BINGED: Reincarnated as an OP-Chapter 21: A New -

Ren licked his upper lip and scratched the side of his head. Susan didn’t shift her focus from him, even when he dodged her eyes.

"You know, you can’t step out of here freely, right? So whatever it is that brought you here is in the past. That’s why I mentioned you’d be moving to a new Chapter of your life now."

"I never really understood what you meant by that."

"And, obviously, you thought you would by being silent."

She sighed and reached for the cabinet attached to her table. She pulled out a device and dropped it on the table.

"What is your name?" she asked, flipping the device open.

"Ren."

She tapped the keys on the device three times and waited. After some seconds of silence, she raised her head up.

"I need your surname too."

"Um, I don’t have one."

She narrowed her eyes, "Is that so? Ill give you one then. Ren Arania? Avocado? No..." she placed her forefinger dramatically on her chin.

"Hmm, Fallax? Too classy. Ahah!" she snapped her fingers, "Ren Aliar. That’s perfect."

’What is wrong with this woman?’

She smiled at Ren and went on to tap the keys.

Ren rolled his eyes.

"Ace."

She tilted her head up. "I’m sorry? Ren Ice?"

Ren scowled at her, unable to hide his annoyance.

"Ace Renora is my name."

"Oh..." she pouted with a disappointed look, "Ren Aliar fits you better. Don’t you think?"

’I think I shouldn’t have worn that pendant on my neck in the first place so I wouldn’t be saved by you.’

"Oh, well," she went on to key in his real name.

"So how old are you?"

"What?"

She raised her brow then shot him an unimpressed stare.

"What is not an age."

"I don’t know. I lost count after I was taken into that hell hole. You can’t even know when it’s day or night in there."

She smiled, like she was waiting for that to slip out.

’Ah, dammit. Shut up, fool.’ His hand jerked. Naturally he’d facepalm himself but he had to act like that wasn’t a slip so he simply pursed his lips.

"Hmm, that’s interesting. I’d be guessing twenty-one fits with such experience then."

She tapped on the keys. The next few minutes went by without her asking any annoying questions or even looking up at Ren.

’What is she doing?’ Ren wondered as he watched her the whole time.

"Okay," she exhaled, lifting her head up, "I got you a substitute citizenship profile. It’s not like the official one but it’s very well accepted if you’re a C-class citizen.

Now, Overwatch doesn’t release unregistered Awakened, or kindlings, especially with a core like yours, even with a profile."

"They said my core didn’t have a ceiling."

Her lips pressed thin and she nodded.

"That’s worrying... However," she continued immediately she noticed Ren’s lips parting, "there’s one legal path to let you off our hook. You get registered directly under the Imperium."

"Isn’t that expensive?"

She tapped a console on her device.

"Not if you got a sponsor."

"How do I do that?"

"Every year, Purist University gives an opening for newly Awakened students above eighteen. They put them through training and educate them for some years. This is the fastest way to be free from Overwatch’s death ray."

"Is there any other way?"

"Actually, no."

She processed his admission in minutes. Ren watched his new identity assemble itself in the hands of this woman he just couldn’t figure out.

She picked up her phone from the cabinet and dialed someone.

"Captain," she started and leaned back on her chair, "The young man you were about to execute has pled pardon," she said, picking her nails.

"And what about the fact that he is unregistered? Such pardon doesn’t hold."

"Did you even bother to dig up information about him? He holds a substitute profile. His name is Ace Renora and he had applied to Purist University. You could have killed an innocent man."

The captain went silent, probably surprised at the revelation.

She continued, "I want the charges suspended. And the subject reassigned under Imperial jurisdiction."

The captain sighed over the phone. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Done. But I’ll be keeping an eye on him."

She dropped her phone down from her ear. She picked up the diamond pendant.

"Alright," she stood up and walked to the coat hanger. She grabbed a black coat.

"Let’s go get your stuff and get you something pleasant to put on. You look like a rag doll pulled from a dumpster."

At the lobby, Ren’s belongings were returned—his bag, cloak and boots being the only belongings he had.

They exited the ZeCO building together.

Outside, a black vehicle waited. The door flung open when she was close, just like her office door. She entered and Ren followed.

"Morning, boss," a lively voice greeted from the driver’s seat.

"Morning you say? Have you been drinking or gambling lately, Moss?"

"Uh, heh," he giggled and turned to her, "No. I kinda lost track of time for a second."

His eyes darted to Ren, "Who is the young sir?"

"This is A—"

"Ren," Ren cut in before she could finish.

"Ren, meet Moss. He is my chauffeur."

Moss nodded, "You new in town?" he asked, "I sure haven’t seen you around before."

Susan glanced at Ren, they spoke with their eyes for a short while.

"Ren," she forced it out like she didn’t like the name, "is headed to Purist University. But stop by and get him something that’ll make him look like a human."

Moss laughed and faced the road. Ren frowned.

"What about you, ma’am?" he asked as he gripped the steering wheel.

She looked out the glass, "I’ll get off at a different point. Just drive."

Moss kicked the engines up with a key and sped off. The city felt different through the glass. It was less hostile, but not that Ren was any comfortable.

They drove in silence until they went past a bus stop near the mid-level district.

"This is where I get off," she said.

Moss slowed down and parked the car next to the curb.

Ren looked out. There was no big, fancy place around. She looked classy enough not to walk into any of the small local stores he spotted.

"You’re going to walk?"

She smiled faintly as she opened the door.

"I prefer to."

She stepped out and disappeared down a narrow alley, her black coat almost blending into shadows.

Ren watched until she was gone.

He turned to the driver. "Do you know where she is headed to?"

Moss shrugged. "I have no idea. Doctor Botch has always been like that. She is really a mystery, sometimes I feel a bit scared working for her yunno."

He started the engines.

"Why?"

"Because I barely know anything about her apart from her being a doctor and a ZeCO official. Maybe part of their job description says stay weird. You never know."

The vehicle pulled away. Ren still examined the environment.

’What could she be hiding?’

He leaned back, watching as the orange tinge from the setting sun rested on everything.

He sighed, relieved that he was alive. Yet, he felt a bit tense because he was walking straight into a bigger world.

Captain Dent paced down a hallway. His brows furrowed all the way down.

He pushed a door open. The room was full with men and women seated at their desks, focusing on their screens, scribbling on papers, and some casually chatting with their colleagues. Not all of them wore the usual gray uniforms that the ZeCO officers wore. Some wore navy blue while others were in normal clothes.

Captain Dent scanned the entire room.

"Peter Trent!" he called out, probably when he couldn’t find who he was looking for in the crowd. The entire room went silent

"Where is Peter Trent?" he asked impatiently.

A number of heads turned to the back of the room.

A man with brown hair raised his head from his desk at the extreme end of the room.

"Get over here," he waved the man over.

The man got up and walked over the captain.

The captain patted his shoulder and nudged him out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

"Captain?"

"I have a job for you."

"Oh... But my day is almost over. I’m not on the night shift today."

"I see. Your daughter, how is she?"

Peter paused, thinking about the question for a while.

"She is fine. Why?"

The captain smiled, "Does she still go to the Purist University?"

"No, she never enrolled. She isn’t an Awakened. She just works there."

"Oh," the captain scratched his head, " What does she do?"

"She works with the librarian... What’s this about, if you don’t mind me asking?"

"It is about the job I have for you, Peter."

The captain patted his shoulder again.

"See, we caught a young man today, an unregistered Awakened. And for some reason, Doctor Botch saved him from execution after he murdered three officers. It still beats me what the murderer is to Susan Botch, or what he did to her. Which is why I want eyes on him."

"Where is this man?"

"He’s headed to Purist University, I believe. Susan mentioned him being registered there."

Peter swallowed. "I can’t put my daughter in danger for this."

The captain tilted his head. "You misunderstand."

He stepped closer.

"She’s already in danger. You’re just the one who can decide whether she survives it, or not."

Peter said nothing.

"Ace Renora. That’s his name," the captain continued. "Watch him and report everything back to me."

He turned away, already done with the conversation.

"And when the time comes..." he paused a few steps from Peter, "I’ll give him a taste of his own medicine."