Chapter Seventy-Five

As the helicopter landed back onto the helipad, the pilot once again opened the door for the passengers before cutting the engine and allowing the plane to go still. Edward and the others made their way back to the building before them. When they arrived on the first floor, however, they separated. Mrs. Snow went back up to her office to finish some final paperwork while Leila went into the basement with Doctor Monroe to perform her initial tests. The man was accompanied by a female doctor, who was probably there to replace Doctor Monroe if Leila felt uncomfortable.

When Edward returned to his apartment, he was met with Ikarus. The dragon had been waiting near the door almost the entire time since Edward was gone and thus fell asleep in the mudroom. Edward smiled as he saw the dragon's carefree behavior before he slowly crouched down. He held his hand against Ikarus's snout and allowed the dragon to register the scent from his fingers. Ikarus's nose twitched as Edward waited. A moment later, Ikarus finally woke up and raised his head to meet his gaze with Edward's.

"I'm back," Edward smiled. Ikarus darted to his feet and jumped up to meet Edward's chest. The dragon's sharp talons couldn't penetrate Edward's chest, but he was sad to find a few holes torn into his shirt. Edward's concern passed immediately, however, as his time with Ikarus was far more important than a bit of fabric— no matter how expensive.

After Ikarus's excitement passed, he returned to the ground and looked into the hallway.

"She's getting some tests done. She'll be done in an hour or so," He told Ikarus. The concern on Ikarus's face disappeared as soon as he heard Edward's explanation, so the Dragon immediately turned around and walked into the apartment. Edward thought Ikarus would walk into the kitchen and demand another pint of ice cream, but he was surprised when Ikarus walked into the living room, instead. He chuckled, then closed the door behind him, "I guess I have some time for TV."

"As expected. Ms. June's physical abilities are just as impressive as Mr. Colt's abilities when he first arrived here," Doctor Monroe smiled as he spoke to Mrs. Snow. The report for her tests was on Mrs. Snow's table, though it was a lot less detailed than the report regarding Edward's results. This was because Doctor Monroe didn't annotate it as he did with Edwards, instead opting to report the bare results, "Her level may be higher than his was back then, but she's no less impressive."

"Have you found a way to test their magical abilities?" Mrs. Snow asked as she gazed upon the report.

"Unfortunately, any material that we've tried to use has been melted by their abilities. Unless we find something with innate resistance against such strong flames, that mystery will remain in the dark," Doctor Monroe said, "I've taken the liberty of comparing the stats and their results. I think I've gained a very rudimentary understanding of the value that each stat point has, though I need to test more subjects to be sure."

"Thank you, Doctor. This was good work. You're dismissed," Mrs. Snow said as she closed the report. She looked back up at Doctor Monroe and smiled before nodding her head. Doctor Monroe reacted in kind before turning around and returning to the elevator. After he left, Mrs. Snow was left alone once more, the thoughts in her mind only known to herself.

—

An hour or so after Edward turned on the TV, he heard a knock on his door. Ikarus immediately jumped out of his chair and dashed to the mudroom, but Edward took a slower approach. By the time he got onto his feet, Ikarus had already turned the doorknob.

"Hello, Ikarus!" Leila's voice beamed as she noticed the young dragon appear behind the door. The young dragon cheered, resulting in a sound between a dog's bark and a cat's purr, as Leila stepped inside the apartment.

"What are you doing here?" Edward asked as he turned up to the mudroom. Leila was crouching alongside Ikarus. She no longer had any of her luggage, as they had all been put into her apartment across the hall. She no longer wore her leather jacket, but instead the same outfit he first saw her in when she left her apartment building. Her hair was tied up in a small ponytail that revealed her cheeks and a little bit of her ears, though most of her hair was still hanging down over her forehead like usual. Her bright green eyes sparkled in the apartment's light, causing her to appear radiant and full of vigor.

"Sorry, I hope it's not a problem if I invite myself in," Leila smiled sheepishly. She stood up, her hand leaving Ikarus's mane as she stood, "It's still a few hours until the sun rises, so was hoping to hang until then. It's not like our bodies need sleep, anyways."

"Ha! Sure. You're welcome anytime, so long as you stay out of my bedroom while I'm in there," Edward chuckled. Leila sent him a playful look, causing Edward's face to immediately flush in embarrassment, "That— that's not what I meant! I just don't want you walking in there while I'm sleeping."

"Oh, right. Sure, buddy," She laughed as she closed the door behind her. She looked over Edward's shoulder and gasped, "Your apartment has balcony access? What the hell? Whose balls did you have to lick for that to happen?"

"Yours doesn't?" Edward laughed.

"Whatever. This place is still nicer than anywhere I've ever been before, so it's not like I have a reason to complain," Leila shrugged. She stepped past Edward and walked into the kitchen. As she opened the fridge, her face dropped as she noticed the lack of food.

"Geh— it's so bare," Leila muttered to herself. She opened the freezer, then grasped Ikarus's ice cream tub and held it up for Edward to see, "Seriously? Does your diet contain only sugar?"

"Believe it or not, that's for Ikarus. He has a thing for ice cream, apparently," He smiled. Leila looked at Ikarus, then spoke in Draconic.

"This cannot be healthy, Ikarus," She told him. Ikarus looked offended, though Edward could tell it was a playful kind of offended. Leila put the ice cream back into the freezer, then turned around and spoke with a loud voice, "Astrid? Can you have some groceries delivered to Edward's apartment? Preferably enough to get him to start eating healthier."

"Certainly, Leila. Would you like anything else?" Astrid's robotic voice echoed through the apartment. 

"No, thank you," Leila spoke. Edward turned to Leila, curious, as the girl put her hands on her hips, "Prepare yourself, Edward. I'm about to show you the skills of a chef with over fifteen years of experience! Don't fall in love with me, now!"