"Finally, I'm here," Alex said as he walked through the city. He had arrived in Orange City, where Mellon and her family lived—a city that would one day be renamed after Hercule Satan following the Cell Saga.
As Alex made his way through the streets, searching for Mellon's home, a police officer suddenly stopped him.
"Hey, hey! Stop right there!" The officer was a middle-aged man with a mustache and glasses. He gave Alex a suspicious look, scanning his tattered gi and wild, unkempt hair. It had been a long time since Alex had been in a city, and he definitely stood out.
"Yes, officer? Is something wrong?" Alex asked, stopping in his tracks.
"You—who are you? Tell me your name and why you're here. Looking at your appearance, you don't seem to be from around here," the officer said, stepping in front of him. "We've been ordered to keep an eye out for anything suspicious. Crime has been on the rise lately, so this is just routine protocol."
Alex relaxed a bit and smiled. "Oh, I see. No worries, officer. My name's Alex, and I'm here to visit a friend—her name is Mellon. She's kind of rich, so you might have heard of her."
"Mellon, huh? Let's see..." The officer took out a small device and typed something into it.
"There are two people named Mellon in the city. Which one is your friend?" he asked, showing Alex a display with pictures and information.
"Yep, that's her," Alex said, pointing at Mellon's photo.
The officer's eyes widened. "Y-you mean that Mellon? The granddaughter of Byron Alba—the owner of Alba Corporation? You're friends with his granddaughter?"
Still in shock, the officer quickly offered to drive Alex there on his police bike, which Alex accepted.
After a short ride, they arrived in front of a massive dome-shaped building. The officer stopped and gestured toward it. "That's the Alba Corporation headquarters. Mr. Alba and his family live there. Now listen—don't cause any trouble, alright? If you do, I don't know you." Without waiting for a response, the officer sped off.
Alex turned his attention to the massive structure. While it wasn't the biggest building he had ever seen, it was still quite impressive—somewhat similar to Capsule Corp. Just as he reached for the doorbell, the front doors swung open.
"Alex!"
A familiar voice rang out, and before Alex could react, Mellon came running toward him, jumping up and wrapping her arms around his head. Alex instinctively caught her and then gently set her down.
"I'm so glad you came!" Mellon beamed. "I was getting so bored at home. I swear, if you hadn't shown up, I was going to leave and track you down myself!"
She grabbed his arm eagerly. "Come on! Let's go inside! Everyone's going to be excited to see you!"
Alex allowed himself to be pulled along as Mellon led him into the building.
Inside, they were greeted by a woman who looked just like an older, more mature version of Mellon, with long blonde hair. She carried a tray with a glass of juice and smiled warmly at Alex.
"I'm Mellon's mother—you can call me Ivy," she said as she handed Alex the glass. "And I just want to say... thank you. Not only for keeping Mellon safe but also for bringing my husband back to us."
"It wasn't much," Alex replied, accepting the drink. "I just did what was right."
After that, Mellon enthusiastically showed him around the house.
He met her father, who was also happy to see him again. Eventually, she dragged him up to the highest floor, where her grandfather's office was located.
"Grandpa, look who's here!" Mellon announced cheerfully as she pushed open the office door and pulled Alex inside.
The old man behind the desk barely glanced up from the files he was reading. "Who is it, Mellon? If it's not important, tell them to wait outside. I'm busy."
"It's Alex! You know, the one I told you about! The guy who helped me bring Dad back!"
The moment Mellon finished speaking, a sharp glint flashed in the old man's eyes. He slowly set the file down on his desk and looked at Alex more intently.
"So he's the one…" the old man murmured.
After a brief pause, he turned to Mellon. "Mellon, I'd like to speak with this young man alone. Wait outside."
Mellon pouted. "B-but—"
"No buts. Wait outside," the old man said firmly.
"Fine… but only five minutes!" she huffed before walking out and closing the door behind her.
Alex, on the other hand, was completely clueless about what was happening.
The old man reached into a drawer in his desk. Alex tensed slightly. Then, with a sharp metallic clack, the man pulled out a gun and placed it on the desk in front of him.
"Now," he said, his tone menacing, "let's talk."