Loliel catches up to Miya and grabs her by the shoulder. "What was that?"

Miya turns around, tilting her head to the side with a smile. "What was what?"

"That guy he just… Just assaulted you and you kind of just, let him…."

Vivi nods her head, a few paces behind. "What he did was unacceptable Miya. But I'm more worried about your reaction, that wasn't like you at all."

A soft rattle fills the air; Loliel then looks down at Miya's trembling hand clutching onto her holster.

"You haven't been yourself since I picked you up in that underground city. You acted tough out of nowhere, but I could still tell something was up. Is the fight still bugging you?"

"Fight? What fight? I thought you said it wasn't that serious?" Vivi blurts with unease.

"I know I said that. I just didn't want you to worry, mom…."

Miya rolls her eyes with a chuckle. "Ha, what? I haven't been myself? I just needed time to think about what to do. What you saw down there, mean't nothing. If I see them again, they're dead!—"

Miya looks down at her hand, jittering onto her holster, creating a dense rattle as she tries to stop it with a wince. Loliel clasps onto her hand, causing the rattle to cease.

"I'm fine, dammit!" Miya snatches her hand away, taking a step back. "I'm not your stupid younger sister or your daughter so you all can just leave me alone! I'm perfectly capable of doing things on my own!"

The middle of Ashihei's lips purse open, but he looks to the side, clenching them shut. Vivi follows his eyes, rubbing down his arm until reaching for his hand, noticing it balled into a tight fist.

Loliel sighs and nods her head. "You're right. You are more than capable. But it isn't pity or sentiment we're trying to provide you. We've all just really taken a liking to you, Miya. I hope you can believe that."

Miya tilts her head down, then pivots around with a nod. "T-than… Thank… You… I haven't really had someone say that to me… Ever…”

She then continues to walk toward the white hexagonal door, sliding its metal covering to the side.

"… But I'm sure in time, you'll find that I'm just as detestable as everyone says I am..."

Miya's eyes and the front of her body are covered with a bright blue light as she enters the doorway. She blinks, and the room changes from the narrow hallway to a spacious executive office interior with a modern yet classy appeal.

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The floor was dark purple. Each step Miya took felt like she was walking on a plush yet firm surface that could pull her down any second. The walls were also a similar material but were arched over her head with curved panes looking into the darkness of spaces as spacecraft big and small flew overhead. Rocks and gems of different shapes and densities glistened along the walls on mounted shelves, with sparkling brown long-leaved plants in blue-halo-rimmed pots producing a cinnamon aroma that consumed the room.

At the back of the room sat multiple black glass cases shelving various indexes of books. However, the spine titles were in different foreign-alien languages, so their contents were unknown. In front of the shelves sat an egg-shaped desk on its side. Multiple holograms flash in front of a vacant levitating black mesh seat.

The middle of the room dipped into a slow-turning white couch table with a giant blue hologram on a metal surface. After another few steps, Miya notices a woman with long icy-blonde locks and pinkish skin sitting on one of the chairs with her legs crossed and an alluring, invested grin.

"B-Strate had an apprentice… That is riveting news. And you said that this individual used jump gates leading to a terminal outside Alf Space?"

The hologram figure, coated in a blur of darkness, had only a white helmet with its face-shield looping into the back and the sides.

"Yes." The hologram confirmed flatly, with a monotone, deep masculine tone. "Their con-alias is Cutlass Black. They worked alongside B-Strate as a cold case bounty hunter finding criminals and holding escapees who had seemingly vanished. However, they vanished after accepting an assassination with Callion, a Matoto-ranked assassination broker with unknown origins."

Emilia leans her elbows onto the back of the chair with a nod. "Ah, I see now. That's why they were given the Asowal crimestat by Derutius Aol and several other anti-crime syndicates and law-enforcement agencies. Though, with that high a status, no civilian insurgences, bounty-hunters, or assassins can target them."

"Yes. That is why we're providing information, despite not being much, to Aestero Pol in good faith that this individual can be apprehended… For the people's sake, of course."

Emilia laughs, covering her mouth with the back of her palm. "Haha! Yes, yes, I undestand… Though, you don't have to lie to me. I know you just want them back so your facility can get extra funding by providing the excuse of highly dangerous personnel."

A buzz of static comes through the hologram.

"Mhm. Anyways, we'll be sure to get on that case for you. I'll give you updates whenever something new comes up. I have someone waiting for me, bye bye!"

Emilia sighs as the hologram blinks off, then looks up at Miya standing a few feet away with a smile curling across her face.

"Miya! Miya! Miya! I've missed you, how long as it been!"

"I don't know, ma'am. 4056-E's star became depraved of thermal energy, so I can't give you an exact date."

Emilia stands up, intertwining her fingers in front of her chest with a tilt of her head. The bottom of her lip was glossed in a prismatic and patina gloss that created a subtle rainbow on her bow-shaped lips.

Her curved figure was wrapped in an all-white sleeveless Cheongsam dress that was tight-fitting with high-side slits above the knees. On each side, there was a rainbow-ish gleam that blinked every few seconds.

Miya watches as Emilia twirls around, her high-heeled shoes clicking as she finishes her exposition with a giggle.

"You like it? My daughter sent it to me after one of her visitations to a sector in the Serepyh quadrant. She likes stuff like this from the old-Earthian era. I find it quite cute too, don't you?"

Miya rolls her eyes. "Yeah, it's definitely my taste in clothing."

"Ah! I knew you would! I should set you up to meet with her then. She likes doing dress-ups and can make you look like a totally different person!"

"No."

Emilia then plops back down in her chair, waving at the seat in front of her. "Well, whatever. Come take a seat. We have lots to talk about."