“Wait here and do not enter. Understood?” 

The Director commanded the young hazel-haired girl, who simply nodded in understanding before turning her back against the door. 

So she DOES obey orders still. 

The Director smiled at the thought, before schooling herself into the porcelain mask she consistently wore. At the tap of her I.D, the metal doors parted for light to briefly reveal a room with nothing but a pedestal. In an instant, the light was blocked as darkness took the helm once more. She sighed. 

It’s not the first time you’ve danced with knives. 

She fiddled with her Intra-Memo, the cool metal against her skin serving as a grounding tactic. 

Just…tell her. 

With the press of the gem, she tossed it into the air, but it never hit the ground. Instead, it hovered half-way as blue holograms enclosed the pedestal’s perimeter, behind their silver masks, malevolent eyes nailing her to the centre. 

Keep calm…

“What is X0V’s current status?”  A deep voice boomed from the speaker as the screen of a looming man flashed foremost. 

Straight to the point huh? 

Well, she could match the pace just fine. 

“It set up a decoy and is still at large.” She blurted. 

“What?” A blond woman screeched, her red lips trembling in fury or fear, the Director couldn’t infer from the masks.

Dramatic much?

 She continued her tantrum viciously,

“What on Earth are you doing then? How can you be so unbothered after letting our greatest weapon escape?” 

Her face paled as fear took the course of her thoughts. 

“What happens if Neora or Endro get a hold of it?”  

Choruses of agreement resounded amongst the gathering as the most subtlest of tremors coursed through the Director. 

Reign it in. Anger is not going to make a difference. 

Their scorn sounded like ants communicating in her ears and she was far used to it. 

“Silence.” 

A clear voice pierced through their anxiousness as now another hologram configured itself. Unlike the rest, this woman had a gold studded mask and was decked in layers of fur and red silk. 

Well looky here. Fantastic.

The woman barely reached the Director’s height and was quite quaint for the average Rasidian delegate, but for those who knew her true identity, she was a force not to be reckoned against. 

This same fact pressured the Director to bow deeply in her presence despite her internal scorn. 

“Greetings to the Sun of the state…President Reneirva.” 

“My,my. I’ve never known you to openly express such humility, Director.” She leaned into her ears, dropping her voice to a whisper. 

“Did you learn your lesson?” 

The Director flushed, her eyes  seeing scarlet flash before logic chained her fury once more. She sent a controlled smile at Reneirva. 

“Good tidings to you as well.” 

The President chuckled before turning to the crowd, her tone painting the Director like a fresh product to be sold to the masses. 

“I’ve known our young Director for many years. I’m sure she has her reason for her nerves to still be working.” 

The ‘joke’ aroused haughty laughter from most and nearly succeeded in letting her chains of fury loose once more. Reneirva’s head whipped instantly to her like a hawk suddenly as she almost prevented a scowl.

“So pray tell, what is your reason?” 

“The reason is despite the immense range, the decoy was found near the Central Railway with the time gap being very minimal so there are only a few possible contenders for the subject’s hiding spot. Furthermore, while not the most optimal as the former, the decoy escaped the cusp of death which may provide further information after they’ve recovered their memories.” 

“Can you not just use facial recognition to find who X0V impersonated?” 

The Director clenched her jaw as she re-worded and chose her words wisely. 

At this point declare me fired. 

“The decoy might have escaped fatal injuries yes but…their face has been marred, electrocuted and broken beyond comprehensible repair. Even with plastic surgery, no technology or database will ever identify them again. That, alongside the amnesia induced by X0V, the victim cannot remember his name. The only thing of use is his constant muttering of ‘Teffowata’, hardly understandable but we presume he means the Tellowania District in Endro.” 

Noticing the astonished silence, she continued. 

“This matches the trains that were running during the time range which further supports this conclusion on X0V’s whereabouts. Additionally, ” 

She steeled herself for the what her response would procure. 

“...I plan to track X0V alone along with another subordinate with me.” 

As predicted, there was an uproar at the suggestion. 

“So you just up and go?” 

“What the hell?!”

“How is this a proposition?” 

Throughout the while, Reneirva and the Director never broke contact, steel clashing against steel. No words needed to be spoken between them as understanding travelled through. Although, the President gave a minute jerk of her head towards the rest of the holograms. 

Right…now, to make the rest of the idiots understand. 

She turned to address the crowd. 

“I understand the confusion-”

“Pssh. That's an understatement.” 

“-HOWEVER, due to Chief Renzaz’s…absence his apprentice Clara who was his closest subordinate and my role as the Director leave us as the few individuals with full knowledge and data on X0V. We would be the prime agents to send to investigate. Besides, Endro is a minor state against Neora and Raschul with the majority of the geography being alpines and waterways, the city area is very minimal, Tellowania even more so.”

“Taking this into consideration, X0V may be a newborn, but it is anything but stupid. It cannot withstand the immense temperatures there and has only just been released into society, with extreme lack of knowledge on how it operates. Accidents are bound to make themselves known and we will know.”  

“How can you guarantee that it will stay in Endro?” The President queried. 

“Firstly, prior to X0V’s escape, it was under immense injury and might have sustained more during the effort. The estimated damage would have wounded its core systems, making it have limited abilities, with this decoy trick presumably its last straw. Thus, a rough recovery time would be around 8 months during which it cannot presume another identity lest it risks self deterioration. Moreover, safety precautions were included within its mechanism, one of which being a recon signal of which the remote lies in our possession. A single press, granted, will not pinpoint the exact location but gives an approximate radius as well as disrupts X0V’s algorithm temporarily.” 

Her next words were directed to Reneirva, yet never descending into a plea. 

“All I ask is for the necessary funding required as well as for you to trust me to fulfill this. That is all, President.” 

Now make a show.

The Director lowered her eyes to the ground, giving a curt bow. Entirely, a pathetic display of a naive mannequin at Reneirva’s disposal, although its cracks and malfunctions still remained hidden to wandering eyes. 

Reneirva approached her, two fingers lifting her violet eyes into the light once more. 

“Should I give my consent for this operation…will you succeed?” 

The bait is set. 

The Director grinned, her manicness flourishing once more but not in favour of the task.  

“Have I ever failed you?” 

Her stubbornness seemed to satisfy the President as backed away and turned towards the other representatives. 

“Then it’s settled. The Director and her subordinate will be responsible for the operation. However,” The mask faced her once more. “The time limit is exactly 9 months. Failure to do so will result in…elimination. Understood?” 

The Director blinked before smiling once more. 

“Crystal clear.” 

“You’re all dismissed.” 

At those sharp words, the holographic figures dispersed once more as the members dwindled until only two were left; both the figureheads. Even though it was a mere projection, the sight of Reneirva’s hands gripping her shoulders sent frostbite through the Director’s body. She observed silently as Reneirva smiled as if they were mother and daughter, blood to blood, obscuring the truth of their dynamic: predator and predator. 

“Do not fail me dear. You of all people should know what I like to do with failures and traitors.” 

A reminder, how lovely. 

“I know. So you can look forward to victory.” 

Reneirva laughed softly, patting her cheeks. 

“Stubborn as ever are we not?” As she turned away to disconnect, she shot one final smile at her and utter a sentence that left the Director struck. 

“I look forward to seeing you, Leila Ravens.”