The next morning in an East L.A. motel...
Damian awoke from the bed, still wearing his clothes from the previous night. He had a kind of shell-shocked look on his face, like he was still processing what had happened. He sat up and checked his phone, picking it up from the nightstand.
"Ah shit. That's a whole lotta' missed calls from mom..." he said, still waking up.
He got up from the bed and grabbed his phone, heading towards the balcony of the room. He opened up the sliding glass door and walked out, then leaned on the balcony rail and overlooked the town. He then opened up his phone app to call his mother, who picked up almost immediately.
"Damian?! Is this you?!" she questioned frantically on the other end.
"Yeah... it's me. Listen, sorry about-" Damian couldn't finish his response before his mother cut him off.
"Oh... Oh thank god! Oh thank you lord! Why didn't you answer any of my calls?! Do you know how worried I was all night?! I couldn't sleep... and then I heard about the gang attacks... oh my god Damian I thought something happened to you! Where are you right now?"
"...I'm at the Motel 7 like two miles from the house. Listen mom, sorry about all those missed calls, I had my phone on silent. And before you ask, I was planning on coming back home once I felt well enough, but I just never did. So I came to the motel for the night. I'm not gonna lie, I still don't feel like coming back yet. I think I'm just gonna crash here for a while. Is that alright with you?"
"What? What do you mean, no its not-... never mind. I'm sorry, it's fine. If you aren't comfortable then... go ahead."
Damian took a deep breath and began speaking to his mom, in a more commanding tone.
"Listen mom. I think I know the reason why this keeps happening. Each time we end up fighting, it all circles back to one thing. The fact is, I don't think you know what you want to do with yourself. You don't really know whether or not you want to be a mother or a woman. When you get back from work, you're always tired and out of it. You just want to be alone, at peace. Then you remember I'm still there, and you realize you cant have that. But at the same time, you still want to keep me around and be my mother, since I'm the only family you got left. That conflict in your head mixed in with your exhaustion turns into frustration, and it gets taken out on me."
His mom didn't answer, and chose to remain quiet.
"...I know ever since dad left you've had trouble just getting through life in general. The way I see it, you never got used to handling things on your own. Yet, you still raised me and kept me alive through all of it. That takes real strength, so I thank you for that. I guess I also have to say... if I've truly been a burden to you these past years... I'm sorry."
Right when he said those last words, his mom spoke up right away.
"What? No no no... you're not a burden. You never were. I just... I really do worry a lot about you. I know you're strong, you're free, and whenever you've been wronged, you aren't afraid to let everyone know. I admire that about you, but... this world isn't very kind to people like you. I worry that if you continue being the way you are, something bad will happen to you. So I just wanted you to be... I don't know... just smarter. I wanted you to get a good education and a high paying job so you would be surrounded by good people, and not worry about being wronged or threatened in any way."
Damian remained silent. He felt as if his mom hadn't said everything she wanted to say yet.
"...But who am I kidding. You were right, everyone's different and our passions and desires aren't the same. You didn't want that life because you knew you weren't cut for it, and you never wanted it in the first place. I'm sorry I couldn't see it."
"Enough, mom. No more apologies. I told you during the fight, right? I don't want to hear you say that shit anymore. Please."
"Right... you did."
The two stayed silent for a bit, the atmosphere was rather awkward until Damian spoke up again.
"Times are tough right now, you know that. Everything's basically unaffordable for us and it's only getting worse. Don't even get me started on all the taxes and welfare costs... it's a miracle we aren't already bankrupt. From now on, until I find something stable and well-paying, or the situation in this country dies down, we'll have to support each other. We cant keep having these fights, it'll only make everything worse for us. But you and I have to put in the work to improve ourselves first. I promise I'll help take some of the load off you and pay whatever bills or taxes you need help with when I can. But I need you to promise me that you'll seek out help or figure out yourself whether you want one life or the other. You hear?"
"...Yeah. I get it. But I need you to promise me one more thing, please son."
"What is it?"
"Just be safe. You said it yourself, we need each other more than ever. From now on, don't go making any irrational decisions and get yourself in trouble. Be smart. I know you don't like hearing me say that but... it's true. And I know you can be when it comes to stuff like that. You got it?"
"...Yeah, I got it... I'll do what I can."
"Good. In that case, I'll be waiting for you back home. Take the time you need to get better."
"Yeah, thanks mom. See you soon."
"Take care, mijo."
Damian ended the call and put his phone back in his pocket. He looked back out into the surrounding town, silently. He thought about the conversation, and what it meant for the future. He made a promise, one that he knew he couldn't keep. He became adrift in thought.
"Be safe... huh. Even before all the shit that just happened, would that even be the case then? Since when have we ever been truly safe?" he said to himself.
"What is it that you are thinking of, Damian?" Oborus began communicating with him in his head.
"Shit... scared me a little, I'm gonna have a hard time getting used to that. Anyway, since you're here, I've gotta' ask. Oborus, what does safety truly mean to you?" Damian asked, communicating with his thoughts.
"Safety? It's true meaning? Well... at least in my eyes... to be truly safe is to be unparalleled. To be truly safe is to be at the top. Once one has reached that point, no one man or one thing can disturb you. Why do you ask? Is it something you wish for?"
"Of course it is, who wouldn't want that? But why is the requirement so impossibly high? I mean... I know all of us are mortals n' shit and survival is simply wired into us, but what about people like me and those who live here? Life's been a fight since day one, we've shown our capability to survive. Yet life only gets harder for us, the world uses us as like a punching bag or something. You're telling me if I just wanna chill for the rest of my life without worrying about being in constant danger... I have to become fuckin' unparalleled?"
"It's just from my own observations. My own experiences dating back many eras ago. I imagine humanity has improved in their livelihoods since then, so the requirement for being truly safe has likely changed I'd hope."
"I guess that's true... but even then... there are a lot of people on this planet that I would say have reached true safety, at least your definition of it. And almost all of them were born into it, they didn't achieve it themselves. The worse part is that they have the funding and resources to at least make shit easier for us, yet they don't. Instead, they use their power to further screw us over. You know, I don't think I'd have much of a problem with them boasting about their power and status all the time if they didn't do shit... but no. It's like everything they do nowadays is come up with new ways to destroy us all. I hate that shit."
"Ah, I see. So this is the reason for your grudge, then. If I may ask, do you have any examples of these people you speak so ill of?"
"Well for starters, there's this asshole named Aaron Cresswell. He owns a massive security corporation that for some fuckin' reason decided not long ago to buy up all the real estate they could get in the city and resell it for far higher than what it's value should be. Normally, there's laws against them being able to do that shit. But because of his connections and funding of a certain government department, he's allowed to get away with it."
"A certain department? Who are they?"
"The DCP, Department of Chaos Prevention. In my opinion, the biggest assholes in the world. No normal person likes them, only complete morons with no real self-respect support them. They were supposed to be a kind of domestic security organization, whose purpose was to take down high level threats within the country. Specifically, they target out of control Vitality Users using forces of their own Users. In a better world, it would be like heroes vs. villains. But in reality, it's just a fight between who can fuck over the most innocent people."
"They have their own forces...? How many are there? How strong are they?"
"In this country right now, probably around 20,000 or so. It doesn't sound like a lot considering the near half a billion people that live here, but all of them are in the upper echelon when it comes to their abilities. Even the weak trainees are in the 0.5%. They're by far the strongest force in the world, just their top 1,000 Agents could take it over within days. The Agents are fully aware of this too, which is why they act the way they do and why the DCP is the parasite it is. This bullshit doesn't just apply to this place either, they're worldwide now. Since most countries don't have the resources to create their own forces, the government will chat them up and offer some of our agents in exchange for incentives, whatever those may be."
"And why does the government allow them to be that way? Surely-"
"-Because they have no power of their own to stop them. Just one of their Chaos Agents ranked in the top 200 or so can wipe out entire armies. They can't do anything about it. Not to mention, thanks to all the private funding the DCP gets, they have the money to bribe politicians and support candidates who will even further loosen up the leash the government has on them. It's all so fucked, you cant even consider them a government agency anymore. They act like their own country, the only thing American about them is their personnel. If they ever indoctrinate them to stop being as such, then we're all fucked."
"...I see. So it seems like this country is doomed to fall, is that correct?"
"Yeah. And once it does, it wont be long until the rest of the world follows."
"I understand. You know... I might..."
"Might what? what's happening?"
"...Never mind. It appears that my memories are still foggy. In any case, I imagine your goal is to stop the DCP, correct?"
"Not just stop, I want to destroy them. And all of their billionaire supporters. I don't wanna stop there though, I said it before didn't I? All of these fuckin' systems at all levels that keep people like me down in the gutter, I want them all to burn."
"Your resolve is still as strong as ever. Even after last night, you didn't seem all that phased taking those lives. It's quite admirable, in a way."
"Well, for a bit I was. I didn't really show it, though. I'm not that expressive when it comes to stuff like that. I guess... when we killed those Herreras... I did feel guilt because of how we just butchered them without any hesitation or warning. But at the same time, these people have made life hell for me recently. They've made hell for tons of others in this town as well. I'm sure you can tell, but I've got a lot of hate in my heart right now. I think it's because of the hate I have for them that I was able to take them all out and not put myself in a mental crisis because of it."
"So in essence, you don't feel bad about taking lives that you harbor hatred for?
"Basically, yeah. I know it's toxic... and it doesn't make me look any better compared to the Herreras or the DCP and whatever. But I've simply run out of care for ethics like that. Less than fifteen hours ago I was crawling in a pool of my own blood in a dirty and dark alley, as my would-be killers joked and danced around me. All because they just felt like doing it. When you go through some shit like that... you don't just come out of it and not want to burn the society around you. You don't just refrain from murdering them for the sake of not being like them. Nothing much else seems to matter."
"I see. Well, it'd do you good to maintain that mindset until your goal has been achieved. Your enemies are tough and ruthless, you cannot hope to defeat them with simply justice. You must prove your right of existence and let them know it's not to be trampled on. I'll be with you every step of the way, naturally."
"Thanks, Oborus. Anyway, I think that's enough about me. You promised last night that you'd give me a little more background about yourself. Let's hear it, you can talk on the way."
"...On the way? Where are we headed?"
"To grab breakfast. You have any meal preferences? Or do you eat bugs or some shit?"
"Oh, none in particular. Although I do like to consume others' Vitality, if that counts."
"You... what? Yeah, sounds like you've got a lot to tell me, dude."
Damian stopped leaning on the balcony rail and walked back inside, shutting the door behind him.
He left the motel building a few minutes later, heading out the front entrance and began making his way towards the sidewalk. He opened up the maps app on his phone and looked for a place to eat. He found a donut store about a 20 minute walk away, and began following the directions to get there.
"Alright then, it's gonna be a little trip to get there. In the meantime, lets talk." Damian communicated with Oborus in his head.
"That is fine with me. What do you need answered?" he responded.
"First of all, how old are you really? Because it doesn't look like you know the world all that well, and I remember you talking about some shit about returning."
"Well, if my memories were intact, I could provide a more exact answer. However, all I can remember about my past is the environment I was in. Compared to the world today, it was totally barren. The natural world covered everything, the people never developed cities quite like this one. Their clothing was also far more simple and revealing. Apparently, this place I originate from was called Ecuador as I have recently figured out. Would you happen to know where that is?"
"You're Ecuadorian? Hell yeah dude, same here. I thought I'd never run into another one in this city. But anyways, based on what you're saying, you probably lived in an ancient time. Before Ecuador was Ecuador in the first place. So you might be some hundreds or thousands of years old. As for where it is, it's way down south of here, like a few thousand miles south. And no, we're not going there. Shits too expensive."
"Possibly a few thousand years old... I can definitely believe that. I also received a similar answer on where Ecuador is from someone else. He never told me what a mile was though."
"It's just a measure for distance we use. To make it simpler for you, if I talk about a place tens or hundreds of miles away, it's probably within the country. But if it's thousands of miles away, it's on a entirely different part of the world."
"I see, thank you for the information."
"Okay, next. How do you understand English so well? You lived in a time where it hadn't even existed yet, but you understand basically everything I tell you."
"That is because I simply have the gift of being able to communicate with all humans. I don't know any human languages and what they mean, which is why I may have some questions regarding certain topics. But I can create conversation easily with anyone simply because I am able to."
"It's a gift? Who gave it to you?"
"I'm not sure myself. But as far as my memories take me back at the moment, I have always had this ability."
"Ain't that just real informative, eh. Well whatever, speaking of abilities, I've got another question. Regarding the whole transformation shit, why does it have multiple powers? As far as I know, it can move very fast, charge up powerful jumps, and transform its limbs into blades. Is it just your Vitality at work or is it something else?"
"Like mentioned before, the being itself is a result of our bond. It envelops you inside of it as a means to protect you. As for it's powers, it is a result of my own Vitality. I have the ability to consume others' power, and use it as my own. The powers the being has at its disposal are Vitalities that I have taken. I used to have much more, but it seems like they were lost in my time sealed away."
"Consume...? Oh right, you told me that you like doing that. How exactly does it work?"
"If I place my hand on my target's heart, I can begin siphoning both their Spiritual Energy and Vitality. It courses into my body and then into my heart, where it then becomes mine. Since Spiritual Energy is a primary source for life, the target will die as a result. Normally, I am very selective and hesitant when it comes to using it."
"Jesus... that sounds broken. But why hesitate using it? It can't be because of the death aspect, you don't seem like the type to care based on the previous night we had."
"I hesitate because of two aspects. Taking ones Vitality is akin to taking their soul, their existence. I don't recall having an issue with this before, but now for some reason I find the idea troubling. The other reason I hesitate, is because it was my overuse of the ability which led to me being sealed away."
"Oh, I see."
"There is more as well, the Vitality I take will always return to it's base awakening strength, which means any training the target did to power it up will not translate. In order to strengthen it again, I'd have to undergo my own training. In addition, I won't ever have access to it's Vital move."
"...Damn. When you put it like that, it makes it sound like the worst thing ever. Despite that, it's still better than what I have... which is nothing at all."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm talkin' about Vitality, foo. I don't have that, never did and probably never will. I know it's the same for most people in the world, but still. It just annoys me, knowing that I could have the ability to be strong but I'm just too weak and lazy to put in the work."
"Even so, you have me now, correct? My power even in the weakened state I'm in is more than what most people get after training their whole lives. I wouldn't stress too much over matters like that."
"I know... I'm definitely not complaining about the power you've given me. I'm just mulling over the fact that it's not my power, it's borrowed from you. I don't even control the transformation directly either, I just tell it what to do and it does the work for me. I kinda' hate that. it makes me feel so damn coddled. I just want to have something that is only a result of my own work and ideas. Something for people to recognize me for. That's all, really."
"Well, in that case there is still no need to fret. You are still young, there's plenty of time to awaken something of your own. Besides, you already have the correct mindset and convictions necessary in awakening Vitality. Continue to fight for what you truly believe in, I'll be with you for every battle."
"I guess you're right. But there's still one last thing I have to ask you."
"What is it?"
"There are millions, maybe even billions of people out there who are just like me. They suffer from the same problems I do, some may even have it worse in some cases. As it stands now, they'll never be able to even hope of freeing themselves from those problems. In other words, those people need your kind of power and guidance in their lives just as much as I do. Despite that... you chose me. You found me. Why did you choose me? Who am I to you, Oborus?"
Oborus remained silent, as Damian kept walking forward.
"...Oborus? You there?"
"Yes, I'm sorry. I'm just finding the correct words to say. It's... well it could be a rather surprising story for you. Are you certain you want to hear it?"
"Of course dude, that's why I asked. It's important for me to know."
"Well, if it's as you wish, then I shall tell you. Long ago, in my past life, I shared a connection with a woman. It was similar to the one that I share with you now. However, I lost a fight. A rather crucial, and fate-altering fight. It resulted in me having no choice but to end the bond between us. Before that was severed though, I made a vow to her. A vow that I shall remember her heart, that one day I'll return to protect her blood once again. Damian, you share her same heart. The same rhythm and flow. You are her blood, you are her family, you're her descendant. I am not inhabiting you out of pity, chance, or for experimentation. I inhabit you because it is my purpose. It is my job to protect and to guide you, and I promise, I will not let you perish even if I have to make a sacrifice. You can count on that."
Damian stayed quiet to take in everything that had been said to him. At this point, he had stopped walking and stood still on the sidewalk.
"Damn, that's... that's crazy." was the only response he could think of.
"You... you're not exactly the brightest one around, are you?" Oborus said, with a mix of confusion and amusement.
"Well- nah not really actually. But I understood what you meant, it's just..."
"It's just...?"
"It's just a lotta pressure now, y'know? Out of the sheer amount of people this could've happened to, it happened to me. It's like fate or some shit. Now I gotta' worry about livin' up to it, to you and to the world really. Not too long ago I was an unemployed random just screwin' around without a care... now I've got this ancient grandpa in my head gassin' me up to take down the worlds elites and whatnot. It's a lot to process in such a short amount of time, you feel me?"
"I see how you can feel that way. Just remember, I will not pressure you to do anything. I am just here to protect you and be your guide in life. You still have full control on where you want to go and what you want to do with yourself. If the path of getting to your goal gets too rough for you to handle, you can back out at any time. I will support whatever decision you may make."
"Yeah... 'preciate it, gramps. But my mindset and my goals aren't gonna change anytime soon. I've been through the shit already, and I'm not going back into it ever again. I'm truly sick of the way I've been treated my whole life, like I don't exist and that I'm just a statistic rather than a person. I'm gonna show the whole world that I'm here, no matter what it takes to do it. Believe me."
"I do, Damian. There will never be a time where I won't."
"Thanks, gramps."
"And one more thing... why is it you are referring to me as a grandfather now? Is my name too much of a mouthful to you?"
"Hm? It's 'cause you're an old man, foo. You've been around for ages now, even if you were asleep or some shit for a bunch of the time. You were also with my ancestor, said so yourself. It makes you like my distant grandpa. Doesn't it?"
"Are... are you implying that I was romantically involved with her...?"
"I don't know, were you? You're the only one around who could possibly know."
"No, I wasn't. At least I don't remember doing that... my memories are still so foggy."
"Well in any case, I'll stick to calling you gramps. I like giving people nicknames n' shit. Besides, you haven't proved that you didn't bang my ancestor quite yet. So until then, you're my grandpa by technicality."
"...Fine then, if it's as you wish."
"That's the spirit gramps. You and me are in this shit together now. We're just two fools and a dream. So let's get along, yeah?"
"I wouldn't really consider myself a fool, but... yes. Let us continue to bond. Whatever the destination may be, whatever journey we have to make, the enemies we may face and the allies we meet on the way, we will push through. Our goals will be attained by the both of us. Let us go, Damian. Glory awaits us both."
"...We're just going to the donut store... foo."
...
Later that night in a town named Belleview...
The woman who visited the alley drove her bike into a small plaza. She pulled into an open parking spot out front of a fitness center named HCSA. She got off the bike and walked around the building, heading for the backdoor. After checking her surroundings, she walked through and shut the door behind her.
She entered a hallway that was undecorated and brightly lit. She proceeded to a grey door towards the end of the hall, which was labeled with a rectangular white sticker saying "CONFERENCE ROOM". She adjusted her hat and walked through.
In the room, there were two other people present, both were women. One woman sat on a chair by the wall, she was big and muscular, with tied up blonde hair and brown eyes. She wore a brown hoodie and gym shorts with a pair of scrunched white socks and slides. She looked like she just finished up a workout. The other woman sat at a desk, using a laptop. She was also pretty tall, and had short black hair with dark brown eyes. She wore glasses with a black knitted long-sleeved shirt and grey slacks, looking very professional.
The blonde woman spoke up when she walked in, "Hey there Lei. How'd things go today?"
"Hey, Tess. Business as usual, I suppose. Both the Herrera's and Reapah haven't made any moves yet. But, due to recent events, that could change." she responded.
"Yeah, sure looks that way. Whoever did that shit just lit a fuse, now were all just waiting for the explosion." Tess said.
"Mhm, tell me about it. Well Anne, what about you? Any news for us?" Leanna asked the woman at the desk, as she sat down on a chair across from Tess.
"Yes, just give me a moment. I'm setting up some footage that I think would interest the both of you." the woman responded, her name was Anne.
"Does Yvonne know what we're doing? Or are we keeping this between us for now?" Tess also asked Anne.
"We're keeping all this between us three. Due to the fact she lives in Reapah territory, she could get compromised by the gang if she participates. I've already made this clear with her. Anyways, come here. I've got something to show you."
Both Leanna and Tess got up out of their chairs and walked over to Anne's desk. She turned around her laptop to face the two and played a clip from a CCTV camera.
"Watch closely. It's fast, but I think we've got a culprit." she said.
The footage displayed a street at night, there was no activity. That was until a black silhouette rushed by the camera in a flash.
"Woah, the hell was that?" Tess asked.
"Our prime suspect. Let me get you a closer look." Anne replied.
Anne replayed the footage and paused it on the silhouette. She zoomed in on it and allowed the two to burn the memory in their heads.
"What the hell? That doesn't look like a person to me..." Leanna said.
"Well, whatever this is, it was seen bolting away from that one crime scene at the basketball court. Just two minutes after the initial firefight was heard. It's heading in the same direction where the second crime scene is at, the cul-de-sac where eleven Herrera's were found dead. This was all in the span of ten minutes." Anne explained.
"Ten minutes?! Fuck... this had to be planned, right? That's so much death in so little time..." Tess said.
"I think the part we should be focusing on is the power on this thing. It's terrifying, those were two places with tons of Herrera firepower. If this thing actually did kill all of them... not only did it butcher them but it did it extremely quickly." Leanna spoke.
"If you look closely, you can see some kind of reddish light emanating from parts of its body and its face. That red and black color combo is staple to only one gang in this city, Reapah. Whoever or whatever this thing is, we have good reason to think they might be involved with them." Anne further explained.
"So... what's on us to do? Find it? Fight it? I mean we're strong, but with this thing's speed and power, it might be a tall task won't it?" Tess asked.
"I want you two to be on the lookout. If you can, try and confront it. Figure out it's motivations and whatnot. Only fight when it's absolutely necessary. Because if the Herrera's find out that this thing could be with Reapah, they will start a war. And it wont be pretty for anybody living in the area." Anne replied.
"We'll try, but that thing is fast. Even if we find it, just getting to it is a whole other challenge." Leanna said.
"All I'm asking for right now is that you try. Remember, a lot of innocent lives could be at risk here, lives that your people have, Leanna. Keep them in mind, like you always have. Anyway, that is all that I wanted to discuss for now. Since it's getting late, you can both go home now. Get some rest, you'll need it." Anne told the two.
"Alright then, thanks Anne. I'll let you know if anything comes up. You discover anything new, just give me a call. See you tomorrow. You too, Lei." said Tess, as she headed for and walked out the door.
Leanna gave a small wave goodbye and turned back to Anne.
"So, about yesterday. Did you find out whatever happened to him? That guy?" Leanna asked her.
"Oh, black hoodie? No, unfortunately not. The footage was too blurry, and his face was covered by the hood. So I wasn't able to ID him. You did say that he wasn't found in that alley though, right? Maybe he escaped before that thing got to him." Anne replied.
"Yeah, maybe so. It's just..."
"...It's just that you would feel bad if something did happen to him, right? I know. He was probably from the same town you come from. The town whose people you swore to protect. Listen, I know this world may lead you to think otherwise, but just look on the bright side. There was no body, correct? And no other innocent was harmed either. So don't lose sleep over it. If you keep mulling over it, you'll only create more problems for yourself by not being able to work as effectively and save lives. You got that girl?"
"Yeah, you're right. I'll try not to think about it."
"Cool. Anyways, I gotta' get myself home too. I have some interview preparations to take care of, so I need to get started on that."
"Wait, interview prep? With who?"
"Well, we needed a new instructor to help us with the members while we're occupied with all this Local Guard work. So I posted an application online to see if anybody wanted to pick up the job. I got a call from a guy who was interested in it yesterday. I think he said his name was Damian. Anyways, he'll be here this Friday at 12:00 for an interview. Make sure to treat him nicely, will you? He'll be doing us a big favor."
"Wait, you're hiring a man as an instructor? Did you talk to your mother about this? I imagine she wouldn't be very pleased..."
"It'll be fine. Besides, with the amount of shit we'll have to deal with in the future? We need all the help we can get here right now. Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow, 'kay? Take care of yourself, things are gonna' get real interesting from here on out." Anne said, as she walked out the door.
Leanna stood there alone in the middle of the room for a few moments, processing everything.
"Things are gonna' get interesting, huh? Sure sounds like it." she thought to herself.
She moved towards the door to leave, shutting off the lights before walking out of the room. She entered the hallway towards the backdoor and began thinking to herself again.
"I'll focus on patrolling my hometown for now. La Familia is definitely pissed about everything that happened last night, it wont be long until they make a move. I need to be prepared for whatever they may try and do, because Anne is right. With how they're acting recently, innocent lives are gonna be at stake here. If I'm too slow and something ends up happening to my people, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself."
She made it to the backdoor leading out of the building. But before she walked out, she began thinking about the man who was coming in this Friday.
"So the new guy's name is Damian, I think there was a kid I knew back in high school with the same name, could he be the same dude...? I dunno, probably not. There's a bunch of Damians out there anyway. I'll try not to hit him too hard if we ever spar together."
With that, Leanna walked out the door and shut it firmly behind her.