Courier Work

Job Details:

Job Sign-Up: Page 18, Post Number 433

-The Neutral Grounds, Mr. Bank's home, 4:00 A.M.-

Wearing her green, white and gold outfit with backpack of supplies and Ranger Laser Rifle slung on her right shoulder, Leona stood a short distance in front of the desk in Mr. Bank's office. He had sent for her because he needed her help on an important errand. He needed a courier to take something to a contact of his in Motor City and he could not trust anyone else with the task. In her haste to respond to the job offer Leona had gathered her gear in a hurry and had left Silver Wolf Guild Hall without taking her Argent Gloves or her Silver Longsword, but she would do just fine without them. At least she had Ses Revanche in her right boot in case she needed a knife.

"Hello, Wizard Saint. You look like you're ready to go." Mr. Bank greeted Leona. She noticed that some large speakers had been recently installed on both sides of the screen that his face was projected on. The Wizard Saint turned her eyes away from the speakers and faced him, then nodded.

"I'm ready to go, Mr. Bank. What did you need me to take to Motor City?" Leona asked him. The desk in front of her sunk into the ground. A few moments later the desk popped back up with a large silver briefcase on top of it. Beside it was a note.

"I need you to carry this briefcase to someone I've been in contact with, a doctor of robotics by the name of Dr. Harrison. They live in Motor City and they have something for me. Take this case to them and tell them I sent you... they'll know what it's for. Then bring what they give you back to me." Mr. Bank instructed her. Leona nodded. This sounded like a simple enough job.

"OK. Is there anything special I need to know before I set out? Any special conditions to this job?" Leona asked Mr. Bank. The staring face on the monitor seemed to be glaring at her with an expression of incredulity. Silence filled the room for several awkward moments before a response was given.

"Yes, there is something you need to know. It's about the good doctor." He finally said after a silence that made Leona question whether she should have just kept her mouth shut. Leona's curiosity was piqued.

"What do I need to know about the doctor, Mr. Bank?" Leona asked the client. She heard a long sigh come from the speakers mounted on both sides of the large screen.

"Well, you see... they can be... difficult to work with." Mr. Bank started. Leona braced herself for what he was about to tell her.

"They have quite the temper. If something doesn't go their way they're prone to throwing objects at the closest person whether that poor soul had something to do with the mishap or not. They also have quite the ego. In Dr. Harrison's mind no one can equal them when it comes to intelligence or knowledge of robotics, so they tend to treat other people rather poorly. Expect to have your intelligence insulted frequently." Mr. Bank explained how the doctor was difficult to work with. Leona frowned.

"If they're that difficult, then why work with them at all?" Leona dared to ask her client. An amused chuckle filled the room.

"You see, my dear Wizard Saint, while Dr. Harrison is a trial to work with, they are very good at what they do. When they apply themselves to solving a problem they become focused to the point of obsession. More importantly, they get results. Sometimes you have to work with difficult people if you want things done." Mr. Bank said with no trace of sarcasm. Leona thought that was a fair point and did not say anything else on the matter.

"Now run along, my dear Wizard Saint. I want you to take the briefcase to Dr. Harrison as soon as possible." Mr. Bank said to Leona in a condescending manner like a parent telling their child to go to their room. Leona ignored the tone of the remark and picked up the briefcase and the note from the desk, then turned to walk towards the elevator.

"Good luck, Wizard Saint. And please, do return as quickly as possible." Mr. Bank bade Leona. The Wizard Saint turned around and spoke one last time.

"Thanks, Mr. Bank." Leona thanked the client before walking towards the elevator and going inside of it. Once she was inside the doors closed and Leona was on her way to the bottom floor. Once outside Mr. Bank's home she would make a beeline for the exit to the Neutral Grounds. Once outside the Neutral Grounds she would head straight for Motor City as fast as she could go.

[Post Word Count: 810]
[Total Word Count: 810/10,000]

-Motor City, outside Dr. Harrison's home, four hours later-

After leaving Mr. Bank's home Leona eventually left the Neutral Grounds and traveled on foot to the outskirts of Hargeon Town before summoning Winged Lion. From there Leona flew to the outskirts of Motor City. After arriving on the outskirts of her destination she dispelled her summon before traveling through the bustling city until she reached the address provided on the note Mr. Bank had given her. Having navigated the city without incident, Leona eventually reached the front of a large and plain-looking gray two-story building on 1948 Oppenheimer Lane. There was no intercom grille like there was outside Dr. Reid's laboratory, so she would just have to knock on the thick wooden door in front of her and hope that Dr. Harrison heard her.

Once she freed up her right hand by putting the note inside her backpack Leona walked up to the wooden door, raised her right hand, and knocked on the wooden door. She had just taken her hand away from the door when it opened up and in the doorway stood a tall, angry, middle-aged man with short black hair. He was wearing black-rimmed glasses and a white long-sleeved dress shirt with brown dress pants and black dress shoes. He glared at Leona.

"I'm in the middle of something very important! What do you want?" He asked her, glaring at her with sharp green eyes that drilled into her mind.

"Are you Dr. Harrison?" Leona asked the man. He scoffed at her.

"Of course I am, you simpleton! What kind of dumb question was that? You know what? Don't answer that because you'll only say something else utterly stupid!" He verbally tore into Leona. The Wizard Saint felt intense embarrassment but offered up a reason for her question.

"I... I thought you were one of his research assistants." Leona meekly replied. That defense only made the man angrier.

"I... I thought you were one of his research assistants." He mocked Leona in a deliberately unpleasant falsetto voice. Then he leaned towards her until his face was only inches from hers.

"I DON'T HAVE ANY ASSISTANTS, YOU BLONDE IDIOT! I DO ALL MY OWN RESEARCH!" He shouted, causing Leona to leap back. Without missing a beat he resumed berating her.

"You're a special kind of stupid, you know that? You're lucky that I'm even talking to you after the sheer stupidity you just demonstrated! Now tell me why you're here before I say something really rude!" He continued to tear into Leona before leaning back once he had finished the last sentence. Leona held up the silver briefcase clutched in her left hand.

"I have something from Mr. Bank." Leona informed him. The angry doctor glared at her, then motioned for her to enter the house.

"OK. Get in here before I change my mind, you blonde bimbo!" He snapped at her. Caught off guard by the sheer anger the man was radiating, Leona meekly obeyed. She had barely cleared the doorframe when he slammed the door shut behind her.

-Inside Dr. Harrison's home-

Leona found herself inside a foyer with bare walls that opened up onto a sparsely decorated living room that had the bare minimum of furniture. There was only a black leather recliner and a wooden coffee table loaded with science magazines. Past the living room was a hallway that led into a back space that Leona could not see into, so she turned her attention to the living room wall behind the recliner.

The wall behind the recliner boasted a lot of framed degrees, diplomas, and technical certifications. The Wizard Saint looked towards one of them and learned that he was educated at Crocus Magicka University. The angry man noticed her looking at the framed documents and commented.

"Look at them all, Blondie. Take a good, long look at them. That's more degrees, diplomas, and technical certifications than you'll ever have." Dr. Harrison bade Leona to take a look at the evidence of his academic accomplishments in a snide tone. Leona looked at them for a couple of minutes, then once her curiosity was satisfied, turned to the doctor.

"I have this for you. Mr. Bank said you'd know what this is." Leona said to him and presented the silver briefcase. He looked down at it, then reached for it with both hands.

"Give me that, you simpleton!" He snapped and wrapped his fingers around it, then snatched the briefcase out of her hand. Leona was taken by surprise, but she did not protest.

"Stay right in the foyer! Don't go anywhere and don't touch anything!" He snapped at Leona and turned away, then walked briskly through the living room and towards the back space. The Wizard Saint obeyed and remained right where she was. Mr. Bank was right... Dr. Harrison was a trial to work with. He had a short temper and a large ego, which was a bad combination.

Leona waited in the foyer for around ten minutes before Dr. Harrison came back with a black leather briefcase and stopped in front of her. He held it out to her and she took the handle into her left hand.

"OK, be a good little courier and take this briefcase back to my patron. Tell him that it contains some results he might be interested in." Dr. Harrison said in a voice that was almost calm.

"OK. I'll take it to him right away." Leona replied.

"Good. Because this courier job is so simple even a dimwit like you can do it. Now run along because I've got very important work to do and you've wasted enough of my time!" Dr. Harrison said to her in a suddenly irritated voice. Leona hastened to leave the doctor's home to deliver the black briefcase to Mr. Bank and to get away from the irascible Dr. Harrison. To say that he was a rude man was an understatement. He was also awfully bold to act like he did towards a current Wizard Saint who was armed with both powerful magic and a laser rifle.

[Post Word Count: 1,018]
[Total Word Count: 1,828/10,000]

-The Neutral Grounds, Mr. Bank's home, four hours later-

After making the delivery to Dr. Harrison and receiving a black leather briefcase to deliver to her client, Leona walked to the outskirts of Motor City, then summoned Winged Lion and flew to the outskirts of Hargeon Town on his back. After landing at her destination Leona dispelled her summon and walked to the Neutral Grounds. From there Leona walked through the city until she reached Mr. Bank's home, reaching it without incident. Once inside his home she entered the elevator and rode it to the top, then exited it to enter his office.

Mr. Bank's image watched her every step of the way to his desk. Ignoring the uneasy feeling she got from being watched by a face that never changed and eyes that never blinked, Leona stopped in front of his desk and waited for him to speak.

"Hello, Wizard Saint. I see that you made the delivery to Dr. Harrison. I also see that you made it back to me more or less intact. Was Dr. Harrison too difficult to deal with?" Mr. Bank asked Leona about her visit to the not-so-good doctor.

"He wasn't too difficult, but he's not a very nice man." Leona told Mr. Bank, giving a restrained opinion in case word of what she said somehow got back to Dr. Harrison. Her words prompted an amused chuckle from Mr. Bank.

"He's not a nice man, but I don't need him to be a nice man. I need him to be a scientist and I need him to give me results." Mr. Bank replied in a slightly condescending tone that chastised the Wizard Saint for valuing kindness over the ability to get results. Leona ignored the tone of the remark and raised the black leather briefcase in her left hand.

"Oh? Is that briefcase for me?" Mr. Bank asked Leona about the briefcase.

"Dr. Harrison wanted me to bring this briefcase to you. He said that he had some results that you might be interested in." Leona replied.

"Is that so? In that case, put it on my desk and I'll look at them." The client directed before giving another amused chuckle. It took a moment for Leona to get the joke her client had just made, but once she got it she gave a small smile. Leona then walked up to the desk, set the briefcase down on top, and watched it descend into the floor. The desk popped back up seconds later and Leona listened for further instructions from Mr. Bank. She heard the sound of pages being turned.

"Hmm... these results are interesting." Mr. Bank said to himself as the sound of pages being turned continued. Leona did not dare ask what they pertained to because if he had wanted her to know he would have told her what they were. Instead Leona kept quiet and waited patiently for further instructions. Eventually the client realized that the Wizard Saint was still standing in front of his desk and spoke to her.

"I'm terribly sorry. I apologize for the wait, Wizard Saint. I appreciate you bringing these results from Dr. Harrison back to me, but I have another task for you... if you're interested." Mr. Bank apologized for the delay in getting back to her and dangled the offer of another task in front of her.

"Did you need me to carry something to someone else?" Leona asked him.

"As a matter of fact, I do." Mr. Bank replied. Leona waited patiently for him to give her the name and address of the person she was supposed to deliver the next package to. The desk disappeared into the floor and soon reappeared with another silver briefcase on top and another piece of paper on which were written directions.

"I need you to take this package to another helper of mine in Motor City named Dr. Madison. Unlike Dr. Harrison, Dr. Madison is a pleasant sort. You should approve of them, Wizard Saint. They're much easier to deal with than Dr. Harrison." Mr. Bank gave Leona the name of the next person she was to deliver to. She was also informed that she would approve of Dr. Madison's personality. Leona could not help but to notice that the last sentence was delivered in a snide tone that lightly mocked the Wizard Saint for wanting to deal with someone who was amiable as opposed to someone who had contempt for everyone who did not meet their standards. Again Leona ignored the jab for the sake of the job.

"Like with Dr. Harrison, all you have to do is tell Dr. Madison that I sent you. They'll know what the case is for. If they have anything for me, bring it back to me." Mr. Bank instructed her.

"OK. I'll head to Dr. Madison's place immediately." Leona replied. Without further delay she took both the briefcase and the directions and headed for the elevator. Soon she would be on her way back to Motor City to make another delivery on behalf of Mr. Bank.

[Post Word Count: 848]
[Total Word Count: 2,676/10,000]

-Motor City, outside Dr. Madison's laboratory, four hours later-

Having returned to Motor City for the second time today by walking to the outskirts of Hargeon Town from the Neutral Grounds and then summoning Winged Lion to fly to the outskirts of Motor City, Leona now stood outside a modern two-story building with a white exterior on 1940 Fermi Avenue. She had made it to Dr. Madison's home without any trouble aside from finding the place to start with. A kind local man pointed Leona in the right direction and the Wizard Saint found Dr. Madison's home without any further trouble.

Leona put away the directions to the doctor's laboratory to free up her right hand to knock on the door. Once she had placed them in her backpack Leona approached the wooden door and knocked on it. Recalling the ire with which Dr. Harrison had greeted her, the Wizard Saint took a step back to keep a safe distance from Dr. Madison should they prove to be just as irascible as the first doctor. Three minutes after knocking the door was opened and Leona found herself facing a female doctor who was roughly four inches taller than her.

"I'm Dr. Alicia Madison. It's a pleasure to meet you, Wizard Saint." The doctor greeted her warmly. Dr. Madison was wearing a blue long-sleeved sweater and a black knee-length skirt with black dress shoes. She had shoulder-length blonde hair and black-rimmed glasses over icy blue eyes. Leona was glad that the doctor identified herself right away because the Wizard Saint did not want to be on the receiving end of another verbal beating for mistaking Dr. Madison for a research assistant like she had done with Dr. Harrison.

"It's nice to meet you too, Dr. Madison." Leona replied. She then held up the silver briefcase for the woman to see.

"I'm here on behalf of Mr. Bank." Leona informed the doctor.

"Excellent. Please hand that case to me." The doctor politely requested. She reached out for the case and Leona handed it to her. Dr. Madison used her left hand to grab it by the handle and took a large step back.

"Please, come inside my laboratory for a minute while I get something for you to take back to Mr. Bank." Dr. Madison bade Leona. Leona entered the building and the door was closed behind her.

-Inside Dr. Madison's laboratory-

Following the doctor through a small living room that was as austere as Dr. Harrison's living room, Leona was guided down a short hallway that went straight. At the end of the hall Dr. Madison opened the door to the laboratory proper, then went inside. Leona followed the doctor in and found herself standing inside a large white room that was impeccably clean and had scientific equipment everywhere she looked.

Against the left wall sat fancy lab equipment she did not recognize. Against the back wall was a gray metal desk with a computer monitor sitting on top of it with a keyboard and mouse. On the right wall was a large white markerboard that was full of complex mathematical equations written on it. The Wizard Saint could not make heads or tails of the equations, so whatever the doctor was working on was a mystery to Leona. Dr. Madison swept her right hand out to show Leona her laboratory.

"Welcome to my laboratory, Wizard Saint. As you can see, I'm working on a project for Mr. Bank. I can't tell you any details because I'm sworn to secrecy." Dr. Madison welcomed Leona to the laboratory before stating that she was not permitted to talk about her work. While Leona stayed where she was the doctor walked over to the computer desk and leaned down to put the silver briefcase against the left side of the desk, then opened the left drawer and pulled out a red three-ring binder that was full of papers. She closed the desk drawer and walked over to Leona, then handed the Wizard Saint the three-ring binder.

"Here's a binder containing all of my results so far, Wizard Saint. Take it to Mr. Bank as soon as you can. He should be very interested in what I've found so far." Dr. Madison told Leona what was inside the binder and instructed her to take it to Mr. Bank as soon as she could. Leona nodded, took her backpack off, and put the three-ring binder inside her backpack. Shen then closed up the backpack and put it on her back.

"OK. If there's nothing else you need from me, I'll get going." Leona informed the doctor. Dr. Madison smiled and waved her left hand at Leona.

"There's nothing else I need from you right now, Wizard Saint. Maybe we'll met again some day. Until then, farewell." Dr. Madison bade Leona farewell. Leona waved back with her right hand and turned to leave the laboratory. She had a long trip back to the Neutral Grounds and she wanted to take the results to Mr. Bank without further delay. Once that was done Leona hoped that she would not have to go back to Motor City for a third time in the same day.

[Post Word Count: 866]
[Total Word Count: 3,542/10,000]

-The Neutral Grounds, Mr. Bank's home, four hours later-

"Ah, welcome back, my dear Wizard Saint!" Mr. Bank greeted Leona before she could even walk to his desk. Leona waited until she was standing in front of his desk before replying.

"Hello, Mr. Bank." Leona returned the greeting after reaching his desk. She took off her backpack, opened it up, pulled out the red three-ring binder, closed the backpack, and held up the binder for Mr. Bank to see.

"Oh? Does Dr. Madison have something for me?" Mr. Bank asked Leona.

"Yes. It's a binder full of results pertaining to the project she's working on." Leona informed him. She put the binder on top of his desk and it descended into the floor. Moments later the desk reappeared with nothing on top.

"Dr. Madison is a hard worker who's devoted to her craft and makes very detailed notes. I look forward to reading what she has for me... later." Mr. Bank informed Leona in a tone of voice that was pleased with what he was given. Leona waited patiently for either another task to do or notice that her client had no more work for her today.

"Hmm..." Mr. Bank said as if he were pondering something. Leona kept quiet and listened for what he had to say. Maybe he was thinking about giving her another task to complete before he dismissed her for the time being.

"I know you're likely tired of going to Motor City, but there's one more scientist that I'd like you to make a delivery to... if you want. You've already done quite a bit for me today. I'd like you to help me one last time today, but I won't hold it against you if you refuse." Mr. Bank said to Leona. The Wizard Saint thought about it a moment and decided to help after all.

"Who do you need me to make a delivery to?" Leona asked him. Even though she was not keen on the lengthy journey to Motor City and then the trip back to the Neutral Grounds, she would make the delivery so that she could not be accused of being lazy. Leona had quite a few flaws, but being lazy was not one of them.

"A scientist by the name of Dr. Loretta Reid." Mr. Bank answered. Leona blinked.

"You recognize that name, don't you?" He asked her.

"Yes." Leona replied truthfully.

"I'd like you to take to her this offer of employment. I'd like to recruit her to be one of my helpers. Tell her that everything she needs to know about me and my offer is inside the case." He informed her what her task would be before the desk disappeared. Moments later it reappeared with another silver briefcase on top plus instructions to get to the doctor's laboratory. Leona took the briefcase and the directions and started to walk away. Then a question came to mind.

What if Dr. Reid refused the offer of employment?

Leona turned around and decided to ask the question even though asking it might court the client's displeasure.

"What do you want me to do if Dr. Reid turns down your offer?" Leona asked Mr. Bank.

"Just return to me and let me know that she's turned it down, Wizard Saint. Contrary to what you might think, I can take no for an answer. I won't retaliate against her and I certainly won't take it out on you." Mr. Bank replied and sounded more than a little insulted when giving the second part of his answer. He likely thought that Leona expected him to retaliate against Dr. Reid if she refused his offer of employment. To be honest, the thought did cross Leona's mind when she thought of her question because Mr. Bank did not seem like the kind of man to let anything get in the way of what he wanted. Maybe she was wrong about him and she was just overthinking things.

With her concern addressed, Leona wasted no further time in talking to the client. He had given her a task to do and she had wasted enough time.

"OK, I'll head there right away." Leona informed him. She then took the first steps on her third trip to Motor City in order to give Dr. Reid the offer of employment from Mr. Bank.

[Post Word Count: 726]
[Total Word Count: 4,268/10,000]

-Motor City, outside Dr. Reid's laboratory, four hours later-

Having retraced her steps to go to Motor City for the third time today, Leona was now standing outside Dr. Reid's laboratory. It was almost sunset and the city was still busy, but there were not quite as many people on the street as there were hours ago. Since she had been to Dr. Reid's laboratory several times in the past, Leona had no need for the client's directions on how to get there. Leona walked over to the intercom grille and pressed the button.

"Yes?" Dr. Reid's voice asked.

"It's me, Leona." Leona said to the doctor.

"Oh, it's you! I knew you sounded familiar! Hang on and I'll let you in!" The doctor exclaimed. Leona waited patiently at the door and within two minutes was facing Dr. Reid. Dr. Reid was wearing the same pink midriff-baring tank top and khaki cargo shorts with brown work boots she had worn during the last few visits Leona had made to the doctor's laboratory. She also looked like she had not slept in a day or two. Furthermore, the doctor's long hair was a mess... aside from it being a bit frizzy, it looked like she had gotten motor oil in parts of her hair because there were a few dark patches in it.

"Hey Leona! How's it going?" Dr. Reid asked the Wizard Saint in a cheerful tone. Leona took a quiet breath.

"It's been a busy day. You look like you've been pretty busy yourself." Leona replied. Dr. Reid gave a small smile.

"Yeah. I've been really busy with my project... you know which one I'm talking about. I was taking a break and was just about to get a cup of Motor City Nitro when you rang. Do you want some?" Dr. Reid explained how her day had went before asking if Leona wanted to share some coffee with her. Leona's face lit up.

"Sure!" Leona replied. Dr. Reid motioned for the Wizard Saint to enter and Leona did so. The door was shut behind her and the two blondes were on the way to the doctor's mini-kitchen.

-Inside the mini-kitchen, five minutes later-

Leona and Dr. Reid were sitting opposite each other at the small square table in the corner of the mini-kitchen.  Both blondes had a mug of coffee in front of them.

"When you were standing at the front door I noticed you holding a silver briefcase. I take it you're not here on a social call." Dr. Reid said to Leona before taking a sip of coffee from her mug. Leona shook her head and stood up.

"I'm here on behalf of a man named Mr. Bank. He wants to make you an offer of employment. Everything you need to know about him and his offer is in this briefcase." Leona replied. She set the case on the table and Dr. Reid obligingly moved her mug of coffee to make room for it. Leona opened it for the doctor and Dr. Reid stood up to take a look at the paper within.

"Interesting. I'll take a look at this right away." Dr. Reid assured Leona. The doctor picked up the paper in her left hand and sat down in her place opposite Leona's chair, then began to read it as she sipped from her coffee mug. Leona grabbed her mug and stood at the counter while sipping coffee and waiting for a reply from the doctor.

Several minutes passed in silence as Leona patiently waited for the doctor to accept or refuse the offer. She did her best to minimize eye contact with Dr. Reid so that the latter did not feel pressured. Dr. Reid must have picked up on that because she looked Leona in the eye and asked a question.

"What happens if I turn Mr. Bank down?" Dr. Reid bluntly asked Leona.

"He assured me that there nothing will happen to you. You're free to accept or reject the offer without consequences." Leona replied truthfully. Dr. Reid looked at Leona, then looked at the paper.

"This offer's quite generous. In fact it's so generous that it sounds too good to be true. He's offering considerable financial and material support in exchange for me working for him on projects of his choosing." Dr. Reid told Leona the terms of the offer. She looked at Leona again, then put the paper back in the case and closed it.

"I'm sorry, Leona. Tell Mr. Bank that while I appreciate his generous offer, I'm not interested in working for him." Dr. Reid informed the Wizard Saint that she was rejecting the offer. Leona was not going to try to pressure the doctor into working for someone when she did not want to. The Wizard Saint simply walked over to the table, set her nearly empty coffee mug down, and took the briefcase into her left hand.

"OK. I'll tell him what you told me." Leona calmly replied and turned towards the door. She began to walk out of the mini-kitchen and reached the doorway before Dr. Reid called to her.

"Oh, Leona! Before you go, I'd like to ask you something." Dr. Reid said. Leona turned around and faced the doctor.

"When you're finished with Mr. Bank, would you mind coming back here?" Dr. Reid asked Leona. The Wizard Saint paused for a moment. She really did not fancy making a fourth trip to Motor City because she was more than a little tired from all the traveling she did today, but she would do it for Dr. Reid.

"Sure. I'll come back here the moment I finish my work for Mr. Bank." Leona assured Dr. Reid. The doctor smiled.

"Thanks." She said. Leona waved goodbye with her left hand and let herself out of the doctor's laboratory. Before she had even left the doctor's property she wondered why Dr. Reid wanted her to come back once Mr. Bank's task had been completed.

Did she want to talk to Leona about something?

Or did she need Leona's help for her own purposes?

[Post Word Count: 1,018]
[Total Word Count: 5,286/10,000]

-The Neutral Grounds, Mr. Bank's home, four hours later-

"Ah, hello again, my dear Wizard Saint! I see that you're still on your feet after all of that travel. You're quite the courier!" Mr. Bank greeted Leona as the latter walked into his office. Just like last time Leona waited until she was standing in front of his desk before she returned the greeting.

"Hello, Mr. Bank." Leona greeted him with as much enthusiasm as she could muster because of how tired she was. She hoped that he would not be offended by how she sounded.

"Well, don't keep me waiting. What did the good doctor have to say to my offer?" Mr. Bank asked Leona. She paused for a moment before giving him the news.

"Dr. Reid said that while she appreciates your generous offer, she's not interested in working for you." Leona replied using the doctor's words and set the silver briefcase on the desk. The Wizard Saint then stepped back from the desk and waited for Mr. Bank's response. She heard him take a quiet breath before he spoke.

"Very well then. If Dr. Reid doesn't want to work for me, then I won't force her to." Mr. Bank calmly replied to the news. Leona was silently relieved to hear that he had taken the rejection exactly like he said he would. He had taken no for an answer without flying into a rage directed at Leona or vowing revenge on the doctor.

"Is there anyone else you need me to carry something to?" Leona asked Mr. Bank. He gave an amused chuckle.

"No, my dear Wizard Saint. Your courier work is finished for today." Mr. Bank informed her. Leona was relieved to hear that and it showed on her face. If Mr. Bank saw that, he did not comment on it.

"Speaking of courier work, I appreciate your help today, Wizard Saint. Even though all you did was carry supplies to two of my helpers and a job offer to a potential helper who turned it down, I appreciate you taking your assignments seriously and completing them as quickly as possible." Mr. Bank sincerely thanked Leona for working as a courier for him despite the menial nature of the work.

"It was no problem, Mr. Bank." Leona assured him. She liked to do easy work in between tougher jobs and this had been an easy job. The toughest part about it was the multiple trips between the Neutral Grounds and Motor City. She had made three of them in one day and she was very tired. Part of her wanted to head straight home to Silver Wolf Guild Hall to go to sleep for awhile, but then she remembered the promise she had made to Dr. Reid to return to Motor City once her business with Mr. Bank was finished.

"Well, I suppose you'll want to be going now. I won't keep you here any longer. I'll see you later, Wizard Saint." Mr. Bank bade her goodbye. Leona waved at him.

"I'll see you later, Mr. Bank." Leona bade farewell to her client. She then turned around and began to walk towards the elevator. She would make the long trip to Motor City for the fourth time today to see what Dr. Reid wanted. She hoped that Dr. Reid had plenty of Motor City Nitro because the Wizard Saint would need to drink a lot of it to stay on her feet once she got to the doctor's laboratory.

-Motor City, Dr. Reid's laboratory, four hours later-

Leona had managed to make it to the laboratory in four hours despite her fatigue. Now she stood outside the door and pressed the button to the intercom grille.

"Yes?" Dr. Reid asked.

"It's me. Leona. You said that you wanted to see me." Leona identified herself and stated her purpose for being there.

"Oh, right! Hold on and I'll open the door!" Dr. Reid informed Leona. The Wizard Saint waited in front of the door for three minutes until it was opened.

"Hey Leona! It's good to see you again!" Dr. Reid greeted her warmly. Leona waved a little with her right hand.

"Hey Dr. Reid." Leona greeted the doctor, trying to be sociable despite her fatigue. The doctor then stepped to the left.

"Come on in and I'll tell you why I asked for you to come back earlier." Dr. Reid bade Leona to enter. The Wizard Saint wordlessly entered the building and the door was shut and locked behind her.

[Post Word Count: 754]
[Total Word Count: 6,040/10,000]

-Inside the mini-kitchen, ten minutes later-

Leona stood at the counter and sipped from her first mug of Motor City Nitro in several hours while Dr. Reid sat at the table. Leona needed to stand up in order to stay awake because if she dared to sit down she would struggle to stand up again. She hoped that Dr. Reid was not upset  by Leona standing instead of sitting while they talked.

"I'm sorry that I refused the offer of employment from Mr. Bank. I hope he didn't get mad and take it out on you." Dr. Reid apologized for both turning down the offer and for any consequences Leona might have suffered as a result. Leona gave a small smile.

"It's fine, Dr. Reid. Mr. Bank didn't get mad at you or at me. Nothing bad happened to me." Leona assured Dr. Reid that nothing bad had happened to her as a result of the doctor's rejection of the offer. The long-haired blonde looked relieved to hear that.

"That's good, Leona. I was worried about you having to go back to Mr. Bank and tell him that I didn't want to work for him. I was afraid that he might take his frustration out on you." Dr. Reid told Leona why she had worried. Leona appreciated the doctor's concern. Even though she was the Wizard Saint of Courage and was more than able to take care of herself, she still appreciated someone being concerned about her well-being.

"Now that we've settled that, I'd like to tell you about why I called you here." Dr. Reid changed the subject. Leona calmly sipped on her cup of coffee and made eye contact with the doctor to indicate that the former was listening.

"I called you here because I wanted to tell you about the Atlas Project." Dr. Reid at last informed Leona why she had been asked to return to Motor City. Leona was interested in hearing what was about to be said.

"OK. What did you want to tell me?" Leona asked Dr. Reid before taking a sip of coffee. The doctor paused for a few moments and closed her eyes, then took a deep breath before making eye contact with Leona again.

"I'll be honest with you, Leona. The Atlas Project's hit another snag." Dr. Reid replied. Leona blinked.

"What kind of snag are we talking about, Doctor?" Leona asked the scientist.

"I need a part for the Atlas. I ordered it and it's arrived in Capital Crocus, but I haven't been able to leave the lab to get it." Dr. Reid replied. Leona could see what was coming from a mile away.

"Would you mind-" Dr. Reid started to make the request before being interrupted by Leona.

"Getting it for you?" Leona finished the question. Dr. Reid nodded.

"W-Would you do that for me?" Dr. Reid asked hesitantly. In all honesty Leona was not exactly raring to go on another lengthy trip after making several of them already, but she was willing to put her personal wants aside to help Dr. Reid get the Atlas Project going again. After the doctor had worked so hard on it and put so much of her time and money into the project, Leona felt like she should lend the doctor a helping hand when it was needed the most.

"I'll go get the part for you. Where do I need to go?" Leona asked the doctor.

"You'll need to go to a parts store in Capital Crocus named Parts N' More. It's located in a good part of town and is owned by a friend of mine from school named Bridgette Jacobson. Normally the store's closed now, but I have the solution to that problem. I just have to call her and let her know that I'm sending you to pick up the part and she'll let you in." Dr. Reid answered and stated that she could get Leona in the door despite the store being closed. The Wizard Saint was glad to hear that at least one part of the job would be easy.

"OK. Do you have detailed directions you can give me?" Leona asked the doctor. She did not know where the "good part" of town in Capital Crocus was and needed a little more to go on than that.

"Yeah, hang on a minute and I'll write down some directions for you." Dr. Reid replied. She then stood up from the table to go get a piece of paper and a pen. Meanwhile Leona drank more coffee to give herself some energy for the long trip ahead of her. Even though she could fly to the outskirts of Capital Crocus on the back of Winged Lion to save herself time and energy, she would still have to walk through the city to get to Parts N' More.

[Post Word Count: 810]
[Total Word Count: 6,850/10,000]

-Capital Crocus, outside Parts N' More, three hours later-

Leona was glad that she had flown on the back of Winged Lion because she would not have made it to Capital Crocus before daylight if she had tried to walk all the way here. The sun would come up in a few hours, but she was not worried about nighttime danger because she was in a good part of Capital Crocus and she was a Wizard Saint. If any local hoodlum was dumb enough to attack Leona they would quickly regret it. As it turned out, the only people she saw were early morning commuters and they were either so focused on getting to their places of employment that they did not see her or they saw her and kept a respectful distance from her.

As a result Leona reached Parts N' More without incident. The store was a two-story modern concrete structure with several plate glass windows and a large black sign with the shop's name in bright red letters hanging above the front entrance. Leona knew that she was in the right place.

Now all she had to do was somehow let Dr. Reid's friend Bridgette Jacobson know that she was here. But how could she do that? Without an intercom grille to talk into or She decided that the simplest solution was the best one and knocked on the glass door to the shop.

Moments later the door opened and Leona faced a brunette wearing black-rimmed glasses over brown eyes and waist-length brown hair hanging freely. She wore a wrinkled light gray t-shirt and blue jean short shorts and was barefoot. She was also four inches taller than Leona just like Dr. Madison.

"Hello there Wizard Saint! Loretta called and told me that you'd be coming here to pick up the part she ordered a few days ago!" Bridgette cheerfully greeted Leona. Leona waved in reply.

"Hello there... um, Dr. Jacobson?" Leona asked the brunette. She was not sure if Bridgette was a doctor like Dr. Reid or not.

"I answer to that name, but I'm not hung up on titles. You can call me Bridgette." She replied calmly. Now that she knew what to call Dr. Reid's friend, Leona could continue the conversation secure in the knowledge that she was calling Bridgette by the right name.

"Would you like to come inside and wait while I search for the part, Wizard Saint?" Bridgette asked Leona.

"Sure. And you can call me Leona. I'm not hung up on titles either." Leona replied and gave the bespectacled brunette permission to call her by her first name. Leona was not hung up on titles because she liked to deal with people as equals. She was sure that she was far from alone in that regard, but that was how she was.

"Great! Come on in!" Bridgette urged her. Leona wordlessly went inside and the door was shut and locked behind her.

-Inside Parts N' More-

Leona stood in the front of Parts N' More while Bridgette walked further into the shop and walked behind the wooden counter near the back. The front of the shop was of average size and had locked glass display cases of along the left wall. Along the right wall were locked glass display cases of computer components and small stands featuring brochures advertising other services the shop offered like computer repairs and computer upgrades. The back of the shop had a metal door that presumably led to the storage area where particularly valuable parts and parts that were specially ordered were kept.

"If you'll wait here, I'll go get the part Loretta ordered!" Bridgette said. Leona nodded and waited where she was while Bridgette opened the door in the back of the shop and closed it behind her. She began to slowly walk around the shop floor and browse at the various parts that were on sale. Leona did not understand the first thing about the components or what they did... part of the reason she was walking about was to stay awake so that she could make the delivery to Dr. Reid once she got the part from Bridgette.

Leona had completed eight laps around the store when Bridgette returned bearing a small brown cardboard box.

"Here's Loretta's package, Leona! I'm sure that she'll want this as quickly as you can take it to her. She said that it was for something very important!" Bridgette said. Leona walked up to the counter and claimed the box. She took off her backpack, set it on the counter, opened it up, and put the box inside. She then closed up the backpack and put it on her back.

"I'll take it to Dr. Reid right away. Thanks, Dr.- I mean, Bridgette." Leona informed Bridgette. The bespectacled brunette smiled.

"All right then, Leona. I won't hold you up any longer. It was nice meeting you! Be sure and come by the shop sometime when you're not busy!" Bridgette said. Leona waved goodbye and left Parts N' More to begin the return trip to Motor City. Dr. Reid would be glad to receive the part that would allow her to get the Atlas Project back on track.

[Post Word Count: 870]
[Total Word Count: 7,720/10,000]

-Motor City, inside Dr. Reid's laboratory, three hours and ten minutes later-

After making the delivery to Dr. Jacobson in Capital Crocus and returning to Dr. Reid's laboratory, Leona spoke to the doctor on the intercom grille and had been admitted. Now she was standing inside the doctor's mini-kitchen while the doctor prepared two mugs of Motor City Nitro, one for herself and one for the Wizard Saint. Leona walked over to the table and took off her backpack, then set it on the table. She opened it and took out the small brown cardboard box meant for the doctor, then closed the backpack.

Dr. Reid approached with the two mugs of coffee and set Leona's down in the place she had occupied earlier before walking over to her seat and sitting down.

"Hey Dr. Reid, here's the package Dr. Jacobson had for you." Leona told the doctor what she was holding and carried it over to the scientist, setting it down in front of her. Dr. Reid drank from her cup and set it down, then pulled the package over to her.

"Thanks for getting this for me, Leona. You're a lifesaver!" Dr. Reid thanked Leona for going all the way to Capital Crocus to retrieve the part needed to repair the Atlas Project. She then stood up and walked back into her house, leaving Leona standing in the kitchen. With nothing better to do at the moment, Leona picked up her mug of coffee and began to drink from it. She had been traveling for slightly over half the day and she really needed the energy boost.

After a few minutes Leona was making herself another cup of Motor City Nitro while waiting for Dr. Reid to return from wherever it was she had went. She was just about to drink her second cup of coffee when Dr. Reid walked in carrying a large blue book and a sheet of paper. The Wizard Saint watched the doctor approach her, then stop a short distance in front of her.

"I really hate to ask you to do this, but I need to return a book to another friend of mine and I haven't had a chance to get around to it because of the Atlas Project. Now that you've delivered the replacement part I need to get the Atlas operational again I won't have any time to return the book." Dr. Reid started. Leona was pretty sure that she was going to have to make yet another delivery run. When the doctor held the book out towards Leona the Wizard Saint knew that she was about to take another lengthy trip to some city in Fiore.

Leona set down her cup of coffee and wordlessly took the book and the paper from the doctor.

"Thanks for doing this, Leona. I know that you didn't bargain for this much work when I asked you to come here, but I appreciate what you're doing for me." Dr. Reid said to Leona. The Wizard Saint forced herself to give a small smile. She hoped that this delivery would be the last she would have to make today.

"Where do I need to go?" Leona asked Dr. Reid.

"You'll be going back to Capital Crocus. Another classmate and friend of mine lives there, a person by the name of Christina Bishop. She lives in another good part of the city not too far from Capital Crocus Mall. I've given you specific directions on that piece of paper, so it shouldn't be too hard to find her house." Dr. Reid replied. Leona shifted the book into her left arm and gave a thumbs-up with her right hand.

"OK, that should be simple enough. I'll get going now." Leona remarked. She went to grab her backpack when Dr. Reid spoke up.

"Thanks again for agreeing to do this." Dr. Reid thanked Leona for taking on the task of returning the book to Christina Bishop. Leona gave another thumbs up. She grabbed her backpack and put it on, then picked up her cup of coffee and finished it. After that Leona set out for Capital Crocus. Maybe this would be the last delivery that she would have to make for the day.

-Capital Crocus, outside Christina Bishop's house, four hours later-

Standing outside a gray one-story house with a white wooden door, Leona checked the address on the sheet of paper, which was 1946 Marshall Avenue. Leona saw the golden letters 1946 on the right side of the doorframe and knew that she was in the right place.

After having determined that she was in the right place, Leona approached the glowing green button on the doorframe and pressed it. The doorbell sounded and the Wizard Saint stepped back and waited patiently for the door to open. Five minutes later the door opened and a young woman about Leona's height with wavy shoulder-length red hair and green eyes stepped out and saw Leona standing there. The young woman was wearing a green Earthland Eagle t-shirt and khaki shorts.

"Hi there. What brings you here?" The redhead asked Leona.

[Post Word Count: 852]
[Total Word Count: 8,572/10,000]

Leona, not wanting to give the book to the wrong person, decided to take a chance and ask if she was talking to Christina Bishop before handing it over.

"Are you Christina Bishop?" Leona asked the young woman. The young woman shook her head.

"No. I'm her younger sister Hannah. Would you like to speak to her?" Hannah asked Leona.

"Yes, please. Tell her that I have a book for her from a friend of hers named Dr. Reid." Leona replied. Hannah went back inside the house and Leona stayed where she was. About ten minutes later another young woman who looked to be in her late twenties with wavy shoulder-length red hair and blue eyes came to the door. She was wearing a green long-sleeved shirt and black knee-length skirt with black high heels. With the heels she was four inches taller than Leona.

"I'm Christina Bishop. You said that you had a book for me from Dr. Reid?" The taller redhead asked Leona. Leona nodded.

"Yes. Dr. Reid said that you loaned it to her some time ago. She sent me to return it to you." Leona replied and presented the book to the redhead, being sure to keep the instructions to the Bishop house Dr. Reid had written down for her. Christina took the book and smiled at Leona.

"Thanks for bringing this back to me. I'm sure that Loretta would have returned it herself if she could." Christina said. Leona did not respond to that remark.

"I haven't heard from Loretta in awhile. How's she doing?" Christina asked Leona.

"She's been busy lately. Really busy." Leona answered based on what little she knew of the blonde doctor. Dr. Reid was always busy with one project or another and she did not tell Leona much about them. The redhead smiled a little.

"Yeah, that sounds like Loretta all right. We've been friends since high school and she was fun to be around, but when there was work to be done she focused on it to the exclusion of everything else." Christina commented in a friendly way.

"Was Dr. Reid a big fan of coffee back then?" Leona asked Christina a question out of idle curiosity. The redhead laughed.

"That's like saying that the ocean's wet. Loretta would drink an average of four cups a day. In fact the local coffee shop knew her order the moment they saw her walk in the door." Christina gave some insight into Dr. Reid's caffeine habit. Satisfied with that answer, Leona decided to let the matter drop before she pried too deeply into Dr. Reid's personal life and got into trouble. The redhead then tapped her foot on the wooden floor of the house she was standing in.

"There was something I wanted you to do for me, but I forget what it is. I'll remember it in a minute." Christina said to Leona. The Wizard Saint waited patiently for the redhead to remember what she wanted Leona to do for her.

"Wasn't there a book you wanted to take back to your friend but never got around to actually taking back?" Hannah asked her older sister. Christina's face lit up.

"Oh, right! I need to return a book that I borrowed from Loretta!" Christina exclaimed. Hannah disappeared to somewhere within the house and a minute later reappeared with a large tan book that she handed to the older redhead. Christina then handed the book to Leona.

"I'd like you to take that back to Loretta as soon as you can. And be sure to tell her hello for me!" Christina said before she waved goodby and went back inside, shutting the door and leaving Leona to complete what she hoped was the last task she would have to do today. Leona turned around and began making her way towards the outskirts of Capital Crocus. It would be quite a walk through the busy city, but the end of her work was near and that gave her just enough of a push to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

-Motor City, in Dr. Reid's laboratory, four hours later-

An exhausted Leona had been admitted to the laboratory and the two blondes stood in the mini-kitchen facing one another. Dr. Reid was seated at the table drinking coffee like water and Leona was standing in the doorway to the doctor's house holding the book that Christina Bishop had asked her to return to the doctor. Not wanting to waste any more time, Leona walked over to the doctor and set the book down in front of the long-haired blonde.

"Christina asked me to return that book to you. She also asked me to say hello to you on her behalf." Leona told the doctor. Dr. Reid smiled.

"Oh, right! I loaned her that book on computer maintenance weeks ago. She must have been busy too." Dr. Reid mused. Leona shrugged her shoulders. She did not know for certain if Christina had been too busy to return the book or if she had forgotten about it until her sister Hannah reminded her. Leona did not really care either.

"Well, it doesn't really matter. All that matters is that you've taken Christina's book back and brought my book back to me." Dr. Reid said to the Wizard Saint. Leona was glad that that trip was over. Now she really wanted to go back to Silver Wolf Guild Hall and crash on her bed for awhile.

[Post Word Count: 914]
[Total Word Count: 9,486/10,000]

Now that her work for the day was finally complete, Leona was looking for a graceful way to leave the doctor's laboratory without sounding like she was looking for a way out. However, Leona just could not find the words she wanted to say. Dr. Reid looked at Leona and spoke.

"You've been a big help, Leona. I know that you didn't expect to do this much work when you showed up, but I'm thankful for your help." Dr. Reid said to Leona. The Wizard Saint had not expected to travel as much as she had when the day first started, but she should have known by now to expect the unexpected. At least she did not have to fight anyone today.

"I'm just glad to be able to help." Leona assured the doctor. Even though Leona felt like she had just run a marathon, she had managed to complete all of the deliveries she was expected to do. Now she just wanted to go home and sleep for awhile. But first Dr. Reid wanted to talk a little while longer.

"While you were out on errands for me I've been busy working on the Atlas Project. The work's slow and tedious, but it's going smoothly. The Atlas should be operational in... oh, another three days or so. It'll definitely be ready by the end of the week." Dr. Reid told her how the repairs on the Atlas were going. Leona gave a small smile. The Wizard Saint was glad to hear that the repairs were going slowly but smoothly.

"That's good, Doctor. You've put so much into it over these past few months. I can't wait to see the finished product." Leona said. The doctor nodded.

"That's gonna be a good long while from now, Leona. I'll need to test it a lot more before I call the project complete." Dr. Reid replied. Leona gave another small smile. Dr. Reid must have noticed the Wizard Saint's fatigue because she commented on it.

"You don't look so chipper, Leona. You probably did a lot of traveling on Mr. Bank's behalf before you came back to me. You look like want to call it a day and go home." Dr. Reid said to Leona. That was exactly what she wanted to say, but not quite in those words. Leona put on a poker face before she spoke.

"If there's nothing else you need me to do for you, I'll be on my way." Leona expressed her wish in as dignified a way as she could. She did not want to sound like she was whining, but she was so tired at this point that it took everything she had to stay on her feet and carry on a conversation.

"I don't have anything else that I need you to do for me, so you're free to leave. I'll contact you if I need your help with anything." Dr. Reid said what Leona had been waiting to hear. It took everything Leona had not to break into a big smile.

"Of course, Doctor. I'll be in contact if you need me." Leona said. She turned around and began to walk back towards the front door to the doctor's laboratory. At last her work was over. Now she could go home and crash for awhile. Or the rest of the day.

-Silver Wolf Guild Hall, Leona's room, four hours later-

After a long day of courier work Leona walked into her room and took off her backpack and Ranger Laser Rifle and set them on her desk. She then sat on her bed, took off her boots, and swung her feet onto the bed. She then remembered that she needed to at least change out of her outfit top before she went to sleep.

Hauling herself back to her feet with considerable effort, Leona reluctantly got up and walked over to the wardrobe, then dug her green tank top out of the first drawer. She took off her outfit top and put on the tank top, then walked over to her desk chair and draped her outfit top on the back of it. Leona then walked back over to her bed and sat down on the edge, then swung her feet onto the bed.

The Wizard Saint then reclined and put her head on her pillow. It did not take long for her to drift off to sleep. Maybe she should have taken care of the paperwork waiting for her in her office, but that would have to wait. It would be waiting on her when she finally woke up and got around to it. She just hoped that none of the paperwork had to be done right this minute.

Leona was sure that if any of it had to be completed within a certain timeframe the guild staff would be certain to let her know.

[Post Word Count: 814]
[Total Word Count: 10,300/10,000]