"Here.", I approach the lead supervisor's desk and place down the token I received from the mortuary onto the surface of his table, taking a moment to draw the older male's attention. William lifts his gaze from his tablet and examines the silver trinket with a scrutinizing gaze, before finally diverting his attention to me. As his eyes zone in on my face, I cover the gash on my cheek with the back of my hand, averting my head a little.
"Getting injured on city commissions earns you negative scores, I'm sure you're aware.", reminds me of the consequences that will inevitably follow the injury I sustained during my last expedition. I bite onto the inside of my cheek, my body tensing in anticipation of my supervisor's next words. The laceration on my cheek is an unmistakable sign of my recent encounter with the beast I was sent to hunt. "Your team's score will be docked by three for that injury of yours.", he states and I quickly step forth.
"Wait, why Logan's score will be deducted? He wasn't even there!", in an attempt to mitigate the potential damage to my partner's score, I voice my objection to William's decision, the irritation in my voice evident.
The lead supervisor responds to my words with a faint head tilt, his expression devoid of any sign of compassion or understanding, "He hasn't been on any commissions you completed for the past three days, yet he has still received the rewards, correct?" I feel a small lump form in my throat as his statement sinks in, the truth of his point slowly dawning on me.
As painful as it is to admit, it is true that this isn't something that is usually acceptable. Only the hunters who actively participate in hunts can reap the rewards for completing commissions but the idea of my partner remaining offline is far too intolerable a concept for me to accept, even if it means that I must bear the weight of his score by myself. This arrangement, which the lead supervisor has agreed to only under the strict conditions of secrecy, is my only hope.
Due to its weird nature, these hunts I complete need to be evaluated directly by him, separate from the main desk in the lobby, where the main body of the Hunter organization congregates.
With William once again focusing his attention on his tablet, my heart skips a beat in anxious anticipation. As the lead supervisor reads through the evaluation process, my fears and worries only continue to grow. "If he gets points for eliminating targets, then he also gets penalized for errors. So-", he begins, my breath suddenly halting as my concerns find their confirmation, "-four targets have been eliminated, three of which were considered to be worth two points each, and the last one worth only one point. The two of you have received a total score of four points after the deduction of three points."
"No no, wait! Please!", I suddenly reach out and attempt to interfere by hovering my hand over his device as he prepares to finalize the scores. The audacity of my actions earns me a look of complete shock from the lead supervisor, whose initial surprise soon shifts into one of fury and resentment at my forbidden move. My stomach churns with anxiety as I try to keep my emotions in check and avoid further exacerbating the situation.
"Mr. Ezra! Have you forgotten your place?!", he barks, sending my hand flying back as his thunderous tone resounds with authority and admonishment.
I can practically feel the drumming of my heart through my chest, cold sweat covering my forehead and the back of my neck. Gulping, I utilize the remaining card up my sleeve, hoping that this simple reminder would be enough to elicit the sympathetic response I so desperately need, "Logan would lose his perfect score again..." That seems to crack through his resolution. When he, though after much persuasion, agreed to our contract, it became clear that he was willing to bend the rules for the sake of his top favorite.
With creases forming on his brows and his jaws ticking in irritation, William expresses his frustration, the lines around his eyes hardening. Tossing his tablet to the desk, the lead supervisor crosses his arms, "Okay, then. How should I do it then, huh? Let you escape with your blunder because it would hinder Logan's objectives?"
