Chapter 9: Asking for Permission

Vyran

I sighed as the water hit my skin. After a long day of fights, aerial exercises, and general exercise, a shower did feel nice.

Once done, I wrapped a towel around my lower regions and stepped out. At the same time, so did Daros. Despite his height and youthful manner of dressing, his body was actually more toned than he would let on. But that was to be expected of anyone in the SDF. We did work our butts off. While tech could do a lot of things, we couldn't let it do everything for us. Our bodies were still partially flesh and blood.

He stared at me for a while and laughed. "Wow, you're one of the only people to not be surprised to see I'm a guy."

I crossed my arms and smiled. "Well, it wasn't too hard to figure out. You might look cutesy like a girl, but there's still something boyish about it. Helps that Sis was into guys like you in her teen years."

"Woah, really?" he asked, looking at me with his big beady sky-blue eyes.

I laughed as I walked over to my locker to grab a fresh pair of clothes. "Yeah. She was into pop idols with girlie faces."

He squealed.

"Uh, why are you so happy?"

"It means, I might have a chance, right?"

I coughed. "W-what? You like my sis?"

He turned around and wagged his finger. "Well, she is so cool! I forget if I mentioned it before, but she did save me when I first arrived in town. Some guys at a restaurant had walked up to me at a restaurant and began hitting on me. I told them I was a boy, but they didn't buy it. As I was about to stand up and kick their butts, your sister swooped in and saved me!"

"Well, you are technically both, no?" I said.

He hummed. "True, I can turn into a girl, but I prefer not to. Plus, I much prefer woman as partners."

I hummed. "I see." And here I thought he was a little fruity. Guess looks were deceiving.

Daros put a hand on his chest and let out a sigh. "While we Orginals can control our hormones at will and shift our bodies accordingly, I prefer not to."

I blinked. "Why's that?"

"Well, it kind of feels weird. I mean, a lot of people in my world these days change themselves from day to day. It has made dating people difficult. The fact they alter their personality to fit with their new image makes it even worse if you ask me."

I smiled. It felt as if I met a fellow pea.

"I can sort of understand. I prefer not to over rely on tech, unlike Sis and some others in my world and here."

"That explains why you don't use the bracelet," he said as he took out a silver device from his locker. As soon as he put in on, he was no longer naked, instead he had a pair of overalls and a pink t-shirt underneath.

I nodded as I put on my shirt. "There's just something comfy about wearing actual clothes. I mean, can you imagine if a solar storm suddenly hit this place? I would be the only one not naked."

He laughed as he threw his towel into the locker. "That would be funny." He hummed as he stared at his bracelet. "Maybe I should get some of my own too." He giggled. "I do love trying out new outfits!"

I smiled. It was nice to see him relaxed, despite his earlier worries about his world.

"Well, ready to go see sis?"

He nodded, eyes glittering.

I knew my sister saved him, but I couldn't help but question his taste in women. Well, he only knew one side of her. Once he saw her ogre side, he would surely run for the hills.

 We made our way to the command center where my sister, Commander Varia, was stationed. As we neared the center, Daros' excitement was palpable. He practically skipped along, his eyes wide with anticipation.

Once we reached the entrance, I held up a hand, stopping Daros in his tracks. "Remember, she's not just my sister. She's also a commander. Show her the respect she deserves."

Daros nodded, his face serious. "Of course, Vyran. I wouldn't dream of being disrespectful."

With that, we stepped into the command center. Immediately, the noise and bustle of the room hit us. People were rushing around, their faces set in concentration as they worked on their respective tasks. At the far end of the room, standing tall and authoritative, was Varia.

Seeing her, Daros' eyes lit up. He started to rush forward, but I grabbed his arm, holding him back. "Wait."

"But-"

"Wait," I repeated, my gaze locked on Varia. She was in a heated discussion with one of her subordinates, her face stern. This was not the time to interrupt.

Finally, the discussion seemed to conclude, and Varia dismissed the subordinate. She caught sight of us and started to make her way over. 

I released Daros, who immediately rushed forward to meet her. "Commander Varia!" he exclaimed, excitement oozing from every word.

Varia raised an eyebrow at his enthusiasm but didn't comment. She turned to me, her gaze questioning. "What brings you here, Vyran?"

"Daros wanted to meet you," I said, gesturing to the excited Original.

Varia eyed him, and smiled. "To think such a cutie would come here to meet me."

He giggled. "Well, you did save me!'

She folded her arms. "True, but I noticed after I did that you had gotten ready to beat them up yourself."

Daros rubbed the back of his head and chuckled weakly. "Well, uh..."

Sis laughed. "No need to act like you're frail. I saw the recording if your sparring match with my little bro over here. You did well, despite lacking your own personal unit."

He blushed. "Y-you flatter me."

I rolled my eyes. He was starting to make me want to throw up.

"Daros, I think you're forgetting the real reason why we came here," I said.

 "Oh, right! I heard my world might've gotten taken over by being not from around here. I've tried communicating with my family, but I haven't been able to reach them or my friends. I worry something big might've taken down the communication system."

She hummed. "So, you wish to go there yourself?"

He nodded. "Yes! But, the director himself already said no when I asked him earlier. We were wondering if you could help us change his mind."

"Sure," she said, nodding.

I blinked. She said yes? Was it because Daros was cute like the pop idols she used to be head over heels for?

Daros hugged Sis. "Thank you, Commander!"

"You're welcome."

I turned away. When I tried hugging her months back, she told me it was unprofessional. Yet she let some guy she barely knew hug her just because he was cute. Sis and her priorities...

"Alright, let's go see Director Shoveb," Varia said, breaking away from Daros' embrace.

As we made our way to the director's office, I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. Director Shoveb was not known for his flexibility. If he had already said no to Daros, what made Varia think she could change his mind?

The three of us entered the director's office. The room was large and sparsely furnished, with a single desk at the center. Behind the desk sat Director Shoveb, a stern, middle-aged man with a perpetual frown. He looked up from his paperwork as we entered, his gaze hard.

"Commander Varia, Vyran, and..." His gaze landed on Daros. "The Orginal. What brings you here?"

Varia stepped forward. "We have a request, sir. Daros here has lost contact with his family back in his world. He wishes to go there and check on them."

Shoveb's frown deepened. "I already told him no. We can't spare the resources for a personal mission."

Varia didn't back down. "With all due respect, sir, Daros' world is only a few hours away by ferry ship from here. If something has happened there, it could pose a threat to us as well. We need to investigate."

Shoveb was silent, his expression thoughtful. Finally, he let out a sigh. "Very well. But Daros doesn't go alone. You and your brother will accompany him."

I was taken aback. "Me, sir?"

"Yes, you. You're familiar with Daros' combat abilities. You'll be his backup."

I nodded, trying my best not to smile. "Understood, Sir."

Daros looked ecstatic. "Thank you, Director! You won't regret this! We will be back as soon as possible."

Shoveb merely grunted in response, already turning his attention back to his paperwork.

As we left his office, I couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding mixed in with my anticipation. But looking at Daros' excited face, I couldn't bring myself to dampen his spirits. He was finally going to check on his family. I just hoped we weren't walking into a trap.