.”
The woman stared at her, and soon get near her to shook her shoulders.
“In this one, he might decline. If ever he opposed right away after you present it to him, don’t insist anymore, okay—”
“He agreed to the first one. He can’t say no to this favor, Eula. And this is not against with the organization’s rules.”
Still not convinced, the woman normalized her breathing before speaking; obviously wanted to say more, but she knows her Captain won’t listen easily.
“Just don’t make him mad. Don’t let him be suspicious of us. Remember that you are not standing only for yourself. You have the team behind you. Whatever you do, whatever situation you’ll put yourself into, the organization will not spare your members whether at fault or not,” Eula reminded.
For a second there, it made her realized how she had always been inconsiderate to her teammates.
“We know that you’re doing this for our team and that is okay, thank you. But Eve, we are waiting for you to use us, too.”
She glimpsed at the others, they are obviously telling her the same inside their minds.
“Captain Eulysis might only tell us about the things that he and our late Heads had filtered to tell us, but never had he forgotten to discuss to the two what he had discussed with the boss. Captain, we’re not comparing you to him, neither asking you to be like him. We just want you to be transparent with the things that we need to know,” one recommended.
“We understand that you can handle it lightly, but we are here not to just seat and wait for your orders; and repeat the routine once we’re done—”
“I get it, guys. It’s just that I really have nothing to say to you. Whatever I have informed you, that is all that I need you to know. Don’t worry, but I, myself, was shocked too by the boss’ behavior. If there are words that I can describe him best so far, he’s cautiously strict. That’s all.” She let go of Eula’s hold and is already ready to go when Euno stopped her even before she could.
“You’re still the Eve that we used to know, right, Captain?” He smiled.
She interchangeably glanced at them, wondering why everyone appears to be different.
She nodded as she smiled forcefully. “Yes. There is nothing new with me. How about you?”
“We are fine,” Eula responded, short and dismissive.
She took the chance to leave while they’re still silent—awkwardly eyeing on her.
A couple of times she has to shook her head to get out of her mind the incident. There is nothing for her to feel bothered, but her conscience is making her feel guilty, she’s being persecuted by her sanity.
‘I am now a Captain. Thus, I have to act like one,’ she defensively stated inwardly, justifying her decisions and plans—including the ones that she came up with impulsively.
“Is everything okay, Captain Eve?” the bodyguard asked away as they approached her.
As she stepped out of her vicinity, she looked back, but only the two guards at the entrance are standing behind the glass door. She heaved a sigh and nodded.
“Yes, I am,” she muttered and started marching.
“He’s not yet in his office, though.” The man led the way, this time, they took the longer way to get to the boss’ office.
“Where should I wait him then?”
“I suggest you Captain to unwind for a while.” He then takes her to the other side of the facility. There she saw the beauty of nature that the other side has no par with.
She almost run to the edge to see what it looks like below that side.
“It’s beautiful, so breathtaking,” she whispered.
“The boss and Captain Eulysis used to go here for their private meetings, Captain,” the bodyguard informed.
She couldn’t help but to get curious how valuable their Captain was to the organization for him to be so favored by Lux.
“Where’s the Head bodyguard fetched me last time?”
“I am afraid I can’t give you a response about that, Captain.”
“Do you mean you’re not allowed to tell others the tasks given to you, too?”
“No, Captain. It’s more of whatever tasks given to them doesn’t concern us. Hence, we aren’t entitled to meddle with their job.”
She creased her forehead as she tried to understand what he said. “I don’t get it. Are you saying that you’re under different squads led by different Heads?”
“Indeed, Captain.” He pointed to his badge.
“We are bodyguards only serving the boss and the uppers.”
She recalled in her mind all the kinds of badges that the organization has.
“You’re more privileged than them then,” she concluded.
“Not really, Captain Eve. It’s more terrifying to serve them than the teams. Personally, we would rather guard the Captains.” He glanced to his pal, who quietly agreed.
She peeked at her watch. There’s still no notice from the man, she thought.
“I think we should be going to his office now,” she declared.
As they have no right to decline, they followed her as she head back inside the facility.
“He might be still not in his office now, Captain,” he persuaded her to change her mind, but she just raised her hand to stopped him.
“We have agreed to meet at exactly 2:00 PM. And I prefer not to be late. Meeting him earlier would be better than showing up late than his set time.”
“But—”
“Captain Eulysis would have said the same if he were I, right?”
“No, Captain.”
That slowed down her pacing. Slowly, her strides became shorter than her normal pace.
“He wouldn’t?”
The man nodded but is still gentleman enough to walk in synchronize to her strides.
“He would consider waiting for the boss, but he never insisted on getting into his office without the clock hitting the scheduled time to meet him. Usually, he would stand by outside his room waiting for the notice.”
That is so obedient of Captain Eulysis, but she never knew he was that patient and considerate enough to wait outside the boss’ room.
“Then I should do the same. It will be a shame on my part if I’ll disgrace my former Captain’s reputation.”
As they turned to the passage leading to Lux’s office, they bumped into the man himself. But he isn’t alone, he’s with one of his uppers and seems to be discussing something important that he’s looking so serious; and didn’t even greet them back.
“That is why I told you to wait a bit longer, Captain. He’s been busy consulting the officers since morning.”
“Is there something wrong with the organization?” she queried curiously.
“Captain, if there is, it should be you, the Captains, who will know it first. Not any of the bodyguards.”
They stopped in front of his door and waited for him to come back, when the program welcomed them and have ordered her to go inside.
“Can I?” she asked both to the program and the bodyguards.
“Program Lux, were you told by the boss to accommodate Captain Eve?” one inquired on behalf of her.
‘Yes, he just did.’
The three of them looked at each other. Undecided whether she’ll get in or she’ll stay outside and wait for the time to hit 2:00.
‘The boss is waiting for you, Captain.’
Without thinking twice, she went inside and roamed her eyes around as soon as she gets in.
“S-Sir?” she stuttered, flustered by seeing the man comfortably seating on his seat.
“Have a seat,” he offered seriously, not even glancing at her.
His presence is giving her chills. She secretly wandered her eyes around, looking for secret doors where he might have used to get in.
“What were you come here for again, Captain?” he queried and closed the documents he’s scanning.
“About the favor, Sir. You told me to meet you at exactly two in the afternoon today,” she responded hesitantly.
He raised his brow as he thinks of her concern.
“Come again?”
“About the favor, Sir. The third one,” she repeated, furtively gulping as she wondered why he’s acting weird and how did he get there without getting through the door.
“I don’t remember it. Tell me about it,” he commanded and faced her.