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Lela's pov

At school

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Lela continues to stare at Evelyn throughout, getting called out by the teacher multiple times.

Lela, usually it's Evelyn not paying attention but today it's you?

Make sure to pay attention, we are going through an important topic today.

Ok teacher.

Honestly, I've already learnt all these so many times already due to repeating school for so many times as a ghost. Lela thinks while glancing back and forth at Evelyn and her teacher.

Alright everybody, remember to do your homework and hand it in by next week.

Class dismissed.

Lela walks up to Evelyn.

Hey Evelyn.

Yea?

Where's Jake?

I'm not sure, why are you asking me?

Because he is usually with you.

Well, he is not now.

Sure sure, let's go home?

Sure.

—----------------------------------------------

Evelyn's home

—----------------------------------------------

Evelyn, you gonna start on the homework yet?

No.

Evelyn, can you start on the homework?

No

Evelyn, you're gonna start on the homework.

Didn't I just say no?

Yea, but I wasn't asking this time.

How are you gonna make me?

Lela aims a soul bullet at Evelyn

You know that doesn't work as well on me.

Yea, but it's as effective as a paintball gun to humans, so… it should still feel like a smack.

I can handle that.

Yea, but what if I do this? Lela creates over 10 bullets at once while aiming it.

Fine, fine, I'll do my homework now.

Evelyn starts doing her homework with Lela sitting beside.

Hey, aren't you gonna do yours?

I can finish it in a couple minutes.

That's rubbish.

Wanna bet?

No.

Why the sudden lack of confidence?

Because I know you only bet when you know you're gonna win.

So now you believe me?

Yea.

Evelyn continues doing her work as Lela finally starts but still finishes slightly faster than her.

Finally doneeee.

Yea, you took quite a while.

…

Suddenly, Jake enters the room.

Where were you?

With kol, why?

Just curious.

Oh, also he wanted you.

My employer? Why?

How would I know?

Fine fine.

Lela leaves the house and goes to find kol.

Hey employer dearest, where are you at?

Kol materialises.

You're finally here.

You called me suddenly, be happy I'm even here.

Yea yea, can you go find your father?

Why?

He's got paperwork to do which l don't want to.

Fine fine, where is he supposed to be?

On patrol.

Where?

Go check the roster, I forgot.

Irresponsible boss.

It's my privilege as your boss.

…

Lela goes and checks the roster and goes to find her father.

Where is this guy…

Lela looks around and finds a couple of people from the A.N.I.

Why are they here? God this is gonna be annoying.

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My father probably followed them also. Lela thinks as she follows the people from the A.N.I.

Where on earth are they going?

She keeps following as they enter a room similar to the one Evelyn does her tests in but modified one to reduce soul energy and much smaller with multiple rooms.

Just what is going on?

Lela looks around before finding her father.

Hey l, father dearest, what are you doing?

I'm checking if what their doing is

A threat to us obviously, so come help.

Fine, but only to get you to hurry back.

Come on, follow me.

Lela's dad leads both of them into a room with a couple of people.

Why do they have soul energy coming out of them?

What makes you think I know?

Whatever, let's just listen in.

Hey, when are we gonna attack the town?

Ask the boss not me, but can't believe they were hiding at such a location.

Hey, are they talking about attacking our town?

Yea, why do you think I was following them?

Let's go back and get kol to deal with this.

No, let's just stay and do this, we're much stronger than them anyways.

Fine.

Stop avoiding extra responsibility.

Kol owes me extra PTO for this.

I agree, even after dying I have a crap boss.

…

Lela and her dad continue looking around and find a small room full of weapons with soul energy.

What's this? Why are they emitting soul energy?

How should I know? Take one to bring back.

Fine fine.

Lela takes a weapon which is oddly light.

Why does it feel plastic?

How should I know?

Whatever, let's just keep going.

Lela and her dad keep looking around and following them.

Hmm, where are they going?

Lela and her dad follow them to a more secure looking room.

Be careful.

As they follow along, completely concentrating on the two A.N.I members In Front of them, an alarm suddenly rings and they see a sensor above them on the ceiling.

Crap.

Run!

Both of them run, ending up separated due to the many rooms and doors closing, and opening only when an armed personnel uses a key card.

I could just kill them, but that would be way too risky dammit.

Lela keeps moving from room to room, turning herself into part gas to fit through the air vents, the only place without sensors where she has to avoid.

There's one here!

She hears before turning back and seeing a couple armed guards running in her direction.

Screw the sensors, they already found me.

She moves through rooms faster than ever, causing alarms to sound out in all directions before losing them for a while.

Where to hide, where to hide. She looks around and finds a closed but unlocked room, she thinks that this is a bad idea, but with no other way out in sight she goes through.

On the other side, it locks after she enters and it looks like a slightly bigger room but with nobody inside as she hears some guards banging on the door.

Ok, I was doubting it but there's no way this is one of Jake's stupid pranks, none of them even have enough control over soul energy to make even a single fake human, let alone a group.

As Lela hears them trying to use their key card to unlock the door as she looks down and sees a vent.

I have no clue where this goes, but it's definitely better than my current situation.

She moves down and finds herself in the middle of a random room as she hears guards approaching and she starts to run again before hitting a dead end.

Dammit, do I really have to kill them?

She gets stuck in a dilemma as she looks around to find any alternative solutions as their footsteps and voices get closer.

Dammit. She prepares for combat as she hears her father's voice.

Huh? Where are you?

Down here.

She looks at the floor and senses more soul energy there.

Where are you? This is just a floor?

Just go through, there's small gaps, probably for better ventilation.

Huh? You sure? Lela asks as the footsteps and voices sound like they're just right around the corner.

Screw it, anything is better than this.

Lela tries to go through the floor and succeeds just in time as she hears the footsteps and voice right above her.

Let's get out of here and get kol instead.

Hey, you only call him kol when we're in trouble or if you're particularly lazy you know?

How's that important right now?

It isn't, I'm just thinking of a way out and making small talk, just think of it as father daughter time.

I would disown myself if I could.

Don't worry, I would disown you too if we were alive.

Whatever, let's just go.

Lela now with her father again, looks around the vent system to try finding a way out.

We're stuck here for now, let's wait for them to leave first.

After waiting for 20 minutes, they hear the voices and footsteps mostly die down but with some more occasionally appearing above them.

Ok, I think we're good for now.

As they slowly come out, they return to the entrance but find it still locked.

Dammit, we need to find another way out. If we die here, I'm blaming it on you dad.

We won't

How about I just destroy the door?

Don't destroy the door unless there's no other choice, you're usually much better at sticking to the rules.

That's when I'm not in danger.

How about we look for somewhere else first to continue arguing instead of our in the open?

Fine.

They both go up to the vent again.

This isn't gonna work forever you know? Dad, you got a better choice than here?

What makes you think I do?

Just hoping.

Whatever, if we can't open the door then we either gotta get a key card or find wherever their control room is.

Obviously the control room, they're going around in groups of four and we'll make too much of a commotion.

Wow, my daughter's finally thinking clearly.

Shut up.

As they secretly go from room to room being more cautious than before while looking for the main control room, they find a lift.

Oh god… it's probably on the lowest floor ain't it? Lela says annoyed.

Yea, and seems like the only way down is the lift which is risky.

But we don't have a choice, so just hurry up.

Pretend to be a human.

I already know without having you to tell me.

As they enter the lift and change their body color to a normal person's, they see a sensor above them, but hides it properly this time to avoid being caught.

Lela, you can maintain the color change right?

Of course I can, worry about yourself instead.

Right, just be thankful to me that you died from a hereditary heart problem so you have no visible injuries.

It's also due to you that I died so early.

Small details.

Not really small details.

For the rest of the short lift ride, they stare at the floor number in silence as they finally reach.

Alright, wow this is a pretty big room.

I think this whole floor is one room made for the control center.

So why is there no one?

Sorry for this.

Sorry for what? Lela turns around and sees her dad backing up before a door closes in-between them.

Huh? What's going on?

He pries me with more PTO.

More PTO? What do you mea… oh. Her voice lowers as she realizes what's going on.

The three of you are very creative huh?

For what it's worth, it was fun right? A voice sounds out from a speaker.

It doesn't sound like an idiot or my employer… So Evelyn?

Yea.

The speaker suddenly stutters before the same robotic voice comes out again.

Hey, we also recorded the whole process of you running around like an idiot.

That'd not Evelyn and clearly not my boss.

Jake, once I find you, you're screwed.

Have fun.

The speaker starts again and starts again with the same voice.

I'm guessing my boss this time?

Don't worry, I'll pay you back with the same amount of PTO I gave your father.

I was right I guess.

So what now? You're just gonna lock me in here?

No, not forever of course. The robotic voice changed to Evelyn's voice clearly this time

You know you're gonna regret this once I get out right?

That's my future problem.

Evelyn says before a small part of a wall opens up, showing Evelyn and Jake as Lela shoots them with a soul bullet only for it to dissipate in a thin barrier.

Employer, why are you helping them?

Evelyn promised that she'll always cooperate in the training .

But I'm your employee, don't I deserve priority?

Yea, but it's personal for me too, you threatened to spread rumors about me.

And I will come when I get out.

Sure, but for now you're gonna suffer.

Lela watches as Evelyn and Jake prepare soul bullets as kol holds her in place with ropes made of soul energy.

Oh this is severely personal ain't it?

Of course.

Evelyn and Jake start shooting Lela as she uses soul energy to strengthen her body, but starts running out quickly.

Oh damn.

Lela braces herself as the energy gets through her extra defenses and makes a bunch of small sized holes in her.

Oh, that felt good for all the times you shot me. Jake says satisfied.

Bye, me and Jake are gonna wait for you at home.

Also, I hope you remember the way out because you still have work tomorrow. Kol says unbinding her as she falls down very slowly regenerating her legs.

I hate you three. Employer you're the one who made the guards right?

Of course.

And the weapons are just toys with soul energy, so that was you too?

Of course.

So where is this place, because there's no way you spent a bunch of time constructing this place just for this.

It's a bunker which I can change to resist soul energy instead of reduce.

Great

Bye now, have fun I guess?

They ignore her as they leave the area with her dad leaving her there to slowly regenerate and leave by herself.

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Next day

—----------------------------------------------

Lela did in fact not show up to work.

Hey kol. A random employee who works at the law enforcement for ghosts.

What?

Well, some ghosts are demanding to meet you.

Why?

Well, they've heard of what you did.

What I did?

Yea, about the…

The?

You being a womanizer, petty thief, lecher, abusive dad, abusive husband and a lot more.

Huh?

Yea, a rumor started this morning.

Oh.

—----------------------------------------------

At school

—----------------------------------------------

Hm, does anybody know where Evelyn is?

She said she was going to be sick for the next three days.

Alright Lela, now everybody, settle down, class is starting now.

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Evelyn’s pov

—----------------------------------------------

Hey Jake.

Yea?

Do you regret pissing her off?

Not really.

Really?

Yes I'm used to this.

He says looking at the mirror Lela purposely placed In Front of them as they swing upside down from the ceiling.