Raaya didn't stare at the dome for long. She couldn't bring herself to, so she looked away, trying her best to push away the melancholic feeling in her heart, still her eyes flickered a hint of hurt.
She sighed "Let's go"
The two left and arrived later in a hall. There was already a crowd gathered at the hall. The hall was built-in the form of a stadium. Sits took a circle stance around the small stage in the middle and on their stage, a man stood addressing the hundred and something crowd seated around.
The arrival of Raaya and Alia brought a quick silence to the room. All heads turned in their direction as they walked in.
"It's such a a pleasure to have your presence in our midst, Raaya" The man on the stage said out in a loud voice. A hint of sarcasm in his reprimanding tone. His eyes held a Stern look.
Raaya shrugged and replied, albeit in an insincere tone "sorry I'm late Kaiser, I didn't get the memo on time" she smiled Mischievously as she took her seat at the back with a group of teens.
The man frowned yet he chose to say nothing but returned to what was being discussed earlier on.
"What the hell is he saying?" She whispered to the boy seated next to her, half leaning her whole body on his shoulder, with her face not far from his. Her teeth ungraciously grinding into a piece of chewing gum.
"Get your slobber mouth away from me" The boy frowned in disgust, a gold silk extended out of his hand, moving to slap her face away. Raaya avoided the silk almost immediately, her hand stretched and caught unto it before he could retract it back. Her fingers turning into a blade-like claws, looking like dark coloured steel.
Her lips curled up into a provocative smile as she moved her fingers against the golden silk. "Keep your gold thingies to yourself Dylan. My fingers are sharp, it would be a pity if I snap them in half"
The boy called Dylan snorted, he flipped his hand and the golden silk rope returned a casual looking good ring amongst the many other things on his fingers. A soft chuckle rang out from the lips of the girl seating next to him. She bent her and whispered to Raaya on the other side.
"He's wary of you cause you make his heart race" She informed making the young man glare at her.
"What nonsense are you spouting Myra?!" He queried in hushed angry tone. His slightly red cheeks only making his refute useless. He seemed like a guilt duck already.
The other girl ignored his anger as she added "I read your thoughts"
"Stay away from my head!" Je warned with a dark expression on his face. His knuckle clenching into a fist from anger and frustration. Though he tried not to think, the thoughts of plummeting her to the ground passed his mind.
Myra chuckled and winked at Raaya, causing the two girl to share a small laugh. Their happy moments eventually is interrupted by a thick voice from the stage below.
The Kaiser cleared his throat looking at the two girls with a deep frown. Unfortunately for Raaya she received the shorter end of the stick, the man looked at her and asked "can you please repeat everything I had said to those that has not been listening?" What an irony that he gave such a task to the very person that had not been listening. Surely he had done it on purpose.
Raaya's face turned black. She pouted not knowing what she was supposed to repeat back. Not only had she been late to the meeting but she practically had not even heard a single word he had said in the last minutes she had being here. Just when she was about announcing she had nothing to say, Myra's voice poured into her head.
"In a nutshell, he says they've finally explored to the farthest regions of the Spirit dome. We are not the only city under the dome, there are a few smaller cities that exists. Something happened recently, a few Jaegers where sent to deliver something to one of the cities but never reported back. The last report they sent back said there was something unusual in the city. That's all I know"
Surprise appeared fleeting on Raaya's face, she turned to look at Myra, an amused look in her eyes as she gave her a commendable glance. Myra smiled and shrugged back.
Turning back to the man on the stage. Raaya repeated what she had been told word for word with a complacent kind of smile.
Though he had noticed the look the two girls had shared, he still could not call them out for anything, so he let the matter slide. A remote appeared in his hands, he pressed a button and a huge board slide down hanging on ropes.
"The city is around this region" He pointed to a point on the map "It takes a few days to get there. We want to put together a group that would go to the city and confirm what had happened. We have to make sure there is nothing of a threat under the spirit dome, and if it turns out to be, then they would have to eradicate it"
"we'll go!" Raaya rose her hand enthusiastically. The crowd turned to look at her and the group of teenagers seated by her sides. A contemptuous look overtook their face simultaneously. Raaya ignored the scorn on the people's faces, she stood up, cleared her throat and repeated what she had said in an affirmative tone.
"I and my team Volunteer to take this task"
The Kaiser frowned slightly "we have no information on what we are up against. There has been no case of Monsters...or Demons under the Dome in ten years, neither has there been any case of abnormality, this is the first so we have to treat it with all seriousness. It could literally be anything we least expect"
"Seriousness? And what part of my face says I'm not serious." Raaya rose a brow, slightly offended from being looked down on.
"We need a strong team because the danger level for this mission has not been figured out. We have no info or whatsoever on what we are up against" The Kaiser argued.
Raaya chuckled humourously "strong team? Are you talking of one of these meat bags?" She pointed to the rest of the crowd in the room.
Instantly the atmosphere in the hall made a 360 turn. The tension deepened like cold air waiting to fall in the shape of chilling snow. The crowd didn't look so pleased having been called meat bags by her. Each of the men had a murderous look in their eyes. Their hands habitually reaching out for the weapons in their lapels.
"That's enough Raaya!" The Kaiser yelled out.
Raaya returned the stern look, the air around her also deepened as she shared a staring contest with the man on the stage. Soon she smiled and took her seat leisurely.
"It's easy to make a decision. Let's have a contest" She spat out gently. The words rolling between her lips like a sweet lollipop.
Like a burst of light sending darkness into hiding, her suggestion drove the tension away. Waves of acknowledgement echoed in the hall through sounds of hums and murmurs.
"We have no time to entertain such fiasco_"
Raaya cut him off "You said it'll take a couple days to get to the village. Surely we would also take a couple days to prepare for the journey. We have just enough time to hold a contest. Every group has the right to compete for a chance to go for this mission. Whichever group wins get chosen"
Someone snickered "why should we do what you said? Besides who would want to compete for a chance to get themselves killed"
"that's fair" Raaya nodded with a sly smile "but if you all refuse the competition then it would be assumed you agree to be a bunch of spineless weaklings and I are my team are the real bosses around here. Do you agree?"
"Don't bite more than you can chew child! People should speak with their strength and not flimsy words. This is no place for useless tantrums from mannerless brats! "
"child?" Raaya chuckled. Her small voice carrying an insidious tone that sent shivers down ones bones. Her face darkened, so did her eyes. The beautiful pair of obsidian eyes constricted and became gloomy. Once again her icy voice rang into everyone's soul "let this child show you what she could do"
Her body flashed, disappearing from her sit, bolting to that man. A gust of strong wind flashing as her body moved past. Before anyone could step forward and stop her, she was standing before the man like a vengeful ghost.