"Wait," Ethan said, his voice stopping Alpha mid-step. "I just remembered something I've been wanting to know. Why are you really here? I didn't buy the story that you were simply degraded and sent on a simple babysitting mission."
Agent Alpha, now bound by the contract, immediately turned back, his tone strictly subservient.
"Master, I apologize for the deception," Agent Alpha said. "My actual mission here was crucial surveillance. They did degrade me after the ambush, but they also recognized the value of my regenerative body. After we fled that day we faced you and Royal Security, Axhel Rhodes—the zone manager—was critically wounded."
Alpha recounted the incident, his voice flat. "Even though I used my body to shield him, two bullets passed completely through me, hitting his lung and liver. He was subjected to multiple surgeries and is now heavily controlled by pain medication and the higher-ups. But the situation is escalating, and they couldn't afford to stop."
