Forbidden Love in the Mecha Ac

Chapter 3: Chapter 3 Towards Clearing the Name



"Well, well, well," the deep voice purred, "look what we have here… if it isn't our little miracle worker, Alice." Luna emerged, a smirk twisting her lips.

 Behind her loomed two hulking figures, their arms crossed, faces grim.

 Alice felt a chill crawl down her spine.

This wasn't good.

The whispers started the next day.

 Little murmurs that followed Alice down the hallways, poisonous tendrils reaching out to ensnare her.

 "Did you hear about *her*?" "Apparently, she's a fraud." "Professor Smith practically ripped her a new one." The once-admiring glances had been replaced with suspicion and disdain.

 It was Luna's doing, Alice knew.

The whispers were like tiny daggers, each one chipping away at her resolve.

 The cafeteria, usually a bustling hub of activity, felt like a desolate wasteland.

 Every table she approached cleared out as if she carried a contagious disease.

 She was a pariah, an outcast.

 Even the nutrient paste tasted like ash in her mouth.

She sought out Professor Smith, hoping a rational conversation could clear the air.

His office, usually a place of intellectual stimulation, now felt like a courtroom.

 The air hung heavy with judgment.

"Professor Smith," Alice began, her voice trembling slightly, "I understand you have concerns about my methods—"

"Concerns?" Professor Smith thundered, his face turning an alarming shade of purple.

 "Your reckless disregard for established protocol almost cost a student his life!" He slammed a thick file onto his desk, the sound echoing in the tense silence.

 "This incident report clearly outlines your gross negligence."

"But I—" Alice started, trying to explain the unusual circumstances, the sudden allergic reaction no one could have foreseen, but Professor Smith cut her off.

"Silence! I will not tolerate your excuses. Your actions have brought shame upon this institution. Consider this your final warning."

Alice felt a surge of anger.

 "Final warning? I'm being punished for saving a life?" Her voice rose, echoing Professor Smith's intensity.

 "I used unconventional methods because the situation demanded it. And it worked! That student would be dead if it weren't for me."

"Insolence!" Professor Smith roared.

 He pointed a trembling finger towards the door.

"Get out! Get out before I have you expelled!"

Defeated, but not broken, Alice turned to leave.

As she reached the door, a small, folded piece of paper was slipped into her hand.

 She glanced back, but the hallway was empty.

 Unfolding the note, she read the single, cryptic message scrawled inside: "Meet me in the simulation lab. Midnight. Don't tell anyone."

The simulation lab hummed with a low, almost imperceptible thrum.

 Holographic stars twinkled against the darkened walls, casting an ethereal glow over the rows of inactive mechs.

Alice clutched the note in her hand, her heart pounding a frantic rhythm against her ribs.

 David, his usually cheerful face etched with concern, stood beside her.

 He'd been surprisingly helpful, digging through academy records, cross-referencing medical logs, a silent, efficient shadow working tirelessly to clear her name.

 He'd unearthed something, something big, and that's what brought them here, to the heart of the academy, under the cloak of midnight.

"Are you sure about this, Alice?

" David whispered, his voice barely audible above the hum of the machinery.

"This is risky.

"

"I have no choice," Alice replied, her voice firm despite the tremor in her hands.

 "They're trying to bury me alive.

 I have to fight back.

"

David nodded, his eyes gleaming with a steely determination.

 He pointed to a console blinking with a soft, blue light.

"I managed to pull the security footage from the medical bay.

 It's the only copy.

 Luna thought she'd deleted it.

"

With trembling fingers, Alice inserted a data chip into the console.

 The holographic display flickered to life, revealing the chaotic scene in the medical bay.

There it was, clear as day: Luna tampering with the student's IV drip, a vial of clear liquid clutched in her hand.

 Alice's breath hitched in her throat.

 This was it.

 The smoking gun.

The next morning, the院长's office was thick with tension.

 Professor Smith sat stiffly in his chair, his face pale.

Luna, usually so smug and self-assured, fidgeted nervously, avoiding Alice's gaze.

 Alice stood before the Dean, her voice clear and strong as she laid out the events, the evidence displayed on the holographic projector for all to see.

 The Dean, a stern but fair woman, watched the footage, her expression hardening with each passing second.

When the recording ended, the room was silent.

The Dean's voice, when she finally spoke, was laced with ice.

 "Luna, you are hereby suspended pending a full investigation.

Professor Smith, your judgment in this matter has been… questionable.

"

A wave of relief washed over Alice.

 The weight that had been crushing her for days finally lifted.

 She had done it.

 She had cleared her name.

As Alice left the Dean's office, a figure leaned against the wall, watching her.

Ethan.

His usual impassive mask had slipped, replaced by an expression Alice couldn't quite decipher.

 He pushed himself off the wall and started towards her.

 "Alice," he began, his voice low and… was that admiration she heard?


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