Verte looked around her while sighing. Rose was sick. And despite knowing she was safe, bedridden with a fever up to 40C (104F) in their appartment secured with too many locks, she was worried. Because she had to go to work leaving her alone for the first time ... in years. But this mission didn't ask for delicacy, dexterity... it was made for her. An illegal casino had opened right in the middle of the West canyon, and accessing the place was really dangerous, and impossible in a traditionnal hover.

She noticed the beginning of the canyon, and went back on the hovering motorcycle her boss lent her. She wasn't a great fan of bikes, it was her sister's thing, but she didn't have a choice, or else it would have been a week's walk. And there was no way she could leave her sister that long. With this engine, she would be at the casino in e few minutes. She put her motorbike glasses, originals that cost her a fortune, her black gloved hand activated the accelerator, and the monospace vehicle jumped ahead at full speed.

When she pulled back and stopped in front of the casino, a non-remarkable man in a red uniform rushed to her side. His unnoticeable appearance made Verte, strangely, fully aware of his presence, intriguing her, and when she looked at him in detail, she saw something was off. He had blond eyebrows. But his hair was black under his cap. There has to be something to it. He bowed to her, then got up and his strange, red eyes crossed her green eyes. Then, he lowered his gaze with a polite smile.

- If you wish, Madam, I will deal with your bike and keep it out of the way to be sure it doesn't take any damage.

- Thank you. I'll come back when I want to leave.

He had a mysterious smile, then, after putting his hands on the handles, turned his head to Verte and looked right into her eyes this time.

- We might see each other sooner, Madam. Looking forward to it.

Verte watched him go, thinking. Then she turned to the casino entrance. Nothing flashy like Inside, this time, and as every candestine institution, there was no dress code whatsoever. Verte unzipped her dark hoodie and tied it around her hips over her large jeans tucked inside her ranger boots. She had a zipped black top underneath to complete her outfit. No star and no cleavage this time, only inches of her belly could be seen between her top and hoodie, no one would be turned on by only this much.

She checked her reflection in the glass door to put her bike glasses on her hair, pulled on her gloves' base to make sure they still fit, then entered the casino with a confident walk. She had to find the recruitment office, to be hired as a security member for her mission. Then, she had to rob the Core Payment Unit(*) before exploding litteraly everything. Her boss told her she had to work with an operative from another city, the casino being in the middle of both. Maybe it would be the red-eyed groom. Or maybe not. She never really had been a great guesser.

A gigantic white hairless man, with sunglasses assorted to a full black suit gave her a sign when she got in. He looked her up to down, evidently checking her clothes, but said nothing and opened a door Verte didn't see on the side of the entrance. She followed him while sticking out her tongue to the well dressed ladies who checked her with evident disapproval. Either way, she wasn't here for a fashion show.

The man stopped in front of a door on the right side ot the curving corridor, and hit the pannel four times before getting in. He made her go inside an empty office, then closed the door behing her without getting in himself. Another man in a suit opened a side door, peeked at her, then closed the door before she had time to look at him. Then the door reopended and a tall black woman in a white suit, hair tied into a tight bun, came in the room and took a chair behind the desk.

- This is a magically protected room, I have been informed that your powers could be pretty useful to our security department. Demonstration please, I need to know what you're capable of, asserted the woman dryly.

Verte looked at her, surprised. She moved her hand, beckoning her to go on. The operative nodded, then looked around her. The room was nearly empty. Then her eyes fell on a little side table where plastic flowers were blooming inside a white sillicon vase. Verte smiles and rejoiced inside. She turned to face the vase. Sillicon wasn't an exploding matter. But the vase exploded powerfully, flowers flew with force in every direction. Verte turned to face the woman who only lifted an eyebrow, motionning for her to continue.

The greenette had a toothy smile. Alright, she could unleash a little more power. The table's drawer litterally crumbled to tiny wooden cubes, and fat cracks opened in the poor furniture's feet, climbing until it fell appart in big irregular pieces. Then, knowing that she should also demonstrate something subtle, Verte broke carfully the hairpins maintaining the bun on the woman's head. She looked at her, surprised at last, while her ruffly hair fell on her shoulders, keeping some sort of a bun's form.

- I can be subtle and break just one tiny bone in a cheater's hand, or litterally exploding few people at the same time. But I cannot demonstrate that, unless I get an authorization. I can break anything or explode anything, provided that I see my target. If it's internal, I need to see the exterior of the object or the person in its fullness.

- All right, you got the job, but you'll only deal with internal security. No way you're going to face the clients with those clothes. You look after the cheaters the security team brings you, and you rip a promise from them that they won't do it again. Namecode G. You may go, walk till the end of the corridor, Y will show you how to watch the establishment.

She had a wry smile while showing the door to Verte. The operative bowed slightly her head before getting out of the room. She went through the corridor, then opened a thick black door without knocking. The room without light was covered with undulated dark plates, with one wall covered with lit screens. A man with dark hair was sitting in front of the screens, feet on the desk next to an empty mug. Old clichés weren't dead, thought Verte with a smile. Then, a slight smell float to her nose. She had met this man at least once. Well, she met his smell. Impossible to put a face on the smell though.

The door closed by itself, then the man turned on the chair, and Verte recognized the groom who parked her bike. He looked at her, surprised, then a smile stretched his thin lips.

- I didn't think I'd see you THAT soon, Madam.

- Me neither. So, how do you work?

- Similarly to you, Madam. Well, almost. I cannot reach something outside, I only act on myself or something I can touch.

- So how your way to work is similar to mine then ?

- We came from the same ... workforce, Madam. But not from the same city.

Verte pulled half a smile. He was the other operative from next city's Sci-Ma station, the one with who she had to work to destroy the place.

- Would you show me your... abilities ? I suppose you saw mine with those screens, tried Verte.

- With pleasure, Madam. But next, we will have to get to work, in all senses.

- Deal.

The operative smiled... and disappeared. The chairs' back went up suddenly, as if he got up, and his smell walked right past her. She turned to follow it, and tried to pinpoint the last place she had smelled it. But she the felt her hair standing on her neck, reacting to a blow particularly near her, feeling the hot breath he was blonwing on her. He left arm jerked and she got a full hand of ... invisible hair. Then the hair got real, black, as the blond (she knew it!) operative appeared beside her, laughing.

- I didn't want to frighten you, Madam, it's just that I found you too efficient, I don't like it when people are able to follow me. It took me a few seconds to understand how you noticed me. You have a very fine nose, Madam.

- I never forget a smell. But I often find trouble in putting a face with it in my memories. So, how do we work ?

He took back the wig from her hands. His blond hair was long, falling in a mess to his jaw, but the wig was shorter, with hair combed to its back in a really realistic way. He aimed his red eyes to her, and put the wig back before making his bond hair simply dissappear. Then he went back to the chair, motionning to her to follow him.

- We keep watch on the casino with these screens. From what I saw of your powers, I think you could even use it here while looking at the screens, without the security team bringing them. I would like to try something, could you please break one of the pendants on those women?

Verte looked at the screen, observing the jewels on the women, but before she could point the one she choose on the screen, the operative tinkered with a keyboard and a red light between the screens went out just as she pointed a woman in a red dress. He nodded, then Verte broke the hook that held the woman's necklace, making it fall instantly in her cleavage. All men around her laughed while she blushed furiously, and the operative smirked. Then, he pushed another combination on the keyboard and turned around to look in her eyes.

- My real name is Lucas. I cut this room's camera and mic, whe have a hundred and twenty seconds before they both reboot. When you feel like it, make someting in the crowd explode, I will lie and tell you can't use your powers through camera. In the panic, I'll go get the CPU, and will give you a sign so that you can make the rest explode while leaving the place. Either way, people inside are all society scum, so no harm if they die here. Your name, Madam ?

- Verte.

The little red light lit up between the screens and Lucas smiled to her, with a disappointed look.

- So it really doesn't work through screens and cameras, we will have to make those security gorillas bring you the bad guys to punish them. I'm sorry, Madam.

- It's okay, this little walk cannot do them bad.

Lucas laughed lightly, then turned to the screens while she got a stool from under the desk, sitting beside him while watching the screens. They stayed like that for a while, then an idea popped in Verte's mind. She couldn't tell Lucas with the spy microphones in the room, so she hoped he would be intelligent enough to understand it was from her.

Verte let her eyes wander on the screens, noticed three that were monitoring the same room, then another which covered the room's entrance. She showed an ordinary man entering the room to Lucas, then all three screens blinked, before going blank. He jumped next to her, fiddled with the controls, then got up un a hurry.

- I have to go, see what's wrong with these cameras, you can hold front, Madam?

- Yeah, but what should we do for the cameras of this room ?

Lucas turned around, wide eyed, watching the twinkling screens monitoring the pay room, next to the entrance, wired to all kind of electronics to make the program run smoothly. Then the screens went blank.

- There ! Someone's getting near ! I'm going to the room, please go in the casino see the other cameras, it could be a trap! Go !

A gentle brush on her shoulder confirmed he knew she gave him an excuse to go to the CPU. She shot out of the room behind him and got out of the corridor like a missile, before motionning to a security agent to follow her. She explained to him while walking they had a camera problem and were looking for someone with power over electronics. Luck was with her, as a client was getting frustrated and made coins flying everywhere. A slight levitating power. While she got near a camera to pretend checking it, she provoked an explosion in the machine next to her, getting more coins in the air.

The guard turned quickly to the man and began to push him bluntly to the exit. The poor man, who didn't understand a thing, began to get angry and Verte exploded a chandelier over him. Then, few coin machines exploded too, parts flying everywhere, and a total stampede took over the room. Verte caught up with the guard and helped him getting the man out of the room to the exit of the casino. She then sent back the guard, telling him she checked the departure of the angry client.

A hot blow startled her, she then felt a tongue on her neck. Her overreaction made the casino explode. The whole building. And a whole good part of the ground under it. No one ever dared to touch her. And this was way too advanced of a touch for her. Lucas appeared in front of her, laughing, his blond hair back into sight. He then ran to the get the hover bike, Verte running after him at full speed. He caught his breath next to the vehicle, smiling.

- Got it. I have to bring it to your office, but as I don't have any transportation means, I thought Madam may be generous enough to offer me a ride?

- You're doing inappropriate things to me, and still call me "Madam" ?

- It wasn't inappropriate, it helped you notice me. And your answer ?

- I kinda like you in fact. Even if you do strange things. And unnerving. Most of men don't dare getting close to me, so this is a change... and while we talk about changing, you're better that way.

Lucas looked at her, surprised. He wore a long gray vest, open on an assorted t-shirt. Black adjusted jeans and dress up shoes completed his outfit, and Verte smiled. This guy wasn't an addict to slim and clingy clothes, it was a rare sight as his were simply well adjusted. He pulled up his sleeves on his thin arms, uneasy under her stare.

- Come on up, I'll take you there. But keep your hands in check, understood?

- Of course Madam, with great pleasure.

Verte sighed, then mounted her bike and put on her glasses, before motionning to her partner to get on. He sat carefully behind her without touching her and she sighed again. Verte took his hands and crossed them on her belly, pulling him closer to her. She felt him hold his breath and contract his muscles, but decided not to care and started the engine, getting away at full speed while the remnants of the building exploded one last time.

*Geek pun intended. Sorry -