Shannon woke up early, taking the time to get herself ready. She was glad to have her vanity as she brushed her hair, humming softly. The dark room didn't bother her too much, considering she was used to doing this in that dreary cell she had called home up until the night before.
As she dressed herself in a nice suit, she spun back and forth slowly, looking at every angle. Perfect. Always look the part you're playing, after all. A quick glance at the clock told the girl that it was nearly 8 AM, which surprised her. How could someone sleep in like that? Sure, the tests were a bit strenuous at times, but if you're not an early bird, how do you get the worm?
Resuming her humming, she left the room peacefully, making sure to close the door as quietly as possible. As she neared the cafeteria, a strange sound, like a man... yelling? Yodelling? Something? sounded out for about 30 seconds, before going quiet again. Curious. Probably Mr. E's weird idea of a joke alarm. Entering the cafeteria, a glance at the clock confirmed that it had just turned 8, so that's likely exactly what it was.
Getting a cup of coffee and a bagel, much like the day before, Shannon took her seat and politely greeted Blues, before peacefully enjoying her breakfast, watching as everyone piled in... except Hotaru. She waved to her roommate as she had entered with a smile, motioning for Octavia to sit next to her. She was elated when Octavia did just that, though she only showed a slightly wider smile than normal.
Once they were all there, aside from the dreary girl, Blues began.
"Today, we're going to be doing the leg work, looking for those blood ritualists," The map itself zoomed into two different cities. "The two cities we're tackling are Turbo City and Hearthome,"
"We're planning on sending Shannon, Jet, Tora, and Zirco there. The area is normally well guarded, as we have the current duel champ living there, but since his master, Jack Atlas, has disappeared, Kyouji hasn't been keeping an eye on the area. He won't even return our calls, the poor thing, so, we'll have you four check the area out, and if you meet Kyouji, try to talk some sense into him. I'd say duel him but... Well, I don't think that's a duel any of you could win right now,"
That was well and good, though the choices of companions were... boring, to say the least. Unimpressive, overall. But the more pressing question wa-
"... What happened to Hotaru?" He asked, the question leaving the air tense.
"... Well, it turned out she wasn't ready, and... we took her away to get treatment. At the rate it was going, she was going to hurt everyone here, and herself," Mr. E admitted. "I'm sure you'll see her again though," He added optimistically. "Any other questions?"
"...I see. A pity." Shannon held her smile, but someone near her could notice that she was clinching her fists hard as she spoke, "Well, only those on board should be here, right?"
"Y-Yes sir...I-I have one." Jet spoke up, "I-If he doesn't...c-c-cooperate...w-what's the next move?"
"Why, we challenge him, of course," Shannon chimed in, "While they may think we won't win... We can at least show our resolve, no? Though, I must say that our dear Mr. E is underestimating us, and losing is not my planned outcome~."