Maids VS Apocalypse

"Oooh..." For some reason, everyone besides Ramsay seemed amazed by Lara’s little performance.

The maid herself seemed unperturbed by the looks she was getting and silently sat back in her spot beside Mark.

An instant later, the big guy stood up with a grunt.

"Alright!" Grabbing a large glass bottle from beside him, he filled his cup then raised it high over his head. "Now that the introductions are done, it’s time for a toast!"

The others smiled and raised their cups. Alex rushed over just then and did the same, not bothering to clean the dust off of his clothes.

"To the fresh blood joining us-" Ben gestured to Lara and Mark then turned to Ramsay "to our leader who just returned with a promotion-" Looking at the others on by one, he flashed his pearly whites "And to the strongest Squad to ever come out of this world! Let’s show them what we’re made of!"

"CHEERS!!!"

Everyone brought their glasses to the center and clanged them together. Mark found himself joining in for some reason and so did Lara. Right after, everyone downed their drinks in one go, and though he was reluctant to have any just minutes ago, Mark forced himself to swallow every drop.

"Well look at that!" Ben let out a laugh. "So you can drink!"

"Who said I can’t?" Mark replied. "I try to avoid it, that’s all."

The last time he tasted alcohol things didn’t turn out well. Not only was it not to his taste, but it also made the voices in his head much louder, bringing him to the edge of insanity. Ever since, he had been avoiding anything that could impair his cognitive abilities.

Suddenly realizing something, Mark turned to his maid. It was only then that he noticed her cup only had water in it.

"Hey hey, Newbie!" Alex leaned forward, his eyes sparkling. "Is it true?"

Mark couldn’t help but lean back, pushed by the intensity of his gaze.

"W-what is?"

"Browny over there told us some insane stuff." Elya motioned toward Ramsay. "How you tried to fight a Demon even though you only Awakened a few days ago."

Mark couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.

"A Demon?"

"They’re talking about Malarak." Ramsay lowered his cup and looked at the petite girl. "You still don’t believe me?"

"Duh, it sounds a little too insane."

DING!

Ben’s neck almost snapped as he turned in the direction of the kitchen. He then got up and rushed over saying "It’s done!"

The floor shook a little with each step he took, but seeing him in such a good mood no one dared to complain. Mark noticed that both Alex and Elya were waiting for his answer for his answer.

"I wouldn’t call it a fight." He started to feel the effects of the alcohol kick in. "We just kept running till he dropped dead."

Franco brought his glass up to his mouth then stopped, furrowed his brows, then turned to him with a slight frown.

"What are you talking about? That’s one hell of an achievement."

"You’re giving me too much credit," Mark replied after a short pause then glanced at the maid beside him. "If anyone deserves the praise, it would be Lara over here. She even managed to land a critical hit on that thing.

"Really?" The others turned their sights to the maid in question.

"I wouldn’t have done it without Master’s spear," Lara spoke in an even tone, almost as if she was disinterested in the conversation.

"That’s insane!" Alex laughed. "I would’ve died on the spot!"

"Same," Elya added. "Its Soul Pressure alone would’ve killed me. You’re pretty amazing for someone so plain."

"You talk as if that’s a bad thing." Franco gave her a side look. "Were you expecting something more?"

"I never saw a Level 5 before." Frowning, she turned her gaze to Lara. "I mean, compared to her, he looks too average."

Having spent years fearing that his sanity was slipping away, Mark was a little happy to know that he appeared normal to other people. There was absolutely nothing wrong with being a normal.

’Normal is good.’ Mark thought as he reached for the bottle at the center intending to fill his cup. ’Normal is the best.’

His eyes suddenly snapped open and he turned a glare to the Sergeant beside him.

"What? Did you want to tell them yourself?"

Ramsay seemed unperturbed. Mark being a Level 5 wasn’t exactly a secret, but hearing that others learned about it still bothered him.

"Don’t take it the wrong way," Franco spoke up. "We had to know a few things before letting you on the team. Level 5s are basically a myth among us Peace Keepers so... "

"Hell, we rarely if ever meet a Level 4," Elya added.

"It’s okay, I get it." although reluctant, Mark shook his head and dropped the topic.

"Level 4s and 5s get custom systems, right?" Alex turned his excited gaze to Lara. "Ms. Becker is our summon, right? Does that mean your system is built around her?"

"Going by her appearance, I’m guessing she’s a character from some story." Elya studied Lara with her gaze. "I have heard a lot of Level 4s have Systems based on the things they love, mainly books and games."

Mark didn’t like being probed for info about his System for more than one reason, though it surprised him that they were still in the dark about it. He had expected them to know everything there was to know about it, considering they were tasked with keeping an eye on him.

Just as he was trying to find a way to avoid talking about it, a mysterious smell entered the room, grabbing everyone by the stomach.

"Alright!" Ben walked into the living room at that moment carrying a large baking dish. "Who wants a taste of the best shepherd’s pie in more than three wolds?"

"Finally!" Elya exclaimed.

"I will go get the dishes!" Alex quickly rushed to the kitchen.

"This takes me back," Ramsay said with a smile.

"I’ve been waiting for this." Franco’s expression suddenly became a lot more serious.

Mark remained silent and so did Lara. He was glad that the dish distracted the others from their questions, and going by the smell he was sure it was worth their reaction. What he didn’t understand, however, was the reason they decided to serve it after pizza.

Looking down at the slice he barely touched, Mark could only tilt his head and frown. He wasn’t a big fan of wasting food so, even though he wasn’t in the mood, he picked it up and quickly finished what was left.