Raide coughed, drawing Adrian’s previously eager stare. Raide continued amused, “I believe you’ve forgotten something, sir. Dark hair, beautiful, owes you her chastity and her life?”

“Ah... damn.” Adrian quickly accessed his Mind Palace and surveyed the calendar. Sure enough, a meeting with Inori had been arranged for this evening at 7pm, 3 hours from now.

Back when he’d gained the boost to his memory and obtained perfect recall, he’d done a series of tests and concluded that information could be willed from his mind, but was not always foremost in it. That part had been unaltered in the upgrade evidently, which wasn’t a huge deal, as he had Raide to help out in situations like this, but it still frustrated him a little to know that he wasn’t perfectly cognizant of everything that was happening. It raked against his desire for perfection.

“Okay, so I’ll need to postpone the training by a day then. Actually, it’s good that I’ll need to go out. If I’m going to try and test the limits of this body, I’ll need to have the caloric energy available for its consumption,” Adrian asserted.

“Food shopping?”

“Food shopping.”

***

“Did you really have to buy 50 kg of chicken?”

“You’re the A.I. here, you should know how fast I’ll go through that.”

Raide mused into his earpiece. “Yeah, I know, but it’s still funny. My approximation models for the training you’ll be doing are throwing out some insane numbers. Just remember, the more powerful your body becomes, the more efficient it gets at burning fuel. Conversely, it’ll also require more as upkeep when you increase your muscle mass. You’re already at 7,000 calories a day and that’s with you not being that active.”

“Yet you ask why I bought 50 kg of chicken,” Adrian joked. “I’m well aware of what training involves thanks to you,” Adrian laughed as he made his third trip back into the store. He’d already made two trips to with overflowing carts. Judging by his mental math, he should make another two rounds and that should sustain him for about a month of high intensity exercise. A family of 5 could live off of what he just bought for 6 months easy.

A little while later, Adrian had taken his food back to the tower and dressed himself up to meet the formerly captive Inori. Like always, he went with his business casual look. He’d noticed after the upgrade that he rarely thought about his appearance to others anymore, yet he couldn’t help but feel like a stud every time he donned this set. Well, a lot of it had to do with all the looks he got whenever he does wear them - particularly Heather’s and Nova’s. It was an odd thing. He and Heather broke up several years ago, but he still felt like she was catching his eye. She was undeniably attractive, yet...I’ll think about this another time.

Hopping in his Tesla, he made his way to a small little eatery named Seed Kitchen & Bar located in Marietta. Contrary to the implications of the name, it was not a restaurant that specialized in vegetarian food. Instead, it was an assorted style place that had everything from seafood to BBQ and burgers. The last time he’d eaten there, he’d actually gotten something called chicken schnitzel.

Walking into a clean and well-lit main area, Adrian immediately took in the details of the room. The bar was situated to the right in a L-shape where it bordered a set of windows and faced a tv that was running some sports highlight. A gentleman and his wife sat at two of the raised seats there and seemed to be having a quiet meal together. Adrian quickly appraised the two, but found nothing irregular like a trained awareness. The same for the rest of the patrons. He noticed a few evaluating gazes from women as he walked in, but no one seemed to hold any undue interest.

He knew that it was highly unlikely that an agent would be here, much less be able to spot anything off about him, but his paranoia served to make him a tad bit more careful. To back him up, he’d ordered a pair of specially designed opaque glasses that had a tiny camera built into the frame. He needed Raide’s analysis on the fly sometimes and it could only help to have him ride shotgun in an interview like this. Sweeping his gaze across the rest of the room, Raide ran checks on the rest of the occupants as Adrian spotted Inori.

Walking past a few tables, Adrian soon found himself in front of a rather alluring Inori Tamura. At his presence, she looked up from the menu in her hands and pulled a strand of her long black hair behind an ear as she looked at him confused, a dangling earring in the shape of a swallow jingling at the motion. She had a cute nose and and intelligent, alert eyes that immediately sized him up out of caution. No doubt, she didn’t trust strangers anymore. He briefly took in the sight and sighed contentedly. She was, without a doubt, gorgeous. Now that she’d been able to clean up and put on some proper clothes - not to mention, he didn’t have Heather breathing down his neck this time - he could clearly see what a quality girl she was. To possess the mind to get into Tech and also have this level of beauty was almost cheat level.

Offering a small smile, he said, “We meet again, Miss Inori.”

***

Ugh, I’ve never been so nervous!

Inori read through the menu for the 14th time and then looked at her phone to see if she’d gotten another text from that mysterious man. Nothing. Not that she expected one. The text she’d originally gotten had been contained on that dead creep’s phone. Even then, after reading it a couple of times before she called the police at the appointed time to come get them, it was deleted somehow from the phone. She didn’t know who these people were, but it was obvious by their gear and the way the dealt with information that they were very secretive.

While she was being fussed over by her parents for the past two days, she found herself often trying to theorize the origin story of the group, asking herself all kinds of questions that she wouldn’t have a prayer of knowing. Where were they from? How long had they trained to get that good? Was the woman she saw as skilled and abnormal as the guy in black and crimson armor? Was there another reason they targeted Envy beyond the obvious? So many questions and she had to wait two days to find out anything!

Part of why she went this route mentally though was undoubtedly because she didn’t want to think back to when she was captured and then sold. Perhaps she was only putting it off, but she kept telling herself that she was stronger than those girls who’d break down and become emotional wrecks. She didn’t want to be like that. If she could be strong, maybe she could reduce the amount of grief her parents had to endure. After all, though she’d been humiliated and abused, nothing lasting was done. I’m okay...right?

Shaking her mind from such thoughts, Inori collected herself and dropped the menu a bit so she could stare across the white table at the empty chair. I guess the time I had to wait was much better than the alternative. Everyone else who was rescued will never know their faces, but here I am waiting to meet one of them!

She started to mildly hyperventilate. Part of her apprehension was purely because she would possibly get to work with them. The second reason? She was just excited to see what one of them looked like. She found herself wishing that it was the man who did all the fighting, though she tried to not get her hopes up in the looks or age department. After all, for a man to display that level of training, it was likely that he was in his mid-30’s or more. Not to say he couldn’t still be handsome of course. Perhaps an ex-Navy Seal or Ranger, she mused.

A shadow loomed overhead, partially blocking out the glow from the lights in the ceiling. It was the middle of the evening now and the sun was retreating beyond the horizon, leaving only the ambient lights of the restaurant to provide enough light to see. Inori blinked, momentarily blinded by the abrupt change before she squinted in an attempt to hasten the momentary change. was met by a shadowy sight that caused her to suck in her breath.

A young man, near her age, was standing before her with a grin on his face. He was classically adorned in a french cuff shirt and black vest that seemed to display a certain type of elegance. What truly caught her eye though was the face. He was quite pale, to the point where one would ask if he’d gotten out in the sun in the past two years, but undoubtedly handsome without equal. A neatly trimmed black beard looked like it was corralling the strong jaw line that was hidden underneath. His sable hair was pulled back into a short ponytail, leaving only a few strands to fall across the stylish black frames that covered his eyes. Wait, glasses? At this time of day?

A gentle, yet firm voice lapped into her ears, breaking her reverie and bringing waves of nostalgia that electrified her body. Just a few words were enough to confirm who he was. Everything that she had, she owed to this man. Waves of heat raced through her, providing comfort like a hot spring.

“We meet again, Miss Inori.”

***

All of the reactions that flowed out from Inori’s body was laid bare before Adrian. Her slight shiver of anticipation, the dilation of her pupils within an iris sea of emerald, right down to the flickering subtleties of her skin where he could measure her heart rate and body temperature at a glance - all were as an open book to him. As a result, he smiled kindly at her when he realized just how strong of a reaction she was having.

“You...you’re…” Inori just gazed back at him dumbly, apparently unable to reconcile the warrior in her mind with the dazzling young man before her.

Adrian knew that he looked incredibly young compared to some people. He’d one time shaved his beard and then subsequently gotten the “you look like a 9th grader” comment from one of his friends. That wouldn’t have been such a bad thing if he wasn’t a sophomore in college at the time. Ever since then, he’d kept his beard when it grew back. Their comments only confirmed his own personal feelings of preferring the look.

Under the still spellbound gaze of Inori, Adrian only lightly smiled and struck out his hand, saying, “I am indeed who you’re thinking of. My name is Adrian Pierce.” His eyes lit up amusedly. “May I sit?”

Inori unknowingly returned the handshake and then awoke from her stupor. “O-oh, sure! Please!”

Adrian sat down smoothly across from her and just stared at her for a moment before sighing in contentment. Inori’s brow went up in question at the gesture while she nervously waited for the man to speak. Only a few moments passed before he started to fill the silence.

“First, let me say how refreshing it is to see you outside of the...previous context. Are you doing alright?” Adrian’s eyes softened along with his voice, lending a comforting aura that seemed to permeate the area around their table.

Feeling the conveyed warmth, a half smile shadowed Inori’s face before she nodded shyly and said, “I’m okay now.”

“Good. Then I won’t push the matter. How were your parents when you reunited with them?”

Inori snorted in amusement as her eyes cut to the side in recollection. “Let’s see...my mom was a blubbering ball of tears and my dad...was the exact same. It’s a miracle that they let me come out today, actually.” A small burst of musical laughter flowed across the table and into Adrian’s ears, causing him to smile at the change in her mood.

This girl is so impressive. Two days after such a terrifying ordeal and she’s already bounced back to such a degree. Even such a small moment as this was more than enough justification of his previous slaughter.

“Parents are like that.” Adrian smiled. “They somehow think that something equally bad or worse is going to happen to you right after getting back, even though that’s when you’re at your safest.” He looked into her eyes meaningfully and a hint of color rose up on Inori’s cheeks in reply.

Over the course of the next half hour, the two laughed, ate, and conversed with each other, getting to know what type of person the other was along with a bit of personal background. Adrian purposefully dodged the raid subject and any type of conversation indicators that could allow her to inquire into their group. Once, Inori tried asking about the glasses, but Adrian’s only response was a smile.

The whole time, Adrian was operating a split thought pattern with the other working on an analysis of his surroundings. Call it an exercise, if you will, but he was no longer the type of person that had to focus on only one thing at a time. From the frequency of looks within his field of vision, he could ascertain that 4 females had expressions of minute jealously and just as many from the men, albeit theirs were filled with more hatred than anything. A small smirk graced his lips as he tilted his head to one such young man. How could he not know what they were thinking? Adrian was having dinner with an exotic goddess in their eyes. It didn’t matter who they were, they would inevitably covet such a woman for themselves in the deepest recesses of their hearts.

Turning his head back to Inori, he said, “Well, I imagine you have a lot of questions -” Inori inhaled a bit, obviously to begin pelting him with just that, but Adrian held up his hand. “But, it is not a topic fit for public. You’re a smart young woman, I’m sure you can imagine why,” Adrian coolly said.

A variety of expressions flickered across her features, but inevitably the one to win out was one of disappointment. Sighing, she accepted his implication, saying, “Yeah.”

“However…” Adrian measured his response while watching Inori. “We can go ahead and get one thing out of the way.” The young beauty’s head shot up immediately and she looked at him curiously.

Adrian cut to the chase. “How would you like to…” he paused. “Intern with us?”

Inori looked a bit bewildered and seemingly missed the way that he leaned into the word ‘intern’. “You have a company?”

“Of course,” Adrian laughed. “Granted, I’m still building the complex, but it wouldn’t be a problem for you to start early.”

Inori gazed levelly across the table as her mind whirled on overdrive. “What would I be doing?”

“That totally depends on you. For now, just introductory things like the facilities and possible job paths. If you recall, we only have a few people so we’re in desperate need of some manpower. The main purpose of me calling it an internship though is undoubtedly as an excuse to assuage your parents’ fears. I’m sure it’ll take a long time for them to calm down, so it’s better if you don’t sneak off randomly and keep having to make up random reasons to go out.”

Inori blushed a bit at this. She did indeed have to fabricate a pretty solid alibi to be able to come out this evening. After all, even though she was a college student, her father taught at the university she was currently attending. How was she supposed to make an argument of living away from home when she didn’t even have a job to help support herself? A professor’s salary could only go so far, and it certainly didn’t encompass the ability to enable his 20 year old daughter to revel in the “freedom” of living on her own. Add that to Inori’s utter loathing for student loans and that culminated in her staying at home.

Inori breathed slowly and then nodded, saying, “If you’d have me, I’d be honored to try out an internship at your company Mr. Pierce.”

Adrian smiled in turn. “That’s great to hear and please, call me Adrian. Also, I want you to know that you not bringing up the issue of money with me has earned points in my book. As a reward, I’ll be paying you a handsome stipend which will be built into your contract. Raide, email an internship application to the pretty lady.” Ignoring the confused look Inori was throwing at him, he waited for a split second to hear his A.I.’s confirmation.

Through the small, hidden earpiece which he now habitually wore everywhere, a voice spoke out in abject boredom. “Done and sent.”

Across the table, a ding erupted from Inori’s purse and she looked down in wonder. Cutting her eyes back across the table, Adrian chuckled and motioned for her to continue. A hand disappeared into the brown leather purse that she had placed beside her feet. A glowing screen revealed itself from beneath the table’s white edge and Adrian watched her navigate the notification with her thumb, before she just froze.

***

Reading over the text feverishly, Inori’s eyes swept over her screen detailing her apparent internship with Mr. Pierce’s company. Her excitement grew more and more as she sped on.

At the completion of the below form, the applicant will begin, effective immediately, as an Intern of Archon Industries. There is the distinct possibility of company secrets being learned by the party, thereby all....

Remembering Adrian’s words, Inori skipped ahead and she saw a section detailed as “Financial Compensation.” Her eyes bulged at at the figure.

…$1,500.00/week….

Breathing deeply, she gently placed her phone down on the table and looked back up at the man sitting across from her. A light smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he removed the fist he’d had his chin resting on.

“What do you think?”

Inori blinked. “I think it’s ridiculously generous. You do know that I’m returning to school though, right? Despite it being towards the end of the semester, my professors have given me an opportunity to catch up since my situation was so bizarre.”

Adrian chuckled. “I’m well aware. No worries, I’ll only expect you to spend a small amount of time at the new place when you’re available. To be honest, the complex isn’t even fully built yet, so you won’t have anything to do until mid-June. That’s when you’ll officially be put to work.” Adrian swirled the wine in his glass as he paused, studying its contents. “Until then, think of this appointment, if you choose to undergo it, as us bringing you into the fold. I’m paying to secure your attention during the summer and beyond. Granted, there are a few more reasons that I’m paying you so much, but that’ll be a discussion for when you come and see everything at Archon Industries.”

Inori nodded in reply and started thinking. Does this fit the definition of hush money? He took a risk by meeting me, so he wants to reward me with a figure that will buy my silence. Not that he has to worry though. Inori started mentally drooling at the thought of analyzing those weapons and armor and seeing whatever else he has. That’s all the reward I need! Like hell I’ll say that, though.

Inori looked up at Adrian and smiled excitedly. “Where do I sign?” She then paused and said hesitantly, “I hate to say it, but I don’t have a printer. I doubt you’d want me printing it from one of the public student printers at Tech’s library.”

The man across from her smiled and answered, “That’s not a problem. Type in all of your information, make a copy of it for your parents, and then...put this on.” Adrian leaned forward and slid a small earpiece to her.

Looking at it confusedly, Inori picked it up and asked, “What’s this for?”

“That...is an uplink to my personal attendant who you will come to know in the future. As soon as you’re done with what I mentioned, just make sure it’s charged up, it uses a micro usb, and speak to him. No number required. He’ll prompt you to accept the conditions verbally.” He momentarily paused and then said, “His name is Raide by the way. You heard me speak to him earlier. He should be pretty professional with you, but just in case he says something off the cuff...don’t believe him. He’s a bit eccentric at times.”

Inori’s eyebrows went up as she giggled. “You got it.”

Adrian sighed as he looked at the clock on his phone. “Well, it’s best if we call it here. Now, I won’t be available for a month or more, so you’ll be coordinating with Raide. If you have any questions, he’ll be able to answer them at any time whether it’s day or night as long as you’re at the compound. Otherwise, we run the risk of others overhearing. Anyways...I’ll see ya later!” After laying down several bills to cover the dinner for both of them, Adrian got up and started to turn towards the door.

Inori’s heart clenched as she watched him go. Her voice quavering, she called out to him before he got out of earshot. “Adrian! Really...thank you. For everything.” At her words, she saw that he paused with a slight smile on his face as he turned his head towards her. Almost imperceptibly, he nodded, flashing a knowing grin before he disappeared out into the parking lot beyond.

***

Steel plates clattered together in a bell-like cacophony as they slammed down onto the mat, sending a small rumble through the industrial grade floor. Forearms straining, Adrian clenched the bar again as he snatched it upwards, timing and measuring the force required to get it just above his chin. Then, he’d slightly swing the bar back until it rested on the top of his chest while he squatted down and then back up. This was the traditional squat clean. While it was a tried and true workout, if any well-versed workout aficionado were to see the scene, their jaws would be on the floor.

Why? He was doing it with 250 kg for 20 repetitions nonstop.*

Sweat dripped every few seconds as he felt the strain of the weighted movements tearing at his muscles. Adrian had already accumulated a small puddle as this was his 5th rotation to this particular exercise. Finally heaving the last one of the set, he tossed the weight-laden bar back down to the ground, watching as the previously curved bar bounced a little up and down until it was once again straight.

Going to need a stronger barbell.

Grabbing a towel, he briefly wiped himself down as he went over to the 10 m x 10 m open mat area. At the far end of the platform, a lone man made out of steel was planted firmly into a socket that made it unable to move. Fists were indented all over the crucial weak points of the body, giving testament to the abuse it had already been subjected to at his hands.

Raide’s voice suddenly rang out in the room. “Training exercise #4 starting in 3...2...1.”

From the walls, spaced every few meters, automated guns armed with rubber bullets appeared out of hidden panels. Adrian threw down the towel and began a mad sprint towards the target as no less than 8 different semi-automatic weapons sprayed bullets at him. His leg muscles burned and tore as they raged against the abuse he was continually inflicting on them. In his mind, he plotted the rubber bullets’ trajectories and weaved in and out of their streams, ducked and rolling until he got to the target, delivering a crushing uppercut into the steel man’s sternum. Bouncing backwards, he dodged two more bullets that were cruising towards his right shoulder and then leapt back at the dummy, delivering a shattering blow to its trachea. Under the tremendous pressure and force, the figure’s head caved in at the neck, rendering it deformed.

“Training exercise complete. Next simulation rotation will include 9 turrets. On a side note, you should probably take it easier on the dummy’s, sir - we only have so many of them. They are heavy duty steel after all.”

Pouring sweat, Adrian immediately ran over to a water fountain and slurped down some water and grabbed a protein bar. Pulling apart the packaging, he then started to talk back to Raide as he wolfed down the meager sustenance. “Please, you know I can’t take it easy,” he huffed. “Otherwise, my body won’t react to the training. We continually have to shuffle the exercises and up the ante or this super adaptive body that you designed for me with catch on. Hell, as I say this, it’s already starting to repair itself. I can feel the pain receding in the deepest parts of my muscles tissue.”

“I know, It’s just that I hated ordering those things. That manufacturer's salesman was a real asshole. He thought I was prank calling them when I emailed him the design and asked for a hundred.” Raide then started imitating a really annoying snobby voice, “Look here brat, he says, don’t call here unless you have a serious order, he says. Joke’s on him though. He no longer has any credit or liquid assets. He made an anonymous donation to Raide’s Don’t-be-a-dick Foundation.” Raide harrumphed in displeasure.

Adrian’s breathing had calmed down a little as he raspily laughed, “How did you get the order placed then if he was being such a bastard?”

“Eh, I called the plant directly and told them that the salesman had pissed me off but I didn’t want them to lose my business. You could tell that the manager guy I first talked to wasn’t too pleased about the salesman, so his days are probably numbered. After that, I was passed on to a foreman who practically leapt at the order since I made it easy for him by sending the design and told him money wasn’t an object.”

Adrian made a *ding* sound as he said robotically, “Raide (A.I.) has unlocked Title: Salesman's Bane.”

“Damn straight. Anyone who’s a dick to you or I are going to reap the digital consequences.”

Adrian, while he was listening to Raide, was checking all of the straps on his body. He was covered in every conceivable type of weighted clothing. Shoe weights, ankle weights, thigh weights, a weighted belt, torso weight, forearm weights, etc. Everything seemed to be doing okay, since it was all sticking onto him, but he’d begun to feel that it all was a bit too light.

Seemingly reading his thoughts, Raide suddenly said, “We have a 114 kg torso weight in the closet if you’re ready to move up from the 68.”

“Ah, thanks, you read my mind. That’ll put me at 245 kg total, roughly 3 times my own body weight.”

After getting fitted, Adrian felt the new weight settle down onto his body, causing his knees to strain a little as all of his muscles worked to accommodate the extra burden. Satisfied with the tension it was causing without being too overbearing, he walked over to another section that had raised poles that each were about a meter off of the ground. Their diameters were small, just big enough for him to fit a ball of one foot onto the top of each pole. There were a few ceiling high poles placed obstructively throughout the small area. Across the divide was a chest high platform that he had to make it to before Raide would finish the exercise.

Adrian lined up at the edge of the similarly large area of 10 m x 10 m and then Raide’s voice intoned out, “Training exercise #5 starting in 3...2...1.”

Bursting forward, Adrian jumped up to a pole that was 1.3 m tall and balanced on the ball of his left foot, pushing off as he aimed for the next. Suddenly, from the ceiling, 3 large rotating wooden appenditures swung down and started spinning. Each had two meter long wooden ‘arms’ that swung at a determinedly fast rate, following an intertwined pathing scheme to make it difficult for Adrian to advance.

Gritting his teeth, Adrian steeled his gaze and dived forward right as the first two spinners were upon him. His targets were two poles of the same height that were to his 11 o’clock which were only about a meter apart from each other. Barely avoiding the tremendously heavy wooden arms that would have taken the breath from him, Adrian fell towards the poles, grasping at their edges desperately with his fingers. Purely by finger and shoulder strength alone, he held on like a ‘T’ between the two poles, waiting for the last pole to pass.

Sweat raced down his forehead and neck for the few seconds he was there until finally, the laggard third spinner came rumbling by overhead. Relieved that he’d avoided it, Adrian released the grip of one of his hands, quickly snatching it over to the same pole as the other while throwing out his legs to put some force on the other pillar. The rules were simple: if he were to fall and touch the ground, that would mean failure of the exercise and he’d have to start over. Ever so carefully, he ratcheted up his legs up the tiptoes of both were on top of the other pole. Then, he gripped the pole near his chest and pushed out explosively, propelling his upper body back up and into an upright position.

Sighing happily, Adrian regained his balance and tried to rest. Just as he assumed an upright posture once again, a vortex of air brushed against his skin, sending dozens of snaking tendrils of cool visible air rippling past his body. Alarmed, he tried to leap forward, but was bashed in the ribs as a spinner came up behind him, sending him flying to the side. It honestly felt like getting hit by a falling tree, such was the weight and force that these automatons carried!

Desperately, his eyes searched out a possible way to halt his descent while trying to ignore the blistering pain in his side and the lack of breath in his lungs. A pole nearby was all that was available, so he grabbed out in an attempt to stop the vicious corkscrew his body had entered, but his fingers only gained traction for a moment for failing and him falling past. A second later, a dull, meaty thud echoed out in the training room.

Raide appeared on the nearest wall via a built-in glass panel and then squatted down as he looked at his boss. “You alright there, chief?”

Groaning, Adrian untwisted his arms out from underneath his body and rolled over onto his back, staring up at the ceiling. Breathlessly, he said, “You...bastard...reversed...pathing…”

Proudly, the A.I. stood up and nodded, crossing his arms over his chest. “Yep! That was my surprise for you. In addition to adding another spinner since last your last round on this course, I altered the pathing to make it return faster.”

“Have I...told you...how much I...hate you...recently?” Adrian wheezed.

“No, you haven’t, but I’ll gladly take that compliment. Oh, and you should hurry, you’ve only got a minute left before you’ll need to restart the course.”

Protesting vehemently under his breath, Adrian rolled over and pushed his weight clad body up, walking back to the start of the area. At the same time, the 3 spinners whizzed by overhead, returning to their starting positions within the ceiling.

Raide followed along on the wall, keeping pace with Adrian. “Cheer up man, only 3 more weeks of this. Honestly, I’m a bit envious. It looks so much fun, twirling around, avoiding objects that would kill a lesser man just by brushing against them.”

Adrian heavily dragged his feet as he replied, “I’ll remember those words. I’m gonna build you two bodies - one biological and one mechanical. Then we’ll make you go through this course and see if you’re so envious then!”

The A.I.’s expression lit up. “Oho that does sound-”

“The mechanical one is still going to be a chicken!”

Stopping on a dime, Raide looked at Adrian’s receding back. “Eh, that’s kinda...oh wait, we finally got that visitor!”

Adrian also stopped turning back towards the wall where Raide was standing. “Which one?”

“Oh, you know…” Raide altered his chest outwards, growing two nipple-less melons. “Who among the women you know is a voluptuous….” He then grew long black hair. “Charming…” Turning around amusedly, he stuck out his butt that grew to match a certain woman’s. “sex kitten?”

“Pfft.” Adrian tried desperately to hold in his laughter. After a few moments, he regained himself. “Oh God, ignoring what you just said...is it Inori? I haven’t heard you mention guiding her around yet.”

“Bingo! Soundbite saved and logged.” From the speakers, a perfectly spliced recording echoed. Who among the women you know is a voluptuous, charming, sex kitten? Adrian’s voice sounded out, Inori?”

“God damnit, you piece of code, don’t you dare play that to her!”

Raide retreated back into digital space, leaving his merrily ringing laughter behind. “Sorry boss - gotta go! Duty calls!”

‘*’ - [For reference, the 2015 record for clean and jerk was 264 kg. One time. Slightly different workout here because he’s squatting instead of “jerking”, but close enough. There isn’t an official record for clean and squat that I could find.]