Atalanta

#Atalanta

"Will you just stop running, Atalanta?"

She looked at her boss with an annoyed look. "If there is anything I don't do," she said dryly, "it's running. You know I can't even power walk to save my life." 

He gave her *the look*. "You know what I mean," he tossed a stack of papers on her desk. "Every time your relationship tanked, your work tanked."

She pouted, but the bright eyes behind her glasses showed remorse. "It is not my fault," she started, "You know what happened with…" 

"Yes, I know," he cut her off. "I also know that you need to stop preying on people." She looked at him with cold fury. After a long pause, she responded, "I do not prey." 

"Atalanta…" he said gently. She hated that. She hated that concerned look. She hated that soft, calming tone. She had seen he used the voice and the look many times to interrogate their captives, and she knew how effective it was. 

He looked at her, reading her face. "This is not an interrogation," he said. She looked up to the ceiling in frustration and then dropped her chin. She knew that too. Which made it worse. 

"You know why your code name is Atalanta, right?" he asked. She still gazed intently to the floor, not wanting to see the piercing green eyes. "Yes," she mumbled, "I am the fastest hacker you got…" 

He nodded. "That, and because we see the potential in you." She looked at him in disbelief. Personal praises were almost non-existent in their department. To think about it, she couldn't remember anyone ever gets one.

"Don't look so shocked," he said with a grim smile. "Will you stop reading my mind??" she said in annoyance. He shrugged. "I told you to practice your poker face."

"Atalanta," he said musingly, now conveniently perched on the edge of her desk. "Atalanta, because it will take the willpower of the Gods and the help of the Gods to stop you." She blushed. 

"You are a good woman," he said, "But you know that none of your suitors is a match for you. Yet you still take the race and speared them when they can't catch up with you."

She looked at her shoes again, angry and ashamed. "Maybe there's no need for you to take unnecessary races anymore?" he asked kindly. "Or if you do, spare their lives. It will ease up yours as well."

She sighed. "I promise I won't tank my work again. There. I said it. Will you leave me alone now?" He gave her a stern look. She squirmed in discomfort, dutifully looking down at her shoes again. Such nice, black, pointed flats. 

There was a long, awkward silence. She knew she couldn't get away from it. "I know that you care," she said quietly. "And?" he asked. "And I know," she answered, "that's not just because I am your worker. You actually care."

He chuckled. "Not the answer I was looking for. And not so loud. I have a reputation to keep." Now it was her turn to chuckle. He was a scary one, but there's no doubt among any of his team member that the chief actually cares.

"You deserve better. The time will come when a man will be equipped with gifts from Gods themselves in order to win you over." She looked at him in his eyes, trying to find lies there. 

"I am not lying to you," he said with a grin. "Will you just stop reading me?!" She gritted her teeth in frustration. He shrugged again, "That's what we are trained for. What do you expect?"

She let go a long sigh and looked at him. "Do you mean what you said?" He looked at her back. "Atalanta, I will personally deliver the golden apples from the Gods myself to that suitor, or take it by force if they refuse to help." 

She laughed. "You are crazy," she said. "No, I am not," he retorted. "That's our department specialty, anyway." She laughed harder and he smiled at her.

"Why?" she asked. "I reward the people who are loyal to me," he answered. She took another deep breath. "Promise it will be okay?" she said in a timid voice. "Atalanta," he said solemnly, "I promise."