18:00 P.M

Goz Beida, Chad, Africa

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The next day, there wasn't much that happened. The Freya rebel group stayed in the rooms provided inside the palace.

However, later that night, Hope visited my room.

I was lying down on my bed at that time, daydreaming and what not. A few knocks on my door snapped me back into reality. "Come in."

Hope pushed open the door and I leaped from my bed onto the floor. The sleeves on my red pajama wrinkled a bit, so I adjusted it. When I looked back up, there was someone else behind him. It was Beatrice, wearing her blue cap as usual.

"Beatrice? It's nighttime. Why are you wearing a cap?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh . . . I just felt like it," she replied. "How are you doing, Ava?"

"I'm fine. Never been more relaxed than I am right now."

Hope closed the door after both of them stepped inside. "Um, Ava, Klaus had just informed that he had completed your Aegis Gear."

"REALLY?!"

I jumped a few times and shrieked out of joy. Without me realizing, I hugged Hope and repeatedly thanked him for the news.

"And, as for this girl," said Hope, his golden eyes glared at Beatrice, "I don't know why she followed me."

Beatrice narrowed her eyes at him. "I just want to tag along when I saw you in the hallway. Is that wrong?"

"Nope. It's not wrong. But, it's wrong if that person is you," said Hope sharply.

"Huh? What is wrong with you, Hopeless--"

"DON'T . . . Don't call me that," said Hope. "I'm sorry, Beatrice. But, whenever I look at you, my brain kept reminding me of those awful times we spent together. You bullied me and treated me like a piece of trash. That is the truth, and you know it."

Beatrice took a few steps away from him, holding her hands close to her chest. "I don't like the way you look at me."

"And in what way you don't like it? Do tell. As far as I'm concerned, I have no interest in you whatsoever. Keep that in mind . . . Beatrice."

"Why are you acting like this? It's so sudden . . ."

"Well, I've been meaning to stand up against you. All those times . . . To be honest . . . I feared you back then. But it's different now."

Beatrice's body s.h.i.+vered for a moment. "Hopeless . . ."

"I don't want to hear you say that name again in front of me. I don't like it. Sorry, Beatrice, but all the memories I have with you . . . Most of them are bad . . . Again, I'm sorry."

"Oh . . ."

Beatrice distanced herself further from him, her eyes darted at the wall.

I knew both of them didn't get along with each other, but Beatrice was different. After three years, she had changed, albeit a little. She still called Hope by the name, 'Hopeless', but it was in a friendly manner. Back then at Mansel Island, she used that particular nickname as an insult. The Beatrice in front of me didn't say that name in a hurtful way, but more like an indication as to how close the bond between those two was.

"U-Um, you two," I said as my hands waved at them frantically, "I'm sure Beatrice didn't mean to insult Hope or anything. It's just how she always calls him. I'm sure of it."

Hope sighed. "I still don't like it. You know we don't get along well with each other. Being childhood friends made it harder for me to see her in a new light. I've known her for a long time, and she treated me like garbage. I just . . . Need to see if this Beatrice deserve anything from me."

I looked at Beatrice for a while, and she didn't utter a single word. Her hand pulled her blue cap closer to her face.

'I can't see her expression,' I thought.

I cleared my throat. "Anyway, how about the three of us go and meet Klaus right now? I want to see how my own Aegis Gear actually looks like."

"All right," replied Hope.

I glanced at Beatrice, and I could've sworn she was wiping the tears on her face. Slowly, she lifted her face and put up a smile for both me and Hope.

"Let's go," she said weakly.

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We were walking in the underground path leading towards Klaus's lab. There were white fluorescent lights up in the ceiling, exposing the pale dark walls on our left and right sides. Beatrice was walking behind me and Hope, and so far, she hadn't said a single word.

"Um, Beatrice?" I called.

Her eyes trailed off to look at me. "What is it, Ava?"

"I want to clear something I have in my mind. Um . . . You guys came here because you want to help Neo Africa fight the C.U, right?"

"Yes. Jessica knows what major changes had occurred, especially the sudden change in the C.U's ruler. She took the initiative to gather every last one of Freya member group. Luca and Alice decided to come with us since we know you are apart of Lutalo."

"Ohh, I see."

Beatrice then looked at Hope for a moment.

Hope noticed it and glared at her. "Is . . . There something you want to ask?"

"Nothing." She glanced at me. "You sure have grown so much the last time I saw you Ava."

I grinned. "Of course. I eat a lot after all."

Hope focused his attention back at the front, and I sighed. It would take a long while before those two could talk normally.

We arrived at the underground lab soon after, where Klaus was waiting outside of the front, metal door.

"Mister Klaus," I called. "Ooooh. What's that in your hand?"

Klaus was holding a piece of clothing in his hands. When I got a bit closer, the clothing was actually a dark s.h.i.+rt that fit my size. I frowned and looked at Klaus in the eyes.

"I know, I know," Klaus said. "It doesn't look like your typical Aegis Gear if you compare it to what Caesar and Lily have."

"That's my Aegis Gear?!" I exclaimed.

My eyes s.h.i.+fted its gaze from the s.h.i.+rt, then back to Klaus, and then back to the s.h.i.+rt. "It's just a piece of s.h.i.+rt."

"Ah-ha! That's what it seems like from the outside."

"Aegis Gear?" muttered Beatrice.

"Oh, you don't know about it. Aegis Gears are pieces of technologies that are designed to help Aegis Users in expanding their options during combat," said Klaus. "This one is specifically made for Ava."

"A s.h.i.+rt," said Hope.

"It takes the form of a regular piece of T-s.h.i.+rt, yes. When Ava wears it in the future, this armor will bear the properties of her Aegis' specialties. For example, Ava can allow her white flames to burst out of this armor. By doing so, unlike before, the flames can be completely manipulated by her. Changing the flame's shape, or redirecting its trajectory, it can all be done."

"You said armor," muttered Hope.

"Yeah."

"But it's a s.h.i.+rt."

"No no. It looks like a s.h.i.+rt. In actuality, this s.h.i.+rt is one-hundred percent made up of an extremely malleable metal. This can be achieved by altering the composition of the used metal completely."

"It's made up of metal?" I said. "When you look at it for a long time . . . There's this layer of faint hexagon pattern on top."

"Yup. It is the metal. Now, how about you wear it, Ava?" Klaus asked.

I looked at my clothing. "But I'm wearing a pajama."

"Oh, you don't have to take your clothes off. It would work even if there is already clothing underneath the armor," Klaus said.

"Ah, I see."

My hands took the Aegis Gear intended for me and wore it on top of my pajamas. "You are right. It is very . . . Stretchy. It fits right in place."

"How does it feel?" said Klaus with gleaming eyes.

"Well . . ." I moved my arms up and down and twisted my body slightly. "It is on top of my pajamas. I can't say I feel anything--"

The Aegis Gear let out a 'click' sound and a strange, red symbol appeared in the middle of it. At first, it looked like a glowing hexagon, then it changed its shape to form the word 'AVA: REVISED LB MODE', before changing back to the hexagon.

"Hmm? Revised LB Mode?"

Klaus coughed when the three of us there waited for him to explain it. "Your first Aegis's specialty is that it has emotions, and we all know that. It lets you bypa.s.s the limiters already set up for your Aegis and therefore, allowing you to enter this Limit Breaker Mode."

"Uh-huh," I nodded.

"I have made this Aegis Gear with that feature in mind. Basically, this armor allows your Mode to be used without any time limit. Other than that, the extreme fatigue and strain resulted from you breaking through your Aegis's limits will be transferred to this armor."

My red and blue eyes opened wide at his explanation. "I can use my Mode whenever I wish to."

"Precisely," answered Klaus. "But . . . There is an important thing you must know when you activate your Mode while wearing this Aegis Gear. You can also use the Revised LB Mode for about three times before the armor is rendered completely useless. It will just be a piece of junk after that."

"A setback like that is something to be expected," said Hope. "But you said it is about three times. So, you are not sure how many times it can be used?"

"Well . . ." Klaus shrugged. "It's not like we can do a field test here. Making this Aegis Gear takes us almost eight months. I'm sure you two don't want to just burn out the armor right now, and wait eight more months eh?"

"Ah . . . You're right," said Hope.

"Guess we'll find out when the time comes," said Ava. "Anyway, thank you, Mister Klaus."

He puffed up his chest in triumph. "Of course! You can count on me. Now . . . I need to get some sleep."

"Wait!" I said, and he turned around to face me. "You said this Gear has my Aegis specialties imbued into it. Then, does it has emotions too?"

"Nope. That Gear can only replicate as far as your Absorption specialty and the white flames. Something as abstract like emotions will not be replicated, even if the A.I in the armor tried to."

"Oh."

"You can take the armor and wear it whenever."

With that, Klaus entered his lab and left the three of us outside. I took the Aegis Gear off and the glowing red hexagon disappeared immediately.

"Describing this thing as armor doesn't feel right to me," I said to Hope and Beatrice. "But, it is what it is, I suppose."

The three of us went back upstairs, and the moment we arrived at the lounge room, two familiar figures came into view. They were waiting for me the whole time. Luca smiled at me when she and her daughter, Alice, noticed us.

"Luca, and also Alice," I said.

"Sis Ava. Hehe." Alice waved her hand in my direction. "Of course Sis Beatrice is with Hope."

"Hm?" Hope frowned, while Beatrice pulled her cap down again to cover her face.

"I suppose both you and Ava are free right now," Luca said. "Do you have time for some chit-chat?"

Hope and I looked at each other, and then back at Luca. "Of course," we both said together.