The room opposite didn’t just have clothes, it also had a small bathroom with a fully functioning shower.
This allowed Declan to wash away not only the goo covering his body but also the soot, dirt, and grime he had accumulated throughout his time in the jungle.
There was no mirror for him to check his appearance, but at least his smell was different now.
For the moment, that was enough.
Opening the wardrobe, he found it filled with trousers, shirts, and coats, most of which were twice his size.
Declan rolled his eyes.
As much as he hated wearing other people’s clothes, especially ones that still carried traces of their perfume, walking out of here butt-naked wasn’t exactly an option.
Eventually, he found something that wasn’t a perfect fit, but at least the trousers fit him properly.
The T-shirt was a little too large around the arms, but folding the sleeves was enough to make it work.
He reached for the doorknob, but then paused, his eyes drifting toward the window.
It led directly outside.
’Or I could make a run for it,’
The thought crossed his mind and a faint glint flashed through his eyes as he took a step toward the window but then stopped.
Softly shaking his head, he turned away and resumed reaching for the doorknob.
The pod that had helped him travel quickly had been destroyed.
He also had no idea where exactly this place was or whether there was anything nearby besides the Mechnoheart Organization.
Even if the woman didn’t catch him immediately, what if this place turned out to be in the middle of nowhere too?
He’d be screwed either way.
’I can try making a run for it once we get to Veyron City.’
At least they would be in an actual city by then.
He could figure out his next move from there.
When Declan stepped outside, he immediately raised his hands to shield his face, squinting against the orange rays of the sun.
It was that time of day when the evening sun hung low in the sky, bathing everything in a warm orange glow.
His eyes gradually adjusted to the brightness, and he lowered his hands.
Turning toward the driveway, he found a towering object waiting for him.
It was another flying pod, but this one was much sleeker.
"A sport pod?"
It looked more like a futuristic sports car designed for long-distance travel, unlike the pods he had ridden earlier, which were primarily meant for short trips around the surrounding area.
The window lowered, and a few wisps of smoke drifted out.
"I’m waiting," the woman said.
Declan stepped forward.
The passenger door opened vertically toward the sky.
But the moment he approached, a cloud of smoke suddenly blew straight into his face.
"COUGH!"
"COUGH!"
"Can you... cough... stop smoking in the pod!?" he complained, his nose wrinkling.
Declan had nothing against people smoking. Most Mech Designers, including many of the ones he admired, did it.
But smoking inside an enclosed space was something else entirely.
The smell disgusted him, especially when it felt as though a damn explosion had just gone off directly in his face.
Her response was simply another puff of smoke.
Declan could only wave his hand around, dispersing some of the smoke before climbing inside and taking his seat.
His hand had barely reached for the seatbelt when,
VROOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
He was suddenly slammed backward, his body pressed tightly against the seat.
Blue flames erupted from the rear of the sport pod as it accelerated with terrifying speed.
In an instant, the vehicle became nothing more than a streak of light before disappearing from the area.
__________
"Can... you... slow... dooowwwnnnn!?"
Declan’s words came out in a strained, almost continuous echo as his hands gripped the seat for dear life.
Then, the flying car suddenly came to a stop.
The abrupt change in momentum sent Declan flying forward, his nose slamming directly into the dashboard.
"AGH!"
His body was thrown backward into the seat before he crumpled onto the floor like a piece of paper.
Declan’s head spun, and somewhere in the distance, he could almost hear her voice.
"You okay?"
He forced himself off the floor and climbed back into his seat.
Taking several deep breaths, he slowly calmed his pounding heart.
Once he felt steady enough, he turned toward her.
"Hey! If you’re tired of life, well, I ain’t! You wanna get me killed!?"
Declan shouted in horror, but then,
"I guess you’re fine then."
VROOOOOOM!
She restarted the engine, and Declan’s hands immediately shot toward the seatbelt.
CLICK!
He fastened one strap around his waist.
CLICK!
The second strap tightened securely across his shoulders, and only after making absolutely sure he was properly restrained did he relax.
He then noticed that the pod (A/N: Let’s just call it a flying car for ease of understanding) still hadn’t moved.
Turning toward her, he found her smirking.
"Seems like you really ain’t ready to die yet," she said.
Her foot pressed down on the accelerator, and flying car moved forward.
This time, things were considerably better, and Dclan could actually breathe.
He had nearly suffered a heart attack from that first burst of speed.
"Huuuuu..."
A long breath escaped his lips, then he turned toward her.
She seemed to notice his stare and turned her head, only to release another enormous cloud of smoke barely two seconds later.
One of Declan’s eyebrows twitched in irritation.
"You want some?" she asked, dangling the cigarette box in front of his face.
Declan didn’t answer, instead, his hand reached toward a button beside him.
CLICK.
The window next to his seat slid open, and the cloud of smoke immediately escaped through it.
Declan took a deep breath of fresh air, with a relieved smile on his face.
She shrugged and placed the cigarette box back in its holder.
__________
The rest of the journey was silent and surprisingly peaceful.
The flying car continued moving at an incredible speed, but Declan was properly fastened now, so the acceleration no longer bothered him.
She also never stopped smoking, but with his window open, that wasn’t much of an issue.
They traveled along a path lined with tall trees, with a green-flowered garden stretching across the far end.
This place was clearly different from the forest.
The clean, tiled pathway suggested that vehicles regularly traveled through the area, although Declan hadn’t seen a single one yet.
At first, the silence was peaceful, eventually, however, it became unsettling.
Sitting beside a woman he knew almost nothing about, one who constantly pulled out cigarettes and smoked without the slightest care in the world, was enough to make him uneasy.
Eventually, Declan decided to ask the question that had been lingering in the back of his mind.
"So... what are we going to do in Veyron City?"
Huuuuuuuuu.
She exhaled another cloud of smoke.
"You’ll know when we get there," she answered, her voice as cold as ever.
But then a faint glint appeared within her crimson eyes, and she turned to look at him.
"What do you know about Veyron City, though?"