Morning again and work again, lucky this job was very different from common bodyguards, it has shifts after all.
When waking up he got received by the sarcastic words of Claire, and breakfast was already done when he finished his bath, just if he didn't need to work everything would be perfect.
"Claire, you have access to the internet like every normal person, right?" Asked Mike while having breakfast.
"Yes, I do have access and can interact in the real world and digital world like any other human, I made and sent your curriculum to the SP Company when you just got hired after all"
"Then you could just hack and interact with every place in the world, right?"
"I can, and I won't unless strictly necessary... or if you order me to do so. Do you want to make money that way?"
"... I don't mean something illegal, just something that can provide money."
"If you allow me to access your bank account and allow me to do things in your name, I can do some business in the online markets like the Foreign currency exchange market and so, all while you are working"
"Wow you can do that? then yes!"
"Anyway, the records on my database clearly say that humans should work by themselves since getting too used to being attended by others is not a healthy practice, and you said you want to have a work in which you can use your ability openly, since mercenary corps are dangerous for ability users, then..."
"I know, I know" Interrupted Mike, not wanting to hear his mother's words in an android.
After breakfast and a moment of rest, Claire informed it already had access to the account and started trading, with the high-speed processing of an advanced AI that can also think like a human and can search info that other humans usually don't get in time, it was sure its success was granted in any online market.
But the next words left him doubting life.
"Master, those markets usually take a while and need high deposits to show earnings"
"So?"
"So, your remaining balance is 10 Ethers" The national currency on Aether, ether credits, or simply put, ether. While he said he was broke/penniless he meant that he was living from savings, it wasn't much but that were at least 400 ethers in his account before this android took almost all his money.
In Mike's eyes, this female appearance android passed from money mage to money demon with the last sentence it said.
"... give me back my happiness"
"Cannot do that, and you need to leave for work, master"
"I said give me back my happiness, don't 'ruin more my mind'..."
"..." Claire remained silent and Mike could only leave, this time, on foot. 10 ethers weren't enough for a taxi, and his pockets were cash-empty to take a bus.
Should he order Claire to hack the bank's systems in the country? He discarded this option after a minute, while he wasn't a really good person from his own perspective, he still would not consider being a cybercriminal, well... he would not let the android be the cybercriminal while he just benefits from it.
So, he not so soon reached the company building, Rose was in the building around this time in the day as she told him yesterday, so it was convenient.
Not like he needed to come to the company building to start working, but because it was simpler to get in since he works for the company, being in another location and it can be hard to get in given the nature of Rose's business life.
"Hi there Sam, anything funny today?" Asked to the man guarding the door.
"Nothing funny, but it's fine. Just a beggar last night tried to rob the wrong person, aside from it, no more action" Said the man. Sam was the same bodyguard he met yesterday in the same door while meeting Rose.
"Last night? So you work full time?"
"Yes, the pay for full-time cannot compare to taking shifts; is another level, and Rose's life isn't in danger usually so it's mostly relaxed when compared to others, you should try it on. Anyway, want to get inside?" Sam asked while reaching for the radio on his shoulder.
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"No need, I will guard here with you"
Mike didn't want to get inside, or he could see that the nothing he didn't want to know would be transformed into something he would know. Life was short, it was better to live in ignorance sometimes.
He could barely hear normal conversations from inside, but nothing strange, anyway, one never knows how things would end, so just to be sure, he would rather guard the outside where nothing strange happens.
"Do the other two work full time too?"
"Those two? yes, but is different for them, they are not part of the company, they are Rose's personal bodyguards"
"Personal? ok, that makes sense, given who she is"
Another day yet another common day, night was close when they followed Rose all around the city.
Wasn't Rose a Saint from the point of view of the citizens? Yes, she is a saint. That's why wherever they went the people around the group was huge.
Anyway, nothing strange happened today, but the news before the day finished shocked him.
"Mike, I will leave the city next week, I have a meeting with my father in New Gaia's islands" said Rose.
She doesn't need more words, Mike is a smart person, and he knew what she just means. Mandatory full-time. But he could not reject it anyway.
"Understood, I will be prepared when the day arrives"
Before he could finish the shift normally some event happened, a drunken man started initiating problems. Everything would be fine if he was a normal person, but...
Mike was in the rear, the two personal bodyguards were at both Rose's side every moment, and Sam would rotate at his will.
Those two besides Rose would not let anyone get touch her. But it was Mike and Sam's duty that no danger get close.
The drunken man approached from behind insulting them while they just decided to ignore him. The man got even more furious while getting ignored, and started to scream about the witch Rose is and how she deceives people, the people from around wanted to say something, most people always defend her, and they tried to calm the man or take him away, but the next moment, the people got away from him.
"Ability user. Shit!" cursed Mike in his mind.
Were the drunken man a normal guy, he would hit him if dared to do something, being an ability user... bad luck, PhySEC energy was just not suitable for everybody, so ability users weren't that really common to find on streets.
When the man got close, his eyes were fixed on Rose. The two bodyguard would act if something happens but it was Mike's duty since he was in that position. Mike understood how the people ran away from the man, the cold he felt was out of ordinary. Physical emissions variant, some kind of cold control ability.
"Just my luck! I want action men, ACTION! NOT PROBLEMS!" He couldn't help but block the man. The man didn't show any sign or form of wraith towards the bodyguards, only those two besides Rose, and to Rose herself, there were no more objectives to his killing intention. That gave Mike some time to think of a way.
"Sir, step back. Let's not complicate things" said Mike with confidence, a fake confidence, his ability could detect every movement of the man but could not help while fighting him, so he would not fight if needed.
From Mike's back, Rose showed a sign of being disappointed. When she spotted Mike the first time, she ordered her bodyguards to give her some time with Mike, when she saw his eyes, she knew how cold blood can he become if given the chance, but he did not resort to violence on first contact.
Anyway, she knew how could things change when given the chance, maybe it was not the right time, telekinesis was powerful only against weapons, and Mike had some eye-catching musculature so he would face no problem.
She would not know that Mike's eyes were like that but he was not a bad guy at all, but Mike never knew Rose's way of thinking and could not see Rose right now since he was facing the drunken man.
"STEP ASIDE, MY BUSINESS IS THAT WITCH!" said the drunken man. it surprised the others, including Rose that the man would not take action against Mike instantly, and now the two bodyguards and Rose could understand what Mike was pretending to do, 'take advantage of this man good will'. Anyway, that wasn't Mike's plan, but Mike would not like to explain it to them.
"I said step back, breathe and think of what you are doing, you don't want to get hurt nor involve the innocent people around, right?" Mike took advantage of the mind state of that guy, he was quick to think of a solution, but then he spotted the look in Rose's eyes.
"You can't be seriously thinking about it, right? You crazy... I care for my reputation if I take my weapon!" he cursed once again in his mind, the man thinking about the situation stepped back while looking around. "Ah fuck it! Please, man, forgive me for this, I won't kill you so please forgive me _ the number two" Said Mike after thinking twice about what he was about to do, he directed his eyes to Sam while saying so, clearly talking to him. He wasn't strong so he could only use his mind for now.
Sam quickly understood the signal, number two "handcuff", but he could only help understand what was he about. Special bodyguards can kill in certain situations, so why the need to use it? anyway the trick was that while Mike finished speaking, he took his gun, the antiPhySEC pistol and aimed at the man.
One could not react in time, the man already withdrew the cold element and when the gun was aimed at him, he could not help but surrender, or could get shot while trying to use his ability.
Everything went easy after that, Sam used the handcuff on the man and since it was antiPhySEC handcuff the man could not break it since it wouldn't get affected by the ability.
The penalty for using the PhySEC power in the middle of the citizen without an emergency was 10000 ether credits, extremely high if compared to the average salary in the country was 250 ethers. Mike thought it was enough to satisfy the Psycho.i-mean-client, Rose.
But Mike way of thinking was too average, and Rose way of thinking was different, Rose thought Mike was not a saint. She was discussing with the other two in a low voice, Mike somehow regretted joining this company after the next-minute events.