Like A Fairytale

Chapter 32

Lena

"I can't believe it! I'm in the headquarters!" Annabella had thrown herself on Lena's bed as soon as the two had arrived. "Even as a soldier at the top level, this is almost unthinkable!"

"Hm..." Lena sat down next to her friend. "If you continue to behave like this, you will be transferred to Level 3!" She pulled on the slightly dirty uniform of the older girl. "Heavens! Your clothes are WET! And... Don't you have to report to your temporary post?"

"Do I, yes... But I was curious. Unfortunately, very unfortunately you have a bodyguard. He almost didn't let me in! Me!" The soldier rolled her eyes. "As if he didn't know me. That was something. How tightly does he stick to you? Here?"

Lena raised her eyebrows.

"It's a pity. Otherwise, we could have fun together all day." Her friend winked at her. "But the boy looks good. Except for the GREEN hair. Unless you're into it? Hm?"

"Hm... The green doesn't bother me. Don't be mean, Anna! But you should really go now. You also need a new uniform!"

"Yes, I know."

"How did that happen?" asked Lena. Her room here still looked the same as the year before. Everything was pink and light blue. Opposite her huge bed stood a large, light blue doll's house, with which she no longer played. Almost no longer. Lena had rearranged the dolls in it the day before. The doll family now sat together at the dining table and enjoyed a cake.

"Ha!" Laughing, the soldier sat up. "A fool put a cleaning bucket on the windowsill. I stumbled and knocked the bucket over."

"And you didn't change your clothes?"

"I didn't have time!" The soaked soldier rolled her eyes. "I was late. To the safety introduction of the headquarters. Boring event, nothing new, but many requests to take the work here very, very seriously." Annabella frowned at her watch. "Well, sadly, my break is over now... See you." Still laughing, she stood up. She hugged Lena and hurried out of the room, past Samuel, who was waiting outside the door.

He watched Lena's friend leave, nodded to her, and closed the door that her friend had left open. Lena grimaced.

Lena had not yet managed to lure him away from there. The soldier refused to come to her room for a conversation. But as it was, with him at the door, Lena felt like a prisoner.

Maybe I shouldn't have teased him... On his first day.

"Lena, honey?" Mina's hologram appeared in the room. "Your father is calling for you. Come! He wants to introduce you to someone. Oh! Will you come to me afterwards? Let's chat a bit!"

"Of course..." Lena grimaced. "Someone new? Again?"

Mina nodded. "A Shadow. You know, it's important to your uncle and me that you greet the security staff personally. After all, they protect your life! Even the shadows, whose tasks are here... They are different from those of normal security personnel. So. Please come."

"Oh." A Shadow... Lena did not know the exact tasks of the Shadows in the seat of government. Everything was top-secret. But they belonged to the security staff, that much she knew.

Icy

"Number 100? Follow me!" Number A stared at Icy without blinking. "I will take you to the man in power, his brothers, and his niece. Since you're going to stay here for the time being, it's necessary that you get to know her."

"Of course."

Icy had been surprised when he was led to Number A instead of the three shadows he already knew. One of the few female shadows. Female Shadows were mainly recognizable by their higher vocal range, as they almost completely lacked a female appearance. They were just as robust and muscular as the male Shadows. They lacked breasts, as they were not necessary for them, but they were a little curvier and had somewhat more delicate features. They weren't completely deprived of their femininity.

Female Shadows were assassins. And Number A was one of the most important. Because she was a killer, through and through, but her main job was to regularly check the AI of every capital, especially Mina, and to fix it if necessary.

Yes, female Shadows were officially responsible for maintaining the security systems. They were always on the move. Disguised as maintenance personnel, they also disposed of citizens classified as 'risk'. And this without the citizens ever getting to see them. They were stationed in the seat of government, from where they wandered from town to village. Invisible to the population. Number A organized the operations and, due to her task of checking Mina, she was almost completely tied to the seat of government. She rarely left it personally.

And although she had already been to Burststadt, Icy saw her for the first time. He was supposed to work with her here. Secretly. He did not succeed in calculating possible reasons. Except for his 'task' to unmask the insurgent terrorists.

Rebels, to which he himself belonged.

"Also, I'm going to introduce you to Mina", Number A added as she led him through the winding corridors of the headquarters. "That you work with me was her personal decision."

"Really?"

"Do you think I'm lying?" Number A didn't sound annoyed, but matter-of-fact. Like all Shadows.

"No. I apologize. It's just... surprising."

"Hm."

A few corridors and an elevator later, they arrived at a spacious office. Number A knocked on the door and led Icy inside. Icy, on the other hand, stood straight as a candle and looked at the people in the room. There were several identical men sitting at a long coffee table. Only one stood in front of a desk. Ferry Goldbird.

There were also two other people in the room. A young soldier was leaning against a wall, while a girl was sitting between two clones. She looked at Icy and Number A with pale cheeks. The girl was blonde. A boring appearance. Pretty and dressed up like a doll, but uninteresting.

"Sir!" Number A bowed. "This is Number 100."

Icy bowed as well.

"Ah! Very nice!" Ferry Goldbird went to them and patted Icy fatherly on the shoulder. "Hello, my boy! I heard a lot from you. An outstanding talent with the latest technology! The security of our country, our government, is counting on you. We trust in your success and discretion!"

Icy just nodded.

"Lena! Love!" Ferry now turned to the girl. "He's pretty, isn't he? The designers have outdone themselves! Number 100! A test specimen with the latest technology! He will help eliminate a problem ."

"Exciting." The girl lied. Icy's sensors noticed the lie immediately.

He found her just as 'exciting'. Nevertheless, he greeted her. But his gaze wandered to the window, through which he saw two people walking through a pretty garden. A girl and a boy.

Violet hair.

Flo? What is he doing here?

Icy frowned. He frowned all the more when he noticed his own smile.

Was he happy?

(c: sasi)