Plotting (Rewritten March 25)

"Thanks for ruining my breakfast, you freak," Amelia Laflamme mumbled, her fists clenched, crackling with sparks. Even her steps left burned footprints as she stormed toward the Damage Calculator Gym #3.

As soon as she opened the door, she could hear someone crying inside: "DIE, YOU FREAK!"

Amelia found Karen Svensson, casting balls of fire, blades of ice, and gusts of wind at rapid speed, targeting a spot 100 feet away. Her spells were erratic, resembling out-of-control machine gun fire. "I'M--SO--SICK--OF--HER!"

The specialized white walls were designed to withstand the attacks, but outside the building, such magical firepower would have demolished half of the Headquarters.

When the black-haired young woman ran out of mana and the smoke cleared, a system window appeared above a dancing, unscathed mannequin.

*****Amazing! 

*****Damage Rank: Silver A!

"Yeah, that'll show Astrid," Amelia sneered, sitting on a black leather cushion in the spectator area. "So, what are you going to do about it? You're badmouthing our great and valorous Guild Master! She might be a childish bitch, but let's not forget that she could do the same amount of damage with just one punch."

Karen stomped out of the testing area. "Are you telling me you're on her side now, Red?!"

Amelia's amber eyes gleamed with fiery intensity. "Don't even joke about it, Karen."

A sonorous slurping sound made them turn toward Faiza, sitting beside them. The dark-skinned girl, wearing a panda-themed hoodie, was slurping ramen with vigor. She glanced back at them, blinking.

"Sorry, did I interrupt something important?" she asked nonchalantly, mixing her food with her chopsticks. "But Amelia's right. Astrid is just that amazing… Whether you like it or not."

Karen turned serious. "Hey, give me a bite of that."

"No way!" Faiza hugged her bowl protectively. "You were the one who said, 'it's too early to eat ramen!'"

"Come ooon! Just a little—" Karen got close enough to snatch the bowl, but Faiza pushed her away with an elephant-headed spirit that manifested out of her body.

"Do you see that?" Faiza pointed at a system window hovering above a coffee table. "That's the menu! Order yours and leave me alone!"

"Fine!" Karen stretched her arms out to her sides. "Someone doesn't know what sharing means, huh?! Red, I'm starving, and since our Lord Marco is taking his sweet time, want to order something too? Have you eaten breakfast yet?"

"I was going to, but…" Amelia sighed. "Just order black coffee for me, please."

Damn, Ghost. Who the hell does he think he is? Amelia thought, biting her lower lip. He thinks he can sit with us so casually? Seriously, Marissa, why did you invite him to our table? That was low, even for a prankster like you!

Amelia stared at the end of the room, where the dancing mannequin taunted her, ready to test her power. 'Are you guys sisters?' he had asked, maintaining a dumb smile on his face. Makes me sick…

"That was fast!" Karen beamed at the sight of the male NPC entering to deliver the food.

Amelia did not glance at him. She was too busy checking her nail polish, deciding that the black color no longer suited her. With the help of her User Interface, she changed them to red, as if they were covered in blood.

"Here's your coffee, miss," the NPC spoke, but Amelia didn't respond.

"Just leave it there, sweetheart," Karen said from her seat. "Someone's a little cranky today."

Amelia snickered. "Says the one who was about to pop a vein just minutes ago." She then tapped the coffee mug to display a temperature slider, maxed it, and gulped it down immediately. "That hit the spot… Hey, don't you think Ghost's 'coma story' is bullshit?"

"It's too convenient," Faiza pointed out quietly.

"Exactly! So, what do you think the real story is?"

Faiza shrugged, hiding her gaze under her hoodie as if ready to take a nap. "Maybe he was working outside with the rest of the ship's staff."

Amelia frowned at her. "What makes you think that?"

"Aren't we just guessing?"

"Yeah, and you suck at it!" Karen interjected, pointing at Faiza's face with her chopsticks. "If one of the ship's engines exploded or something serious like that, why would they choose him to help? He's a teen, just like us. If he was some hotshot engineer, he would've boasted about it to Marco last night!"

"I didn't say they woke him up to do something important!" Faiza suddenly shouted. "Maybe they just needed a janitor or someone to rub the captain's shoulders!"

Karen vigorously shook her head. "Why are we talking like 'working outside' is the only theory that makes sense?"

"What do you suggest, then?!"

"Don't ask me! I don't even know why we're talking about that piece of crap!"

"Astrid just pissed off our dear First Officer because of him," Amelia reminded Karen softly. "Don't you want to know why she'd risk everything she's built for a guy like him?"

Karen shrugged. "Maybe they were 'fuck-friends'! There! That's my theory! She defended him because he was her little pumpkin."

"Astrid with a guy like that?" Faiza loudly sneered. "Please! And you said I sucked at guessing."

"Whatever, who cares? I don't care! You?!" Karen shouted, furiously mixing her noodles, until noticing Amelia's lost-in-thought expression. "'Risk everything she's built for a guy like him', huh?" Karen quoted, smirking. "One can only hope—" The room's door opened, prompting Karen to quickly wipe her mouth with her sleeve. "There it is! Welcome in!"

Marco Souza entered at a calm pace, accompanied by three men. William, towering over the group, looked like Marco's bodyguard. Matthew Bernstein, the young healer, locked eyes with Amelia before nervously looking away. And Jason Foreman, a lanky young man wearing a monocle and a green robe, quietly giggled as if he had heard a joke inside his head.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting, ladies," Marco said, slightly bowing and putting his right hand against his chest. "But as you know, organizing all this was quite a challenge."

"But you're bringing us good news, right?" Karen beamed at him. "Are we finally free of that harpy's claws?"

Marco smiled warmly at her for a brief moment, holding the information for a little longer. "Kathleen Maher said yes."

"AT LAST!" Karen cried, ecstatic, dashing toward him to hug him. "I knew you could do it!"

"She'll even come personally to welcome us all," Marco continued. "She'll arrive in about three hours. That gives us plenty of time to deal with any… unfinished business."

"That's our boss!" Karen squealed.

Seeing her embrace Marco made Amelia frown. 

"'For how long is she going to keep hugging him?' Is that what you're thinking?" Faiza asked in Amelia's ear.

Amelia snickered. "You don't know me that well, Faiza."

"It's so reassuring seeing you here, beautiful," William, the seven-foot-tall hulking man, interrupted, sitting beside them. "You made the right choice."

"As if I had a choice," Amelia sighed. "I couldn't bear sharing the same roof as that bitch for another day, so…"

"Which reminds me," Marco turned to Amelia. "Did you get it?"

"Right here." Amelia pulled something out of her inventory and held it aloft. It was a reddish strand of hair.

Jason Foreman's cackling filled the room. "Oh, Marco, you fiend! Are you really going to use it?" Jason then dashed toward Amelia, snatching the hair and inspecting it closely with his monocle.

Marco snickered. "As a matter of fact, I was expecting you'd take the role. You know Matthew couldn't act, even if his life depended on it."

"I could do it if you ask me to," Matthew said quietly from a corner.

Marco smiled warmly at him. "No. We can't afford any mistakes. This has to be perfect… Perfect enough for the rest of the guild to eat it without question, and even ask for seconds."

Jason looked at him, confused. "We're still talking about the same thing, right? Anyway! Sure thing, boss. I'll do it."

"Then why don't you practice the script with William and prepare everything?" Marco suggested. "I'll catch up with you in a minute."

William nodded. "Sure thing, Boss." He then leaned toward Amelia before standing up, whispering, "Let's have a drink later, yeah?"

"Can't wait," she replied, not looking at him.

"I-I'll go with you guys," Matthew said hurriedly, glancing at Amelia for the third time.

She groaned. Stop looking at me like I'm going to scorch you, kid! It always happens when you and Marissa fight. Did you two have a fight? You, little…

As the door closed, Amelia studied Marco's expression. There was a gleam in his gaze that she had only seen a couple of times before. Although he's in control of the situation, why do I feel like there's something else?

Marco locked eyes with her, making her flinch. "There's still a spot available for your sister," he said. "I hope she can join us."

"Thank you, Marco, I appreciate it," Amelia replied, rising from her seat and strolling toward the test area, where the dancing mannequin had reset the score and was waiting. She stepped onto the designated spot and focused on the dummy. "Fire Crafting," Amelia intoned, surrounded by a swirling fire, hoping the roar of the flames would drown out Karen's annoying voice.

"Did you really convince the 'Snow Diamond' to receive us?" Karen asked, hugging Marco tightly. "Only you could pull it off. This is like a dream come true!"

"Thanks for your confidence in me, Karen," Marco chuckled.

Amelia's spell intensified, giving birth to a flaming serpent that gradually morphed into a 10-foot-long dragon. She raised her hand aloft, commanding the beast to rise and channel a fiery breath.

Her mind superimposed Alan's stupid face onto the dummy. Your entire existence doesn't matter to me. I couldn't care less if you were really in a coma or working outside. The only good thing you've done for us is give us the little push we needed…

She giggled and commanded the dragon to unleash an incandescent fire beam. The explosion startled Karen and made Marco purse his lips. Amelia then sent the monster forward, transforming its entire body into a long metallic projectile. The impact created a shockwave, blowing the caster's hair away, along Karen's bowl of ramen, off the coffee table.

"I'll go get my stuff," Amelia said, walking past her companions.

"Bitch…" Karen whispered, watching the test results.

*****Outstanding!

*****Damage Rank: Gold E!