Miniforce: The Return of the Dark Energy (Fanfiction)

Chapter 19 - Preparations

"And you're certain your father should take part in this?" Commander Chen stared into a pair of ruby eyes.

Anna held his gaze. "I promise."

She clutched a stack of files against her chest, turning to face a room of hesitant eyes.

"I know that father......he's still under surveillance after the incident last year," She met these gazes with determination. "It doesn't mean he's worthless. He has been drafting ideas for inventions this past year, only without the lab to create them."

Despite the catastrophe the year before, she couldn't help but feel it was a shame watching her fathers' potential waste away. No one knew Dr. Jeremy better than his own daughter, having witnessed those all-nighters he had pulled to run the tests—the lab was where he belonged.

Watching her father doubt himself was painful.

Few of the superiors nodded for her to continue. 

"You've all seen the impacts of his inventions," She bit her lip at the memory of the Ellinium—a powerful nightmare. "And I......I believe that once they're used for the right purposes, we might just have a chance to win this war."

Anna took a moment to gather herself, repressing all her feelings beneath a face of professional somber.

"And I mean it as an agent, not as his daughter."

Commander Chen regarded her earnest eyes, his resolve weakening.

"And your says on this?" he turned to address the table.

The board members exchanged uncertain glances, silently questioning each other. Having witnessed the effects of the Ellinium, they were quite apprehensive of its creator.

Dr. Tao shrugged. "Worth a chance, isn't it?" He offered good-naturedly. "We haven't much to lose."

Fellow scientists began to nod, backing their respected superior. Many of them were Dr. Jeremy's co-workers, often collaborating in their projects. Having had a clear view of his talents, they relented, their silence gifting him with a second chance.

"Very well, Tao." Commander Chen blew out a breath. "See to Jeremy's experiments, now will you?"

The old simian inclined his head, accepting his role of unsaid supervision.

The commander massaged his knitted brows as he motioned for Anna's files. He had his doubts about the offer, and yet the bunny had chosen her timing well. Caught in the midst of crisis now, her idea was too tempting to refuse.

"Someone check with Leo, see if he has any plans." He made a final command before the grim demeanor melted into one of softened care, the solemn commander now a gentle senior. "How are the agents doing?"

"Training," Ipas's voice was sudden, and the commander refused to wonder when she had joined their meeting. "—heard them making a racket in the combat chambers."

Her silent footsteps approached the table, unashamed from the eavesdrop, amber eyes finding the only available seat—by Anna.

The snowy rabbit glanced up at her, and the black cat stared back. There was a brief moment of tension.

Then Ipas casually took her seat, tucking away a corner of what seemed like a mini envelope, and Anna returned to her hushed presentation to Commander Chen. Pages of intricate diagrams and hand-written notes were traded across the table as the superiors read into Dr. Jeremy's mind.

Ipas stayed quiet until Anna paused for breath, sipping water while Commander Chen studied the papers alone.

"Commander, I've spied—checked on everyone at headquarters," she spoke. "The agents have already recovered themselves faster than we thought, the soldiers are making progress in their training, and the labs have been working non-stop."