By the time I woke up, she was gone. She left a note on the dresser where my phone charged. ‘You’re not grounded. Not yet anyway. I need time to assess the mayhem. Please don’t do crazy things today. Love you.’

A snigger escaped mentally. Love you too, Anna. With that note, and some coffee, my day was off to a good start. I went to my lab and removed the storage drive from the TS that my TK brought back to the lab last night. There were a few videos saved. I don’t know how many TS Cennet had, but he surely didn’t let just one accompany him everywhere. In the off chance that someone would do exactly what I’m doing now, he probably switched up his TS many times so that the information we would get would be minimal. The video on this one showed someone sitting behind a computer, but the silhouette wasn’t enough for me to know who it was. At least, not until the man turned around. I palmed my face. I laughed, finding it a bit silly how Sean Murray was trying for my trust the other day through his psychological evaluation, yet I found him here working for Cennet. The two spoke about someone named Charlene Jefferson in conjunction with Michael Asher.

Charlene Jefferson? I rang the name a few times in my head because it sounded familiar, but simply chose to look her up online instead. “Wow…” I sighed. The minister of education now? Don’t tell me he wants to kill someone in her family too? I should warn her, but how?

Just then, Rosa called. Oh, right. I can just ask her to warn that woman for me.

“Ugo speaking,” I answered, and I could almost hear her smile on the next end.

“I know by now my number shows up on your phone. You need not be so polite, Jared.”

I tittered, “You caught me. What’s up?”

“Brunch?” she asked and I gave a quick look at the clock.

“I’d love that.”

“See you then,” she hung up. I took a step back. Brunch with the home secretary. I’ve been doing some crazy things just like Anna said. If she knew about Rosa… I stopped right there, unable to even conjure the reactions she’d have in my head.

Before heading out, I stashed away Cennet’s TS, changed my slightly bloody Grav for a new pair and got myself another pair of shielders. Attacking him yesterday without good defence was stupid in retrospect, but at least I didn’t die. In fact, I had the upper hand. The first time I fought with Cennet, I didn’t have the resolve to kill him knowing that a few of his TS had Marissa’s house surrounded. But our scuffle yesterday was another story. However, I refused to let it make me overconfident and still prioritised one-upping him in terms of power. Though, I couldn’t rule out that White played a big role in improving me. I’d imagine getting injected with White without having Vasc running through me would have me bedridden.

Once again, I found myself at the front gate of Rosa’s house, being patted down by security. “Sure, sure,” I handed off my sword and gun to the TK. If they knew my entire body was just as dangerous, they wouldn’t let me through at all. Once I knocked, she let me in and closed the door. She locked it and turned around, pressing her lips against mine and sliding the zip of my hoodie down. “And here I thought we were going to have brunch.”

She grinned, “We are.”

She brushed her hair back to normal after we were done and I stepped out the shower. “In the report with you, it was said that you were injected with Vasc. Is that why you’re so good?”

“Probably,” I said, in the process of putting my clothes back on but once she had that look about her; I didn’t get a chance to. “Did you,” my words being broken up by the vile pleasure, “check the files, on the drive?”

She didn’t even stop, only answering me with “mhm” so she could focus on her current task. We repeated everything as if stuck in a loop, but I could finally dress after the second time that morning. We finally ate actual food.

“I saw what you left for me. I’ll have them prosecuted, but we can’t say the information was from David Cennet. We’ll have to think up a good story for how we got the evidence.”

“Yeah, well, remember how you found Sean Murray’s fingerprints on the recording device I gave you?” She nodded. “Turns out, he’s Cennet’s inside man in the TEO. That’s probably how Cennet got all that dirt on Franklin Donovan. I don’t know how he got dirt on Michael Asher though.”

“How do you know all this?” she questioned. I retold the events of yesterday, after I left her house.

“I see,” she folded her arms and leaned back. “Charlene Jefferson, is it?” she looked up at the ceiling in thought, “I’ll make sure she tightens up security for her family.” Just then, her phone rang, and following in its footsteps, my phone did as well.

She answered hers and I removed my arm from around her, expecting her to stand up and walk away for some privacy, but she pulled my arm right back where it was and didn’t move an inch. Ferris Andino was calling mine phone, so I answered but spoke as softly as I could, not wanting our voices to be heard by the person Rosa was speaking to. “Ferris?”

“Ugo! There’s an emergency! I mean, it doesn’t concern you, but it concerns David Cennet. It’ll probably reach back to you anyway.”

“Go ahead,” I turned on the call recording and listened to what he was saying. “Okay, I’ll be on standby then.”

“Standby for what?” Rosa questioned after I hung up. After seeing my deer-in-headlights expression, she sighed. “Someone told you about parliament?”

I nodded slowly. Ferris had just informed me that dozens of TS had members of parliament hostage, including the prime minister, minister of defence and minister of education. “I know Cennet does some insane things, but something about this whole thing feels different. Anyway, I’m heading over to TEO HQ for now.”

“Wait!” she stopped me before I touched the door knob and pecked me, “Don’t do anything stupid!”

I looked her in the eyes and took a moment to gaze upon her. “What is it?” she asked me, and I took a step back, looking at her entirety.

“Did you, get sexier?”

She rolled her eyes, “Just go save the day, Mr Ugo.”

With that, I left for the TEO’s headquarters. Two van loads of them drove out, their sirens blaring. Thankfully, when I got into the building, Ferris and Samuel were still there. The very room we had the meeting with Rosa in before was littered with people.

I placed my hands in my pockets and peered inside. One by one, they began noticing me, their heads turning like a stand of flamingos. I decided to wait and see what their decision would be. If I would be omitted, then so be it. After all, Cennet didn’t ask for me this time and neither was he seen. However, his actual presence would make me head over there no matter what anyone said.

In my peripheral vision, someone approached me. “Hello?” I heard a woman’s voice and turned around. She was probably in her twenties, “You’re the hero, right?”

“Uhm, so I’ve heard,” I replied, and she steeled herself.

“Can I have a photo?” she pointed to her phone.

“Sure thing.” And so, we took photos. I posed with my shielders and an energy-less Z-21. Didn’t want anyone touching it by mistake and losing their fingers. As I did, more and more employees swarmed around me and we continued taking photos. I even gave autographs to some of them. I’d no idea I was at the level of giving out such things.

“Ugo, what the hell are you doing?” Ferris poked his head out the briefing room. “Get in here, man.”

I dismissed myself from the little crowd and stepped into the room. The TEO director was less than pleased to see me, but even he wanted my help for something this dire. Their commander, Esther Serrette did most of the talking, as they planned out strategies for getting the members of parliament to safety. “The police have already blocked off the area to the public, so we’re safe to go with this plan. Once Willard is in place, we can proceed.”

Randy suddenly had a mischievous grin on his face. I didn’t know who Willard was, but he must’ve been important. Serrette began knocking some papers together, “Ugo, your silence is bothering me. Us.”

“What do you want me to say?”

I could feel her almost wanting to look at the director, but she refused do it. “I want you to say you have our backs.”

“What do you want me to do?” I continued.

Her lips began forming a word, then stopped. Yes, they wanted me to go fight like a tactical enforcement operative, but they knew full well having a civilian in harm’s way – underaged no less – would get them on the wrong side of the law. But, in truth, I was a special case. I certainly refused to give them any of my equipment, so that left them with putting the lives of their operatives at higher risk or sending me out to reduce casualties as much as possible. “Your best,” she settled for an ambiguous answer.

“Cennet didn’t call me for this time. So that means, this is the authority’s problem. Your problem,” I looked at Franklin Donovan, then back at Esther Serrette. “How equipped are you to ensure you minimise death and injury?”

“We’d be more ‘equipped’ if someone shared their equipment!” Donovan, wordless, now spewed words. I didn’t even bother giving him the time of day and continued looking at Serrette.

“W-we’re going with the plan we discussed when you came in. TEO are as armed as they can be for the location of the emergency.”

Just then, my phone rang. “Ugo speaking.”

“Ban? ItHertz here. We got some info for you, hero. Your buddy, David Cennet, we found his hideouts. So, come on, praise me!”

“G-good job, man.”

“Oh you!” I could picture him doing something girly with his hands. “Hey! Tell ByteMe you love her. She’s in desperate need of male attention. The well’s run dr–ahh!” he yelled out after seemingly getting hit from her. She must’ve snatched the phone away from him.

“Ban, I’m sending you the locations now. But don’t hang up or I’ll skin your ass alive, okay honey? Great!”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“What did I tell you about that word?!” She scolded and I could only laugh.

I was about to walk out when Ferris called out to me, asking what my phone call was about. Should I involve them? Shit, do I really even have the leisure to stand idly by and do nothing while the TEO kill themselves? I held onto the ankh father got for me and felt the engraving of the word ‘Ban’ on it. His words from the note flashed across my mind. ‘What you love is a direct reflection of who you are. Never forget who you are.’ A snigger escaped from me and I wondered why on earth I remembered it then and there. I couldn’t let those men endanger their lives unnecessarily, and neither could I pass on up the opportunity to discover Cennet’s hideouts and destroy them.

After a grunt of frustration, I steeled myself into a more proactive position. “Okay. Are there any reports of human targets?”

Ferris shook his head. “Alright,” I rubbed my temples, “I’ll go help deal with the TS. Just make sure your people don’t attack without me, yeah? Did Cennet say what he wanted yet?”

Ferris repeated his action, “I’m afraid not.”

“I see…” I made my way out the headquarters and soared toward the great hall of the parliament.

On my way there, ByteMe notified me of some robots outside one of Cennet’s five hideouts. They were soaking the place in gasoline according to the CCTV there. “Better hurry. We got no eyes on the other four places. Good chance he’s doing the same thing there. Chop, chop!” she hurried me.

I paused midway, then darted back the way I came. I commanded the TK to assist only in protecting members of the police, TEOs, and military. The things I was about to do would have to be done on my own.

The city seemed so unfazed by the situation in parliament, so ill-prepared for Cennet’s deeds. Why did innocents have to pay the price for a mistake I made? Letting my angst against Jonathan overcome me for just one second caused all this. It happened so fast that there was no time to halt my movements. No time to stop and change my mind. That bog I dug myself into showed its most repugnant state in the form of innocent lives lost. Even then, even at that point in my journey through Cennet’s deranged play, there was still doubt laden within me; truthfully, it never left. I’d only managed to ignore it in the face of my self-appointed responsibilities.

Before long, I came across the first of the five places that LocalHost pointed me to. It wasn’t locked, which raised a red flag for me, but I still proceeded inside. The smell of gasoline was indeed quite prevalent. On flicking the light switches on, there were several rooms sealed off behind clear glass, seemingly bulletproof. Inside it laid a wide arrangement of plants, vials, chemicals and what seemed to be a freezer with body parts. The HAZMAT suits off to the side made me think twice about entering those rooms. Sure, Vasc could’ve probably helped me in the case that I became infected with something, but Vasc was probably made there in the first place. There’s no telling what substance may cause an undesirable reaction. This place was definitely not a place I could report to any authority. As much as I disliked the thought of agreeing with Cennet, I believed this place should be torched. Truthfully though, I’d have been stupid to leave all the research data there, even if I wasn’t apt at that line of work. I pulled the files from the computers and placed them on my phone.

I set off to the nearest target once more and discovered a small warehouse of equipment. By equipment, I meant human equipment like body armour, tactical gear, high-powered rifles, grenades and the like. It was labelled meticulously just like the stuff in his biology lab was. However, after giving the place a quick scour, I found nothing tying Cennet to it. There were no data or anything to take away from this place. This was something I could call in, but I didn’t do that just yet. It would’ve made more sense to gather as much information as I could about these hideouts of his before getting the authorities crawl all over it.

My next target was a building in the middle of the city. It seemed to be a hub for different businesses. In a place where most people wore office attire, my hoodie stood out like a sore thumb. But I either had to pick standing out with the hoodie protecting my face or risk being identified by random people. If they reacted anything like the desk-workers at the TEO headquarters, it would surely hinder me. I checked along all the seven floors of the building, but found nothing off-looking. However, there was but one place that was empty. It was lined with computers and cubicles and laid in darkness. Not a soul was there. In curiosity, I turned the door handle and it opened without issue. At that point I was convinced Cennet knew I would be visiting those places and left things just the way he wanted them to be seen. Whatever I saw or gathered from these places, I had to assume it was what he wanted me to see. There’s no way in hell someone as crafty as him would simply leave the door unlocked. Still, I perused the place, stealing data indiscriminately in favour of saving time.

The other two locations were close to each other, but quite far from the city. In fact, they were in closer proximity to another city, but still resided far enough away from any metropolitan area. The first one I got to was situated in an industrial complex a bit close to train tracks. The building was a bit dilapidated. Entering through the broken window, I stopped a while for my eyes to adjust to the darkness. When they did, I saw before me a farrago of parts in a section of the building. Another section contained wooden boxes. I stared intensely at it, trying to focus my eyes in the darkness until I grew tired and switched my phone’s flashlight on. Inspecting the crates showed a lot of raw materials covered in foam. My eyes opened wide after ogling the contents for a minute or so. They were the materials that Cennet’s TS were stealing. He was somehow able to procure all he needed without robbing UGO’s suppliers, since the stolen material reports stopped. Exploring the rest of the place, I could see almost eighty or so TS already assembled and a few dozen close to being finished. This place was where he built his army of robots.

Finally, I turned my compass to the last hideout. It was marked to be in an old airstrip-turned-junkyard. Flying over the pile of destroyed airplanes and vehicles, I noticed a hangar with a clear walking path to it. I landed in the dirt and entered the enclosed hangar. It was quite huge, but much the same as outside with a bunch of junk metals inside. Entering the place, I could hear a banging as I grew closer to the centre of the uncomfortably hot hangar. It was soft and muffled, but I tried my best to follow the sound. When I neared the back-end of the hanger, I realised the sound came from underneath. Going through the piles of junk and keeping my eyes peeled to the ground, I finally found greasy and oily piece of cardboard covering a door leading underground.

I entered opened the place, and I could hear people’s voices calling out weakly for help. What the hell is this. They came one by one to the exit and I helped pull out the weakest ones. A young girl, probably around Marissa’s age caught my eye, so much so that I peered into her eyes as my mind darted off elsewhere, refusing to be in the present. “Help me or move out of the way!” she brought me back to the present. So, I helped her out of there.

“Sheesh! You’re welcome, I guess.” I continued assisting others out, even those who seemed to be in worse condition than she was. She peered down at me, not doing anything in particular, so I sought to question her as she looked to be in an okay state of mind. “Who put you guys down here anyway?”

“How should I know? A bunch of random goons. My dad is so gonna kill them!” She huffed and puffed in anger.

“Oh yeah?” I pulled yet another grown man out with just the strength of one arm. White was an amazing elixir. “Who’s your dad?” I questioned her.

“Michael Asher?” she said in tone that suggested everyone should’ve known that. My ears perked up in response. “That’s right,” she continued, “the minister of national goddamn security! Those guys are so fucked!”

I looked around at her immediately and just like she said, she was Michael Asher’s daughter, alive and kicking. And quite entitled too. “But…” my eyes looked to the cardboard I brushed aside and my hand touched onto my chin in wonder, “Didn’t you die? You definitely died. You got shot point-blank to the head.”

“The hell you talkin’ abo–”

“Jared?!” a woman’s voice sounded through, echoing a little.