De Silva led his troops back to Zi City, his trump card suddenly rendered useless, and his mood turned foul. Alena was filled with questions. When they learned that Vega was a member of the newly formed "Group of Seven," everything became clear. De Silva gritted his teeth so hard they nearly bled. "I should have killed her sooner!"
"Doesn't she know this could change history?" Alena worried.
"What does she care about that? All she wants is to stay alive, that selfish woman."
"What do we do now? Vega knows too much about us."
"The only way is to find a way to kill her first."
"Can you bring yourself to do it? She's your elder, after all." The question stopped De Silva cold. He knew that with his personality, he probably couldn't go through with it. "We need to find Daechir quickly and let her figure something out."
Daechir had also received the news that Vega had defected to the Nine Stars United. She came to Zi City to discuss a plan with De Silva. "Thank you for bringing Alice back to the Eagle's Nest," were her first words.
De Silva waved it off. "Our goals are the same. No need for such formalities."
"I've brought you some news today as well," Daechir said.
"What news?"
"Alice told me that Vega has a pair of glasses that can see invisible people. We just need to destroy them."
De Silva asked, "Won't the Nine Stars United just replicate them?"
"They were invented by Mr. Ronnie. They're not so easy to replicate. You should have faith in him."
"But destroying them is easier said than done," De Silva sighed.
Daechir stared at him intently. "You have a stealth cloak, don't you?"
"How did you know?" De Silva blurted out, realizing his mistake as soon as the words were out. He quickly corrected himself, "I do not. Don't talk nonsense."
"De Silva, I need you to tell the truth. This is very important."
"What are you really after?"
"I'm a robot. I don't need to breathe. With your stealth cloak, I can get into the Nine Stars United headquarters, capture Vega, and help you get those glasses."
"But they'll still see you with the glasses."
"No. This stealth cloak cannot be seen with those glasses."
"How do you know all this?"
"Alice told me, of course, you idiot," Daechir said. Then she asked, "So? Are you going to lend it to me or not?"
De Silva hesitated. He was worried she wouldn't return it; she was a ruthless character, and with a stealth cloak, who could stop her? Seeing his expression, Daechir's face took on a flirtatious look. She leaned in and kissed him on the forehead. De Silva's vision went black for a second, and he felt dizzy. It had been too long since he'd been intimate with a woman, and even though she was just a robot, he was overwhelmed. Heroes have always been susceptible to beautiful women, and he was no hero. Five minutes later, the stealth cloak was in Daechir's hands. She was overjoyed, not just because she had the cloak, but because of her own feminine charm. "You have to give it back when you're done!" De Silva reminded her as she was leaving.
Daechir turned back with a smile. "And what if I don't?"
Once he had calmed down, De Silva began to regret it. When Alena found out, she called him pathetic, and he hung his head in shame, feeling he had done something incredibly foolish.
Daechir left Zi City and headed straight for the Nine Stars United headquarters. As she neared it, she put on the cloak. Soon, she arrived at a large iron gate guarded by a dozen men armed to the teeth. Even though she was invisible, getting in wouldn't be easy. It seemed her only option was to wait for a chance to follow someone in. She found a place to sit down. Three hours passed, and Daechir grew impatient. It was now noon. She stood up, intending to create a distraction and slip in during the chaos. Just as she was about to act, a car drove up and stopped at the gate. A man and a woman got out. She quickly moved behind the man and followed him through the gate. Before her was a long corridor lined with tall trees. The man turned to the woman beside him. "Nandi, what perfume are you wearing today? It smells quite nice."
"I'm not wearing any perfume."
"Then why do I smell perfume?"
Nandi laughed. "Jarat, did you sneak out last night behind Nat's back?"
Jarat stopped, his face serious. "Be quiet for a second. I feel like someone is following us!"
Nandi's face paled. "Could it be an invisible person?"
Hearing their conversation, Daechir took several steps back. Jarat grabbed Nandi's hand. "Run!"
"Is someone really there?" Nandi asked as they ran.
"I heard footsteps," Jarat shouted to the nearby guards, "Surround the gate!"
In moments, the gate was sealed again. Daechir sensed the two were of high rank and briefly considered taking them hostage. In that moment of hesitation, a red mist suddenly sprayed from the trees on both sides, and Daechir was revealed. She was shocked, cursing their cunning. The stealth cloak was now useless. She lunged forward, caught Nandi around the waist with her right arm, and kicked Jarat away, yelling, "Get lost! You wretched man."
She ran, scanning her surroundings for a place without the spray, but the corridor was long with no turnoffs. In her arms, Nandi cried out, "Who are you? Let me go!"
"Tell me where Vega is, or I'll kill you."
Hearing that she wasn't the target, Nandi felt a wave of relief. "Why are you looking for her?"
"You talk too much. Do you want to suffer?"
"If I tell you, you have to let me go," Nandi bargained.
"Fine," Daechir agreed readily. "Where is she?"
"I don't know exactly where, but I can take you to her." Daechir nodded, satisfied with the answer. Following Nandi's directions, they arrived at a villa. "Vega usually lives here. Put me down, and I'll take you inside."
Her cover blown, Daechir took off the cloak and revealed herself. Nandi stared at her, stunned, thinking, This girl is beautiful and agile. It would be great if she could stay with the Nine Stars United. Nandi went up and knocked on the door, but there was no response. Daechir kicked the door, but it remained undamaged. An alarm blared instantly. Moments later, six soldiers came running. They stopped as soon as they saw Nandi. One asked, "Miss Nandi, do you need our help?"
"Does anyone know where Vega is?" The soldiers all shook their heads, excused themselves, and left.
"Who are you? What is your relationship with Ethan?" Daechir turned and asked Nandi.
"I'm his assistant," Nandi lied.
"So where do we find her now?"
Unable to find Vega, Nandi was afraid of Daechir's anger and started thinking of a way to escape her grasp. She pointed down another path. "Let's go look over there."