GTS Agent Ch 16: Getting To Know Each Other, The Next Mission!

As Douglas led the way toward his home, an odd tension seemed to hang in the air. He walked in front, his eyes fixed ahead, but he couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. It wasn't just a casual glance from behind—it felt like two very focused pairs of eyes were studying him, almost burning a hole in the back of his head.

He glanced back over his shoulder, catching both Traci and Lilith staring at him, but the moment his eyes met theirs, they quickly looked away, as if nothing had happened. Douglas cleared his throat, trying to break the silence and ease his awkwardness.

"So... uh, how do you guys know each other?" he asked, glancing specifically at Lilith, who met his gaze with a kind smile.

"Oh, Traci and I go way back. Childhood friends, actually," Lilith said, her tone cheerful. "We've been through a lot together."

"I see," Douglas nodded, though he couldn't help but notice how Traci's expression shifted—she seemed slightly annoyed, her lips pressed tightly together.

Lilith didn't seem to mind. "I'm only here for a few days, though. Thought I'd drop by and see my dear old friend," she added with a grin, before casually slinging her arm around Traci's shoulders, pulling her into a playful hug.

Traci's reaction was immediate. Her brows furrowed, her body tensed, and she shot Lilith an irritated side-eye. Douglas didn't miss it, and for a moment, he thought about saying something. But then he figured it might be better to just stay out of whatever silent battle was happening between the two women.

"So, what about you, Douglas? Do you often invite half-naked ladies to your place?" Lilith teased, her voice dripping with amusement.

Douglas nearly tripped over his own feet, his face flushing as he tried to form a response. "N-no, I mean... it's not like that, I'm just being helpful!" he stammered, his mind racing to justify himself.

Lilith chuckled, clearly enjoying his discomfort. "Just teasing," she said, giving Traci a little squeeze as they walked.

Traci sighed, looking up at Lilith, her irritation only growing. "Must you do this?"

Lilith winked at her. "Of course. What are friends for?"

Douglas, doing his best to ignore the bizarre dynamic between them, continued to lead the way, silently praying that they reached his house before things got even weirder.

The three of them finally arrived at Douglas's apartment, a modest but tidy place tucked away on a quiet street. As they stepped inside, Traci glanced around, taking in the cozy living room and the clean, organized space.

"You've got a lovely place," Traci said, smiling at Douglas.

He scratched the back of his head, feeling a bit bashful. "I, uh, try to keep it clean. You know, when I have time."

Lilith, who had been unusually quiet on the way over, suddenly chimed in. "Do you live here alone?" she asked, her voice casual but curious.

Douglas nodded as he led them further inside. "Yeah, mostly. My mom travels a lot for work, so she's hardly ever around. And... well, my dad disappeared a long time ago, so it's just me here most of the time."

"That explains it," Lilith said with a smirk. "No man could keep a place this clean on his own. You're probably cleaning to impress someone, aren't you?"

Douglas's face flushed. "What? No, I just—uh, I like things tidy, that's all," he said, a bit flustered as he gestured toward a hallway. "Anyway, the bathroom's down here. I'll get you both some clean clothes."

He disappeared for a moment and returned with a couple of old T-shirts and shorts, offering them to Traci and Lilith. "These are the cleanest I could find. Sorry if they're a bit big."

Traci took the clothes with a kind smile. "Thanks, Douglas. This really helps."

"No problem," he replied, his voice catching a little as he noticed her smile. There was something about the way her eyes softened when she looked at him that made his cheeks warm up again.

Lilith, however, wasn't going to let him off that easy. "Oh, he's blushing," she teased, nudging Traci playfully. "I think someone has a crush."

Traci rolled her eyes, clearly used to Lilith's antics. "Come on, let's get changed," she muttered, dragging Lilith into the bathroom.

Douglas stood just outside the door, his face still burning as he thought about Traci's smile. Did she always smile like that? he wondered, leaning against the wall, staring absently at the closed door. His mind raced, replaying the moment in his head, the warmth in her eyes, the curve of her lips.

Inside the bathroom, Lilith's voice broke his thoughts. "You know, he's still standing out there, thinking about you."

Douglas's cheeks turned an even deeper shade of red as he heard Traci mutter something indistinct in response. He cleared his throat and quickly backed away from the door, pretending to busy himself by straightening a stack of magazines on the coffee table.

"Well, this is going to be... interesting," he mumbled to himself, still trying to process how his quiet day had turned into this.

***

On the distant planet of Zherak, in the bustling city of Lythros, life proceeded as usual. The Zherakians, small, reptilian creatures with iridescent scales, went about their day, tending to markets, powering up their floating vehicles, and chatting in their unique, trilling language. The sky above was clear, the twin suns casting a warm, golden glow over the city's gleaming spires and floating platforms.

But suddenly, everything changed.

A strange, unnatural wind swept through the streets, causing the Zherakians to pause in confusion. The ground began to tremble, faint at first, then violently, as if the very planet was quaking beneath them. They looked up, their elongated eyes narrowing in confusion. High above, past the twin suns, a massive shadow darkened the sky. The once serene atmosphere turned chaotic as a deafening whoosh echoed throughout Lythros, sending flocks of hovering avian creatures scattering in every direction.

The Zherakians froze in terror, their scaled feet gripping the ground tightly as an enormous face began to emerge from the clouds. At first, it was only a blur, too large and too far away to comprehend. But then, it became horrifyingly clear. Pushing through the veil of clouds was the face of a woman, her expression one of concern, her eyes wide and piercing.

Her short hair framed a face so massive that the tallest spires of Lythros seemed like mere pebbles in comparison. Her pupils alone could have swallowed entire city blocks, and the soft lines of her lips were like mountain ranges stretching across the sky. The Zherakians looked up in terror as her breath, a simple exhale, blew away entire layers of clouds with terrifying ease. The force of it was beyond anything they had ever experienced. It rolled through the city like a tempest, sending vehicles tumbling and knocking smaller creatures off their feet. The air pressure shifted violently, and the once-clear sky now churned with turbulent winds and clouds spiraling outward.

Zherakians screamed, their voices lost beneath the thunderous rumble of the woman's breath. Windows shattered, buildings swayed dangerously, and the air felt thick and oppressive. The sheer power of her presence alone, the vastness of her form, reduced their once-thriving metropolis to a mere speck in her gaze. Some clung desperately to whatever they could hold, while others were blown away by the sheer force of it, tumbling through the air like leaves caught in a storm.

Then, her voice descended like a hammer. It wasn't just sound; it was an earthquake, a tidal wave of noise that reverberated through every molecule of the city.

"The mission shall begin," she declared, her voice a booming force that shattered what little remained of calm in Lythros. The city trembled beneath the weight of her words, the streets cracking, buildings crumbling as her voice seemed to split the sky itself.

The Zherakians could do nothing but look up in sheer horror. The sky had darkened, the suns hidden behind the enormous figure that loomed over their world. Everything they had known, everything they had built, seemed insignificant now, crumbling under the power of the being that had come to judge them. And as they gazed into her immense, concerned eyes, they knew nothing could stop the destruction that had begun.

Lythros, their proud city, was nothing but a fragile dream beneath the shadow of the titan above.