15. "Sophia..."

Sachi was on the ground in front of Sophia silently crying out his sorrows for what seemed like ages before he finally calmed down his heart. Though he still couldn't accept what Sophia was doing right now. Her actions were just over the top!

Even if she was trying to fulfill the wishes of her predecessor, she didn't need to go that far!

"You plan on sleeping out here tonight?"

Sachi's sarcastic remark earned him a glance from the dazing Sophia before she let out a grunt in response. She let out slight groans of pain as she picked herself up from the floor.

Holding the wall, she balanced herself and pulled up the System Panel to check out the status of her third mission.

When she left the residence of District 41, she had already caught onto the people tailing behind her. She went into the department store because she saw them tailing her. While she was shopping there, a regular mission was activated. It was to save someone here in District 35 a little after midnight.

When her pursuers started to follow her out in the open she did her best to evade them all the while leading them to this warehouse in District 35 that was close to her mission location. It also made it convenient for her to fulfill the wish of her predecessor.

For Sophia, she had an entire map and many different routes at her disposal any second because of the System Panel. It was much faster than a car's GPS. If it were not for the mission she would've gone somewhere else. Not that it mattered to Sophia where she was as long as her baby was with her.

The mission was a level 4 mission with a punishment of blindness for 1 week so it was much harder than the ones she had been doing so far.

There was going to be a fire in the nearby warehouse a little past midnight. With her tailers gone and thinking she was probably dead she can do whatever she wants. Completing the mission now would be easier and more explainable to her client because she was 'caught' by the enemies and she was injured so the delivery was delayed.

'What a wonderful plan~'

She always worked under cover of the moonlight, hence she waited and laid her plan out. Sophia was very pleased with herself for killing four birds with one stone!

Though there was still Sachi.

He was mad at her for putting her life on the line. He didn't care about all the benefits from her plan because she was gambling with her life here! Who in their f*cking right mind would try to get beaten by professional mercenaries when they are weak as a lamb?!

[Was she f*cking crazy?!]

She could've just lost the trail of the men and made her way to District 35 peacefully before heading for NG headquarters but she didn't do that.

Rather she gambled with her life on the line with a large group of mercenaries in a body that could barely take down a 200-pound man.

Had the boss of the mercenaries not gotten bored of beating her up and in a rush to get the USB to their client, Sophia might've already been dead right now!

Likewise, Sophia had other thoughts about this though.

From the time she found her tailers she knew they were not ordinary men hence she didn't lose their tails nor did she act like herself.

Rather she had immersed herself into the role of Luna Grey.

An 18-year-old girl who was pretty strong and tough with great ambitions to save her family. A girl risking her life to take a 'ticking bomb' from District 41 to Angel City even at the cost of her life.

That was Luna Grey.

A girl who wanted to do something for her family, even if it was getting hit by dangerous mercenaries that could kill her in a fight, even if she was up against one!

How could Sachi bear to watch her get beaten black and blue when they have spent so much time together to the point of each other's families, friends, lovers?

Can you bear to watch by idly doing nothing while your family gets beaten to death by a gang of men right in front of you?

To Sachi, Sophia was his family, his best friend, and everything in between. No matter what happens, they would stick together and get through everything together.

Yet, when those bodyguards were beating her up, he had to watch on the side with his futile attempts to save her because he was invisible and couldn't be touched.

He had to watch her use her body like a mere 18-year old girl that barely knew how to fight.

Watch her as she tries to go against those men but fail and eventually just accept that she was getting beaten.

The pain he felt to see her go through that and not be able to do anything made him resent Sophia's actions.

She could've done something else on behalf of Luna for her family, so why did she choose to get beaten and risk her life on the line to protect a USB that wasn't even real?!

'Why?!'

'Why didn't she care about her life?'

'Why was she so immersed in the role of Luna Grey when she should be thinking of ways to obtain the body to get her revenge?'

'Why? Just why couldn't she think about herself for once?'

'Was it that hard?'

It was already 10 at night and she was injured so she couldn't possibly walk her way towards her destination nor could she ride. At least, Luna can't ride. [1]

Taking in sharp breaths with almost every step she took, Sophia slowly made her way out of the warehouse.

Sachi walked by with her even though he couldn't touch her, or forgive her for her reckless actions. Despite his anger and resentment towards her at the moment, he couldn't sit idly by without showing his worries.

The entrance where you can enter the warehouse site was roughly 10 meters away from the entrance to the warehouse.

By the time Sophia made it there, she had gotten used to the pain and was only limping slightly with each step and no longer took sharp breaths.

Sachi felt his chest tighten as if his heart was being squeezed by a strong hand just by seeing how casually she was able to walk as if she was perfectly fine.

He knew how much she had suffered over the years and that she was numb to it but to think that even with a new body she felt little pain like she was used to it...

It hurt too much.

She just got beaten black and blue by strong and experienced mercenaries, and yet she was able to walk almost like a normal person only a few hours later?!

It wasn't even 2 hours since they left!

Can you imagine just how much pain she had endured to not be bothered about her beaten state right now?

A normal person at her place would've been bedridden for weeks before they can even set a foot on the floor!

When Sophia reached her baby she sat down on the seat and just stared into nothingness once more. Her face was pale and her clothes dirty though you can barely see it in the darkness of the quiet night.

It was only eleven at night at the moment and the mission location was roughly 30 kilometers away from where she was.

If she walked it would not only be a painful journey considering she was injured at the moment, she might even fail.

Getting to the location would take up the energy she should be using during the mission hence she decided to rest for a while before heading to the location with her baby.

No matter what, she would be fine since she hadn't broken any bones or anything of the likes. Her body was just very sensitive and swollen from all the kicks and punches. There were also quite a few abrasions and slits from the numerous falls but nothing life-threatening.

She didn't feel much of the pain nor will she die.

That was all she needed.

* * *

Note:

[1] Luna is written specifically here to directly distinguish the two people.