Chapter 7: The Citadel

The Shen Estate.....

Silently, Hugo is siting alone in his workshop right in front of his computer, as he's checking the data he got from the energy pulse from the explosion that generated by August once again, as he seems to suspect about something regarding that energy core.

"I feel like, I used to see this kind of energy core before, but from where? I kind of feel familiar about it" as he thinking this in his head for a moment, he immediately rushes to the locker cabinet that stands at the other corner of the room.

He's trashing all the archives that keep in the locker, to find some document to make sure of something, due to August's energy core really make Hugo feels uneasy about it. As he's moving each document that store in that locker, that kept by his father, Hugo stomps upon a file with the mark of Project Starlight, that his father was working on, during his time with Prometheus longs ago before everything happened to them.

As Hugo's briefing all document that contain inside the file of Project Starlight, he shocks to his core, as he realizes of what really is going on, when he sees the blueprint of the Project Starlight, which turns out to be an energy core that his father tried very hard to make it come to life, as it is the new clean energy, the next revolution of power supply that will replace nuclear power, which his father called it "The Nu-Force", and now being used as a personal power core inside August.

Without saying anything to his family, Hugo decides to go after August, as he believes that's the real reason why Prometheus really come after August at all, is because they want the Nu-Core, the heart of August. Hugo rushes to pack his belonging inside his bedroom, and put them inside his backpack. He puts a letter on the table in the living room, then walks very fast and quiet to the garage to get his bike. As he gets on his motorbike, Hugo activates his systems to let his helmet's visor to show him the GPS tracker that he puts in his truck that August drove off earlier. After he knows where August went to, Hugo immediately takes off to there as well, on his motorbike in a very fast speed.

....

Somewhere Outside the Asia Federation (Main Territory of the U. A. H).....

August is driving the truck on the main road across a wasteland that completely cover by a massive dessert area that already buried most of the tall structures left behind by the old world, especially a tall tower that used to be called before the great war, as the Shanghai's Oriental Pearl Tower.

Along the main road, August only sees himself driving on this road, as it barely has any vehicles to drive across, due to the harsh weather, so for those who want to leave the Asia Federation, they tend to use air traffic instead. As he drives along the road, he does not forget to check the holo-map that he generated from both of his eyes, due to he needs to find the nearest settlements to rest for a while as the truck is running out of fuel already, that's how he finds a nearby city call the Mandrekoh City, where as reported, doesn't belong to any territories like the Asia Federation, African Union or the South Asia Ascendancy at all, as this city is an independence area due to its running and occupying by crime lords, bandits, bounty hunters and other illegal committers.

August decides to rest there for the night, due to its already late night, and the truck is really need to rest her engines for a while after a long drive since the Shen family estate, until leaving the border gate of the Asia Federation.

To avoid any suspicious, August decides not to spend the night at any hostel at all, also, due to he doesn't have any credits to spend either, only enough for fuel, so he decides spends the night inside the truck, that he parked in the parking lot near the city gate, where it might be easy for him to escape if anything happen.

August's siting on the front hood of the truck to watch the star, as he reminiscence about the past alone, when he spent his time with the Shen family together even though it was short, but enough to sadden him very much as he misses them already, that lead him to starts shedding tears once again. However, as he's weeping his tears on the front hood of his truck, out of nowhere.....

"I can't believe a heartless android like you can be this emotional, also, you're tearing down as well. Hahahaha !! What a joke, though? What do you think, Ares No.9?" a voice is mocking August from behind, as it's funny to him, since it's a glooming time for him.

"Who are you and how do you know who..... what I am, huh?" August quickly turns to see the person who just mocked him earlier, who turns out to be Deathstrike.

"I have many names, actually, I really don't even remember my real name at all, but you may call me by my code name as Deathstrike, the bounty hunter from this city. The think is, I don't know you at all, but at least I got the necessary information about you from the man who funded your creation, I think you may know him as Waylon Stryker, the chairman of Prometheus Corporation. And he's the one who send me to capture you. So, a piece of advice, don't make it harder than it supposed to be, just surrender and get on with it. I am a really busy man, who still has tons of works to finish before the deadline. I'm here because he's my VIP client. So, how it's going to be, huh?" Deathstrike out of the blue, appears right in front of August, as he walks close to the truck and threatens to him to surrender.

"I have come this far, I'm not going back, Deathstrike. You can go back and tell him to piss off, I'm not going to be other people's pawns in their pursuit of power at all. I am my own person now, so leave me alone" August threatens to Mr. Stryker through Deathstrike, as he's really despite at him, even though that man responsible for his creation.

"That's not my job, kid. My job is to hunt down my prey dead or alive depend on the contract, and the contract I have with him, is to bring you in alive, and in one piece, so, come with me willingly or I have to use force, and compensate him as a professional like me. So, what will you do, fight or just surrender? But I hope you will choose the fun part, kid" Deathstrike explains his professionalism to August very calmly.

"Alright then, let's makes it a thrilling hunt, huh" after responses back to Deathstrike's question with a smirk, August immediately runs aways without waiting for Deathstrike's replying at all.

"Good.....!! Let the hunt begins...!!" Deathstrike gladly oblights to August's suggestion then run after him very quickly without wasting any more time at all.

The intend chase between August and Deathstrike begin. They both run on at an immense speed through the very crowded night market, which they disturb the citizens' daily life. As running for dear life, August decides to change his tactic to avoid coursing chaos around town, so he immediately uses his super strength to jump up to the wall of a nearby building, by holding to a balcony, then quickly climbs up the wall upward to the rooftop without looking back down at all.

Seeing this, Deathstrike's not wasting anymore time, so shoots the cable from his wrist band to the rooftop of the building that August's climbing. He activates his wrist band to carry him upward via the cable he shot earlier in a fast pace, as August is already on the roof. The two start to chase once again on the roof, as they jump from one roof to another very fast like a couple of ninjas or something. At the end, August reaches the dead end, as the next building he suppose to jump to, is across a huge plaza, which even with his super strength alone is not enough to reach that side without being fall to the ground, so August decides to make his stand there to fight back without running away anymore. Immediately, Deathstrike is right behind him as he already drawn his sword and ready his submachine gun, as if August really wants to fight back at that moment at all.

"There's no way to run anymore, kid. Best surrender now, save me the time, and your strength as well. You don't stand a chance against me at all, if you really want to fight" Deathstrike is warning August in a very calm way, even though he already has both of his sword and gun in both of his hands now.

"If I will die, at least I'll die fighting, asshole" August's not backing down at all, as he's threatening Deathstrike.

"A meaningless threat, but whatever. The thing is, according to the contract, I need to turn you in alive and in one piece, but it doesn't mean I can't hurt you, so, let's bring the joy, then, huh, kid" Deathstrike talks to August as he points his sword to August's face, since he's ready to fight.

Both August and Deathstrike are ready to battle, even though, August is not sure what will become of him if he's really going to fight against this bounty hunter at all. Then both of them start to charge to each other immediately in order to fight, but then out of the blue.....

Boom.....

A small explosion happens right in the middle of their fight when they nearly reach one another, which the force of that explosion pushes them away from each other.

"How deep have you fallen, Deathstrike? Now you threaten a kid like that, huh? How embarrassing, hmm?" a man's voice speaks up to Deathstrike, as mockery.

"Who dare mocking the great Deathstrike, and interrupt my mission like this?" Deathstrike gets up after a moment of unconscious after got hit by the small explosion earlier.

"Me!! Deathstrike.....!!" a man in a dark green suit, with white shirt and a black tie, standing right in the middle between August and Deathstrike, as he's wearing a black leather trench coat, while holding an umbrella.

"Long time no see, Agent 66. How have you been, huh? What have brought you here, hmm?" Deathstrike responses back the man calls Agent 66 with a smirk, even though we can't see through his mask.

"Likewise, Deathstrike, likewise. I am here on an official mission to bring this kid to the republic, so if you excuse me, I need to take him in now" Agent 66 replies back, by looking at him through his sunglasses with a smirk as well then gives a glance to August as he's getting up already.

"That's too bad, though. I can't just let you take my prey away from me, I already got the contract from his creator to bring him back, so that would be impossible, Agent 66" Deathstrike refuses to give up August to the Republic at all.

"...!!" Agent 66 keeps himself silent as he will listen to Deathstrike's whining.

"Then, let's has a competition, then. If you win, you can take the kid, but if I win, I'll take the kid, and at the same time kill you as well, since I still cringing with that smirk on your face, though" Deathstrike decides to have a small challenge with Agent 66, just for fun, in order to gain the possession on August.

Just giving a smirk to Deathstrike, as he agrees to the proposal, then he pull the handle of his umbrella, which reveals to be a sword that engulf with a green light plasma energy around its blade, then points it to Deathstrike.

"Let's do it, then" Deathstrike understand the situation, so he activates something on his sword's handle, then the blade starts to engulf with the red plasma energy.

The two start to charge to one another very fast, without any hesitation as they already drawn their swords. Nearly reach to each other, Agent 66 makes a quick jump toward Deathstrike, as Deathstrike decides to lower his body, then point each of their swords to one another until.....

Clang.....

.....

Out of nowhere, Hugo reaches the front gate of Mandrekoh City as he follows the tracking devise that he put on his truck upon gave her to August.

After entering the city safety, Hugo's not wasting any times, he starts to look for August via the beacon signal from his truck. Unfortunately, when he arrives to the truck, he sees no one there, just the truck along with August's crate, which still there as well, so he knows that, August must be around here somewhere. He's about to look for August, then surprisingly, a massive shuttle with four thruster engines flying over his head, as it's descending to the ground, like it about to land above the truck, however, that's not the case, due to the cargo doors beneath the ship are opening, then drop two big magnets that attached by cables downward to the truck. As the two giant magnets already magnetized the truck, the ships beginning to pull the truck up to the ship. Seeing this, Hugo knows, he doesn't have enough time to decide what action he needs to take, so without a second thought, he climbs up to the tail of the truck, then hides inside the sheet that cover the crate to conceal himself just to follow the ship, if it will take him to August at all.

.....

Clang clang.....

Both Agent 66 and Deathstrike are still battling against one another in a sword fight in front of the red neon light sign of Devil's Kiss Club, as August still standing there and keep watching these two monsters fight each other with their futuristic swords. Somehow, the two are completely matched to one another, as they've been fought each other for almost ten minutes now, and found no real victor at all.

"It seems we are clearly matched after all, 66. Which mean you keep training for all this time, then" Deathstrike admits to himself in a very professional way as a real fighter.

"You too, Deathstrike. But at the end, there's only one true victor, to claim the reward, and that real victor is.....me!!" Agent 66 gives Deathstrike a smirk, just to mock him, when a small aircraft which is a helicopter with two propulsion engine pointing down as vertical flight in order to pick up both Agent 66 and the asset, August.

"You cheating bastard !!" Deathstrike scream out of his lungs as he sees Agent 66 drags August along with him, then jump to the aircraft through the left side door, as it already opened to wait for them.

Deathstrike about to runs after them, but the aircraft takes off immediately after both Agent 66 and their asset, August, got on board after they made a daring jump from the roof to the aircraft as it's hovering a little far from where they jumped.

"Ah....!!This is not over yet, 66, this is not over, it's just the beginning after all" Deathstrike screams very loud, as he needs to release his anger when he fails to capture his prey.

(How's the mission, Deathstrike? I need an update now) Mr. Stryker calls to him, as he asks the progress of Deathstrike's work of hunting down Ares No.9.

"Still in progress, Stryker. But I'll make it in time, so don't worry" Deathstrike reassures Stryker, as he already failed just now.

(He got away, didn't he, hmm?) Stryker asks him, like he already knew this would happen.

"It's just a minor setback, but I'll deal with it as quickly as possible, and I'll be one time" Deathstrike still convincing Stryker to trust him again, despite he failed.

"Whatever, just bring him to me on time, that's all. But if you need reinforcement, I'll provide you whatever I can, just ask, that's it" Mr. Stryker tells Deathstrike very calmly.

"Understood. But if you said so, then I'll need a small squad of your security forces, then" Deathstrike immediately asks for Prometheus's resources just to capture Ares No.9,

"Then you will have that" Mr. Stryker without second thought agrees to that willingly.

...

Somewhere Above the Sky Outside the Territory of the U. A. H.....

The aircraft that picked both August and Agent 66, is flying above the cloud under a new morning sunlight in a very fast pace, as they need to get as far away as possible from the U. A. H's territory. August's siting right front of Agent 66, who just look at him without blinking his eyes at all as he's laying down to rest, which really annoy August very much, so he decides to.....

"What are you going to do with me after this? Disassemble me?" August asks Agent 66 to cut this intent silent.

"That's not our purpose to bring you in, kid. My boss just wants to have a word with you, that's all. So, don't worry that we will dissect you into pieces" Agent 66 replies to August, as he's laying down, while holding his sword umbrella thingy.

"Wait!! My crate!! I forget my crate. My crate is in the truck back at Mandrekoh. I need to get it back now!!" August is in an absolute disarray, as he needs his crate back along with the truck.

"Don't worry about that, kid. It already taken care of, so just sit tight and relax, until we arrive to our destination. Well, well!!, why don't you look at that, your crate is in there" Agent 66 casually calms August down, as he assures him, then out of nowhere the shuttle that picked up August's truck, is now flying near their aircraft.

"Thank you, though. For saving me back there. But I still need to know where are you taking me to?" August awkwardly thanking to Agent 66, then ask him for clarification.

"Over there!! We've arrived, after all" Agent 66's pointing his finger to the pilot's cabin, to let August watch something through the aircraft front windscreen.

August is in awe after seeing a massive sky cruiser, that is hovering above the cloud not far way from them. The ship has similar design to Prometheus's battlecruiser, as this ship has eight powerful propulsion engines on the starboard and near the bow of the ship, along with six different stabilizers near each engine. Not to mention, other ten massive engine thrusters at the back, just to push the ship forward.

"Is that.....!!?"

"That's, the Eye of Providence, our mobile command center" Agent 66 cuts August's speech, as he's about to ask.

".....!!" August still in disbelieve, as he turns back to face Agent 66 when he told him about the ship called the Eye of Providence.

"Welcome to Citadel, kid!!"