Clenching my teeth, I growled out my reply to the apparent threat. “Do it, and you won’t leave the planet alive.” He turned back toward me with his trademark smirk.

“Oh Boy Toy, you are utterly adorable. You think I can’t make my way free of this planet after killing her and taking that item for myself.” He started making a tsk-tsk sound while slowly shaking his head. “You need to do better than that. It could all be avoided if you make a new deal.”

Buy time; someone had to come by soon. They would see my guards knocked out and investigate while requesting aid. No, no more relying on my men in situations I can manage. I hardened my resolve while staring at him. He wanted something as well. I doubted this card, whatever the fuck it was showing him was the reason behind his threat. We had his sister still, and he cared for her in some capacity, or he would never have remained on Mar Sara with his obvious skills at stealth.

I felt his hand grind my wrist harder. “None of that Boy Toy. If I even think that you plan to use your little mind tricks on me, I will break your wrist.” I wasn’t sure how he noticed that, had my eyes glowed like Nova’s had when she got pissed? Didn’t matter. I took the split second after he released some pressure and used Psionic Blast, rather my version of it while staring right at his chest.

He went flying into the wall at my side, his body looking like a macabre rag doll as it flew through the air. I knew the fucker had managed to snap my wrist before the force of my mental shove could fully remove him from my personal space. The sharp pain coming from my wrist showed he had indeed broken it.

I hissed at the pain while he rose unsteadily to his feet gasping for air while chuckling. The man was fucking insane. “Oh excellent Boy Toy, it hurt so good. Now I have to hurt you though.” Blood was trickling from his mouth; his teeth stained red from whatever damage he had suffered. The lunatic was smiling at me while sashaying his way toward me. Nope, can’t let him get close again. I was exerting my Psionic power, relying on brute force without a skill. Killing him with something wouldn’t get me what we needed either, Fernando’s deal would.

He paused mid-step on his way toward me having met the wall of resistance that was my mental blast. I could feel my head start to ache with the effort of using a skill set I still wasn’t trained in. “Sit. Your. Ass. Down.” I ground out, ignoring the pain and ramping up the pressure I was exerting, blood trickling out from my nose as I did. The pain had been worth it, he went face first into the ground and groaned out a noise I chose to interpret as pain and not some fucked up moan of pleasure. I didn’t have to keep it up long though, Fernando entered the room a moment later with his big ass gun drawn. Green was behind him as well. What they saw was me in a fucking wheelchair planting myself between Hiko, who was on the floor still, and Nova with a barking and growling puppy held in my good arm. “Arrest. Him.” I ground out again, refusing to release the pressure I was exuding on him and my mind. Fernando moved toward the man, grunting when he entered the area near the body. Apparently whatever I was doing wasn’t very selective.

The ever stoic Fernando quietly grunted and placed the laughing lunatic in some funky cuffs I had never seen before. I released the pressure then, all but collapsing in my wheelchair from the effort as Green started fussing over me.

My vitals came back clean, no actual damage beyond the wrist which she put in an odd foam like cast. I wasn’t sure how she learned that in seconds when she had subjected me continuously to hours of torture before. I asked her as much when she was spraying me with the foam. Her answer was terrifying. “How else will I get time alone with our leader? I fully intend to extend those time periods now as well.”

She was a fucking Demon. I sighed though, smiling at her when she finally paid attention to my little furry companion. Her eyes lit up, and I had only a second to think ‘oh shit’ before she nabbed my mighty defender and started to squeal, fucking squeal, in such a high pitched girly voice I swore my ears were going to burst.

“OH, MY GOD! He’s soooooo cute! Do you want to be our mascot baby? Do you? YES!? I knew it!” apparently a puppy’s traumatized whines and barks meant acceptance of something that he had no idea about.

Stolen novel; please report.

“Hey! Give him back, that is my puppy Goddamnit!” She looked at me and made a Pushaw sound. “Nonsense! He has to belong to our Medical Department. He’s too cute for anything else.”

What the fuck was with today? First Andy tries to steal him, then I get threatened by an Assassin we can’t keep in a fucking cell, and now Green was going to take my puppy?

“No, he will not! Give him back so I can get him food! I’ll bring him by later to play with you though.” The last part was because I was beginning to get the feeling my little puppy was going to end up having this effect on a lot of women for some reason. “Really! Promise?!” I nodded yes, and she started squealing again. I covered my ears in vain while Fernando left the room with Hiko in a manner that seemed oddly like he was fleeing something painful. I’d catch up with him later about this whole ordeal.

Green played with Leo for a moment on the floor, ignoring the world around her. My brave little puppy utterly ignored her soul-sucking manner of talking and seemed to be enjoying it. That scared me a great deal, the idea of having to bring him to Green and staying around, so she didn’t run off with him for who knows how long was not a pleasant thought.

Finally, Andy showed up, and Green was waking up my men who all but threw themselves onto their knees before me when I was wheeled toward the door. Trenton spoke for them. “Sir, we failed you.” ooook.

I frowned at them and shrugged it off. “Do better.” not like I could punish them. The guy could sneak past Fernando for fuck sakes. What hope did they have? Before we left the room though I did make Andy take me back toward Nova. I still needed to upgrade her regardless. Andy noticed the card but just smiled warmly at me while waiting. I needed to figure out what they fucking saw with these things someday.

Congratulations Player! Hero Unit: Nova Terra has been upgraded. Hero Class has become Legendary. Hero Unit: Nova Terra may not be upgraded again outside of a System Upgrade reward for mission completion.

Nova Terra has increased all Skill to their maximum capacity. Due to previous System reward of skill increasement, they will now be labeled Legendary quality and deal extreme damage to anyone she faces.

Nova Terra’s Psionic Potential has increased by two levels making her potential at level nine. Unlocking all Terran based Psionic gifts and maximizing their levels.

Nova Terra is no longer limited in the number of Spec OPS Ghosts she may train.

The Orion has gained the Passive Ability ‘Ghosts Abandoned’ for being registered under Legendary Hero Nova Terra’s control.

Ghosts Abandoned - All Ghosts trained within this facility will have increased Psionic Potential, and all will have at least medium grade capabilities with Psionic Power usage.

Nova Terra has gained the passive ability of Genetic Regeneration.

Genetic Regeneration - You will now regenerate all damage at an accelerated rate so long as you remain alive. This effect stacks with Passive ability Regeneration.

Nova Terra had gained the Legendary Unique armor and weapon ‘Nova Special’ and ‘Nova’s Redoubt.’

Nova Special - Unique sniper rifle that changes its use based on the desire of the wielder. Usable only by Nova Terra.

Nova’s Redoubt - Enhanced Ghost armor capable of multiple functions. May remain stealthed regardless of items being used. Only detectable by beings of unknown Psionic Potential. Usable only by Nova Terra.

My eye all but jumped out of my damn skull after reading all of that. Jesus Christ, that was a shit ton of good. I also learned that each Hero seemed only able to gain three Upgrade Cards and then The System was the only thing capable of increasing their stuff. Good to know. Her gear was a boon as well. She’d be a lot harder to hurt that way. What I was happiest about was her unique little passive for healing though. The fact it stacked with mine made me more comfortable. She should heal physically without problems now, though I had no clue if that would work with her Coma. I could only hope.

Andy rolled me out a little later, and my Imperial Guard took up station around me. “Take me to Fernando. He should still be wherever he took the Assassin.” Andy frowned at me but spun me around toward the jail cells. I needed to tell Fernando what was happening today with my Campaign Map mission. It was also time to deal with the fucking asshole and that deal. I turned toward Georgie, rather turned my head toward her. “Georgie, get some Marines and escort the Pirate Hika to the cell Fernando and Hiko are.” She left with a “Yes, Sir,” and we spent the next few minutes heading toward Fernando. He wasn’t going to like the fact I had to leave at all, shit, neither was I. I scratched Leo’s perked ears and smiled down at the curious puppy. I guess I at least had this little guy. He’d never back talk. As if sensing my thoughts Leo looked up at me and made a little bark. I pretended to ignore the apparent sass laced into the little bark.