The Choices We Make

Jason turned to face Maxine who's eyes were fixed on the road. "Are you not going to tell me what happened back there?" He asked.

"It was nothing," said Max. "Just a suspicion I had," she said.

"What suspicion?" Jason asked.

Max sighs. "I never told Lord Kilian I liked the gray car ... Today was my first time seeing that model," she said.

"Huh? If you didn't --" Jason stopped.

"I think the car was bugged. He also asked me to report your every move to him," she added.

Jason chuckles. "That sneaky bastard!" He cussed. "I knew the old assistant was a spy!" He sighs. "I don't get why they don't trust me ... After everything I've done for this family ..."

"If I may add my two cents: They are only doing that because you're still very young --"

"No, it's not!" Jason dismissed. "People like my father and Kilian, they like being in control of everything ... I know they hate how much they need me," Jason laughs. "They think of me as an idiot, that I am unable to achieve anything without their helping hand. I am going to show them --"

"You shouldn't do anything rash ... I think this could be turned in your favor," said Max.

Jason rubbed his hand over his face. "How much did he offer you?"

"Nothing. He threatened my sister," Max replied.

"I didn't know you have a sister."

"Vania Esposito. She attends the Archaeons' School of Mysticism."

"... And yet you decided to tell me about everything. Why?"

"I can protect my sister. And since I work for you now, I must protect you."

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Sasha takes a bottle of water from the side of her seat and sips from it.

"You do know that buying a bottle of water is far more expensive than paying for water and getting water from the faucet, right?" One of her sisters asked, she had red hair and gray eyes.

"I don't know why but the thought of doing that makes me want to puke," said Sasha.

"Does this have to do with the sleepwalking that's been happening to you lately?" Her sister asked.

"I think so ..." Sasha sighs. "I can s --"

"We're here," said another one of the sisters as the car came to a stop. She was the confident one from when their master was briefing the mission.

"Remember," she started. "We have six minutes before their reinforcements arrive. Set your timers, you know what to do if you're caught," she added before jumping out of the truck and rushing into the building, sisters following behind her.

"Let's go, Sasha," said the red-haired as she put on her mask.

"You go ahead," said Sasha. "I'm scaling the wall," said the ecru-haired girl.

"Hm. They'll be concentrated in the front and trying to stop us they wouldn't even notice."

"Exactly."

"Good luck Sasha. As always, I'll see you back at home."

Sasha shoots her sister a small nod before picking up a helmet and putting it on. The redhead races after the others while the purple-eyed girl starts the six-minute timer on her watch.

She places an explosive on the vehicle they had arrived in before racing forward and in one swift motion, climbs to the top of the building. Sasha took in a sharp breath, she had done several things on her father's requests but this was the riskiest of them all. She felt uneasy, but who wouldn't, especially if they were attempting to steal something from the Bureau's headquarters?

The explosive Sasha planted exploded and sent the car across the parking lot and into a fountain. The ecru-haired girl opened a hatch on the roof before jumping inside.

She took out a map from her back pocket and took one more look at it. She noted her location, and where the object they were supposed to obtain was. The purple-eyed girl took a glance at the timer before rushing towards the spot, facing no resistance until she got to the front of the room which was guarded by a single soldier. He reached for his belt to grab a water bag but before he could, Sasha moved quickly, grabbing her dagger from the pouch and slaughtering him.

The dark-skinned girl rushed into the room, it was dark so she took off her helmet to see clearly, and when she did, Sasha found that someone else was in the room with her. The lights in the room come on and Sasha sees the director of the Bureau herself sitting on one side of the room with her arms crossed.

Sasha points her blade at the dark blonde-haired woman which causes the latter to roll her eyes. "You can try but that wouldn't scratch me."

Olivia rose from her seat and began towards the door. "What you came here for ... I had it moved to our Tombstone branch last week. You're free to search if you don't believe me."

Sasha's hands drop to her waist, her purple eyes looking at the timer to see if she had exhausted the six minutes.

Olivia walks past the ecru-haired girl and stops just shy of the door before checking the time on her wristwatch. "Your friends have been captured ... You know what that means, right?"

Sasha's eyebrows shoot up. The dagger felt too heavy and fell out of the girl's hand. She fell to her knees and her eyes started to water.

The door swings open and some men in uniform salute in front of the Bureau's director. "We captured all the intruders like you ordered but they swallowed some sort of poison before we could stop them ... None of them survived."

Sasha's hand moves up to the single earring on her left ear, gently rubbing it. Olivia looked over her shoulder. "What would you do, Sasha Hubert?"

The ecru-haired girl's eyes widen. "Y-- You know me?"

"Of course I do. You and I aren't so different after all. Just like you, I had to carry the burden of my father's sins. Just like you, I had to be responsible for my livelihood and that of all those around me. Just like you my mother and others I care about were taken away from me while I stood and watched." Olivia paused for a beat. "The difference is: I strive to ensure I never end up as a victim again, you accepted your role as one."

Olivia walked out of the room, the men in uniform closely behind her. Sasha could hear as their voice gradually disappeared down the hall.

"Call the Travel office."

"Are you going somewhere, ma'am?"

"Sector 5."

"What about the girl?"

"Let her go."

"Are --"

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Hunter turned to Diana with confused eyes.

'Was that in the past?'

[Better not to take any risk.]

"What is it?" The snow-white-haired woman asked.

"I don't ... Call Skylar ... Olivia's on her way to the Sector 5."

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