"Hmm, maybe we should jump over the fence with you, and then navigate to the lab through the no man's land. Maybe then we won't have to engage in unnecessary combat," she remarked, her hand tracing a path through the vacant space around the labs in the structure, causing her coat sleeve to ride up, revealing her shirt sleeve that was red with blood.
"What's this? Did you get hurt somehow?" Jack asked worriedly as he took her hands in his, examining the area.
"No no, I'm fine. I just came from the training room. I was training my healing Ikanami on the dummies. It's their blood," Diana reassured.
"I see," Jack said, gently placing her hand back by her side again. "Well, don't go and do anything reckless."
"Rich coming from you," she said with a teasing smile.
"Hey, young master, quick question, how good are her healing skills?" Enak inquired in Jack's mind.
"She was on top of the class in the healing department, and since her mom and dad are both healers in the military... she knows some high grade techniques too. Why do you ask?" Jack replied in his mind.
"That blood... it was different. If she did that deliberately, she is one creative thinker," Enak praised.
"Why do you say that?"
"You will know yourself when the time comes."
"Hello?! Earth to Jack Hauston," Diana called out, staring deep into Jack's face, her face quite close to his.
"Ah yeah, I was just thinking something," he said, jerking his gaze back towards the structure.
"This is not the time for you to be having shower thoughts," she said, shaking her head with a sigh. "Anyways, what did you think about my plan?"
"Care to repeat again... I was engaged in those shower thoughts," he said with a nervous laugh.
Diana rolled her eyes. "Girls don't like bad listeners, you know. Anyways, I said that I will fly inside using that flying armour, into the observatory, cause an explosion there somehow. Then they will divert their attention to me. I will make them chase me around the complex while actively reducing their numbers. I will also shoot down the power unit. Then you can storm right in from the front door."
There was a moment's pause.
"Are you serious?" Jack blurted out suddenly.
"Do I look like I am about to laugh on all fours?"
"Nope. You are not going in first. Your plan is good, we will go with that, but I will be the one storming in at first. I will tell Mom to come outside once I am actively engaging them. Stephen and Ethan can then storm in, pick her up, and leave the place," he corrected sternly.
"What, why? Stop treating me like I am a fragile doll. What's better about you going in first than me doing the same?" she asked, her voice laced with determination and a hint of irritation.
"I can't have you getting hurt, Diana. We don't even know where the enemy units are stationed. We know there is a high chance they are gonna ambush us, and if they do, you will be in a bad situation."
Why does he always choose to march right into the face of death by himself? Why doesn't he consider me strong enough to help him and fight alongside him? Am I that weak? she thought to herself, her fists clenched, worry and annoyance flaring up inside her.
"You... Let me spell the pros of me going in first," she said, getting up from her seat as she strode towards Jack in annoyance.
"I can heal myself. You can't," she said, closing the distance between them, her index finger prodding into Jack's chest.
"I am faster while flying. You are not. I can do crowd control easily. I can engage foes all around me simultaneously," she said, taking a step forward every time she made a point, her finger digging deeper into Jack's chest, pushing him backward. By the time she was done, Jack was pressed against the wall, his mind a whirlwind of emotion.
"Diana... I..." he trailed off, unable to find words to make her understand.
"Stop treating me like a child who needs to be looked after all the time. Let me help you like I said I would. I have saved you before, why would you still not trust me?" she said slowly, her fists clenching around the button of his shirt. "I don't want to feel worthless here. I don't want to see you hurt again just because I wasn't there to help at the right time," she complained, her voice wavering.
"I don't know where or how my parents are... I don't know if they are even alive. You are the only close one I have with me right now... I don't want you to get hurt or worse, die... just because I couldn't be at the right place at the right time. Mrs. Hauston was always like a mother to me. Let me play an active role in saving her at least," she added, her voice weak and vulnerable, her forehead pushing against his chest.
Jack wanted to pull her into a tight embrace, to tell her every time he thought he was about to die, the thought of seeing her again was the thing that made him push himself further, but he couldn't bring himself to do that, so he settled in for giving her an encouraging pat on the head.
"Then... you can replace Stephen in the plan. We need him to stay outside in a safe place to guard the lifecamp anyway," he said, running his hand through her hair.
"That's better," she said, pulling away before giving him a victorious smile.
"Hmm, someone get the medic, the young master seems to be suffering from hypertension," Enak teased inside Jack's head.
"Sh–shut up," Jack stammered a reply in his mind, as he felt his heart beat faster at Enak's comment.
"Let's run a stimulation. Viora, do the thing," Jack instructed, hoping the distraction would help him regain his composure.
The power unit was situated right beside the command centre. The lab complex was powered by a massive Kana reactor. Jack planned to blast its control panel, shutting down power supply for the whole lab, but this was easier said than done, and Jack knew it.
"She is always insisting about going in first. Does she not fear death? She would've been a fierce warrior at Creta," Enak remarked.
"She does. Let's just say she is way too efficient at hiding it. Only a few people can see it, and I am one of them. After all, we go way back," Jack replied in his mind.
"You say you understand her, don't you? Yet do you understand what exactly you mean to her?"
"Ow... that was merciless. Stop giving me reality checks, Enak... Right now I think she just sees me as a close friend," he replied, his heart dropping at the thought.
"Or maybe she herself doesn't understand what you mean to her," Enak said, giving Jack some hope.
"Hmm Jack... I'm sorry for getting angry earlier. You can take me off the plan if I will distract you from fighting," Diana said, fiddling with the hem of her shirt, her cheeks burning due to her earlier outburst of her emotions and her vulnerable display.
"No, it's okay... who knows, if I run into trouble, I might need you saving me," Jack said with a reassuring smile.
"Let's hope it doesn't come to that, but if it does, I will come right in," she said with an encouraging smile.
They continued to brainstorm various plans of action together, trying to come up with better plans that wouldn't involve anyone playing bait, but with no success.
Maybe it was because there was really no way in without one of them acting as bait, or probably because Enak's words kept echoing inside Jack's head every time he started to begin to get lost in her eyes, her voice, or simply her presence.
Maybe she herself doesn't know what you mean to her... rang again and again in his head.
Let's say she really isn't sure what I mean to her, but I know for a fact what she means to me. Shouldn't I come clean about mine? Then if there is a part of her that likes me, it will surface, wouldn't it? he thought to himself.
But reality of their situation came crashing down on him again when Diana began speaking about another alternative plan, and he mentally cursed himself for getting distracted.
Now's not the time, dumbass. You value her friendship more, remember? If you get ahead of yourself and ruin the friendship, it will hurt more than it hurts right now, he scolded himself as he remembered how many people she had turned down till now.
But no matter how much he scolded himself, it was no good. Soon, they gave up on thinking better ideas because at some point the new plans were more unbelievable than the last.
They slumped back into their chairs, and the conversation turned to how they would brainstorm like this back at the training centre during their team battles. She, Jack, and Franklin would always team up and win the event (since the stimulator was teaching them about Ikanamis, people like Jack who still hadn't unlocked their Ikanamis were allowed to choose any two Ikanamis from their pedigree before they were placed in the shared virtual world).
The conversation gradually grew heavier as each of them missed Franklin's presence, and it stopped when none of them were able to say another word. Both of them zoned out before they knew it, enjoying each other's presence because of the sense of normalcy it brought.
"Well, ladies and gentlemen, we are now entering Bethlehem. As per the instructions, we will get off the highway here. The lifecamp tent will remain in safe territory here, and the three outpost inhabitants will proceed into the city to take care of some business. You can come out when we tell you it's okay to," Ethan's voice rang through the tents, making both Jack and Diana jump, making them realise they were just staring at each other the whole time while they were lost in thought.
"Guess that's our cue," Jack said with a smile, and they both walked out of the room to join Ethan outside.
"Hey, you two," Ethan called out happily. He clearly seemed to have enjoyed the drive.
"Hey," both of them said in unison before looking away in opposite directions. The atmosphere was heavy, making Ethan wonder what had happened in his absence.
He looked at Jack, waiting to catch his eye. When he did, he gave a quick brow flash and chin lift, throwing him the silent "what's up?"
Jack shook his head with a small smile, reassuring him everything was okay.
Ethan raised his eyebrows, shook his head with a tired sigh conveying Man, you two are difficult to understand.
Jack rolled his eyes. "Did you enjoy the drive?" he asked out loud.
"It was smooth as butter. The traction is insane. It didn't even skid for a centimetre in the especially waterlogged places," Ethan replied with a grin, tossing Jack the keys back.
"Great, I will be right back," Jack said as he channeled his energy and sped away to scout the surrounding area and erect Kana barriers to prevent any unwanted intrusions.