The Zetta Sonic
Mission Briefing

“No. There's no way they found us.” Gavin spoke as if he could read Alex's mind. “They supervise Special Force but should not supervise ICPA from other continents.”

When he doesn't know the answer, Alex calls the car behind them. “Emil? You hear?”

[Very clear.] Emil's reply was heard. Alex activates the loudspeaker so Gavin can hear. [He came for the others. The gold. He's looking for gold. It also seems to be popularity. News stations race to send helicopters to cover.]

In addition to Emil's voice, there was also a protest from Tiger. [Why are there so many crooks today who want to show off their actions?]

“Terror,” says Gavin. “If the public is afraid, the police can not act fluid, making chaos will be very easy. The aftermath, the power change. They want a leader who can be set.”

Alex protested differently. “ICPA should act to prevent crime. Whatever happened there has already happened. This is not prevention.”

[Exactly. So they sent the police.]

After Emil spoke, Zet-Arm shook slowly. Alex raised his hand to the face. A faint green radiance emanated from his bracelet, forming a screen that floated in the air, showing the chaos they were heading towards.

The picture is blurry and keeps moving. It looks like the picture was taken from one of the police cameras. There looked a man clad in strange clothes like an astronaut, only bronze brown. The background is a pile of burning containers and smoke rising high. The police tried to shoot but did not dare to approach. The astronaut-clothed person spouted fire from his palm.

Strange clothes and flamethrowers. That doesn't seem reasonable. Of course Alex would think so if he had never faced a killer robot. There are firemen there. They can't do much either. All water sprays were unable to extinguish the fire and the source was — people.

“They are pathetic,” comments Gavin. “With limited funds, they will not be able to develop a way of dealing with such criminals. Therefore, the community needs ICPA.”

[Realat. They need Zetta Sonic.]

Alex was shocked. Gavin himself instantly fell silent as soon as he heard the voice of the woman. The pseudo-screen in front of Alex no longer shows the situation in the harbor but rather the image of the old woman Alex knew well. Nadira.

“You want me there?” ask Alex.

[No. I want you to stop that fire-throwing master before he destroys our harbor.] Not yet Alex responded, Nadira immediately continued. [And you, lord of Gavin River. Don't think you can sneak around unnoticed. I know your activities here.]

“Wait!” sahut Gavin hurry. “If Zetta Sonic appears, they will directly storm here as well. You will only add enemies to Alex.”

[I've guessed.]

“What do you mean?”

[You already know the real reason why the outback tribe appeared here. They're not after Mark Hill but Alex. You owe us a lot of explanation.]

Gavin doesn't dare to talk anymore.

Alex otherwise. “Interland tribes? I thought they were a bunch of killers.”

[There are tribal hinterlands in Regis that are maintained by the ICPA. The name of the tribe is Kloster. Am I wrong, River?] Nadira asked but Gavin did not answer. [This tribe seems to be starting to rebel. They develop their own technology. Some of its members even joined crime syndicates. They are renowned for their agility and skill in killing.]

Alex squinted his eyes at Gavin. He began to guess what was happening. “You were sent here to stop them but failed. So, you're trying to save the target. Me?”

[We already know that Zetta Sonic is the target of the hit men. It's also great that the outback tribe can know Alex's identity. I had to think of another way to trick them.]

Gavin gave a long sigh. “I better not comment about it.”

“You just commented,” says Alex. “How can you let such a group of expert assassins escape to another continent?”

“You're hiding something. You lied.”

“I think you're a better liar than me. Just admit. We're all hiding something. You even hid Zetta Sonic from your own father.” Gavin's voice was rising.

“That's not my wish!”

“Oh? Indeed if that's your wish, you'll talk to him?”

Alex fell silent. He didn't mind being called a liar but he obviously couldn't admit that Gavin's words were true. Had he volunteered for Zetta Sonic, he would have never spoken to his father.

[Alright. Enough's enough!] Nadira snapped in the silence. [Listen to me. If Zetta Sonic shows up there, the tribe will leave Alex's house. They're after Zetta Sonic. So, if we send a fake Alex home, they'll be confused. That would make Alex's identity safe.]

“For a while,” said Gavin.

Nadira agrees. [For a while.]

“What did you say ‘Alex fake’?” The real Alex repeats Nadira's earlier remark. “You will send the actor home and pretend that it is.... me?”

[They won't know the difference.]

“But Preston—”

[Preston won't see this. We've repeatedly covered your cover while on a mission. Don't ask me again!]

Alex snorted in annoyance. Better hope Nadira is right. “If it can drive those people out of my house, I think it's worth a try.”

“Against the flamethrower is one thing, Kloster another thing,”. “They are trained.”

“How trained compared to Rando?” Alex throws in a question, hoping that Gavin will recognize the name of the hitman.

“Rando the iron fist? Oh, I should praise you for that. You managed to catch international criminals like that. Compared to Rando, Kloster is probably only half of it.”

“But?” Alex continued, as if he could guess that Gavin would continue his sentence with ‘tapi’.

“They group, remember?” Gavin glanced at the rearview mirror, seeing another row of police cars just overtaking them.

[Don't worry about them. I'll make sure the reporters and the police pull out when the ICPA strikes.]

Gavin did not respond to Nadira, he continued his words that were cut off earlier. “Rando moving alone. Kloster moves in groups. If everything is in accordance with the rumors, Kloster has one field leader who is quite troublesome. Naray's. I'm pretty sure he's here too. He led well and his group was obedient to him.”

Nadira laughed too. [Then, complete this mission before the group appears. But, even if Kloster had followed, today Alex is not alone.]

Gavin. “Wait. What do you mean?”

Relationships severed. Nadira's face and the pseudo-screen in front of Alex vanished. Gavin shook his head in disbelief. Alex smiled at me instead.

“Do not smile! This is not a game!” sergeant Gavin. “You don't know who you're going to face.”

Alex chuckles at Gavin's grumbling. While looking at Gavin, he spoke. “At least Nadira was right. Zetta Sonic isn't alone tonight. Looks like we're stuck in the same mission again.”