"Our purpose in coming here is simple."
"To recruit you and have you join us."
"Recruit me? Join you?"
"Exactly. Recruit you." She was straightforward and to the point, unlike Ajie, who spun a web of lies and relied entirely on sweet-talking.
Rose lived up to her name. If one sentence could settle something, she would never waste a second.
And if she could settle something with her fists, she wouldn't waste words on it either.
"You're certainly special. But in the vast universe, there are many beings like you. Of course, there are also others on Earth who are like you, but just like you, their abilities have only recently awakened."
"And now, a hostile alien civilization has set its sights on Earth. They could invade at any moment, and when they do, Earth will become a battlefield in an interstellar war."
"Our organization will be on the front lines of the resistance. So I hope you'll join us and become one of us, so that when the invasion comes, we can defend Huaxia and protect its people..."
"Sure..." Once Rose had finished speaking.
Ashe began to make her position clear.
"I can join you, and I'll protect Huaxia if it comes under attack."
"That's one of the most basic duties and responsibilities of every Huaxian. Even if you hadn't said anything, even if you hadn't come looking for me, I would have stepped forward on my own when the crisis came."
"After all, everyone is responsible for the fate of their country. I understand that, and I'll do my part!"
"But...!"
Her tone changed. Ashe's lips curled into a smile as she looked at Rose and stated what she wanted—or rather, what she was after.
"What do I get out of joining you?"
"What do you get?"
Rose hadn't expected Ashe to ask that. Her brows knitted together, but quickly relaxed.
With remarkable patience, she explained, "The most advanced scientific technology, the best training, and the most generous benefits."
"Don't worry. We're a government organization. If you join us, you'll become one of the heroes defending the country. We never mistreat our heroes."
"Those who give deserve to be rewarded. We never let our heroes down."
"That's clear for everyone to see. You don't need to worry."
"Of course, if you have any other requests, we'll do our best to meet them—as long as they're legal!"
"No, no, you've misunderstood me."
Listening to Rose's explanation, Ashe smiled faintly, then shook her head.
"What I mean is, if I join you, would it be as an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. next door in Eagle Sauce, or as a member of the Avengers next door?"
"To put it simply, how much priority would I get when it comes to access to resources?"
"Access and resources?" Rose frowned. She didn't bother wondering how Ashe knew about S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers next door in Eagle Sauce.
After all, these days, Eagle Sauce liked to show off its military might around the world every few days, all under the guise of saving it.
And with information not particularly tightly controlled, any Rabbit with even a little internet know-how could find out a thing or two about Eagle Sauce's superheroes online.
(The terms "Eagle Sauce" for America and "Rabbit" for Huaxia come from the excellent Chinese animated series Those Things About Those Years and Those Rabbits. Check it out if you're interested.)
What Rose didn't understand was why Ashe thought Super Seminary should give her special priority right from the start.
"Never mind. You might not understand what I mean, and you'll probably think I don't know my place. Come with me and see for yourself."
Ashe glanced at Rose, whose brow was furrowed, and Ajie, whose expression had turned serious.
She got to her feet and walked toward the window.
She gave a light punch.
The Chinese-made tempered glass and the reinforced metal mesh above it.
Shattered and fell away in an instant, crashing into the open space below with a bang.
Without the slightest hesitation, Ashe vaulted through the window.
Rose and Ajie hurried over to look out.
They saw Ashe standing in the open space below, clench her hand in midair.
A purple Naginata, crackling with lightning, appeared in her hand.
"Wormhole transport? Or does she have access to her own weapons cache?"
Ajie murmured.
Down in the open space, Ashe released the weapon, then spun and swept her arm around. The Naginata moved with her.
At the same time, the lightning on the weapon never faded. With every crackle, the surrounding ground was scorched with black streaks.
"It's definitely a functional weapon designed to work with a Super Gene, and it's fitted with a corresponding drive engine."
"Clearly, this isn't Earth technology."
Ajie analyzed the information about Ashe based on what he saw, his brows gradually drawing together.
He watched Ashe take hold of the weapon again.
Ajie thought that was all Ashe was going to show them.
But the next moment—
A bolt of heavenly lightning split the clear sky.
In an instant, dazzling lightning filled Ajie's eyes.
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