Then the door hissed open, and a wave of cold air swept through the room as Ace entered with his signature nonchalant attitude.
His presence alone commanded the attention of everyone inside.
"Alright, that's enough. Let's roll out before the captain catches us hanging around here," he said, his voice calm yet firm.
He walked in, his gaze sweeping across the room—Tomi and Arande facing off, Zane and Blaze staring back at him, and Layla rushing toward him, her face lighting up with happiness.
Blaze scoffed, crossing his arms.
"Shut it, and quit the emo-guy act, 'cause you're not pulling it off." His tone was cold, laced with disdain as his eyes flickered over Ace.
Meanwhile, Ace's focus shifted to Tomi, who was standing rigid, his expression unreadable but his body language tense.
Ace's eyes locked on him, matching Tomi's cold gaze with one of equal disinterest.
"Layla, I'm guessing he's the survivor you saved?" Ace asked, his tone detached, almost as if the question was more of a formality than genuine curiosity.
"Yeah, he is," Layla responded casually, brushing the question off as if it didn't warrant further explanation.
Tomi felt his muscles tighten as Ace approached him, every step the boy took sending a jolt of discomfort through him.
There was something about Ace's presence that unnerved him and made him feel scrutinized.
"Do you have a problem with me?" Tomi snapped, his voice carrying a sharp edge of anger, his eyes narrowing at Ace's indifferent approach.
"No," Ace replied flatly, brushing past Tomi without even glancing at him. His tone was icy as if the very question wasn't worth acknowledging.
He paused, turning slightly before boarding his sleek black-and-white striped mecha, and added, "Just don't slow the team down. That's all."
The words hit Tomi harder than he expected. He felt a pang of frustration—indirectly called weak by someone his age, no older than 15, but carrying an air of authority.
Ace, with his light skin, grey pupils, and dark blue hair, looked striking in his elegant mecha pilot suit. But that only made Tomi's blood boil more.
Before Tomi could fully react, he felt something soft around his shoulders—Arande, her voice suddenly in his ear as she hugged him from behind.
"Don't worry, I believe you won't. And if you do, I'll protect you," she said with a grin, her voice full of playful confidence.
Tomi's body jerked in response, his past trauma flaring up at the sudden contact.
"Why don't you get off me!" he yelled, his arm swinging in reflex. Arande, quick on her feet, stepped back before he could accidentally hit her.
Her expression faltered, but she wasn't offended.
"Arande, leave him alone," Layla's voice cut through the tension, echoing from her mecha as she frowned at the unfolding scene.
"He doesn't want to be touched, okay?" Her voice held a note of authority, and Arande's playful demeanor faded into an apologetic smile.
Tomi stood there, his heart pounding, eyes darting around the room. The coldness from Ace, the strange affection from Arande—it all felt overwhelming.
He couldn't help but feel even more alienated from these people. What kind of team is this? he thought, his frustration bubbling beneath the surface.
"Alright, listen up, everyone!" Tijona's commanding voice cut through the chatter, emanating from her mecha's speaker system.
At around 21, her presence was authoritative, with a tone that left no room for doubt.
"Time to roll out. Layla, Arande, Blaze, and Zane—stay by the newbie's side throughout this mission. Got it?" Her voice held an edge of urgency.
"We can't afford him to go missing or be touched! That's a direct order from the captain."
The team exchanged surprised glances. How Tijona had managed to get in and now commanded from her mecha was a topic of silent speculation.
"Roger, That!" Layla's voice bubbled with excitement, eager for the rescue mission at the newly discovered Eclipse organization lab.
Blaze's eyes gleamed with anticipation, ready to engage the enemy after being sidelined by another mission.
Arande's excitement was palpable, her enthusiasm undeterred by Tomi's cold reception. Zane, with a sly grin, was already gearing up in his Light Lancer mecha.
Tomi, seated in his mecha, fumbled with the controls, feeling a mix of confusion and anxiety.
"Let's see," he muttered, glancing around at the unfamiliar interface.
Suddenly, Tijona's voice commanded from the cockpit,
"Alright, everyone, here we go!" The door of the storage bay slid open, revealing the bright, natural light of the outside world.
Tomi took a deep breath and began his startup sequence.
He pressed the control panel, and the mecha pilot suit enveloped him. His visor flickered to life, displaying a stream of data.
[Activate L2: Light Lancer]
"Activate L2: Light Lancer," Tomi instructed his voice steady but tinged with determination.
[L2: Light Lancer activated]
The mecha roared to life, lifting off the ground and aligning with the rest of his team. Tomi's resolve hardened as he followed them out.
Here I come, and I'll make you all pay tenfold for what they did to me, he thought fiercely.
As they moved out, Arande's voice came through his communication system, her tone light but slightly puzzled. "Hey, are you going in there?"
Tomi's face tightened in irritation as her words appeared on his visor.
"Yeah… now leave me alone," he snapped, trying to keep his focus on the mission despite his growing frustration with her persistence.
"And why would I do that?" Arande's voice was playful but firm.
"Besides, I promised to protect you," she added, her tone carrying a mix of reassurance and persistence.
The team's attention shifted as dark mechas emerged from the shadows. The alert on Tomi's Light Lancer flickered urgently.
[huddle of dark mecha—Serpent, Fox, Lion, and Cheetah]
[Threat level: Medium]
"Everyone ready?" Tijona's voice crackled through the comms, commanding yet composed.
"Yeah!" came the enthusiastic response from the team.
Tomi remained silent, his gaze fixed on the approaching huddle of dark mecha.
"Let's see how this goes," Tomi thought, a surge of excitement building as he prepared to put his Light Lancer to use.
Through his visor, Tomi spotted the Cheetah mecha darting toward him with incredible speed. Its red eyes gleamed menacingly as it charged, preparing to unleash a beam attack.
A cold smile curled at Tomi's lips, his fingers twitching to engage. But before he could act, Arande's Black Lancer shot past him, delivering a powerful kick to the Cheetah mecha.
The impact generated a gust of wind that pushed Tomi back slightly.
"Are you okay?" Arande's voice came through with genuine concern, her Lancer's frame momentarily blocking his view.
"Until now," Tomi replied tersely, his irritation with Arande's persistence growing.
He watched as the Cheetah mecha staggered but quickly recovered, raising its arms to deflect further attacks.
"Hey, Arande, watch out!" Layla's warning cut through the chaos.
Tomi, Layla, Arande, and Blaze's mechas suddenly found themselves surrounded by a ring of dark mechas, closing in on their formation.
"Tsk!" Tomi clicked his tongue in frustration, staring at the dark Cheetah mecha that Arande's kick had only momentarily disoriented.
The Cheetah stood defiantly as Arande's Black Lancer retreated to a safer distance.