Justin slumped back in his chair, the remnants of Alexander's superiority complex clinging to the air like a noxious perfume. "Well, at least he didn't offer us matching t-shirts for his 'Celestial Society' fan club," he muttered, sarcasm dripping from each word.
Celestine, perched on the edge of a sleek desk, remained silent, her expression thoughtful. Luccio, however, was a whirlwind of activity, his holographic tablet buzzing with information.
"Look!" Luccio exclaimed, a triumphant grin splitting his face. "I managed to pull the security footage from the location of your… encounter." He tapped the tablet, and a grainy image flickered to life. It was the rogue Angel, a blur of power and malice, clashing against Justin. The fight was brutal, and chaotic, ending with Justin sprawled on the ground.
"Not my finest hour," Justin admitted gruffly, his jaw clenching.
"Focus" Celestine chided from the sidelines. It was a single word, but it brought Luccio back on track.
"Right, right. Now, about locating our wayward friend…" Luccio's fingers danced across the hologram, lines of code flickering into existence. "Got him! Not the exact coordinates, mind you, but a general area. "
Justin leaned forward, eyes locked on the image. "Anything else? We need to know what we're up against."
Luccio scrolled through another set of files. "Wait, there's more. Check this out!" A new image materialized – the moment the female Angel had intervened, her healing touch radiating through the screen. But her face…it was hooded, shrouded in shadow.
"Damn it!" Justin slammed his fist on the desk. "Who hides their face while playing hero?"
“Well, you and me for a start” Celestine added. Luccio hid his soft laugh.
Luccio continued "Hold on. Jagna, can you help with this?"
A pleasant chime filled the air, and Jagna's holographic figure appeared. "Of course, Luccio," her voice was neutral and calming. "Please provide the necessary footage."
Within seconds, Jagna worked her computational magic. Slowly, the hood obscuring the Angel's face began to dissolve, just enough that a familiar outline of features started to emerge. There was some disruption on the footage due to the Celestial magic involved. Her eyes shined like golden stars and her hair was surrounded by a shining aura. It was normal for Celestials. Every time they were casting blessings or magic, they had the celestial aura surrounding them which in most cases caused Celestials to have very bright, almost white hair which were radiating with light.
"Damn it, Luccio, can you get the image clearer? A different angle, anything?" Justin barked, fighting the urge to throw something.
A shape emerged from the blur – soft features, a sliver of a chin. It wasn't much, but it was enough.
"That's her. It's got to be," Justin muttered, his gaze fixed on a fragment of the celestial savior's face. Her features resonated with a familiarity that twisted inside him.
Luccio, brow furrowed, glanced between Justin and the image. "Hey, boss, so this hottie was the one who saved you?" Celestine glared at the man giving him shivers.
"Something like that," Justin muttered darkly.
Celestine, until now a silent observer, spoke up. "Do you really think it’s Angelica?" Her voice was devoid of judgment, only the need for information.
"Might have to pay our little baker a visit," Justin said, his voice thick with a mix of determination and amusement.
Justin rose, an unsettling mix of adrenaline and anticipation coursing through him. "Let's move. I need to have a little chat with this rogue..." He paused, turning his gaze to the screen where Angelica's image still lingered, a ghost behind pixels. "And it seems our enigmatic baker has some explaining to do."
"Well, well…." Luccio chuckled, a glint of mischief in his eyes. "Seems like someone is a knight with shining buns rather than armor." He winked at Celestine, who merely rolled her eyes.
He strode out of the room, Celestine at his heels. In their wake, Luccio chuckled, the sound surprisingly warm for such a sterile, futuristic office.
"Someone's got a crush," he chimed, a smirk in his voice. But beneath the teasing, he was glad. His boss, so often burdened by duty, deserved a sliver of light in the darkness. And as unlikely as it seemed, the answer might lie within a charming bakery and a girl who held her own against the forces of Heaven.
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