Chapter 25
The Next Day…
"-And it's a great honor that I humbly accept the position of Sector Commander." Octolangelo said into the microphone. "I hope I can help give you a bright future for the entire settlement."
Pretty much everyone in the room was either sighing or facepalming. The DJ was rubbing his temples in frustration.
"…Sir…" Zachary leaned in. "This is supposed to be your resignation speech. You're retiring."
"It is? I am?" Octolangelo turned to him. "Well then, see ya!"
He hopped off the podium.
"Come on, Gertrude!" Octolangelo shouted. "I'm gonna partyyyyy!"
He then ran out the side door while Zachary slowly followed him.
"He did not age well…" Octavio sighed as he took to the podium. Well, Imma let y'all in the Board of Elites decide yo new Commander. Pick from yer three-"
"I'm not running." Gant interrupted.
"Two options of Sector Lieutenant Candidates." Octavio corrected himself. "Have fun with that. PIECE OUT!"
He then took his leave.
10 Minutes Later…The Barracks
It's lunchtime, but I'm not hungry…
I need to think of something…
The next Sector Commander will be either a deranged sociopath who sees me as a pet, or a vengeful tank of an Octopus who'll kill me when given the chance.
I'm nearly hyperventilating…
I need to calm down…
I need…
"Hey, Cassandra?" It was Speedy.
He'll do.
I pulled him over and immediately started sucking face.
Eh…I guess he isn't a bad kisser…wait…
"Hey, Allen?" I looked at him. "Can you help me with something?"
"W-what?" He clearly wanted to get back to the make-out session.
"I'm scared…" I said, putting my head against his chest. "I don't wanna be Traeger's pet and Sieg'll kill me…"
"Well, you can always transfer." He told me. "You are Advanced class, after all."
"D-do you know of any positions?" I asked.
"Oh, don't worry…" He said, pulling me closer. "I won't let anything happen to you…"
"EXCUSE ME, WHAT IS THIS?!" A voice yelled out.
We both turned to find it was…his wife, Angela…
"N-nothing, sweetie!" Speedy shouted. "I was going to help her transfer!"
"Oh, she's transferring, alright, and you'll help her get out of here!" She shouted. "So how long has this been going on?! What have you two done behind my back?!"
"Nothing more than a make-out session." I told her. "I'd never let this loser get past first base."
"W-wait…" He looked at me, surprised. "You weren't?"
"YOU WANTED TO?!" Angela shouted.
"I-I can explain!" Speedy tried saving himself.
"Oh, no you don't!" She grabbed him by the ear. "You're coming with me!"
Speedy was then dragged off by the ear.
"Think I'm not enough for you?!" Angela shouted. "I'll show you I'm more than woman than an idiot like you deserves and you should feel lucky to have me!"
Well, that happened…
Still…I need to think…I need to-
Some loser recruit then bumped into me.
"Watch where you're going!" I grabbed the runt and started beating her down.
After a few hits, someone caught my hand.
I looked behind me to find…him…
"…I remember suggesting you change your ways…" Sieg remarked. "I guess some people never change."
I could see the runt I was beating was fully expecting me to get killed there…and smiling.
"I can't do anything about you…yet…" Sieg said. "But you aren't untouchable. Dr. Anea's new hypnoshades are proof that he wasn't…and neither are you."
H-hypnoshades?!
He then let me go.
Oh Octo…Oh Cod…
I…I need to transfer…now.
The Next Day…
I made it to Traeger's office.
Unfortunately, he's my best bet…
"Traeger?" I entered the room.
"Hm?" He seemed to be plugged into a computer. "Yes?"
"...What were you doing?" I was confused.
"Oh, just a hobby of mine." He said. "I plug myself in here and search for different signals and mainframes. It could do us well if we decide to hack into the Inklings' security systems. So why are you here?"
"I want to transfer to another Settlement." I told him.
"But why would you want to leave?" He asked. "I'm protecting you from big, scary Sieg."
"You can't do that forever." I said. "Sieg'll be Sector Commander and he'll kill me."
"You have no faith in me, do you?" He tilted his head.
"Traeger, no one likes you." I sighed. "They won't vote you in."
"I'll achieve it." He assured me. "They can't refuse someone as superior as me."
"Traeger…" I looked at him. "I know you were born a diseased cripple. Stewart told me."
He fell silent.
"I know that you weren't fully formed until you were 16." I continued. "I can see now that we're actually alike…we were both born inferior to others and hate everyone else…and that's why you bother keeping me around."
"…Heh…Cassandra, that's not why I keep you around…" He chuckled.
I raised an eyebrow.
"Cassandra, we are nothing alike…" He walked over. "I became stronger while you, if anything, became weaker.
"…I also have something…" I reached in my pocket. "From the professor."
He stopped.
I showed him the key.
"He gave this to me in case you ever wanted to...go back…" I told him.
"…Cassandra, the old man should've thrown that away because I'll never go back." He smirked. "I was pathetic before and I don't regret improving myself. I keep your pathetic ass around as a reminder of what I was. Of what I never want to be. A pathetic little parasitic burden on everyone else."
Stop calling me pathetic…
"C-can I just get a transfer?" I sighed.
His smile dropped.
"Fine…" He relented. "See Allen for a transfer."
"Just like that?" I was confused.
"You'll come crawling back…" He remarked. "I know you will."
I left the office after that.
I found Speedy a few doors down.
"Hey," I greeted him. "I need a transfer."
He looked up at me.
"Sure." He started typing on a computer. "Where?"
"Anywhere that has an available position!" I told him.
He typed in the computer.
"Okay…a squad will transfer you first thing after a new Sector Commander is picked.
Good.
"I'm guessing you'll miss me?" I put my arms around his shoulders.
"No." He blankly said, swatting me away.
"What?" I was confused. "Why?"
"I'm happily married to my lovely wife." He replied. "She's all I need in life."
"You've changed your tune…" I noticed. "What'd she do to you?"
He didn't answer. He didn't even make eye-contact.
"Oh, it's you…" It was Angela, just coming in. "Hussie…"
"I'll have you know, I'm only here to transfer out of here." I told her.
"Good." She replied. "My husband doesn't want you anymore anyway. He was properly punished and then I helped him out and now he's learned to stick with me. "
I got closer.
"What did you do to him?" I was curious.
"…What didn't I do to him?" She replied.
Oh shit…
"Let's just say he learned to commit." She remarked.
I walked out of the room after that. I was still kind of curious as to what exactly she did to him, but I feel neither person would tell me.
Well…I'll be out of here soon, so it doesn't matter.
Three Days Later…
Well, Sieg became Sector Commander. I couldn't care less though since the Transfer squad was escorting me out to the next settlement.
"So where're we going, anyway?" I asked one of the Twintacles.
"Octo Valley." He answered.
Octo Valley?
That's quite the distance…
Well, at least I won't die…
Ha! You hear that, Sieg?!
I beat you!
…
It took a while, but we arrived. We were just outside the barracks.
"Alright, you are going to be training troops starting tomorrow." The Twintacle told me. "Good luck, Sergeant Major Cassandra."
"Sergeant Major?" I was surprised. "I'm being promoted?"
"Some of the higher-ups heard of you and decided to promote you to a reasonable position." He explained.
"B-but I thought I didn't get any credit for that mission…" I was confused.
"Mission?" He raised an eyebrow. "I meant your relation to C-Group. They believe it's good to have another promising soldier in the valley."
C-Group?
No…
"Um…where's my pod?" I asked, hesitant to know the answer.
"Right over here." He led me over to it. "The higher-ups figured it'd be great to keep you all together."
My eyes widened when I saw where it was…
Who was next to it…
"Hey, Clair!" Cynthia noticed me. "Is that who I think it is?"
The rest then turned their heads to find me standing there.
"Cassie…" Clair spoke, surprised. "I…see you've come back to us…"
You've got to be kidding me…