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Alex sat down on the soft couch, enjoying the silence of his new apartment. He cracked open a cold beer and took a sip, letting the cool bitterness relax his nerves.
"Finally… some peace," he muttered.
Just then, his phone rang—loud and sudden, breaking the calm.
RING—RING—RING.
Alex glanced at the screen.
The caller ID read: Skye
A familiar name from the phone's contacts—someone the original Alex must have known well. The photo was a girl around his age, short black hair, sharp eyes, smiling brightly.
Alex raised an eyebrow.
"Oh… this body actually had a girlfriend?" he murmured, surprised. "Or at least someone close."
He answered the call, putting the phone to his ear.
"Hey," he said casually.
A frustrated female voice instantly exploded from the speaker:
"Alex! Why didn't you call back?!" Skye demanded. "You disappear for weeks and now I hear you were in a hospital after a huge accident! Do you have any idea how worried I was!?"
Alex blinked, caught off guard.
"I, uh… sorry. Things were complicated. I didn't expect everything to go this way."
There was silence for a moment on the other end.
"You're really okay?" Skye asked again, softer this time.
Alex leaned back and smiled slightly.
"Yeah. I'm fine now."
"…Good. I'm coming over," she declared.
"What? Wait—"
Click.
The call ended.
Alex stared at the phone blankly.
"…Well, that escalated quickly."
He leaned back on the couch, rubbing his forehead.
"Skye… why does that name sound familiar?" he mumbled, tilting his head.
Then realization struck like a hammer.
"Damn it—is that the hottie, Quake?" Alex muttered, dropping his phone onto his lap. "There goes my chance of building a harem. I definitely don't want her to vibrate my balls into oblivion in the future."
He sighed dramatically.
"Well… she's more than enough anyway," he added under his breath, settling deeper into the couch as he waited for her to call back.
Alex checked the time. If she said she was coming over, she'd probably arrive soon. He quickly stood up and looked around the apartment.
"Damn… I haven't even unpacked properly," he muttered, noticing the bags still lying near the entrance.
He pushed them aside and straightened the cushions on the couch. Not perfect, but better than nothing. He didn't want to look like he was living in chaos.
His heart beat a little faster.
Meeting Skye—the future Quake—so soon wasn't part of his plan. He wanted time to settle, train quietly, and stay off the radar. But clearly, things were moving faster than he expected.
"Well, at least she doesn't have powers yet," Alex muttered to himself. That was one less thing to worry about.
He finished straightening the room and sat down, waiting calmly.
After a few minutes, his phone rang again.
"Skye, are you here already?" Alex asked.
"No, dumbass," Skye snapped. "You forgot to mention you changed address. When did you move? Where the hell are you now? I'm standing outside your last building!"
Alex winced. "Right… sorry. I forgot to update that. I moved recently. I'll send the new address."
He quickly sent her the location.
Skye sighed on the other end. "Fine. It'll take another half hour to drive there."
"Wait—no need," Alex said. "I'll come pick you up. Just stay where you are."
There was a short pause.
"…Alright," she agreed quietly. "Just hurry."
"I will."
He hung up and grabbed his keys. He didn't want to push her anger any further. She cared genuinely, and even if this wasn't the original Alex's memory, he respected that.
He walked down to the parking garage and stopped in front of his car—a newly purchased black Dodge Charger, shiny and powerful. Something he always wanted but didn't had enough money but now he can so he bought it.
"Good timing," he said, sliding into the driver's seat.
The engine started with a deep roar. Alex drove out onto the road, heading toward the old address where Skye was waiting.
He pressed harder on the accelerator.
"Let's go pick up the girl before she kills me," he muttered.
The drive didn't take long. Traffic was light, and Alex pushed the car a little faster than usual. His thoughts kept bouncing around—plans, training, the invasion, and now Skye.
He pulled up near the old apartment building, a cracked and half-abandoned structure with faded paint and broken windows. It looked even worse now that he had seen his new place.
Skye was standing near the entrance, arms crossed, wearing a dark jacket and ripped jeans. She looked annoyed, tapping her foot against the concrete.
When she noticed the Charger pulling up, her expression froze for a second—surprised.
Alex stepped out of the car and waved awkwardly.
"Hey… sorry about the mess."
Skye walked toward him, still frowning.
She looked at him and then at his car. "When I heard you were in an accident, I thought I would see you in a wheelchair, not in this beast," she said, surprised.
"Yeah, I'malso bit confused too," Alex nodded, hugging her as she hugged him back. "I was worried for you."
"I know," he nodded as she broke the hug, then leaned in. Skye got stunned by the sudden approach, but then she closed her eyes and kissed him. Alex inwardly smiled. I knew she was interested, he thought as they kissed.
"Where did you get the courage from, hot lips?" she asked after their kiss broke.
"Well, having a near-death experience makes you wonder what you would have regretted if you died suddenly. At least I am not going to regret one thing now," he said as they kissed again.
After a moment, their kiss broke. She said, "Come, let me give you a ride and a dinner too," she said as he nodded.
Both sat in the car as she began to drive.
"So… what happened?" she asked.
"I was racing," he admitted, ashamed.
"Ah… I said you would die one day doing that," she said.
"I know. No more racing from now on," he nodded as she sighed.
"Then the guy who hit me… turns out an good guy. He—gave me 10 million USD," he said. Skye looked baffled.
"No way… are you drunk or something?" she asked, sitting up, but he shook his head. "I'm not joking," he said, showing the account on his iPhone.
"Who was that guy?" Skye asked, glancing at the amount on his phone.
"Iron Man himself… Tony Stark, actually," he said.
She nodded slowly, still trying to process it.