"Keyla? Keyla?" Dion asked as he approached her.
However, she didn't seem to be paying much attention, or perhaps it wasn't her name being called, as she didn't bother to turn.
In his rush, Dion caught up with her and gently held her by the shoulder, stopping her.
"Hello... Keyla!" he said, not entirely sure if she would recognize him.
Upon turning around, Dion realized his assumptions were both partially accurate and partially wrong. The lady before him shared the same stature, body size, hair, and face as Keyla, but her eyes were a different color, and her voice sounded completely different.
"I think you're mistaken, sir," she said, distancing herself from him slightly.
"Are you not... Keyla?" Dion asked, curious.
"Nope, I don't even know who that is," the lady replied, turning back to walk away.
"Wait," Dion said, taking another step closer and stretching out his hand. "What's your name then?" he asked.
"Me? I'm Clara. Any problem with that?" she asked, her posture changing as she sneered at him with her blue eyes.
"No, not really. You really look like someone I knew," Dion replied, his hopes deflating.
"Sure," Clara said dismissively.
"What are you here to buy?" Dion asked, trying to be friendly, although deep down he believed she was Keyla.
"What's your problem with that, huh? Am I being interrogated here?" Clara asked, noticing the Extinguishers' suit on him.
Although Clara was a different person entirely, she shared most of the physical characteristics of Keyla, including curvy hips and ample buttocks.
Dion laughed and replied, "No, you're safe, trust me."
"Good, if you'll excuse me," she said, turning once again to take her leave.
"How rude," Dion cursed, annoyed by her behavior. He couldn't say if behaviors changed when you came to hell, but that was definitely not his beloved's attitude.
Dion could do nothing but stand and watch as she majestically walked away, disappearing into the crowd.
"What a fruitless day," he complained as he turned back to meet Alfred, who was waiting for him.
He found Alfred playing with his dreadlocks, staring down at the empty ground.
"Let's go, mate," Dion said as he approached.
"What were you after?" Alfred asked as they walked together, ready to leave.
"Nothing to worry yourself about," Dion replied plainly, signaling to Alfred that he wasn't in the mood to talk about it.
Alfred didn't say a word. Instead, he observed Dion's facial expressions here and there, noticing a slight form of worry on them.
Alfred knew he was hiding something, but he wasn't really sure of his assumptions. He needed concrete reasons, hence the need for him to sometimes stick around him.
It was getting dark, and Alfred was already tired, so they had to just head back to base for the day and rest. They would come around the next day for another tour.
They chatted on their way back to base, with Alfred making some funny comments on how he found his way back the first time he got lost.
As they got back to base, they headed straight to their room without any diversion, Alfred ever eager to have some rest.
As they entered their room, Alfred crashed onto the bed and wanted to sleep when suddenly The Box beeped twice and went silent. After a few seconds, it beeped twice again.
"Someone was here," Dion said, having known the meaning of those beeps. Alfred, who was exhausted, might not have heard those beeps, although they were loud enough.
"I reckon that person dropped by for you, 'cause I don't really have a mate out there who'd bother to swing by and see me," Alfred said with his eyes still shut.
Dion walked to The Box, stretching forth his hand and pressed some buttons.
Suddenly, another menu appeared: "Lieutenant Ava came to the door, 1 hour and 20 minutes ago."
"It's the Battle Princess. I guess she came to check up on me," Dion announced to Alfred.
"Just as I said," Alfred responded, making himself more comfortable on the bed to sleep.
"You'll find her in room A-20," Alfred added, offering some help before finally dozing off.
Dion stared at himself and decided to freshen up, considering he was a bit dirty from the day. He couldn't afford to meet such a beauty without looking his best.
He headed straight to the toilet located in the Left Wing of the base.
Surprisingly, the base was quiet that evening. It wasn't as if everyone was asleep because it was too early. They might have possibly gone out to have some fun.
The usually crowded toilet was surprisingly empty today. The guys must have already taken their baths. There was a bathroom on the other side that was occupied, divided into compartments by glass, not for privacy but for convenience.
"Ah, finally empty," Dion commended as he entered the bathroom next to the one occupied.
The glass was covered with water, so Dion couldn't completely see who was in the next compartment.
He pressed the uppermost button of his suit, and within a split second, his clothes disappeared from his body, leaving only the button in his hand. He dropped it into a small container by the side and moved to the shower as it began to spray down.
There were numerous buttons on the wall, including options for soap, warm or cold water, and more.
Since it was a warm day, he switched to cold water, standing beneath the shower and reflecting on his encounter with the rude Clara earlier in the day.
"Well, at least she told me her name," he murmured to himself.
"Who told you her name?" a voice called from behind him.
As he turned, he saw Ava by the door, wearing a shirt gown. She must have come out from the next bathroom and was about to leave when she saw Dion.
"Oh, just a lady I met today," he replied, a bit surprised by her sudden appearance.
"Went to your room earlier, but neither of you were around, which is odd. You just got out of the hospital, and Shadow Seeker usually sticks to the shadows like glue," she explained.
"Just went for an eye-opening adventure," Dion replied.
"Alright, how 'bout I walk you through this step by step?" she said, referring to the shower.
Dion didn't even reply before she pressed a button on her gown, and it vanished into thin air, revealing her in her full glory.
"It would be much... appreciated," he said, gulping.
*Ding*
[New task]
[Have fun with Ava for 30 minutes but do not engage]
[Reward: 100 points]