Read A/N after this chapter

~~~

"I recognize that fabric and use of material. The symbol on the padding. It's her signature." Jamison eyed Decha suspiciously.

Decha swore under his breath.

Just like that, he'd been caught.

"She made them for me," Decha admitted and Jamison's eyes widened. Jamison didn't want to believe it, but he knew Rory. The girl was stubborn. She was very naive and always wanted to do things for others despite her condition preventing her.

Jamison knew that Rory had a bad habit of always wanting to be involved. But the trait was beneficial because she was always observant. "She bothered you..." Jamison clenched his fists. "She'll never learn... she's always rambling about her gadgets..."

"I'm grateful to her." Decha raised his fist and turned them under the light. "These saved my life."

"But won't she get in trouble for it? Messing around with inventions unauthorized is against the law."

"These aren't weapons..." Decha voiced. "She'll be okay."

"Could you please deliver a message? Tell her that I'm worried, but don't mention how I look right now. Tell her that I love her."

Now that Jamison was released, it would be easier for the two to communicate. Decha didn't want to, but there was no excuse he could use to refuse. Decha sighed and slid a small tablet that was sitting on the table across. Then he pointed at it.

"Tell her yourself. Write a letter. I'll give it to her."

"... Are you sure?"

"I haven't lied to you before." Decha frowned. "Hurry, before I change my mind."

Jamison eyed Decha a moment longer. He was hesitant. But he did start writing and smiled to show the deep appreciation that he finally had the chance to.

~~~

Decha was about to be on his way when Theodore requested to see him. When he walked into the office, he was very surprised to see that it wasn't only his father, but one of the council members.

Kanemaru Stein. The head of construction. If anything were to be built, it needed to be approved by this guy. But something was telling Decha that he wasn't there to discuss building projects.

"Stein," Decha saluted him respectfully and glanced at Theodore.

"You look exhausted." Kanemaru smiled softly. "Reminds me of my boy before he went off to train."

Decha didn't respond, so Theodore chimed in. "I've approved the request to send Jamison away, but I contacted Kanemaru to find a secluded location."

"There's no need for that." Decha shook his head. "We already have a place ready for Jamison to stay."

"Don't joke with me, N96. N9899 wouldn't tell me specific details other than Strout's area. I can't accept it unless I know where you'll be stashing him."

"I can't, and I won't tell you. It's for the greater good. All you have to do is trust me." Decha shot back.

"So, I called Stein up for nothing?" Theodore hissed. "Is it your purpose to make my job harder, N96?"

"It's alright." Kanemaru motioned for the two to calm down. "I came because I had something to drop off."

"Did you?" Decha murmured.

Kanemaru reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black box. Theodore eyed it in surprise, knowing exactly what it contained. Kanemaru opened it and a small gold pin with a beautiful tiny gem stored in the making shone brightly.

He carefully picked it up and stepped forward.

It was a star pin.

"May I?" Kanemaru smiled.

Decha hunched over and let him attach the pin to his cap.

"Diligence. It's a trait that Astell strives for." Kanemaru straightened out Decha's uniform. "It's been 2 months and you're still on this grand case, but the Council wants to express their gratitude for the work you're doing. The pin was made because you've proven that there is a greater evil behind the case. But from now on, our trust is in you."

"I don't know what to say," Decha stated honestly. He already earned so many pins that it was just like another object added to his collection."

"You're the 6th General ever since the 5th war to have 16 pins. With your potential, you may surpass 20." Kanemaru patted him on the back. "Keep it up. And by the way, I'll contact you a bit later. It's about the tunnel idea, near the border."

Decha nodded.

"Stay safe." Kanemaru saluted Decha in return and said his goodbyes to Theodore.

When he was gone, there was an awkward silence between the two men. Theodore wasn't sure what to say. He wanted to congratulate Decha, but the worries about the case prevented him.

"Keep focused, N96." Theodore stepped toward his window and looked at the cityscape. "Astell can't afford to lose. There is too much at stake. I really do pray that you know what you're doing."

Theodore looked over his shoulder with a scowl, and Decha avoided his eyes. Decha also wasn't sure how to respond. The new achievement was nice and shiny, but he felt it was too soon to accept it.

"I do." Decha clenched his fists. "I'm going to catch Deliverance. And... I'm going to kill him."

"Bring him alive..." Theodore refused, "We need to show Astell who the real mastermind is."

"If we leave him alive, he could escape."

"Not if you watch him closely." Theodore smiled. "I know you better than you think, boy. You thirst for blood. But please think it through. His reputation will be ruined once you reveal his face. Shame itself will put him out of his misery."

"Uh-huh."

"Tomorrow I'll be making an official statement regarding the release of Jamison. I'll announce it publicly in front of Council Square. It'll be broadcasted... I need you to be on the lookout."

"Will do." Decha nodded.

"You're dismissed."

Decha left the office without another word. The two both had words on their mind that they wanted to say, but pride was preventing them from being direct.

Instead of dwelling on it, Decha went to prepare for Jamison's departure. Because he knew eyes were on the Agency, he had to come up with a route that was full of detours and turns to confuse Deliverance.

Astell was very open and spacious compared to The Brackets, but there were some underground tunnels that Decha knew were safe to take. Strout's apartment wasn't too far from the Agency.

He knew because all high-ranked generals knew where all Council members resided. It was a safety precaution.

Later in the day, Decha had a steady route in place. He uploaded it into the pod's GPS ahead of time. Decha stayed at the back of the building, waiting for both Jax and Amir to meet with him as they scheduled.

Amir was on time. He walked out of the Agency with Jamison in front and cuffed. He was quiet. Amir wasn't trying to make any type of ruckus that would alarm the reporters on the other side.

Amir quickly nudged Jamison toward the pod, before shooting a questioning glance at Decha. He wasn't sure if doing this was right. Decha's nod reassured him somewhat.

"Did you see N9899 on your way out?"

"That kid," Amir scoffed. "He said he'd meet us there. He's got a lot of nerve treating us like we're a delivery service."

"He's often distracted, but he's reliable," Decha mumbled while opening the pod's doors. Jamison slid inside and chose to stay quiet. There was nothing for him to contribute to the conversation. He was just amazed at how normal the tone of their speech was with each other.

"One thing about you, Decha, that pisses me off. You're irritated easily, but somehow manage to find good in people that annoy you."

"Do I?" Decha closed the pod doors behind him once they were all inside and pressed the buttons on the display. The pod started. "I haven't noticed."

Because Amir pointed it out, Decha recognized that he had been one to compliment or defend someone if he got to know them well. Maybe it was a sign of weakness. Maybe he was slowly changing for the better.

Decha rested his head against the seat and crossed his arms. "We'll be there in 15 minutes."

~~~

The building was very secure. There were Generals stationed all around the entrance and it was a problem. Decha had to send a few of them back to the Agency. The fewer Generals there were, the better.

Deliverance would know to find Jamison in the most heavily guarded places. Decha did not want any attention being brought to this building. They even had to enter through the back so the apartment office wouldn't see.

The three men took an elevator to the top floor, where Strout's penthouse was located. When the doors opened, Jamison's jaw dropped.

"Holy heavens," Jamison coughed.

Amir whistled and stepped inside first. "Looks like Jarvis Strout loved living in luxury. This place looks better than your house, Decha."

Decha glossed over the entire room. Even he thought it looked better decorated than his house. There was so much gold everywhere. Golden pillars, golden rails, golden painted wooden furniture.

In the living room was a wide-open entertainment area with a large TV. By the window was a golden grand piano with a golden chandelier above it. The window showed an amazing view.

"Where's N9899?" Decha said, bringing Amir back to focus. Amir shrugged in response.

Before any of them could say another word, a woman wrapped in nothing but a towel walked in from the bathroom. When she saw the three men, she screeched.

Jamison immediately covered his eyes, but Decha and Amir stood in shock.

"Did we walk into the wrong place?" Decha whispered to Amir.

Although her hair was wet and on her face, Decha recognized her. "N927?" He voiced suspiciously.

"What are you doing here!?" Abigail hid her body behind the sofa, angry that they had just barged in.

"Meeting N9899," Decha placed his hands on his hips. "Why are YOU here?"

"Uh..." Abigail stuttered.

"Are you lost?" Amir smirked at her. "Or are you another General stationed but decided to go off duty for a shower?"

"I'm not on duty, dastard. Don't you try and tarnish my reputation!"

"You're standing here naked in front of 3 men. Consider your reputation tarnished." Amir voiced flirtatiously at her.

"Back off, mink!" Abigail rolled her eyes at him.

As if on cue, Jax sprinted in from behind them and frowned when he saw Abigail. He rushed over to her and shielded her body from the others. "You guys came earlier than expected."

"We're on schedule." Decha narrowed his eyes. "Why is she here? What's going on between you two?"

"Nothing!" The both of them voiced in sync.

"Oh my god, they're spending the night together," Amir concluded.

"That's not true!" Jax shouted at Amir.

"Your hair is wet too, N9899," Amir pointed out. "You were both together. You guys are—" Amir smirked. "You can't hide it anymore. That's why you wanted to come earlier."

Decha still didn't understand, but the hint in Amir's tone made it clear. Jax and Abigail were a couple. He wasn't sure how, but that was obviously the case. "I hate to ruin the mood, but you're supposed to lead us somewhere, N9899." Decha huffed.

Jax nodded and looked at Abigail one more time before gesturing at Decha to follow him. They walked in the opposite direction of the living room. At the entrance was another door.

Jax typed in a code and the door shifted open. They all got inside and the doors closed. It was a hidden elevator.

"So, you and Chauncey's daughter..." Decha chortled. "How did that happen?"

"I thought you weren't interested in anything outside of business. Mind your own," Jax rebuked, not in the mood for their teases.

"Decha isn't," Amir snickered, "he's just asking because he wants tips to deal with—"

"Shut up, Amir," Decha's tone darkened. If looks could kill, Amir would be 6 ft under.

Decha glanced at Jamison, a signal for Amir to keep his mouth closed. Decha didn't want Jamison to know that he and Rory were sort of... a thing.

"Oh, I see..." Amir wiggled his eyebrows and piped down. He was just happy to have something to tease both of them about.

The doors opened, revealing a very nice open lounge with a king-sized bed on the far end. There was a smaller entertainment area, a bar, and a kitchen. The bathroom was also there.

It wasn't as grand as the penthouse, but it was still very nicely decorated. Either way, Jamison felt that he was going to be spoiled by all the expensive things around him.

"We've arrived," Jax announced. "There's food in the fridge, if you can't cook, you'll have to improvise. The phones are locked, and so are the computers. Don't even think about contacting your boss."

"He's not my boss—" Jamison started, but Amir cut him off.

"If you think about it, I'll blow your head off." Amir gestured to the pistol in his belt. "N9899 and I are only going easy on you because of him," He pointed at Decha. "If you go out of your way to harm Astell again, I won't hesitate to kill you."

"Y-yes," Jamison nodded.

"What size clothes do you wear?" Decha walked over to the dresser and began searching through the drawers. All the clothes inside seemed to be Strout's size, but Jamison was bulkier.

"Men's extra large," Jamison mumbled.

"Buy him a change of clothes," Decha commanded Jax.

"What? Why me?" Jax glared.

"Because... you were late. And on top of that, you were unfocused." Decha shrugged. Jax looked to Amir who also shrugged.

"Tomorrow evening, we'll meet and discuss a game plan." Decha said to Jamison. "You're going to give us everything you know about Deliverance. And you're going to help us decipher his movements. Understood?"

Jamison nodded.

Decha softened his expression. "Eat, shower, and get rest. You're safer here than at the Agency."

When he had nothing else to say, he turned on his heel and walked back toward the hidden elevator. He typed in the code he saw Jax enter, and the doors shifted open. Amir followed Decha out.

~~~

"Mrs. Chen,"

"Rory," Jessica sighed, "I haven't told you, but I don't want you to be so formal with me. Just call me Jessica."

"Um... It's not on purpose. The law... well... uh... what's your General number? I can call you by that if you'd like?"

"Mmm..." Jessica smirked at Rory. "I won't tell you."

Jessica poked Rory's nose and leaned back on the couch. She was playing around with her tablet, shopping online. "What's your favorite color, sweetie?"

"Mine?" Rory blinked in surprise, "Blue."

"I think you'd look cute in this fit."

"That's an Astellian garb, isn't it?" Rory studied the screen.

It was a long blue gown with a white shawl draped over one shoulder of the mannequin. Rory looked at the price of it and cringed. The dress was worth over 100,000 Tekels.

"It is... this one is the latest style. I'm not sure why but Astellian women these days like to show their skin. Back in my day, our shoulders were covered. Men found it very attractive when our necks were hidden, but our figure would show in the fabric."

"I don't think an Astellian garb would be suited for me." Rory chortled nervously.

"You know what? Let's test that theory. I have a few dresses I'm not using."

"We're not the same size, Mrs. Chen," Rory crossed her arms and crouched.

"Don't call me Mrs. Chen, call me Jessica." Jessica huffed. "Do you think I only buy what's in my size? Sometimes I just like the gowns for the style. Follow me." Jessica threw her tablet aside and grabbed Rory's arm.

She led her up the staircase and into her bedroom. Rory felt awkward because she never dared to enter a room that was used by Mr. Chen. But Jessica dragged her in like it didn't matter.

Seeing all of Mr. Chen's things packed on one side of the room and Jessica's on the other made Rory very uneasy. What if Theodore walked in at any moment? She didn't want to imagine the reprimand she would receive from him.

"Try this one on," Jessica shoved a long dress in Rory's face. It snapped her out of her thoughts. She held the dress up and studied its detail. The color was blue and looked very similar to the one on the display.

But it was completely sleeveless. Jessica flicked a switch next to the large walk-in closet, and a curtain surrounded them both to shield Rory's body from any outsiders.

Rory began to strip awkwardly and placed the top of the garb on first. Jessica helped her fix the extra accessories by draping the scarf over one of her shoulders.

"I've always wanted to do this," Jessica teared up. Having a son meant she didn't do all the things she wanted to do with a daughter. She couldn't dress Decha up, and she stopped fixing his appearance when he was old enough to take care of himself. "It would be a miracle for me to do something like this for Decha,"

"Doesn't Decha have a garb too?"

"He does, but he doesn't wear it unless there is a major formal event he's invited to." Jessica explained, "Like a wedding, or an award ceremony, a matching Program, or the graduation from cadet training. Or when the Council organizes the annual tournaments for Generals."

"Wow," Rory was amazed. Sector A was full of celebrations, despite how they came across. She always thought that Astellians were strict and proper, always focused on grace.

She had been to one of the festivals, but POYO ruined that experience for her. The style of the garb didn't seem to fit Decha's personality. But maybe she'd like it if she actually got to see him wear it.

"Ungh!" Rory grunted when Jessica tied the long skirt around her waist.

"It has to be a bit tight."

"Why?"

"To show off those beautiful hips of yours." Jessica chuckled, and Rory felt blood rush to her face.

"So um... Jessica?"

"Yes, sweetie?"

"I know Decha's a bit... protective when it comes to me wanting to invent. But I had this idea... and I can't stop thinking about it."

"What's your idea?" Jessica pulled Rory's hair up into a ponytail and tried her best to wrap it with a hairpin she had. Rory felt her struggling and took the pin out of her hands, before doing it herself. She didn't want any of her hair falling out.

"It's about... Jax, his colleague..."

"Oh, dear, no," Jessica panicked. "Don't tell me you're giving up on Decha to go for that lower-ranked General. Not that his rank matters, but I promise you, Decha is very skilled... physically..."

"W-what? No..." Rory shook her head.

"Jax... Strout's son? He's a fine young man, but compared to Decha, he's a bit... too nice. Oh, heavens... who am I kidding? That might be why you like him! He's too nice! Decha isn't kind at all..."

"Jessica, that's not the case."

"If that's not the case, what is it then? Why are you thinking about him?"

"I'm worried about Astell as a whole. I want the Generals to give it their all to find the dastard who killed the refugees. And I noticed that Jax is a great marksman. But the way he handles his weapon is sloppy." Rory scrunched her nose as Jessica sprayed perfume on Rory.

"And you want to create a weapon for him?"

"Not a weapon..." Rory bit her lip nervously. She knew well that it was against the law. "I just want to create a magnet for him that could be connected with his weapon. It's so he doesn't lose it when fighting."

Jessica sighed. "Well... you know how Decha feels about it. It's not my place to tell you what to do. There are times when I don't cross the lines with him. My son has patience, but it can run thin."

"Well... maybe I don't have to create it myself. You have an additive manufacturing device—"

"Used for medical equipment only, Rory," Jessica intervened. "Listen, leave Astell in the hands of those who are meant to solve the crisis. Decha can handle it,"

"By himself?" Rory scoffed, "If we keep on pressuring Decha to solve all of our problems, won't he just break down in the future? Then who will save Astell? He needs a team... he needs the help...he needs..." Rory struggled with what to say next.

It didn't matter. The fact was, she felt Decha couldn't do it alone. She wanted to support him. She trusted him. But she didn't want him to be seriously hurt. Decha was tough, but he wasn't immortal. He felt pain like everyone else did.

"Have you tried telling Decha how you feel?"

"I try... but if I'm not direct enough with him, he doesn't get it. And it's not like I don't want to be direct, but every time I'm around him, I get nervous... and my words become gibberish." Rory admitted. "I feel so stupid."

"You're definitely not stupid," Jessica grabbed Rory's hand. "My boy can be intimidating. I blame myself... I raised him and he's always been very frank. A bit blunt too." Jessica tapped her hand. "But he listens well. There are times when I think he doesn't care, but in reality, he overthinks."

Rory knew that. Decha was a deep thinker. He never prevented her time to chat with him.

"Just tell him how you feel." Jessica pressed the button next to the closet again and the curtains drew back into their place. Rory was now out in the open with a stunning Astellian gown that fit her figure well.

"You look beautiful, Rory..." Jessica's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Decha won't be able to resist..." She mumbled to herself. "Try walking around..."

"Oh. Okay." Rory nodded and began to take a step forward. The moment her shoulders slouched, Jessica raised her palms and stopped her.

"Ah-ah! No. Shoulders back and raise your head high. I'll teach you how to wear it better. Follow my lead. Like this." Jessica fixed her stance and walked ahead. "Grab your skirt with one hand and look in front of you, not at the ground."

Rory copied her movement and did as she said. When she walked out of the room Jessica grinned wide. "That's it! Just like that! It's easier, right? This way you know where to step without looking at your feet all the time."

~~~

QUICK UPDATE: Recently, I've uploaded an old story (not old but I'm gonna finish writing it) called "More than a Borderline". Please check it out! And no, that is not the new story I hinted that I was working on. I want to post frequent updates on Ko-fi, so be sure to follow me there.

I'm thinking of releasing merch for Copper to Gold, or even Sector B :)! Also, pay attention to my YouTube channel. I'm wanting to create audio trailers to make my stories draw people in!