Kuhn Lau found Pete on the floor the following morning, flooding the mattress with his tears.

He sat beside him while he spoke, "She's gone, Kuhn Lau! She's gone. I can't believe that he killed her."

He looked up and turned his focus towards Kuhn Lau; his eyes were red and damp.

"Whose shoulders should I lean onto now that she's gone?"

Kuhn Lau didn't know what to make of this situation. Instead, he placed his hand on his right shoulder.

"The sad reality about life is that the longer we live, the more we are forced to witness the deaths of our loved ones."

Pete then clenched his fist and slammed the floor with brut force, "If only I were strong like you! Then I would've protected her! Unfortunately, I couldn't. I was too weak."

"Pete, though I do not know much about Bianca. However, if she is what you say? Then don't you think she would've wanted you to stay strong and move forward with courage?"

He nodded, sponging his tears, "You are right; Bianca wouldn't want me to pity her. She would want me to find the courage and strength to move on."

He rose and spoke with grit, "So what's the next step, Kuhn Lau."

"Pete, are you sure you do not need to mourn for Bianca, perhaps just a bit further?"

"No, it's fine! I don't think now is the time to shed tears. Especially when the fate of the world is at stake. So have you devised a plan to fuck Slicer's plans up?"

Kuhn Lau arched his right brow with petulance.

"What? I said I want to fuck with Slicer's plans. Do you have a problem with that?"

"Your tongue, it is quite vile, " Kuhn responded.

He rolled his eyes with petulance, "Ugh, Kuhn Lau; this is the twenty-first century; everybody swears occasionally."

In response, Kuhn Lau shrugged and explained his plan, "For the next phase of our plan, we need to acquire the whereabouts of the other Guardians and get to them before Slicer does."

"Ok, that sounds like a legit plan. Do you know where the others are at?"

"After scanning my talisman with a radar, I managed to find the location of the next Guardian. It seems that their location is in Egypt," Kuhn Lau answered.

"Ok, all we have to do is go to Egypt and find this Guardian. Sounds simple enough."

Kuhn Lau shook his head sideways, "I disagree. It took the much-needed force to find you. How much more the other Guardians?"

*************

Cairo is an illustrious city booming with excitement in the heart of Egypt. The spirit of this incredulous city is pulping with frenzy.

Much more, its flourishing history has allured millions to its holy land, from the famous anthropomorphic sphinx to the Giza pyramids on its doorstep.

Kuhn Lau landed the spaceship outside of the city's grounds; this was to have a great view of the city from afar. As it may seem, the aircraft fell under an underlying feature. It was like an atom amid a beautiful landscape. The landscape is full of arching dunes lying closely next to each other. It's almost as if the deities have forsaken the land, as less precipitation occurs in the face of the desert. As troubling as this might sound, one might wonder how Cairo could withstand the devil's threshing storm.

On the contrary, the desert may come under underwhelming circumstances. However, its severity does not affect the city's progress.

Much more, the dwellers of Cairo adapted and converted this circumstance into one of their greatest strengths, thanks to the providence of their deities.

Upon climbing off the craft, Kuhn Lau stood near the slope's edge and noticed something peculiar. A wall towering over sixty feet surrounded the city. Many guards patrolled all around these walls. They carried terrifying artillery.

Indeed this was a daunting sight; after all, he thought the city would be more welcoming than petrifying.

From behind, a dehydrated Pete climbed off the staircase of the aircraft. When his feet touched the soft, smooth sand, he fell flat on the ground while Kuhn Lau took out a set of binoculars to inspect.

"So hot, water. I need water," Pete murmured.

Pete was overwhelmed by the hellish heat. It was so, as it evaporated the last drops of sweat from his temple. It had been evaporated greedily by the extreme heat. If not for the sunscreen smeared all around his skin, would he have been burnt to a crisp?

However, he picked himself up and slowly trudged towards the entrance gate. He walked with his tongue sticking out, his irises concealed by his eyelids. His body moved shapelessly as if a frame of bones didn't support him.

Oblivious to the current scenario, he still trudged forward. Kuhn Lau grabbed his wrist and yanked him.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Exclaimed an alarmed Kuhn Lau.

Then suddenly, he snapped at him in retaliation. It's as if a bolt of electricity zapped him back to life, giving him energy instantly. It's as if the more he bickered with Kuhn Lau, the more power he drew in.

"Hey, hey, hands off! Can't you see that I'm going to the city?"

"Fool! Can't you see that this city is well-armed? They won't allow us to enter," he admonished.

"Then what do you propose we do, Mr smarty Pants?" Inquired Pete, who placed his hands around his waist.

***********

A few minutes later, a truck carrying goods parked in front of the entrance gate. The trucker took the pass from his pocket and lowered the window. He violently chewed a large chunk of gum while one guard looked at him with abhorrence. The tucker showed him the pass. The guard nodded.

Meanwhile, Kuhn Lau and Pete hid inside the carriage behind the meat parcels hanging from the ceiling.

"Oh great idea Kuhn Lau! Let's hide in the fridge! They won't find us here," taunted Pete sarcastically.

His voice transitioned from a sarcastic tone to a vexed one, "Well, Guess what, genius? That was a bad idea! Couldn't you have come up with a better disguise?"

Kuhn Lau stared daggers at him, feeling unappreciated for his attempts.

"Well, Mr. Know it All. Do you happen to have a better idea than mine?"

"Well...I...I...was thinking of... You know, uh," he stuttered.

"Of what?" He inquired with his right brow arched.

"Well...well...well, you know of...who am I kidding? I don't have any ideas, to begin with." He said as he scratched his hair.

In response, Kuhn Lau crinkled with petulance. He shook his head playfully and brushed off his insolence.

"So, what's up with this place?" He inquired.

He looked around, analyzing the environment with his chin resting on his forefinger.

"Something is peculiar about this city. For starters, why is there a giant wall encircling it; this gives me the impression that it is under an invasion."

"What do you think, Pete?"

"I doubt that," Pete responded.

An intrigued Kuhn Lau squinted, trying to unravel the mysteries in the heart of Cairo.

"What makes you say that?"

"I have heard from recent reports that the mayor is trying to isolate the city from the rest of the country," replied Pete.

"But why would he do that? What would he gain from all of this? He doesn't have the authority to do this. He is not the president, after all!" Kuhn Lau said.

In response, Pete shrugged, "Well, don't ask me. That's what I heard."

***********

When the truck reached the central part of the city, they snuck out and continued their quest. Along the way, they saw a queue of soldiers standing like statues on each pavement. It's as if they were assigned to watch over the citizens.

"Just to think that I've seen it all but this, this is entirely a different concept," replied a befuddled Kuhn Lau.

Unfortunately, the more he pondered, the more he found himself at a dead end. At this rate, if he continued, he would drive himself to insanity.

They stopped by a restaurant. When they were about to enter, a soldier stood in their way.

"I'm sorry, sir, you know the rules. No one is allowed to enter the store without paying a fine."

"What the hell, dude? Why the hell should I pay for a stupid fine? It's not like we're going to steal or something!"

The soldier centered an Ak47 toward the roof of his nose.

"I said no one is allowed to enter without paying a fine!"

His heart rate increased while his eyes widened. With each beat, he could hear the pounding sound of his heart from within. He took a deep breath and walked away as fear lost a firm grip on his heart.

"This place is outrageous! Can you believe this, Kuhn Lau?!" He exclaimed.

"Unfortunately, you are gonna have to get used to this," said a man from behind. The two looked around and saw a muscular man.

"Hi, forgive me for eavesdropping," He said with a deep, broad voice.

He shook hands with Kuhn Lau and continued speaking, "The names Nick, Nicholas Tyson."

Nicholas was a man of great height, towering over 6.2 feet. He had a neatly shaved, shot-boxed beard and a field of pubic hair cropping out from the midst of his v-neck.

His pectoral muscles pushed against his shirt, allowing his garment to cling tightly against his well-built body. Eyes so dazzling that a horde of women would come charging at him to behold his magnificence.

"I'm sure you're new in town. That's why you've found our customs rather odd."

Nicholas placed a bottle of cold drink in his mouth and continued, "Would you mind if I joined you for a walk."

"By all means," stated Kuhn Lau.

************

The three continued down the street as Nicholas explained the city's laws.

"Who came up with these laws, Nicholas?" Inquired Kuhn Lau.

"A man by the name of Black. He held the entire city hostage to bend the government to his will; this all began when he threatened to kill the former mayor's daughter."

Then, just a few meters away, a woman pleaded with Anubis to enter a supermarket. Anubis is Black's highest sergeant in service, and because of that, Black placed him in charge of every soldier in the city.

"Please let me inside, I've got starving children, and worst of all, I don't have any money! I beg of you, kind sir, please let me in!!!"

"No, get lost!" He answered sternly.

She grabbed his collar and pleaded further. Anubis kicked her in the gut with force. She stumbled against the ground from the impact of that audacious kick. Her eyes welled up with tears, and she began to weep.

"Get away from here, you scum!" Anubis demanded.

She ignored him and continued to weep, hoping at the end that he'd pity her. How wrong she was. At that moment, he kicked her repeatedly while the citizens watched in horror.

Kuhn Lau, on the other hand, was infuriated by his cowardly act. When he was about to progress further, Nicholas grabbed him by the wrist and yanked him. His grip was not like any other. It was very sturdy.

"Not gonna work, Kuhn Lau. You'll just put yourself in unnecessary trouble."

"That poor woman is mistreated for something that she didn't do. I refuse to let this slide!" Kuhn Lau removed his hand from his and marched even further.

The woman's stubbornness ruffled Anubis's feathers. It got to a point where he resorted to drastic measures. He aimed a shotgun pump toward her head. Right before he was about to pull the trigger, her savior came to the rescue and stood before the deadly mechanism. When he pulled the trigger, it shattered to pieces when it came in contact with him. Everyone gaped their mouths with astonishment.

After that, Kuhn Lau grabbed her wrist and pulled her up.

"Run away!" He demanded.

The woman nodded but enveloped him in a tight and warm embrace before leaving. She let him go and placed her hands on his shoulders.

"Thank you, kind sir."

When she left, he focused on Anubis and glared at him.

"You should never mess with a helpless woman. Have you no shame!?"

"What are you going to do about it?" He challenged while his subordinates laughed with him.

Kuhn Lau then attempted to land a spinning kick toward the left side of his face. However, Nicolas intervened and blocked the attack by putting his wrist at a 90-degree angle.

At first, he was shocked that a mortal could block his attack. Utopians naturally have an iron body, genetically developed through evolution. Therefore, a human can not inflict pain on any member of his race.

"Why did you impede me?!"

A smile crept up from all corners of Nicholas's lips.

"Now, Hold on, Kuhn Lau, we wouldn't want the mayor's daughter to die on your account, would we?"

"It was wise of you to put your friend in his place, Indistructo. It seems as though you've learned from your previous mistake," said Anubis with a smirk.

Nicholas sternly gazed at him. After that, Anubis and his men trudged away.

"Wait, Indistructo? I thought that your name was Nicholas, " Kuhn Lau replied.

"Indistructo was my former name. How about the three of us go to my house for a delicious meal."

***********

Back in Oklahoma City, Slicer was sitting on the chair of his scout ship. Suddenly, a beep echoed from his cyber desk. He pressed the button, and a holographic image of Havoc appeared before him. Havoc wore a massive power armor. His facial features were shrouded with mystery. Slicer knelt before him in reverence.

"What database have you collected concerning the talismans?" He spoke with a deep, rumbling voice.

Slicer got up and said, "I have learned I'm not the only one hunting down the talismans. It appears as though a fool by the name of King Khunta has held Ace captive. He took his talisman to acquire the location of the other ones."

"What of the other Guardians? Where are they? Were you able to find their location?" Havoc asked.

"Do not concern yourself about that matter, Sovereign Havoc. Kuhn Lau and Pete have decided to find the other Guardians themselves. I can use this in my favor," he said confidently.

"And how would this lie in your favor?"

The tone of Slicer's voice darkened; the desire to spill blood was more present with each word that departed from his mouth.

"Instead of playing Cat and mouse with my targets. I'll watch their movements from the shadows. They will fail to realize they are hunting down the other talismans for me once they are in one accord. I will have the pleasure of reaping from the fruits of their labor."

"I'm impressed with your strategy."

Although Havoc was thrilled to hear his brilliant plan, he refused to believe everything would work out as his subordinate planned.

"Remember that if the tables were to turn in your favor. And you fail, consider yourself expelled from the Elite Force," he stated firmly.

To Be Continued