The vast halls of the Justice Vanguard gleamed with silver and gold, symbolizing the strength and unity of the Celestic Justice. Mike, Heidi, and Aiden were led by Jeromy through the spacious corridors, still processing the absurdity of the day.
"So, any reason I wasnāt greeted with confetti and applause?" Aiden joked, his long purple hair swaying with every step. "I mean, itās not every day someone like me gets brought in by the great Jeromy himself."
"Youāre lucky I didnāt have you thrown into the brig," Jeromy shot back, though his voice carried a trace of amusement.
Soon, they entered a large, well-lit meeting chamber. To Mike and Heidiās surprise, waiting inside were Tim, Rei, Jim, and Naomi. The sight of their recent allies left them momentarily speechless.
"Tim?! Rei?!" Mikeās eyes widened in shock. "What are you guys doing here?"
"Jim? Naomi?" Heidi added, just as stunned.
Tim grinned, leaning casually against the wall. "We could ask you the same thing, Orb Warriors."
Mike froze. "Well...yeah I guess?"
Jim stepped forward, his calm demeanor masking the slight amusement on his face. "The Celestic Justice had been previously following your orbs."
Jeromy looked shocked as he crossed his arms. "The Orb Warriors ā the very ones I had been searching for previously." He narrowed his eyes playfully. "Never thought I'd find a couple of weirdos instead."
Mikeās face twitched. "Hey!"
Heidi giggled, but before she could say anything, Tim and Rei joined in.
"But we already told you," Rei said with a smirk. "The orbs ended up in the right hands."
"Seems like we were right," Tim added, a proud glint in his eye. "You two are stronger than we thought."
Jeromy rubbed his chin thoughtfully, nodding. "Maybe you were."
The room momentarily relaxed, with Mike and Heidi soaking in the acknowledgment. However, one person remained awkwardly present.
Aiden.
He stood dramatically, flicking his hair back. "And what about me? Surely, I deserve a bit of recognition. Handsome rogue, third-wheel extraordinaire, possibly the universeās best uninvited guest."
Tim and Rei exchanged a look, then both pointed at him.
"Oh, heās definitely the third wheel," Rei concluded.
"Without a doubt," Tim agreed.
Mike, despite himself, smirked internally. Finally, someone said it.
Aiden gasped in mock offense. "Why do you have to be so direct about that? It's Rude!"
Just as he was about to protest further, the chamber doors slid open.
In walked Heatsun and Moonsalt. Their dignified presence immediately commanded attention. Heatsunās blazing yellow aura contrasted with Moonsaltās calming blue glow. The sight of the powerful couple silenced any further bickering.
Aiden blinked. "Okay, who are they? They look likeā"
Before he could finish, Jim stepped forward, his voice surprisingly soft. "Theyāre my parents."
Mike and Heidiās jaws dropped. "Wait, what?!"
"So you did have parents," Mike muttered, still shocked.
"And theyāre this powerful?" Heidiās eyes flickered with admiration.
Heatsun smiled warmly. "It seems Jim has some explaining to do."
Moonsalt nodded, her voice gentle. "But weāre pleased to meet you both. Weāve heard quite a bit about the Orb Warriors."
"Yeah, not everything good, though," Aiden quipped. "But I like to think I add a bit of charm to the legend."
Jeromy rolled his eyes. "Weāll get to that part later."
Aiden muttered. "Boring talks, I am out. It's better if I rather plot some effective plans."
With that, he started wandering around the spaceship thinking about something crazy.
Jim sighed, glancing at Naomi, who offered him an encouraging nod.
After hours....
In the dimly lit corridors of the Justice Vanguard's medical quarters, the hum of machines echoed softly. The place was quiet, with most of the crew still recovering from the dayās events.
Aiden had been acting suspiciously ever since their arrival.
He had slipped away, and now, his sly voice echoed in the empty hallway.
"Heidi," Aiden called, his long purple hair framing his mischievous grin. "Can I have a word with you? Alone."
Heidi hesitated, narrowing her eyes. "What do you want, Aiden? If itās more flirting, Iām not interested."
"No, no," Aiden insisted, holding up his hands in mock innocence. "Itās somethingā¦ important. About cooking. A recipe, actually. Youāre the famous Yellow Chef Warrior, arenāt you? I need your expertise."
Suspicious, Heidi folded her arms. "A recipe? Really?"
Aiden nodded earnestly. "Yes. Itās a delicate dish, one Iāve been dying to learn for impressing a loved one. Only you can teach me."
Against her better judgment, Heidi couldn't help but sigh. "Fine. But make it quick."
Deep inside she accepted his request only after knowing it's for someone and she could never ignore anyone wanting help from her. It was not her nature.
However, as Heidi followed Aiden down the corridor, Mike, who had been watching from a distance, felt a surge of irritation.
His suspicion sharpened. Thoughts sprang in his mind.
"That guy must be planning to steal her. I need to stop him."
"Wait, what if Heidi betrays me and suddenly starts liking him?"
"No, she won't after everything or would she really?"
Sweat dripped from his skin just imagining it. His heart started beating faster in nervousness.
"No, I can't let them. That can't happen. I have to spy on them to find out the truth even if it hurts me."
"And if he does anything to her, he will have to get through with me."
Without further thoughts, he quietly decided to observe them from far using his magic.
Inside the Medical Quarters Corridors...
Aiden led Heidi to an empty section of the medical quarters corridors, where no one seemed to be around. The soft hum of the medical pods filled the air, casting an eerie stillness.
Heidi frowned. "Alright, whereās this ārecipeā youāre talking about?"
Aiden stepped closer, his tone lowering. "Well, maybe it wasnāt just about a recipe."
Heidiās face twisted in annoyance. "Seriously? You had been taking advantage of my soft spot?"
Before she could step away, Aiden leaned in, his face dangerously close making her freeze in shock. "I mean, isnāt it obvious? Youāre cute. Iām handsome. Why fight it?"
She was huddled in a corner.
Heidi(thinking): "No, this can't happen, like seriously. Why am I not able to move?"
Their lips were mere inches apart when ā
"HEY!"
Mike, unable to restrain himself any longer, appeared into that place in a flash, using his teleportation magic.
His fists clenched, and his glare burned with fury. Without thinking, he activated his wand, using his wind magic to push Aiden with enough force to send him stumbling backward.
"Back off!" Mike growled.
Aiden, caught completely off guard, stumbled into the nearest door. It slid open automatically, revealing a small, dimly lit room. Unable to regain his balance, Aiden tripped, flailing helplessly ā
And then it happened.
He fell directly onto a patient in a comedic fashion.
The patient was an orange-haired girl with short hair, heavily bandaged and visibly weakened, and had been resting on a medical bed.
In a humiliating twist of fate, Aiden's face collided with hers, and their lips met in an unexpected way.
A sharp gasp escaped both of them.
Aiden froze, his eyes wide with shock. The patient, though visibly exhausted, blinked rapidly, her face flushing crimson despite her weakened state, unable to process what just happened.
Thenā
"What the hellā?! Are you insane?!" the patient muttered weakly in self defense.
"I-Iām so sorry!" Aiden stammered, jerking back from her with a mortified expression. "I didnāt mean toā Iā"
Her face remained a deep shade of red, a mixture of embarrassment and disbelief crossing her features.
After looking at his apologetic reaction, she softened herself slightly.
"I-Itāsā¦ fine," she managed, though her voice was barely above a whisper. "I-I hope it wasnāt... intentionalā¦"
Heidi, however, was struggling to contain her laughter. She clutched her sides, her giggles echoing through the room. Even Mike, though still fuming, couldnāt entirely hide the smirk tugging at the corners of his lips.
"Well, Aiden," Mike said with mock satisfaction, "looks like you finally had your first kiss. Congratulations."
Aiden groaned, his face buried in his hands. "Youāve got to be kidding meā¦"
But as he peeked through his fingers, his expression shifted into something surprisingly serious. He glanced back at her, who was still flustered but trying her best to regain composure.
"Wellā¦" Aiden cleared his throat awkwardly. "It happened. And Iām a man of responsibility."
He straightened up, puffing his chest slightly. "Iā¦ suppose Iāll have to take responsibility for this."
The patient blinked. "W-What...do you mean?"
Mike slapped a hand to his forehead, not sure what he was saying. "Oh, for the love ofā"
Heidi wiped away tears of laughter. "Aiden, youāre unbelievable."
Aiden shrugged. "Hey, a kiss is a kiss. Guess that means Iām officially tied to her now. Fate works in mysterious ways."
The patient, still blushing, didnāt quite know how to respond.
But even with the awkwardness lingering in the air, she just somehow told herself it's nothing serious, just some accident. She shouldn't react just for some short term comedy drama and should act normal to not give anyone the satisfaction of the show.
Aiden, still awkwardly recovering from the bizarre incident, rubbed the back of his head, his purple hair falling messily over his face. The weight of his accidental kiss lingered, but curiosity soon overtook his embarrassment.
"Soā¦ uh," Aiden started, his eyes shifting to her, "what's your name?"
But before she could respond, the door to the medical room slid open once again.
"What in the world is going on here?"