< intercomm dialogue >
|| system ||
|| 'AI speaking' ||
[ Location ]
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[Human Region – Zone 8, Arena 15 - The Symphony]
The chants continue as the battle is ongoing. Contestants under aliases fought in the center stage until only one remains standing.
One man with a blue latex costume, he is thin and flexible. He easily falls down in contact with the others' fists.
Even after being black-eyed, he just kept going back up.
Two of the contestants wore matching outfits of black and red, signifying they were ninjas. They move swiftly and with precision.
Then there's two female contestants, twins in fact. They are more robust than the first three men I introduced.
They don't fear being hurt, and they are just as aggressive as the men in the arena.
Another one is a man of big and muscular stature.
He can effortlessly carry any of the smaller contestants and throwing them harshly towards the ground.
The crowd goes 'Oooofff!' when that happens.
"...and the last member of the Dog House is down!" the MC announced.
The crowd goes wild as the medics now carry the body and another entrant joins the fray.
"Let us welcome, one of our defending champions, a representative of the Watch Foxes, the Arctic Fox!"
The man who entered the fray stood tall and proud as the crowd cheered on his behalf. He wore a mask, and a clothed in white.
"Arctic Fox! Arctic Fox!" the people began to chant.
The remaining 6 contestants in the center of the arena were pressured by his arrival. All of them are new challengers and he a champion.
Looking at each other, they sent each other an unspoken invitation to team up against the champion. Points would be credited to them by taking down the Arctic Fox.
"Come at me if you can." the Arctic Fox challenged.
Reese watched people spar people, he saw friendly competitions and brawls on bars. But he's never seen such chaos all for the sake of entertainment.
"People pay to watch this? Really?"
"You'd be surprised what kind of things people think about." Ana tells him.
"Are you one of those people who enjoys a scene of blood and gore?" he teased.
Ana scoffs at him, leaving his question hanging in the air. In most cases, Reese would assume it's a yes. But with Ana, he could never tell.
They walk up the stairs, on one of the top bleachers.
They are far from the actual arena, but good thing there are large screens around them so they could watch.
"We don't get VIP treatment?" Reese questioned playfully.
"There are moments in life where we need to choose the norm so we don't stand out." She sits down, pulling out a chocolate chunky bar from her jacket.
"When do we start questioning people?"
"Are you really asking me that? You're a team leader now, act like it."
Reese couldn't help it. When he's with Ana, it feels like he is a rookie all over again.
She is the type of mentor that wouldn't teach him many things without giving actual instructions.
Normally he had to figure things out by himself.
"Instead of interrogating guests, we can investigate the fighters instead." He offered. "Zombies have better resistance, tolerance and endurance to physical battles like this."
"Mm," she acknowledged.
"They don't sweat so that's one indication. If a fighter is trying to cover it up by mask or long-sleeved clothing, we can add them to the suspect list."
"They bleed just like we do." She adds.
She turns to him.
"If they don't, that is just weird."
"Uh yeah they do. They have darker blood than us." Reese confirms. "Anything else that isn't the obvious, Cap?"
Ana takes a bite of her chocolate bar, a fresh crunch sound coming from that one bite.
"I'm just helping kickstart your brain. I'm not gonna brainstorm with you."
Reese chuckled. "I feel like a noob still under academy's strict military training."
"I just figured you are new to investigate big cases. So you need some tips. You know, how to be open to all angles when you look at a picture."
"Yeah right, and we're looking at a picture upside down." He says sarcastically. "Let me convert my mind to see this in a zombie's perspective."
"I hope your brain malfunctions and you don't revert back."
"My brain is working just fine, thank you."
_______________________
[Human Region – Zone 7, The Old Oyster]
Killian leans on the counter, eyeing the bartender behind it. "Hey MM." he greets.
MM is a woman of average height, hair is a mix of dark blonde and brunette strands.
Just like the other employees, she wore the black and white uniform with her nametag pinned on her vest.
"Killian, what a surprise!" she greeted back. "Bel isn't here, right now. But I can leave a message."
"Actually I'm not here for Bel. I know he's at work. I'm here for you."
MM smiled at him mischievously, raising her brows at him. It took Killian a moment to realize what his message had implied.
"That—that's not what I mean!" he wanted to take it back if he could.
"Naughty, naughty Killian. Not satisfied with your girlfriend and want your brother's wife instead." She teases.
"I said that's not what I mean!" Killian felt his face flustered and he tries to explain continuously.
A face towel hits his face and Killian stops sputtering his explanations.
"I'm just messing with you, come on, of course I know what you mean."
"It's not funny!"
MM laughed as if to contradict him. MM couldn't help to tease Killian when she finds the opportunity of the day to do so.
She mirrors what Bel is to Killian I suppose.
She teases him when it comes to his relationship.
Or teases him about me.
But when he really needed someone to talk to, or needed someone to comfort him, MM can reflect a motherly aura and listen to him.
"Alright, enough about you. What did you want from me?" MM helps him change the subject.
"Employee information. Favorite customers. Notable guests." Killian tries to get his composure back.
"Oh? What for? This is sensitive information to just be handed out."
"I'm working on a case. It's confidential. I really need your help. Please?"
"Did you just say please?"
"…no."
"You did!"
"I did not."
"I won't help you." MM shifted her tone to a serious one.
"Wha—okay fine. Please." He repeats.
"Did you just say please?" MM also repeats.
Killian sighs. "Yes. I did. Now can you please help me?"
"Come with me."
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