Five months later...
Voltage City now had a new leader appointed by Nova Prime. Although the chosen leader was not a Prime, he possessed an impressive track record and a high level of education as a Professor. Nova decided it was finally time to return to Cybertown today. It seemed his business in Voltage was complete; the leadership, programs, and infrastructure had begun to improve after his five-month stay.
Upon arriving in Cybertown, Nova headed straight to the palace to inspect the state of the nation's progress, from revenue to various other developments. Nova sat down, reviewing the mountain of documents that required his signature and official approval. Before continuing his work, he ensured his comfort by brewing a cup of oil coffee for himself. Once finished, he took a short break to gaze at the cityscape of Cybertron from atop the Prime's palace while sipping his coffee.
Suddenly, Nova clutched his chest. A flicker of unease crossed his mind—a lingering sense of anxiety.
"It seems I must find the next Matrix of Leadership soon!" Nova muttered.
He sank back into his chair. "...Perhaps the right candidate is... I need to watch him more closely..."
Nova then placed a gadget from his arm onto the table, which transformed into a laptop-like device.
"I wonder what he is doing now?..."
Nova accessed a private database restricted only to him, containing transaction records, activities, and various data from every city.
"Mug, find Maximus's activity data!" Nova commanded the AI within his gadget.
"Understood, Lord Nova Prime. Processing your request now!" replied the AI, Mug.
Data regarding Maximus immediately lined up across the transparent monitor. Every activity log, including CCTV recordings, was displayed in full.
"So, he's back at school there... and he's befriended Onyx? Unbelievable that they've become such good friends. Nexus is quite lucky, isn't he?" Nova Prime remarked.
...
Nova glanced at the calendar.
"Which city should I visit next?" he asked himself.
*******
Sometime earlier, at a tourist spot near a waterfall surrounded by a unique forest of yellow-leaved trees , Sentinel walked alone. He approached someone leaning casually against a bridge railing.
"Come on, jump! What are you waiting for?" a child's voice called out from the pool near the waterfall. The boy was speaking to the man on the bridge.
"Not yet, we have a guest arriving," the man on the bridge replied.
"So, what is your plan?" Sentinel asked the man.
"...You certainly are in a hurry, aren't you?" the man countered.
"...Yes!" Sentinel answered, casting a sharp glare at Scourge.
"...Come, sit. I'll explain everything," the man said.
He led Sentinel to a garden area where a table and chairs were set up. A teapot and glasses were already prepared. The man poured water for Sentinel and himself before sitting across from him.
"What is this?" Sentinel asked, eyeing the liquid in his glass.
"...Herbal drink. Helps loosen the joints," the man said.
Sentinel took a sip, but he found himself puzzled by the man's mannerisms. The man sipped his drink with an unexpected grace, his hand cradling the bottom of the glass with a gentle, refined grip.
"...So, tell me. What is the plan?" Sentinel pressed.
The man set his glass back on the table. "...You must kill him, if you can."
"Who?" Sentinel asked.
"...Nexus Diggito!" Scourge replied.
Sentinel stared intensely at the man. "...No. Isn't he already dead?"
"...He is still alive!" the man stated.
"...? But how? He clearly died by suicide. I saw the body and the funeral with my own eyes!" Sentinel questioned.
The man refilled his glass. "He faked it. He is now Maximus, thanks to someone who modified his body".
"...But why must I kill him?" Sentinel asked.
The man took another sip of tea during the conversation. "I don't know!" he said.
CRACK!!
"...How can you want him dead without even knowing the reason?" Sentinel's grip tightened until the glass in his hand shattered.
The man remained unfazed, continuing to sip his drink. "...Who do you think I work for?".
"...So Taken didn't even tell you?" Sentinel asked.
"Exactly!" Scourge replied.
Then, the child who had been swimming earlier approached them and began devouring some cakes on the table. "Wow, these look delicious!" the boy said.
"Actually, my master didn't say why Nexus has to die. I'm only speculating that he has the potential to interfere with our mission," Scourge explained.
"Hmph..." Sentinel exhaled in frustration. He stood up to leave.
"...I will start my own plan!" Sentinel declared.
"...Hey, there's a way to make my master talk more easily, as long as you make a contract with him!" Scourge called out.
Sentinel stopped and looked back at Scourge. "...Did you make a contract with him?"
Scourge answered, "We are not permitted to make contracts with him".
"..."
Sentinel continued walking away.
"...He's so serious!" the boy beside Scourge remarked.
"...That he is," Scourge replied.
The boy went back to eating the cakes. "I don't want to work with that man. I have a feeling he has his own agenda, Scourge!".
Scourge took another sip of his drink. "No need to worry. I only need him because he's a politician with many connections".
"Even if he betrays us, his actions won't change anything, Voidecay!" Scourge added.
The boy, named Voidecay, was still a child here, likely around the same age as Maximus and the others.
"So, what do we do now?" Voidecay asked.
"...Relax. Master will be meeting us shortly," Scourge said.
********
"Lord Nova Prime!... I—I've only just managed to reach you!... Lord Sentinel... he attacked me and took... Taken out of prison! And I... I couldn't stop him...".
To be continued...