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Amanda, on the other hand, was still visibly shaken by the ordeal. Her knuckles were white as she gripped the steering wheel, thinking back to how close they had come to losing their lives.

Despite her best efforts to appear composed, the tension in her body was evident. She couldn\'t help but think about how different things might have been if Don hadn\'t been there. But not wanting to burden Don with her worries, she attempted to lighten the mood.

"Santos City is beginning to become more dangerous by the day, huh?" she remarked with a weak chuckle, her voice trying to carry some casualness.

Don nodded, agreeing with her assessment but not offering much more. He wasn\'t in the talking mood, even if he knew this could be a good opportunity to strengthen his bond with Amanda. The thoughts in his mind were too numerous and too complex to make sense of just now.

As they drove on, the skies began to darken, thick clouds gathering overhead. Amanda glanced up and muttered, "Shit, it looks like a heavy one is coming."

Don didn\'t comment, but his eyes flicked toward the darkening skies. He wondered if those clouds meant something beyond just rain. With everything else that had been happening, he hadn\'t even bothered to check what the weather in this world was typically like. Not wanting to seem strange, he nodded in agreement. "Yeah, looks like it."

Amanda\'s concern however was more practical. "It\'s risky driving in the rain with this truck. The steering isn\'t as responsive as it used to be."

Don\'s mind shifted, realizing she wasn\'t thinking of some freak weather event but rather the very real danger of driving an old vehicle in a storm. "Should we head home, then?" he asked, his tone even.

Amanda nodded, though there was disappointment in her voice. "That would be for the best. Sorry if that ruins your plans."

Don, despite his sour mood, held back from responding rudely. He was disappointed, but he understood. "It\'s fine. After what just happened, you\'re right. We should get some rest, a shower wouldn\'t hurt either."

Amanda sighed, looking relieved that Don wasn\'t upset. "Yeah, a shower sounds really good right about now. I\'m just disappointed that our day got cut short like this."

Don offered a small, reassuring smile. "There\'ll be other days. The most important thing is that we\'re alive."

As he said it, he thought about the silver lining in the encounter. As much of a mess as it was, he had managed to make an impression on Amanda by saving her life, especially when another man had acted so cowardly.

He was sure she\'d see him differently now. More importantly, he knew that when they got home, he needed to retrieve Benjamin\'s card and make the call to discuss joining the Elite Hero Program. Whether or not the attack was a coincidence, Don felt that he needed to put safety measures in place, and the EHP was his best bet.

They eventually arrived back at the Chanel Hills Community, the truck pulling into the driveway just as the first drops of rain began to fall. By the time they parked and stepped out, the rain was starting to come down in earnest.

Amanda hopped out first, quickly glancing at the sky before turning to Don. "Let\'s get those baskets out of the back before the rain really starts coming down."

Don followed her lead, and together they hurried to unload the baskets of fresh produce from the truck and carry them into the house. The rain soaked through their clothes as they rushed, and by the time they had the baskets on the kitchen counter, they were both damp and dirty from the earlier encounter at the farm.

Amanda looked down at her clothes, shaking her head with a sigh. "We should change. You can use the main bathroom. I\'ll take the one in Sam\'s room."

Don nodded. "Sounds like a plan." He watched as Amanda headed upstairs, then made his way to the main bathroom. The hot water was a welcome relief as he showered off the grime and stress of the day so far.

Once he was clean and dressed, he retrieved Benjamin\'s business card from the drawer in his room. He stared at the card for a moment, contemplating the decision he was about to make.

Taking a deep breath, he pulled out his phone and dialed the number. After a few rings, the call connected.

"Hello?" came Benjamin\'s voice from the other end.

"Hey, it\'s Don Bright," Don began, his voice steady. "I\'m calling about the EHP."

"Ah, yes," Benjamin replied, sounding pleased. "Have you come to a decision?"

"Yeah," Don said, nodding to himself. "I\'m interested in joining the program."

Benjamin\'s excitement was almost evident, even over the phone. "Perfect!" he exclaimed, his voice brimming with enthusiasm. "I knew you\'d make the right choice, Don."

Don leaned back against his bed, keeping his tone measured despite the eagerness in Benjamin\'s voice. "So, what do I need to do?"

"Nothing much," Benjamin replied, the confidence in his voice unmistakable. "I\'ll handle everything on my end—arrange all the documents and paperwork. All you need to do is show up and sign them."

Don paused to think for a moment. He considered pushing for a sooner meeting, perhaps even today, but he quickly dismissed the thought. If he appeared too eager, it might give Benjamin the upper hand, making Don seem desperate. Instead, he decided to hedge his bets.

"Sounds good," Don said evenly. "But I should mention, my mother will likely want me to go over the documents with our lawyer. Just to be on the safe side. Is that going to be okay?"

There was a slight pause on Benjamin\'s end before he responded with a laugh that didn\'t quite hide the nervousness. "Of course, Don, that\'s perfectly fine. We want everything to be above board, after all."

Don\'s sharp ears picked up on the subtle shift in Benjamin\'s tone, a hint of nervousness slipping through. He\'d expected this. If he had gone alone, there were bound to be loopholes in the documents—clauses that would favor Benjamin and his superiors. But Don wasn\'t about to let that happen.

"Great," Don said casually, maintaining his calm demeanor. "When and where should we meet?"

"I\'ll be in touch soon to confirm the details," Benjamin answered. "Just keep your schedule open."

"Not a problem," Don replied before the call ended.

As he lowered the phone, Don\'s thoughts shifted. Now what? He wasn\'t about to take the Mustang out in the rain—especially after everything that had happened today. If it broke down, it would just add to his already sour mood.

As he pondered his next move, a sudden system prompt appeared in front of him, its text hovering in the air as if mocking him.

———

*Quest Reminder: Sign up and successfully create a VR FPS avatar...*

———

Don\'s eyes narrowed slightly as he read the reminder. "Oh, right. The quest," he muttered to himself. He\'d been so wrapped up in the events of the day that he\'d almost forgotten about the system entirely. It wasn\'t exactly reliable in its appearances, which only added to the frustration.

Sighing, Don picked up his phone and scrolled through his contacts, searching for Donald\'s number. His finger hovered over the call button for a moment, his mind briefly considering what to say.

With a quick tap, Don initiated the call. The phone rang a few times before Donald\'s voice answered on the other end, his tone casual and slightly surprised.

"Hey, Don! What\'s up?"

Don kept his tone light. "Hey, Donald. Just wanted to check in about something. Got a bit of time?"

"Sure, what\'s on your mind?"

Don leaned against the windowsill, glancing out at the rain now falling steadily against the glass. "I was thinking about getting started on that VR-FPS avatar we talked about. Figured now\'s as good a time as any."

"Awesome! I was wondering when you\'d get around to that," Donald replied, his excitement evident. "I\'ve been fine-tuning my own setup, so I\'m more than ready to help you out. But there\'s a big software update being done so the servers are down, but we can still make you a character. You at home?"

"Yeah, I\'m here," Don confirmed, absently watching the raindrops race down the window. "Figured I\'d make the call since the weather\'s not great for anything else."

"Alright, cool. Well, you can come on over and we can at least get your avatar prepped."