The soldiers couldn't even react before they were knocked out. Steven immediately snatched Lucas from the robot's grip and laid him beside Sam, as Lucas seemed too weak to face the mech robot.
"Okay, let's play again, soldier boy," Steven taunted as he stood opposite the mech robot, ready to fight.
Steven charged forward, his eyes blazing with determination. He was no longer weak; he now had a secret weapon: his super speed.
Steven sprinted toward the robot, his feet barely touching the ground. The robot swung its massive claws, but Steven dodged them with ease, his speed allowing him to avoid the attacks.
Steven delivered rapid-fire punches to the robot's chest, each blow landing with a deafening clang. The robot stumbled back, its eyes flickering in surprise. Steven took advantage of this, unleashing a flurry of kicks that struck the robot's legs with precision.
The robot crashed to the ground, its claws swiping wildly as it tried to regain its footing. Steven was too fast, dodging the attacks with ease. He delivered a devastating uppercut that sent the robot flying into the air.
The robot crashed to the ground, its body shuddering from the impact. Steven didn't let up, unleashing a barrage of punches and kicks that struck the robot's body with precision. The robot tried to defend itself, but Steven's speed was too much—he was a blur of motion, striking from every angle.
The robot's claws snapped shut mere inches from Steven's face, but he was already gone, dodging the attack with ease. He delivered a series of rapid-fire punches that struck the robot's chest, each blow landing with a deafening clang.
The robot stumbled back, its eyes flickering in defeat. Steven took advantage of this, unleashing a devastating punch that struck the robot's chest, pulling out the robot's power source. The robot crashed to the ground, its body shuddering from the impact.
Steven pulled off the robot's head, revealing Peter, who had blood gushing from his mouth. "I see the alien has shared his powers with you," Peter said as he coughed. "So what do I call the man who flawlessly defeats me in battle?" Peter asked, accepting his defeat.
"Call me Splash," Steven said as he delivered a heavy punch to Peter's face, knocking him out.
Sam, Steven, and Lucas finally made their way out of Ray Tech's facility with the Alpha Box in Lucas's possession.
"Are we heading to my place?" Steven asked with a smile as he turned to Sam. "Did you see me? Did you see what I did? Man, I was so fast, I saw everything in slow motion," Steven said.
"Yes, that's how it feels. Just think of what you could do with that power," Lucas said.
"Umm... Lucas, now that you've got the Alpha Box back, what's next? Will you go back to your planet?" Sam asked worriedly.
"No, not yet. Due to the experiments Ray Tech conducted, I think they misused the box. Now it can no longer create its own energy; it can only store and transfer energy," Lucas replied.
"So I have to search for alpha energy here on Earth. I can detect alpha energy, but I will have to focus before I can sense it. By tomorrow, I'll head out in search of energy," Lucas added.
They arrived at Steven's home. Steven unlocked the door, letting his visitors in. Lucas and Sam walked into Steven's home.
It was a small apartment with a sofa by the side, a TV opposite the sofa, and a table in the middle.
"Is this where you live?" Lucas asked, turning to Steven. "You sure are a simple man. On my planet, we also have people like you," Lucas said.
"They are poor, having so little to eat. My father tried his best to keep them safe and provide for them as their king," Lucas said.
"I thought you said your planet was rich in gold. How is it that there are still poor people?" Steven asked, sitting on the sofa as he passed a drink to Lucas and Sam.
"Well, you see, it's not that easy. Ruling a planet with a population of sixty billion people and also colonizing up to five hundred planets in our galaxy is challenging. Of course, it's not easy to take care of every single being in the galaxy.
I promised myself that I'd do my best to make sure everyone has a better life in Kronax. But now that my brother is king, with what I've heard about him, the whole of Kronax is going to experience a great setback," Lucas said as he received the drink from Steven, a tear running down his cheek.
"I see you really care for your people. That shows you have the heart of a king," Sam said.
As Lucas heard those words, he couldn't help but remember people who had said the same thing. Lucas tried hard to hide his feelings as he turned around.
"I will have to get back to work," Lucas said, reaching for the Alpha Box.
"You are just getting back from Ray Tech, and here you are, trying to get back to work," Steven said worriedly.
"I can't afford to waste time," Lucas said, holding the Alpha Box carefully. He then closed his eyes.
Lucas found himself in a dark and empty space. In front of him was planet Earth. He felt like a god as he could see every part of the planet, especially the areas where he could find alpha energy.
Lucas opened his eyes and was now back in the room, being stared at by Steven and Sam.
"I guess this is part of alien madness," Steven said.
"It's not madness," Lucas replied. "I now know where I can get alpha energy, here on Earth. Do you guys have a map?"
"I don't think so. Steven, do you have any maps?" Sam asked, turning to Steven.
"Not really, but I think I have something that can help you," Steven said as he pulled out a round object that had Earth's map on it.
"That's exactly what I need," Lucas said as he took the object and pointed.
"Are you sure that's the place?" Sam asked.
"Yes, I'm sure. Why do you ask?" Lucas replied.
"Because where you pointed is the Atlantic Ocean, one of the most dangerous places on Earth," Sam replied.
"I don't care as long as it leads me to saving my planet. Don't bother helping me, like you said it's very dangerous. After all, you guys have helped me a lot. Don't worry, I won't break my promise; I'll still repay you with all the gold you can imagine," Lucas said.
"That's true," Sam said. "But don't forget we risked our lives to the extent we can't go back. The military and the whole planet are after us. By now, our names are probably everywhere, marked as wanted for assisting an alien threat to the planet," Sam said.
"And besides, I feel for the people who are suffering on your planet, even if I don't know them. I am very willing to help them."
"Thank you," Lucas said.
"To be honest, I don't really care about what's going to happen or what others on your planet suffer. I only care about the money, but that doesn't mean I am going to risk my life for something I am not sure of. But you saved my life and made me kind of cool but weird. At least I'm not dead, and that's thanks to you. I owe you one. So count me in," Steven said, standing on his feet.
Lucas was speechless. It was weird how they were willing to follow him, but he couldn't refuse because he knew he needed all the help he could get.
"Thanks, guys. I will forever be grateful," Lucas said as he bowed his head.
"I guess my journey really begins here. I will need all the help I can get," Lucas thought as he lay down.
"So when do we leave for this energy quest?" Steven asked as he also lay on his sofa.
"In the morning. We leave in the morning," Lucas replied.