Chương 88: How Goes the Repairs, Mum?
The warmth of a new day swirled into the room where Mentos had spent the night, curled up on a rather uncomfortable sofa. He stirred as the sunlight nudged him from his slumber, its radiance was seeping through the small gaps in the heavy curtains.
"Erm…" Rubbing the remnants of sleep from his face, he rose to his feet, stretching out the stiffness that had settled into his limbs during the night.
His mind immediately turned to Hao, concern prickling at the back of his thoughts. Crossing the room, he gently knocked on his door, hoping to hear a response. When none came, he pushed it open, only to find the room empty. The bed was untouched and its sheets undisturbed.
"Where has he gone off to?" he wondered aloud with a knot of worry tightening in his chest.
Seeking solace in routine, Mentos made his way to check on the Bastians. The Sword Fishes, Symphy and Euphy, were already up and about, darting through the waters of the pool with a lively energy that belied the early hour. Nearby, the formidable figure of Acadian, better known as Maelstrom, was just starting to stir, his massive form shifted with a rumbling groan that echoed through the room.
"I should try this again." Feeling a pang of determination, Mentos decided to make use of the quiet morning hours. He fetched a cup of water, letting the cool liquid soothe his parched throat, before positioning himself in front of Maelstrom. His focus shifted, then he began the delicate process of attempting to form a Beast Link contract.
Elsewhere, concealed within the towering structure of Sphero's Inc, a private workshop filled with intricate machinery was brimming with activity. Various devices carried out their designated tasks. This space, locked away from the rest of the complex, was Quory's domain. Her exclusive retreat was a sanctuary away from prying eyes where she could focus on her work without interruption.
Suddenly, the door to this sequestered room slid open with a soft hiss. Hao stepped inside, his bare chest exposed save for the blindfold that covered his face, and his lower body clad in loose-fitting pants. He moved with an effortless grace, navigating the space with the aid of a simple cane coupled with his hearing. Despite his disability, he moved with a confidence that was hard to ignore.
His attention was drawn towards the workbench where Quory sat, garbed in a protective overall. The space around her was filled with the cacophony of machinery at work: the crackle of sparks flying from the tools she wielded, the rhythmic clanking of metal against metal, and the low bubbling of a heat bath where alloys were melting and merging into a molten blend.
Her focus was on a particularly unique object: the Vibe Edge. Her fingers moved with practised ease, the delicate task required her undivided attention. Although he was blind, Hao could sense the intricacies of the task at hand. Vibe Edge's link to him was temporarily severed during the repair process, leaving him to rely on his other senses. His perception was not as clear as with the sword, but he was able to faintly discern certain objects to make sense of his surroundings.
Breaking the steady rhythm of the workshop, Hao's uttered, "How's the progress?"
Quory movements ceased momentarily as she looked up at her son with a flicker of annoyance crossing her features. "That's the first thing you say to me in the morning? Did we both sleep together last night?" Her words were sharp, laced with a disappointment that was hard to ignore.
"I'm sorry, mum," Hao replied, strained with a reluctant apology. He then proceeded to ask, "How is your day?"
"Don't act as if you give a damn, you just want to get this sword fixed so you can go out and cause more trouble," Quory's hardened gaze returned to her task.
"But you want me out of your hair, don't you?" Hao retorted with a challenging edge to his voice.
"Don't play smart with me, boy," Quory countered, sounding harsh and disciplinary. "Don't forget whose crotch you crawled out of. I'm your mother, I know you."
Hao grimaced at her words, "Geez, thanks for reminding me of that graphic image, mum."
Ignoring the jab, Hao joined Quory at the workbench, listening to the crackling sounds emanating from the stripped-down Vibe Edge. "So can you fix it? I've tried, but I couldn't gain full access to the Sword Spirit without the original blueprint, which is strange. Even though we have a solid link of 66%."
"Vibe Edge isn't your typical Blade Edge," Quory explained while tinkering with a complex mechanism. It was a delicate piece of device, equipped with multiple fine needles that penetrated the radiating Sword Spirit. The needles injected the molten metals scooped up from the heat bath. It was a precise blend of technology and magic that breathed life back into the sword. "With a generous offering from your father, I handcrafted this blade to suit your needs a few years after you were born."
"Father?" Hao's interest was piqued at the mention of the man who had always remained a mystery to him. "You never talk about him. Who is he?"
But Quory was quick to deflect his question. "Now is not the time for that. I need to focus. Stay in the corner and don't disturb me."
Hao's thoughts raced. Every time he brought up his father, Quory would become defensive, almost protective. He didn't even know what the man looked like. And yet, he couldn't help but wonder about him. "Here we go again. Every time I bring up father, you act defensive. I don't even know what he sounds or looks like, maybe you don't either, seeing everywhere I turn, you're shagging some other man. Haven't you had enough intimacy at your age?"
"Boy, don't go any further, or I might just have to rip out your bloody tongue!" Her threat and tone indicated that she meant every word.
"Alright." Hao dropped the topic, then retreated to the balcony to escape the growing tension. He leaned against the rails, lost in his thoughts. Unbeknownst to him, a drone hovered at a distance, focusing its lens on his figure.
"Target sighted," The drone, Bubble Bot, transmitted the information to its master, Wiz, who then relayed it to Colgate. "Sir… you were right, our target is indeed hiding in that building. We've got confirmation."
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