Gilbert lingered in silence, his eyes roaming over the neatly arranged arsenal. As the holographic display went out, he noticed Anastasia had finished her presentation. Turning to her, he asked with a bit of skepticism,
"Is that all? What about the scouting module or cloaking module I heard Kean mentioning?"
Anastasia rolled her eyes. With a slow, measured step away from the terminal, she responded,
"Do you think it's that simple to modify a flight unit? Those things you love to use are energy guzzlers. Besides, I couldn't find any module that would complement your fighting style. You're built for close-combat assaults, not stealth reconnaissance. The only other option that might work for you is an energy sword, but that upgrade will come at a sacrifice for something else. Now shut up and let's see how it goes."
Placing his arms up in surrender, Gilbert allowed himself to be guided as he began equipping the new armor. Each piece clicks into place with a satisfying precision: arm guards, chest plate, gorgets, gauntlets, boots, and greaves. After he stood fully encased in the sleek black suit of power armor, Anastasia led him out to a large practice field.
Once there, Anastasia turned her attention to the assault rifle, and together they carefully attached the weapon to his suit, positioning the nozzle downwards.
Gilbert then began to move his limbs, testing the movement of his freedom movement with the new weaponry, especially the rifle on his shoulder. Anastasia stood at a safe distance, her eyes locked on her portable terminal in her hand. Through the comms, she instructed with a serene voice, "Okay, I want you to test out some flight maneuvers."
"Roger that, Ana," Gilbert replied without hesitation. With a confident demeanor, he fired up his newly updated flight unit as he propelled himself skyward.
Gilbert started slow at first with simple turns and maneuvers, allowing himself to acclimate to the new system. As he grew more confident, he ramped up his maneuvers to sharp turns, rapid climbs, and controlled dives.
Soon, the training evolved. Obstacles emerged along the terrain below, and Gilbert dipped to a lower altitude, weaving between them.
Without warning, lasers burst from strategic position machines on the ground, creating a lattice of beams. The sudden sent is HUD blaring with warnings as he was forced to bob and weave through the net of fire.
"This new flight unit is sweet, Ana! And the attitude-controlled is fantastic. I can move with such precision now. Though what is that shake at top speed?" The exhilarated voice of Gilbert burst through the comms as he executed an impressive upside-down maneuver, his body twisting gracefully against the blue sky before landing expertly.
Back on the ground, Anastasia's attention remained fixed on the portable terminal in her hands. Her eyes scanned the real-time performance of the data streaming from Gilbert's armor. A satisfied smile tugged at her lips as she analyzed the feedback, already considering the fine-tuning that could iron out the final details.
"Remember, Gilbert, this is for short flights only. It's more powerful than the enhanced jumps from before, but it wasn't built for long-term flight. The shake you feel is because of the new attitude controls, but all data indicates everything is in safe parameters." Anastasia explained, her eyes intently scanning the telemetry on her portable terminal as she zoomed in on the flight unit's performance. Her tone then shifted as a new challenge presented itself on the field. "Okay, targets are going to appear on the ground and in the air. See if you can control the shoulder-mounted rifle to take them out."
Hearing her words, Gilbert steadied himself as the training area came alive. Drones appeared in the air, moving in random patterns, simultaneously, targets appeared on the ground, each in varying situations, some steadfast, others darting quickly into brief low altitude flights.
With careful steps, Gilbert activated his shoulder-mounted rifle. The weapon came to life as it spun around on its axis, stably pivoting over his shoulder to take aim. Using the rifle, he accurately locked on to targets as it took them out. He then practiced moving as he fired; at times, he would fly into the air, learning every subtle nuance of his new rifle.
"That's good, Gilbert. I knew you'd be able to control it without preset assistance," Anastasia's voice crackled through the comms, pride mixed into her tone. "We just have some other tests to figure out some other fine details, then we're golden."
After hours of practice, with evening rolling in, Anastasia finally called for an end to the practice session. They then left the training field and returned to the armory.
"You are a taskmaster, aren't you, Ana?" Gilbert complained as he powered down his armor and carefully placed it back in its metallic box, grumbling as he did so.
Anastasia didn't look up immediately. Instead, she continued working at the terminal, tweaking the armor schematics based on the data she had just gathered. She then glanced his way and countered coolly, "You want armor that works right?"
Gilbert rolled his eyes dismissively. "Yeah, yeah," he replied with a languid wave of his arm. Then, a smile broke across his face as he added, "I have a date tonight and I can't be late."
At his words, Anastasia lifted her head from her work. As they walked out of the armory, she matched his pace and probed. "Sigh, do you even know what you're going to wear? What about what you are going to bring her? Or where are you guys going?"
Gilbert maintained a calm step. "I was just planning to put on a shirt and pants. I'm bringing myself, and she's the one who chose where we're going," he explained.
Anastasia stopped abruptly and stared at his eyes wide. Gilbert met her face of incredulity squarely. "I thought you said she doesn't even like. So what is with that expression?" he pressed.
Shaking her head like a drum, Anastasia stepped up to him and began dragging him along through the citadel, "This and that are two different things, Gilbert," she chided lightly. "Come with me. Even though your date is going to crash and burn, we can't have you disgracing it with a bad start, even if people like her look down on us. Oh yeah, how many Onas do you have? Know what doesn't matter, I will pitch and make up the difference."
*****
Late in the evening, the members of Squad 9 gathered around Gilbert as he stood before a mirror. The women of the squad fussed over his attire, making minor adjustments while he kept checking the time.
Gilbert sported a crisp white button-up shirt, contrasting with the simple shirt was a sharply tailored green blazer draped effortlessly over his shoulders. His sleek black pants, paired with a matching belt featuring a small golden bird charm on the buckle. On his feet were lug-soled loafers. The ensemble was given the finishing touches by a luxurious emerald and gold scarf, artfully draped around his neck, and matching emerald earrings echoing the hues of the scarf. A new halo watch crafted in old Earth style with an emerald face and gold band graced his wrist. His locks were neatly styled, nails were freshly cleaned, and eyebrows were neatly lined.
Kean broke the silence with a playful swagger, circling Gilbert and examining him from head to toe.
"Tsk tsk tsk, I check out my brother," he teased.
Gilbert eyed his reflection and sighed,
"I feel like Ana's puppet. Ana, how much ONA do I have left anyway?"
With her focus divided between his outfit and the mirror, Anastasia fixed his scarf yet again for what felt like the umpteenth time.
"Don't worry about the money. Enjoy the clothes, probably the only thing you're going to enjoy tonight," she replied coolly.
Gilbert's gaze shifted from the mirror to her, and he pressed on,
"And why did I have to borrow William's watch?"
Leaning casually against a wall, William grinned and nodded in self-assuredness.
"Because it complements the look. I mean, you look complete with it, and you can't just buy a watch like that. My father gave it to me."
From a quieter corner, Chen Mei offered a compliment in a mosquito-like voice,
"I think you look great."
Not to be left out of the fun, Vivian, standing beside Adam, added with a teasing lilt,
"Mei Mei is right. For someone like you, this is pretty good, you could pass as someone not from a Tier III city."
After one final adjustment to his scarf, Anastasia stood up, brushing off a stray thread from his shoulders. She looked him squarely in the eyes as she said,
"Okay, you ready? Don't be late. Women don't like men who are late."
A relieved smile broke across Gilbert's face.
"Finally," he replied, before striding confidently toward the door as his squadmates Kean, William, and Vivian exchanged playful teasing remarks behind him.
"Wait!" Anastasia's voice rang out, halting Gilbert in his tracks, turning around in annoyance. "What now?" he demanded.
Anastasia ran towards Adam and snatched a small bouquet of jasmine from his hand.
"I couldn't find any that were called bougainvilleas like her earrings, at least not in time, but you shouldn't show up empty-handed." She said, catching up to him, she placed the blossoms into his waiting hand.
Gilbert expressed his gratitude and strode away, his pace quickening as he continuously checked his watch. Just as he rounded a corner, his hurried steps came to an abrupt halt, there standing in the walkway were Doctor Wolmer and the imposing figure of High Knight Cornelius, giving him a fright. With his trademark smile, Doctor Wolmer greeted Gilbert warmly.
"Oh, if it isn't Knight Gilbert, your performance the other day was exemplary!"
Wolmer's tone was both genial and sincere. Gilbert met his gaze, his face betraying a slight twitch as he struggled to hide his mixed emotions.
"Good evening, Doctor; Sir Knight. Thank you for your kind words. I did try my best. One must put in a little extra effort when every detail is under such scrutiny."
He replied quietly, trying to maintain a calm composure.
Wolmer chuckled and added, "No need for modesty. And where are you off to at this hour, so proper? I never thought peasants like you could afford such watches." Wolmer said in a casual tone, as High Knight Cornelius positioned himself behind Gilbert
"Is something wrong, Gilbert? You don't seem so well."Cornelius inquired, his voice deep.
Feeling uncomfortable, Gilbert tried his best to reply while taking glances at Cornelius. "I have a date. I'm fine, it's just that I am going to be late for my date." Gilbert said, checking his watch deliberately, choosing to ignore Wolmer's disparaging comment.
"Oh, my bad, don't let us hold you," Wolmer replied, stepping aside with a casual ease. "But Gilbert, we should talk sometime."
Giving him a curt nod, Gilbert hurried away. However, after he made his way around a few corners, he became aware of the cold sweat now covering his back.