[Healing in progress]
[.....]
[100% successful]
[-30 points]
"30 points? That's too much," he cursed inwardly, but he had no other option.
Captain Ally was so happy that she couldn't hide it, rising to her feet and applauding Ava for her victory.
Ava, on her part, replied with a wry smile. She sensed something was a bit off.
"The contact wasn't much, why did he fall to the ground then? Or is he faking it?" she wondered.
While she was still wondering, Dion sprang up to his feet as if he had just regained consciousness. Ava couldn't really distinguish if he was faking it or not because his acting was so convincing.
"Why would he be faking it? No one wants to be defeated!" Ava justified, convincing herself that he was blameless.
That marked the end of the training session, and they began walking back to their respective rooms. Alfred, having completed his usual silent and motionless training, followed them back.
Dion stood by the exit, scanning the area for any sign of Ava, but he couldn't see her. He was sure she hadn't left early; she had been almost behind him, but she suddenly disappeared into thin air. "What could have taken her?" he wondered.
As he scanned the area, Dion noticed Captain Ally talking to someone further away. She was facing them, blocking Dion's view of the person she was talking to. Dion decided to walk back into the training area in search of Ava. As he started walking, he spotted the familiar black hair with shades of pink standing before Captain Ally – it was Ava.
However, their conversation was out of earshot, and Dion didn't intend to eavesdrop, but he had a sinking feeling they were discussing him.
Aware of Captain Ally's animosity towards him, Dion worried that Ava might have noticed something amiss and decided to report it.
Remaining at a distance, Dion watched as Captain Ally eventually walked away from Ava, signaling the end of their discussion. He pretended to be preoccupied with searching for something he had lost, although his eyes were fixed on Ava.
"Sergeant of Fun! I'm impressed by your performance today! You could have won if only you didn't tire so easily," Ava teased him.
"That was the best I could do," Dion replied, attempting to appear unassuming and ordinary, and not at all suspicious.
"What are you looking for?" Ava asked, noticing his search.
"Just trying to find you; thought I lost you," he teased in return.
Ava laughed before responding, "Captain just borrowed me for a moment to discuss something important."
"What's this 'important' thing you're discussing about?" he probed, hoping she would reveal some information.
"She was telling me about some recent tragic developments in the other divisions of the 5th Hell," Ava replied with a somber expression.
"Tragic? How tragic?" Dion inquired further.
Ava sighed before explaining, "the other divisions were attacked by the Odds, not just ordinary Odds but Swayers, similar to the way they attacked us."
"Oh, what a pity," Dion sympathized.
"What's more upsetting is that... Captain didn't tell General Xalvador about our recent encounter with the Odds, not the full details at least. To the General's perception, we have won against them," Ava revealed.
"I suppose she was just trying to protect her image before him. Besides, we didn't exactly lose to them, did we?" Dion reasoned.
"The most disturbing part is that the General will be dispatching some members of this division into groups to help defend the other divisions' territory," Ava added.
This statement shocked Dion.
"Will he be coming by himself to address us?" Dion asked curiously.
"Yeah, he'll be here within a few moments," Ava replied.
"But why... Why didn't she inform all of us about it?" Dion asked.
"That's how it's done, only the special ones get all the information," Ava replied.
"I guess I'm a special one then," Dion said playfully as they walked to their rooms, exiting the training ground.
Dion's excitement was palpable; the figure he had anxiously waited for was finally coming to the base. It was indeed going to be a blessed day, as he began preparing himself to face the great General Xalvador, his ticket out of this hell alongside his beloved Keyla.
He walked into his room where he found Alfred lying on the bare floor, looking exhausted.
"Yo, what's up, mate? Too exhausted to get to your bed?" Dion asked.
"Those trainings really took it outta me. Knackered!" Alfred replied, gently panting.
Dion couldn't really understand what Alfred was saying. He observed Alfred sitting without moving a muscle, so how could he be tired?
Knowing Alfred's eccentric behavior, Dion decided to let him rest as much as he needed.
He walked to his closet, where numerous black suits were on display. He was gradually getting tired of wearing the same clothes every day; he wanted something different. He noticed that Ava and the others changed their clothes sometimes, so why was he the only one with the same set of clothes in his closet?
Alfred had been watching him and noticed the frustration in his eyes. He deduced that Dion was getting fed up with wearing the same clothes all the time, so he offered some help.
"You can switch up your Clothing Plan at the Collection Unit, but it'll cost ya," Alfred said.
Desperate to get a new set of clothes, Dion decided to go to the Collection Unit.
The Collection Unit was not within the base; it was a few yards outside of the base. As he walked there, he noticed a few Extinguishers walking up and down the walkway, busy with their tasks.
Feeling a bit thirsty, he decided to stop at Gina's and grab a bottle of Aqua.
The inside of the restaurant was almost empty as usual, making him wonder why such a good restaurant with delicious food would be so empty every day.
As he stepped in, a menu appeared before him:
[Contact in progress]
Before he could react, he began feeling weak. His feet became light, and his upper body very heavy. He struggled to take a step forward, but it was fruitless as he fell to the ground unconscious.