Hare of Misfortune

Her mother’s fingers slid down her arm while Rachel went outside, waving at the Green Berets on watch outside. ”Morning!”

”Morning.”

”Heh. Crazy last few days, and now we have a Marine bigshot with us, but I guess you knew.”

”Roy sleeping?” she asked the two men, marking where the rest of the unit was, scattered throughout the hospital, gathering more information about public morale.

”Yup, he was woken up to report to the lieutenant and then hit the sack again.”

”Cool. Thanks for keeping watch.”

She knocked on the door across from the hall, scanning the multitude of voices within her range to get caught up on the latest gossip or news.

Selvaria was in the shower, her mother downstairs browsing clothes that might work with her daughter’s new physique.

All of them would need to go through the psych evaluation, and a good cold shower sounded nice. Rachel had no clue how sweat or BO worked with her new body—among many other parts of her anatomy—but mentally, she’d feel better following her daily cleansing routine—a shower was on the agenda.

As for Anthony, unsurprisingly, he was with his fiancé. That avenue would be a tricky one, and if Maria wasn’t an option right now, his quests should hold a solution. The issue lay in how soon they could get the cure since she only had months to live—at most.

Everything was moving quickly, and if what she thought was coming was correct, then she needed people she could trust and could be convinced to join her. It was becoming very evident throughout the world news that mythickin and legendkin were among the top echelon when it came to growth and power. Just like genetics, no two people were built the same—nature was unfair—and she could see why Zoe was complaining about, as she put it, her F-tier roll.

Still, from her experimentations in the internal world, Rachel could see it wasn’t so clear-cut. Sure, there were limitations to the other Kins, yet Zoe was likely at a higher level than a vast majority of changed people. Due to her being in their party for Rachel’s shared EXP buff in the way of [Primal Force] while participating in a legendkin’s quest and a Crystal attack, she would be more stacked than she liked to admit if she was careful.

With the type of Feats Rachel had obtained, she also concluded it wasn’t random; there was some guiding force in how they lived and the actions they took. It didn’t help when she also had goddesses interfering and adding weird options like increased defense via revealing clothing. The shocking Feat choice was still playing at the back of her mind.

Rachel stepped up to the door and knocked, waiting for a second before poking her head through with a smile. ”Welcome to Miami, Captain Hall, and...Doctor Richard Raynott, correct?”

She turned her attention away from the auburn-haired, tall military woman sitting across from her father to the older gentleman in the armchair beside her. Richard had black hair, streaked partly with silver, giving him a distinctive look with his neatly groomed facial hair and strong features. The dark, long-sleeve shirt and dress slacks presented a professional introduction.

The man was undoubtedly silver-fox eye-candy that a group of girls she’d known in the gym would fawn over; highly educated, experienced, and successful, judging by the strong presence he put off.

Her father was the first to greet her, fitting in with the two military officers and the psychiatrist with his suit, crossed legs, and business-like attitude. ”Good morning. Did you sleep well?”

”Longer than I thought I would,” she returned with a short laugh.

She entered, shutting the door behind her. Rachel was somewhat thrown off by the woman waiting for her—the legend of Saint Barbara. The patron saint of artillerymen wore a knee-length business skirt, a close-fitting top, and braided locks, giving off a rather womanly vibe instead of a military badass.

Barbara’s dressed-up appearance told Rachel that the woman might be a rugged Marine—and her position as the first Marine Raider showed her talent—but she was also perfectly comfortable and in touch with her feminine side, including painted nails.

Of course, given her military background, orderliness was likely an essential part of her daily routine that she could respect. Appearances were also significant in the military; at least, she assumed it was from everything she’d heard and seen.

The woman gave off a pleasant vibe, and Rachel didn’t miss her impressive physique, honed in the Marine Corps.

”Good morning, Rachel. It’s lovely to finally meet you,” she said, smoothly rising to her feet to shake her hand as she approached. ”You’ve already guessed that this is Doctor Raynott.”

He uncrossed his legs to rise and join them, handshake firm as their fingers tightened around each other. ”It’s a pleasure. I look forward to getting to know you better, Ms. Park. Your father says you prefer your American name in general. I assume you reserve your Korean name for close friends and family?”

”It’s just easier that way,” she laughed, breaking away.

She assumed the psychiatrist had likely served in the military by his cadence, possibly during Desert Storm or the Global War on Terror that she’d heard about while in school. It made sense to send for a military psychiatrist to understand what his patients went through. For him to be so highly regarded spoke volumes, considering he’d been chosen out of all available doctors in the field for this assignment.

Barbara motioned to Mateo, drawing everyone’s attention as she took charge of the conversation. ”Lieutenant, if you could keep Mr. Park company while we proceed with preparations for the evaluation? As I told you, we will be able to answer more of your questions after we’re finished.”

Her father’s folded fingers and tight-eyed expression told Rachel he was guarded; they’d likely stonewalled him on many answers that her mother wanted. ”I look forward to the debriefing. Will my daughter be able to freshen up before you interrogate her?”

His voice was even and without heat, but the words carried a spear’s point.

Richard forced a laugh and pointed at a locked briefcase. ”I need to set up and get things ready for our first session, which should give her plenty of time to get ready and have breakfast. Please, by all means, go down as a family; we all should be grateful for the safety of our families in these troubling times.”

Barbara nodded with a soft smile. ”I’ll only steal your daughter for a moment, Mr. Park. Thank you for being patient with the military; I know it must be hard to have us going through your life history and digging up bitter memories.”

Her father’s expression didn’t change, but his tight grip told Rachel what they’d touched on while she was asleep; they’d discussed the accident with the drunk driver when she was nine—something her mother wouldn’t open up about and would refuse to be present for.

He silently acknowledged their statement, shooting her a look that told her to be cautious. Her father dealt with many high-value clients who used their accounting firm, and he wasn’t used to being helpless, but martial law gave the military practically unlimited power to do whatever it deemed necessary.

The United States had temporarily turned into a military state until the crisis was over or Congress challenged the order, causing him—and likely many others—a great deal of stress and anxiety.

Following Barbara out and into the room Scarlet had used before, the Marine shut the door and crossed her arms to smile down at her; she was a few inches taller and likely near Anthony’s height.

”Lt. Mateo tells me that one of his men believes you had another visitor, and I just wanted to confirm it in private. I’d rather not pass on sensitive data over the airwaves, but if there is critical information, it’s best to strike while the iron’s hot, as they say.”