The Zeta Squad donned their robes once again and, along with the Seredum sisters, set off in search of the Keeper. Hugo stayed behind with Vincent at the Post.
"Nice move, clown," the bounty hunter said. "So, let's talk. Because I'm not moving an inch without some answers."
Hugo smiled. "I don't think you have a choice," he said then chuckled. "Like I mentioned to the Seredums, I am a student of Warren Ford as well."
Vincent adjusted himself, sitting on a pile of rubble, and leaned ahead.
"You knew him," he said. His voice deeper. "Don't play games with me. He developed liquefaction in the last years of his life. Not many people know about it."
The Zaatsu scratched his nose and looked away. Then, with his head bowed, he said, "I used to go to his forest cabin in Kazakhstan quite frequently… did for years… early and late." Looking back at the bounty hunter, he added, "Many times, I used to find him playing chess with the last Chief Seeker, Master Von Bergen… Vincent Von Bergen."
"You're an Outsider, huh? Do they know… your team?"
"What difference does it make?" Hugo leaned closer. "In fact, how about you first tell me what the hell you're doing. Why are you posing as a bounty hunter and what is your actual name?"
"What do you mean by 'posing', clown?!" Vincent stood up. "I am a bounty hunter. Pays the bills and leaves enough for luxury. Unlike you people, I don't scrape garbage off the Seear's plate to keep me from starving to death. I eat whatever I want, whenever I want!"
"Wow…" Hugo leaned back looking at Vincent, wide-eyed. "You swear at us for being greedy and all you can think about is making money and eating whatever you want… bravo." His gaze narrowed as he said, "Have some shame. How do you think your predecessors would feel about that, hmm?"
"I don't give a good god damn about how they feel." He looked away. "And have you ever considered that maybe they were idiots who couldn't predict what was coming? And maybe it's because of them that we're even in this mess."
"Just stop, man." Hugo smiled. He spoke softly and with a hushed voice. "You're angry," he added. "I get it. But don't belittle them. Judging by your looks right now, you must have been young back then… quite young. They did more than you can know. And predictions? Vince… they did." After a slight pause, the Zaatsu nodded and added, "She did…"
The bounty hunter kept staring but did not say anything.
"Yes. I'm afraid I knew her too. In fact, I am among the very few people alive today who actually know what happened that night… the night when she lost her life."
Arms akimbo, Vincent looked away.
Hugo continued. "It was a long night, kiddo. Ambris had infiltrated a Cult. There was so much turmoil those days, the Eye had no attack squads in the region available to deploy immediately. It was up to the Outsiders… as usual. The princess enchantress, the Zaatsu Magicist extraordinaire, Master Marion Von Bergen… she was sent out with two young Zaatsus." With a smile he pointed at himself and shook his head saying, "The astounding mixture of Magicism and Wizardry that I witnessed that day… my God!"
He took a deep breath and paused for a few moments. Then, looking up at the ceiling, he said, "Ambris Ferrer… the Basilisk… the bastard had no clue. He thought he could take her."
He paused, looked at the White Bolt, and chuckled. "She beat him like a drum."
Vincent's lips twitched in faint irritation.
"Even seasoned Zaatsus used to have trouble against him," Hugo added. "Only Warren and Yang had the guts to face him alone. But she was something else. Told us to take care of his aides and faced him alone." After a pause, he said, "He lost both his legs that day."
He shook his head and exhaled slowly. "Crawling, defeated, and barely hanging on, Ambris and his goons fled and we decided not to give chase. We began helping the locals instead. It was a miscalculation on our part but he was always ahead regardless. Ambris always had an edge because of the information he had... always so well informed. Him and his gang went and attacked Marion's home. Her two sons were captured. By the time we got there, he was gone. We finally followed him to his hideout… his stronghold. But unfortunately…" his head dropped. "Warren brought Ambris down but not before both Yang and Marion lost their lives. And before the sun came up on that bloody night, Warren had warned us of the coming turmoil within the Eye."
The bounty hunter was shaking his head slowly. "She lived her entire life hiding from your people."
Hugo looked up. Vincent was half turned and had his eyes closed.
"Yes," the Zaatsu said. "Because she knew that we can't just leave them. She knew that she could do more by quietly sitting within their ranks and within their system. If we had people like her in this generation stepping up, making the necessary sacrifices, then things would've been different."
Vincent stared at him. "For years now, Eye has gotten people like her killed while you've been quietly watching from the sidelines."
"We were doing what was necessary. We've always done that."
"Really? What did you do exactly?"
"Me, and many others like me, remained active inside the Eye so that slowly the truth could find its way back to the surface."
"And yet you never thought about how the lie defeated the truth in the first place."
"You think we did not?"
"Did you?"
"How do you think we survived, kid?" A few lines appeared on Hugo's forehead. "So many people are waiting for just one signal to regroup and mobilize."
Vincent threw a hand out, impatient. "Then give them the damned signal already! What are you waiting for? Hell itself to come down upon us? What more do you want? Anyone with a contradictory opinion or stance to the Eye is being killed. Cult, rogue, anyone. They don't care. There is no due process anymore. Attack squads of even the fucking Parliament are being sent out to take down random people only because they don't agree with the Eye! While evil reigns supreme over the world, you assholes are busy trying to assert your school of thought upon people waiting on you to teach them how to think for themselves!"
The Zaatsu smiled and crossed his arms. "And apart from stealing dangerous artifacts and blaming others, what have you done lately?"
Vincent laughed. "You are way in over your head, clown. You have no idea who I am or what I'm doing or why I'm doing it. And I never blamed anyone. I am merely asking questions…"
"Then tell me." Hugo said and moved a step closer. "Tell me the who, what, and why and set the record straight."
"You were the one who disobeyed direct orders and didn't kill me. You go first."
"At this rate we're not gonna get far."
"I agree."
"Then how about I extend an olive branch."
"Not interested."
"Do you have a death wish or something?"
Vincent sat back down. "I know what you're going to say," he said, smiling. His voice was not so loud anymore. "Help me out with this and I'll take a few years off your sentence, I'll get you VIP food, or I'll get you an air-conditioned cell…blah blah blah…" Shaking his head, he added, "Grow up, clown."
Hugo did not reply. Vincent continued. "Don't patronize, Zaatsu. I am not a fool, and you are not nice." After a pause, he said, "The only genuinely nice person in your ranks is your sister."
"I couldn't agree more."
Quite a few moments of silence followed. Hugo brought out a bottle of water from his umro bag and took a few sips. "How long did you train with him?" he asked. "Warren…"
"Four years," Vincent replied. "You?"
"Just two. Where did he train you?"
"Some place safe... away from prying eyes."
"Oh yeah? And did you enjoy your time there?"
"I woke up there." Vincent smiled. "Are you questioning me right now?"
"Ha-ha no, no," Hugo replied, laughing. "I am actually curious. How did you survive four years with that robot?"
"Oh, it wasn't easy." The bounty hunter chuckled as well. "But I didn't have much of a choice."
"Had it not been for Master Von Bergen, I would have been dead in one!"
"O wow…"
"Don't give me that look, kid. Ford forging, as it was known at the Palace, was not an easy thing to survive."
Vincent stood up and said, "Well, fuck-face, let's go get those remnants. I won't let you bore me to death."
Hugo chuckled but not reply.
'Why the urgency to get the remnants?' the Zaatsu thought as he gave the bottle of water to Vincent and adjusted his robe. 'What are you hiding?'
Soon thereafter, the duo left.