On the observation deck inside a large hangar, the sound of harnessed power contrasted with the capital's distant roar.
Rod stood silhouetted against a testament to Grand North's technological might: the colossal SkyEye airship. It was a huge aerial ship made of alloyed metal, carbon fiber and composite materials, designed to look like a sea battleship with large Thundra Engines that would propel through the skies.
Beside Rod was the old main engineer called Borok. He leaned on his wheelchair with weary exasperation. The old man's ears were dulled by age and the hangar's constant din. He struggled to catch the Gun Hero's words.
"WHAT DID YOU SAY, SONNY?" Borok's voice roared.
"I asked how far the SkyEye laser cannons can strike without losing heat!" Rod responded with theatrical movements.
He pointed at the monstrous weaponry glinting on the airship.
"How would I know that?" the old man retorted and scratched his grizzled beard.
"Wha- you… you are the Lead Engineer of the ship, right?"
"Yes."
"And you helped install all the weaponry and internal components?"
"Yes."
"So… how far can the lasers reach?"
"HOW WOULD I KNOW THAT?!" the old man bellowed as his voice echoed through the vast space.
Rod let out a frustrated sigh before a group of proud engineers approached with their wide-eyed children trailing behind. One young boy moved closer and respectfully took hold of the old man's wheelchair. It was Borok's grandson: Onin.
"Sorry if my grandfather isn't giving you any answers. He doesn't really do well with numbers, especially now at his age. By the way, I'm a big fan! I heard you were able to fight seven Colloso Giants back in your prime! That's so awesome!" the boy's voice spilled out in a breathless hype-filled rush.
"Oh! Thank you! Yeah, I once fought fifteen of them too. It was a tough battle for sure!" the Gun Hero responded with a note of awkwardness.
He felt an uncomfortable nervousness when noticing every eye in the hangar was now approaching. Some people outside the government feared him, but there, everyone saw him as a hero.
"Listen here, sonny! I managed to pass my calculus test with a perfect hundred! And everyone failed except me. You'll see! I'll search my papers and give you undeniable evidence!" Borok chimed in, a little offended by his grandson's unintentional slight.
"Sure, grandpa... Now, let's go get your meds so that we can accompany Rod to the north."
After their departure, a few lingering engineers tentatively approached Rod, asking if their children could take a picture with him. A genuine smile curved his lips. The moment of adoration for his past feats was something he missed from his life as a public hero. It was a potent lure he'd long forgotten and mostly enjoyed.
"No problem at all, take as many as you like!" he declared while a line of star-struck children and their beaming parents formed in front of him.
Catra and Lofo entered the observation deck and their soft conversation died. They saw Rod standing in the center of a bustling crowd, posing for photos and signing autographs. His iconic cowboy hat had become a beacon of heroism for the youth.
"That's great! It's 'Bring your kid to work' day, and they got the chance to get an autograph from the legendary Rod Winger," Lofo said cheerfully.
Catra's gaze, however, was fixed on her father's face with frustration. The thinning of her lips and the clenching of her jaw was easy to sense for Lofo, which caused him to turn with a concerned frown.
"You okay? What's with the face?"
"That's the same stupid expression he makes every time I give him a drawing for Father's Day, or actually whenever I give him anything," the cheetah girl grumbled.
"Is that a bad thing?"
Catra sighed.
"Nah, I just…" she trailed off.
"Feel jealous?"
"WHAT?! NO. Why would I feel jealous of strangers?"
A hot blush spread across her face.
"Don't know, but your reaction reminds me of whenever I beat Jamie in training. And that's jealousy," the boy playfully nudged at her discomfort.
When hearing his words, a predatory smile curved Catra's lips. She closed her eyes and veins began to pop on her forehead. Her rising temper was so endearing to Lofo, that he couldn't help chuckle.
"Sorry! Forgot I can be too direct sometimes! You are totally not jealous of little kids getting your father's autograph!" he stated with mock sincerity, a nervous laugh bubbling at the end of his sentence.
He knew he was pushing her buttons and just couldn't resist.
Rod finished his autograph duties and a few parents lingered to engage him in casual conversation. A broad-shouldered female engineer finally answered his original question.
"The range of the SkyEye laser cannons is about a 20-kilometer diameter."
"20 kilometers… not bad for 30-foot barrel energy shells," Rod murmured with immense respect.
"Right? We had to make so many calculations and tests… would you wanna see?" she asked.
"Maybe some other time. Right now I'm just waiting for my accompanying engineers to come by. Gonna head out on a mission," the Gun Hero tried to explain before he was cut off by a familiar voice.
Alf emerged silently from a corridor with a new gleaming metal body optimized for extreme cold and delicate surgical extractions. Once he was in front of everyone in the small group, his presence cut through the chatter like a knife.
"Those people in front of you are the engineering team which will accompany us on the Hawk Walker," the machine explained.
"Oh, then it's nice to meet you," Rod formally said after turning to the team of twenty and extending his hand.
"The pleasure is all ours! We are big fans!" a young engineer stammered.
His hand shook when grasping Rod's.
"I appreciate it. Though, you guys are the real heroes," the man responded with a sincere smile, "From what I heard, the SkyEye project will bring a peace the world has never seen. And it's all thanks to you guys."
The Hero's warm words quickly shifted the atmosphere. Their nervousness began to melt away. Their postures relaxed and they prepared to approach him more openly, which was something Alf was aware of. His optical sensors flickered with impatience and abruptly interfered.
"If you do not mind, we have to get going. Dealing with the Ice Giant is our main priority, especially now that intelligence has confirmed it's heading to the outskirts of Naya City and its near agriculture farms… Everyone, get on the Hawk Walker and begin final preparations. And parents, help your children to the transport units back to the school."
The machine then turned and walked purposefully toward their transport vehicle, something Rod, Catra and Lofo also did.
It took a few minutes, but after moving through some sections of the huge hangar, they made it to where their vehicle was stationed.
The Hawk Walker: A marvel of Grand North engineering designed to traverse treacherous terrain from the frozen north coast to the parched southern sectors. It was capable of reaching eighty miles per hour on flat ground, its massive frame could shrug off low to mid-grade magical attacks with ease, and it could hold strong for over one hundred days without needing power or mana replacements.
The "Hawk" in its name nodded to the design of its metal plating, which also lent the vehicle the ability for short, subsonic flights to escape imminent danger. It was one of the best "Walker" type vehicles made, though still untested.
Even with that fact, Rod's gaze lingered on its intricate design and filled him with a quiet amazement. He'd used Walker-type vehicles as a government operative yet hadn't seen one in years. The incredible technological leaps Grand North made while he was away were outstanding.
Alf quickly noticed the man's quiet analysis and pride sparked his optical lenses.
"Yes. I know what you are wondering, and yes. I developed the design myself. Sending cargo to the north is important, especially now that Naya City has entered the list of top ten most beautiful cities in all of Loran."
"Yeah, I wasn't really wondering anything like that," Rod responded in a hint of annoyance.
Catra and Lofo's conversation mingled with the hangar's hum just a few paces behind them.
The cheetah girl's light brown eyes were wide with fascination. She took in the vehicle's intricate design, its polished surfaces gleaming under the hangar lights.
"You like it?" Lofo asked softly.
"Yeah! It looks really… hmm… interesting," she responded.
It was her cheetah instincts kicking in; when something truly captivated her, she would unconsciously shut out the world and focus. Such a delightful side effect made her cheetah ears twitch and forced her tail to swing slowly. It was something Lofo completely adored, and something he couldn't hide.
He watched her head slowly trace the vehicle's structure and her small ears twitch irresistibly.
"You look so cute when you take interest in something," he murmured without thinking.
Immediately, they both froze and their faces turned a vivid red. Even if they'd been a couple for some time, their public relationship was still a new blossom. Such an open compliment was a jolt of unexpected vulnerability. With a conscious effort, Catra turned to her boyfriend with a soft smile.
"That's… ah… so sweet of you," she said, her hand finding his arm in an affectionate grasp.
Just as her fingers clasped his arm, Rod's attention snapped to them and panic shot through his body. The man materialized behind them after a burst of superhuman speed and gripped both their shoulders.
"What might be going on here?" he asked with a kind of paternal disapproval.
Caught by surprise, they immediately moved away from each other and coughed nervously.
"N-nothing's happening here, Mister Winger!" Lofo stammered.
"Y-yeah, dad! Lofo just volunteered to accompany me here," Catra added.
"Right… Well, we should get a move on. The Walker is about to leave in a few minutes," the Gun Hero firmly said after gently steering Catra away from the young elf boy.
"Wha- DAD, WAIT!" she tried to exclaim before being cut off by a calm voice.
"Mister Winger."
Rod turned at the sound of his name. Oliver Lander was approaching with a sleek suitcase.
"Sorry, but right now I'm not accepting autographs," the man sighed.
His frustration was barely concealed.
"That's fine. I just wanted to speak with you about some important matters concerning your mission, and the real reason you are here."
Rod's eyes widened slightly with suspicion. His hands unclenched from his daughter's shoulders. He didn't want Catra to hear anything with her superior beast-person hearing, and thus he needed to do something.
"Hey kiddo, how about you go on ahead. I'll be there in a few minutes."
The cheetah girl quickly turned towards him and analyzed his face.
"Wait, I wanna hear more about our mission. I'm more adult than teenager now! So treat me like such!"
"Catra, go inside now," the man's response was edged with an authority she rarely defied, yet…
"But-" she tried whining.
"CATRA!"
His commanding syllable echoed through the large hangar, only for the workers to continue with their jobs. Rod would NEVER lash out like that… It was different now. He just couldn't let her know about anything.
The girl looked at her father's frustrated face for a few moments. Then, she aggressively stormed towards the Hawk Walker in indignation. Right before disappearing inside though, Lofo waved and offered her a gentle grin that seemed to calm her a little.
After she vanished, the elf boy saw Borok's grandson struggling to help the old engineer up the ramp and immediately moved to assist, leaving the Gun Hero and Oliver alone.
It wasn't until Catra was far enough away that they continued their talk.
"I suppose that's your daughter. She seems nice," the bald doctor casually said and extended his hand for a handshake.
"Yeah. Sometimes she can be a bit stubborn though," Rod responded cautiously.
He didn't know if the doctor truly knew about Elena's head, and a prickle of unease warned him that something was off.
"You wanted to talk about the mission?"
"Yes. Well, I've never seen a real Ice Giant, so I wanted to see how much security risk there is," the man explained professionally.
"And what was the other thing you wanted to talk about?"
Oliver remained silent for a second and a subtle smirk appeared on his face.
"Come on, Rod, we both know you're really here to deal with the Grandiose terrorists group in the south, right? Especially after all the covert attacks they've done. I've heard that even with her best efforts, Alex can't really go against them while also working on the SkyEye and all the other million problems we have," the doctor stated with a knowing laugh.
Rod was caught off guard and knew he had to go with it after the scene he'd just made with Catra.
"Good. Let him think that's all this is about." he thought before actually responding.
"Right. Yeah, Alex told me about them and how I might be of service in bringing them to justice."
They were about to continue until Alf walked towards them and cut their conversation off.
"Everything is set up. We have to move out now. Oh, Doctor Oliver, I have selected a room for you close to the shelter bunker in case of an emergency."
"Thank you very much. I'm sure everything will be fine though."
"It is okay. We are leaving now though, so better get a move on," the machine stated decisively and turned toward Lofo, who was helping carry boxes.
He was about to head over but was stopped by Rod's hand.
"Hey, please tell me Lofo's not coming with us…" the Hero whispered.
Alf's optical sensors flickered, processing the man's worry. He had long known of Rod's disapproval of the teenagers' relationship and could sense the seriousness in his voice now.
"Affirmative, Mister Lofo will stay here for his extracurricular activities. Miss Alex has instructed me to not bring him with us, so you have nothing to worry about, Rod."
"Okay, good. I don't want them to have any more time together, or I might have a heart attack…"
Alf finished and walked toward the young elf boy. A mischievous spark ignited within him. He knew how much the young man yearned to be with his girlfriend, and a fatherly instinct took over. He decided to help him.
The Robot closed the distance and made sure the Gun Hero couldn't hear them. Then, he got the boy's attention.
"And you, Mister Lofo… I have an open room close to Catra for you. I know what your mother has told me, yet, I heard love is a once in a lifetime opportunity," the machine's voice resonated softly as the elf boy's eyes began shining brighter than before.
"Wait, really?"
"Affirmative."
"You are the best, Alf!" the boy exclaimed with a grin.
"I promise I'll study extra hard to make up for the time lost!"
Lofo began moving toward the Hawk Walker in a delightful dance only his happy self could make.
He was a man of principle. Though, his desire to be near Catra was overwhelming; it was the first time they had seen each other for so long and the fierce need to feel her presence consumed him.
On the other side of the vehicle, Rod's attention became completely focused on Oliver. The Hero and the doctor stood in a silent stare until they both offered subtle nods.
"We should talk later. I'll see you on the inside," Rod said with a hidden warning.
He turned towards the Hawk Walker and walked away.
Oliver watched him leave while a ghost of a grin appeared on his lips. But as Rod's back turned, the smile vanished and was replaced by a glare.
"Yes. We'll talk soon enough…" he whispered, clenching his hands into trembling fists.
Seeing Rod again had reawakened a type of anger that threatened to consume him once more. He couldn't let it… Not yet. The plan needed to be followed, or everything he'd built would be a meaningless waste.
After Rod's figure disappeared into the Hawk Walker, Oliver took a step forward. He pulled a small worn notebook from his suit jacket and wrote…
Dear Zara,
It's almost time.
A cold smile spread across his face.