"Alright, Erica. How do you feel about this, so far?"
"I think... it's going good."

Erica's voice was shaky, unsure. She sounded like she'd been crying. She averted her eyes from Miss Planner's icy stare and looked at the ground instead. The two women from the research division were taking a break from the dreary underground lab. Erica was sitting on a bench with her arms folded in her lap, and little Miss Planner was pacing around here and there with a lit Rampage cigarette in her tiny mouth. Nobody else was around.

"No, how do you feel, really?"
"I feel... overwhelmed. That was scary," she admitted in a quiet whisper. "I thought that thing was going to eat you. You- you're insane. I was really worried about you... It felt like I should go over there with you but... I was scared. I couldn't move... I'm sorry. I'm glad you're okay."

Miss Planner walked over to the mousy woman and patted her shoulder with a gentle smile.

"I'm fine," she said in her usual self-assured tone. "It's not your job to protect me. It's your job to learn from me. I can take care of myself."
"...yes, Miss Planner."

"That Feeder is most likely going to be dead within the week. That's why we have to get as much data on it as possible. They're all different, you know."
"I know," she squeaked. "How many... how many Feeders have you worked with?"

"This is the second one I've had the pleasure to work with. I saw one in the field when I was just starting, but we couldn't capture it, and we ended up destroying it with explosives. The Pit Kings sent us one a while after that. That one was mean. It did not want to cooperate with us in any way... it was male, too, and more human-like than the one we have now. Sadly, it only lasted for two days after we got it. They never live very long."
"Wow..."

Miss Planner sucked in a chestful of nasty Rampage smoke and blew it out her mouth. The vapor persistently clung to the air, swaying in front of her face as she spoke.

"I'll let you in on a little secret. The Feeder isn't even close to the most dangerous thing we have in there. Once you're a little further along in your training, I'll show you what I mean."

Erica shuddered slightly.
"R-really?"

"You're going to be managing that lab soon enough, at least on the days Dr. Tuske isn't available. You're going to need to know how to deal with every single monster we have in there."
"...are you trying to scare me?"

Miss Planner chuckled.

"Maybe. But it's not bad to be scared, sometimes. Fear can save your life. If something goes wrong, I want you to get to safety before you even think about helping anyone else."
The timid girl nodded reservedly. Miss Planner passed her the lit Rampage cigarette which only had a few hits left. Erica brought it to her lips and took a deep breath. The disgusting chemical smoke stung her nose and throat. She coughed, bringing tears to the corners of her eyes, but she kept puffing away.

"Good girl," said Miss Planner. "Remember, a little fear, a little anxiety... it can be a good motivator. Anxiety can show you things other people don't want to see and guide you towards solving your problems. Just don't let it get in the way of your work. Get those nerves of yours working for you instead of against you. If you ever need to calm down, take a smoke break... managers get to take as many breaks as they want, as long as the work gets done. Do you feel calm right now?"
"Yes," Erica said. She exhaled a cloud of thick black fumes and gave Miss Planner a small smile. Miss Planner seemed satisfied with the answer, and she patted her tiny manager-in-training on the head like a dog.

"Alrighty then. Ready to get back to work?"
"I'm ready. Are we going back down to the lab?"

"I was considering it, but I think Dalton's team has it handled... I had something else in mind for you today. A new project I've been working on. We're going to go to my office and I’ll tell you everything there."
"Okay."

Erica walked behind Miss Planner through the Tower, admiring her tiny boss's beauty as she went. Her long blonde hair bounced around her shoulders as if it were alive. Her clothes fit perfectly, showing off all of her curves without being too revealing. She was wearing a dark blue button-up shirt with long sleeves and a simple but elegant black skirt that stopped just above the knees. The cuteness of the outfit contrasted sharply with Miss Planner's fierce demeanor. She had the body of a little girl, but the mind of a military strategist.

Erica wondered what it was like to work as hard as Miss Planner did every day. To come in before everyone else each and every morning, to always be available for business calls and urgent meetings, to never take a vacation... she couldn't imagine it. But she had never heard Miss Planner complain about her responsibilities, not once in four years of working alongside her. No wonder she was the most successful manager in the entire organization.

Erica suspected she would probably never achieve anything as great as what Miss Planner had already accomplished, but she hoped someday to do at least half the things her hero could. Maybe ten or twenty years from now?

She walked in silence with a slight bounce on the balls of her feet, trying as much as possible to emulate the confident stride that made Miss Planner look so calm and composed. Before she even realized it, they reached Miss Planner's office on the top floor. The tiny tyrant groped for the lights, opening up the door and revealing to Erica that the floor of her office was covered with strangely colorful suits of armor.

"Uhh... Miss Planner, what are these?"
"These are called Soul Shells. Would you like to put yours on now, or would you rather see me in one first? I assure you it's not going to be uncomfortable at all. This is the third generation of prototypes. Here... feel it. Isn't it soft?"

"Eep!"
"We're about the same height, so it should fit snugly."
"I... I don't want to wear it!"