Henry's EV drove deeper and deeper into the depths of Ashland's turbulent weather. At one point, everything seemed to blend together aside from the glowing metal signs that would kindly inform them of where they were and where to go next.
Ashland was a very strange place really. When they had been taught geography in school, Ashland was stated to an scientific anomaly.
It was called such because of its endless rain. The source of the rain was a hurricane that sat between Novopangea and the Forbidden Continent.
The hurricane was an anomaly as well, since the area it affected stretched far beyond what was scientifically possible.
The eye of the storm couldn't be seen from where they were. However, if they were at the coast of the country, they would be strongly discouraged from doing so by the workers of the Eastern harbor.
No cities were built near the coast either, Ashland's population was concentrated on the western side of the Nation with no cities beyond the Capital.
Henry scowled as he stared into the unending Darkness. The headlights of his EV were currently shooting light out, allowing him to see a part of the highway. Soon, they passed another sign that told them that they were only an hour from the nearest city.
Henry glanced at the time on his digital watch.
[ 5:38 PM]
'Just enough time...'
The Operator dragged his attention back to the road, the noise of the rain striking his car flowing into his ears. Suddenly, a hand gripped his seat and Krishna's face appeared from behind.
"Can you put on a song now?"
Henry rolled his eyes and released a heavy sigh.
"Fine, which one?"
Krishna grinned, tapping the display screen of the EV.
"I have just the song..."
The Operator's fingers glided across the glass surface of the screen and eventually he found his tune.
"There!"
Krishna exclaimed excitedly as he tapped the screen and fell back into his seat. In the next instant, a familiar melody began to play from the sound system of the EV.
A slight smile made its way onto all the Operator's lips – even Missio lips curled upward slightly as he turned off his Music Box.
This particular symphony was a hit among the current generation that had topped the charts for 15 consecutive weeks now.
Then – in unison – the team sang:
"Baby~ I'm likin' your style... Baby~ I'm feelin' the wild... Baby~ I'm likin your style, Are you feelin' the wild? Let me take you out for while~"
Their journey through the lightless land continued as they sang their hearts out.
***
The team eventually settled down in a hotel once they reached the city. The change in atmosphere was quite nice in their words. The insulated room came pre-heated which pleasantly surprised them when they first entered.
Placing all their luggage beside their two beds, the team took a moment to relax. The sound of rain – which been unpleasant before – became soothing, ringing in their ears like a soft chime.
Krishna had immediately taken a nap on the bed, his snores echoing through the room. Missio was sleeping right beside him as well, his Music Box resting on the bedside cabinet that separated the two beds.
Mary had gone to the washroom while Henry was stretching his back from the long drive.
"I should really make the seat more comfortable... my back is killing me."
Even though the EV had been on autopilot for most of their drive, Henry's back still ached. He was very diligent man, so he made sure his body was healthy at all times. However, the long trip had made him neglect his back to a... dire degree.
Now, he was endlessly groaning, stretching his back to try to relieve the pain. The poor soul had cracked his spine over five times just from twisting his body.
As the Operator grumbled, the washroom door flew open and Mary stepped out with a small cloth wrapped around her neck. She briefly glanced at the boys for a moment before throwing herself onto the bed.
"You can go now." She pointed at washroom.
"In a moment." Henry responded with a groan, twisting his spine and cracking another few bones.
Then, he headed into the washroom and washed himself as well. After he exited, Krishna had awoken from his small nap and headed in right after Henry.
The latter looked at his captain, watching Missio's chest rise and fall like the waves of the ocean. His face looked at peace as he listened to the nostalgic melody of his Music Box.
Henry smiled, gently pushing the Lieutenant General towards the center of the bed to make sure he didn't fall off. Right at that moment, Krishna stepped out of the washroom.
He halted near the center of the room, gazing over at his teammates with a strange expression.
"What's with the staring?" Henry inquired in a rather demanding tone.
"Oh, nothing, it's just, uh..."
Krishna scratched the back of his head awkwardly. Then, he cleared his throat and said:
"Who'll be sleeping with whom? Because if my eyes don't deceive me... there are only two beds."
Henry and Mary blinked. They turned their heads, locking eyes with each other. Then, they lowered their eyes and looked at the beds. Henry smacked his lips and said with a slight chuckle:
"Well... I'm engaged so..."
Now, it was Krishna's and Mary's turn to stare at each other. Unbeknownst to him, Mary's cheeks exploded with heat.
Henry grinned ear to ear as he watched the two stare at each other blankly.
'I can practically hear the awkwardness between these two...'
"Uh..." Krishna mouth hung open. "I can sleep on the ground... if you want."
Mary hiccupped and waved her hands shyly.
"Ah, no... It's okay, you don't have to sleep on the ground, it would be rude of me. We can... we can sleep together. Besides... this isn't the first time such a thing has happened right?"
Forcing laughter down his throat, Henry walked around the bed and lay down beside Missio, pulling the soft blanket over himself. Then, he waved his hand and addressed Krishna and Mary.
"You two can figure the rest out on your own. Good night."
The last thing he heard was Krishna's murderous hiss.
"You four-eyed bastard..."