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After unloading their respective mechs in the work area, the Bear Mech automatically returned to its designated position under program control. All of the mechs then began running self-diagnostics.
This was something Henry did after every deployment. Besides saving the mechs' accumulated "combat experience," he also checked for structural damage, power system degradation, and any functional abnormalities so that repairs could be carried out.
Maintenance wasn't only necessary when something was obviously broken. For example, if a hydraulic pump that assisted an arm was originally able to complete one extension and retraction cycle in one second, but now required 1.1 or 1.2 seconds, it was already time for an inspection.
After all, these mechs were combat equipment. Component failures and wear could easily cause problems during battle. They weren't like the BB-series housekeeping robots, which could keep working as long as they were still usable and only got repaired after they actually broke down.
Although Henry himself didn't have to worry about his life being endangered if a mech malfunctioned, he intended to let ordinary people use these machines someday. For their sake, good maintenance habits had to be cultivated from the very beginning.
Having finally recovered, Alexei sat down at the self-service bar and pulled out a bottle of whiskey, drinking straight from it. The puddle of vomit on the floor was cleaned up by BB-3.
The other three were having beer and pizza—it was dinner time in New York, after all. For the two Eternals, eating was simply part of their routine, while Henry was just hungry.
Not long afterward, Alexei joined them. Judging by the way he wolfed down the food, he clearly hadn't eaten properly for a day or two.
Once there was something in his stomach, Henry finally asked, "Alexei, how did you end up crossing paths with those European vampires and werewolves? And why were they hunting you?"
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The pizzas were made fresh and baked to order, with several more still in the oven. Alexei didn't stand on ceremony. In just a few bites, he devoured a highly questionable pizza topped with pineapple slices and bacon.
With his mouth full, he mumbled, "Wasn't it all for your sake?"
"For me?" Henry had just finished a bottle of beer and walked over to the refrigerator for another one. He happened to see the ravenous Russian suddenly choking and desperately waving at him.
Understanding immediately, Henry tossed him the beer.
Alexei caught it, cracked it open, and gulped down a huge mouthful. Letting out a satisfied sigh, he finally explained, "You wanted radioactive materials and nuclear waste, didn't you? You didn't think that stuff would be easy to get, did you?"
"No matter how difficult it is, it shouldn't have gotten you mixed up with vampires and werewolves. Did you rob them or something?"
"I did."
...
An awkward silence followed.
Finally, Henry asked weakly, "Care to explain?"
Alexei answered, "Those materials can be used to make bullets for killing vampires, right? Over here in Europe, werewolves and vampires are mortal enemies. They both want the other side dead.
"So the werewolves put a lot of effort into collecting radioactive materials to manufacture ultraviolet bullets for fighting vampires. When word spread that a large shipment of radioactive materials was up for sale on the black market, of course the werewolves took notice."
Henry interrupted, "If it was on the black market, why not just buy it? I gave you enough money, didn't I?"
Alexei snorted dismissively.
"Buy it? When the werewolves have already decided they're getting it no matter what? Even if you somehow bought it first, they'd just rob you anyway. So I figured I'd reverse the process—let them buy it first, then rob them."
Henry was left speechless.
With a sigh, he said, "Fine. That explains why you made enemies of the werewolves. But what about the vampires? Unless I remember wrong, European vampires and werewolves are bitter enemies. Don't tell me you provoked the vampires after provoking the werewolves."
Alexei stuffed another slice of pizza into his mouth, washed it down with beer, and continued.
"I only realized it afterward, but I think that transaction was actually a trap the vampires set. They were hoping to locate the werewolves' munitions factory and destroy it.
"There were several transmitters hidden in the package. With Little Duck's help, I found every single tracking device, smashed them, and threw them away. But by the time I noticed, it was already too late. The vampires had locked onto me.
"Besides the vampires, I don't know how the werewolves tracked me down as well. You already know what happened after that. I sent out the distress signal, and you came.
"Speaking of which, why didn't you wipe out all those vampires and werewolves? Couldn't you?"
Henry shook his head.
"No. There just wasn't any point. Killing a few small fry in Europe wouldn't accomplish anything. As for the mechs' existence, I think it's only a matter of time before that secret gets out anyway. There's not much point trying to hide it."
In reality, Henry intended to use one secret that was easy to expose to conceal another secret he truly wanted hidden.
He wanted the mechs to draw everyone's attention while hiding the fact that he was Kryptonian, as well as the identities of the two Eternals.
People were easily misled by first impressions. Throw out a small piece of bait, and they'd overlook the big fish lurking beneath it. Some would even insist the big fish didn't exist, simply to avoid looking foolish for having only caught the bait.
It was much like how Henry hid his identity as an alien behind the public persona of a "mutant," using his already-exposed "body of steel" to distract people from the rest of his powers.
As far as Alexei was concerned, he had already escaped. Even if they went back now, there was no guarantee the people who had been chasing him would still be waiting there. So he neither agreed nor disagreed with Henry's reasoning. Instead, he asked another question.
"How did those monsters track me? Could there have been another tracker in the package that Little Duck missed? Did you check it again?"
Henry replied, "After bringing everything back, I inspected it separately. There weren't any other problems. Even if those vampires could somehow track radioactive signatures, our hyper-acceleration launch created an untraceable break in the trail.
"And the walls of this place are lined with lead plating. Even if they resumed scanning somewhere in North America, they still wouldn't be able to trace anything back here.
"As for the materials, I've already tossed them into the grinder. It's automatically manufacturing the ammunition I need.
"The bags and all the other useless stuff have already been burned in the incinerator. As for your question... it's probably because vampires are extremely sensitive to blood and life force. And in your case, those signs are especially obvious, making you very difficult to lose."
Not understanding the explanation, Alexei asked again, "What do you mean my condition is especially obvious? My size isn't exactly unusual in Central Europe. It's not like I stand out wherever I go."
Henry explained, "You're a super soldier, aren't you? Your lung capacity, your blood circulation, even the scent of the hormones your body produces are all different from those of an ordinary person.
"To those monsters, finding you is like trying to pick out a sixty-candela incandescent light bulb in a swarm of fireflies. There's no need for them to keep tracking the package—they just have to keep tracking you."
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