"Say, Doctor... do you plan on taking the idols as well?"
CS' question caught Sam by surprise. The pale Valkyrie was chilling in the back of the elevator as it descended from the highest floor.
"What do you mean?" Though he understood what she meant, Sam still felt the need to ask just in case he misunderstood.
"You already have six mates, right? There are other Valkyries who want to be with you, and the female scientist wants your seed as well. I'm just wondering who will get the chance next."
Even after she explained it in much clearer terms, the confusion only increased.
'That was a... really weird way to put it...'
This wasn't the first time he noticed her weird behavior. Recently, she started keeping her halo out more and more, but the most she would use it for was creating a part of her white armor, which also happened to be feline-like ears and tail. Though she wasn't caught licking herself, he heard that bathing was something she tried to avoid, instead relying on her Force Field to clean herself.
When you add to it the fact that she enjoys climbing to high places and taking random naps, one couldn't be faulted for assuming she was possessed by a cat. Sam wondered if it had something to do with the remnant memories from her past life, but that only led to more confusion as he couldn't comprehend what would lead it.
'Atropos said that humans weren't the only sentient species out there, but...'
The Olympians and the humans from the Nephilim world just so happened to be the same species as the humans from his worlds, with some minor differences, of course. With the multiverse being theoretically endless, it wouldn't be strange for some dimensions to have sentient species that evolved from something other than apes.
'A dimension with cat-girls...' he thought to himself, failing to suppress a smile. 'I wonder how the old man would feel about that...'
"Hmm... for the time being I don't plan on taking anyone." He eventually replied. "We're going to be quite busy, after all."
"Oh, I guess you have a point." Said CS. "You can't take on new mates when you barely touch your current ones."
"Exactly."
For some reason the nonchalance in her voice made the conversation feel more awkward, and it didn't help that Trenta was there with them. Wanting to change the subject, Sam quickly searched his mind for something to say.
"Now that I think about it, I have yet to give you your reward, right?" He asked, glancing at her from over his shoulder. "Have you decided on something?"
Only Ichigo and Nino received their rewards for their achievements in the battle against the Olympians. The others have yet to ask for anything, but that might be because he was too busy to listen to their requests.
"A reward?" CS blinked a few times as if she had no idea of what he was saying. It took her a while to remember, and when she did a frown appeared on her face.
The elevator came to a stop and the door opened. Sam was about to step out but they came to a stop.
Knowing him, Sam was sure he would've created a few with animal ears.
'Maybe he had a reason for...' Sam cut the thought, coming to a stop at the same time.
He studied the hallway for a moment, seeing nothing wrong with it. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath then turned to look behind him.
"You got to be kidding me."
They were gone, both of them. Sam looked around him once more then walked over to the elevator. It was empty, of course. He could see that it was without having to go inside. Staying still for a few seconds, he then pressed the button to the next floor. There was no sound and the door remained open, showing him that his actions had no effect.
"Was I pulled into the backrooms or something?"
As expected, his phone had no signal. Not that it would've been of much help anyway. If someone is capable of separating him from his guards this easily then no Valkyrie would be able to help.
"Maybe Nine can do something about it..."
Having realized that he was currently in an artificial space separate from the normal world, Sam concluded that the blond Valkyrie and her ability were his only hope of getting out. In such a situation remaining in the same spot and waiting for help was the most optimal, but he had no intention of doing that.
"Give me a break..." he clicked his tongue, irritation causing him to ruffle his hair. "What's the point of everything we gained if someone just shows up and renders it useless?"
Fastening his grip on his emotions, he walked out of the elevator and into the hallway. His destination was the room assigned for him, confident that the perpetrator was waiting for him there. He stopped at the door, hesitation forcing his hand away from the knob.
"It isn't nice to leave a lady waiting, you know?"
The room was a bit dark, the only source of light being a small corner lamp.
Sitting on the chair right in front of it was the mysterious woman from that morning. She still wore the same black dress as before, but her large hat was gone, allowing him to get a look at her face.
He didn't know what he was expecting; it was a given that she would be a beauty on the same level as Freyja's Children. Still, Sam found himself a bit shocked, so much so that he almost lost control over his emotions.
White hair and red eyes, those were the features that caught his attention the moment his eyes fell on her. Sam had seen a lot of colorful combinations among the Valkyries, but not one of them shared this one, and he unconsciously understood why.
Seeing them on the mysterious woman, Alice was the first person that came to Sam's mind. He felt a slight ping in his chest, but it was gone as soon as he studied the woman's facial features. Whether it was for better or worse, the eye and hair colors were the only things she shared with his beloved childhood friend.
Forcing himself to calm down, he walked over and sat down on the chair opposite to her, keeping his silence for a few seconds before opening his mouth.
"I had a feeling it's you..." he heaved a long sigh. "Is it that difficult to just show up like a normal person?"