"Hello, I'm—"
Before Mari could even finish, Cecil cut her off.
"Mari Kelly. We know everything about you. From where you live… to how old you are."
His sharp gaze locked onto her like a hawk eyeing prey. The look on his face was somewhere between a disappointed dad and a weary boss who's had to clean up too many messes..
Mari froze.
Shit.
She hadn't worn a mask. No disguise. In the heat of the moment, she'd completely forgotten about her identity.
Rookie mistake, she thought bitterly.
But she tried anyway.
"Uh-huh… who's Mari?" she asked, putting on her best confused face .though her voice didn't carry much conviction.
Cecil didn't even blink.
Red Rush raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed by the act.
"Young lady," Cecil said, pinching the bridge of his nose, clearly unimpressed. "You're not going to fool anyone with that level of acting."
Red Rush gave her a mildly amused look, arms crossed and smirking.
Letting out a sigh, Mari rolled her eyes and gave them both a pointed glare. Clearing her throat dramatically, she said, "Okay, okay. No need to look so disappointed. I'm just getting started in this whole hero business. It's not like I've got PR agents and a secret identity handbook. Besides—Atom Eve doesn't wear a mask either."
Cecil didn't even flinch. "Atom Eve looks like a thousand other girls on the street. You?" He paused, giving her a sharp once-over. "Have you seen anyone else with golden eyes and ash-white hair walking around?"
Mari crossed her arms but said nothing. As He had a point.
Cecil continued, stepping forward, his expression hardening. "But that's not what we're here to talk about. I'm here to give you an offer."
Upon hearing the word "offer", a wide smile slowly spread across Mari's face. She didn't even try to hide it.
Finally, she thought. This is what I was waiting for.
If Cecil Stedman had something in mind for her, that meant opportunity. And opportunity meant power. And power? Well… that was just one step closer to her ultimate goal:
Getting rich.
After all, she had been planning to approach the GDA eventually. Why not let them come to her?
"I'm all ears," Mari said with unexpected enthusiasm, her golden eyes practically glowing. The sheer joy in her voice made Cecil raise an eyebrow.
"Well," he began, slowly and carefully, "for starters—I want you to join the GDA. As a hero."
Mari nodded, already thinking it over. Then, with no hesitation, she tilted her head and asked, "Okay, but… how much are you paying me? And—be honest—is there health insurance? Paid leave? Dental?"
Red Rush snorted.
Cecil stared at her for a second, his mouth twitching like he wasn't sure whether to be annoyed or amused.
"…You're serious," he said finally.
Mari's eyes lit up."Yes! I'm as serious as a speeding car," she said, dramatically waving her sword in the air.
Cecil blinked, then rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Huh… this was much easier than I expected."
"Hey, hey! You still haven't told me about the money," Mari said, practically shoving her face into his, forcing him to lean back with a mildly annoyed look.
Before Cecil could respond, Red Rush suddenly spoke up, a confused expression spreading across his face.
"Wait… wait a minute," he said, glancing between them with a furrowed brow.
"What?" both Mari and Cecil said in unison, blinking.
"…We get paid?" Red Rush asked, genuinely surprised.
There was a beat of awkward silence.
"Well… kind of yes, kind of no," Cecil finally replied, sighing as he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a sleek black card. He handed it to Mari.
"Well, Darkwing pays your salary," Cecil said flatly to Red Rush, not even glancing at him. His attention was focused on Mari, who was inspecting the card with the wide-eyed curiosity of a kid unwrapping candy.
Mari squinted at it, turning it over. "This is just a business card," she muttered, unimpressed, narrowing her eyes at Cecil.
"Yeah," Cecil replied without flinching. "First, you need to prove yourself. Then we'll talk employment."
He started to turn away, but paused just long enough to add, "Go home. Pack your bags. We'll come get you."
And just like that, with a flicker of blue light, Cecil vanished from sight—leaving Mari and Red Rush standing in a swirl of desert dust.
"…He always does that?" Mari asked, still staring at where Cecil had been.
"Every damn time," Red Rush muttered, hands on his hips.
"Okay then, kiddo—see ya," Red Rush said, turning to go.
But before he could move, Mari grabbed his hand in a hurry.
"Yeah, kiddo?" he asked, slightly worried by the urgency in her grip.
"Drop me back at my place," she said flatly.
Red Rush blinked and looked around, only now realizing the mistake. "Oh. Right. Damn—I kinda just left you here, didn't I?"
Mari raised an eyebrow. "Kinda?"
"Yeah… sorry, kid." He offered a sheepish smile, then tightened his grip on her hand. "Hold on tight."
And with a sudden burst of speed, the world around them blurred into streaks of light and wind.
"Here," Red Rush said as he set Mari down in front of the orphanage.
She turned around to thank him—but he was already gone.
With a sigh, Mari stepped inside. As soon as she entered, she saw two people in black suits—one woman and one man—standing with Miss Rilda. The older woman had a mixed expression: part worry, part relief. But the moment their eyes met, that worry vanished, replaced by something closer to irritation.
"Where have you been?" Miss Rilda scolded, walking toward her with firm steps. "I told you not to leave without informing me!"
The two suited agents exchanged a glance before they started walking toward Mari as well.
"Well, I was outside," Mari replied casually. "Sorry for not filing a formal report."
Miss Rilda let out a frustrated breath. "I could say a lot to you right now, but starting today—you're no longer my responsibility."
She turned to the agents and gestured toward Mari. "This is her. Mari. You can take her."
Hello, Miss Mari. We're here to escort you," the male agent said politely.
"Yeah, yeah—I get it," Mari replied, waving him off. "I'll grab my stuff and be ready."
Without waiting for a response, she turned and headed toward her room.
As she entered the room, a wave of relief washed over her—like she'd finally gotten what she wanted. She closed her eyes for a moment, letting the feeling settle in.
"That went surprisingly well," she muttered to herself, then glanced over at Grim, still lying motionless on the table.
Letting out a sigh of annoyance, she walked over and said, "I've got happy news for you, Grim."
Silence.
"It's really good news," she added, poking the cover of the book.
Still no response. It lay there like any normal, non-sentient book.
"Okay, still playing this game?" she huffed. "I can be more stubborn than you, old book."
With that, she turned away and started packing her things—though honestly, there wasn't much to pack.
After finishing her packing, Mari held Grim for a second, waiting—hoping—it might say something.
Nothing.
With a small sigh, she slipped the book into her storage ring.
"Is that everything?" one of the agents asked, glancing at her tiny pile of belongings with raised eyebrows.
"Yeah, let's go," she replied casually. But then she paused.
Turning back toward Miss Rilda with a slow, almost unsettling smile, she added, "Oh—and tell James he can sleep well now."
Without waiting for a response, Mari stepped out of the building.
-- - - - -
tell me your option