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Gisela sat on her bed looking at the text that came across her phone for several terrified seconds before she finally purred herself to action. She had tried to wash away the disappointment of the day with a long hot shower, and as such was still only in her bathrobe and slippers. Her plan had been to go over the breathing exercises that Doctor Stevens had taught her to calm herself before she called home for the night.

Such was not her fate.



As though her failure hadn't been enough, she now had to relive said failure with her boss and receive whatever reprimand he had in store for her. Gisela had read Labyrynthite's file. He knew that he was a man of high expectations, but also knew that he had earned the right to expect those things. And was... unused... to not getting what he wanted. He had wanted a Senshi. Gisela had shown up empty-handed. Nevermind that there were also two others who would no doubt be handed the same fate -- even though they had failed alongside her, she should have worked harder to compensate for those shortcomings. she should have been faster. She should have memorized maps and diagrams of the city before she set out. She should have... she should have...

Should have, could have, would have...

All possible other endings played in her head on the way to the conference room where she stood before the closed door for several long, agonizing seconds before she finally pushed it open. The sound of her throat clearing was small int he large room. And against the large man.

"Gisela Louise sir, reporting"

Gisela followed the curt direction with speed and efficiency that belied her frail visage. The chair seemed to swallow her as she sat, trying to fold in on herself while still maintaining some measure of dignity in her post. Her small hands twisted in themselves as she waited for Chase to say something. Say anything. Even if it was railing against her, screaming and threatening and raging. Even if he beat her, it was better than this terrible waiting silence. Her heart beat out the seconds with speed that alarmed her and no matter the long, deep breaths that she took, it didn't slow. She was certain Mr. Black could hear the frantic rhythm it set down. He must think her so weak. So fragile. So useless.

Her whisper-thin voice suddenly broke the silence of the conference room.

"Sir I know there is no excuse for my performance. All I can do is apologize and swear on my life -- on my starseed that I will do better next time."

She had been such a gamble and he had taken such a risk on her and what had she done to show her thanks? Thrown it away and failed. She had let a senshi slip right through her fingers. Her partners' incompetence was no excuse. Undoubtedly, he had already met with the rest of her team but this... this she had to bear on her own. She could weep and moan and lick her wounds back at her room but here and now she needed dignity. She tried her best to mimic the long and proud line of her mother's neck. The hard set of her father's jaw. This was all betrayed, of course, by the tremble of her bird-thin shoulders and the worried knitting of her brows above her too-wide eyes.

"I'm sorry for failing you, Mr. Black. Do what you feel is appropriate. Contact General Benitoite, suspend me," hurt me, "But please sir. Please don't... please don't send me home."

That was actually... a really good question. Truth be told, if Gisela were in Mr. Black's shoes, she'd send her home immediately. She wouldn't accept excuses, and neither should he. Not that she had offered any, nor had she any mind to in the future. She'd failed, pure and simple.

And that infuriated her.

It infuriated her that she had been made a fool of by a weak little senshi with no training and no organization. It infuriated her that the same senshi had made her into a liar. That rage burned through her shame and her humiliation and rose in her throat like hot bile. It became the only thing she was able to feel and she let it.

"Because I'm angry," she hissed through her teeth, looking up at Chase as her expression twisted from fear to fury. "Because I'm angry and I want revenge. Something so weak and so disorganized managed to make a mockery of Metallia's great army. And if you send me away, then I can't get that revenge."