After a day of planning, a specialized governmental vehicle glided smoothly through the streets of Naya. Its interior comfortably held all of them: Rod, Alex, Alf, Oliver, Catra, and Lofo.
Alf navigated the urban landscape with precision, Alex sat beside him and looked at the road. In the back, Lofo and Catra pressed their faces against the windows, absorbing the vibrant city. Rod, however, remained withdrawn.
His gaze was heavy with burdens and rested on the golden ring Elena gave him long ago.
The past few days had been a flood of chaos and revelations: From his secret work with the government to the agony of losing her, the amount of events made dread coiled in his gut.
He didn't want Catra to discover the truth, but felt that she was growing suspicious with every passing day.
The magical car sped toward the city's perimeter until pausing in a queue and passing through the security barrier.
The warmth of Naya was replaced by the embrace of the northern cold. A vast landscape of untouched snow stretched before them, reflecting the sun like a painting only seen in art galleries.
"Wow!" Catra and Lofo exclaimed in unison.
Their eyes widened with awe because an airship began its slow descent toward the large airport. Around it, a multitude of other futuristic aircraft also landed or docked in their designated bays, followed by trails of stardust.
The teens' eyes, accustomed only to Grand North designs, were now overwhelmed by the diesel-powered jets of Ihari and the mana-based carriers of Efea.
The car delivered them to the airport and they registered their luggage. Then, they regrouped in the echoing lobby, where Alf efficiently secured their flight tickets.
"From the information Oliver got, you three will be heading to O'Clock City in Efea," Alf explained and handed each of them a mana-infused ticket, "There is a large factory in the 3rd level of the city that's property of Spellex. There's a functioning terminal connected directly to the city's datacenter."
"O'Clock City? I've never been there!" Catra excitedly said, "I heard it's the second most beautiful city in the elf nation!"
"Yeah! I've only been there two times with my mother on presidential business. I can confidently tell you it's gonna be an amazing experience, maybe even better than Naya," Lofo added.
The cheetah girl remembered something her father said previously, and it caused her radiant smile to dissolve.
"Wait, I just realized, you're not coming with us?"
Before Lofo could respond, Alex cut in.
"It has to be this way, Catra. Lofo wasn't even supposed to come here from the start, yet SOME PEOPLE let him behind my back," she explained while glaring at Rod and Alf.
"And also, if he were to go, it could easily blow your cover," Alf followed up, "Unlike Oliver, he is the son of the president, increasing his importance and recognizability."
"Wow… what a friend…" Oliver murmured.
Their brief exchange ceased. They went through airport security and entered a large docking sector. To the cheetah's surprise, it was hard to see where the room ended, and it teemed with all kinds of individuals.
Agile beast-people raced to their connecting flights, others waited patiently, charging their mana-phones or eating in one of the many fast food restaurants there.
"This is where we go our separate ways," Alf stated.
He walked toward Rod and handed him a pair of sleek technological glasses.
"What's this?" the man asked, inspecting them.
"This is a governmental Telyglass. I put a part of my electrical consciousness inside it to assist you in the mission. Keep in mind, I will not be connected to it one hundred percent of the time. It will send me messages and information if it feels the need to, or if you instruct it to do so. Think of it as a mini-me."
"Quite interesting… Does it act superior to other people and have a huge ego? Or did it get patched out?"
Alf stared at him in silence.
"I'm just kidding!"
When the Hero and the Machine conversed, Lofo walked to Catra for one last private moment.
"I know you wanted me to come with you, but this is probably for the best."
She looked at him with sadness and offered a melancholic smile.
"I know. It'll only be for a few days, right? Once I get back, we can talk more!"
The girl started gathering her things until the half-elf boy put his hand on her shoulder.
"And… I hope you can help him… you know, move on. I'm sorry if it bothers you to talk about this matter with me…"
"It's okay!" she replied, wrapping her arms around him, "I… I will. It's sweet. Looking at you worry about me."
"I'll see you later then," Lofo murmured, slowly pulling away with a little bit of blush.
"Let's go to the park when I come back. That way we might be able to finally be together in public without interruptions."
They shared their poignant farewell while Rod approached Alex. She was reading documents on her tablet and stopped as he neared.
"Are you okay? Do you have any questions about the mission? Alf will be explaining more of the details through the Telyglasses once you get to Efea."
"No, the plan isn't… why I need to talk with you."
Alex's gaze sharpened.
"What's going on?"
"Are… are you making some kind of super weapon?" he whispered after some seconds.
"A super weapon? You mean the SkyEye?"
"No, not that…"
His mind replayed Aurora's words. Was it a lie? Or had they truly gone behind his back?
"I'm talking about a super weapon to use against me."
"A weapon to use against you? Where is this coming from?"
Rod sighed once more. He swept his focus across the space to check for eavesdroppers.
"Recently… someone informed me that the government had been compromised… and that you have an existing superweapon to use against me."
Those words were deep and Alex knew it. She was about to respond until Alf entered their space.
"That would be impossible. I am connected to the governmental webline, and if we truly were compromised, I would have informed Miss Alex immediately."
Rod turned to him but said nothing. What if Alf himself was compromised?
"That's impossible," the Gun Hero thought, recalling the machine's loyalty.
"Trust me," Alf stated with subtle arrogance, "I never make a mistake, and you know that. I would notice if it was happening."
He was right. Alf hadn't made a mistake before… Even still though, Aurora's words ignited a necessity for him to see if there was any truth to them.
A tense silence took place.
"Alex, I need you to promise. Promise you don't have any weapons against me."
The woman matched his seriousness. She knew lying was the only way not to lose his trust, thus, she decided.
"I promise. And don't worry, I'm confident Alf isn't compromised. I would've noticed too."
They stared at each, the bustling airport fading away from their minds.
Hearing her promise resurfaced how she'd always been there for Rod… especially after Elena's death… That was enough.
"Okay. I trust you… and… I'll get the information you need."
"Good," Alex replied softly, "If you need anything on your travels, just ask Alf. He'll always be there to help. And… good luck."
With their critical conversation finished, Catra let herself walk to them, feeling completely ready to go.
"Do you have your watch? Your sunscreen? We could buy some clothes there if you want to," Rod asked her.
"Dad, I have fur that protects me from the sun… and I have to practically be half naked to not overheat," she rolled her eyes.
The two of them soon approached Oliver, who waited patiently at the terminal. Catra waved goodbye to Lofo, a gesture he returned as Alex observed her infiltration group depart.
"Is this right?" she whispered to Alf.
"What do you mean?"
"We lied to him…"
"He does not need to know."
The president stayed silent, lost in thought.
Infiltration? Compromised? Was something happening behind her back?
"Once we get back to the capital, initiate a silent lockdown protocol," she said before turning around and walking toward their private jet, "If there's something going on, we're gonna find out."
At the terminal, Oliver saw everything. He noticed Alex's expression of profound stress and hidden worry, and that sight made an almost imperceptible smile appear on his face.
Everything was going precisely to plan.