Besides missions 25: Chapter 25: What else do I need to do?
Besides missions Chapter 25: What else do I need to do?
Besides missions [Image: Eun-bi] The explosion atop Bates Tower, which had shaken the Manhattan night sky and marked the total collapse of a financial dynasty, was still burned into Eun-bi’s retinas.
The piercing alarms, the screams of the crowd, the sound of glass shards raining down, all of it remained vivid in her superhuman memory.
Back then, standing in the shadow of a Manhattan building, she had felt only a strange, unreal sensation, as if she were walking on air.
The mission was complete.
Clean and precise, without a trace.
Deep breath.
Another deep breath.
*Such a simple task, and it still made me so nervous!* Eun-bi thought with a hint of self-mockery.
Her thin hospital gown had been replaced with a perfectly tailored off-white silk blouse and a dark gray high-waisted pencil skirt that hugged her small frame, concealing the explosive strength within.
Her sleek black hair had been carefully styled to fall over her shoulders, making her face, no longer pale, look even more refined.
Only a trace of lingering panic remained deep in her eyes.
She had come to Steinway Tower.
Hawk’s study was brightly lit, and beyond the huge floor-to-ceiling window, the night sky toward Bates Tower still had a faint, eerie red glow.
Hawk seemed to have just gotten home too; he stood in front of the window.
At the sight of his tall, upright figure, Eun-bi’s heart started racing uncontrollably again.
She stepped lightly into the room and stopped a few meters from him, instinctively folding her hands in front of her, her posture tense with a barely noticeable eagerness to please.
She had completed the mission, but she was still afraid.
“Hawk…
Mr.
Hawk.” Her voice came out softer than she’d imagined, with a slight, tentative tremble.
Hawk turned around slowly.
His gaze swept over her from head to toe, and under that scrutinizing look, Eun-bi found herself holding her breath and nearly lowered her head.
“Eun-bi, you carried out the mission exceptionally well.
S.H.I.E.L.D.’s security might as well not have existed for you.
Not bad.” Hawk’s voice was light and generous with praise, like a warm current flowing through Eun-bi’s cold limbs and bones.
Her tense shoulders relaxed a little, and she even felt a flicker of elation, an almost humble joy at being recognized.
“Mr.
Hawk.” She gathered her courage, lifted her eyes to meet his, and asked cautiously, “Are you satisfied?” Those eyes, once fierce, now shone with anticipation and unease.
Hawk stepped closer.
Eun-bi’s body trembled almost imperceptibly, but she didn’t back away.
“Your efficiency exceeded expectations.
I’m very satisfied,” Hawk said, his gaze sweeping over her new clothes and carefully groomed face.
“It seems Koo Ziyun has been taking good care of you.” “Mm.” Eun-bi nodded quickly, like a child eager to prove herself.
“Koo Ziyun bought me a lot of clothes.
They…
they’re really comfortable, and really pretty.
I…
I’ve never worn anything like this before.” There was a hint of wonder in her voice.
Hawk looked at her, her ferocity gone, replaced by an almost clumsy frankness, and said with a smile, “As long as you like them.” He paused, taking in her hesitant expression.
“Anything else you want to ask?” As if she had been given permission, Eun-bi let out a rush of questions, full of long-suppressed curiosity and an urgent need for confirmation: “Mr.
Hawk, I…
am I going to live here from now on?
Or…
somewhere else?” “I…
what else do I need to do?
Besides…
missions?” “Koo Ziyun, she…
she works for you too, right?
And Shin Si-ah…” Her questions came out a little jumbled.
Hawk listened patiently without interrupting.
Only after she finished did he speak, unhurriedly.
“You’ll have a luxurious, comfortable residence nearby, where you’ll live with Koo Ziyun and Shin Si-ah.
Get used to life in New York as soon as you can.
I’ll arrange an identity for you.” “Your duty is simple: carry out the missions I assign you.
The rest of your time is your own.
Do whatever you like.
Study, have fun, enjoy the sunshine.” “Koo Ziyun and Shin Si-ah are my core employees.
You’re on a different level, but you all work for me.
Your pay includes a generous base salary each month plus extra compensation for completed missions.
If you run into any trouble that money can solve, don’t come to me.
Go to Koo Ziyun.
She’s my assistant at the moment.” Eun-bi listened intently, as if memorizing every word.
“I understand, sir,” Eun-bi said, her voice steadier now.
She took a deep breath, as if to steady herself.
“I’ll obey.
I’ll do everything you ask of me.” Hawk nodded.
“Your new mission is to mentor Shin Si-ah.
She’s young and still immature.
Teach her how to live, how to take care of herself, and how to develop her abilities.” “Koo Ziyun will be my assistant, and Andy is usually busy with work, so I’m leaving Shin Si-ah with you for now.
But let me warn you up front: you need to stay on good terms with her.
She may well be the strongest witch in history, even stronger than Koo Ziyun.” Eun-bi’s pupils contracted.
*Stronger than Koo Ziyun?* She found that hard to believe, but she now obeyed Hawk’s every word without question and nodded rapidly like a pecking chick.
Only then did Hawk feel at ease.
After all, he had read the original story.
Shin Si-ah had not only overcome the witches’ greatest weakness, their heads, but her abilities had also been greatly enhanced.
She could crush the Clay Doll Squad as easily as squashing an ant, and the gap in power was enormous.
If Shin Si-ah learned to use her abilities proficiently, even he would very likely be no match for her.
Hawk picked up his suit jacket from the back of the chair and said to Eun-bi, “Let’s go.
I’ll take you to your new place.” Hawk got behind the wheel and Eun-bi took the passenger seat.
With the windows closed, shutting out the noise of the bustling night outside, the car filled with soft classical music and the cool scent of premium leather.
The car glided smoothly through the night streets of Manhattan.
Eun-bi sat slightly tense, her hands resting in her lap, her fingertips unconsciously twisting the soft fabric of her skirt.
The enclosed, private space of the car amplified the powerful, indescribable aura coming from Hawk.
She stole a sideways glance at him.
In the dim light, his profile was sharply defined, so handsome it looked almost severe.
A bold thought, part eagerness to please, part urge to test, part a flutter she could not even explain to herself, suddenly seized her.