Chapter 28 – A Stressful Day
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Miss Planner was finishing up her work for the day in her office. The room was cold and dark, lit only by the dim glow of the computer monitor.

The tiny blonde woman sat cross-legged on the carpet in front of a big blue tarp, experimenting with a new type of psychic material the research division developed. It was a special type of plastic that absorbed psychic energy from its surroundings. She had spent most of her day testing the material's capabilities and limitations, trying to find a way to make effective use of it. Unfortunately, she hadn't made much progress. Miss Planner sighed, disappointed in herself.

"Ugh... I can't believe how tired I am."

Miss Planner rested her head on the soft carpet. Her blonde hair was disheveled, limp, and dirty.

"What a drag."

Miss Planner wondered if she was going to pass out from exhaustion. This was the first time in a while she'd expended so much psychic energy in one sitting, and it was taking an immense toll on her. She could barely even move. The tiny blonde tyrant rolled over onto her side and closed her eyes. It didn't take long before she fell asleep.

Her dream was peaceful. There wasn't any fighting or worrying about the future of the Chosen Ones. In her dream, Miss Planner was a child again, playing with her friends in a lush green field. They all smiled at her and cheered her on as they played tag and chased each other around. As she played they whispered things like "You're so lucky to be chosen!" to each other.

"Hehehe... I know..."

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

Miss Planner was startled awake. She sat up, rubbing her eyes, momentarily confused about where she was. The door to Miss Planner's office opened without any warning, revealing a strange, skinny man in a white button-up shirt and black slacks. He was holding two backpacks that were full to bursting.

"Taking... a nap? How cute. Cough."
"Black Smoke!"

Black Smoke held his hand out to help Miss Planner to her feet. She took his arm and stood up slowly.

"I'm all done... with my little job. Hahaha. I brought some gifts back... cough."

Black Smoke set his backpacks on Miss Planner's desk and unzipped them. They were filled with unlabeled plastic bottles. Black Smoke grinned at Miss Planner, who was still looking a bit groggy.

"The Controllers' secret weapon... Cloud. For you, hahaha."
"You work fast. It's only been a couple of days."

"Rrrghh. I thought... it would take a lot longer, but I got lucky. The Controllers don't like to change locations... if they can help it. Haaah. I happened to know where one of their bases was. Cough. It was a little rough, but... "

Black Smoke pulled out a bottle and unscrewed the cap. It was filled with tiny white pills. Miss Planner stretched her arms above her head and yawned. Her body ached all over. It felt like all of her bones were going to crack open.

"Incredible work. I knew you had great potential, Black Smoke."
"Hahaha... thanks. Cough. What were you doing... in here?"

"Ugh. The research division came up with a new type of psychic material, and I was testing it out."
"Cough. Psychic... material?"

"It's plastic that contains a minuscule quantity of aura. The idea is, it'll try to absorb psychic power from its surroundings continually since it can't store any more. I thought we might be able to use it to defend against enemy attacks somehow, but just being around this stuff makes me tired. It feels like there are weights on my shoulders. Ugghhh..."

"Cough. You need... to learn your limits. Let the men handle things. Hahaha. Leave it all to us, okay? We're capable of anything. Alright? Cough."
"Hehehe. Do you want to go get dinner in the cafeteria? My treat."

"Grrrgh. It's a little late... but I'm pretty hungry. Cough. Guess I could eat something, at least. Hahaha."
"Give me just a second."

Miss Planner gently picked up the edges of the big blue tarp and tied them together into a knot. She then folded it over once or twice and put it away in her office closet. After that, she turned off her computer and guided Black Smoke out of the office, locking the door behind her. The two psychics took the elevator down to the second floor and walked across the hall to the cafeteria.

It was hard to tell when he was standing still, but Black Smoke was completely exhausted, too. He walked unsteadily as if his legs didn't quite belong to him anymore. Miss Planner must have noticed because she offered him her arm. Black Smoke accepted the offer and let himself lean on Miss Planner for support.

"You're tired too, huh? Hehehe. Let's see how you feel after you eat something."
"Yeah... I'm feeling a little faint... cough. It's a good thing... I'm staying here in the Tower. Hahahahaha!"

Miss Planner giggled as she led Black Smoke to a table near the entrance of the cafeteria and sat him down.

"What do you want to eat? Tonight they have... let's see. Hmm..."
"Cough. I don't care. Just give me whatever."

Black Smoke sighed, his voice full of resignation. Miss Planner grabbed them each a hamburger and fries with a soda to drink. She took a seat beside Black Smoke and smiled while she watched her adorable subordinate eat his meal.

"Cough. It's good..."
"Easy, now. You don't want to choke."
"Hahaha! Heh... cough. Hahaha!"

Black Smoke slowly chewed his food. His eyes were half-closed.

"Hey, Black Smoke. You did a good job today. None of the people in our security division could have done that, and you made it happen in a snap."
"Cough. That's why I'm so tired... cough."

"I'm grateful. I feel like I can really trust you now. If there's anything I can do for you, don't hesitate to tell me. I want you to know that you can ask me for anything, even if it seems like a silly request."

Black Smoke swallowed another bite of burger and looked up at the ceiling.

"Haaah. Thank you... Miss Planner... thank you. Hahaha. Cough. I was scared today... Cough... it was really hard.... hahhhh...."

The young man's words were slurred. Miss Planner wiped some ketchup from his chin with her napkin.

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