"Hey babe, the new hair color looks fantastic on you..."
Layla felt antipathy toward the owner of that smoky voice and wished he had died buried beneath the rubble. That being said, she was relieved that he was still alive.
Putting all her feelings for him aside, Layla asked, "I left Encender with Rajah."
Upon observing Tito's subtle smile while facing her, Layla hesitated, experiencing a slight sense of unease.'Does he know something?'
"What?" she asked nervously.
Tito chuckled a bit and said, "I didn't say a thing. Did something happen while I was stuck here?"
Layla's complexion became flushed with redness as she recollected the preceding occurrences prior to her arrival, leading her to emit a startled vocalization, "Nothing happened! What is our next plan?"
"..." Tito stayed silent for a few minutes to calm his mind. "Let's get to the second floor from here. I have a bad feeling about Encender reaching the control switch."
The silver-eyed girl scoffed at the man of fire. "It's not like you can do it."
Tito crossed his arms. "That's right. Since I can't use my ability at the moment, I have to rely on you."
Layla's complexion paled with fear upon hearing Tito's words, acknowledging the truth in them. Now faced with the challenge of propelling them more than ten feet into the air, she now has to find a solution.
"Do you have a plan? If you don't, then I am going to kill you. It will be easier now that you don't have your ability."
Tito sighed at the little alien and simply showed Layla his hand. "Give me a rope. I will be disappointed if you don't have one."
Layla didn't care if the golden-eyed man was disappointed in her or not. However, she sighed and handed him her strongest rope.
Crack–!
Tito whipped the air with the rope and seemed satisfied with its durability as he tied a hard rock to one end.
Whoosh–!
Crack–!
Tito skillfully maneuvered the rope, effectively hitting the designated target and causing damage to one of the smooth glass windows located on the second floor.
"That's it." Tito smiled as the rope had now taken the perfect grip he wanted, and in the next second, he found himself climbing up the rope.
The moment he reached the second floor of the Galactic Prison, his golden eyes danced with awareness.
The scene was dazzling, as if he were standing amidst a street lined with shining silver tiles, surrounded by skyscrapers that seemed to stretch endlessly into the sky and were all constructed from reflective glass, leaving one breathless in awe.
The ambient temperature was agreeable for individuals of diverse geographical backgrounds; nevertheless, Tito was perspiring profusely with his hands elevated.
"That was unexpected," he said as he looked at the red dots flashing on his body. "You might as well finish me now, before I do."
His words sounded humorous, but the second the prison guards hesitated, they soon regretted it.
Boom–!
Tito's rock was situated atop the control box, and a slight tug on his rope caused the previously shimmering second floor to darken to the depths of an abyss.
Tito had premeditated this scenario, anticipating Hein's directive for his subordinates to come back immediately following the mysterious death of the first Corrections Chief Officer.
With the cessation of the presence of all red indicators aimed at his person, attributable to the operation of firearms utilizing electrical power, he proceeded to draw Layla closer to him.
The moment he saw her, he complained, "You should dye your hair black."
"Talk about yourself." Not a second passed before she retorted at the man of fire, "Why did you even cut the electricity?! Now not even the glasses are in my sight."
She had not previously observed the red marks on Tito's body, and the man with golden eyes comprehended her perspective. They both equally felt unfamiliar with the situation at hand.
"The observation you previously witnessed was a fabricated depiction generated by the prison's artificial intelligence mechanism."
"What do you mean by that?" Layla asked in a whisper. She now understood that something was off since Tito wasn't someone to act without reason.
Tito's smile went unnoticed by Layla as he leaned against the ground, clearly focused on the sound of the numerous prison guards marching out of the square break houses.
Two individuals inhabit a ten-meter room that serves as their kitchen, dining area, living room, and bedroom, encompassing all aspects of their living space.
The mice that initially refrained from appearing on the first floor due to potential humanoid predators had established this location as their recreational area. Tito could discern the sounds of these rodents cavorting amidst the attire of the corrections officers.
The houses were connected to each other, and when everyone was out, Tito could feel that he was surrounded by people holding bladed weapons. A few snipers hid themselves in the thatched rooftops.
"Those uniforms make it hard to see them in the dark, and those glasses have heat sensors that will surely expose us," Tito muttered in a worried tone for his partner.
Nonetheless, Layla was comfortable in the dark, and the moment they came out of their houses, her silver eyes were already reflecting back their image with a murderous glow.
She took out her dagger and said to Tito with banter in her voice, "If you don't end up stabbing us in the back later on, I bet we'll totally crack up about these days. You know why? 'Cause we're gonna keep getting better like a fine bottle of wine."
"Remaining focused and staying on the path of righteousness can be challenging. I recognize that I may not always have a direct and unwavering approach, as my movements may resemble those of a snake's. It is important to remember that those who are destined for hell will not find solace in heaven. Time will ultimately reveal what the future holds." Tito thought to himself, making sure that he was ready for battle.