"Ah, ok. If you're ok with it, then so be out." Thomas nodded. To him, rumors are just rumors but there area advantages to using rumor to mislead others to your own liking.
"I'm sure you're still very good at it compared to me." Said in response to Alya's statement about not necessarily being the best. Then raised an eyebrow.
"Melissa? I don't think I had the pleasure of meeting her. I guess that'll change tomorrow."
Taking the hint, Thomas returned to the bathroom and slipped into his clothes. They had dried enough and the slight dampness wasn't too uncomfortable to bear.
After hearing from Alya about what happened between her and Jack, Thomas couldn't help but apologize
"Oh, I' sorry to hear that. Well, at least you two are still friends. Don't think many couples stay friends after breaking up. Would just be awkward."
"Ah?" Thomas was surprised of Alya's sharp insight regarding his hands.
"Ah these. Well, I'm 25 years old and just started college. I've had some times to do things in the past 7 years since high school. Some I'm not proud of. I found out certain cities are dangerous places. Quite different from home. Oh I've said too much. I shall take my leave now. I'll see ya in the morning!"
Giving a farewell wave, Thomas left Alya's home and headed back to his apartment. Of course Dan and Kathrine were waiting as he stepped through the doorway and as he had expected, they asked him right away how it went with Alya. He wished he didn't have to tell them but he had to. Eventually, they developed a game plan for the rest of Thomas' team to follow them on the trip. This time, they'll remain hidden and take advantage of Arm Slave's cloaking system.
Thomas reached into his gears and took everything necessary for tomorrow's climbing trip. He still had a good pair of climbing picks and the long nylon rope he's used many times in his other missions. Grabbing his survival gear, he tossed them into a duffel bag along with the rope and climbing picks. Some of the items in his survival kit were fishing wires and hook, flint and tinder, sharpened knife, matches, compass and water purification tablets.
With the rest of his team packing and preparing for tomorrow, Thomas got some peace for the night and retired early. Not knowing what kind of danger a trip like this would bring, he'd make sure to get extra hours of rest. Hopefully, things will go smoothly like college and nothing will happen.
It almost felt like he had just closed his eyes when the alarm clock buzzed noisily. Thomas woke up and found it was 5am already. He got up and did his morning hygiene routine. Made some lunch and packed them away properly. The last item he reached for was the pistol that was hidden away in his night stand. Opening the top drawer revealed a .45 caliber pistol which he took along with several magazines of ammo. Securing his weapon in the a hidden layer of his duffel bag, he felt satisfied and ran through his equipment checklist one more time. With all his equipments accounted for, he left the apartment with it and made a short journey to Alya's home.
(edit: Added a few things in the end.)