Mecha
"Haha! I knew it! You've done more than just change the energy core!" Nicolas crowed, while Blake held his forehead in resignation.
At that moment, the car began transforming. The chassis retracted inward, the sides of the trunk flipped up, and the wheels pulled in until finally, the passenger seat disappeared, leaving a brand-new cab. A helmet even placed itself on Nicole's head.
From the outside, what had once been a sleek red sports car was now a five-meter-tall, red-painted battle mecha.
"Oh! So it's a battle puppet that I can actually pilot!" Nicolas grinned, taking in the setup.
Blake sighed. "Nico, please don't touch any more buttons this time. That row is full of weapons," he warned, his tone both wary and pleading.
Nicolas, who had nearly brushed against the array of buttons again, froze. Despite his curiosity about what Blake had done to the car, he wasn't quite ready to demolish his own home. He could almost picture his wife Perenelle kicking them both out if that happened.
"Uh... my bad, Blake," Nicolas said, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.
"I was just too curious. I'm sorry."
Blake let out a soft chuckle. "I should've warned you sooner." He glanced over at Nicole, who gave him a quick wink.
"Well, how about we get this big guy to the secret base and talk about it more there?"
Blake hesitated. "Actually... that's part of the issue. I just finished this conversion earlier today, and, well... there's no way to change it back into a car yet." He looked apologetic.
Nicole just laughed. "That's fine! My secret base could use a bit of fun. Looks like we've got some work cut out for us tonight."
With excitement, Blake followed Nicolas' instructions, piloting the mecha toward their destination. As they moved, he noticed several issues with the design he hadn't anticipated—elements that only became apparent with hands-on use. Nicole, as the world's top alchemist, also gave some valuable advice that Blake eagerly noted.
Eventually, they arrived at Nicolas' hidden base, cleverly concealed beneath an unassuming tree in the garden. Blending perfectly with the surrounding greenery, it was no wonder that Perenelle hadn't discovered it over the years.
Under Nicolas' guidance, Blake manoeuvred the battle puppet to press a hidden switch on the tree. The ground before them lowered like an elevator, carrying the battle puppet underground. Once the ground was level again, a cover slid over the opening, merging seamlessly back into the lawn.
---
Meanwhile, Fleur was lying in bed, wide awake and staring at the ceiling, thanks to her younger sister Gabrielle's relentless pestering.
"Sister! Take me to see that boy tomorrow!"
"Please tell me, where did he go?"
"Sister, did he forget about me?"
Fleur, exhausted and unable to take it anymore, rolled her eyes. "Gabrielle, that boy isn't even French. He's probably gone home by now," she said, hoping it would appease her sister.
Gabrielle's eyes began to glisten with tears. "So… I'll never see him again?"
Groaning, Fleur pulled the blanket over her head. Sure enough, Gabrielle's lip trembled, and a wail escaped her.
"Okay, okay!" Fleur said hurriedly, wiping her sister's tears.
"Fine! I'll take you to look for him tomorrow. Just… please let me sleep."
Gabrielle's face immediately brightened as she wriggled under the covers, shutting her eyes in determination.
"Alright, let's hope she forgets about it by tomorrow morning," Fleur muttered. Unfortunately, her hopes for sleep were dashed when she drifted into a surreal dream.
In her dream, Fleur was on stage, accepting the Order of Merlin, First Class, when suddenly, she felt cold water splash across her face, accompanied by laughter from the audience. She turned to find the culprit: Blake Green, with Gabrielle standing beside him, making silly faces.
"B—blake!" she stammered, waking with a start, only to find Gabrielle standing over her with an empty cup.
"Gabrielle! Did you pour water on me?"
Gabrielle put her hands on her hips defiantly. "You wouldn't wake up! I called you so many times!"
Fleur glanced at the clock. "It's six in the morning! Do you know I only got to bed at three because someone couldn't stop crying?"
Gabrielle shifted, looking slightly guilty but resolute. "It's morning, and you promised we'd look for Brother Blake today."
With a sigh of resignation, Fleur got up, grumbling under her breath. After a hurried round of bed-changing and hand-washing, she finally managed to drag herself through the morning routine.
Despite her annoyance, she couldn't help but smile faintly at Gabrielle's excitement. Once they were both ready, she took one last glance in the mirror, grimacing at the dark circles under her eyes.
"If I see Blake today, he's going to get an earful," she muttered.
---
Meanwhile, across town, Blake sneezed.
"Tch, wonder who's thinking about me? Hermione? Cassandra? Or maybe one of the seniors?"
Blake and Nicolas had ended up spending the night at Nicolas' secret base, which, unfortunately for them, hadn't stayed secret. Perenelel had discovered their absence and learned about their covert escapades thanks to an honest house-elf who'd given up the location. Her reaction was swift and decisive: she kicked both Blake and Nicolas out to "reflect on their actions."
But Nicolas, being ever resourceful, merely took Blake to a five-star hotel owned by a friend. Blake marvelled at how Nicolas' wealth even surpassed some of the wealthiest wizards he knew.
For Blake's safety, they set up a mirror space in the hotel room for Nicolas to catch up on sleep while Blake took the opportunity to explore Paris.
He strolled through the morning streets, his sights set on the meat market to pick up supplies for a batch of giant mutant spider eggs he was planning to hatch. However, as he turned a corner, he spotted a familiar face.
"Cassandra?" he called out, brightening. But she seemed strangely upset.
Intrigued, Blake sped up to catch her.
=============
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