This place they went to was a perfect location to relax, recuperate after the hard work they’ve done and have some much needed rest before going after whoever next the Empress will order to investigate. Fortunately, they had enough time while the Empress’ men will be able to study everything they were supplied with – Falana’s ship that Serena’s crew delivered to them was a treasure of information and some prototypes that the criminal had produced in her travels.
So Serena and her crew could rest until they would be called upon or until they would get tired of being without anything to do. And that was exactly what the Captain was doing – lying in the sun and trying to enjoy her day.
Her thoughts, however, were far from being calm, still fixated on her irrational fear of Falana, when they engaged her on Helvette. Serena couldn’t forgive herself for falling prey to that fear, sparked by the fact that Falana wasn’t looking to fight the woman without the use of her multiple experimental devices and weapons. Perhaps, this fear threw Serena into a frenzy, forcing her to use Shimmer in a fight that could have been finished without the use of any stimulants at all.
«Ew!» a sudden disgusted voice sounded next to her and someone’s shadow closed her from the sun.
Serena opened her eye – her left one still covered by an eyepatch – and saw a bulky older woman that clutched a beach towel to her voluptuous breasts that were barely covered by what was supposed to be a swimming suit.
«Good day to you too, stranger.» Serena smirked.
«I swear! People nowadays take any lazy vagabond to work around here!» the woman scowled.
Serena twitched her brow – she was resting on the beach that was supposed to be their own little safe haven from all other guests in the area. After all, they paid a very high price for such privacy.
«I beg your pardon? Have you lost your way?» Serena asked the woman instead of the rude comment that was urging its way up.
«You are in MY spot!» the woman scoffed. «Get your pathetic ass off my beach and go do your job!»
«I’m on vacation, lady. This is my job. I am renting the mansion behind me and this beach. So get off my beach and find someone else to bother!» Serena sat up, getting annoyed.
Only now she noticed a whole group of children that were running off into the water.
«You have some nerve lying to me like that!» the strange woman raised her tone. «Never have I ever heard someone being so rude to a paying customer!»
«Lady, I rented this plot. You’re trespassing on my vacation spot. So leave now, before I throw you out without even calling for security!»
«Like I can believe a ruffian like you can afford such a mansion to stay in! You can’t even afford to get your disgusting eye fixed!»
«Is everything all right?» Hunter’s voice sounded behind them.
The strange woman gasped and ran up to the cyborg, immediately grabbing onto his arm:
«Ah! There you are! Escort this trash off my vacation plot!»
Hunter frowned and glanced at Serena, who sat silent with a smile on her face.
«Excuse me?» he turned and looked at the strange woman who somehow got into their rented plot.
«This trash! I want her out! She’s interfering with my family’s retreat! We’ve been here since last night!» the woman explained.
«I don’t know who you are, lady, but we’ve been renting this plot for the past three days.» Hunter unclasped her hands from his arm. «And I suggest you gather those little troublemakers you call your kids and get out of here before we have you arrested for trespassing.»
«Preposterous! How dare you! Do you even know who I am?»
Serena sighed and stood up, getting tired of this absurd exchange:
«I don’t give a flying fuck who you are. Or who you’re married to. Or whichever people are unfortunate enough to call themselves your parents or siblings. We are renting this place. You are trespassing. I am offering you one last chance to leave peacefully!» she said, her tone, though seemingly calm, hiding a low rumble of warning in it.
«But you are trespassing on MY spot!» the stranger screeched.
A security bot flew up, slowing down and circling everyone around to scan everyone on the beach, before descending to the heated exchange:
«Trespassers located. You have five minutes to leave of your free will.» the drone reported.
«See? Even the robot knows I am right!» the strange woman held her head high.
«You are mistaken.» the bot replied. «You and your family are trespassing on a privately rented plot. Leave now, or I will have to escort you out by force and ban you from this region for ten years.»
The stranger turned and saw more people coming towards Serena and Hunter. The intimidating look on the four men and a young woman with a girl skipping by her side made her shut her mouth.
«This isn’t over!» she hissed to Serena, glanced to her kids and whistled.
The children she was with turned to her and froze for a second, before their joyful faces turned sour and they slouched, quickly gathering their towels and other stuff, and walking back from the beach to their mother – the older children hurrying their younger siblings.
The drone followed the trespassers until they left the property line and Serena lay back down with a heavy sigh.
«Sorry.» Laneth said. «I heard the commotion and decided to call in the security drone.»
«It’s fine.» Serena closed her eye again. «Although, it might have made for some good fun beating her ass all over this beach…»
«Not the place to do that, Serena.» Lindon shook his head. «There are many powerful people resting here all the time. You don’t want to get on their bad side.»
«Yeah, like I haven’t gotten on that ladies bad side for being where I’m supposed to be.» Serena stretched. «I regret not paying for the additional security…»
«We can still order it if you like…» Wolfin walked past, heading towards the water. «But for the time being, I suggest we have some fun.»
«Race you!» Kayla screamed happily and ran off, leaving Laneth giggling behind.
The girl caught up to Wolfin and got ahead, as the man ran off behind her – only a step behind, giving her the advantage. Serena watched this and smiled, remembering how she used to «race’ Wolfin when she was a child.
Hunter watched how everybody else ran off towards the ocean, and sat down next to Serena, but not onto one of the deck-chair, deciding to sit straight on the white sand of the beach.
«Are you alright?» he asked Serena, watching Wolfin playing with Kayla and thinking what a wonderful father and mentor the Veluthian was.
«Irritated by the encounter and wished Laneth hadn’t called in security.» the woman replied. «I was about to have some fun.»
Hunter glanced at her, seeing her lying under the sun with her eyes closed.
«Not sure if that would be fun, Serena.» the man said. «That… uh… woman wasn’t very fit to be an interesting opponent in a fight.»
Serena sighed and turned her head to look at him:
«True.» she smirked.
«Can I make an observation?»
«Sure.»
«You seem like you aren’t very used to having a… vacation.» Hunter waved towards their friends having fun in the ocean waters.
Serena