The next morning, Ron awoke from a fitful sleep. The events of the previous day lingered in his mind as he got out of bed and started getting ready for the day. As he made his way to the institute, he tried to put the events of the day before out of his mind and focus on the work ahead of him. He arrived at the institute, and made his way to the lab.
His eyes search for Lila specifically and he spots her. He wonders if she will ever speak to him again after what happened the last time.
Lila's heart started to race as she gazed into Ron's eyes. She couldn't help but feel drawn to him, despite his past behavior. There was something about him that was just so irresistible.
Ron, however, was oblivious to Lila's thoughts, and just continued to look at her enjoying the moment of connection between them.
A silence fell over them, and they both just looked at each other, neither saying a word. It felt like time had stopped.
Just then, Mark came in and they looked away from each other.
"Hello everyone, I just got back from the director's office and we have a big job to do" Mark tells them.
"Every team in the institute has been given different assignments and ours is contained in this file" he continued raising the file in his hand.
"Is it fighting a demon again" Christine asked, worried.
"No, it's not a demon" Mark assured.
Christine heaved a sigh of relief.
"what is it then" Shane asked in anticipation.
"We are going on a short trip" Mark answered.
"Wait…how is that our mission?" Isabel asked confused.
"Well, the trip is just the beginning," Mark explained. "Well, our mission is to collect information about the murdered people in Crestville city" Mark added.
"You mean we are going to Crestville?" Lila finally spoke.
"Indeed we are," Mark replied with a solemn look on his face. "It's going to be a challenging mission, and it's likely to be quite dangerous. But I have faith that you're all up to the task."
Ron could feel the tension in the room as everyone considered the implications of this new mission. Going to Crestville would mean putting themselves in harm's way, and they all knew it. But there was also a sense of determination, a resolve to see this through no matter what.
"We have to find out the cause of the deaths. For all we know, it could be a demon" Mark continued.
"So you mean there is a possibility that we would be fighting a demon" Isabel asked" worried.
"Sadly, yes" Mark answers.
The room fell silent again, everyone clearly weighing the risks and rewards of this mission. They tried to steel themselves for what lay ahead. Ron on the other hand was excited. After all, demons were his match.
Finally, Lila spoke up, breaking the silence. "Alright, let's do this," she said, a determined look in her eyes. "Let's find out what's going on in Crestville and put a stop to it.
"How long will we be staying in Crestville" Christine asked.
"It's only three days" Mark assured.
"Brace yourselves team, we have a big job ahead of us" Mark adds.
"We're going to need all the preparation we can get," Ron said, thinking of the supplies and equipment they would need. "I'll start drawing up a list of what we'll need for the trip. Anybody have any suggestions?"
"And we'll need a way to communicate if we get separated," Isabel added, her voice filled with concern. "I don't want anyone getting lost or hurt."
"Of course, we'll have to separate" Mark says.
"He's right, when we get to Crestville, we should divide ourselves in twos" Shane suggested.
"Here, I have a map of Crestville. We can share areas to each pairs" Shane says again.
"Okay, let's take a look at the map," Ron said, gathering everyone around the table. "If we split it in half, we'll each have a lot of ground to cover. I think it would be better to divide it into four sections."
He pointed to the map, drawing imaginary lines that split the city into quadrants. "That way, we can cover more ground, and it will be easier to stay in contact with each other."
"I like that idea," Isabel said, studying the map.
As they pored over the map, debating the best way to divide up the city, Ron's mind was racing with all the possibilities. He tried to push aside his fear and focus on the task at hand.
Finally, they had a plan. There would be teams of two, each exploring a different section of the city.
"Ron and Lila would take the west side, Isabel and Shane would take the south side. Christine and I would go together to the north." Mark tells them.
We would meet back at the hotel at the end of each day to share what we had found.
Lila was disappointed to be paired with Ron, though it would give them a chance to get to know each other better. Ron seemed like a tough guy on the outside, but she still had a feeling there was more to him than met the eye. She anticipated to see what would happen on their journey together.
Ron, however, was less than thrilled. He wasn't sure he wanted to spend all that time with Lila. He knew she was smart and capable, but he wasn't sure he could trust her. Plus, he didn't want to admit it, but he was attracted to her.
The thought of spending time alone with Ron scared Lila. She knew she would have to be careful not to let her fear get the best of her. She had to keep things professional, no matter what. But she couldn't deny the spark of attraction she felt for him. All she wanted was for him to be look cheerful because he had a cold stare all the time.
Ron was in a similar predicament. He knew he had to keep things strictly business, but he couldn't help but feel drawn to Lila. He didn't want to make things awkward between them, but he couldn't deny the chemistry that seemed to be growing between them.
"She's really my distraction" he thought to himself.
The more Ron thought about it, the more he realized that Lila was more than just a distraction. She was a ray of sunshine in his otherwise gloomy life.
She was the complete opposite of him - cheerful, kind and had a great smile. He loved how she tried to get along with everyone including Shane who was a butthead even though he troubled her all the time.
He had been feeling lost and alone for so long, and she was like a breath of fresh air. He just couldn't deny the ease he feels when she's around him. He couldn't stop thinking about her, and he knew he had to do something about it. But what?
"Ron" Lila called snapping him out of his thoughts.
"Why are you always lost in thoughts" she asked.
Without letting him answer…..
"Anyway, you know know we're a team right?, we have to start preparing what we'll need for our mission. Tomorrow is just few hours away." She tells him.
"So, we'll be hiking through the woods," Ron said, "We'll need to bring supplies for the hike, as well as some weapons, just in case."
"I'll pack some flashlights and first aid supplies," Lila offered, her tone reassuring. "And I'll make sure we have plenty of water and snacks, too."
"I'll make sure we have some protective gear, like gloves and long sleeves," Ron added, his brow furrowed in concentration.
As the team went their separate ways, they each felt a sense of trepidation and excitement. They knew that tomorrow would be a challenge, but they were determined to face it head-on. Ron, in particular, was feeling a mix of nerves and anticipation. He knew he had to focus on the task at hand, he even forgot he only went there as a spy for his father. It was great finally being part of something - a team. The only team he remembered joining was the basketball team back in high school. His mind flashes back to his former basketball team. The one he was was forced to leave because he hurt a fellow classmate with his demon powers out of anger. Since then he'd been forced to carefully hide his powers.