CTS TIME RE250.09.05 – 11:45 AM
Vault Void Club – Sector 9
The fighting ring still hummed with residual kinetic tremors from Luna's invisible strike. The neon "VAULT VOID CLUB" banner pulsed brighter, as if celebrating with the crowd.
Then—chaos.
Androids from every side of the ring jumped to their feet, cheering, whistling, reactors glowing green. The air filled with overlapping voices, raw and unfiltered.
"Arre wah, kya punch tha yaar!"
("Damn, that punch was crazy.")
"Bhai, mazaak nahi… Mk 3 bhi aisa damage nahi deta."
("Bro, seriously… even a Mark-3 doesn't hit that hard.")
"Miss Luna toh… full overpowered hai yaar."
("Miss Luna is just… broken. Totally overpowered.")
"Oliver, tu toh king ban gaya!"
("Oliver, man, you're basically royalty now.")
Raider threw his arms up, laughing so hard his reactor flickered. "Bhai, aaj toh party banti hai!"
("Alright, this definitely calls for a party.")
Falcon leaned on him, almost falling. "Arre party kya festival mana denge hum! Luna didi ne toh Iron Fist ki hawa tight kar di!"
("A party? Nah. This deserves a full-on festival. Luna didi completely shut Iron Fist up.")
Lucas was already reenacting the fight, stomping around, pretending to collapse like Victor. "Oye Marcus, meri body mein hole ho gaya! Help help!"
("Marcus—help! I swear there's a hole in my body!")
Everyone broke into laughter.
At the center, Luna stood with her hands clasped gently in front of her. Her reactor glowed soft pink, cheeks warm as dozens of androids swarmed around her. She kept her bright, polite smile—even though every word bouncing at her felt like a storm of noise.
Inside, her thoughts whispered nervously
I… don't understand what they're saying. But they're smiling. Laughing. Their reactors are green… happy. Maybe they're praising me?
Every time someone gestured at her, she nodded politely.
"Yes… nice… pleasure… thank you very much…"
Clara slipped in beside her, practically glowing. She nudged Luna's arm. "See? I told you…you're amazing. Everyone's crazy for you now."
Luna tilted her head. "Crazy? Oh… I see… nice compliment. Thank you."
Clara giggled and shook her head. "So innocent…"
Oliver finally managed to push through the crowd. His reactor glowed brighter than anyone's, pride written across his face.
He raised both arms high.
"From today onwards—Vault Void is not weak anymore! With Miss Luna… hum sab ke din badal gaye!"
The entire club erupted.
"VAULT VOID! VAULT VOID! VAULT VOID!"
Luna blinked, startled by the roar. She clapped her hands softly in rhythm, thinking, Oh… maybe this is some kind of… school song?
Oliver turned to her, lowering his voice with reverence.
"Miss Luna, you don't know… what you've given us today. Respect. Dignity. Future."
She smiled faintly, eyes kind. "I… am just happy I can help."
Oliver's throat tightened. He wanted to hug her, but Clara slipped between them first, wrapping her arms around Luna with a wide grin.
"Yeh toh humari lucky charm hai!"
("She's our lucky charm, for real.")
Luna froze slightly at the unexpected hug, but then smiled, patting Clara's back gently. Warm… even though machine. Just like human…
Meanwhile, the rest of Oliver's squad shouted over each other:
Raider: "Arre bhai, 140k star credits jeet gaye hum!"
("One hundred and forty thousand star credits. Can you believe that?")
Nathan: "Bhai, ab toh tools aur parts full upgrade karenge!"
("All our tools, all our parts—everything's getting upgraded.")
Stefan: "Aur ek bada banner lagayenge—Miss Luna ka photo ke saath!"
("And we're putting up a huge banner. Miss Luna's photo, right in the middle.")
They all laughed.
Luna tilted her head again, catching only the word "photo." She touched her cheek with a finger shyly. "Photo? Okay… smile?" She gave a bright pose.
The squad howled, clutching their stomachs.
"Arre dekh dekh—kitni cute hai!"
("Hey, look at her… she's actually kind of adorable.")
"Bas yaar, abhi heart overload ho raha hai."
("Stop, man. My heart's about to overload.")
Oliver just shook his head, unable to hide his smile.
Inside, Luna's chest fluttered softly.
They're… treating me like family. Laughing, celebrating, hugging. Machines… yet their joy feels so real. Stronger than ISA headquarters… stronger than medals, ranks, or applause.
Her hand touched her reactor faintly glowing pink.
Valerian… if only you could see this. Maybe you'd believe, too…
The crowd had calmed. The chaos of celebration simmered into a low hum of chattering voices, laughter, and the occasional metallic clink of reactors cooling down after excitement. The neon banner still buzzed softly, glowing "VAULT VOID CLUB" above their heads.
Oliver's squad sprawled out across the benches and floor like a family after a festival meal. Raider and Falcon argued over who had shouted louder in the fight. Nathan and Lucas were tossing a dented servo joint like a ball, cheering whenever someone caught it with one hand. Clara had leaned against the railing, her pink reactor flickering steadily as her eyes tracked Luna, smiling whenever their gazes crossed.
Luna sat quietly beside Oliver on the metal bench, her hands folded in her lap. Her reactor still glowed faint pink, a gentle beacon amidst all the vibrant greens around her.
She turned her head slightly, voice soft.
"Oliver… can I ask you something?"
Oliver, who had been staring at the prize pool display screen, blinked. "Of course, Miss Luna. Anything."
Her eyes softened, curious. "What… what did you do with the money I gave you? The 1.5 million?"
For a moment, Oliver's boisterous energy melted into calm. He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, reactor glowing steady green. His voice was quieter than usual, almost reverent.
"You… are like light in darkness," he said. "We thought… we had nothing left. But that money… I divided it. Every family of my broken friends gave them what they needed. To start a small shop. To repair roofs. To buy clothes, new parts, study materials for the children. Basic things. Important things."
He paused, his voice tightening with sincerity. "Miss Luna, you don't know… you gave them life again."
Luna's heart stirred. She lowered her eyes, her smile trembling softly. Machines… and yet… more human than real humans.
Oliver continued, voice brighter now. "And still, I have something left. Seven hundred twenty-five thousand. Today's win added one forty… so around eight sixty-five total. But I don't spend expensive, Miss Luna. No warp gates waste of credits. Too costly. A thousand one way, two thousand both sides? Nah. I walk. I save."
He laughed faintly, scratching his head. "You see? Even in city full of neon, hum log abhi bhi seedhe simple jeevan jeete hain."
("Even in a city drowning in neon, we're still living simple.")
Luna's chest warmed at his words, but then a shadow crossed her face. She remembered Valerian's command: Gather information about Flame Stormbringer. The missing child. The secret they couldn't expose.
Her reactor dimmed slightly. She whispered, "Oliver… I need your help."
Immediately Oliver straightened, eyes alert. He raised his voice, calling across the club:
"Arre sab log! Miss Luna ko hum sabse ek madad chahiye. Jaldi idhar aajao!"
("Guys! Miss Luna needs some help. Get over here!")
The squad perked up like schoolkids called by their teacher. Raider nearly tripped over Falcon to get closer. Nathan slid on the floor. Lucas jumped the railing instead of using the stairs. Clara came silently, her gaze never leaving Luna.
They all circled around her, reactors glowing expectantly.
Luna flushed slightly under their attention. She spoke carefully.
"I… I am looking for someone. A missing child. A short height Mk 1 android. Level 10. He is… just a child."
The squad's eyes flickered between each other. A ripple of whispers ran through them.
Oliver frowned. "Child?" He tilted his head, then suddenly his eyes widened.
"Wait… Miss Luna… the lost child is your and Sir Valerian's son?"
The words dropped like a bomb. Raider's mouth fell open. Falcon slapped his reactor as if shocked. Lucas gasped so dramatically he almost choked. Clara's pink glow flared brighter, and she stared at Luna's face like she'd just discovered something forbidden.
Luna's face flared red instantly, her hands flying up. "No! Never! It's not… not like that! Don't think that way!"
Raider burst out laughing. "Arre, dekh, dekh—Miss Luna sharma gayi! Wah wah!"
("Look—she's blushing!")
Falcon nudged Oliver. "Bhai, lagta hai kuch toh scene hai. Abhi deny kar rahi hai, kal shaadi bhi hogi."
("Yeah, yeah. Something's definitely going on. She'll deny it today, and tomorrow there'll be wedding rumors.")
"Shut up!" Clara snapped, though her own smile betrayed her amusement.
Luna covered her cheeks, reactor glowing a deeper pink from embarrassment. She stammered, "I-I just said… we are searching information about a lost child. That's all. Please… don't misunderstand."
The group laughed and teased among themselves, throwing playful slangs, until Oliver raised a hand. "Alright, bas karo sab. Miss Luna is serious." His voice dropped, calm again. "Tell us what you know."
Luna hesitated. She couldn't show Flame's human image. Couldn't reveal ISA secrets. Her mind whispered Careful… even one slip, and everything breaks apart.
So she only said softly, "I cannot show you his image. But he is… important. He is missing. And we must find him."
Oliver nodded slowly, reactor glowing steady green. "Understood. We'll search. From Sector 9 to Sector 7, hum log har jagah poochenge. Street vendors, repair shops, underground traders. Someone always knows."
Lucas puffed his chest. "Arre, Miss Luna. You just trust us. Agar bacha milega… Vault Void hi dhoondh ke layega!"
"Miss Luna, just trust us,If a kid ever goes missing… Vault Void itself will track them down."
Raider chimed in. "Bhai, hum toh har gali ka kutta jante hai. Koi bachcha chhup ke bacha nahi rahega."
("We know every alley in this city, every street dog, every shortcut. No kid stays lost for long.")
Everyone laughed again, but Luna's heart beat warmly. She smiled bright, radiant, grateful.
Inside, her thoughts whispered
Valerian… maybe… they can really help. Maybe these machines with green reactors and silly jokes… maybe they are more hope than any ISA intel could ever give.