Steve continued with his journey back to his sister's lodge as soon as Neerudi asported off. He tried not to anticipate any pre-speech as to his whereabouts, keeping only what he intends to say at the tip of his replies. He didn't want to lie about what he has done but neither did he want to say it because they wouldn't understand, and even though nothing justifies it, he had to do it. Killing Landon is doing humanity a favour, and he will not be missed, at least that's the thoughts which guided Steve's line of action. Whatever it is, Landon really did hurt him really bad, and he would kill him a billion times if he had to do it all over again.
So many other thoughts also crept in, keeping him occupied as he walked away from that mountain, went to the car park and chartered a taxi back to his sister's place. When he knocked, Annie quickly rushed out, opened the door and led him inside, closing the door behind him. His knocking pattern is very much familiar to her and everyone close to him.
"I don't like this face Annie." He said calmly.
"Then stop making us this worried Steve."
"What about your friends?" He inquired.
"You mean your girlfriend and your two other girlfriends?" She teased.
"Yes, that would be them." He replied, visibly smiling to her soft mock.
"Check the time Steven. You got us worried, and you left your phone right here; almost like you planned it out so perfectly well. I thought you said you were going to watch the Champions League?"
"I'm so sorry Annie, I'm really sorry. It's just...one of this days probably I will tell you, but not today."
"And you know how Christie is... it's not fair. You are just giving room for unnecessary loops in your relations with her."
"I have heard you, mom."
"I am serious Steve; I am really serious about this." She repeated again.
"I have heard you, mom. Where are they?" he inquired again.
"The hotel"
"Okay then. Thanks my sweet beautiful and adorable marvelous sister...don't forget I carried you, and petted you..." He joked.
"I have heard you...Mr. Carrier!" She said smiling casually before going to bring him food.
He used the opportunity to pick his phone. As expected, there were a lot of missed calls. He called Christie.
"Just come back here now!" She said as soon as she picked the call and ended the call before he could mutter any word.
"Eat first!" Annie said to him after hearing Christie too.
"Sure."
"How did the swimming go then?" He asked.
"Great as usual; had to come back early because of our lectures on Monday... assignment ish!"
"Okay...hope they are not a burden, your new girlfriends?" Steve inquired.
"Those two are wonderful and sweet!" She acknowledged.
"That's nice coming from you."
"Don't even get me started."
"Okay mum!" He replied jokingly.
"So where did you go?" She queried him afterwards.
"Are you sure you really want to know?"
"Of course, you are my brother, why not. Except it has something to do with a girl..."
"No, it's not a girl. You know I'm not like that. This is something personal, and I don't think I should tell you. I'm sorry, but for now, you just have to trust me on it."
"We were all really worried Steven. This is not fair at all."
"I'm sorry."
"So what happened at the school? Heard cultists were at it again today." He deceitfully inquired from her sister to know what the current news is.
"Yes, it's everywhere. But you wouldn't know that because..."
"I know you are going to finish me off before I leave here... I better eat fast and go." He said, cutting her off midway jokingly between her mild mannered mockeries.
"It's late already anyway...Just be careful." She advised him, "You know how it is here".
It was at this point that Steve saw the other side of her cheeks and eyes; it was swollen to some extent. Apparently, she didn't come back because of her lectures, but the boyfriend.
"What happened to your face Annie?"
"It's nothing." She said. He stood up, went closer to her and examined it a little amid change of position slightly from Annie who tried to avoid it.
"This doesn't look like nothing Annie."
"Just let it go please...it's late already, you should start going or else I'm not going to allow you leave again because it's already very late."
"Annie?"
"Tomorrow please."
"Alright" He replied. "Take care!" He further said, before taking his leave, worried about her.
*
Christie is used to not controlling her emotions when Steve is involved in the equation, especially if she doesn't get to hear from him. It's normal, except this time around. The news going round the school got her very shaken because she knows his history with cult boys.
Unknown to Steve, he did set in play a lot of chain reactions when he attacked and carried out his long borne revenge on Landon. There were retaliatory attacks in that same night among cult groups in the University. More than thirty-five persons were reported dead, while numerous others have been severely injured excluding cult members.
As soon as he left her lodge, he saw a taxi immediately he came out from the gate and boarded it to the hotel to face Christie's fury. He knew exactly what he was going to do when he sees her anyway. As the driver started conveying him to the hotel, his phone rang...it was Esther.
"Hey!" Steve said as soon as he picked the call.
"Jesus Christ Steven, you really got me worried." She stated immediately.
"Sorry about that dear. I would have called as soon as i reach where i am staying. Didn't go out with my phone" He said.
"I'm relieved hearing from you. I have been trying your line for ages now. With everything going on now, wanted to make sure you are okay."
"Thank you for your concern sweetheart, I appreciate. Hope you are safe yourself?" He inquired.
"Sure...safer now that you are okay." She said casually while her soft giggle echoed over the phone's speaker.
"The police apparently acted speedily with the information you provided...you are a hero you know." He uttered, making her to laugh slowly in between giggles.
"Well, a lot of rumors are circulating in the school right now, we will get the full information tomorrow i guess. But, I heard the mighty Landon is dead. He is amongst the casualties if what they're saying is true."
"He deserves it though." Steve calmly said.
"100%. He is disgusting, a rapist and a murderer!" She added.
"Wait, that useless boy is dead?" The driver cut in, and Esther heard it too.
"Who is that?" She asked.
"The driver"
"We don't know for sure, but I hope it's true." Esther replied him.
"I hope Satan reserves a special place for him in hell when he gets there." The driver said hatefully, making them laugh.
"I advocate for a place worse than hell for him." Esther added.
"It's good riddance anyway. Hope others learn from it though." Steve simply said as he observed the shared hatred for Landon from them in silence.
"If at all they will listen" The driver said.
"I'm sure they will listen this time around." Esther added.
"I hope so!" He replied.
"Hope I will see you tomorrow?" She inquired.
"I really don't..."
"Please...don't tell me why you won't make it." She cut in, stopping him from completing his sentence.
"Okay, I will call you." He replied instead.
"I will be waiting." She said.
"See you later then."
"Cool; take care love." She said and ended the call after he replied "bye!"
"She has a wonderful voice!" the driver remarked immediately.
"Yeah, she does."
"Is she your girlfriend?"
"No, she is not."
"She is a good friend then, though I doubt from her actions she just wants to be a good friend."
"I know."
"Does she know?"
"Of course." he said, though it is a complicated situation with Esther.
"You did well to let her know, it's the right thing to do. Always let everyone know where they are with you from the beginning. It saves a lot of future heartbreak problems and those long rides on guilty trips." The driver commended.
"We share the same philosophy my brother."
They arrived at the hotel a few minutes later, and he paid him with extra tips. The moment he entered the hotel, someone called out "hey!" from the background as he tried to make his way upstairs to his room; it was Tracy. He turned around, and when he saw her, he smiled and approached her.
"You've been a bad boy Steve. We've all been worried about you!" She said while hugging him.
"I admit, I've been a bad boy...but not in the bad...bad sense of it." He said jokingly, and she smiled.
"What about Nora?"
"Worried about you; But, you know who is even more worried about you."
"Tell her I'm fine...we will sort ourselves out, I mean Christie... We both have our ways." He said smiling at her.
"So what happened? I actually thought you guys were going to stay with my sister?"
"Change of plans I guess. Some 'we' time I guess." She joked with him as they started walking.
"A welcome development" He added.
"I better go meet the big lady upstairs."
"Yeah, you should. See ya!"
"Room number?"
"105." She replied as she walked away.
He went straight to the room to meet Christie and whatever she had in store for him. Once he was standing just inches from the door, he knocked at the door and the doorbell simultaneously. After he knocked, he listened and heard steps approaching the door. She inquired as to the identity of the person knocking.
"It's me."
As soon as she heard the voice, her steps froze mid-air, followed by an uneasy hesitation to continue moving or not.
"Christie?" he called out with a calm and composed voice. Once she heard her name from him, she started walking to the door again, visibly out of her previous hesitation. She opened the door once she reached it but didn't wait for Steve to say anything before turning back, walking back to the bed clearly not happy but relieved. He closed the door behind him, started calling her as he hurriedly rushed after her, went to her front and blocked her path.
"Please." He pleaded.
"Please what?"
"Don't treat me like you are about to right now."
"And how is that?"
"Emotionally torture me."
"You can't be serious now right now Steve, honestly."
"I am... serious."
"No you are not. I'm i a joke to you?"
"Why will you even think of something so vile like that?"
"Can't you see that I'm not happy and that you are the cause?" She questioned.
"I know, and I'm trying to apologize, to tell you what happened." He said, moving very close to her and planted a warm embrace. She didn't reject nor back off from the hug.
"It won't happen again, I promise...full disclosure, 100%!" He added.
"Are you sure?"
"Well, I cannot ever want you to feel the way you are feeling, the way i made you feel by this singular act."
"It sounds better when you couch it that way." She joked.
"It's because I mean it."
"Okay...so where have you been?" She finally asked him.
***
There were serious activities at the Commissioner's office at Owerri aside the workmen fixing up and rebuilding destroyed parts of the police headquarters. Much of the night's activities were however focused on the mayhem that occurred at the university involving cultists and an unknown assailant as most of the suspects they caught were saying. Nevertheless, the official status report is that the occurrence was a clash among disagreeing local cult groups, and an anonymous tip helped the police appropriately swing into action at the right moment to save the day.
"Sir, the Force Public Relations Officer is around now." An orderly told him.
"Alright, send him in!" The commissioner said. Once the FPRO walked in, he told him to sit after telling him to stand at ease.
"You have to put out a statement tonight!" He ordered the FPRO.
"I thought you said to put it out in the morning sir?"
"Yes, I know what I said. I'm saying again that you should put it out this night. The people need to be assured that we are handling the situation, and are proactively tackling everything." The police commissioner said.
"Yes sir."
"The earlier the better" The police commissioner added.
"I will get on with it sir." He said and left.
The police commissioner rang the secretary afterwards to tell he is done for the day.
"Not yet sir" The officer replied.
"What else?" He inquired.
"The meeting sir" He said in reference to the Amarandubi officials meet up.
"Thank you... almost forgot." He gathered some of his belongings in the office, and some aides came rushing in to help him with it as soon as he was through and came out of his office.
The meeting was scheduled to hold around 10pm for more briefings and solutions as well as Operations reports so far, and the way forward with the whole development. When he reached the location, they ushered him in and briefed him.
"How did you...?" He questioned immediately after going through the files on his table with the complimentary images and statistics displaying on the huge screen.
"We have our ways. Thought we were clear on that earlier?" The Amarandubi operative in charge of the briefing stated in reply with rhetoric's. "You can't have any of them by the way." He joked, and some of his colleagues laughed.
"Here is our hypothesis now that you have acquainted yourself with the reports." He continued, moving closer to the screen to use it and buttress his presentation.
"When you look at the trajectory of recent events and the energy signatures we are reading from each of these scenes, we have triangulated it graphically and pinpoint that the person responsible is very much around in this area marked red on the map you are looking at.
"We could have caught him today when we got a read of his energy signature, but there was another more powerful signature around which we couldn't do anything about as it blocked everything off. At the moment, we are dealing with something far more powerful than we previously thought." He ended.
"What's really happening then?" One of the police operatives asked.
"We will need every directory of hospitality businesses as well as direct access to your CCTV database." The agent replied.
"I think the captain and team leader asked an important question." The CP reminded.
"And it will be answered. Right now, we need what I just requested. We have been thorough here and nothing can be left to chance. Every detail no matter how irrelevant or minute must be examined." The agent replied.
"That appears like a one-sided collaboration in the alleged 'joint efforts' we've been made to believe is in existence." The DIG, who has been calm all this while stated out authoritatively.
"The earliest the better" The agent responded, as if he didn't hear the DIG.
After a little quick silence that fell around the room, the DIG told the police commissioner to provide them with what they requested. "By the way, has any one of the arrested suspects given any reasonable information with regards to the alleged unknown assailant?" The DIG inquired.
"None yet" The CP replied.
After that, he went on to grant the Amarandubi access to their request, giving him a specially encrypted electronic device with the password.
"Thank you." The operative replied him. He plugged it in through its USB port into his anani. The operative clicked on some of the displays that popped up and flipped it over to the central screen which everyone can see. After running a lot of simulations and permutations alongside another operative who is their in-house analyst, he shared his hypothesis with them.
"I have been able to do a lot of simulations and an in-depth analysis of most of the data in your device. As you already know, the person responsible for the carnage must have stayed at a location not far from the scene to traverse through and from, especially for easy access." He stated while everyone focused on him.
"Now , with the graphics on display which we have of him alongside a CCTV footage, coupled with the distance from the scene to all the surrounding hospitable buildings, we might be closer, even more closer to getting him than we thought. But..." He didn't continue intentionally, to watch all the faces staring at him in expectation of something.
"We are getting multiple readings."
"It's funny how they are all showing up in the same places." He said to himself aside outside his previous comment.
"Anyway, we will be conducting a large scale inquiry to solve all this as soon as possible."
"This three points..." He continued, pointing at the specific points in the big screen.
"...are the only consistent energy readings from our analysis and investigation so far. Therefore, while we await the next energy signature, we shall circle our investigation within these areas as well as outside of it, including but not limited to the area marked as the inconsistent points." He ended.
"Print it out" the official told the analyst in a low voice. He handed back the devise and told them their next plan of actions and how relations will work between them going forward. When they were through, everyone left for their private business for the night.
Due to the unavoidable absence of Edurol, Mavi had to take charge of the meeting, and will be taking charge of things till Edurol joins the team back. He is the next ranking officer as mandated by the Amarandubi rules as well as the most senior. As soon as everyone who is not their operative left the place, he dispatched some operatives to specific locations within the state to collect energy readings, analyze it and examine if they all matched. They were to clarify it, tag them and categorize accordingly. Collected readings will be brought back and tested for final cataloging for proper decisions. Their findings were to also include the particular measure, level and distance the energy readings covered and determine if they are native or imported. While the assignment above will help them determine the estimated threat level of the persons giving off the unknown energy signatures, it will also help them determine the likely place another reading may occur and give them the opportunity to be there when it happens to take charge of the situation. Though time consuming and exhausting, it could no longer be delayed. Mavi figured its best they know exactly the whole rather than operating from a part of the whole.
Deep in his mind, he knew this was something very much deeper and the first of its kind, and all evidence collected so far points to the same direction. The operatives went to work immediately just as he got himself engaged.
*
Going to their various operational bases within the city, the Nigerian police officers also went to work immediately in line with the guidelines given them by the Muurians. They were also given advanced investigative equipment's and devices to help with the task. Not that the Muurians have been forthcoming with the real truth and the full detail of what they are dealing with exactly yet.
**
Meanwhile, Varodi has been tracking one of the officer's sent from the headquarters, and somehow figured that the meeting will hold, but just didn't figure out where on time. Since discretion has been a big part of their activities, he didn't want to risk confrontation or being detected. So, as he observed from his seat, and detected certain movements, he started stalking and monitoring the CP at a close range before he entered his car and drove off. Though the CP drove off just as soon, he tagged his car with a car tracking device and followed behind after it synchronized with his own end of the tracking connection. He beeped Bonadi afterwards through his anani.
"I am sending you a zant link now. I need the whole mapped out region!" He said as soon as Bonadi was on the connection.
"That's a whole lot of region." Bonadi said.
"I am onto something."
"Alright....done"
"Till I get back then" Varodi said and severed the link connection. The last thing he needed was any altercation with the Amarandubi as he is sure he cannot create and traverse through asportation links in and around an Amarandubi occupied area without getting detected and probably get caught; he should know at least.
The device in his hands beeped again, signifying that the CP's car is no longer in transit. Varodi promptly asported off directly to the house of the CP, where the device tracker led him to. Having been given Muurian energy sensors and detecting devices by Edurol, some of the CP's security detail, about seven in number, detected his entrance, and swung into action to see why they were getting the reading in the CP's house and to report accordingly. Due to the nature of the front facing side of the house and his blind entrance, they were able to pinpoint his exact location. As he tried to meander his way through, they accosted him after the second entrance through the garage and an altercation ensued. However, they were no match for him as he quickly knocked all of them out and proceeded to enter the main building. Despite Varodi's efforts, the CP was alerted about an intruder on the premises by one of the guys he knocked down before dislocating his right arm, knocking the officer out instantly.
The CP immediately left where he was seated inside his own room after he heard the distress and breach call. In the hurry to get to safety, he forgot the encrypted device in the pocket of his suit he dropped off quickly, but sent an SOS call to Mavi before running to a safety room in the house.
After knocking them out, Varodi started walking into the house in a hurry. He used the encryption Bonadi sent to map the place using a heat mapping technology to determine the total number of people in the place and the threat level. The reading picked up the encrypted device in the CP's suit, which consistently showed a small arrow on his anani mainly as a result of the energy it was giving off. He speedily rushed to the place, asporting out of view and quickly appearing where the beep came from.
As soon as he picked the device, he was sent flying away, crashing against the wall and destroyed structures as he fell; the shot was fired from the weapon which the CP held in his hands. He had hurriedly rushed back to pick the device after getting hold of the weapon, a P-20 Midrange .x450 energy blaster. The surprise he felt from the weapon catapulting Varodi away was only bettered by the way he looked at the weapon in awe and astonishment. Surprised by the firepower of the handheld weapon, he started approaching Varodi slowly, still afraid and wondering if he should not be running away rather than approach him. Duty and curiosity took over him rather.
As soon as he crash-landed, Varodi got a hold of himself very fast after realising what hit him. As he observed, he heard the CP's footsteps approaching and fired immobilization energy shots at the CP in succession very fast, but it was blocked off by Mavi who has asported to the location after getting the CP's SOS call alongside ten other operatives. Three were told to guard outside after setting up asportation fields to block off links.
"You are not from here!" Mavi asked him as they all faced him, weapons pointed at him and ready to fire.
"I could say the same thing about you. You are very much far from home." Varodi noted, while calculating an escape means in his head.
"So what's the game here? We've already blocked off all asport fields in the area and are arresting you under the Intergalactic Autonomy Charter" Mavi told him, while the CP stood there wondering what they were talking about as they spoke in a foreign language.
"I suggest we do this peacefully." Mavi warned.
"Not today, I'm afraid!" Varodi cynically stated, and brought out a small improvised explosive device immediately he saw Mavi give his men order to subdue and nerg him - unknown to them. As soon as they tried to touch him, he released it and made a quick dash to his left while the device exploded, creating a miniature distraction with its ear drilling sound. This disoriented the operatives temporarily and allowed him maneuver his movements to shoot one of the operatives dead, send another flying off with a blast and punched the next one to the chest with a furious hit, instantly killing him as he smashed against a hard wrought concrete pillar.
Seeing what was happening, the CP took to his heels, leaving only Mavi and the intruder in the room with the remaining operatives whom Varodi soon immobilized. Varodi laughed the moment he saw Mavi as the only person standing.
They entered into it just as soon physically, with both of them displaying that they can stand their own against even tough opponents. As the fight ensued and raged, they hurled objects, debris and shot energy beams at themselves in fast display of pro-knowledge of weapons use. They entangled in a furious battle of supremacy, throwing punches and blasts coupled with fisticuffs as it is obvious they both knew many fighting techniques. However, Mavi was the better fighter, and used a combination from the Mantacles of Muuragi and a strange attack technique to unleash a damning hit at Varodi, hurling him backwards with a heavy force, and crashing against the wall. Mavi launched the same move again as he didn't give Varodi chance to recuperate from the first hit. It was successfully blocked off by Varodi who reacted quick enough to escape its path; but, he was not quick enough to block off the pinned down hit to his left chest wall.
"This is your last chance!" Mavi sounded as he approached him, having outclassed him, a fully charged energy weapon in his hands. His plan was to shoot him if Varodi doesn't back down, a blast he wouldn't survive.
Realising he has been backed into a corner and out of moves, he decided to play an ugly card. Prompted by him, the anani lit up, creating a smile on his face and putting Mavi on alert.
"I'm not your problem!" He said before unleashing a laser-pointed EMP Muurian device almost as soon as Mavi fired. Mavi was forced to open an asport link instantly and asported off from the room before the blast occurred, destroying the place in a blink. While Mavi asported just outside to where the other three operatives were, Varodi has keyed in a back link which helped him escape instantly using the momentary disruption created by the EMP blast that destroyed the house they were in previously. Mavi and his men travelled back to their base unhappy and furious. He quickly called home and alerted a B6-TA, which is a grade level 1 threat alert for unchecked energy manipulations from an outside force among peaceful inhabitants of a given area.
The head of the Amarandubi reported the situation to the highest security council in Muur which fast-tracked the identification and neutralization protocol for unrecognizable energy threats. Linagu knew that the description as detailed out by Mavi in his presentation does not fit Steve, so his mind was at ease as he fast-tracked the implementation of the B6-TA Protocol.
When Varodi asported back to the place they were using as their base, he told Bonadi that he has been compromised.
"You have been compromised, and you thought it right to come here?" Bonadi said out of anger as he quickly started gathering the major things he might need to leave the place alongside Elvis.
"To give you this" Varodi said handing over the encrypted device.
"You are doing the exact opposite of what we agreed on. You are bringing the type of attention we've been avoiding all this while." Bonadi said, expressing his disappointment and disapproval of his carelessness. It was at this moment they heard a heavy vibration outside.
"Now they're here!" Bonadi added.
"Who?" Elvis questioned. "Amarandubi..." Varodi answered.
"I guess we are going to have to fight this one out and hope we are not captured in the process." Bonadi casually stated and proceeded to wear a full armor while urging them to do the same, including choice weapon.
There were more than two-hundred highly trained and combat ready Amarandubi and Muurian Guardian operatives that descended and surrounded the building. They were backed up by twenty-five operatives drawn from an elite division of the B6-TA Covert Protocol.
"What are my supposed to do then?" Elvis asked though not looking as worried as both men. "Fight" Bonadi answered.
"What? Fight against what you just described? I didn't sign up for this." Elvis complained instantly as they all got geared up.
"Neither did I. Just follow my lead and you will be fine!" Bonadi assured him.
***
"I don't know how best to explain what happened to you... honestly." Steve answered in reply to Christie's question as to where he went to.
"You can devise a way...you are not bad with words." She said with a smile, a very feint casual smile.
"Okay..."
"Something I can't really explain happened while I was in Owerri, before I met Tracy and Nora. I went to this mountain just a few kilometers outside Owerri main Municipal city, the suburb off Naze Industrial layout. Drove there to relax and stretch out with nature..."
"Well, I went there for...four days in a roll..."
"Stretching out with nature?" she imputed, making him smile.
"The day before you called me, something strange happened. I met someone who showed me things that you are never going to believe." He said and stopped, knowing full well that he is sounding deluded.
"You met someone how? You meet people all the time."
"Not just someone, a person from another planet!" Her disappointed look said it all. Apparently, Christie started thinking he just didn't want to tell her the truth.
"I'll understand if you don't want to tell me where you went, but what I don't understand is why you are resorting to talks about alien visit; it's like you don't really take me serious anymore. First the girls, then you go out and are coming back by this time and then you are telling me a story about someone visiting you from another planet." She said with a saddened face.
"You asked for the truth... I know it may sound like I'm just making this up to deflate your question, but I'm not. This is not some cooked up story to cover up my lapses or for what happened today, no, not at all. I'm not imagining this Christie, it's the truth."
"Someone from another planet visited you while you were at the mountain smoking weed?" Christie questioned.
"That's correct."
"I don't know Steve...if you don't want to tell me, I have no issue with that, but please don't lie to me."
"I'm not lying." He said looking her firmly in the eyes and tried getting closer to her to hold her, but she declined.
"You don't even want to know the whole story?"
"No, I don't." Once she said that, he stayed with her for a while on the bed but didn't say anything while she lay down and faced the other side of the bed. Slowly, he stood up, and removed the expensive anorak shirt he wore. He walked over to the other side of the room that she faced, forcing her to stare at him if she didn't decide to turn the other side to avoid looking at him. Once he kept the shirt and turned, his eyes met hers looking at him.
"Who got that for you?" She asked him, pointing at the anani on his neck.
"The person i wanted to tell you about."
"You are still serious about this thing Steve?"
"I have no reason to lie to you."
"Can I see it?"
"Of course, here" Steve got it off his neck and tried handing it over to Christie who stretched out her hand to accept it. However, the anani lit up and created a force field between her and Steve, prompting her to roll back and jump off from the bed, almost injuring her from the uncoordinated resultant fall. Steve withdrew back his hand immediately, the force field dissipated instantly and everything returned back to normal. He quickly rushed to Christie to make sure she was okay. "What just happened?" She asked, very frightened about what she witnessed.
"It's called Anani. The person gave it me. It does this when it reads an energy signature that intends to harm me." He told her, and handed it properly to her to observe. After carefully looking at it for a moment undecided, she gave it back to him.
"Nicely played Steve...this is really ingenious." she said laughing.
"You are resorting to tricks with this ancient looking artifact...Well done, you really got me."
"Well, sooner or later you will still find out the truth anyway." He said resignedly.
"I see you don't want to tell me the truth; there is nothing much I can do about that. But, please stop with "someone visited me from another planet" discuss or you might as well go and stay with your new girlfriends." she said to him in a properly delivered cold voice.
"Really?" she did not reply him, but shifted her interest to her Smartphone lying next to her.
"Okay!" he said next and started moving away from the bed, taking the anorak shirt with him along the way. He was not more than eight feet away from her when she asked him where he is headed.
"To pay for another room and stay for the night...or go to my new girlfriends. Whichever thought tops the priority list in my head i guess." he said and turned to continue his walk.
"Stay... please." He stopped for a few seconds without turning around unlike before.
"And continue to bore you with my imaginary inter-planetary story?" He said with his usual calm voice.
"You are really serious with this secret visit stuff Steven?"
"I'm being honest with you." He said.
"This thing is not a cheap artifact. He gave it me, though I'm still trying to understand how it works." He added.
"So, what's it then?"
"He called it Anani... Just imagine it like a futuristic smart device that does a lot of things that may seem impossible to us."
"I'm beginning to think you are becoming more convincing with this alien story as I question you about it."
"I'm not trying to convince you, it's up to you to decide whether to believe me or not." He said to her as a matter of fact.
***
"Can we get an outside view from inside here?" Elvis asked amidst the hurrying and preparation to face off with the Amarandubi and escape.
"Of course...won't be quite helpful at this moment though." Bonadi replied, fully battle ready.
"Why is that?" Elvis probed.
"Go...observe this area on the building and give me feedback!" Bonadi said, ignoring his earlier question.
"What do we have?" He asked as he turned to Varodi.
"B6-TA" he replied as he continued to engage with his anani and one other smart device he was flipping through concurrently; a highly advanced ultrasonic cyclotron.
*
Meanwhile outside the building, the Amarandubi has fully set up, blocking off asportation links as soon as they arrived and closed off vinting points across and over 100km.
"What do we have here?" A top official asked Mavi who was leading the field operations; it was Edurol.
"We traced his heat signature to this single building, then our device picked up two other similar energy signatures." He replied.
"Can we speak to them? Those are Muurian heat signatures, so they should be having any form of anani with them which should have registered usages on asport travel logs."
"We can, but past experiences have shown that that any tiny window that establishes connections with our access to the UAA is enough time for any expert user to manipulate the links and escape." Mavi answered.
"Alright...let's move ahead then." He ordered.
Three units of about twenty operatives were redeployed to strategic points masking exits from the building, while Mavi led twenty more inside as the rest stayed behind to provide every other necessary support. Every B6-TA Covert Protocol follows the establishing guidelines, including bilateral relations if outside of the Muurdom.
*
As soon as Elvis came back from the rendezvous, he related what he saw outside the security feeds they were observing directly from the room. The building is a classical Muurian structure camouflaged from the outside by the design of its immediate environment. It was the usual erabil fortified restructured bricks mixed with vardle from Nolnad for fittings. Needless to say, it is a very strong building.
Bonadi followed it up by giving them instructions on how they will escape. They were about using another route from the huge room they were when operatives barged into the room next to it, instantly advancing forward straight at them as they used their heat signature to pinpoint them. They set up some equipment which they used to breach the room. Once they did that, the operatives moved in unison as they slowly boxed Varodi and Elvis to a corner, with their standard issue Atlon-T5 in hand as they marched forward.
Bonadi's planned escape involved a blitz attack, escape to a vinting point and asport off from there once they transcend the asportation blocks. They will use two Ratocrafts he kept around for times like this to make the escape once they managed to maneuver their way through the operatives.
"Now!" Bonadi instructed as he emerged from behind the wall very close to one of the operatives who was facing the door, holding the standard issue Atlon-T5, a multipurpose unlimited energy blaster used mainly by Muur Elite military divisions.
Quickly, he grabbed the operative by the hand, using his right hand to knock him off before unleashing heavy shots at the operatives. The madness started as others advanced towards him in droves, heavy shootings following their every step, including beam blasts.
While dodging a beam blast, Bonadi grabbed an operative through a thick swing rope from a device he was holding, knocking him down the moment it hurled the operative to him, made an acrobatic turn while incapacitating some operatives along the move he orchestrated.
When some of the operatives from the other side of the room finally got through the door, the first one to enter was hit immediately with a fire bang which penetrated his skin, causing him to explode from inside out as his blood spattered everywhere. The rest went into action immediately, firing indiscriminately at him with pinpoint accuracy though all blocked by Bonadi.
As the battle raged, Elvis though not fully aware of his newly acquired strength, applied some basic and advanced combat training he has received over the years as an officer to fight, wading off multiple assaults before he was hit from behind, throwing him off his balance, down straight to the floor and writhing in pain. Two agents immediately rushed to nerg him but Bonadi came to his rescue instantly, throwing off a semi-cocked marang that blew the minute it left his hand, killing some of the agents that were already swarming them; more especially, destabilizing their encircling strategy to tear them apart and contain them.
As soon as the blinding and deafening sound subsided, other agents swarmed the closure, attacking him at close range. He created a shield around Elvis, and then sent him further away from himself to safety in that second too. An operative attacked him from his left just soon enough, missing his head twice in triple hits to Bonadi's head which was followed by a heavy acrobatic punch to the face in a swift turn, sending the operative crashing out his path. With same hand, applying a swift swing, he blocked off another blast and broke the arm of the next person closest to him after blocking successive attacks from the agent.
About four other operatives rushed at him immediately, shooting at him steadily, like they wanted to empty all energy inside the Atlon-T5 on him in all the weapons full firing and damage capacity.
Bonadi kept his foot rooted to the ground as the blasts rained on him with little impact, except the force from the blasts that continued to push him backwards. Using his left hand, he raised heavy debris from fallen blocks and hurled the debris at the operatives, temporarily disrupting their shooting before speedily propelling himself forward to their position, landing his two legs on one of the operative's chest as he made the impact. When the rest engaged him in close combat, he fought them drastically, killing two with brutal shots to the head, while tragically breaking the bones on the hands of the remaining operative against a wall beside them.
Mavi and his unit together with others charged in immediately. He engaged them full on, enraged. Hard as he tried though to keep the fight away from Elvis, there were many operatives. The moment Mavi and his team entered, they tactically separated them, neutralizing both Elvis and Varodi almost instantly while Bonadi continued to fight, taking on the entire operatives. He injured and killed many as they struggled to contain him until he came face to face with Mavi.
"Only cowards wear masks." Mavi said to him in a mock, flanked by four other operatives, hands firmly gripped to the StarGrader G+, a more superior energy blasting weapon powerful than the Atlon-T5. The weapons were all aimed at Bonadi who was breathing laboriously but more controlled. Realising what he faced, including the Zapter-Blade held by Mavi, he stood still, monitoring for a quick maneuver. A Zapter-Blade is more or less a .400 caliber standard StarGrader for Muurians with exceptional valor and military service, usually.
"You are outnumbered, you cannot escape and they have been captured!" Mavi said, pointing to Elvis and Varodi.
"Drop your weapons and surrender or we will shoot you!" Mavi said to him.
He analyzed his options, and even though the chances of him escaping looked slim, he took it. He lurched straight for nearby debris to block the instant blasts that rained on him that minute, causing Mavi to quickly use his anani to activate an ultrasonic beam from his Zapter-Blade. Once he did, a shockwave followed through immediately, dissipating all matter in its path, sending Bonadi on a wild run for safety as they followed the beam with multiple assault pursuit, firing at will as they watched him skidding in-between debris, dodging the blasts. While on the dodge, he was hit and went down.
"Bring it out!" Mavi ordered one of the three operatives who rushed in to join them, making them seven operatives in total who were onto Bonadi. They brought out three nergens - an electronically charged magnetic cuffing device that is used to inhibit powers of persons of interests. Swiftly, they placed the device on his neck as soon as they subdued him with another weakening shot to the leg while he tried in vain to be free, still pinned down to the wall. Then they shot him with a sedative and he collapsed immediately, unconscious.
He was about being taken when Elvis who has been down since opened his eyes from where he lay alongside Varodi. Apparently, they didn't sedate him but knocked him off instead. He quickly rolled off the Ibuda transport vessel he was placed in the moment an operative saw him and wanted to sedate him with a shot, helping him to indirectly get free of the nergen on his wrist. Their attention turned to him immediately as they secured Bonadi, who was still down. The moment he escaped the first onslaught at him, he targeted the ones taking Bonadi and neutralized them in a sudden overwhelming display of strength, much to his surprise.
However, Mavi and his team simply used a force field to circumvent him, and pinned him down with it while they reprogrammed the frequency of a nergen they wanted to nerg him with. They were still at it as fast as they can when Bonadi regained consciousness and shouted at him to hit at the force field pinning him down to the vessel with all he's got. As soon as he said this, Elvis looked around him while still inside the force field, observed his right fist momentarily while Bonadi continued to urge him to hurry. He remembered the first time Bonadi told him the same thing, the time he wanted him to escape from that tube box. With that in mind, he pictured his mind exactly like before and unleashed a powerful hit on the force field with his right fist. The hit, though freeing him, shattered the place with the resultant force-wave, throwing everyone of course. Mavi and his team immediately jumped in with the rest of the team and opened fire instantly. Bonadi and Elvis quickly got up from the fall, displacing the debris that fell over them before resuming their planned escape.
Mavi and his men started gaining in on them until Bonadi used a magical spell to create a temporary force field which he used to form a block for himself as he propelled himself forward at Mavi, tactically knocking off the Zapter-Blade blade from his hand, punched him with a heavy punch to the head while knocking off another agent that rushed at him. Mavi looked at him with displeasure, eyes still on the weapon which stood just a few feet from him.
"Take it...go on!" Bonadi told him as Mavi slowly reached for it, with his left hand supporting his movement from the ground while Bonadi himself approached.
"You cannot escape this." Mavi said as he still tried to reach for the weapon on the floor.
"I'm sure you really believe that!" Bonadi replied him.
Quickly, Mavi rolled across on the floor, grabbed the weapon quickly and furiously surged forward towards Bonadi, simultaneously attacking and hitting him with damning fire and energy bolts from the weapon.
"I looked up to you!" He screamed at Bonadi after removing Bonadi's mask in his vicious attack that knocked Bonadi away, knocking out the mask covering his face in the process while taking hits himself.
"Another failed role model experiment I guess." Bonadi said in his usual self-mockery while getting hold of himself from Mavi's counter-attacks. He rushed at Mavi, who quickly engaged him in close combat while they circled each other, throwing around rants about how Bonadi failed as a king and how he will always be remembered in Muurian history as an unrepentant treacherous traitor. Meanwhile, Elvis was not having it easy from his end, as he faced off with other operatives who were teaching him some combat lessons.
Mavi made the first serious impact with a double-edged hit to the abdomen and head before being knocked further from Bonadi in his own quick maneuver. Mavi made another fast attack, swinging and shooting him severally in quick acrobatics, using the Zapter-Blade to shoot Bonadi severally, and landed one hit on Bonadi's left clavicle, just a few inches above the shoulder blade. The impact from the hit forcefully dragged him down backwards, almost smashing him against fallen debris to his right. Seeing that this is one of those fights he couldn't really expect to win easily, he pulled one of his last cards.
"Is that your best shot? I thought you looked up to me? I expected better." He mocked an enraged Mavi who has called for help with a quick click using his anani unknown to Bonadi.
A lot of operatives have of course started rushing into the place, distracting Mavi temporarily and giving Bonadi a quick chance which he utilized. He got up from the floor still injured, propelled himself forward at a gravity defying leap, charging straight for Mavi. Seeing him approaching with such intensity, Mavi quickly unleashed a force field using the Zapter-Blade as a focal guard in a defensive position. The moment Bonadi landed on it with the resultant powerful energy he hurled in his leap, the force field and Zapter-Blade blade were both shattered, creating an ultrasonic wave that sent them both flying in different directions, smashing against debris and wall respectively. Mavi reacted swiftly from the fall on the heat of the hour to again put up a defense shield with his anani to protect himself from the successive counter-hits which Bonadi started hurling at him in an attempt to overwhelm him. While still at it, Bonadi rushed at him, using his mind to control the consistent energy bolts he was hurling at Mavi through his own anani. Before Mavi could realize what he was doing and moved out of harm's way, a blade went through his stomach, cutting through his insides as blood gushed out while he yelled in agony and fell down. Having accomplished his plan, he stood over Mavi grinning before sending him flying off with a massive energy blast to the chest which sent Mavi hurtling backwards uncontrollably.
Realising he's been beat and that Bonadi was more powerful than he thought, he asported himself off the scene immediately through the usual back link reserved for combat personnel on missions after asport links have been blocked. Bonadi wasn't happy with the development he witnessed but was clever enough to realize that this was their escape opportunity. He rushed to where Varodi has been lying unconscious, took him, revived him and mounted him on one of the Ratocrafts. Elvis too came out from wherever he has been since the fight with Mavi began. Bonadi instructed him to mount the next one while he rode with Varodi. He quickly used his anani to hack and gain access to the back link utilized by Mavi to escape. Then he quickly latched on to it and linked it with the Ring of Ascendance, and asported off together with Varodi and Elvis.
The moment they left, Edurol reappeared almost instantly with the first division of the Muur Royal Guard, Amarandubi Black ops and the Protocol Justice Unit, the highest ranking Division of the B6-TA Covert Protocol. Apparently, Mavi didn't make it.
***
Christie kept on wondering about a lot of things inwardly as she lay on the bed staring at Steve with her invisible eyes that shined bright deep inside her mind. She wondered what game Steve was playing, especially the weirdness of it all, and how it appears that Steve is not really pretending it. From what she has seen so far, he believes in what he is saying and didn't really care if she believed it or not. This wasn't the Stephen she knew. The guy he met and loved is one who will find the best possible way to explain anything, even if it takes him all his restraints to not lose it. She boiled more inside when she remembered Tracy and her friend Nora. Though she has assured herself they are not her problem, yet something doesn't add up. All the weird things that has happened with Steve has something to do with the girls somehow she thought, their appearance couldn't be a coincidence at least...or is it a strategic game? She questioned herself.
"Still don't believe me right?"
"I know something's changed, this is not you...I can literally feel it within me."
"What is it that changed?" He asked her, concerned by the remark. She came closer to him and told him to hold her passionately with her left hand and left leg all very well placed on Steve's body. Her head rested on his left arm before she moved her left hand upward to slowly caress and touch his hairs, allowing her hand run through it all gently before coming to his face and squeezed it affectionately.
"I don't know how to control my emotions whenever i start thinking you are in harm's way. It drives me insane, it makes me..." She didn't finish before he landed a passionate kiss on her lips, and she didn't resist. Instead, she freed herself and went into his embrace totally, yearning for more as he increased the intensity, running his hands all over her body, making her to gasp and moan in pleasure.
"I'm sorry babe. I'm really sorry about all this." He said as he withdrew from the intensified passionate kiss, realising that he may be taking advantage of an unfair position.
"Just hold me...and breathe" she said, relaxing herself further into him. They both remained calm as she wanted while he held her, their heartbeats being the only loud sound in the room.
"I'm sorry too." She started after a few minutes.
"I let my emotions cloud my senses to not realize that you could have had a horrible day albeit you don't want to tell me. I'm sure you didn't think your day would go as it did." She added afterwards, though Steve wasn't surprised at the change of tone. It's kind of become normal thing.
"Hope you are okay and didn't get in harm's way?" She asked.
"No, I'm perfectly good love." He replied, appreciating the care. She was tempted into bringing up the issue of his whereabouts later on as normal relations resumed between them that night but decided against it so as not to ruin the moment again. Reason being that whatever that made him undertake whatever made him drop his phone, it couldn't possibly be a woman. However, she kept thinking about it. It was an alarm thought that constantly reminded her that Steve is hiding something from her, and it's not something that will go out of her that easily no matter how much she pretends. She never bothered with his anani story because it was not even a thought; it seemed like nothing more than a diversionary joke tactics, a new one from him.
"Why did he leave his phone behind?"
"Where was he all throughout the day?"
"What was he doing? Who did he go to meet without his phone?"
"Is he in any way connected to the cult clash that is being reported? Did he have anything to do with it? Why did he leave his phone behind?"
"Why did he leave his phone?"
The thought of cultism didn't take much hold in her mind since she knew he didn't engage in such while in school, so it wouldn't make sense to do it now or get involved this time around she thought to herself as a lot of thoughts pounded through her mind with lightning speed.
"Have you eaten?" He inquired, disrupting her thought process.
"I have lost my appetite. But..."
"But..."
"I have regained a little now. You really got me thinking." She added.
"I'm sorry again for that...let me order something for you then, one of your favorites." He said and left the room after readjusting from her tight embrace on the bed.
The zillion crazy realistic and imaginary thoughts crept in again the moment the rooms door closed and his slow steps receded in the hall way. She couldn't tell if the thoughts mortified her or relieved her, though it seemed like a nice escape which is not betrayed by her physical reaction.
"Does he have a secret girlfriend inside the school? Did he buy a secret phone? Is he secretly a cultist? No!" She said almost out loud.
"No to your favorite meal?" Steve asked her after entering back into the room almost as soon as he left.
"So quick?" She asked.
"I'm a special and lucky customer...one of the attendants said she admired you a lot." Steve joked but not with the later part of the statement.
"Be serious for once this evening Stephen." She simply replied.
"I am. Just wait a few seconds from now, she will be here...and to tell you by herself." Steve teased.
"What? Tell me you're joking." Christie inquired with more seriousness.
"You will see." He replied and went back to the bed, to his previous position.
"Ohmmmm, Talk now!" She begged.
"She was telling me, so I told her to come and tell you herself." He replied.
"I will just run into the bathroom if this is true." She warned.
"Wait, wait, and wait" He said afterwards, using his hand to tell her to keep calm to hear if someone was coming.
"She is coming!" He mouthed to her, laughing. She tried to run away as she said she would, but he held her back, forcing her to try to lose his grasp in a playful wriggling of arms, cracking his ribs continuously in a tease with her fingers.
"You are not running to anywhere." He said.
"I keep telling you about how people tell me they admire you, but you keep thinking I'm flirting with you. Today, you will witness one for yourself. So, no running for you today" He said as she continued to laugh while teasing his ribs and cracking him up in her playful struggle. Few seconds later, the attendant knocked on the door, Steve told her to enter. She entered and saw them holding themselves playfully, with Christie hiding her face deeper into his body, using it as shield. She smiled at them before setting down the food in her hands.
"This is her... you are free to say what you wanted to say to me." He said, while Christie giggled and tried to stop him from completing the sentence.
"Go on, she is waiting...even though she is shy!" He added still holding her while she coyly laughed, her face very well hidden from the attendant.
"I didn't know you had a boyfriend earlier while you were swimming with the other girls." The attendant simply stated.
"I saw you and said what an adorable beauty." She said with a smile and took her leave after wishing them happy stay at the hotel.
"You eeh" Christie said afterwards, hitting him on the back as she went for the food the attendant brought for her.
"I could tell her to join us if you want." He offered.
"Nah" She said with a smiling face.
"Alright, if you say so"
"Go and take your bathe then before i finish." She ordered.
"Sure, I will."
"One more thing though..."
"What?" She asked him.
"I didn't pay for the meal...she did."
"Are you serious?" She quizzed, surprised.
"Yes...she did."
"You see!" He added, teasing her before rushing off to enter the bathroom.
"And I didn't even thank her for it."
"When she comes back then.' he said from the bathroom.
"I have another theory though!" She said afterwards.
"What's the theory about?"
"Maybe she did it because of you, using me as a front. Some of us can be funny sometimes you know." she said in between mouthfuls of food.
"Once I'm through, I will personally go and tell her you are calling her to thank her personally. I will tell her you couldn't come down because you had a sudden visit from Uncle August." He teased.
"No please Steve... No!" She shouted quietly. "Just bathe and come back here please!"
"Bribe me!"
"I will. Just don't call her okay..." She joked.
"Okay...be out in a moment."
"And fast!"
"Yes ma'am!"
"Did you just say I should bathe very fast so that I will go and call her?" He started again.
"No! That's not what I said Steve." She said with a pleasing voice, smiling.
"Hahahahahaha"
"You are laughing at me abi? Mmmm?"
"Nope...I'm laughing at how I am imagining your face was when she came in."
"I just remembered it, and then I pictured you saying 'No' just now." He said and turned on the shower switch.
"I didn't want to react the wrong way Steve. Stop making fun of me and bathe biko!" She said out rightly but less serious.
"Alright...I won't make fun of you again."
"On a serious note though, did she just walk up to you on her own and told you this or you put her up to it?" She asked as an afterthought.
"What? No, I didn't put her up to anything love. It's like I keep telling you, but you keep thinking I'm joking or playing with you and flirting with you. I'm sure she is not the only one in the place." He replied her.
"Guess what I'm doing right now?" She asked.
"Looking at the mirror"
"How did you know that?" She exclaimed to his correct guess, laughing out as she adorably observed her physique on the mirror while taking calculated steps at the same time.
"I just guessed...I think."
"Invite her!" She said at last after adoring herself through the mirror, even though she still didn't understand just how ravishing she looked, especially in her simple nightwear; sleek beautiful see-through red colored pajamas which displayed all her feminine features.
"Really?" He asked while turning off the shower's knob.
"Yes, it's flirting time. No...Yes, it's uhmmm... I think I'm up for it...for fun I guess. I have been bored all day thanks to you!"
"Wait, you want to leave me for her? Christie?" He teased.
"Maybe"
"Holy shit! I guess I have actively participated in connecting my love with a new lover; I'm in trouble!"
"Do and come out biko... talkative!"
"Yes ma'am!"
"Joker"
"You will pay for that word." He warned.
"I want to."
"Bad girl" He uttered as he stepped out of the bathroom still wearing the towel provided by the hotel.
"Good boy!"
***
"We missed them!" Edurol told the Muur Security Council as soon as they reported back after missing Bonadi.
"We saw!" said Nalia, the Chief of the twin Muurdoms of Habbina and Jabbina.
"Where is the sequential report leading up to the activation of the protocol?" Linagu asked from his seat at the high end of the place where he sat in the Council.
"Not yet uploaded to the central server!" Edurol answered.
"The Anani can do." Linagu replied.
"It was destroyed during Mavi's confrontation with the last of them who appeared to be their leader." Edurol made known to him.
"Amarandubi issue or personal creation?" a high ranking official inquired.
"Amarandubi Star grade standard issue in line with B6-TA specifications according to the modified protocol guidelines." Edurol answered, making everyone canvass with the person closest to them in hummed tones.
"Alright… What about the facial Identification?" Linagu asked, referring to a technical analyst responsible for Facial Recognition and Graphics.
He fed the graphical description of Varodi to the Intergalactic Facial Recognition computer system in the place while everyone watched. Within seconds, it uploaded a profile with no facial image and a lot of redacted personal files.
Name: Varodi Esbom Barola
Gender: male
Planet of origin: Uriag
Specie: Muurian
Current Muur Status: Exiled
Cause of Exile: Redacted
Known Associates: Redacted
Muurian Status: Redacted
Married: No
Work Profile: Redacted
Royalty: Redacted
Last Known Address: Redacted
Honors: Redacted.
A lot of other details like family links, relations, medical records, tax records, asport usage records, educational records and many other details were also redacted for unknown reasons as the profile suggests. This surprised everyone in the room because they have a hundred percent accurate record of every Muurian dead or alive.
"You can go now!" Nalia casually told Edurol.
"When was the last access to this profile?" Linagu asked the AI controlling the sequencing.
"I cannot read any access date at the moment, but I can confirm that the profile has been tampered with recently." It replied.
"How recent can you tell?"
"I cannot access any records related to your requests at the moment." The AI replied.
"Alright Zalo, I'm invoking my power as the Head of Security to override all restrictions and take full control!" Linagu commanded.
"Full authorization granted sir!" The AI replied a few seconds later.
"Who accessed the profile and when?"
"I do not have access to the request because the records have been deleted and no longer exist on the database. However, I have retracted all the redacted details." It said, displaying the full details of Varodi on the screen as well as his full face and other recent sightings. Again, everyone was surprised, Linagu especially.
"What division and units oversee these places?" Linagu asked, pointing to the earth and the solar system it belongs to. The AI displayed the details of everyone involved, including their positions, ranks, functions and career details.
"I want a full inquiry before this time tomorrow. Ascertain if anyone was complicit in anyway. We cannot allow this type of slip." Linagu told members of the council.
"Override ended!" He said afterwards and asported off to update the Queen, his mother.
*
Edurol went straight to the commissioner's house afterwards for a standard post-brief. He met him still traumatized from the events he witnessed and was still contemplating whether or not to call it in.
"You cannot let anyone else know about what happened here today." Edurol told him.
"What?"
"Yes."
"Do I even need to?" The commissioner said pointing at the ruin before them.
"We will take care of that." Edurol replied.
"Does that include keeping this away from my own Government too?" The commissioner inquired.
"Yes, especially from your own government." Edurol quickly stated.
Two other operative asported in with a device soon afterwards; a Unerg powered device that utilizes a special assembling algorithm used for recreation and reconstruction purposes - the device is called Ecke. Its ability to recreate is limited to twenty-five hours.
"Requesting permission to set the rebuild mechanism on the Ecke" one of the operatives spoke through a displaying projection from his anani to another person on the other end.
"Authorization to proceed approved!" the voice on the other end replied.
They took the device and placed it on the ground then stepped aside after activating the necessary keys. A beautiful light first emitted from the device before it started giving off a vibrant humming sound. Suddenly, the debris started rising, as if rewinding back, reconstructing itself in the process; each destroyed and each fallen structure joining to the angle they escaped from in their destruction process. Within a few seconds, the whole environment returned to its former state before the destruction from the fights. The expression of disbelief in the commissioners face said it all as this happened; it was like he witnessed the bones shall rise moment in his religious scriptures, an unbelievable special wonder. Edurol and his team left after he informed the Commissioner that Mavi didn't make it.
***
"You were talking in your sleep again." Christie said to him the next morning as he opened his eyes around 6:30am to meet her already awake.
"What did I say this time?" He inquired.
"Something about Yudi...don't really know what that was anyway." she casually told him.
"I can't remember most of my dreams of recent! Don't know if it's a problem." He said.
"Problem? Please! I can barely remember mine too"
"Really?"
"Yeah"
"But you do remember them occasionally and sometimes...right?" He inquired more.
"I guess."
"Mine is just different. The only thing I remember is mostly waking up."
"Maybe try writing down the last things you remember when you wake up. Read it somewhere that it helps." She told him, showing more concern rather than wondering why he was focused on dreams at the hour.
"I will give it a try." He said.
"Okay babe." She replied and cuddled up with him back in the bed.
***
Bonadi and his crew escaped to Kontagora in Niger State. They barely escaped the full wrath of the Muurian operatives if not for his ingenuity and sharp tactical thinking. There, he attended to himself, using one of his nanotechnology devices to heal himself from the injuries he sustained. After they relaxed, he relapsed into his thoughts though. Few seconds later, he came to where Varodi and Elvis stayed and told them to get ready for the next task.
"What's that?" Varodi inquired.
"We have no option now than to break out Anurami." He stated.
"Aleeri Anurami? We cannot deviate from the plan." Varodi reminded.
"Stick to the plan? Are you really serious right now? After exposing everything we have done for years now? You think everything will be the same anymore?"
"Are you blaming me?" Varodi asked.
"No, I'm not. But, quit with the whining. We had a plan, but it's changed now obviously...and Anurami is very crucial to our plans going forward."
Elvis watched them all this while as they canvassed, wondering what he got himself involved in.
"Can I please be guided accordingly as to what exactly is going on?" Elvis demanded.
"Slight delay...but nothing to concern you with" Bonadi said.
"I did exactly what you would have done as you would have done it; I have nothing to be sorry for." Varodi insisted.
"You have nothing to be sorry for? Where is the schematic for the Omni-upgrade on the asport links?" Bonadi asked. He saw it destroyed in the scuffle with the Amarandubi. Varodi couldn't answer him; obviously not aware of what happened to the schematics which were in his care before the fracas.
"That's right, no idea. I really don't know what to do with you right now. Just allow me to think okay!" Bonadi replied but not out of anger.
"Who is Anurami and why are you breaking him out?" Elvis chipped in.
"Someone who will help us" Bonadi replied.
"If he will help with your plan, then you should go for him." Elvis concurred, though he barely knew the person or why Varodi asked for caution and strict adherence to their current plan with no need to accommodate Anurami in it.
"He will help." Bonadi said.
"It's time then to collect your debt from Izemoru." Varodi reminded him.
"I guess it is."
"Who is that?" Elvis inquired.
"The king of this planet" Varodi answered, pointing to the specific display of the Nol planet on the rotating planetary graphics displayed on the big screen monitor in the room to their left.
"Okay. So how does it work? I mean the debt collection?" Elvis probed further.
"Don't worry a thing. It's a system far more complex than you can comprehend at this moment." Bonadi replied him.
"He is a king himself!" Varodi clarified better.
"Really?" Elvis questioned with so much curiosity.
"Yes. But, my kingdom was taken from me. However, my plan is not about taking back my kingdom!" Bonadi added.
"Wow! I will love to visit their someday." Elvis told him.
"Sure...when everything works out as it should, you will." Bonadi assured him.
"But for now, i will have to meet with that Nolnadian king. He's always up to something no good." Bonadi remarked.
"But you know how to deal with him?" Elvis asked.
"Of course…diplomacy"
"I have a job for you two." Bonadi added after replying Elvis.
"What job?" They both questioned together.
"To track and capture that young man... your friend!"
"He is not my friend!" Elvis lashed out but Bonadi ignored him.
"He is integral now to our core plan going forward!" Bonadi said.
"We need to rest!" Varodi stated instead.
"Yes...I mean after you rest. Or are you afraid of him because Mavi just..." He didn't finish.
"Mavi did what? Best me?" Varodi asked.
"He has to be captured. Can you do that?" Bonadi asked, looking at them but no one in particular.
"How?" Elvis asked.
"He will show you!" Bonadi replied and asported off. Few seconds later, he asported in again.
"The asport links will be tracked harder now. Always follow failsafe usages and travels." He finished and asported off again.