《Alpha Squad - Vecto: Vengeance》


 Prologue 0.1

    Vecto awoke without a head. He heard the snaps and grinds of locking mechanisms, the hisses of self-welded wires, and the hums of activated hardware. He didn''t require a head to interpret sound waves, but he took solace in knowing that someone just installed one.


    "Rise and shine," said a voice. "Give me a sec . . ."


    Vecto''s vision activated. He saw a black ceiling about three meters high-or about ten feet.


    "How''s that?" the voice continued.


    Vecto sat up from a low work table. He swiveled his robotic head to see his Alpha Squad teammate, Gyro, sitting in front of the table. Gyro would have smiled if he had a mouth. He was nearly six feet tall and had pitch-black skin, no hair, and solid green, concave eyes.


    Vecto watched as Gyro placed a dismounted mechanical arm on the table. He scanned the humanoid figure to make sure it was indeed his friend. The bioscan confirmed Gyro''s DNA: part Magnatronian, a trace of human, and part unknown. Vecto followed up with a quick scan of his surroundings. He was in the Alpha Squad base on the planet Acaterra-in Gyro''s quarters, to be precise. To his right was Gyro''s rest capsule, and behind Gyro on the wall was a framed cross. A hologram of Gyro''s ex-girlfriend, Charisma, floated in the air nearby, along with the time and date. It was the morning of April 18, 3013, Earth standard. It meant Vecto was out of commission for six days.


    Gyro pointed at Vecto''s head. "Can you speak through it?" The words issued eerily out of the darkness that was his body, as if from tiny speakers hidden in the depths of a cave.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    "Yes, of course," Vecto responded through the speaker in his head. "But unnecessary," he added, and this time, the words seemed to come from the air above his torso.


    Inside his chest was his Flummox Capacitor orb, which emitted invisible shields. These shields enabled him to amplify his voice without using the speaker in his headpiece. He had always preferred that method of speech. It felt more natural.


    "Yeah, well, you can''t always rely on your orb for everything," Gyro said.


    His orb . . . yes, his orb. It was still intact, along with his consciousness inside, but Vecto was incomplete. For one thing, he was missing an arm. For another, his robotic body was . . . different than he remembered. He checked to ensure the orb he carried within his chest was functioning optimally. A quick internal scan revealed no derivations from the norm. The invisible shields it emitted were still under his control. So at least that hadn''t changed. The familiarity of it was deeply reassuring. Whatever else had happened, he remained himself.


    "I couldn''t salvage your old body, so I hope you don''t mind the new one I made," Gyro said as he welded a motor into the new arm he was building for Vecto. Sparks dimly reflected off Vecto''s crude metal body.


    "Thank you," Vecto said in a monotone.


    "Just wish I had some Dinishmen technology," Gyro went on. "Sorry I couldn''t make your body parts float or use that laser conduction or whatever they call it. Good ol'' wires are as much as I can afford."


    Vecto scanned his component pieces. They were bulky and awkwardly connected, and the technology was inferior to what he was used to. But they were strong and sturdy. Powerful. "I appreciate the assistance. It will suffice."


    Gyro laughed. "Don''t get too robotic on me! You can talk like normal now. I know you''ve got some emotion in there."


    Vecto laughed.


    Gyro closed a compartment on the robotic arm and spun it around to check it. He then pressed the arm to Vecto''s shoulder and initiated the locking mechanisms.


    "You know, I want to thank you for blocking that blast," Gyro said as he tested the arm''s connection. "I couldn''t have used the Giga Ball without you."


    Vecto nodded as Gyro worked on the joint. He replayed the moment of his destruction.

 Prologue 0.2

    You know, I want to thank you for blocking that blast," Gyro said as he tested the arm''s connection. "I couldn''t have used the Giga Ball without you."


    Vecto nodded as Gyro worked on the joint. He replayed the moment of his destruction. He recalled with crystal clarity how their arch-nemesis, the mass-murderer Morphaal, had been about to kill Gyro. Vecto had not hesitated to shield Gyro with his robotic body, giving his teammate enough time to use the Giga Ball energy attack. It had put an end to Morphaal''s tyrannical rule of conquered planets. It had also put an end-fortunately, a temporary one-to Vecto.


    "Is it correct to assume Morphaal is dead?" Vecto asked.


    "Disintegrated," Gyro said firmly. "I doubt he''s coming back. But you''ve gotta take it easier next time, OK? That blast could have fried your orb."


    "I am fortunate that my shields held."


    "Like I said, don''t rely on your orb for everything," Gyro said as he latched the final joint connector. "Granted, those shields are powerful stuff, but you''re not invincible, you know?"


    "Neither are you."


    Gyro paused. "I hope not. I know all too well where that leads. Now, move your arm around. See if it works."Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Vecto raised his arm and clenched his fingers into a fist. He made a quick jab toward Gyro, stopping an inch before his face. Gyro didn''t so much as blink.


    "At least I can reserve my shields," Vecto said.


    Gyro laughed. "Yeah, you can relax without ''em for a change. Your orb is locked tight within that chestplate."


    "Thanks, Gyro." Vecto lowered his arm.


    Gyro turned to his work stand and began packing his tools.


    Vecto watched his friend but couldn''t help thinking about what his future would be without Morphaal. Even Gyro''s future. The Alpha Squad had been created to defeat Morphaal. Without him, what would they do?


    He finally spoke. "I have been contemplating," he said, his voice hesitant. "If Morphaal is indeed dead, then we have fulfilled our purpose. Our objective is accomplished, is it not?"


    Gyro turned to look Vecto in the eyes as if searching for emotion behind the mechanical sockets. "What are you suggesting? That we disband? Go our separate ways? Raise a family?" Gyro laughed at the latter.


    "If that''s what you want," Vecto responded.


    "Are you crazy? I wouldn''t miss being in the Alpha Squad for anything. Being with you, Phantom, and Shadow is far more exciting than standing guard on Hodos." Gyro sealed his box of robotic parts and tools. "Don''t sweat it. I''m here to stay."


    "I concur," Vecto said, nodding.


    The door slid open with a hiss, revealing a black-and-brown-cloaked figure in the entranceway. Blue eyes glinted beneath the dark hood.


    "Don''t slack just yet," Phantom said. "We have another mission."


    Gyro smiled. "Jeez. Couldn''t we get a few more days of rest?"


    "One of Morphaal''s henchmen is still alive. We need to take him out."


    "Affirmative," Vecto said and stood to his full height of seven feet ten.


    "I wouldn''t miss it!" Gyro said.

 Prologue 0.3

    Vecto ceased his internal memory data replay. He was inside the same room from that day three years ago. But this time, Gyro wasn''t around to make him a new body. This time, he had to do it himself.


    Vecto curved his shields into the shape of a body and mentally floated raw metal within it. He missed Gyro''s delightful banter but disregarded the emotion as nothing more than a programmed response. He was only a machine, after all, he thought.


    If Gyro were alive, he would have insisted on making Vecto''s new body. It gave Gyro peace of mind, as if he felt responsible for its destruction in the first place. At least he''d been able to use Dinishmen technology the last time-hovering parts and wireless laser conduction included-just like his original model. Now that body, too, was destroyed. All that remained working was his orb and an oddly shaped foot. These things, plus his shields and enough metal, is all he needed to make a body. The sole of his foot contained an Air-to-Ice function that could create ice from air, and his heel had a Flame Booster installation that could propel him at fast speeds. He could use these functions to heat and cool the metal.


    Vecto floated the foot within his shields and used the Air-to-Ice function to freeze the valignium metal. Valignium, often called tyrannium, was unique compared to other metals. When subjected to extreme cold, its molecular bonds weaken, allowing it to be shaped. With his outer shield in its desired form, Vecto used his inner shield to press against the metal-to mold it into a new body part. Vecto shaped the rare metal into a piece that would become part of his leg, then, using the same foot, heated the valignium with flame to strengthen it. He had just a few more parts left to complete his new body frame. If only the old one hadn''t been destroyed, he thought. If only Gyro hadn''t died.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    Vecto didn''t consider his existence important enough to die for. He was a mere machine-replaceable-yet Gyro had sacrificed himself for what? Returning the favor for all the times Vecto had done the same? It was incomprehensible. Illogical. Vecto could be rebuilt. Not Gyro.


    Once again, Vecto told himself that it was all his fault. If only he had stopped Morphaal''s puppet beforehand. If only he had been stronger. If only the Alpha Squad had disbanded after Morphaal''s death. If only Phantom and Gyro were still alive.


    The hiss of the door caught Vecto''s attention as he hovered his new leg into place. Standing in the entranceway was his servant, Azul. Vecto''s blue-skinned companion had half-spiked white hair. He was dressed in gold and white and wore several silver bracelets. Vecto nodded to acknowledge him.


    "I am truly sorry to interrupt." Azul spoke softly, bowing. "But I have grave news."


    Vecto nodded again for him to continue.


    "Morphaal has been revived."

 Episode 1.1

    "Morphaal''s back," Botland whispered. "I can''t believe it."


    He stood before a monochrome metallic door at the center of a dark hallway. He was slightly taller than six feet. His solid red powersuit covered his entire body-including his head. A black stripe rolled down the sides of his torso and legs.


    If Morphaal was alive again, they''d have no choice but to track him down and kill him-for good this time.


    Botland was flanked by two companions, one a cyborg known as Crysilis and the other a fully-armored ex-commander named Streamline.


    "Any day now," Crysilis said. "What if I had to use the restroom?"


    Botland glanced at the half-a-foot-shorter individual but didn''t bother to respond. He knew that Crysilis was speaking in jest. His cybernetic body no longer had a digestive and excretory system. Although his body was old, he mentally remained youthful.


    Crysilis'' body was light and sturdy, splashed with a variety of blues. It was rigid on its edges yet smooth on its surface. Two antennas slowly retreated into the sides of his blockish helmet as he stared blankly at the door through his visor. He dropped his head in boredom.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    "There''s no need to wait any longer," Streamline said as he adjusted the strap to the Omega Blaster Rifle that hung across his back. "It''s no longer a surprise attack, so we need to storm in and fight."


    Streamline stood taller than both at 6 feet 8 inches tall. Shiny medals and insignias adorned Streamline''s battle-worn plated armor. The armor had been black once upon a time, before decades of bloodstains had left it a muddy brown. He, too, wore a fully enclosed helmet, which hid his middle-aged face.


    Botland stared placidly at the door, tracing a finger across its smooth surface. At last, he nodded in agreement. He pressed his finger against the door and shot a laser through it. The red beam matched the color of the gloved finger it came from, piercing the reinforced plating like a needle through butter.


    Slowly, he guided his finger in an arch, the laser screeching through the sealed door.


    Sparks reflected from Crysilis'' light-blue visor as he watched, but he readied no weapon. Nor did Botland.


    Streamline was a different story. He moved his Omega Blaster Rifle to his side and lifted its strap over his head to rest on his shoulder. Then he removed his Disrupter Pistol from its side holster to inspect it, twirling it in his hand briefly.


    "Do you think he''ll talk?" he asked the leader.


    Botland, kneeling now, paused for a moment and looked up at Streamline. "He has no choice."


    "And what if he didn''t revive Morphaal?" Crysilis asked.


    "I''ll find out," Botland said.


    Botland stood, his finger rising from the bottom of the door to complete the makeshift entrance.

 Episode 1.2

    Inside, fifty New Earth Police officers rushed into position as a red laser beam penetrated the closed door. Moving in single file, the military police officers, a mix of men and women, grabbed the weapons that hung on the blue wall. The veterans created the front line and clanked five-foot-tall energy shields against the ground in a domino wave. The others hurried into place behind them as the commander, Sable, stood on a dais, shouting orders.


    The officers wore black and brown military gear while Sable wore a black and gold uniform decorated with medals. Unlike the officers, he boldly left his face unprotected without a helmet, revealing a balding head with strands of brown and white hair, a goatee, brown eyes, and scars across his face.


    "Remain behind shields. Prepare to block incoming fire!" he barked, his voice echoing across the half-circle of the open-floored training room. "When I give the command, and only when I give the command, you will fire! Understood?"


    "Sir, yes sir!" fifty voices acknowledged. The last officers hurried to the wall and took position. The rhythmic clanking of the shields stopped; all was still and silent. The laser beam disappeared, and at once a loud screeching echoed from the walls, an overbearing metallic sound like claws digging through a slate board. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    As the cutout grinded from the door, sweat from police officers'' foreheads rolled down their faces, but they didn''t dare remove their helmets. At last, the three-inch-thick oval tipped over and crashed. Smoke fumed from the entrance as a figure in a red powersuit casually ducked through the entrance and paced toward the military police.


    "Steady!" Sable ordered.


    Botland stopped in front of the two rows of policemen and peered over them at the commander.


    "Surrender, or we''ll open fire!" Sable warned.


    Botland didn''t respond. He tilted his head and raised his arm, pointing at the commander as if inviting an attack.


    "Open fire!" Sable yelled.


    The veterans in the front line, with their rifles in position against their shields, unleashed the first wave of gunfire even before the commander had finished speaking. The bullets impacted the intruder, and the room was quickly engulfed in smoke.


    "Cease-fire!" the commander ordered.

 Episode 1.3

    The onslaught ended, and the smoke slowly cleared, revealing the intruder. The barrage didn''t budge him an inch. His armor was red no longer, but black: black with the flattened remains of the bullets that had been fired at him, clinging to the powersuit like a second skin. Disdainfully, he grabbed a handful of bullets and extended his hand toward the police as if making them an offer. Then, without waiting for a reply, he made a fist, crushing the bullets into powder, and let the dust float away.


    The policemen stepped back as one unit while Botland brushed the bullets from his armor. They clanged against the floor.


    "Is that all?" he asked. He motioned with one hand, and Crysilis and Streamline stepped through the door to flank him.


    "Fire!" the commander yelled, a hint of panic in his voice. "Switch to pulseguns!"


    But Streamline already started firing. He took out the front line of police officers with a stream of energy from his rifle. Bodies collapsed, and the police retreated, firing as they went.


    The officers flipped the nozzles of their rifles around for pulse power and shot laserlike blasts at Streamline. But the heavily armored man kept dodging, always on the move, as if he possessed a second sense that alerted him to danger. He twisted and turned with astonishing speed, more like a machine than a human fighter.


    He stopped suddenly in front of one officer and slammed the blunt end of his rifle in the man''s face, then tumbled and spun through the others, so that no one dared fire for fear of hitting a comrade. But Streamline had no such concerns. He tripped another officer-a woman this time-and blasted her into a wall, then spun around and spat rapid energy from his rifle at a row of police still fumbling with their weapons.


    Crysilis was faster still, a blur zipping through the blue room, all but unseen. Police collapsed as if struck down by a ghost. One bulged over, another had his face smashed in, and several were tossed in the air. The cyborg stripped the weapons from them, and one by one, they dropped to the ground.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    To Crysilis, the police moved in slow motion. With his powers activated, he had plenty of time to spare. He found it amusing to draw faces on their helmets and trip them up. On a serious note, he redirected fire from hitting Streamline. But he wouldn''t tell him that. Streamline had a certain level of pride he respected.


    The red-suited leader didn''t attack. He strolled down the middle, stepping over fallen bodies as casually as if he were sauntering through a park. He headed for the commander.


    Sable aimed his gun and stepped back against the wall, knowing that he was next, that his weapon would be useless. Nearly fifty men wiped out, he thought, in as many seconds.


    The last of the police officers, his gun overheated, staggered but pulled out a knife and lunged at Streamline. He was met by Streamline''s fist in his face, and his body twisted to the ground.


    Seeing his work was done, Streamline positioned his Omega Blaster over his back. Crysilis appeared beside him, and they walked to Botland''s side.


    The police commander had watched video footage of them breaking into the building, so he''d known they were a threat. But this powerful? he thought. He had ordered his officers to this training room so they each had a multipurpose pulsegun, but their weapons didn''t even scratch the trio. He took solace in one thing: These intruders didn''t kill his men-not when they entered the building and not now, either. They had used concussion energy blasts and brute force to knock them out. He knew that whatever happened to him, his life would be spared.


    Sable stared at the human-looking figure in red and was about to speak when the intruder flashed up the dais steps, grabbed him by the throat, and slammed him against the wall, yanking him up with a fierce grip.


    "Where''s Morphaal?" Botland yelled.


    Below is Vecto in his new body!

 Episode 1.4

    "Where''s Morphaal?" Botland yelled.


    "How-how would I know?" Sable struggled to speak. "I don''t know a blasted thing!" He fought in vain to break free of the firm grasp that held him.


    "Stop lying, Sable!" Botland said. "You helped revive Morphaal, and you know where he is!" He stared into Sable''s eyes and lowered him to the ground, loosened his grip enough for the man to talk.


    Sable gasped for air, but his answer was the same: "It''s the truth-"


    Botland tightened his grip again and slammed him against the wall a second time. With his other hand, he raised his index finger to eye level, pointing directly between Sable''s eyes. It was the finger he had used to cut open the door.


    Sable couldn''t breathe and panicked. Although the others spared lives, he questioned if this one had the same morals.


    "Zendora!" Sable gasped, prompting Botland to loosen his grip. "I heard rumors that he''s come back from the dead and has his eyes set on the planet Zendora. That''s all I know! I swear it!"


    Botland let go of his throat. "Zen-dor-a," he pronounced slowly. "I seem to recall that your son Phantom was born and raised there-a hidden planet you left behind and could never find again."


    "What do you know of that?" Sable asked, loosening the collar of his military uniform. "That''s classified information. Only top officials and the Alpha Squad know about Zendora." Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    "That''s correct," the figure replied.


    Sable looked at Crysilis and Streamline below the steps and then back at the leader. He sighed, and his shoulders slumped, though the hate in his eyes blazed hotter than ever. "So it''s true after all-the original Alpha Squad died and another took its place." He clenched his hands into fists. "Then you should know that the A.S. was derived from the SS5 organization, a group of fighters that I formed. And you should know that these policemen you knocked out are child''s-play compared to them. Even Phantom, Gyro, and Vecto were part of this organization before they joined the A.S."


    "Negative," Botland corrected.


    Sable raised an eyebrow. "What?"


    "I was not a member of the SS5."


    Sable looked him over and saw an insignia appear on his chest. It was a "V" with three wavy lines crossing it. He popped his knuckles to hide his uneasiness. "Vecto? I thought you were a robot."


    "You should not always believe your eyes," Vecto replied. "You know that I can disguise myself with my shields."


    Sable studied his humanoid form. "I see you''ve mastered it . . . Now let me clarify some things. First of all, I had nothing to do with reviving Morphaal! The only things I know are rumors at this point. And second, I have no idea where Morphaal might be except for Zendora."


    "You''re lying!" Vecto shoved him into the wall again. "Don''t think I won''t kill you. I don''t care if you''re Phantom''s father. You betrayed your son . . . and now you have betrayed everyone who will suffer from Morphaal-because of you! So start talking! Where is he? Where''s Zendora? And what does Morphaal want with that planet? Or have you forgotten that my Force Field Shields can suck the carbon atoms from your body?" Vecto placed his hand on Sable''s chest.


    "You''re insane!" Sable said. "I told you I had nothing to do with bringing Morphaal back!" He glanced at Vecto''s hand on his chest, knowing he lacked to the strength to remove it, knowing that Vecto was serious. "All right, all right. Let''s make a deal. I''ll tell you what I know on one condition."


    Vecto lifted his hand fractionally. "That is?"

 Episode 1.5

    Sable smirked and clicked a button on his sleeve. The wall behind him screeched apart to reveal thick overlapping layers of metal, each layer splitting in a different manner. When an opening formed, Sable stepped aside. The edges retreated, revealing a mirrored room on the other side. Below the steps of the circular platform was a formation of enhanced military soldiers.


    Sable was prepared for this. Knowing his police officers would be spared, he saved his best men for last.


    "Are you pleased?" Sable asked, motioning toward his true trainees. "Not many people have the liberty of seeing these soldiers. They are the new SS6 Formation. Fitted with the latest in technology and weaponry, trained in all forms of combat, and individualized to exploit their strengths, they''re fused with DNA Matrix 1.3, making them abnormally strong fighters. Even you, Vecto, should know this."


    Vecto looked at Sable and then at the room of waiting soldiers. He returned his gaze to Sable. "You''re avoiding the question! I want to know about Morphaal, not some pathetic group of yours!"


    Sable''s eyebrow twitched. "Here''s the deal. If you can beat my soldiers . . ." He distanced himself, confident Vecto would fall for his bait. "If you do, I''ll tell you everything I know."


    Vecto glanced at Crysilis. "Keep Sable in sight," he commanded, then looked back at Sable. "I''m much different than before." He proceeded into the room. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    Sable clicked his sleeve again, and the dividing walls between the rooms began to reform, sealing Vecto in with the SS6.


    He sighed, relieved that Vecto fell for his trap. Even if Vecto beat his soldiers, the room was fortified so that not even Vecto could escape. He turned around to see Streamline binding the fallen police officers with their own cuffs.


    "So how''s your day been?" Crysilis asked Sable as if they knew each other.


    Sable looked at him. "If you insult me like that one more time, I''ll-"


    "You know, you''re an idiot for leaving Vecto alone with them."


    "My soldiers are trained to kill, and I''ve known Vecto for years. He doesn''t like to harm people, so I''m betting he''ll lose."


    "I hope so," Crysilis said.


    Sable raised an eyebrow in confusion.


    Crysilis continued. "Vecto has been sporadic and angry as of late. Be grateful that we didn''t kill anyone, but I''m uncertain about Vecto."


    "We''ll see." Sable clicked a button on his sleeve to bring up a holographic screen to view the interior. He expected the see the fight commence but what he saw instead was a blank screen. Vecto must have blocked transmissions. It meant only one thing: Whatever Vecto planned, he didn''t want them seeing. That worried Sable.


    * * *


    Vecto strolled down the steps and scanned the blue room filled with diverse-looking soldiers, each with his or her own unique weapon and ability. He came to a stop only a few feet away from them. "Who wants to die first?"


    Without a word, the soldiers readied their weapons.


    "No volunteers? In that case, let me show you a secret," Vecto said. His body flickered. Coded information scrolled down his body as the holograph image of his red suit flickered off and on from what appeared to be a shield in the shape of a human. The shield became translucent, and it revealed a daunting sight: a floating orb surrounded by an arsenal of floating weaponry.


    "Oh sh-" one of the soldiers yelled before getting shot.

 Episode 1.6

    The robot Vecto resumed his body image to hide the weapons and trick the soldiers. He blasted rapid pulsebeams through his hands as he walked closer. Soldiers blocked the energy beams or dodged and fired back. But Vecto''s shields took the blows as he reached his hand out-littering the room with pulsebeams and bullets from his palms. A drove of soldiers died, and in retaliation, others came from behind with pulsesabers. They were met by missiles that Vecto launched from his back. Cannons catapulted from his chest, and blades slung from his arms. A green-haired soldier took a cannon blast to her face, a muscular one shielded himself from missiles but was struck in the neck by a blade, and a long-haired fellow was hit with a triangle bomb and blew up.


    The weaponry kept coming. A cylinder gun formed over Vecto''s arm, and he blasted zero point energy at incoming soldiers. A guy with a staff spun his weapon at Vecto''s neck, but it snapped in half, and Vecto returned the favor with an elbow strike to his head, breaking the man''s neck. Then a female swung her pulsesaber at Vecto, but he caught it, sucked the energy from the blade, and punched her in the face, sending her flying across the room. An old-fashioned metal sword struck Vecto''s helmet. It was grabbed by Vecto''s shape-shifting shield, snapped in half, and plunged between the soldier''s eyes. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    The soldiers stepped back as Vecto ceased fire.


    "Any other volunteers?" Vecto asked. He existed only as the orb, controlling the floating weapons within his Force Field Shields in the shape and image of a human suit.


    "I''ll take you on in zero-g!" yelled a bulky man with a metal plate on his head. He clicked a few buttons on a protruding wall panel, and the room began to lose its gravity. Antigravity mechanics in the room activated to give the SS6 a competitive advantage. It was how they trained.


    "All right. Your move," Vecto taunted as he hovered in the air, spinning upside down.


    Bullets came at Vecto, but he blocked them with his fingers and reflected some back at them. The man with a plated head tried to grab him, but Vecto''s shield expanded over the man''s arm, then hardened to slice it from his body. Vecto threw the arm aside as the man screamed-silenced by a blast to the head. Someone flipped against the wall and jetted for him, but Vecto kicked ice down his throat from his foot''s Air-to-Ice function. Even a five-foot-radius energy ball didn''t work on him. Vecto grabbed the blast and slung it past him.


    "Any more?" Vecto asked and extended an energized electro-sword from his arm, followed by a grav-sword from his other arm, and lastly a pulsesaber from his chest. The blades spun in place, slicing through the image of a fake body.

 Episode 1.7

    "What in blazes are you?" one of the SS6 soldiers yelled, slinging a wire at Vecto. The wire wrapped around Vecto, concealing the blades. It grew around Vecto''s body to restrain him.


    "Not bad," Vecto said. A knife rose from his head and slashed straight down his shield, cutting the wires. "Tyrannium blade," Vecto noted. "Can cut through anything."


    "You''re not getting away with this!" a cyborg yelled, activating his jet pack and heading straight at Vecto. Vecto spun his three blades in the air and launched the electro-sword into the cyborg''s chest. The guy''s wires fried as Vecto spun the grav-sword through him, causing his metallic body to crush inward from its gravity effect. Lastly, Vecto sent his pulsesaber to finish him off. He did this as soldiers kept coming. Vecto flipped in the weightless air and sent tiny-but-powerful Toe Missiles from his feet at one guy, then shoved a heel in another''s face and used Flame Boosters to take him out.


    Vecto Bombs, acid bombs, hydro-bombs, electro-bombs, and napalm stingers all dropped from Vecto''s body, exploding around him as he continued to flip. The gravity changed again, and Vecto crashed to the ceiling of the room. As bodies fell, a female and two bald men came down at him-up, technically. They were stopped by an expanded shield from Vecto and thrown across the room with a jolt of his Force Field Shields. The FFS retracted, and Vecto shot a piece of his shield at an approaching warrior. The shield pierced the man''s chest and expanded inside his body, killing him.


    Only a few soldiers remained. Vecto sped into action and went hand-to-hand. He tripped one guy up and kicked his spine, then lunged his hand into the chest of another and head-butted a third figure. Once again, the gravity shifted. Vecto crashed to the floor, followed by a shower of dead soldiers. He looked over the downed soldiers; some were still alive and were struggling to stand. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    One pointed a shaking finger at him. "You-"


    Vecto shot the guy.


    Vecto began sucking carbon from the air, effectively suffocating the survivors.


    "You mindless machine!" a man gasped, holding his throat-the last survivor.


    Vecto cocked his head to the side as his three-foot-long Alpha Detta Flint rose from his back and settled on his shoulder.


    The man tried to speak, but words were beyond him now.


    Vecto blasted a nuclear warhead at him. The walls bulged outward but were heavily reinforced, made to withstand nuclear attacks. The bodies of soldiers were vaporized. Yet Vecto was unfazed, stepping through the inferno as alarms blared. Oxygen was sucked from the room to put out the fires, freezing air was blasted in the room to cool the temperature, and anti-radiation gases filled the room to contain the radiation. The gasses solidified and snowed on Vecto as he walked up the steps onto the dais and stopped at the entrance.


    * * *


    Sable heard an explosion, felt the room trimmer, and saw the wall bulge. He stumbled but gained balance. The room Vecto was in was supposed to be sound proof. It was sealed shut, and the force that it would take to bulge the walls was . . . He fell to his knees, knowing the answer.


    Crysilis lowered his head. "I''m sorry about the SS6."


    "Only the force of a nuclear blast could do that!" Sable said. "Why would Vecto kill them and sacrifice himself like that?"


    "His shields can withstand it, and if you think that room can contain Vecto, you''re ostensibly misinformed, Sable."

 Episode 1.8

    Vecto stared at the wall and punched it. It bulged but was too thick to punch through. He shape shifted and extended his outer shield into a ribbon thinner than a sheet of paper. He slipped it through a crevice, navigating it between the maze of layers. When his shield exited the other end, he expanded it outward, forcing the layered walls apart.


    The walls split, and air sucked into the room.


    Sable braced himself and shielded his eyes from anticipated heat, but the air was already cold. He shook his head in disbelief as Vecto walked past him.


    "My-my soldiers," Sable said, his worst fear verified.


    Vecto paid him no mind.


    "What did they do to deserve this?" Sable turned, rose to his feet, and punched Vecto in the back. His fist made a loud thump, but nothing more. "They were human beings! Protectors of Acaterra!"


    Vecto glanced into a corner of the room at the surviving New Earth Police, who had been cuffed and tied up by Streamline. They were regaining consciousness. Vecto turned around, grabbed Sable''s arm, and twisted it. "You''re nothing but a traitor!" he said coldly. "If your son Phantom was alive, he''d despise you!"


    Vecto twisted the man''s arm until it broke, causing Sable to drop to his knees and curse up a storm.


    "Vecto!" Crysilis yelled. "That''s enough! We weren''t supposed to kill anyone!"


    Vecto let go of Sable''s arm. "You saw these police officers. They were shooting to kill. The SS6 were the same, so why should I act any different?"If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    "We intruded on them, and they have every right to defend themselves. Besides, we''re better than that and agreed to come only to obtain information."


    "I''m getting tired of holding back!"


    Crysilis vanished, then reappeared in front of him. "And what do you know about being tired? Huh?"


    "Why? Because I''m a just a machine? Is that what you think?"


    "Vecto, get over it!" Crysilis said. "Ever since Gyro died, you''ve been taking it out on everyone else. Where''s the Vecto with morality? Where''s the robot who was human?"


    Vecto ignored him and knelt beside Sable, who was clinging to his broken arm. "One last time. Where''s Morphaal?"


    Sable grimaced but answered. "All right, all right. Talk to my brother Azmeck," he advised. "He''s your best chance at finding Zendora. All we know is that Morphaal somehow has the location of the planet and plans to return and make it his base of operations. Find the planet, and you''ll find him."


    "Return?" Vecto questioned.


    "Yeah, he was there when my son and I and Azmeck crashed on the planet," Sable explained, grunting as he rested his arm on his lap. "We left Zendora by boarding Morphaal''s ship. That was eighteen years ago."


    "Is that all?" Vecto asked.


    "If you don''t believe me, talk to Azmeck," Sable said. "But we had nothing to do with Morphaal comin'' back, I tell ya! These men didn''t deserve to die!"


    "Thank you for your cooperation," Vecto said as he stood back up and proceeded down the dais. He waved for his companions to follow him through the hole he originally created in the wall. He let Sable live not only for Crysilis'' sake but for a reason. If Sable was lying, he wanted him to tell Morphaal what he did to the SS6-tell him what he was capable of-let him know that he will hunt him down and disintegrate him.


    Sable watched the three A.S. members leave the room, wondering how his men could have been killed so easily. The whole SS6 Formation. Everyone. Disintegrated. All his hard work of training them-just for them to die. He cursed under his breath and slowly stood back up, looking at the pathetic-looking police squad with mufflers on their mouths and wires around their bodies.


    He''ll get his due. One day, he''ll get his . . .

 Episode 2.1

    Vecto, Crysilis, and Streamline sauntered through a park on Acaterra, or New Earth. They had just left the military police headquarters and were taking a shortcut to a subway station. Foliage towered over them as they strayed from the winding path onto dried grass and rocks.


    "Aren''t you bit worried that the military will come after us," Streamline asked. "Especially after the stunt Vecto did?"


    "Nope," Crysilis said. "They won''t attack us in public. Unless one of us does something criminal that makes the news, they don''t want people to question why we attacked them. We''re still the good guys in the public''s eyes."


    "Oh, good," Streamline said. His visor automatically darkened to prevent glare from the sun. Crysilis'' visor did the same.


    "Instead, they''ll wait and try to assassinate us when we least expect it!" Crysilis said.


    Streamline stopped walking for a second and shook his head. "Thanks for the reassurance."


    "Well, it''s all Vecto''s fault!" Crysilis said. He vanished in mid-stride and reappeared a few steps ahead to walk beside Vecto. He arched his head. "Isn''t that right, Vecto?"


    All his fault? Vecto thought about the SS6 soldiers he had killed. Had their affiliation with Sable given him the right to take their lives? Vecto knew that Morphaal''s resurrection was Sable''s doing; therefore, he told himself, he had been right to administer justice.


    Vecto''s robotic mind tossed information around in a humanlike way. It seemed he couldn''t help but review memory data of Gyro, his deceased friend. He remembered the first time he had met him. Vecto had joined the Magnatronian War eleven years ago in 3005, the year he was created. He had met Gyro on a rainy day on Gyro''s home planet, Hodos-just outside of a military base. The ground was muddy black and the rain was heavy, obscuring the view of dome-shaped buildings. Gyro was young then and fresh in the military. He despised Acaterran robots because they invaded Hodos in a previous war.Stolen story; please report.


    "We conquered Magus, Iados, and Hodos, and we will never bow to the Terrans!" Vecto recalled Gyro saying. Gyro snatched a knife from his side and stabbed Vecto in the head, grinding the sharp blade across Vecto''s Force Field Shields. Yet Vecto stood, unmoved and unharmed.


    "I am not afraid of you," Vecto replied.


    It had been an inauspicious meeting, Vecto thought now, and yet over the years, Gyro had come to see Vecto as different from other robots. Perhaps it was because Vecto wasn''t an Acaterran robot. Or perhaps it was because he had been created by a Dinishman, an ally of the Magnatronians during the war.


    It was as if the two had been destined to meet. Gyro was the only one who understood him, the only one whom Vecto could rely on, the only being Vecto looked up to. It had already been a week, and he could still hardly process the fact of his death.


    "Hey, Vecto. Are you even paying attention?" Crysilis'' voice echoed through Vecto''s head.


    They now walked in a business sector of Acaterra, and Vecto bumped into a guy as they shuffled through a crowd.


    Crysilis waved a hand in front of Vecto''s face. "Acaterra beacons you. Come back to us!"


    Vecto turned his attention to his A.S. companion.


    "Just making sure you''re all there," Crysilis said. "I never knew robots could daydream."


    Vecto ignored his comment as he passed through the crowd.


    "You know, you don''t have to keep disguising yourself," Crysilis said as he followed behind Vecto''s image of a human suit. "Sable''s going to keep quiet in front of the public to avoid scrutiny."


    Vecto stopped and faced Crysilis. He took a moment to glance around and motioned for Crysilis to do the same. "Just look around you. What do you see?"

 Episode 2.2

    Vecto stopped and faced Crysilis. He took a moment to glance around and motioned for Crysilis to do the same. "Just look around you. What do you see?"


    Crysilis gazed at the tall buildings with typical architecture-a slanted solar roof, or dome, or wind tunnels, with many structures coming together with bridges. Crysilis watched as sunlight beamed through the artificial sky and made glass dance in rainbow colors.


    "Buildings," Crysilis responded.


    "What else?"


    Crysilis looked at the streaming crowds of Acaterran denizens detouring around them.


    "People," Crysilis said.


    "What kind of people?" Vecto asked again.


    "I''m not stupid," Crysilis answered.


    "Then you must know that significantly altered humans and robots are shunned from this human planet," Vecto stated, motioning to the crowd.


    "Yeah, but I see robots all the time. See!" Crysilis pointed at an Acaterran robot walking with its master.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    "Yet they only exist to serve humans," Vecto retorted.


    "That''s what makes you so different and unique. What other robot has emotions?" Crysilis pointed out. "Plus, you''ve got a sense of morality . . . You just stopped using it."


    Vecto paused. "I can mimic feelings, but I have no feelings. I can mimic morality, yet I have none. In what ways do I exist if not to serve?"


    Crysilis was taken aback by Vecto''s response. It wasn''t like Vecto to doubt himself. "Look, Vecto, I hate to break it to you, but maybe you need some help. Ever since Gyro died, your programming seems off. When we get to Azmeck''s, maybe he can take a look at you. He''s done that for you before, hasn''t he?"


    Vecto glanced away. "That is not necessary. I am fine."


    "Well, if you say so." Crysilis shrugged. "But don''t forget that you''re probably on the military''s hit list after what you pulled at police headquarters. You put us all in jeopardy by killing the SS6."


    "I am not worried."


    "Well, the least you could do is take up a better disguise than that red suit of yours," Crysilis suggested. "You''re not the best at blending in, Vecto."


    Vecto resumed his pace through the crowd. "You''re one to talk," he cut back, referring to his companion''s blue cybernetic body.


    Crysilis shook his head and looked back at Streamline, who was leaning on a rail curving around the vast campuslike space between buildings. He waved for him to come along and followed behind Vecto.


    Streamline was hardly a people person and disliked entering conversations. He stared at the lift vehicles passing above and then at the roadless walkways in boredom. He stretched, but something felt wrong, as if he was forgetting something. He glanced around and checked his gear and realized what was missing.


    "My Omega Blaster!" he shouted. "Where''s my gun?" He frantically scanned the area of people staring at him.


    "I just had it," he continued. "Who stole it?"

 Episode 2.3

    Vecto turned around, aggravated. Crysilis spun hastily, searching the crowd for the thief. It was Streamline''s prized possession-something they wouldn''t even dare tease him about.


    A woman, an old man, a child. No, it didn''t appear to be them. Crysilis and Streamline sifted through the busy crowd, briskly looking at the myriad of faces flashing by.


    Deciding to help out to speed the process, Vecto levitated into the air. His eyes, or simply his shield, locked on to a figure in a trench coat casually walking with the flow of traffic. He zoomed in to see the impression of a gun''s nozzle sticking out from the coat. The diameter and shape of the impression matched Streamline''s rifle. And the culprit: it was the guy he had bumped into!


    "Two o''clock," Vecto said loudly enough for Crysilis and Streamline to hear as passersby glanced around to see what was happening. Streamline ran that direction, and Vecto patched a comlink to him and Crysilis.


    "Wearing a black trench coat, 5-10, Caucasian, brown hair, around 17," Vecto said through comlink as he floated back down.


    "Hey you, kid!" Streamline yelled as he pushed over some people to get to him. The kid looked back and immediately donned a mask with a slit for his eyes before running.


    "Come back here, you little punk!" Streamline yelled, chasing after him.


    The kid was nimble, slithering through the crowd. He quickly spun over a rail and dropped to a lower level twenty feet below. He ran for a nearby building.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    Streamline took the upper route. He ran on the edge and leaped down, crashing to the surface in heavy armor. There-he saw the kid running up a set of moving steps, toward the building''s entrance. Streamline ran up the steps and through an entrance field that blocked outside weather but not people. As he passed through the weapon''s detector field, a beeping alarm sounded. Streamline assumed the kid had a weapons cloaking device and wished he had one. He glanced around the open-spaced, 36-foot-high room but couldn''t see the kid. There was a crowd, and the kid could easily blend in.


    "Excuse me, sir," a security guard said.


    Streamline didn''t have time for a weapons check. He pulled out his Turbo Blaster and fired a shot in the air. "Everyone, get down!" he yelled. People screamed, ran for cover, and ducked to the ground. But the thief didn''t. He ran up the stairs to the balcony. "I''ve got you now," Streamline said to himself and activated his jetpack. His boosters flared, and he flew to the balcony level and landed in front of the masked man.


    Streamline grabbed him by the arm and slammed him against the nearest wall. "Hand it over, kid!" he yelled. When no reply came, Streamline pushed the thief against the balcony handrail, then paced toward him, his Turbo Blaster aimed and ready.


    At that moment, the building''s alarm system blared. This distraction gave the kid time to unsling a wire from within his coat and fling it toward Streamline. Before Streamline could react, the wire had wrapped itself around Streamline''s gun and arm. The thief, meanwhile, had secured the other end of the wire to the balcony rail. Streamline was tethered like a dog at the end of a leash.


    The kid looked at Streamline''s aged battle armor and mused at how he bested a decorated soldier. "Later, old man!" The kid laughed as he ran off.


    "Why you . . . !" Streamline yelled, trying to yank his arm free. But the wire was unbreakable. Cursing, he pulled out his Disrupter Pistol and pointed it at the back of the fleeing kid. He had a clear shot. Yet he didn''t shoot.

 Episode 2.4

    The thief headed for the upper floors of the building as the alarm noise continued. When he approached an exit to the building, he slowed down to blend in with the crowd and passed through automated security. His black mask emitted electronic signals that fooled cameras and robots into seeing a human face. Regardless, he wasn''t the suspect.


    In a shooting situation, the invisible field that covered exits allowed everyone except a suspect to leave but not enter. It gave people a way to escape danger instead of being locked in with a shooter and potential bomber. Security robots used recognition and tracking software to pinpoint a shooter''s movements to prevent the suspect from leaving.


    The bandit halfway crossed an enclosed bridge to another building and stopped to glance out the glass to his left. He saw New Earth police vehicles swoop to the building and barricade the front entrance. At least he was safe . . . for now, he thought.


    "Where do you think you''re going?"


    The kid looked up to see a man in full cybernetic armor blocking his way.


    "Just hand it over, and we won''t hurt you," Crysilis said. "Well, not much."


    The kid shrugged. "OK. You win." He removed the weapon from his trench coat and presented it. However, when Crysilis reached to take it, the thief used the weapon to shoot the glass to his side, shattering it. He side-flipped though the jagged opening.


    "You little brat!" Crysilis rushed to the edge of the bridge as the glass automatically sealed. He saw the kid falling. The thief shot a hook to a nearby building and swung to the wall, then started climbing it.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    "He''s crazy!" Crysilis blurted. "Vecto, he''s scaling a building," he communicated through the comlink. "Don''t worry. I''ll take care of him."


    * * *


    The bandit pulled himself up to a ledge and looked down briefly. He was dizzy from the height but shook it off. Police lights strolled across the buildings, sunset was approaching, and frankly, the kid was getting tired.


    "There he is!" yelled the barely audible voice of a police soldier.


    Just my luck. Now I''m a suspect in the shooting! the kid thought. Climbing a building while wearing a mask certainly didn''t help.


    "We have you surrounded," a louder voice yelled through a speaker. "Surrender immediately!"


    The kid kept moving, sliding against the wall.


    "This is your last warning!" the officer yelled. "Surrender, or we''ll open fire!"


    "Oh great," the kid murmured to himself. He stopped next to a window and attached a device to it and stepped aside. Slowly, he lifted his arms in the air as if surrendering. But as he did, he clicked another device concealed in his palm. The window exploded. The police fired as the thief leaped through the shattered window and into what appeared to be a vacant storage room. Not that he took the time to catalogue his surroundings.


    He kept running, glancing back once to see a dual liftcopter swoop to his level and fire a missile at him. The kid spun around and leaped backward, tossing yet another device in the air. It attached to the missile and redirected its path. The missile curved inches from his face and executed a 180-degree turn, heading straight toward the copter.


    "Bail out!" the pilot yelled seconds before the liftcopter exploded. One of the two protruding anti-gravity propeller discs broke away and crashed through the glass, descending with the liftcopter''s remains.


    The kid rolled to a stop and took a quick breath. Why did they fire a missile into a building? he thought. Was he really that much of a threat? Perhaps they thought he was that tied-up soldier, he thought. That guy must be a mastermind criminal for them to be so forceful. Maybe the rifle he stole was worth more than he thought.


    He checked that he still had the rifle, then continued moving, taking an elevator to the upper floors. When he nearly got to the top, the elevator shut off, sounding an emergency signal.

 Episode 2.5

    Oh great! the kid thought, looking around him for an exit plan. He pulled out the Omega Blaster and blasted the roof of the elevator. Yet it did nothing but fire a stun pulse. It worked before, he thought. He looked over the gun and flipped one of its switches and tried again. This time, it blasted a hole in the roof and knocked him to the floor.


    Now that''s more like it, he thought as he pulled himself up to the roof of the elevator cab and looked for a cable. No cable-it used anti-gravity lift technology to travel on a vertical rail. So he climbed the old-fashioned way, using his gloves to adhere to the walls and pulling himself up with upper-arm strength.


    When he reached the top, the door was shut. The thief opened his trench coat one-handed and unsheathed a black, one-foot blade. Parts of a blade shifted, and it lengthened to the size of a sword. The kid stabbed it between the two doors. He slid a switch on the handle down and a second double blade rotated from the center, forcing the doors open. He was now on the rooftop. The space was used as a public garden. It had a variety of plant species, but there were no insects. Does the planet even have insects, he thought. Although the public had access to the area from the elevator, he didn''t see anyone else. He let out a sigh of relief and retracted his Crossblade into its compact form, then slipped it back into his trench coat.


    "I won, right?" Crysilis asked.


    "How the . . . ?" The thief looked behind him and stumbled.


    "It''s no use," Crysilis said. "Just hand over that stinkin'' weapon, OK, pal? You''re startin'' to get on my nerves. And, look, I''m trying to help you here-trying to save you from having Vecto find you. Believe me, you don''t want that."This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    In reply, the kid reached into his coat and tossed a smoke bomb at Crysilis. Once again, he ran, while the purple smoke solidified over Crysilis'' body, locking him into a cocoon.


    Meanwhile, Vecto used his outer shield to adhere to and climb the side of the building. When he reached the top, he flipped over the edge to see Crysilis in a cocoon. He analyzed the material, then saw the culprit standing on the edge of the roof with his arms folded.


    "Enough of this foolishness!" Vecto yelled at him, standing up.


    "Well said," the kid replied, looking over his shoulder and falling backward.


    Vecto rushed to the edge in time to see the kid land on a passing lift vehicle. The vehicle swerved, and the kid leaped on a truck that flew by.


    "Help!" Crysilis yelled. "Man stuck in cocoon here!"


    Vecto ignored him. "The nerve of that kid!" he said. He paused and sent coordinates for irregular transportation. In a flash, a vehicle shaped like a half spade transported beside him, resting on three spherical wheels. It was his Arc Velos XT, a vehicle he had nicknamed "V-Extreme." It was an old vehicle, bought years ago, yet it still worked like a charm.


    "Don''t worry. I''ll take care of him," Vecto repeated what Crysilis had said. The curved glasslike frame of the silver car slid forward like a jet''s cockpit to make room for a pilot. Vecto lifted himself in and sealed the frame, checking his vehicle''s gauges. It brought back memories, being in this car-memories of him racing Gyro, who was riding a liftcycle, the two of them chasing down a thief long ago. Now it seemed that history was repeating itself . . . only, his friend wasn''t here to share the moment.


    "Hey! Are you listening?" came Crysilis'' muffled voice. "You just gonna leave me here?"


    Vecto mentally commanded the vehicle to start, and its self-sustaining magnetic propulsive engine hummed to life. The V-Extreme turned on its wheels, then slowly lifted into the air with antigravity systems. Boosters flared, and it shot after the culprit.

 Episode 2.6

    I think I finally lost them, the kid thought, panting, lying flat on the top of a truck. He had changed vehicles seven times since leaping from the building, and he was now out of the city. Sitting up, he looked around him as the large transport vehicle moved through the sky, seemingly ignorant of his presence. Man, why did they have to be so persistent? he asked himself. Just for this old gun? Well, at least it has some market value. He sat his new Omega Blaster Rifle on his lap and watched the sun shine a hint of orange as it descended. Sunset was coming, and it had been a long day for him-yet another day of difficult thievery. Another day of daring, danger . . . and triumph. He spun the rifle around and pointed it in the air, laughing. But a glare caught his eyes.


    He looked down to see a silver vehicle rise up from behind the truck. It was following close behind, only inches away. As the vehicle drew level with him, twin guns lowered from below its nose, pointing directly at him.


    "You wouldn''t . . ." the kid said, shaking his head in disbelief, pointing at the civilian truck to warn him.


    But two blasts fired anyway. They missed the kid and pierced the truck, causing the autopiloted vehicle to swerve and reduce speed. The V-Extreme flew overhead as the thief reached in his cloak to grab a wire gun and shot Vecto''s ship. A wire connected to the underside of the V-Extreme and pulled the thief into the air.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "Persistent, isn''t he?" Vecto said to himself and flipped on his thrusters. As the wire reeled the kid in closer, Vecto''s back thrusters flared, melting it. The bandit lost his grip, and his left arm swung out, causing the stolen Omega Blaster to slip off his shoulder. He grabbed for it but missed. The rifle flipped in the air as it fell.


    "OK, that does it!" the kid yelled, furious that all his hard work had been lost. He reached for his Crossblade in his coat, but the wire he hung from snapped. Suddenly he was falling, following the rifle. Desperate, he unsheathed his compact sword, swung it, and detached the blade from the handle. Bingo. The blade extended and struck below the V-Extreme''s thrusters. The kid now dangled behind the vehicle from a thin-but-lengthy chain hooked to the blade.


    He hit the handle''s switch. The V-Extreme exploded. Shrapnel showered in the orange sky. The kid yanked his sword back with the chain and braced for a landing. Fortunately, he landed on a sloped roof-a solar panel in fact. He tumbled down the panel and rolled to a flattened part of the roof, coming to an abrupt stop. He was intact, but the fall hurt his shoulder.


    Slowly, he stood, holding his shoulder as he watched smoke disperse. The sun was setting, bleeding gorgeous colors across the sky. A slight wind flapped his trench cloak as he dropped the handle to his sword and clenched his gloved hand into a fist.


    Once again, it seemed safe for him to leave.

 Episode 2.7

    He walked toward the edge to make sure, but as he did so, he saw a red figure falling from the sky.


    The suited figure crashed to the rooftop in front of him, creating a small crater. Vecto was still alive. Slowly, he rose from the smoke, his suit flickering. Then the suit disappeared, revealing a mass of weaponry floating in the air.


    "What-what are you?" The kid stumbled back.


    The weapons dropped to the rooftop, leaving a single orb hovering in the air. It was accompanied by a small slab of graphite, which floated toward him.


    The kid watched as metallic pieces transported around the orb. First a chest piece, encompassing the orb, then a waist, followed by pieces of arms and legs. It formed the shape of a nearly 8-foot-tall humanoid robot, each piece hovering next to another instead of physically connected. The slab of graphite vibrated in the air and slung itself to the robot''s hand as if magnetized. It began to slowly disintegrate within his outer shield into the shape of a pencil, forming a sharp tip. The next thing the thief knew, a metallic hand had grabbed his collar and was lifting him in the air. The pencil was pointed at his eye.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    "Go ahead; I''m not afraid of you!" the kid yelled.


    "Where''s the gun, you swindle drifter?" Vecto demanded.


    "Look here . . . whatever you are. I only stole it ''cause I had to. I got a wife and family to feed and ain''t got no job. So give me a break, will ya?''


    Vecto restrained himself from stabbing the kid for having blown up his car. "The algorithms of your speech suggest you''re lying," he said. He disintegrated the rest of the graphite and reached for the kid''s mask, pulling it off his head.


    It revealed a clean-shaven face. The kid had slicked-back brown hair and purple eyes.


    "Hey! What do you think you''re doing? You just gave away my secret identity!"


    "That''s the idea," Vecto said. "Now, where''s the weapon?"


    "You know, it would be nice if you let me down," the kid said. "You do that, and I''ll tell you where the rifle is."


    Vecto grudgingly complied.


    As soon as he was on the ground, the thief jumped back, kicked up the handle of his Crossblade from the ground, and snatched it. He yanked the chain with the blade attached, slinging it in the air, then ran at Vecto, snatched the flying blade by one of its slots, and struck Vecto in the face with it. The chain retracted into the handle, reattaching the blade. Vecto remained still.


    "Enough!" Vecto responded. He knocked the sword from the thief''s hands and pounded the nozzle of his Blaster 3,000 gun into the kid''s chest, sending him flying. The kid crashed through a slanted glass window and fell out of sight, into the building.


    That''s for blowing up my car, Vecto thought.

 Episode 2.8

    "Crysilis, do you read me?" Vecto said through the comlink.


    "Yeah, finally got free, no thanks to you," Crysilis responded. "And man, you should see Streamline. He''s got a pole stuck to his arm." He laughed, then turned serious. "Any luck on the rifle?"


    Vecto transported three small orbs around him. "The kid must have dropped it in midair," he responded. He could hear gunfire through the comlink but knew that Crysilis and Streamline could take care of themselves. "I''m going to send some orbs to scout the area. Try not to get in too much trouble."


    "Same to you," Crysilis said while apparently running. "Well, gotta go. The police are after us, so we''ll be there when we can."


    "Affirmative," Vecto responded and disconnected the comlink. He dispatched the floating orbs and walked to the slanted part of the roof. He glanced down the hole to see if he could see the kid anywhere. But all he could see were storage crates. He switched to infrared and could now see him. He was directly below!


    The kid hung from a wire. At the sight of Vecto, he swung back up, past the robot and onto the roof. Rolling, he snatched his Crossblade, and swung it while flipping the switch to detach the blade from the handle. Vecto snatched the flying blade, but when he looked back, the bandit was gone. He turned around to see the kid heaving Vecto''s Alpha Detta Flint, pointing it at him. Vecto regretted leaving his weapons unguarded. He was overconfident that the kid couldn''t get by him.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "All right, game''s over!" the kid said, resting the long triangle-shaped weapon on his shoulder. "I''ll let you live if you let me have these weapons. And your friend can have his back, too."


    "Do you realize you''re holding a nuclear weapon?" Vecto said, dropping the blade.


    The thief looked at the huge weapon on his shoulder, a bit overwhelmed. Yet he kept it aimed at Vecto.


    "If you use that, my shields will protect me, and you''ll be the only one dead-as well as the people caught in its radius of 0.95 miles," Vecto explained, bluffing that his shields could withstand another one of the blasts so soon. "Do you want that?"


    The kid had second thoughts. He dropped the weapon and grabbed a chain gun from the ground.


    "That will not work either," Vecto said. "You want to try it?"


    The thief steadied the gun at him but didn''t fire.


    Vecto paced toward him. "What''s your name? You gave us quite a chase back there."


    "I ain''t gonna tell ya!" the kid snarled. "Now, stop right there, or I''ll shoot!"


    "How about I call you Chase?" Vecto said, stopping. "I''m Vecto." He reached his hand out to shake hands.


    The kid ignored the gesture. "You''ve got a strange name," he said. "But you know what? I kinda like Chase. C-H-A-I-S," he said. "Kinda sounds like ''Chance.''"


    Vecto ignored the misspelling. "Who is Chance?"


    "Huh. Only one of the greatest fighters on Zendora!" Chais said, carelessly gesturing with the gun. "Well, second to me when I best him."


    "Zendora?" Vecto was shocked at hearing that word again. "You mean you know where it is?"

 Episode 2.9

    "Zendora?" Vecto was shocked at hearing that word again. "You mean you know where it is?"


    "What if I do?" Chais said, holding the weapon upright again.


    Vecto stepped forward.


    "Take one more step, and I''ll fire!"


    Vecto did anyway.


    Bullets streamed from the chain gun as Vecto advanced. Smoke fumed from Vecto''s body as the bullets disintegrated on his shields. Calmly, the robot reached out and yanked the chain gun from Chais'' grasp. "Tell me where Zendora is, and perhaps I''ll let you keep my weapons," Vecto said, tossing the gun aside.


    Chais stepped back in shock, but looked at the weapons lying on the surface. It was quite some deal, he thought.


    "No tricks?" he asked.


    "Robots don''t lie," Vecto said, although that in itself was a lie.


    "Seems like finding Zendora must be pretty important to you," Chais said, scratching his chin.


    "That''s my affair," said Vecto. "Well? Where is it?"


    "Heck if I know." Chais shrugged. "I stowed away on a ship leaving the planet and can''t get back. Don''t even care, to tell you the truth."A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    "Someone must know how to get back," Vecto said. "Tell me, and I''ll spare your life."


    "I''m not scared of you!" Chais said. "Anyway, a minute ago you were going to trade me these weapons for that information. Now you''re going to kill me?"


    "Do you even know who I am?"


    "Vecto. Remember? You told me," Chais said. He gestured his hands in the air. "Look, a guy named Leroy Johnson might know where Zendora is. He''s a Zarlero master." He glanced away. "Wouldn''t train me, though."


    "Leroy . . . Where can I find him?" Vecto asked.


    "Lives at a farm about thirty miles west of here, past an abandoned factory site," Chais said, walking toward his sword.


    "Lead me there," Vecto ordered.


    Chais picked up his sword and looked it over. "You know, I guess you''re not that bad after all. Might let you join my fan club." He laughed. "And, um, sorry about blowing up your car and all."


    Vecto was silent.


    "Don''t worry. No attacks," Chais said, sheathing the blade. He exercised the muscles in his shoulder and walked to the edge of the building. The sun had buried itself into the distant horizon, and the last bit of sunlight faded in the distance. Chais looked down and felt dizzy. He dismissed his fear of heights. Even after scaling a building, climbing the wall of an elevator shaft, jumping off a roof, and leaping from one vehicle to the next, he still gets dizzy when he looks down.


    "Well, what''re you waitin'' for?" Chais asked, turning to look at Vecto. "Thought you wanted me to lead you to the guy."


    Vecto nodded silently. Leroy Johnson, he thought. That traitor.


    Below is an image of Chais!

 Episode 3.1

    At two o''clock in the morning the same night, Crysilis and Streamline stood in darkness, on a roof, looking down a hole using their infrared visors.


    "You think Vecto''s down there?" Streamline asked.


    Crysilis shrugged. "Well, he was here at last transmission. And I said we''d be here . . ."


    Streamline inspected the rooftop for clues as Crysilis gazed at the moonlit sky. A small message card adhered to the roof caught Streamline''s attention.


    "Over here," he said, picking up the plastic card and waving for Crysilis to come. He pressed the activation button and a Nexus screen appeared, floating holographic words above the card. It read: Dear wepons man and werd loking guy. sory bout stealin your gun. i kidnapped your frend and holding him for ransom. meet me her tomor at noon with 3,000 credits or els. your frendly thef. Streamline read it aloud but stumbled a few times due to spelling errors.


    "Is it that bad?" Crysilis asked. "I mean the note. I''m not worried about Vecto. He can handle himself."


    "Look for yourself. Seems he embedded a video as well." The card beeped, and the holographic screen changed.


    "Play saved clip?" a voice from the screen queried.


    "Sure, why not?" Streamline said. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    In response, a reporter in her mid-20s filled the Nexus screen. "Currently, the police are looking for this man," the woman said as a close-up picture of Streamline was displayed. "Apparently, this armed man stormed into Greenback World Bank and attempted to rob it." A security camera clip of Streamline followed, showing him firing a shot in the air and yelling for everyone to get down. "According to police, a brave citizen allegedly foiled his plans and tied him to a rail until their arrival, but the attempted robber escaped," the woman said as Streamline was shown sawing the rail with a laser knife. "Police have identified him as a Diamese knight going by the name Streamline. He is described as a 38-year-old male, 6 feet 8 inches tall and wearing full body armor, brown in color. The police also have said that a liftcopter was dispatched in an attempt to arrest the attempted robber but was destroyed in pursuit. Streamline is considered extremely dangerous, and citizens are asked to report any sightings of him to authorities."


    The video clip stopped, and another screen popped up in haste.


    "Are you serious?" Streamline said. "I''m a wanted man now! And they''ve got it all wrong!"


    "Not so fast. There''s a new feed that just dropped in," Crysilis said as he touched the screen.


    "Just in. Police have released information that confirms that members of the Alpha Squad killed the entire SS6 Formation," the woman said. "They have identified their leader as Vecto Botland, a robot that was once part of the old Alpha Squad of 4 years ago-a group best known for saving Acaterra from a 9-foot-tall cyborg named Morphaal. Police have also confirmed that Streamline, who apparently attempted robbery hours ago at Greenback World Bank, is a member of the A.S. and was at the scene when the SS6 Formation was killed. They are both classified as extremely dangerous and are still at large. Any whereabouts of these fallen heroes should immediately be reported to authorities."


    Streamline shut the Nexus screen off and threw the card aside. "Great-just great! What are we gonna do now?"

 Episode 3.2

    Streamline shut the Nexus screen off and threw the card aside. "Great-just great! What are we gonna do now?"


    "At least I''m out of the picture!" Crysilis said.


    Streamline narrowed his eyes. "Just shut up, will ya?" He sat down on the rooftop. "How would you like it if your weapon was stolen and you were the one made out to be a criminal?"


    Crysilis paused. He had never really cared much about his weapons, but he thought it best to keep quiet. He knew Streamline missed his Omega Blaster. Streamline had his head lowered, looking over his Turbo Blaster for scratches with the help of a little light from his helmet.


    Crysilis let Streamline sulk and wandered to the edge of the roof. He doubted the kid thief could have captured Vecto, so it was only logical to assume that Vecto had willingly gone with him. Perhaps Vecto had a better lead to finding Morphaal. And since Vecto had disconnected his transmission link, they couldn''t follow him. Of course, neither could the Acaterran government. All the same, separating the team, when they were supposed to go to Azmeck''s condominium to ask about Zendora, was irresponsible of him. The old Vecto wouldn''t have done it, Crysilis thought.


    They have a mission to find Morphaal, and it was important that they remained a team, especially when distractions led them astray. Perhaps they were chasing after false leads. If so, he feared that Vecto would further distance himself from others, trusting no one. He could pick the wrong battles and take a detour that leads him on the wrong path. He had to find Vecto and keep an eye on him, he thought. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Sighing, he looked around the fake moonlit sky, wondering where Vecto had gotten to. In the distance, a small flying orb caught his eye. Below the orb, a rifle was suspended.


    Crysilis did a double-take. "Hey, Streamline! I found your gun!" he yelled, hardly believing his eyes.


    "Don''t be mess''n with me!" Streamline said with his head low.


    "I''m not kidding! Look!"


    Streamline gradually stood and dragged his way over to him. Sure enough, his Omega Blaster was hovering in the air, wobbling toward them. The orb swung above them and dropped the rifle. Before it landed, Streamline leaped forward, grabbed the strap, and rolled to his feet.


    Crysilis looked over to see Streamline inspecting the rifle and shook his head. He returned his attention to the orb.


    "Where''s your master?" Crysilis asked the device.


    "He is detected approximately 14 miles from here, westbound," a squeaky robotic voice responded.


    "West? But that''s toward the abandoned factory," Crysilis said. He glanced back at Streamline, who was still examining his gun. "Come on, Stream. We''ll have to go to Azmeck''s later. If the military gets ahold of Vecto, they''ll . . ." He paused and couldn''t think of an answer.


    Streamline stood, twirling his Omega Blaster. "I''m more worried about them," he said, echoing Crysilis'' thoughts.

 Episode 3.3

    Meanwhile, Vecto and Chais conversed about the universe as they walked through an abandoned factory site. They were bored, as they had traveled late hours in the night, and Vecto wanted to know more about Zendora, while Chais was curious about Earth.


    "So you''re telling me that Earth used to have forests, oceans, and mountains like Zendora?" Chais asked as he lugged a bag full of Vecto''s weapons over his shoulder.


    "If that is what Zendora looks like," Vecto said, "then yes, old Earth has resemblances-like various parts of Acaterra."


    "And so the planet got destroyed?"


    "Not completely," Vecto corrected, shining a light from his chest so they could see. "Although the surface is scorched, the oceans desiccated, and the gravity overbearing, there are still people who reside there called Nagorians. They are a formidable ninja clan and use zero point energy for their survival. I had a teammate, Shadow, who was one of them."


    "What''s that zero thing?" Chais asked.


    "Zero point energy is the fundamental energy source that powers everyday technology and is used offensively in weapons such as these," Vecto said, lifting his Blaster 3,000. It exists everywhere, is the absence of matter, and can be subtracted from its dimension for use." To demonstrate, Vecto formed energy inside his gun and fired a blast at a nearby crate, blowing it up.


    "And so you''re from Acaterra?"


    "Negative. I originate from Planet Cubix, Icon System 532, Parallel Universe Geom," Vecto stated.


    "Parallel universe? What''s that? Another dimension?"This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    Vecto fell silent and lowered his head.


    "Come on, man, I''ve lived isolated on Zendora my whole life. What do you expect?" Chais reminded him as they walked alongside a molecularly charged fence.


    Vecto resumed. "It is another massive plane of space other than the Central Universe we are in. The Dinishmen were the first to discover the existence of these planes and originally considered them as other dimensions. In addition to this universe, there are seven universes known to man rotating around it in a similar manner to a solar system. The void space between the Central Universe and parallel universes is called the innerverse, and beyond that is the outerverse. They comprise the omniverse, roughly 253 teraparsecs in diameter."


    "Whoa, really? The universe is that big?"


    "You mean this does not bore you?" Vecto questioned.


    "Nah, not at all, man," Chais said. He adjusted the sack over his back as they walked across an empty parking lot. "So . . . who are these Dinishmen people you mentioned?"


    "They are a genetically altered race of people who live on Cubix. They are known for their acute intelligence and innovative inventions. I was created by a Dinishmen named Vic. They are only this tall." Vecto stopped and floated his hand to three feet from the ground.


    It caused Chais to crack a smile. "Man, that''s awesome." He yanked the bag of weapons over his shoulder some more to prevent it from sliding. "You know, when I came to this planet, I was shocked being on this whole new world, and to think there are even others out there with people living on ''em. But you know what gets me the most? That humans could create a planet of their own like this."


    "Not quite," Vecto corrected him. "As uncanny as it sounds, a telekinetic race of blue humanoids called Asterites were instrumental in Acaterra''s construction-which consisted of asteroids from the main belt; dwarf planets Ceres, Pluto, and Eris; several planetary satellites, and the Trojan asteroid belt-lured by a massive gravity well. Thus their name, Asterites."


    "You mean these guys are blue?"


    "Indeed, by skin pigment alone. They are one of the most noble and respected races in the omniverse, and are even guardians of the Gateway."


    "The Gateway?"


    "Yes, the portal of time," Vecto said, lowering his head as they walked. "Perhaps I have told you too much."


    * * *


    Not far off, an assassin clad in chameleon military armor-currently camouflaged black-peered through a sniper rifle scope at Vecto from one of the dilapidated buildings.

 Episode 3.4

    Not far off, an assassin clad in chameleon military armor-currently camouflaged black-peered through a sniper rifle scope at Vecto from one of the dilapidated buildings.


    The killer was positioned on one knee. The sniper''s right eye, a mechanical one, scanned Vecto in the dark.


    "That''s him, all right," Axe whispered. The orb in his chest gave it away, plus his Blaster 3,000 gun, despite the new body of his he must have built. The mercenary steadied the sniper rifle through the broken glass and lined it with his Flummox Capacitor orb visible from a slit in his chest.


    * * *


    "Anyway, I tried for the SS6 but couldn''t get in that, either," Chais said.


    Vecto kept silent.


    "So I ain''t got no choice but to work through the black market," Chais continued, flipping a coin-sized disc in his hand. "Not that I like it, but the cost of livin'' is pretty high around here."


    Vecto snatched the white disc in the air and looked over it. "This is no toy," he said. He reattached the disc to his gun, wondering how Chais had managed to take it without him knowing.


    Chais shrugged and continued walking. An awkward silence followed.


    Vecto had wondered if Chais were lying about Zendora, but he analyzed the chances of meeting someone from Zendora, and they were surprisingly in his favor. If Chais had left that planet, as he claimed, he was likely banned. The planet most likely to be traveled to was Acaterra due to its perceived opportunities, but without identification, the chances were high that he would resort to stealing to survive. Weapons had the highest price on the black market due to a planet-wide ban for unauthorized citizens, and the most likely place to find them was at the capital, where policeman and soldiers were stationed. Plus, Streamline would have been a prime target, and it was at the right time of day for theft since work shifts were changing. Vecto concluded that Chais likely lived in this abandoned factory because of his familiarity with the area. He decided not to confirm this. He didn''t want to insult the thief''s pride. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    "So," Vecto cautiously said. "What do you want to do in life?" It was a question he had asked himself many times but didn''t have an answer for.


    It caught Chais off guard. He stopped and looked up at the sky. "I dunno . . . I just gotta keep trainin''. Gotta work harder. And I''ll be something one day." Chais rambled on, determined to prove himself to others. "And you know what? I-"


    The sound of a gunshot stopped the conversation. A bullet had struck Vecto''s shield at his chest. It blew up, spewing a burst of flame, causing Vecto to stumble. Chais jumped back and drew his sword.


    "Don''t worry, it''s just a gnat," Vecto said, raising his gun. He zoomed in to target the sharpshooter. The sniper was on the forth floor of a building 98 yards away. With a single burst, Vecto fired a charged zero point energy blast at his target.


    * * *


    Axe quickly retracted the rifle and sped down the hall as the blast shot through the glass. The sniper slid to a stop and spun behind a pillar as the ball exploded, shattering glass from the building. Removing a mask from a pouch, Axe slid it on and activated a heat signature masking device. The explosion calmed as dust and small flakes from the roof sprinkled overhead. The sniper looked back to see that section of the building destroyed.


    So his shield is activated, Axe thought, flipping open a case and removing a long nozzle. Axe spun the nozzle on the rifle, grabbed a magazine of different bullets and snapped them into place. Rushing to a broken window, the assassin once again readied the sniper gun at Vecto.

 Episode 3.5

    "That should do the job," Vecto said, turning away.


    "Dude, you just blew up the whole side of the building!" Chais kept his distance, looking for the one who had shot Vecto.


    More bullets struck Vecto, this time in the back. Vecto was annoyed now and spun around, changing to rapid fire, spitting chains of bullets at the building. Axe sprinted alongside the shattering windows, sniping him along the way, running as ammo flew by.


    Vecto stopped. He was covered in bullets that were now releasing gases in the air.


    "I''d stay back if I were you," Vecto said to Chais, motioning him to step away even more. The gases swarmed around Vecto, blocking his view. And then the small particles ignited, creating miniature fireworks around Vecto. Yet Vecto''s shield withstood the firepower. He emerged from the chaotic flames only to see a rocket launcher headed for Chais.


    "Watch out!" Vecto yelled. He tackled Chais to the ground and expanded his shields to protect him. The launcher impacted the shield, forming a mushroom-effect explosion, destroying the particle-bound pavement and ground underneath them. Chais slid down the crater, gripping his throat. He couldn''t breathe in the shields. He looked down to see skin flaking off his hand. Even the ground was disintegrating into loose particles. At last, the shield contracted to Vecto, and Chais took a swallow of fresh air, leaning up from the rocks that were still tumbling down the crater. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    "What in blazes kind of shield d''you got?" Chais asked, coughing. "That thing just suffocated me!"


    "Be grateful I saved your life," Vecto said, scanning the building for movement as he marched up from the crater. He locked on to his target and activated his gun''s main teleportation disc. A missile shot out from the flat disc inside the gun, streaming the attacker''s way.


    * * *


    "His shield''s still up?" Axe was taken aback. Seeing the missile coming, the expert assassin tossed flares out the window to blow it up. Axe then ducked as the projectile exploded and sent shrapnel flying overhead. Time for plan C, the killer thought, keeping low, reaching back into a case.


    Axe ejected the current magazine and slid a single shell through the back of the sniper rifle, then stood back up in the smoke and fired at Vecto''s chest.


    The bullet struck his shield. Vecto looked down as the bullet created a dimensional rift to phase through it. It passed through and blew up inside.


    Axe nodded in victory, but the smoke inside Vecto''s shield cleared enough to show the robot still there.


    "Multiple shields." Vecto''s voice echoed around the assassin. "Give up."


    In a desperate attempt, Axe reached into a dark bag and lifted a nuclear warhead missile launcher in the air, aiming it at Vecto.

 Episode 3.6

    In a desperate attempt, Axe reached into a dark bag and lifted a nuclear warhead missile launcher in the air, aiming it at Vecto.


    "I guess that''s a no," Vecto stated, remaining still. Then I have no choice, he thought, cutting off the light from his chest. He knew that the missile launcher was empty and used as a bluff to keep him from attacking, but he was tired of playing games.


    Where''d he go? Axe thought. The assassin''s mechanical eye scanned the area, using infrared. But instead of Vecto, it picked out a small missile approaching. The missile had fired from a compartment in Vecto''s foot and was randomly swirling, tossing in the air at a slow speed, almost drunklike. Axe scanned the Foot Missile to check its explosive content.


    A thousand pounds! the sniper thought. The whole building''s gonna explode! Looking for an exit, Axe left some weapons behind and jumped through the window, using arm shields to prevent cuts from the shattering glass. The sniper tumbled in the sky, feeling the wind zip by, watching the ground get closer. In a quick shift, the assassin snatched an orb hanging from a belt clip and hurled the ball below. It struck the surface and expanded, creating a burst of illuminating purple foam to break the fall. Axe flipped backward and landed on it, bouncing from the cushion. The downed fighter then reached out as an arm-attached umbrella shield formed. In one deep breath, Axe locked the arm-gear in place and sunk into the foam. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    The delayed explosion severed the whole roof from the factory building. Axe''s ears throbbed from the sonic boom. Slabs of burning metal fell from the sky, raining down on the arm shield. A large chunk stabbed the surface beside the shield as another crashed on top, flattening the foam and sending threads of it in the air like feathers.


    Luckily, the metal wall remained stationary and didn''t collapse from the burning building. Axe looked around as tiny shards, dust, and purple threads sprinkled around. Light from the flames danced across Axe''s armor, now camouflaged purple. The killer was still alive, with a heavy piece of the roof crushing the assassin''s legs.


    "Checkmate," a voice said. Chais stood over Axe and pointed his extended Crossblade inches from the assassin''s face mask. He slid a switch on the sword handle and two blades flipped out from the sides, forming an "X" from Axe''s viewpoint.


    "Who are you? And why are you going after us?" Chais asked.


    Axe coughed from the dust and responded in a hoarse voice. "They call me Axe."


    Chais leaned over and yanked off the assassin''s mask, revealing the attempted killer''s identity.

 Episode 3.7

    Axe coughed from the dust and responded in a hoarse voice. "They call me Axe."


    Chais leaned over and yanked off the assassin''s mask, revealing the attempted killer''s identity.


    "But I call myself Accura," the female continued, grunting in pain from the slab of roof on her legs. It was pointless to hide her identity anymore. Vecto had probably already matched her face with public records, and looked up her file, too.


    "You mean you''re a chick?" Chais stumbled back, shocked at her beauty. She had brown, silky skin with her hair straightened and tied in the back. She appeared to be from African and Japanese decent, and Chais was curious why she had a mechanical eyeball.


    "Don''t you realize?" She grunted, pointing at Vecto. "That machine is wanted. He killed the entire SS6 Formation. And it''s my job to take him out!"


    Chais fell silent, his mouth open, shocked at what she had said. "You mean he killed the SS6?" Chais asked, looking back at the approaching Vecto, then at Accura. "What for?"


    "How should I know? Why don''t you ask him yourself?" Accura spat, trying to lift the slab on top of her. "Seeing you''re his new accomplice, you''ll be get''n jail time."The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Chais once again looked at Vecto. The robot''s tall figure stepped beside them, looming over them both.


    "Is this true?" Chais asked, raising his sword to point at Vecto instead.


    "Yes, she is correct," Vecto responded in a monotone.


    "And if I was accepted into the SS6, you would''ve killed me, too?"


    "They were working for Sable, who had revived Morphaal," Vecto explained. "They were just as corrupt."


    "And what about you? Doesn''t killing them make you just as guilty? They probably didn''t even know what Sable was up to!"


    "I did what was necessary," Vecto explained. "You do not understand."


    Chais looked away and glanced down at Accura, who was suffering from the slab of metal crushing her. "You''re right. I don''t," he said. "I guess I''m better off than you after all."


    "What do you mean?" Vecto was confused.


    "Just go. Find your own way to Leroy''s!" Chais said, grabbing the edge of the metal on Accura to try and lift it off her.


    "You do not understand," Vecto repeated.


    "I said leave me alone!" Chais yelled, straining to help Accura.


    Vecto paused, turning his head to look at Chais'' efforts to help the enemy. She was just as corrupt, too, because the Acaterran government had likely hired her. He hovered his hand under the metal and yanked up on it, flipping the metal off her. The metal slammed to the surface, stirring more dust and purple foam threads in the air.


    "Very well then," Vecto responded. He turned and walked off, stepping away from the destruction behind him, pacing through the purple threads as they showered around him and snuffed out scattered flames.

 Episode 4.1

    "So how are your legs feelin''?" Chais asked Accura as he carried her in his arms with a bag of weapons strapped around his back.


    "They''re broken! How else can it feel?" Accura said. "Besides, you shouldn''t be carrying me. I''ll manage."


    "How? By crawling?" Chais laughed. "So what did you say your name is?"


    "Accura," she responded, folding her arms.


    "Sorry ''bout puttin'' that sword in your face. I thought you were a-I mean, the enemy . . . at first."


    "Um. Thanks," she said, grunting a bit. She turned her head to get her bearings straight. "Look. You can put me down now. Police will be here soon to take me to the hospital."


    "Police? Why didn''t you tell me that earlier?" Chais asked rhetorically. He looked for a place to set her down, found a crate and laid her on it.


    "Ugh!" Accura winced in pain. "Thanks," she said, trying not to think of her legs.


    Chais surveyed the area for police and tightened the strap to his weapons. "Well, I guess this is the end of the road for me. I''ll see ya soon."


    "Hey, wait a sec!" Accura said as he started to leave. "I didn''t get your name." If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Chais stopped and looked back. "Just call me Chais." He waved good-bye and jogged away.


    He hadn''t gone far before someone else called him.


    "Hey, you!" a familiar voice yelled. "Where''s Vecto?"


    Chais spun around to see Crysilis standing in front of him and Streamline running to catch up.


    "Oh, uh, hey, guys," Chais stammered. "I see you found your gun," he said to Streamline. "Did ya''ll bring the credits?"


    Accura sat up on the crate and saw Streamline, recognizing him as the attempted bank robber. "Hold it right there!" she yelled and reached for the handgun at her side. It was missing.


    Streamline ignored her.


    Chais sheepishly smiled with his back turned to her and twirled her gun in his hand, slipping it in his trench coat.


    Crysilis watched him hide the weapon and noticed the large bag of munitions over his back. "I see you''re still at your thievery games," he said.


    Streamline pointed his Omega Blaster at him. "Now, where''s Vecto?"


    "Whoa. Geez! Calm down," Chais said, raising his arms in the air. "He went that way." He pointed behind him. "He''s headed for Leroy Johnson''s farm."


    "Leroy?" Crysilis repeated, recalling that name.


    "Yeah, the Zarlero master," Chais said. "He''ll take care of that robot jerk!"


    Crysilis placed his hand on Streamline''s Omega Blaster as if to say that Chais wasn''t worth a bullet. "Come on, let''s go."


    Streamline kept his eyes on Chais while pacing around him, backing up with his rifle still aimed at him. "You''re lucky, kid!'' Streamline said, and ran after Crysilis.


    "Come back here!" Accura yelled, struggling to move her legs. She heard sirens echoing in the distance and was somewhat relieved, but she knew they couldn''t catch Streamline in time.


    "Well, see ya!" Chais waved a hand in the air and ran in the dark toward the abandoned alleys of the factory.


    "Hey, you too!" Accura yelled. "I want to know where my gun is, you thief!"

 Episode 4.2

    With every step, Vecto recalled memories of Leroy. "Leroy Johnson," he repeated, loathing that name. The word "traitor" came to mind as his feet stomped along a grassy path squeezed between cornfields. It was almost dawn now as orange, yellow, and red tinted the sky. In every battle that had ravaged Acaterra, Leroy had stayed at his farm, not fighting, as hundreds of men died protecting New Earth. And yet all of Leroy''s enormous power went to waste-tilling the ground, Vecto thought. How selfish of him.


    Vecto cleared the cornfield and saw a log cabin in the distance on a slight hill, surrounded by fields of grass and fruit trees. This was the place all right, Vecto thought. His translucent shields were tainted with yellow as they formed an inch over his hovering body parts, the first shield around his Flummox Capacitor orb, the second coating his body, and the third layered over for expansion. The pieces of his body contracted to lower his height to 7 feet tall, and his shield began to shape into a human form, fleshing color and changing texture. He soon looked like a tall, bulky human-very convincingly.


    He continued his journey up the hill and arrived at the cabin. To his left was a white-bearded man wearing black overalls and a white shirt. He was bulky, Amish-like in appearance, and wore a black top hat. Standing beside a carriage, he scooped hay into it with a three-pronged pitch fork. He stopped his task to stare as Vecto walked by.


    To Vecto''s right, a sheepdog ran with its tongue flapping in the air, chasing a rabbit.


    And straight ahead was Leroy, leaning against the wooden post of his porch with his arms crossed. The wide brim of his straw hat shielded his eyes as if he were asleep. He wore his usual outfit: blue overalls and a dirty-white T-shirt. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    Leroy tapped his hat upward and smirked, chewing a peace of straw dangling from his mouth. He delighted in the fresh morning smell of his farm as birds chirped and a rooster crowed. Finally he greeted his new guest. "Howdy!" he said in a country accent.


    "Leroy Johnson," Vecto slowly pronounced. "It has been a while . . . I didn''t think you would still live here after all these years."


    Leroy smiled. He looked to be in his thirties, as if he hadn''t aged a day in four years since Vecto had first met him.


    "Ah, Vecto Bot," Leroy said, seeing through Vecto''s disguise. "Been some years, ain''t it? So what''s a robot like you doin'' in these parts?"


    "Just passing through. I heard you know where Zendora is." Vecto restrained himself from fighting. He removed his disguise to conserve power and revealed his body made of silver pieces.


    "Zendora, you say? And what of it?" Leroy asked, stroking his clean-shaven face.


    "I need to know where it is." Vecto stressed his words. "It''s important."


    Leroy tipped his hat again. "Must be, I reckon. But I ain''t gonna help ya." He pushed off the post and walked toward his screen door. Now that he wasn''t slouching, it was clear that he was almost as tall as Vecto.


    Vecto raised his Blaster 3,000 at him. "You know where it is. So tell me!"


    Leroy shook his head, not even looking back. "Tsk, tsk. A little obsessed, might ya say?"


    "You could''ve helped us kill Morphaal!" Vecto yelled. "All this wouldn''t have happened. Innocent people wouldn''t have died, Morphaal wouldn''t be coming back, and Gyro would still be alive!"


    Leroy glanced back. "I cain''t undo the past, kiddo."


    "You coward!" Vecto fired.


    Leroy spun around and smacked the energy blast away with his bare hand. The speed had flipped the brim of his hat up some, revealing blue eyes covered by rugged reddish-brown hair.

 Episode 4.3

    "You coward!" Vecto fired.


    Leroy spun around and smacked the energy blast away with his bare hand. The speed had flipped the brim of his hat up some, revealing blue eyes covered by rugged reddish-brown hair.


    "Tell ya what. I''ll let ya vent your anger." Leroy stepped down from the porch to face Vecto. "You win, I''ll tell you. I win, ya gotta stay for brunch."


    "I don''t eat," Vecto said.


    "Didn''t say ya had to," Leroy said with a smirk.


    "It''s agreed," Vecto acknowledged, readying his blaster. "Your move."


    Leroy twisted his hat snug on his head. "I ain''t the one ask''n. So gimme yer best shot."


    Instead of firing, Vecto sprinted at Leroy, moving in a blur as he pounded his shielded fist in Leroy''s face, causing a wave of loose sticks on the ground to ripple in the air and hay to tumble from the nearby carriage-all from the force of the strike.


    Yet Leroy''s head was only slightly tilted, with Vecto''s fist still pressing against his jaw. The straw from his mouth, on the other hand, was missing. In response, he pounded his palm at Vecto''s chest, sending him sliding across the grass.


    Vecto looked down, baffled by the man''s strength; he was even stronger than Vecto remembered.


    "Eh, Jebadiah!" Leroy yelled over to his fellow farmer.


    "Yes, master!" The Amish-looking guy dropped to his knees and bowed.


    "Wha? Ain''t I tell ya not to bow and call me ''master''?"The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "My apologies, Mr. Johnson," the bulky guy said in a well-spoken tone. "What do you ask of me?"


    Leroy glanced at Vecto, who seemed to be charging his Blaster 3,000. He then looked back at Jebadiah and smiled.


    "Ya gotta tend to the chickens now, boy," Leroy said. "We gotta fix this fella some good ole eggs for brunch."


    Jebadiah bowed and walked off as Vecto took offense at that comment and fired his charged shot. The blast, however, froze in midair, inches before Leroy''s face. It bowed and changed directions. Leroy watched the energy soar upward, then clenched his fist. As he did so, the energy exploded.


    Vecto watched the zero point energy trickle down like fading fireworks, knowing good and well how Leroy had stopped it.


    "Still sharp on your telekinesis, I see," Vecto stated. "But we both know you can''t move me and my shields."


    Leroy shook his head. "Only by fist, my boy . . . only by fist."


    Vecto came at him again, this time swinging low, striking Leroy''s side. He raised the nozzle of his blaster and fired at point-blank range.


    The energy sent Leroy sliding back, his white shirt now torn and a red burn mark imprinted on his chest. A human would have died from that blast, but Leroy was no human-he was Zarlero.


    "Ya shield''s turnin'' yellow, my boy," Leroy said, shaking his head in dismay as he folded his hands behind his back. "It gets''a yellow when it''s mad."


    "I don''t get angry!" Vecto yelled back, running at Leroy and launching his fist in a succession of rapid strikes. Leroy skipped back, dodging each blow.


    "Then why d''ya got those feelin''s?" Leroy asked as he kicked Vecto, sending him flying into the air.


    "Patterns and mimics, only," Vecto replied as he hovered in the air. "A false reality for a disposable machine, is all!" Compartments swung open from his floating arms, and small missiles launched Leroy''s way.


    The farmer leaped in the air as the missiles exploded below him. He flew at Vecto and elbowed him in the head, then spun around, kicking Vecto back toward the ground as gravity nudged him down. Vecto''s large feet crashed to the surface. He fell to one knee, holding his chest. Leroy, however, lightly floated to his toes.


    "Can ya hear it? Your shield''s a'' cry''n. It''s a'' akin''," Leroy warned Vecto. "Every hit I make puts ya in pain. If you ain''t listenin'' to it, it''ll feed from anger."


    "Foolishness," Vecto said, standing up. "My body only acts on programmed responses learned from humans. I am nothing more than a shielded block of metal with a CPU."


    "It ain''t so, kiddo," Leroy said, lumbering toward Vecto. "You got a life in those shields."

 Episode 4.4

    As the battle continued at Leroy''s ranch, Crysilis and Streamline went in circles trying to find where Leroy could be. It should have been a straight shot, but the earlier darkness had confused Crysilis.


    "How are we going to find this place if we don''t even know what it looks like?" Crysilis asked as they walked through a forest.


    "Dunno. So, what''s the guy like?" Streamline asked as he stepped over a snake slithering by his feet.


    "Hm, let''s see. Tall, like you and Vecto, sort of country looking," Crysilis explained, brushing away a low branch.


    "What does he do?" Streamline continued. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "He''s a farmer, I think. Doesn''t like technology."


    "What''s with us being in this forest?"


    Crysilis thought about it. "Good question."


    Streamline stopped to lean against a thick tree and look up at the branches and leaves blocking the sun. "You know, now that the sun''s up, you can hover in the sky and look for a farm. That''ll be the easiest thing to do."


    Crysilis paused at that thought. "You know what? That''s brilliant! Why didn''t I think of it?"


    Streamline shrugged.


    In a flash, Crysilis teleported into the sky. His antigravity suit function kicked in, keeping him suspended. Shielding his helmet''s blue visor from the glare, he scanned the horizon. The sun was to his right, so the farm should be to his left. In the distance, he saw a hill filled with crops. There was a lake nearby and mountains behind it-a stark contrast to the murky factory landscape they had left behind. That had to be where Leroy''s farm was, he thought. As he lowered himself back to the forest, he heard an explosion from that direction.


    Yep, that''s the place, he thought.

 Episode 4.5

    "What in Sam Hill ya think yer doin''?" Leroy asked as he dodged rapid blasts from Vecto''s gun, noticing that Vecto''s rage was resulting in the destruction of the forest below. "Have ya lost yer marbles?"


    "I''m not going mad!" Vecto yelled, delivering an uppercut in midair.


    Leroy shrugged off the punch and followed through with a roundhouse kick that sent Vecto tumbling toward the lake.


    Vecto quickly regained balance and activated his thrusters, stopping above the lake. Water gushed up from beneath him as waves rippled away on all sides. "Even before the Alpha Squad was formed, you could have killed Morphaal!" Vecto yelled, hovering over the water. "Then Gyro wouldn''t have died. You could have saved us all from Morphaal''s murderous path of destruction!"


    "And you all A.S. wouldn''t be," Leroy said, using telekinesis to hover in the air. "Ya said it yourself. Ya''ll A.S. came int''a bein'' just to beat Morphaal." You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    "I don''t care about that!" Vecto roared. His shields glowed a darker yellow as he thrust his fists downward, causing the water to shoot up again. This time, Vecto''s shields formed a sphere around him, digging into the water as carbon atoms sucked into the mysterious Force Field Shields. Carbon that was absorbed in the water from sunlight rose from the lake as the air swirled around Vecto, supplying his shields with power. "You''re a traitor!" Vecto yelled, dashing across the water and jumping to strike Leroy.


    He came at Leroy and did a backward flip, bringing his foot up with an arc of dry ice trailing behind. His Air-to-Ice system at the sole of his foot pressurized and froze carbon dioxide as he kicked Leroy in the face.


    Vecto executed punches and kicks as Leroy tried to block them. A few hits got through, and Leroy''s straw hat flew off.


    Blood ran from Leroy''s mouth. He punched Vecto aside the head, knocking him back. Then he dropped down and snatched his floating hat, settling it back on his head to hide his shaggy hair.


    "I cain''t leave these parts, Vecto," Leroy explained.


    Vecto didn''t care what he had to say. He fired zero point energy blasts down at Leroy.


    Leroy swooped low, flying over the water as the blasts scattered around him, gushing water in the air. "I cain''t leave!" Leroy yelled. "Or I ain''t got no power. I couldn''t beat Morphaal!"

 Episode 4.6

    Vecto continued his rampage, firing at Leroy as he flew past the blasts. "There''s no bailing out of this one, Leroy." Vecto rapidly fired at him, locking on to him. Leroy spun around and came at Vecto head-on. He dodged Vecto''s blasts and pounded Vecto''s chest. He pounded again as Vecto''s shields vibrated. Then he pressed with his other hand and phased his fingers through the shields. Vecto swung with his arm at Leroy but was stopped by energy blocking the side of Leroy''s head. Vecto quickly expanded his exterior shield and encompassed Leroy between his two outer shields, suspending his body in between.


    "It will only take time before my shields devour the carbon from your body," Vecto said.


    "Ain''t you curious-how I slipped through ya shields?" Leroy asked.


    "I don''t care at this point," Vecto said. "My only concern is to find Morphaal and kill him. Are you going to tell me where Zendora is?"


    "Well, I''ll be a monkey''s uncle. So Morphaal knows the road to Zendora, you say?" Leroy said inside Vecto''s shield, his tough skin barely flaking. "Doesn''t bode well." If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    "And yet you won''t tell me where Zendora is or even fight Morphaal, you coward!" Vecto said.


    "How many times I gotta tell ya? I cain''t leave these parts, boy," Leroy said. "I put my energy, my life force, my chi, into this here land. And only when I''m around here can I use my power."


    "That''s improbable," Vecto said.


    "Ya got a lot t'' learn, my boy," Leroy said. He focused his chi energy in the air on the other side of Vecto''s shield, and the energy began to destabilize the outer shield. Soon, Leroy was able to slip through, exiting the bubble he was in.


    Vecto was baffled, unable to analyze the technique.


    "Good ole chi is life, an'' carbon builds that life," Leroy explained, tipping his straw hat and noticing that Vecto''s shields had eaten part of it. "Ya shield''s alive and sucks carbon to live. But there''s two sides of chi: good and bad. That pain ya feel when I strike means ya shields are growin'' negative, you hear?"


    "How''d you pass through the shield?" Vecto asked.


    "By forcin'' an opposite chi level against your shield''s, neutralizin'' it," Leroy continued. "Like I said, my life''s around me."


    "It is quite difficult to believe you," Vecto said. "My shields are impregnable!"


    "Or so ya think." Leroy hovered above him.

 Episode 4.7

    Crysilis and Streamline ran through a cornfield; they stormed through the crops and came to a pathway. Straight ahead, smoke rose from a log cabin on the peak of a hill. It must be Leroy''s place, Crysilis thought. They continued up the hill and stopped in front of the home.


    "Hello?" Crysilis called out. "Anyone here?"


    Streamline panned the primitive building and tools. No metal, no technology. What kind of place is this? he thought.


    "Welcome," came a voice behind them.


    Crysilis and Streamline spun around to see a male around the age of 18 who looked to be of Asian-American decent. He had a black ponytail braided from a top knot, was about five feet ten inches tall, and wore a form-fitting tunic-type shirt with closures at the neck and wrists.


    "May I assist you?" The guy bowed.


    "It would be appreciated," Crysilis said. "We''re looking for a robot named Vecto and the owner of this land, Leroy Johnson."


    "Follow me," the greeter said and walked toward the cabin.


    * * *


    Vecto now ran across a field of long grass. His shields burned from the chi around him as he headed for towering windmills. Bubbles of energy formed and exploded around him as he sifted through the minefield. But Leroy wasn''t in sight. The explosions stopped, and Vecto noticed the grass blowing westward. He scanned for Leroy. Nowhere. He looked at the windmills turning from the breeze. When he did, a gust of wind shook them, causing them to spin erratically. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    "I''m get''n hungry," Leroy called out, hovering in front of one of the windmills. "Time t'' end this little fiasco!" He formed chi energy around his fists, channeling the energy around him to focus it.


    "I will not lose!" Vecto yelled back. His shields expanded, plowing through the ground, sending grass and dirt in the air as they sucked carbon, killing the grass around him.


    Leroy flew down at Vecto, forming a cluster of blue energy around his fist. But Vecto stayed put. The air rippled by Leroy as Vecto''s body came into view. Vecto stood there, holding an arm up; only, he was missing a hand-worse yet, his gun.


    "Dag gummit!" Leroy yelled. He immediately stopped in midair and spun around to see a zero point energy blast headed for him. He quickly shot the energy from his fist away as the blast struck him, pushing him toward Vecto. Vecto had his fist ready and pounded Leroy in the back, crushing him against the energy, plowing him through it. The blast split and pounded on Vecto''s shield as Leroy was thrown. His body tumbled across the field as pieces of his clothing and his tattered hat flew from his body. He settled in the middle of the field with his head buried in dirt, his hat floating beside him.


    Vecto was satisfied that he had won. Somehow, he felt weaker, and it took more effort to walk to Leroy''s body. Was the magnetic floatation disks joining his body failing? It didn''t matter. He stepped beside Leroy''s body and lowered his Blaster 3,000 from high in the air. The cylinder gun sifted through two shields and relocated in front his arm.


    "Now tell me where Zendora is," Vecto ordered, pointing the gun at him.


    No response.


    "Leroy, I need to know," Vecto said, lowering the gun. "I won this match."


    Leroy was still face first on the ground. Steam from the blast impact smoked in the air from his body.


    "Leroy?" Vecto asked again, a little concerned. He reached down and flipped over the farmer''s body. Leroy''s face and body were scarred and burnt. Blood seeped from his skin.


    "Leroy!" Vecto yelled, scanning the body for a pulse. Did I overdo it, Vecto thought. Did I kill him?

 Episode 4.8

    He looked over Leroy''s body as energy collected above it. From the grass field, from the trees, from the air-it trickled over to Leroy and began to heal his wounds. Leroy cracked open his eyes as the energy consumed him, bringing him back to consciousness. He coughed hoarsely as Vecto stepped back, watching the miraculous feat. As the energy healed his wounds, Leroy sat up from the grass and shook his head. He grabbed his hat from his side and plopped the pieces of straw on his head.


    "How is this possible?" Vecto asked, uncertain of this phenomenon.


    Leroy slowly stood up and exercised his muscles. "I gotta say, that was a close shave, my boy. But there''s another energy than zero and chi, called alphas, ya know."


    Vecto paused. "Zero, the absence of matter; alphas, the energy of matter; and chi, which brings life to it. That is the theory, of course."


    "It ain''t no theory." Leroy dusted his tattered overalls. The straps were scorched off, as was the shirt beneath, revealing chiseled muscles. "It''s truth."


    Vecto paused again. "So why''d you let the blast hit you?"


    "Ya know as well as I do that chi and zero don''t mix," Leroy said, ruffling his hair. "If I hadn''t of sent my chi away, they would''a collided and boom! We would''a been dead-this planet, too." This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Vecto did know this. So why had he shot the blast at Leroy, knowing the farmer had a concentration of chi around his fist. Did he not have control of his own mind? He shook the thought away as a malfunction in his thought processor.


    "Where''s Zendora?" he asked.


    "Not yet, my boy," Leroy said, lifting his hand in the air. Without warning, he quickly channeled energy around Vecto''s shield. He took him by surprise and lifted him in the air.


    "Telekinesis?" Vecto struggled to free himself . . . in vain.


    "Ya hadn''t learned from last time, have ya?" Leroy asked, walking around the robot''s suspended body. "I cain''t move ya shield, but I sure as well can move what''s around ya."


    "So you blocked me with your chi," Vecto observed. "Even so, you''ll get tired before I do."


    "Tsk, tsk. Then how would those good ole shields breathe?" Leroy asked. "Cain''t ya feel it? The pain, the suffocation, my boy. You''ll drop your shields . . . and all that energy''s comin'' at ya!"


    "That''s why I keep graphite inside my shields," Vecto said, bluffing because he had used it all.


    "Nice try, kiddo," Leroy said. "Ya stick out like a sore thumb. I could sense ya hadn''t no energy when ya came here and was a machine instead of a human. And I got eyes to see ya ain''t got no carbon slab."


    "But did you see the transport disks around you?" Vecto asked.


    Leroy glanced around to see dozens of quarter-sized disks in the grass-now hovering in the air. He looked back at Vecto.


    "Make a step, and I''ll fire," Vecto said, knowing that bullets and energy shells from the A.S. base would fire through a transportation device and emerge from those tiny disks.


    Leroy laughed. "Smoke and mirrors, huh?" he said and lowered him to the ground, dissipating the energy around him. "It''s a tie then! I''ll tell ya about Zendora, and you''ll eat some brunch with me."


    Vecto levitated the disks to his gun. "Fair enough," he acknowledged.

 Episode 4.9

    Crysilis and Streamline sat at a dinner table. The Asian-looking kid sat beside them, back straight, hands resting on his lap. A sheepdog spun in circles and barked as Jebadiah, wearing an apron over his Amish outfit, cooked food in the same room.


    "So, uh, are you sure Vecto and Leroy will be here?" Crysilis asked.


    The kid nodded.


    "Don''t matter to me. We get to eat!" Streamline said, resting his arms on the table with a wooden fork in his hand.


    "And how are you going to eat with your helmet on?" Crysilis asked, looking at Streamline''s decrepit, rusty-brown armor.


    "Same to you," Streamline cut back.


    Crysilis paused to think about it. His cybernetic body didn''t need food since it had its own power source, and he hasn''t removed his helmet in years. He diverted his attention back to the kid. "What''s your name?"


    "Feit," the young man said and slightly bowed his head.


    "Oh, well, that''s a nice name." Crysilis nodded. "What do you do around here?"


    "I train under Master Leroy Johnson in the arts." This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "You draw?" Crysilis asked.


    Feit narrowed his eyes. "No, I study martial arts. Mr. Johnson is quite the expert."


    "Food''s ready!" Jebadiah said. He tossed steaks in the air, catching them with plates. He slid over-easy eggs beside the entr¨¦es and first served the guests, then Feit. He broke off pieces of a loaf of bread and placed them on the dishware. He adeptly readied Vecto and Leroy''s plates and placed them on the table by their empty wooden chairs. As he poured orange juice into their cups, his right eye caught Streamline picking up the bread.


    He snatched it from him.


    "We''ll wait on the master, first," he said and placed the bread back on his plate. He then heard the screen door open. "Ah, there he is."


    Leroy walked in the kitchen with new overalls and a faded shirt, wearing another straw hat. Following him was Vecto. Vecto ducked under the door.


    "Crysilis? Streamline?" he said, glancing their way.


    "Oh, good, so you''re both alive!" Crysilis was relieved. "I thought you two would''ve killed each other!"


    "It is fine now," Vecto said, nodding at Feit.


    Leroy looked at the two new guests. "Well, I''ll be! We got some more company," he said and reached out his hand to shake Crysilis''. "Howdy! I''m Leroy Johnson."


    Crysilis cautiously raised his hand, knowing that Leroy had never really seen him before.


    Leroy snatched it, shaking it wildly. He did the same to Streamline and pulled his chair out, flopping down in it. But he noticed Vecto was still standing.


    "Well, don''t be shy. Take a load off yer feet." Leroy motioned for Vecto to sit.


    Vecto moved the chair out and awkwardly rested his lower body part on the seat.


    "Welp. I''m all plum wore out. So I reckon it''s time for some chow," Leroy said as he removed his hat for the blessing of the food. "Jebadiah." He nodded for him to do the honors.


    Jebadiah removed his top hat, revealing his bald head, which offset his thick beard, and placed it to his heart, bowing his head.


    Only then did Streamline finally remove his helmet.

 Episode 5.1

    "So where''d you get that scar?" Feit asked, looking at Streamline''s battle-weary face. He delicately cut his steak and put a small piece in his mouth as Streamline stabbed his fork into his, picked up the entire steak, and bit a large chunk from it.


    Feit was referring to a long gash that ran from the top of Streamline''s head, across his nose and mouth, to his chin. His military, crew-cut hair style had a receding hairline that arched around the scar.


    "A hatchet," Streamline responded, staring at him with an intimidating look.


    Feit tilted his head as he looked at it.


    "A big one."


    Feit chewed his piece of steak while keeping eye contact, unfazed by Streamline''s dark brown eyes. "You mean an axe?"


    "You can call it that." Streamline shrugged and continued eating, shooing Leroy''s sheepdog away as it begged for his food.


    Crysilis and Vecto, meanwhile, stared at their plates.


    "No time for lollygagging; eat up, y''all!" Leroy motioned encouragingly as he ripped a piece off the loaf of bread.


    "I told you, I am incapable of eating," Vecto said, stiff-looking.


    "Yeah, me, too!" Crysilis nodded in agreement.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Feit leaned over to whisper at Crysilis. "It''s disrespectful not to."


    "Ah, don''t be fuddy-duddies," Leroy said as he ripped a piece of steak with his teeth as viciously as Streamline. "I know ya''ll got it in ya. Jebadiah''s a wait''n."


    Both Vecto and Crysilis looked at the buff Jebadiah, the chef of the food. He was sitting there silently, his hands folded on top of the table, waiting for his guests to eat before he did.


    Vecto understood this and, out of respect, picked up his entire steak. "Well, here goes nothing," he said. He intensified his shield, and the steak mostly evaporated. He sucked the carbon from it and laid the leftovers back on the plate. "Mmm. Good."


    Feit and Jebadiah''s eyes widened at how he ate it with his hand. They looked back at Crysilis and noticed that his steak was missing as well.


    "Yeah, delicious!" Crysilis said, rubbing his stomach.


    Jebadiah nodded and began eating.


    But to Crysilis'' left, he had his steak hanging for the dog to eat. The animal had its mouth open, panting with its tongue out as Crysilis offered the meat. It snatched the steak and feasted.


    "Mighty good meal!" Streamline said, gulping the rest of his orange juice and slamming the cup down.


    "I appreciate your kindness," Jebadiah said, bowing his head. He pierced the yolk from his eggs and took a bite.


    "Yep, good ole steak an'' eggs," Leroy said with a burp, as he too had finished the meal. "It''s the recipe for the Blue Birders back in the late 23rd century. A gal named Secra always fixed it. Quite a ninja, I might add, too."


    "You mean the Blue Bird Crew?" Feit asked. "The one from the battle of Tor? You knew them?"


    "Indeed I did, boy. I was a young lad then. They were great fighters but went missing after the war-died, I reckon."


    Streamline cocked an eyebrow. "You''re telling me you were alive back then? That was more than seven centuries ago."


    "Yep, thus the traits of a Zoe, Zarlian, Zarlera, and Zarlero," Leroy explained. "We live quite the years-thousands, I say."


    "So, tell me about Zendora," Vecto said, cutting straight to what he wanted to know. "And why does Morphaal want it?"

 Episode 5.2

    "Ah, Zendora." Leroy repeated the name as he folded his hands, peering through strands of his reddish hair. "Legend has it that those blue Asterites created that planet, as they did this one."


    The mentioning of Asterites caught Streamline and Vecto''s attention. They knew them well, and they even had a guard at their base who was one of them. Streamline leaned in closer to listen.


    "It''s a'' said that a long time ago, they created that planet-and the Zendorians who live there," Leroy continued. "They modeled it after good ole Earth and made the people stronger, with Earth''s history in d''ere minds. It wo''dn''t take long before those Zendorians built castles, rode on horses, and made towns like Earth of old. They lived peaceful-the planet hidden from the outside world."


    "What about Morphaal?" Vecto pressed on.


    "Hold yer horses, boy. I''m get''n there," Leroy said. He noticed that everyone had finished eating, so he took his hat from his side and put it on. "Morphaal heard of the planet when the SS3 crashed their ship on that world."


    "The one Sable, Azmeck, and Phantom were on," Vecto noted.


    "Yep. Morphaal heard of its rich life. He wanted its energy. He wanted to get himself stronger. So he, too, crashed on that planet. It was a gold mine for him. Then he met a guy by the name of Nefarious, who lived on that world. He was his partner in crime, so to speak, as they tried to take over and rule Zendora." This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    "They both crashed?" Streamline asked.


    "Likely shot down," Crysilis said. "And likely Morphaal intercepted a distress call from the SS3 ship before planetary entry."


    Streamline stroked his rough facial hair and looked back at Leroy. "How do you know all this?"


    Leroy looked at Vecto instead. "You''re friend Phantom told me of this-when he was alive, of course-poor soul."


    Vecto remained quiet and looked down at his plate, remembering the old founder and leader of the A.S., always wearing a cloak, hiding so much of his past from everyone.


    "Anywho, Phantom and his gang-well, Blade as he was known then, took down Nefarious and hid and went aboard Morphaal''s ship as it left that planet. Morphaal couldn''t come back there, though, as he and Phantom lost its coordinates. So, eh, they went back to this here planet, Acaterra, where Phantom made the SS4 to fend off Morphaal from get''n his dirty hands on New Earth. I helped out here an'' there and even fought Morphaal on this here turf."


    "I bet Morphaal planted you into this garden of yours," Crysilis joked, knowing how powerful Morphaal was.


    Leroy glanced at him through the corner of his eye. "Not quite, but I gave that son of a biscuit eater a run for his money."


    "Biscuit eater?" Crysilis said to himself, shaking his head at Leroy''s lame phrases.


    "Back then, I had to go top Blue Blaze to fight him. He was powerful, having still had the energy he took from Zendora."


    "Blue Blaze?" Streamline asked.

 Episode 5.3

    "Blue Blaze?" Streamline asked.


    "Yep, the power of the Zarlians, and Zarleros like me. Comes in different stages, buildin'' our strength and mind to bigger levels. I came t'' the point that I learned a new power: Zentou. I could use my strength of mind and body without Blue Blazin''. I took down Morphaal for the time, but my body couldn''t take that new power. I hadn''t no way to shut it off, and was left to die."


    "So what did you do next?" Feit asked, curious at how his sensei still survived.


    "I took my chi, channeled it, and forced it in the barren ground. Got rid of it-so I thought. Come to find out, plants began to grow, and I could use that power of mine nearby. But once I left that site, I was as weak as a doorknob."


    "So that explains it," Feit said. Like Vecto, he had wondered why Leroy never left the farm. But why would Leroy reveal his secret to them? Did he trust them that much? Wasn''t he worried that someone could lure him away from the farm and kill him.


    "So ya see, Vecto, I was stuck in these parts, useless in the outside world, and couldn''t fight Morphaal if I wanted to."


    "You could have tried," Vecto said, still sore at Leroy for abandoning them in their time of need. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    "I''m sorry, pal," Leroy said, lowering his head.


    Jebadiah stood up and began taking their empty plates.


    Feit still had a question lingering in his mind. "How do you know of Morphaal?" he asked Vecto.


    Vecto paused. "The Alpha Squad was formed in 3012 for the sole purpose of killing Morphaal. It was the result of a tournament held on this planet to amalgamate the finest warriors in the omniverse . . . with the secret agenda of taking down Morphaal. I was one of the core members from the start, along with Gyro and Phantom and soon Shadow." Vecto instinctively began twirling a coin-sized disk in his hand as he continued, mimicking what Chais had done earlier as if the young thief was on his mind. "We became revered, as well as feared, by many along the years, but finally put an end to Morphaal in the year 3013. Unfortunately, his presence lingered on, as projects of his were continued by others, resulting in the deaths of many valiant warriors, including my friend Gyro."


    "Pardon my asking, but is the reason you''re here because Morphaal has returned from his grave?"


    "Affirmative," Vecto acknowledged. "Morphaal has been revived by Sable and now threatens the very life of this planet and universe. That mechanical overlord will do anything to get revenge for his death and now seems unusually engrossed in returning to Zendora, perhaps to gain the power he once had and lost." He turned to Leroy. "This is why it is pertinent that we find Zendora and stop him before it''s too late."


    "Well said," Leroy agreed. "Yet even I don''t know its true location."


    "What!" Vecto yelled and stood up. "You said-"


    "I said I''d tell ya about it!" Leroy yelled back, standing up as well.

 Episode 5.4

    "I said I''d tell ya about it!" Leroy yelled back, standing up as well. "All I know, ya hear, is that it''s in the innerverse. Follow Abell near the Edge of Dark Ages of th'' universe. Keep goin'' till ya cain''t see no more stars. The planet''s a hide''n there, its solar system blocked by black holes."


    "Abell?" Streamline questioned.


    Jebadiah stroked his white beard and answered for him. "He means quasar CFHQS J2329-0301."


    "So basically, what you''re saying is we''ll pass Abell on a blind journey though the innerverse for parsecs, and we can''t even see Zendora?" Vecto said. "Then what''s the use? We need coordinates, not just lines on a map!"


    "Vecto." Crysilis tried to grab his attention, worried.


    "I should have known not to come here!" Vecto scolded Leroy. "I would have been better off asking Azmeck. At least he would have guessed at some specific location!"


    "Vecto!" Crysilis raised his voice. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    "Um, Vecto," Streamline also said.


    Vecto snapped his head in their direction. "What?"


    "Your transportation disk. It''s on fire!" Crysilis said.


    Vecto lifted the quarter-sized disk he was twirling in his hand and gazed through the dimensional field. "No . . ."


    "That means our base on the other side is . . ." Crysilis said, aware that the disk was used to transport gunfire from their A.S. base.


    Vecto immediately patched a line through to Azul, the blue Asterite guarding their base. "Azul, do you read me? What''s going on?"


    Static followed for a second before Azul''s panicky voice was heard. "Master, the base. It''s in flames! You''ve got to come, quick!"


    "10-4. Hold it together until I get there," Vecto responded, disconnecting comlink.


    "Excuse me, but I''ll be heading out now," Vecto said as he made a bee-line to the door.


    "Thanks for the warm welcome," Crysilis commented as he zipped by.


    "Good meal, too," Streamline said he attached his helmet back over his head and hurried off.


    Leroy, Jebadiah, and Feit remained silent, watching as the screen door flapped in the wind.


    "Well, I''d say that went pretty well, don''t cha think?" Leroy smiled.


    The two scratched their heads.


    "Oh well, let''s not worry over spilt milk, now. We''ve got farm work to do." Leroy twisted his straw hat and stretched his arms out. He noticed that Feit and Jebadiah were unresponsive, still staring at the door past the living room. "What cha wait''n for? Chop, chop!"

 Episode 5.5

    Vecto, Crysilis, and Streamline soon arrived at their base 210 miles away. They stood yards from the building as flames towered in the sky-as high as the tall trees in the distance-the metal walls melting in the intense heat. Coming from the building was Azul, holding his arm as he staggered to them. His white and gold garment was burned in places. He had his head low, his white hair half spiked and half hanging to his shoulders, with strands flowing in the wind across his blue-tinted face. He wore a gold tiara and silver bracelets.


    "Azul? What happened?" Vecto hastily asked.


    "Are you all right?" Crysilis asked.


    "I''m fine . . . but master . . . Morphaal and Sable . . ." Azul swallowed, then went on. "There was nothing I could do. They came in search of you and destroyed the base!"


    "Morphaal!" Vecto said, clenching his fist as he walked toward the base.


    "Wait, Vecto!" Crysilis yelled at him. "Going in there won''t do any good! They''re long gone now!"


    Vecto ignored him as he paced to the building and stared up at the soaring flames. He stopped at the entrance and shot his fist at the door, causing it to buckle and break away. The door flew apart as Vecto walked inside amidst the flames, scanning the rooms for anything misplaced. His shields sucked in carbon dioxide from the fire as he casually passed through melting chairs, tables, computer consoles, and entertainment centers. He noticed that the ceiling of Gyro''s old room had been blown up by a projectile, and the flames seemed to have originated there. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    "Gyro," Vecto said to himself as he looked around the black room. The room had been all he had left of his friend. Now it was destroyed. He noticed a cross on the floor. It was still intact, being made of titanium. He extended his hand to snatch it and brought it toward him. It was decorated with diamonds, about a foot long, with its edges fanned out. Gyro had said that it was given to him by a friend-it had served as a memento of sorts of his old life.


    "Why''d you have to die?" Vecto said, livid, starring at the cross.


    If only he could have done a better job of protecting him, Vecto thought. If only his shields had withstood Morphaal''s chi energy attacks.


    Leroy was right. His Force Field Shields contained life, or chi, which is why they fed on carbon, the key component of living things. He was angry when he fought Leroy, and his shields were negative, allowing Leroy''s positive chi to slip through them. Leroy demonstrated that opposite chi could neutralize his shields. This explained how Morphaal''s negative chi blast had eliminated his "positive" shields and destroyed his robotic body when he shielded Gyro years ago. But what if the chi within his shields was the same as his opponent''s--both negative? There would be no stopping him.


    At that moment, Vecto knew what he had to do to defeat Morphaal.

 Episode 5.6

    "Is he going to be all right?" Crysilis asked Streamline, noticing it had been a while since Vecto had entered the burning building.


    Streamline glanced back. Police sirens echoed in the distance. "Better get going. I''m a wanted man, remember?"


    "Let''s get Vecto, first," Crysilis said, turning around.


    He had barely moved, when the base exploded. Shrapnel jettisoned from the building as flames and vibrant gusts of wind flew past. Crysilis, Streamline, and Azul shielded their eyes as the entire sky lit up. Pieces of metal showered down as a dome filled the absence of the building. Crysilis and Streamline looked past falling shrapnel to see the smoke create a silhouette of Vecto in the center. The whole base was gone, leveled completely by Vecto''s shields.


    "Have you gone mad?" Crysilis yelled.


    The police approached. They swung their lift vehicles onto the site, forming a blockade, then came rushing out of their vehicles with weapons ready.


    "Put your hands in the air and drop your weapons!" an officer yelled, amplifying his voice with a throat insert. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    Crysilis and Azul complied, raising their arms as Streamline dropped his Omega Blaster, then his Turbo Blaster, as well as his Disrupter Pistol and his laser knife. He also laid down bombs and gun magazines and more knives.


    "I said drop your weapons!" the officer yelled again.


    "I am!" Streamline replied. But he noticed they weren''t talking to him. He looked over his shoulder to see Vecto at the center of the dome-with dozens of weapons hovering in the air around him.


    "Get out of the way!" the officer yelled at the trio. When an opening cleared, he ordered his officers: "Open fire!"


    Crysilis, Streamline, and Azul sprinted as bullets and pulsebeams streamed toward Vecto.


    They collided with the dome of his shield.


    "Evidence must be destroyed," Vecto said, his head tilted downward. He could not let the police stand in his way, he thought. They were Sable''s force-just as corrupt.


    He fired missiles at the police. They filtered through his outer shield, dodged the bullets, and collided with police vehicles, exploding them. Police ran as their cars were tossed in the air. Vecto locked onto the fleeing police and fired a floating sniper gun, clocking several of the men in the back of the head.


    "Vecto! Stop this!" Crysilis yelled.


    Vecto kept on. He launched bazookas at the police as he walked closer, killing them off effortlessly.


    "Vecto!" Crysilis yelled, then disappeared. He teleported inside Vecto''s shield as a rocket came at him.

 Episode 5.7

    "Vecto!" Crysilis yelled, then disappeared. He teleported inside Vecto''s shield as a rocket came at him. He grabbed the rocket and spun it around, sending it back at Vecto. It collided with the robot, knocking him back, but his other shield prevented his body from being hit. It caused Vecto''s shields to pulsate, including his outer-dome one. Crysilis teleported out as the shield compressed.


    "Retreat!" the police were heard yelling, scurrying to their last vehicles.


    "Stay out of this, Crysilis!" Vecto yelled at his friend.


    "Get ahold of yourself!" Crysilis said. "This isn''t you!"


    "Morphaal''s going to pay!" Vecto yelled.


    "But these people aren''t Morphaal!" Crysilis yelled back.


    Vecto looked at Azul. "Then where is he?"


    "I''m sorry, Vecto," Azul said, his head bowed. "They said they wanted you to meet them at the SS6 training base . . . alone. But you can''t go. It''s a trap."


    "If it means killing Morphaal, I''ll take their bait," Vecto said. He looked at Crysilis and Streamline. "Don''t follow! Only I can take him!" He gathered his weapons around him as his flame boosters activated, sending him rocketing in the air.


    "Wait! Vecto! Don''t be rash! You can''t take on Morphaal alone!" Crysilis shouted, to no avail.


    Vecto was already gone.


    What has he gotten himself into? Crysilis thought, scanning the trail of smoke lingering in the air. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "I''m going to help him!" Streamline said, activating his jetpack.


    "Wait!" Crysilis yelled. "Only a fool falls for bait."


    Streamline stopped in midair. "I can''t just let him fight Morphaal alone!"


    "He made his choice," Crysilis said as he rushed to the downed police. "Our priority is to check for survivors."


    "But I can''t just abandon him!" Streamline yelled.


    "And what are you going to do when you get there? Are you really prepared to face Morphaal? If it''s a trap, then he''ll have both of you where he wants. We have to think this through."


    Streamline lowered to the ground.


    Crysilis vanished and reappeared next to several police officers to check their life signs. "Can you can get ahold of Dr. Azmeck while I do this?"


    "But why do we need him? Morphaal hasn''t left for Zendora yet, so we don''t need know where the planet is right now."


    "Dr. Azmeck''s the best person we have at shutting Vecto down."


    Streamline gasped. "What are you talking about?"


    "You saw what Vecto did to the police," Crysilis said. "We''ve got to find a way to shut Vecto down before he goes on another senseless rampage."


    "If we do that, how are we going to fight Morphaal without him?"


    Crysilis appeared in front of Streamline. "Listen to me. Right now, we have to think of a plan to stop Vecto. If it turns out that Morphaal isn''t at the SS6 training base, then how many lives will Vecto kill before he finds him? We need to fix him before we lose him."


    "There will be nothing left of him if Morphaal gets his hands on him."


    "And there will be nothing left of this planet if Vecto goes renegade!"


    Streamline shook his head. "All right. I hope you know what you''re doing."


    I hope so, too, Crysilis thought as he continued to check the police officers. I''ve got a feeling Morphaal isn''t there, and if Morphaal is alive, Vecto''s doing exactly what he wants him to.


    As Crysilis searched for survivors and as Streamline tried to contact Dr. Azmeck, Vecto''s servant, Azul, was silent. He walked to the once-base, his white hair flowing as smoke and small flames rose from the scorched land. His hands were crossed inside the wide cloth of his sleeves, covering his silver bracelets, as his gold tiara glowed from the light. "He''ll kill them all . . ." he said to himself.

 Episode 6.1

    Two soldiers stared at the desert land spanning miles from the front entrance of the SS6 training base. One of them, a tall, thin, light-skinned cadet, leaned against a wall and broke the silence. "You know the guy on the news? The one who robbed a bank?"


    The other-a buff, bald-headed, dark-skinned commander who was training the other-spat on the dirt surface. "You mean Streamline?"


    "Yeah, that Alpha Squad guy. You know he''s the one who busted my nose." Tim pointed to his nose bandage. "We had a good fight, swingin'' left and right. I got a few hits in, but he caught me off guard with the nose shot and got away."


    "Really?" Brail was curious.


    "Yeah, absolutely. Scout''s honor, man."


    "No kiddin''?"


    Tim nodded and laughed. "Yep, I put up such a good fight, I was transferred here from the police force." He laughed again and looked out at the seemingly endless sand. To think there used to be a city here. At least the nuclear bomb had made an ideal spot to build this SS6 base, he thought. He watched the haze from the heat, but a glare caught his eye. There was a figure walking in the heat waves, barely visible, with items hovering around him. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    "That''s strange," Tim said.


    "Hmm?" Brail donned his helmet, slid down his visor, and zoomed in to get a better view. Tim did the same.


    They scanned the being, first seeing his floating arms and legs, then noticing his chest with an orb visible inside-he was some kind of robot. They focused on the items surrounding him and soon realized they were sniper rifles, rocket and missile launchers, chain guns, shotguns and other weaponry. This was the one they had been warned about: Vecto!


    "Oh no, oh no, not him!" Tim quivered. "I can''t believe it. It''s Vecto! It''s Vecto!"


    "Full alert!" Brail yelled to his wristcom. "We need a complete lockdown! All hands to their stations. Vecto Botland has been spotted. This is not a drill. Repeat. It''s Vecto Bot, gentlemen! All hands to their stations! And get that shield up!"


    "I-I, what are we going to do?" Tim asked hesitantly.


    Brail punched him in the nose. "Ready your weapons, soldier! It''s war!"

 Episode 6.2

    Vecto casually walked toward the base. An invisible wave emitted from him, flowing through the complex, then bounced back, transmitting an image into Vecto''s mind. His Magnetic Zero Imager created a three-dimensional Lapton Map of the buildings, detailing the exact locations of the highest-ranking soldiers-216 of them out of thousands-as well as the outlying structures. Not that he needed a map. He knew the place by heart. To think that only a few dozen of these military soldiers actually become members of the SS6 Formation.


    "Come on, come on!" Brail yelled. "Put up barricades!"


    Vecto strode toward the complex and watched as soldiers lined up, as snipers readied their guns on roofs, and as thick barricade walls burst from the ground, towering in front of the complex. The walls exploded in sections from below the earth, locking in place as they rose one after another, forming a hexagonal fort around the three-mile-radius training grounds.


    Then the shield formed, sprouting from the center as a funnel and cascading as an umbrella over the base, settling past the barricades. Vecto stopped in front of the shield as it touched down and looked up at its height.


    "Marvelous," he said. He took his Mind Messenger, a small boomeranglike device remotely connected to his mind, and laid it in one hand. Then he ejected a tiny capsule from a compartment in his foot and placed it in his other hand. He calmly attached the Mind Messenger to the object and let it fly in the air. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    "What''s he doing?" Brail asked, watching Vecto from the wall. "He''ll never get through the shield!"


    "Object ascending!" a voice over comlink yelled. "It''s scaling the shields. Wait, it''s speeding up."


    Can that thing actually fit in the shield''s release shaft? Brail wondered.


    "It''s flying above-heading for the center . . . it, it''s flying up?"


    Or is it? Brail thought. He mused on the double standard of the shield-nothing in, nothing out. They couldn''t fire through, nor could it; but if it traveled the shaft . . .


    "Correction, it disconnected its wings. The object''s falling toward the shaft," the voice continued as the soldiers waited in helpless silence. "Confirmation. It''s a missile, only an inch wide. Wait, it''s riding the shaft!"


    But how powerful? Brail asked himself.


    "Scanning explosive content . . ." the voice said, as if reading Brail''s thoughts. "That''s impossible! One thousand pounds?"


    "Everybody, cover your ears!" Brail quickly yelled at the soldiers.


    The missile dropped though the small funnel at the center of the shield, colliding with the shield reactor. The building, including the reactor, exploded as the shield faded into particles. Pieces of the building flew across the complex as soldiers shielded their heads. When it calmed, they had their weapons pointed to the sky, ready for Vecto to fly over the gates and bombard them with gunfire.


    "Where, where is he?" Tim asked, shaking his gun at the sky.

 Episode 6.3

    "Where, where is he?" Tim asked, shaking his gun at the sky.


    Brail checked the barricade''s microscopic cameras from his visor to see Vecto approach the wall. Vecto balled his fist, pulled it back, and punched the barricade.


    "What''s he doing?" Brail said aloud. "That wall''s three feet thick!"


    But it didn''t bother Vecto. He had his fist partially in it. His shields glowed dark yellow as he twisted his metal knuckles in the wall. The FFS sucked carbon from the wall''s metal, devouring it as it grinded its way through.


    "Steady weapons at the barricade!" Brail commanded as soldiers lined up beside him. "Tim! Your weapon!" he yelled at him.


    Tim''s hand shook as he stared at it, remembering what Sable had said at the police headquarters yesterday. Streamline had knocked him out, and he had woken to discover that Vecto had disintegrated the SS6 Formation.


    "He''s going to kill us all!" Tim yelled.


    Brail knocked him in the face with the blunt end of his rifle and looked at another soldier. "Get this amateur out of my sight," he ordered. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    "He''s breached the wall!" a woman soldier yelled.


    Sure enough, Vecto''s fist popped out from the wall, exercising its fingers.


    "Fire!" Brail ordered.


    Gunfire streamed from their weapons, hitting the hand, causing it to retreat back in the wall. They stopped firing and watched the hole. Within seconds, the nozzle of a cylindrical gun thrust through it. Vecto twisted his Blaster 3,000 around and methodically took shots at the soldiers.


    Brail watched in horror as zero point energy struck soldiers in the head one by one. "Take cover!" he yelled. "Steady behind the buildings. Ready the cannons!"


    Vecto stopped firing, but the wall glowed white. His shields were devouring the rest of the barrier. Vecto''s deathlike head plowed through the melting wall, turning to look at the men-then came his foot, his other arm, and his chest. Vecto''s whole body sifted through the thick metal, leaving an imprint of his body.


    "Fire the cannons!" Brail yelled to his men. From the roofs of buildings rose large Fortitude Mortar Cannons. They fired at Vecto; the large shells impacted his chest, and explosions shook the ground. But out came the robot from the smoke.


    "Where is Morphaal? Where is your leader Sable?" Vecto yelled. He heard military planes approaching and watched twin aircraft swoop overhead and drop bombs. He stood there as the Cascade shells struck his shields. A wave of explosions followed, destroying nearby buildings.


    Vecto''s shields now glowed red hot as he stood in the flames, pacing forward.


    "Come out, Morphaal. Stop your hiding!" Vecto yelled.


    Brail signaled for his men to hold fire. "Vecto, what''s gotten into you? Morphaal''s dead!"


    "You lie!" Vecto said. "He''s here!"


    The smoke cleared, and Brail saw weapons trailing behind Vecto.

 Episode 6.4

    The smoke cleared, and Brail saw weapons trailing behind Vecto.


    Vecto''s shields bubbled through the hole in the wall as a variety of artillery followed him. His outer shield expanded as the weapons floated overhead and to his sides.


    "Now who''s 187?" Vecto asked, referring to the number of high-ranked soldiers still alive after his initial onslaught.


    "Open fire!" Brail yelled.


    Streams of pulsebeams and bullets struck Vecto''s shields. Two guns on each of Vecto''s shoulders flipped up and pointed low. He fired quick shots at the soldiers'' feet, exploding the ground underneath them, sending their body parts into the air.


    Brail switched his weapon to rapid fire and smothered Vecto with shots. His subordinates followed suit.


    "175, 174, 173." Vecto counted down the number of deaths as he fired explosive shells in the soldier''s chests.


    "Fall back!" Brail yelled as he noticed the jets coming back for another pass.


    ". . . 170 . . . Incoming aircraft," Vecto noted. He fired two ballistic missiles at them and continued his march of death. The aircrafts fired missiles at Vecto and barrel-rolled past the ones Vecto fired, releasing decoys to blow them up in the air. The sky brightened with bursts of flame as one of the military jets passed overhead. Then Vecto pointed his blaster over his shoulder-his head unmoving-and fired a charged shot. The blast pierced the hull of the craft, exploding it, causing the downed jet to spiral over the thick walls and crash to the wasteland surface. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "169," Vecto continued. "168, 167."


    "There''s no way!" a soldier yelled as bodies flew backward. "We can''t even breach his shields!"


    "Use Cocoon Bombs and augmentation wires to hold him down," Brail ordered as he ran off. "I''ll activate Project Prometheus!"


    "Yes, sir!" the soldier said and relayed the order to the others.


    A team of soldiers with full body armor and gas masks passed through the crowd and steadied their footing as the others retreated.


    In sync, they took small purple orbs from their sides and loaded them into the magazines of their guns. Soldiers fell to their deaths as the special ops team readied their weapons and fired multiple shots at Vecto. The balls shattered on Vecto''s shields, releasing gas that trailed around him, enclosing Vecto in the substance. After a few seconds, the gas solidified, clinging around him in the shape of Vecto''s dome shield. The remaining jet swooped by again, releasing a wired net over Vecto. It stuck to the purple substance and began to expand, forming a metal coating over Vecto''s cocoon.


    Retreating soldiers stopped to look back as they noticed Vecto''s offensive had ceased and realized Vecto was trapped. The leader of the special ops team waved for the others to follow as he slowly advanced. The team members kept their eyes and weapons aimed at Vecto as they scanned for his body inside the coating, hoping the cocoon had done the trick.

 Episode 6.5

    "So you''re telling me there''s no off switch?" Crysilis asked Dr. Azmeck over comlink.


    "Unfortunate to say, but Vecto designed and created his own body this time. Neither I nor Gyro had a say in its creation," Azmeck''s old voice crackled.


    "Not even Vic?"


    "Certainly, even his creator has no say. Vecto has been independent for quite some time."


    "I see . . ." Crysilis pondered. "So we''ll have to use force."


    Azmeck paused and proposed an alternative. "On the contrary, perhaps we can coax Vecto into letting me download an upgrade for his system, while instead loading a virus to shut his system down."


    "And how do you suppose we do that?" Crysilis asked. "Vecto does his own self-adjustments."


    Streamline cleared his throat, standing beside Crysilis, also connected to comlink. "Don''t forget to ask him about the coordinates to Zendora."


    "Zendora?" Azmeck was curious. The mentioning of that planet had spiked his interest.


    "Oh yeah, do you have the coordinates to Zendora?" Crysilis asked, watching as Azul searched for leftover items from the base in the distance.


    "Ah, Zendora--it''s been a while since I''ve been there," Azmeck said. "Unfortunately, even though I''ve been there, neither I nor anyone else knows where it is. Believe me, son, if I did, I, myself, would''ve gone back-for Russus'' sake." Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    "You mean Phantom?"


    "Indeed. My nephew sought for his whole life to return to Zendora. Poor soul," Azmeck said, his voice cracking. "May he rest in peace."


    Crysilis didn''t know how to respond. "I''m sorry," he simply said.


    "Well, what''s done is done. Why are you seeking Zendora?"


    "We''ve got a lead that Morphaal''s headed there, and Vecto''s been obsessed with finding out."


    "Oh my." Azmeck''s voice changed. "If Morphaal returns to Zendora, he''ll-"


    "We know, we know," Streamline spoke up. "So how''re we gonna to get the virus in Vecto?"


    "We can tell him it''s the coordinates," Crysilis suggested.


    "Hmm," Azmeck pondered. "If you are truly considering shutting his system down, perhaps I could create false coordinates and instead send a temporary virus through his system."


    "That may be our only resolution," Crysilis said as he sat on a burnt police car, thinking of the police Vecto had killed; there had not been a single survivor. "As of yet, Vecto''s only targeting those who are associated with Morphaal-and those who get in his way. He won''t target us."


    "Unless the virus fails to work," Streamline pointed out. "If Vecto finds out, we''ll be number one traitors, and the top five on his hit list."


    Crysilis looked at Streamline. "It''s a risk we need to take. These police have nothing to do with Morphaal. And the SS6 are only following orders. Yet Vecto''s killing them off. His target should be Morphaal alone, not the innocent."


    "If I may interject," Azmeck said. "Crysilis'' assertions are correct. We have no idea how far Vecto''s obsession will go or who else will be affected. Perhaps Gyro''s death triggered a malfunction in Vecto''s reasoning. Indeed, if I am able to shut him down, we can fix the glitch and focus our energy on finding Morphaal. Then we can establish a strategy to defeat him."


    It didn''t sit well with Streamline. "So we''re just gonna stay low till he comes back then? Is that it?"


    "For now, at least," Crysilis concluded. "You stay here. I''m going to go to Azmeck''s to help make the virus. If you see Vecto, keep him occupied and out of trouble, will you?"


    "Me? You''re kidding, right?" Streamline said. "You know as well as I do that Vecto won''t listen to me."


    "Well, get Azul to help, then." Crysilis pointed at Vecto''s servant, who was digging through rubble. "I don''t know, just do something, will ya? Bye." Crysilis waved and disappeared, leaving Streamline with the Asterite.

 Episode 6.6

    "Sensor''s jammed," one of the soldiers noted as he scanned for the cocooned Vecto. "Proceed with caution."


    The ground rumbled.


    "No readings. What''s underneath us?" another questioned, pointing at the cracked surface.


    The surface shook, and the team tracked the tremor beneath them. A lone soldier stepped above the source, reached in his sack, and placed a mine on the ground, holding a detonator in his other hand. He slowly stepped back, but the ground quivered below him. He didn''t get far. A metallic hand thrust from the ground and snatched his leg, pulling him under as a sinkhole formed, taking the mine with him. An explosion thudded underneath the surface, and bones spat from the ground.


    "Fire the ground diggers!" the team leader yelled as they switched to their shatter guns and fired bullets through the ground. The powerful, nearly frictionless shells slipped through the surface as if streaming through water, colliding with Vecto''s stronger shields. But when they ceased fire, Vecto''s dome-shield quickly expanded, forcing chunks of earth in the air, as well as soldiers. The reddish shield surfaced, still inflating, tidal-waving across the ground to form a crater.


    The shield retracted as gravel showered from above, and the remaining team members hastily fired. In a blur, Vecto''s body leaped out from the crater and landed before them, swiping his hand to sever a soldier in half, turning to blast another, and running to a third. The soldier fired loose shots as the robot knocked the gun from his arm, broke his arm, spun around him and shot him in the back.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Another soldier came at Vecto with a pulsesaber. A blade extended from Vecto''s arm, blocking the shielded energy sword. He blocked more swings, then swung low, slicing the soldier''s leg off. Vecto grabbed his face as he fell and slammed his head into the ground.


    More shots streamed toward Vecto as he stood up and reflected them back, killing all but one.


    "Have you no honor?" the special ops member yelled at Vecto, yanking his gas mask from his face and pulling out a thick rod. He reached out as the rod extended into a staff. He twirled the staff in his hands and thrust it into attack position.


    Vecto shot him in the head. With that done, he noticed sniper fire striking his shield and followed the source to nearby rooftops. He hovered his weapons back over to him, absorbed more carbon from around him, and stared at one of the roofs.


    "I will never die!" he said loud enough for them to hear.


    The snipers kept firing as Vecto retaliated with a barrage of missiles. They exploded in the air from sniper fire as Vecto leaped, grabbed a couple of his airborne missiles, and brought them down on the snipers himself. He landed on the roof, slashed one guy, and turned to shoot another.


    The remaining jet made another pass. Its engines roared through the air as Vecto waited for his gun to charge. The plane swooped overhead and dropped a cluster of Milestone bombs at Vecto. Instead of blasting the aircraft, Vecto fired at the building below. The recruitment building exploded as Vecto fell through the roof. A mushroom cloud formed as the pilot glanced back from his cockpit to confirm the target was hit. The jet swooped around and made another pass at the flattened building, its crosshairs focusing on Vecto''s heat signature amidst the rubble.


    "You''ll all die!" Vecto yelled. He emerged from the smoke with his flame boosters ignited and jetted for the aircraft. He grabbed its right wing as it flew overhead and slung the plane toward a barracks building. Its pilot ejected, and Vecto sniped him.


    Vecto fell toward the surface, watching as the jet crashed into the barracks building and the west end of the base lit up in flames.

 Episode 6.7

    Brail heard an explosion as he ran toward Prometheus'' holding bay. He stopped at the main entrance and looked back to see flames towering in the sky. "Why?" he asked himself aloud. "Why destroy your former home?" He remembered Vecto as a savior, not a murderer. But Brail didn''t have time to think of reasons. All he knew was that Vecto was their enemy and had to be stopped.


    He scanned his hand and punched the security code in the door of the holding bay to release the lock. If he couldn''t stop Vecto with Prometheus, there was no chance of survival, he thought.


    * * *


    Walker tanks fired at Vecto as he fell. They were bulky and resembled beetles. Three nozzles extended from there heads. Vecto dodged the warheads in midair and fired back with anti-tank rockets, blowing up the tanks. He landed hard, and an explosive cannon ball struck his shields, catapulting him into the SS6 academy building. In a flash, the pillar-style building was destroyed from the cannon''s power.


    Vecto tossed a pillar off him and emerged from the rubble. He was getting tired. His shields were fluctuating, still with a red tint caused by his anger. An Acro walker tank took heavy steps and aimed its cannons at him.


    "Your deaths are imminent," Vecto shouted. "Now tell me where Morphaal is!"


    The tank fired. Vecto dodged the shell and ran toward the tank. He jammed his gun in one of its nozzles and fired away, taking it out from the inside. He yanked it up, lifting the tank in the air with his gun, and tossed it into a building.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    His shield fluctuated as he glanced at his surroundings. The soldiers were in hiding now, he thought. A couple of bullets struck his shield. He turned around to see a pair of brave soldiers standing in front of a fuel station.


    "Put your weapons down!" one of the soldiers yelled.


    Vecto paced toward them. He levitated a shotgun to his hand. "Where''s Morphaal and Sable?"


    "I said put your weapons down!" the soldier repeated.


    "Where is Morphaal?"


    "Even if we knew, you''d still kill us!" the other soldier yelled back, firing at Vecto to no avail.


    "Perhaps," Vecto acknowledged and shot at the two men, then turned to walk away. But the shots didn''t hit them. The soldiers looked at each other and then behind to see a combustible pipe explode, the flames engulfing them before they could run.


    They deserved it, Vecto told himself. They were just as corrupt as Sable. With mere thoughts, he flipped the numerous weapons around in his shield as he continued his murderous march.


    One hundred twenty-nine left to go, he thought.


    * * *


    A few miles away, at the rear of the complex, two green lights glared in the dark like cat''s eyes. Large mechanical arms stretched out in the confines of a cargo building. The thing stood, reaching 56 feet tall. Slowly, two panels on the roof slid apart, allowing a glare of light to slit across a green and red face of metal. The gap enlarged as the light widened, revealing a gigantic humanoid machine with glaring eyes, a mute, unmoving mouth, and arms the size of tractor trailers.


    A hand reached out and grabbed the edge of the roof above, crushing fingers into it. With a heave, the piloted mech lifted its massive body to roof eye-level. The green eyes scanned over the roof as it pulled itself through the hatch, its knee crashing on top. Ominously, Prometheus scanned the surface below, searching for Vecto-searching for something to destroy-the purpose of its awakening.

 Episode 7.1

    Streamline walked to his weapons on the ground to pick them up. It was going to be another long day, he thought. But as he collected his equipment, Azul, with his torn garment flowing in the wind, approached him and reached down, picking up Streamline''s Omega Blaster.


    "Hey!" Streamline blurted out, cautious and protective of the weapon.


    Azul handed him the gun and stared into Streamline''s mask. "Please, you''ve got to do something. It''s horrible . . . Vecto''s killing them off . . . he''s on a massacre!"


    Streamline snatched the weapon and returned the gaze. "What do you mean?"


    "I can sense it-the SS6 trainees. They''re dying. They weren''t even prepared."


    Streamline lowered his head, realizing that Crysilis'' premonition was coming true. "So they weren''t told. Then where''s Morphaal and Sable? Are they there?"


    "I can''t sense them. I think it was a false lead to occupy Vecto."


    So the SS6 trainees were just innocent pawns in Sable''s grand scheme, he thought. But why would Sable sacrifice his men? And what was his motive for reviving Morphaal? He had a theory: Acaterra had been at peace for years, and he had heard rumors that the government wanted to shut down the SS6 program. Sable had become insignificant and lost the power he held over the government. He needed a villain to make him a hero, so he revived Morphaal-but not to make Morphaal the villain. Morphaal wanted the A.S. dead, and there was only one way to destroy the A.S.: make them the bad guys.


    Sable knew Morphaal would agree to this and knew that Vecto would fall for the trap out of revenge. What better way to do that than to turn Vecto into a killer and have Sable take the credit for his destruction. A bonus was turning Streamline into a bank robber. Did they hire that teenage thief to steal his Omega Blaster, knowing that he''d chase after him? Either way, they twisted the news, turning the public against them.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    In the end, Morphaal would get planet Zendora to control while Sable would get Acaterra. If his theory was correct, the SS6 soldiers were the good guys, after all, and Vecto was massacring them.


    Streamline looked at the bodies lying around, having sympathy for the dead men. He couldn''t wait on Crysilis and Azmeck to solve things. If they weren''t going to stop Vecto by force, then perhaps he should . . .


    * * *


    Vecto walked down a path, destroying male and female barracks, killing off soldiers in hiding. He eliminated the hospital with large missiles, detonated bombs in the fire department, then took out nearby structures. He made havoc of the base but noticed a mech standing on the roof of a building in the distance. It was staring at him, obviously scanning him. Vecto stopped in the middle of a flaming park, waiting for the machine''s move. As if in response, the mech leaped. Vecto watched as it arched a mile in the air, headed directly for him. It soared in the way of the sun, its briefly silhouetted image coming straight down. Vecto looked up, unbudging, as its feet crashed before him, the weight of the machine alone causing an earthquake to ripple by, shaking the water fountain behind Vecto.


    Without haste, it kicked Vecto, sending him and his weapons crashing into the fountain.


    "You will not destroy this compound!" a voice echoed from the mech as it stared down at Vecto. "Allow me to introduce Prometheus, prototype mech to the Gemini fighters. A superb fighting machine enhanced by Dr. Azmeck himself."


    "Dr. Azmeck?" Vecto asked, standing up from the fountain as water rolled down his shield and evaporated. "So that old man has a taste for war, after all. Just like his brother Sable."


    "In honor of Sable, I will be your opponent," the pilot, Brail, said, moving the machine''s fist in the air with his controls.


    "I''d rather face your leader than a deranged machine!" Vecto replied. He swiftly reached behind him and yanked the fountain tower from the small pool and threw it at the mech.

 Episode 7.2

    "I''d rather face your leader than a deranged machine!" Vecto replied. He swiftly reached behind him and yanked the fountain tower from the small pool and threw it at the mech.


    Prometheus'' arm swung at it, breaking it into pieces. "Well, look who''s talking," the pilot said, launching the mech''s massive arm at Vecto. Yet Vecto wasn''t there. The base of the fountain shattered, with droplets of water flowing in the air as the mech''s fist grinded through the surface.


    Vecto was behind Prometheus. A missile launcher hovered over his shoulder as he fired at the mech''s stern.


    The mech''s rear thrusters activated, obliterating the missile as the bulky machine hovered into the air and landed on the other side of the fountain, crushing a tree.


    "You''re nothing but brute strength," Vecto noted. "And your size happens to make for an easy target!" He spun his guns around him and fired streams of bullets and pulsebeams toward the mech as it turned toward him.


    Prometheus took the bullets head-on. The ammunition bounced off its armored body, and the energy dispersed. But Vecto wasn''t through. He released missiles. The mech quickly reached out its forearm as a shield formed in front of it, covering a chunk of its body. The missiles collided with the shield, exploding without a trace of damage to the mech.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    Vecto ceased fire.


    "The same technology as the base''s shield," Brail said. "Without the funnel, I might add." The shield disappeared, and the mech lowered its fist, but out from the hand flared a pulsesaber, burning a bright green. "It''s time for you to-"


    Vecto zipped by the mech. An arched blade from his arm slashed the bottom of the mech''s forearm. Vecto landed on the other side, and the mech''s arm sparked, twitched, and deactivated.


    "Activate reroute wiring and repair," Brail commanded the mech as he also made a few adjustments to the console. Power redirected, and the arm began to move again.


    Vecto looked behind to see Prometheus plunge his energy sword at him. He sidestepped-the blade scorching the ground beside him-then fired more missiles.


    The pulsesaber swung by the projectiles, disintegrating them. The intense heat scorched Vecto again but collided with his Force Field Shields. The flare widened, covering him.


    "A mere flare of energy will not get through my shield," Vecto said in a monotone.


    "Yet if you fire, the energy will filter through your shields," Brail pointed out. "It has to create an opining to fire, does it not?"


    "That''s why I sifted my blaster from behind me-to behind you."


    Prometheus looked back as a charged beam came down. The mech quickly hopped over Vecto and struck down with its pulsesaber at the blast. The zero point energy shifted downward and collided with Vecto''s shield. Vecto slid back from the impact of the blast as Prometheus kicked Vecto from behind, using the force of his foot''s thrusters to knock him in the air.


    Vecto pinwheeled, then stabilized. "How exhilarating," he said, hovering his Alpha Detta Flint over his shoulder, ready for nuclear warfare.

 Episode 7.3

    "So how long do you need?" Crysilis asked, leaning against a post in Azmeck''s lab-an apartment room twenty-six stories high.


    "My word!" Azmeck gasped, startled from Crysilis'' unannounced appearance. "Don''t sneak up like that." He was staring from his balcony, lost in thought, when Crysilis surprised him. Azmeck was wearing his scientist robe, a white garment with yellow lines zigzagging to his knees. He was about to reenter his quarters when he heard a liftcopter making a round. "Quick, take hiding!" he said, signaling Crysilis to stay low.


    Crysilis disappeared and reappeared beside a defunct robot against the wall, then posed like a machine.


    The liftcopter swooped up, its searchlight flashing through the window and into the room. The light twinkled from Azmeck''s vest and pale skin as his robe flowed in the high-altitude breeze, his arms folded behind his back.


    * * *


    A black-haired woman with a mechanical eye rested her arm against her bandaged legs as she glanced at Azmeck from the wide opening of the copter. "Nothing yet," Accura said, returning her gaze to the pilot. "We''ll go to base and make another pass later."This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    "But Axe, are you sure it''s worth it?" the pilot questioned. "He''ll be foolish to show up."


    "Don''t worry. He''ll be here," she assured, watching Azmeck fade out of sight. "I''ll bet your salary that Vecto will show up . . . sooner or later."


    "10-4. If you say so," the pilot replied, then patched a line to the base. "Holy Sparrow to EPO Base Calyx. Operation Vecto Strike is still on hold. RTB."


    "Roger that," a voice replied. "We''ll expect your return."


    * * *


    Crysilis slightly budged from his uncomfortable pose. "Is he gone?"


    "Yes, yes, indeed," Azmeck said with a wave as he walked back in his room and touched a panel to seal the balcony and cover the view. "The Acaterran police have stepped up their search for Vecto after hearing what happened at your base. They''ve got men swarming around the place and have Vecto''s face all over the broadcast networks, offering a steep reward for his demise."


    "I see. And so they''re likely after me and Streamline too, huh?"


    "Well, particularly you for questioning and Streamline for jail time after his stint at the world bank. It''s going to be quite impossible to keep you guys under wraps for much longer."


    "Don''t worry about me. We need to develop that virus first to stop Vecto," Crysilis pressed on. "We''ll think about how to sneak him in later."

 Episode 7.4

    Vecto landed on the steeple of a building. The nuclear warhead he launched engulfed nearly a mile radius of the military complex. He was atop a church''s cross, watching as the dome explosion tore buildings, vehicles and soldiers into charred remains.


    It seemed to last forever, marking the end of the mech, he thought. Vecto leaped off the steeple and landed hard on the ground, then rose slowly with his array of weapons hovering around him. Waves of flame and smoke scorched behind the church as he walked away, his head lowered as he contemplated his task.


    With a chime, the church''s bell went off. Vecto turned around to scan the building for life forms. The bell chimed two more times in sequence to indicate the time, 3:00 p.m., as Vecto''s Lapton Map assured him that soldiers were within. Vecto glanced up toward the bells, reminiscent of ancient times, and only then could he get a clear picture of the steeple''s cross. It reminded him of Gyro, of the cross he had found in his teammate''s room.


    Vecto took the time to analyze it as a compartment from his waist extended, revealing Gyro''s cross. He snatched it, raised it in view of the church''s cross and hit a switch on the item. Suddenly, a blade snapped out from the top. It was a weapon from a Zealot, a creation of a religious cult seeking the demise of genetically altered races, who they considered abominations against God. Yet he remembered the pastor of this church as being different than the Zealots; he valued life, unlike the cult that wanted to kill nonhumans-including Gyro. The Rev. Benign had tried to stop the bloodshed.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    "Is this right-killing the SS6 trainees?" Vecto pondered, as if asking his deceased friend. "You had said that you first died from this cross, Gyro-a Zealot''s-yet you defied death and kept this memento. Why?" Vecto studied the one-micron blade briefly before snapping the blade back in the cross. "Is this a symbol of death . . . or life? Do you want me to avenge your death . . . or not?"


    Vecto placed the cross back in its compartment and stared at the church. Despite the kindly nature of Benign, Vecto reminded himself that SS6 trainees were warriors who worked for Sable and Morphaal. They had even made a deal with the Zealots to protect their DNA matrix project-the very thing that gave the SS6 elite soldiers their superior skills. It was obvious that all associated with the SS6 were guilty twice-over for Gyro''s death, Vecto concluded.


    "There''s no turning back now, is there?" Vecto said to himself as he pointed his Blaster 3,000 at the cathedral.

 Episode 7.5

    "There''s no turning back now, is there?" Vecto said to himself as he pointed his Blaster 3,000 at the cathedral. He peered over his gun but refrained from shooting. Scanners were picking up large movement behind the church-at ground zero. Vecto rose into the air and landed atop a nearby building next to the church graveyard.


    "So the machine survived the impact," Vecto said, watching the gigantic mech stumble through the rubble, its torn armor being repaired by backup nanomachines.


    Prometheus scanned for Vecto. When it spotted him, the mech ignited its thrusters and soared from the smoke. It fired missiles as it approached, and Vecto took evasive action, running across the roof of the building, eluding the explosions as the building collapsed.


    Vecto''s Flame Boosters activated, sending him soaring between two lookout towers. But the mech pressed on-its body on fire as it launched energy blasts toward Vecto. Vecto dodged, the beams scorching by to collide with a weapons facility. Vecto kicked himself from the wall as the building ignited in flames. He headed for the mech and rammed it in the chest, causing a dent and knocking it off balance. The mech fell backward, but its rear thrusters kicked in, stabilizing it to an upright position. Vecto then slammed his fist into its hull and ripped open a slab of the cockpit. He could see a soldier within, piloting the machine. And Brail could also see Vecto up close.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    "Take me to your leader," Vecto said, looking through the crack. "And I''ll spare you."


    "I don''t take bribes," Brail replied coldly. The mech grabbed hold of Vecto, pulling him from the hull as if an oversized tick, and tossed him aside, firing missiles at him. The missiles collided with his shield, sending him into a liftcopter platform. But the mech didn''t stop there. It jumped at Vecto, stomping on him, grinding him into the platform.


    Vecto expanded his shields, knocking the machine off. He quickly ran down a jet launch pad, and the mech pursued, firing at the small figure of Vecto. Prometheus'' broad steps crushed the takeoff platform as it chased its target.


    After leading the mech through the aircraft carrier, tank storage building, and armored vehicle parking station, Vecto came to a stop on the roof of yet another building, looking down at the destruction the mech had caused.


    Prometheus leaped in the air, activated its thrusters, and came to slow stop on the roof on the other side of Vecto. Two communication towers behind the mech matched its height as it loomed over the robot.

 Episode 7.6

    "I like what you did to the place," Vecto commented, glancing at the destruction as his shield flickered a darker shade.


    "It ends now!" Brail yelled, his face still visible from the hole in the cockpit. "Hide and seek is over!" The mech launched its fist at Vecto. But Vecto remained still for a split second and quickly spun around, grabbing the fist. He slid back as he held onto the gigantic hand, then with a quick yank and turn, he snapped the arm around, breaking the joint at the shoulder. The massive arm broke off from the mech''s body. Vecto spun it around and smacked the mech with it, causing Prometheus to stumble into a communication tower. He held the severed arm in the air for a second, then dropped it, allowing its immense weight to pound on the roof.


    Furious, Brail ignited the machine''s grand pulsesaber. Prometheus swung it down at Vecto, but the robot dodged it as it tore through the roof.


    Vecto tilted his floating head. "For your information, I led you here." Missile compartments hovering at both of his sides fired projectiles at the mech. But the missiles went low and passed between the machine''s legs. They instead collided with the bases of the two towers behind. With a thunderous roar, the space-communication towers tipped over, crushing against Prometheus'' back, knocking the pulsesaber from its hand. The force and weight of them, coupled with the massiveness of the mech and the already existing crack in the roof, caused the roof to cave in. The mech crashed in the storage facility below, landing on huge crates, falling to its back-as debris tumbled down around it.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Vecto causally walked to the edge of the hole, snatched a triangular Vecto Bomb that was hovering around him, and tossed it below.


    Brail watched as the bomb flipped in the air. His cockpit was sparking, and blood ran from his forehead. The bomb drifted toward the mech-it drifted toward him. It floated through the crack in the cockpit, landing in his lap, with the letter V and three wavy lines adorned on it. And yet sticking out from a crate beside the mech was a nuclear warhead. "Curse you!" he cried out, accepting his fate.


    The storage facility exploded, shooting shards of metal into the sky. Vecto flew swiftly, outpacing the bomb''s expanding blast-radius-until the 500 miles-per-hour wind struck him. He tumbled in the air and crashed into an empty terrain of mud and dirt. The ground still rumbled, even after the explosion had died. His shields flickered a dark red as he lifted his body from the mud. He looked back at the mushroom cloud towering from the explosion, his vision blurring. He took a step, stumbled, and fell.

 Episode 7.7

    "So this virus . . . by your calculations, will take three days to create?" Crysilis asked.


    "Unfortunately, from reviewing Vecto''s records, his programming is a very complex series of commands in a foreign language, not just the simple ones and zeros," Dr. Azmeck noted as he sat in a hovering chair that seemed to dwarf him. "Not to mention, it''ll take hours upon hours to put the virus through a series of tests to evolve it into a form that can penetrate through his antiviral scans." Azmeck stroked his chin. "That is assuming that Vecto''s programming is based on conventional technology, which is undoubtedly not the case."


    "There''s no time to waste. Is there another way?" Crysilis asked, leaning against the wall and tilting his head back.


    "Perhaps, just postulating, what if we were able to transplant human thoughts and commands to Vecto''s mind to shut him down?" Azmeck was amused by his brilliant idea. "The human brain functions on bioelectric waves, which in turn may be transferable into data by converting the series of quarks and leptons that comprise an atom into computerized data."


    Crysilis mused over the idea. "Yeah, but Vecto''s more than the typical coding, remember? And how long will that take?"


    "A matter of months, perhaps . . . for the study, of course. Science takes time, I''m afraid," Azmeck said, acknowledging it wasn''t the best of ideas for the situation at hand.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    "Then perhaps we need force after all . . ."


    "I''m afraid so, unless I''m able to formulate another plan," Azmeck said. "I''ll be sure to let you know if I do. I had no idea it would take such a long time to create an anti-Vecto virus."


    Crysilis walked over to the door.


    "Well, any ideas, son?"


    "I''m going to the Gateway."


    "You mean the Gateway of Time?" Azmeck was curious.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll take care of Vecto," Crysilis said, teleporting away.


    * * *


    Vecto slowly stood back up. A Lapton Map scan detected about one hundred men over a mound of dirt, many of them sitting down. Acro tanks climbed over the steep mound like tired bugs, splashing mud with every step. An army of soldiers prepared for combat.


    "Ninety-nine barrels of guns in the way. Versus one machine," Vecto said as he moved forward. "I kind of like my odds."


    And so did the SS6 trainees. Many of the tanks had three cannons on their roofs, adjustable but all aimed at Vecto. The long-shaft tri-cannons fired at Vecto, back-to-back, as rapidly as they could. The cannons struck Vecto''s outer shield, pushing him back. Vecto was thrown into an obstacle-course structure, but stood back up. Yet more cannons pounded his shield. The training course blew up, and Vecto staggered to rise. He was weakening. This feeling . . . is this pain? Vecto pondered. Was this what Leroy warned him about? Did he experience more pain the darker his shields became?


    More shells impacted him, tossing him deeper into the mud. The tanks walked down the slope, continuing their approach. Vecto began fueling his shields with carbon. He had to get stronger. He had to take revenge.


    A barrage of heavy firepower catapulted from the tanks, creating a dead zone around Vecto. The area went up in smoke as the tanks came to a stop and ceased fire.

 Episode 7.8

    A moment of silence was disrupted by a soldier''s voice over comlink. "Did we win?" he asked with a gleam of hope.


    Another soldier answered. "I wouldn''t count on it," he said, his voice cracking, waiting for Vecto to emerge from the smoke and kill them all.


    The smoke inched away, but Vecto was lying on the ground.


    "Morphaal," Vecto said, rolling over. "Sable . . . I must avenge Gyro''s death!" His body twitched as his body pieces floated into the air. They drifted into place as Vecto repeated Morphaal''s and Sable''s names, fueling his rage. Rage was the only thing that made him stronger. He had to become completely evil to survive, he thought. It was the only way he could defeat Morphaal.


    He looked up to see one of his scout orbs wobble in the air toward him. Vecto slowly stood and reached out his hand, letting it settle in his palm. It transmitted a message that tipped him over the edge. "You traitors!" he yelled as his shields fluctuated almost to black.


    "Fire everything!" a soldier commanded. The tanks resumed firing. Cannons collided with Vecto''s outer shield, but this time, he didn''t budge. Vecto''s shield grew darker as he felt the pain of the blows. More and more, the shields were becoming visible. Vecto had his head tilted down as dark thoughts consumed him. With this power, he could kill anyone in his way. He could kill Morphaal and take his place as ruler. He could become a god.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    He pressed his shields against the firepower, amidst explosions, as he strode toward the tanks.


    "No! No! It''s impossible!" a soldier in one of the tanks yelled as he released all of his weapons at once. One by one, the other tanks also exhausted their weapons. The stream of cannon fire died down as Vecto slowly approached with his weapons hovering around him. When the barrage ceased, Vecto''s shields were a semi-translucent black. The outer shield fluctuated, then expanded, flowing past the tanks. The shield moved across the field of tanks, filtering them inside. A dome formed over the entire field.


    "I control you now . . ." Vecto''s voice echoed in all of the soldiers'' ears as the tanks lifted from the surface, tossing and turning in the air.


    "My God! Somebody save us!" a soldier yelled.


    "We''re gonna die!" another cried.


    Slowly, Vecto hovered his Alpha Detta Flint over his shoulder, enclosed with its last shell.


    "This can''t be happening . . . this can''t be happening . . ." a soldier repeated, clutching a locket with a picture of his wife and little girl.


    His driver looked over to him as a tear rolled down his cheek. "I''m sorry, kid . . ."


    Vecto pointed the weapon at the ground and fired.


    It malfunctioned. The weapon was strangely sparking. He looked it over and noticed a bullet wedged precisely in the launch mechanism of the gun, releasing an electric current to shut it down.


    Vecto tossed the weapon aside and laughed ominously, realizing who was standing behind him. "So you finally showed up . . ."

 Episode 8.1

    Vecto turned to face not Morphaal, not Sable, but his own teammate, Streamline.


    "Drop the tanks," Streamline ordered, pointing his Omega Blaster at Vecto. The color of his rugged armor matched the mud below, shaded by the darkness of Vecto''s shield around them.


    "Some heroic words from a traitor," Vecto said. "I know all about you and Crysilis and Azmeck planning against me. Don''t count me as a fool."


    Streamline was baffled at how he knew.


    Vecto put out his hand and let his scout probe settle in his hand.


    It was one of three he had scattered to find Streamline''s weapon. He must have dispatched one to the base to spy on them, Streamline thought, cursing himself for not catching on to it.


    "Let the soldiers go," Streamline demanded. "Your fight is with me."


    "No, you are all my enemies!" Vecto yelled. He lifted one hand and crushed the exterior of the tanks in sync with crushing his personal orb. He no longer needed the information it contained and didn''t want it in the hands of another.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "I SAID LET THEM GO!" Streamline yelled, firing at Vecto. An energy blast struck Vecto in the chest. It was as if Leroy himself had punched him. He could feel "pain" as he cringed, looking down at the energy against his shield. It must have been a compressed chi-energy shell, he thought. The energy was digging in his shield, and he couldn''t move. It was paralyzing him. Yet he could still control the tanks within his outer-dome shield. One by one, he tossed them at Streamline.


    Streamline ran across the field. He leaped in the air as a tank crashed in the mud below. In quick succession, he ejected a blue cylinder container from his side, popped out the rear loading mechanism of his rifle, and aligned the gun so the magnetic posts could catch the metal-rimmed energy capsule. In midair, spinning over a tank that Vecto launched at him, he snapped the capsule into the rifle and fired again. This time, the shell shattered, encompassing Vecto''s body with the energy. It began to eat at Vecto''s shields, overpowering him. At last, his Force Field Shields dropped, and Vecto''s body pieces collapsed. Only the thin shield of his Flummox Capacitor in his chest was still functional.


    Streamline landed on his feet as the tank that had been tossed at him struck the surface behind him, followed by all the other tanks Vecto had raised into the air. Even Vecto''s hovering weapons hit the ground, clanging against each other.


    "I''m sorry, Vecto. I''m not a traitor," Streamline said. "You needed to be stopped-for your own good."

 Episode 8.2

    "I''m sorry, Vecto. I''m not a traitor," Streamline said. "You needed to be stopped-for your own good."


    "My own good?" Vecto questioned, adjusting the magnetic plates holding his body together and slowly rising. "And who are you to determine that?"


    Streamline paused to glance at the tanks. Side-plating from them ejected, as if being detonated, and disoriented soldiers emerged, scurrying away from the battlefield. Streamline watched them retreat for a moment before replying to Vecto.


    "Feit warned me that you might go mad," Streamline said, "but I didn''t believe him until Crysilis warned me."


    "So Leroy''s lackey gave you those capsules, then?" Vecto surmised, unable to see without his shields.


    Streamline fell silent, remembering how Leroy Johnson''s student had handed him the chi energy shells as they waited in Leroy''s home. Streamline was stubborn in accepting them and doubted that they''d work. Yet these shells filled with Leroy''s energy had worked after all.


    "I had faith in you until you pulled these stunts-killing the innocent," Streamline said. "What were you thinking?"Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    "They are not innocent," Vecto replied, attempting to reactivate his shields to no avail. "They deserve to die! They brought back Morphaal, and they work for Sable!"


    "Sable brought back Morphaal, not the SS6!" Streamline corrected him. "They don''t even know that Morphaal''s back!"


    Vecto switched vision to his robotic head, and a light flashed from the slit of the eyes. He could see Streamline standing in front of him with his weapon pointed at his vulnerable face. "So you planned this out. You planned to destroy me, is that it?"


    "I hope not," Streamline said. "We need to have you fixed-if you''ll just cooperate."


    "And do what?" Vecto yelled. "Take me to Azmeck to be shut down by a virus? Is that what you call fixing me? Either way, you want to destroy me . . . and I will not allow it!"


    Streamline realized that Vecto was slowly rolling his Blaster 3,000 on the ground to point at him. "Don''t even think about it, Vecto. Don''t make me shoot. I was never in favor of that plan."


    "You''re all traitors!" Vecto yelled, blasting his gun. Streamline quickly jumped the blast and shot Vecto in the top of the head as he flipped over him. Vecto crouched as the freeze-digger bullet pierced straight through his metal skull. Yet he straightened back up.


    "Have you forgotten that I am hollow?" Vecto said as he turned and kicked Streamline.


    The armored man slammed against a tank yards away.


    "It will take more than bullets to defeat me, even without my shields," Vecto continued.


    "You leave me no choice then," Streamline said, straightening his back.

 Episode 8.3

    "You leave me no choice then," Streamline said, straightening his back.


    He reached behind him and grabbed the tank, using his massive strength to toss it over him. Vecto fired at the tank, giving Streamline time to eject his Omega Blaster''s current magazine and snap on another. He ran at Vecto and fired rapid shots. As the bullets released from the gun, the oxygen caused the shells to explode, sending shrapnel Vecto''s way. The pieces stuck to Vecto''s metal frame as tiny residue began eating away at his metal.


    Vecto fired at Streamline, but his old friend leaped over the blasts, landed on the flaming tank that was falling and kicked it down at Vecto. Vecto jumped out of the way as the tank crashed and sent mud in the air. As if in camouflage, Streamline splattered through the airborne mud, falling toward Vecto as he blasted rapid energy beams. Vecto rolled out of the way, being struck several times with the blasts. They exploded on his chest and exploded geysers of mud in the air.


    Streamline landed, not letting up on his rapid blasts as Vecto stood and fired back, his body pieces swaying-left, right, up and down-trying to let the shots pass by. Streamline dodged Vecto''s shots and landed some of his own at Vecto. They battled until they reached the commerce area of the base, running along building walls, running with blazes of energy streaming at them, destroying everything in sight.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    "Do I have to knock some sense into ya?" Streamline yelled, throwing a huge chunk of a building at Vecto. The robot blasted it to pieces as he jetted through the smoke. He scanned for Streamline and saw him above. Streamline switched to a stronger mode of his rifle and shot a constant stream of energy. Vecto barely dodged it, but it followed him. Streamline was moving his gun, letting the powerful beam chase after Vecto, inadvertently slicing through vacant buildings below. The beam stopped, and Vecto landed on a roof. A diagonal cut across the roof caused that half to slide off and crash to the ground.


    Panting for breath, Streamline landed on the half-roof and switched modes on his gun again.


    "I applaud you for your courage," Vecto said. "You had deactivated my shields and have marred my body, but I have worn you out to exhaustion."


    "Yet you haven''t landed a hit, and I''ve got more punch," Streamline said, raising his multifunctional blaster rifle.


    "Then we should make this a fist-to-fist match . . . no guns . . . and we''ll see how you fare," Vecto said, dropping his Blaster 3,000.


    Streamline smirked. "I''m not a fool, Vecto. I know you''ll just hover your gun back to you. The answer''s no."


    "Oh, but I insist," Vecto said, suddenly snapping Streamline''s gun from him with a magnetic jerk from the base of his gunless arm. Streamline''s blaster flew to Vecto''s hand, but its safety mechanism wouldn''t let the robot fire it. Capturing the opportunity, Streamline pulled out his spare gun and shot Vecto right in the eye, exploding the right side of his head off with a freeze blast.


    "Nobody takes my rifle!" Streamline said. He walked over and snatched his gun back.

 Episode 8.4

    Meanwhile, at the New Earth Police headquarters, officers scurried by as Accura wobbled through the crowd wearing leg braces-one of her legs aching as someone bumped into her.


    "Hey, watch it, will ya!" she yelled. She glanced at the captain walking beside her. "What''s all the rush about?"


    "They''re preparing for an attack," Captain Taupe said matter-of-factly. "The SS6 training camp has reported massive damage to their base and half of their men dead, and requested assistance."


    "So you plan to storm over there and die, is that it?" Accura questioned. "You know I can take him. Trust me."


    "With broken legs?" Taupe shook his head. "You''ve done enough, I''m sure, and we''ll reward you for your information on Vecto. However, we are not sending our men to the base."


    "Then how do you propose to beat him?" Accura asked. "I''m telling you, he''s likely to see Dr. Azmeck and-"The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "That''s enough." the captain said, stopping in the middle of a busy hallway and glancing nonchalantly at the hired mercenary. "You know as well as I do how powerful Vecto''s shields are. So we have been given orders to launch Intrepid 18."


    "What?" Accura was taken aback. "You mean you''re going to launch a gigaton nuclear missile at him? Forget about the SS6 base-it''ll annihilate the whole region!"


    "With someone as dangerous as that robot roaming around, killing our men, sacrifices must be made."


    "But those are human lives! Why not evacuate them first?"


    "We have been given direct orders from Sable himself," Taupe said through clenched teeth. "Now, I''d suggest you take your money and leave. We no longer need your assistance."


    Accura paused, looking deep into Taupe''s brown eyes. She had never thought he''d stoop so low as to sacrifice hundreds of soldiers for the destruction of one being. He would never have done that back when she used to be in the police force-but then again, he wasn''t in charge then.


    "Fine," Accura said, turning her back to him. "If that''s how it''s going to be, I''ll make a note not to help you when Vecto comes back from the grave."


    "Accura . . ." the captain said, now trying to soften things.


    "I''m done with you," she said and walked away without looking back.

 Episode 8.5

    With his gun returned, Streamline cautiously stepped back to what he judged to be a safe distance from Vecto''s body. Smoke fumed from the side of Vecto''s destroyed head, but Streamline knew the battle wasn''t over yet.


    As if returning from the dead, Vecto''s head arched back in place as his one remaining eye flashed red. Instead of going for his gun as Streamline expected, Vecto launched his hand and grabbed Streamline by the throat. The massive grip lifted Streamline''s body from the ground as he struggled helplessly to break free.


    "I wanted this fight to be respectable," Vecto said, the voice from his head distorted. "But, no, you chose not to."


    "Because I know you . . ." Streamline said, gasping for breath despite the thickness of his body armor. He could now see the emptiness inside Vecto''s head; the robot''s cognitive relied on lasers rather than wires. "I know your good side-and your bad," he continued. "And right now . . . you''re evil!"A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    "Evil, you say?" Vecto tilted his head as he approached, his floating hand still firm at Streamline''s throat.


    "Did I stutter?" Streamline said brazenly and gasped. "What happened . . . to the old Vecto? The one . . . who had our backs . . . the one . . . who would sacrifice himself . . . for his friends?"


    "That Vecto died when the world backstabbed him. He died when the world wasn''t good enough, when he needed to be stronger, when he needed to show the world what he was truly capable of," Vecto''s explained. "That is the only way to defeat Morphaal-to be feared and omnipotent."


    Streamline was set back by Vecto''s cruel words. His suit tightened at his neck to give him breathing room. But his slight comfort was dashed by the sight of Vecto''s scarred head hovering inches from his face.


    "So you died with Gyro," Streamline said callously, trying to ply Vecto''s fingers from his neck. "Mere days ago, you had saved our lives . . . yet when Gyro tried to save yours, he faced death . . . So you took the blame on yourself . . . you begrudged his sacrifice!"

 Episode 8.6

    Vecto paused, staring at his former friend and companion with his remaining eye.


    "You heard me!" Streamline coughed. "You valued his life over yours and thought of yourself as a worthless machine. You wondered why Gyro had risked his life for you when you can be recreated. You blamed yourself and questioned your existence, telling yourself you weren''t worth saving . . . and soon, that mentality stuck . . . and you began acting like the mindless machine you once vowed never to become!"


    Vecto was at a loss for words. He struggled to maintain his thoughts as he reflected on Gyro''s brutal death.


    Streamline laughed despite Vecto''s grip. "Don''t you realize? When you found word of Morphaal''s resurrection, you pinned the blame on him instead, and when he couldn''t be found, you blamed Sable! Then you blamed the SS6. Your rage trickled down from there, and now you''re venting your rage on your friends, acting like the whole world is against you, when in fact-it''s you against the world . . ."


    "You lie. You''re lying!" Vecto yelled, tightening his grip. "You are the ones who toiled against me!"A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    Streamline took another deep breath. "How selfish of you! . . . We aren''t tryin'' . . . to kill you, Vecto. We''re trying to save you!" As he spoke, he grasped Vecto''s chestplate panels. "To bring you back to the OLD VECTO!" He yanked Vecto''s chest apart, going for his core: for the Flummox Capacitor orb within the robot''s chest.


    Vecto''s mind snapped back to reality. He looked down to observe that his chest was open, then watched as Streamline extracted his pistol and blasted his orb at point-blank range. The shell struck the orb''s faint shield and exploded, causing Vecto to release Streamline, both of their bodies catapulting from the force of the blast. The explosion ripped into Vecto''s waist, flaring through his chest. It also tore through Streamline''s body armor, exposing some of his charred flesh.


    "You would sacrifice yourself to obliterate me?" Vecto asked. His body was aflame, but within those flames, the orb remained intact, spinning in place.


    "To save you!" Streamline replied, struggling back to his feet. "AND KNOCK SOME SENSE INTO YOU!" He lifted his Omega Blaster and unleashed green energy at Vecto. The blasts divided in midair, spanning out to lash Vecto''s body like horizontal rain. The energy beams chipped at Vecto''s frame as the robot walked through the stream, heading for Streamline.


    The gunfire ceased as Vecto''s Blaster 3,000 knocked Streamline in the side of the head and fired.

 Episode 8.7

    Streamline''s body flung off the building as smoke rose from holes in Vecto''s body. Vecto stood, scanning the area for Streamline. It appeared that he was clinging to the side of the building.


    "Vecto!" Streamline yelled as his Omega Blaster and pistol fell from his grasp. His jetpack was damaged and wouldn''t work.


    Vecto sauntered over to him and reached out. He grabbed Streamline''s arm and slung him away, watching his body zip through buildings. Vecto''s flame boosters ignited, sending him in pursuit. When he reached him, Streamline''s body was dug into the ground, up against the military complex barricade on the east side.


    Streamline''s head was lowered, wobbling, his face visible from gaps in his damaged helmet. His armor was in shreds. Blood trickled down his exposed arms. Slowly, he grabbed the rest of his helmet and yanked it off, tossing it aside. He was still alive, thanks to his impact-absorbent armor, but he was in no condition to fight. He tried to focus his eyesight as his head bobbled, seeing the blurred figure of Vecto''s shattered body-what was left of it, anyway-advancing toward him.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    Vecto walked leisurely; the pulsating magnetic plates holding his body together were failing, but he continued toward Streamline, his gun charging-ready to finish the job.


    Streamline laughed and coughed up blood. "You know what? I suffered this scar from fighting a friend like you," Streamline said, pointing to the long mark on his face. "I was a military buff at the time, on my homeworld. I was in my twenties and shared rank with him."


    Vecto continued to charge his gun.


    "He was a friend I respected, trusted . . . and, well, I soon fell in love with his sister and married her. I become brothers with him."


    Vecto nodded for him to continue, letting him get his last words.


    "All was well until I hit my wife," Streamline admitted. "I did it out of rage and instantly felt bad for it. But the damage was done. My brother-in-law began to detest me for that, understandably . . . and to make matters worse, I was promoted as his superior." Streamline wiped sweat and blood from his forehead and continued. "He loathed the fact that he now had to take commands from me. My wife and I had patched things up, but her brother sought to separate us and sought to discharge me from the military, spreading lies to other soldiers . . . So I had no choice but to demote him. I complied with regulation."


    Vecto kept his blaster pointed at Streamline.


    "It drove him to the edge." Streamline shook his head.

 Episode 8.8

    Vecto kept his blaster pointed at Streamline.


    "It drove him to the edge." Streamline shook his head. "We were on a vital mission aboard a naval ship when I went to check on him. I was worried, feeling guilty for having demoted him. But he was waiting for me, hiding. He came at me with an axe. He had me on the ground, grinding the blade into my face as I tried to hold it back with my bare hands." Streamline motioned to his scar.


    Vecto let him continue.


    "I managed to get free, barely able to move, when suddenly he snatched my gun and walked to the edge of the ship," Streamline said, taking a deep breath to fight back a tear. "He committed suicide, Vecto, right before my eyes. How I survived is a mystery, but I don''t want to lose another friend like that."


    Vecto slowly lowered his gun. He knew about Streamline''s wife and kids subsequently dying, he knew about the destruction of his homeworld, but Streamline had always kept silent about the plights he endured. Despite all that he suffered, Streamline unremittingly continued his life, fighting for . . . fighting for what was good.


    But the thought soon faded, as if being suppressed by Vecto''s mind. Why could he not concentrate? What''s wrong with me? Vecto wondered.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Vecto stepped back. His head convulsed as he looked around him. He looked down at his orb. It was glowing, flickering black, sucking carbon from around him. His shields were returning.


    "I''m sorry, Streamline," Vecto said, his voice cracking. "Destroy me . . ." His gun arm slowly lifted, pointing at Streamline. "I cannot control!" he said. It was as if he were a puppet, and some unknown force was pulling the strings. Vecto fought back, trying to resist it.


    "It''s okay, Vecto," Streamline said. He reached for his grenade. "I''ll make it painless."


    But Vecto couldn''t control himself long enough. The gun fired, launching a massive blast at Streamline before he could toss the grenade . . .


    The beam stopped inches before his face. Streamline''s hand was frozen in place, the bomb clutched firmly in his grasp. Even the sweat from his face declined to drip down his cheek as Vecto stood, inert.


    Time had frozen. Crysilis was standing in front of the two, shaking his head in displeasure. "The things I do for you two . . ." he said.


    Below is Vecto battered from the fight.


    <figure>


    </figure>

 Episode 9.1

    Crysilis slowly shifted through frozen time. A time bubble surrounded him and Vecto and Streamline, freezing molecules in place-and yet another bubble of energy surrounded Crysilis, keeping him in real-time, allowing him to filter through suspended motion. It was a difficult task to stop time, an ability he fortunately was granted from the Gateway, but Crysilis made it look effortless.


    He first walked to Streamline, noticing Vecto''s blast was uncomfortably close to Streamline''s face. No problem, though. Crysilis reached his hand out, sliding it between Streamline''s face and the blast. Space began to crystallize from his fingertips, forming a dimensional rift between the two. Crysilis patiently moved his hand over the entire radius of the beam, slowly scratching through time and space to create a barricade in between. When done, and he felt satisfied, he glanced at Streamline''s hand, noticing the bomb in his grasp. It was a photon detonator, with the on-switch activated.


    Crysilis shook his head at Streamline''s sacrificial trump card, wondering how the conflict had grown so immense. He placed his palm out at the device and formed blue energy around it, careful to keep the energy from Streamline''s hand. When the device was put in real-time, Crysilis quickly shut it off, relieved it hadn''t exploded. He removed the bomb from Streamline''s grasp and attached it to his own side.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    One down, another to go. Crysilis now turned his attention to Vecto. It appeared that Streamline had done quite a bit of damage to Vecto''s body. Vecto''s chest had been pried open-which made it all the easier for Crysilis. Using the same technique as before, he reached into Vecto''s chest and began scratching through time. He glided his hand around the orb as if caressing it, surrounding it with a crystallized appearance. He sharpened his focus, leaning closer, this time transposing the orb partially into another dimension.


    Now to retrieve it. Crysilis steadied his hands and carefully formed energy around the orb, allowing it to be part in real-time, so he could move it, yet still trapped halfway into another dimension, so Vecto himself couldn''t move.


    Brilliant, Crysilis thought. His risky plan had worked after all. Steadily, Crysilis removed the Flummox Capacitor from Vecto''s chest. He looked at Vecto''s body, pleased at his accomplishment, but then an object in the sky caught his eye. Far in the distance was a nuclear warhead hanging just out from a cloud. Not good. Although the missile seemed far away and frozen, it wasn''t within his time bubble.

 Episode 9.2

    Far in the distance was a nuclear warhead hanging just out from a cloud. Not good. Although the missile seemed far away and frozen, it wasn''t within his time bubble, which meant the missile was a lot closer now. So Crysilis calculated that, from the time he''d spent in the bubble and the estimated speed of missile, the warhead must be a half-minute away.


    He thought for a moment and bent down with the orb under his arm. Using his energy, he formed the glow over Vecto''s foot and yanked it from its time lock. Then he disappeared.


    In a flash, he reappeared above the gargantuan nuclear warhead and froze time around it. His calculations had been correct. The missile was at the expected location-about twenty nautical miles above the SS6 military complex. It was enough distance to be safe. Holding the orb in one arm, he stuck Vecto''s foot to the hull of the warhead, then removed Streamline''s bomb and attached it to the foot. With that done, he activated the bomb and disappeared, returning time to its respective place, relying on Vecto''s Foot Missiles to do the rest.


    * * *


    Time had resumed for Streamline. He was anticipating the blunt force of Vecto''s 0.E blast, but was saved by a crystalloid barricade inches from his eyes. Sweat trickled down his face as the zero point energy blast was sucked into some mysterious void. He looked beyond to see Vecto''s body collapse into pieces, as if heaven itself had intervened. That sight was followed by a brilliant light in the sky. Streamline looked up to see an explosion in the stratosphere, followed by the delayed thud of an earth-shattering boom. The sheer thunder of it hurt Streamline''s ears, and the force of the shockwave pressed him to the ground. It was amazing, absolutely amazing, that he was still alive, he thought.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    The bomb! he suddenly remembered. He looked at his hand, but the bomb was missing. Streamline diverted his glance to Vecto, whose pieces were spread across the ground-except for one foot and his orb. The blast stopping, Vecto collapsing-it had happened all too fast, and there was only one being who could have allowed this: The Zar of Time.


    As the explosion overhead died into the clouds and loose dirt rolled across Vecto''s dissembled frame, a gleam from the sun made a small ornament beside him glare. It was a cross, a black and silver cross adorned with diamonds. He had seen it hanging in Gyro''s bedroom once.


    Well, buddy, he thought as if speaking to Gyro, looks like they took Vecto home with ya after all. He grabbed the cross and lifted it in the air, snapping the blade out, familiar with Gyro''s story of the cross.


    "Rest in peace," he said, holding back tears as he stabbed it into the ground.

 Episode 9.3

    Meanwhile, Dr. Azmeck paced back and forth in his apartment. He was nervous, awaiting Crysilis'' return. The Gateway of Time, he thought. If in fact it did exist, it was said that the Zar of Time resided there-that he could stop and manipulate motion. And if Crysilis could somehow be granted limited temporary powers from him, that alone would be sufficient to defeat Vecto.


    Of course, he had had no logical proof that such a Gateway existed, even though he himself had created a time machine over a decade ago, and even though the A.S. of old claimed to have traveled to the Gateway. The notion that some "being" controlled time was simply an illusion, a man-made legend, Azmeck concluded. The same was true for alien races, he thought. Only the Asterites and Zarlians, human in form, were still a mystery to him. If they truly were aliens, why were they humanoid beings?


    Azmeck tossed theories in his mind, a usual practice of his to ease his nerves. He strolled to his bed, then back to his inventions, then repeated his motions as he constantly rubbed his hands as if washing them.


    "Why so anxious?" a voice said.


    Azmeck jolted and spun around to see Crysilis tossing an orb in the air. "My, my, my, what have I told you about sneaking up on-wait, is that Vecto?"


    Crysilis tossed the orb to Azmeck, and the doctor fumbled to grab hold. He scrutinized the glowing device, nodding to confirm it was indeed Vecto''s Flummox Capacitor. "That''s amazing. How did you-"The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    "We''ll leave it to legends," Crysilis said, cutting him off. "So, do you think you can fix him?"


    "Perhaps. I would need to do some tests to pinpoint the malfunction. However, it would be too suspicious for me work on him here. There is no telling when Acaterran cops will search this room."


    "Where else can we take him?"


    "Well . . ." Azmeck thought about it. "It may be wise to leave the planet entirely. The only lab capable of the technology we need is Vic''s."


    "You mean the midget Dinishman who created him? Don''t forget he disowned Vecto."


    "Hmm, you may very well be right." Azmeck tossed other ideas in his head. "Wait, I got it! Oh, how stupid of me. The Corona! Of course! I have VIP access and my very own lab on that ship. I can take Vecto aboard and work on him there."


    "And how do you suppose we sneak him aboard?"


    "Hmm. Good question."


    "Besides, it may be months before the Corona makes a stop here."


    Azmeck stroked his gray beard, laid Vecto down, and ruffled through his messy desk. He took hold of a microdisk and lifted it in the air in triumph. "Ah ha! Now, let''s see."


    Crysilis crossed his arms, wondering what the scientist was up to.


    Azmeck touched the device, and a Nexus screen popped up. With his finger, he scrolled through the options until he came to the Corona''s boarding schedule with Acaterra. It had changed. It was set to arrive in three days. "Splendid!" Azmeck said, shaking the device in front of Crysilis'' face. "Only three days. See! We''ll take Vecto there and make our journey across the omniverse. See! It''s even stopping on Cubix, if, say, we need Vic''s assistance."


    Azmeck was shoving it in his face, and Crysilis stepped back. He bumped into a nonfunctional robot and stumbled away. The bulky robot rocked in place as Crysilis looked over it. He wouldn''t let Vecto be abandoned like this one.


    "Azmeck," Crysilis said, devising a plan. "Can we fix this robot first?"


    Azmeck''s eyebrow rose in perplexity.


    "I have an idea," Crysilis assured him.

 Episode 9.4

    Hours later, at police headquarters, the mystery of how their nuclear missile had exploded without physical contact was still unresolved.


    "So, you''re telling me that Intrepid 18 simply blew up in the atmosphere?" Captain Taupe asked an officer and slumped into his chair.


    "Yes sir, Captain. It appears that someone blew it up," the officer affirmed.


    "Are you certain?" Taupe questioned. "That missile has a massive protective shell and defensive lasers on board to blast incoming projectiles. And it was blown up? By whom?"


    "I''m not certain, sir. As the missile approached the base, the on-board cameras picked up a sudden blackness in the vicinity of Vecto. Not long after, the cameras went dead and resumed eight seconds behind the clock, then blew up."


    "A hack? Or a glitch?" Taupe was curious.


    "I''m not sure, Captain. If it was a glitch, the clock would have reset automatically."Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    "Strange . . ." Taupe leaned his elbows on his desk. "Give me the last picture of Vecto shot from the missile."


    "I have it right here, sir," the officer said and laid it on his desk.


    It was a zoomed-in photo of Vecto''s body pieces collapsed to the ground with the bank robber Streamline sitting against a wall.


    "And the one before the black void?"


    The officer laid the other picture alongside. Despite strands of cloud in the way, Taupe could see Vecto standing and firing an energy blast at Streamline.


    "But what''s even more curious is this," the officer said and laid a third picture between them. "This was taken right after the black void disappeared half a minute later, a second or two before the missile blew up."


    "They''re exactly the same," Taupe observed, glancing at the photo before the void and after. Even the blast was in the exact same position.


    "It appears that the blast suddenly stopped, and Vecto''s body collapsed," the officer explained. He tapped the middle picture to switch to video, and it showed the last couple of seconds before the missile blew up.


    "And Streamline? I want satellite images of him. I want to know his every move."


    "Already did, Captain. He''s outside," the officer said, sliding another photo on his desk and tapping it.


    The sheet showed a battered Streamline walking toward police headquarters with a box in his arms.


    "Well done," Taupe acknowledged, leaning back into his foam seat. "Arrange that I meet this soldier. We''ll need him for questioning. Oh, and file these as classified, will you?"


    "Yes, sir." The officer nodded.

 Episode 9.5

    Exhausted, Streamline walked down an incline into the depths of the police vicinity. The walls on both sides stretched higher as he descended toward the parking garage entrance. It wasn''t long before the welcoming committee arrived. Armed police officers lined up across the top of the wall, aiming their rifles at Streamline. They wore battle helmets, plates of armor-and each one wore a heavy backpack. Streamline took a few more steps, unconcerned about the men.


    He glanced down at the below-surface entranceway as more officers spread out from the doorway. But these were higher-ups, save for a couple of guardians. They wore suits, complemented by the glare of medallions, a trait borrowed from the military. Streamline stopped in his tracks and settled the box in his arms on the ground, keeping his eyes on those approaching. He waited until they had reached a safe distance and then raised one hand to stop them.


    "I''ve come for the bounty on Vecto," he said loud enough for them to hear.


    "Vecto, you say?" One of the officers was curious. "Prove it!"


    In compliance, Streamline bent over and tapped the top of the force-field box. The field disappeared and the edges retracted. The thin polls flipped together, enclosing the "x" at the top of the box into one rod, and jumped in the air from the reaction. Streamline snatched the springing pole as the contents tumbled slightly down the incline. They were the body pieces of Vecto.


    It astounded some of the men.


    "Ah, well done. Well done, indeed," one of older men said, walking over to the pieces to bend down and inspect them.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    Captain Taupe, at the center of the group, remained silent, studying Streamline-his battered armor, skin with dried blood, scar along his face, and his eyes-especially his eyes, with their heavy brows and deep look. This man carried far graver scars inside his body than marred his outside, Taupe thought to himself.


    "So, what do I get?" Streamline asked. "A hefty check? A free cruise of the omniverse? Or a shiny suit?"


    Taupe walked up to face Streamline. "How''d you do it?"


    "Do what?" Streamline asked to annoy him.


    "How did you destroy him?"


    "With a little elbow grease and firepower," Streamline joked, keeping his eyes on Taupe.


    Taupe smirked and grabbed his wrists. He let go, and Streamline grunted in pain. Tiny disks sunk into his arm-through his suit. As if plants, roots embedded into his wrists, followed by a quick snap of magnetism, thrusting his arms together as the devices linked together, restraining him.


    "You are hereby under arrest for attempted robbery in disguise, shooting a firearm within an occupied building, eluding the police, and aiding a terrorist," Taupe explained, stepping back. "You have NO right to remain silent, and you will be detained indefinitely pending trail. We will do the questioning here, so it''ll be in your best interest to answer them."


    Streamline looked up, feeling the sting from his cuffs. "I guess this means I won''t get that cruise," Streamline quipped.


    "Take him away, men," Taupe ordered, standing straight as the guardians patted Streamline down and removed his weapons.


    Streamline complied, allowing them to search him, glancing at the police lined up on the walls. It was in his best interest not to fight back-not because they would attack, but because he didn''t want to kill them. He was turning himself in.


    "Oh, and by the way," Taupe said as the guards began to take Streamline away, "thanks for the prize." He reached down and picked up Vecto''s blown head, wondering what kind of marvelous technology was inside, what made Vecto tick, what made Vecto so strong and omnipotent-only to discover the head was hollow.

 Episode 9.6

    Beep. An annoying buzz came from Azmeck''s desk. Dr. Azmeck had on a visor, welding wires together on his old robot. He touched his ear to retract the force-field visor, stopped his task, and stumbled over robotic parts to tap the beeping device.


    Crysilis shook his head. "You could have called it," he said, amused at Azmeck''s futile efforts.


    "Ah, zip it," Azmeck snapped back. A chair rose from the floor and Azmeck sat, snatching an accompanying glass of sparkling grape juice as he stared at the Nexus screen. The message was a news feed, programmed to give Azmeck only the news that would be of interest.


    "Just in," a female reporter said. "Police have reported that Alpha Squad member Streamline, wanted for attempted robbery late last night, has been apprehended and incarcerated."


    "Eh?" Azmeck almost choked on his drink.


    "Police have also reported that they have successfully destroyed the robot Vecto, the leader of the A.S., wanted for a slew of murders that have plagued the SS6 and members of the police force." The screen switched to show a picture of Vecto''s destroyed remains. "This makes a climatic end of a two-day search for this man and machine, who have-"


    Azmeck shut the screen off. He didn''t want to hear any more.


    "Well, looks like they think Vecto''s dead." Crysilis grinned. "At least that bodes well for us."Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    "Just, just-what are you thinking?" Azmeck scolded. "They''ve captured Streamline. My, my, what are we going to do? We''ve got to rescue him!"


    Crysilis paused to let Azmeck vent his concern. "Not so, old man."


    "What? Who do you think you''re talking to-calling me an old man?"


    "What I mean," Crysilis explained, "is that Streamline turned himself in on purpose. We both know it would be near impossible for the police to apprehend him, and Streamline could easily escape if he wanted to. He did this to clear his name."


    Azmeck swirled in his chair and stroked his beard, listening.


    "He knew that if he kept running, it would only deepen the public contempt for the A.S. It would mean that they would target me and keep a keen eye on you and others affiliated with us. Which means that, in addition to himself, he must have also turned in Vecto''s body to calm the public''s fears of a crazed Vecto and Diamese mugger on the loose."


    "Ah, yes, I see." Azmeck nodded. "Can''t trust the news, eh? So what do you propose to do next? With the Alpha Squad, I mean."


    Crysilis shook his head. "This marks the end of the A.S. and the beginning of a new era."


    "What do you mean?"


    "If it''s true that Morphaal is back, we have successfully disbanded at his delight," Crysilis said. "I want you to go on alone with Vecto. Try and fix him on that ship and get some leads on Zendora. I''ll rendezvous later. As leader of the A.S. now, it''s my job to reband the squad. I''ll need to find every capable person I can willing to help us stand up to Morphaal." He crossed his arm and stared at the machine Azmeck had worked on. "I see dark days ahead of us from here on."


    "I''ll do my best," Azmeck affirmed. "I''ll go reserve us a spot on the Corona. We''ll meet at the Kapi city loading dock in three days."


    "Good, and do bring the robot, will ya?" Crysilis joked and disappeared.

 Episode 9.7

    Three days later, Azmeck was walking down a street with an old robot at his side. There was a large crowd, waiting in hopes of getting a ticket for a year-long journey across the omniverse. The robot followed the steps of Azmeck and glanced at the row of boarding shuttles at the dock, each one ready to take the civilians to the massive, megamile ship in orbit around Acaterra.


    "Excuse me, Dr. Elzador Azmeck," the robot said calmly. "If permitted, may I ask where we will be going, good sir?"


    "Ah, no need to worry," Azmeck said, "only a journey, my friend. Oh, look, there he is! Hey, Crysilis!" Seeing Azul and Crysilis in the distance, Azmeck rushed over, an act he should have refrained from due to his aching back. He was soon followed by his clunky companion robot.


    "Shh!" Crysilis put a finger to his mouth, hidden by a hood over his head. "We don''t want anyone to know what we''re up to!" Crysilis wrapped himself more in his cloak. "Besides, how''d you know it was me?"


    "I simply assumed, by seeing Azul at your side, that-"Stolen novel; please report.


    "OK, fine. I guess this is it. Good ol'' good-byes, huh?" Crysilis whispered, severing any chitchat.


    "And what of you, Azul?" Azmeck asked. "If you need a place to stay after what happened to the base and all, I''ll-"


    "No need to worry," Azul said, wearing a new set of fancy clothes to replace the burnt ones. "I will survive. But I wish you two a safe journey, and may the heavens protect you."


    "Thank you, Azul," Azmeck said with a smile, patting him on the shoulder. "Good man. Good man. Welp, it''s been a pleasure, you two . . . See you on the other side."


    Crysilis snapped his head in the 76-year-old''s direction in response.


    "The omniverse. The omniverse," Azmeck clarified as he walked off and waved.


    "Godspeed," Azul said, nodding as Crysilis headed in another direction.


    * * *


    And so, Crysilis left on a separate journey as Azul stayed behind and as Azmeck boarded the Corona ship. They embarked on their own adventures, each with his own path, each with his own mission to accomplish. And stored away in the Corona ship, standing beside rows upon rows of robots of the same model and design, was one odd-ball of the bunch-a bulky machine that showed its age, a robot of Azmeck''s, carrying within its chest a single orb, hidden, ready to be revived.


    An orb by the name: Vecto.


    Fin (The End).