Cleo Patra : Part-II : Episode-8 : Part-B

…“Of course! The day, Kraler received the first letter that Minto was going to come back and avenge this world, was on 1st of November, 2012, that is far before he has uninstalled the RAM”, and before Doppler could complete, Cleo said, “That says, if he had written that letter, it must have been in his memory that he wrote it. And since, it’s not in his memory, he hasn’t written it, but someone else has. Am I right?”…

“Absolutely, Cleo, absolutely!”, Doppler cried, “And also, though your memory doesn’t say it, since the RAM was uninstalled by then, I’m sure that the second letter was written by Minto, because alone Minto has the RAM and only he can mail it”.

“The token of gratitude?”, Cleo asked.

“Yes, and it was on 20th of November, 2012, after the un-installation”, Doppler said, “But, what about the third letter, the one quoting, ‘I kept my word, haven’t I?’ Captain Kraler received on 12th of December, 2012?”

“We can’t decide on that”, Cleo said, “because we don’t know whether he wrote it or not, as the RAM was uninstalled by then”.

“But since all the three letters are in MER-code, Kraler strongly believes that Minto wrote them all, since nobody else on this Earth have any knowledge about the MER-code”, Doppler said, and when he saw Cleo in a deep thought he asked her, “You have something to say?”

“Yes, I do. This Earth’s not all. There are still many planets out there in this universe. We can’t come to a quick conclusion that Minto alone knows the code. On the other hand, if Minto hasn’t written the first letter, he has no need to write the third one, isn’t it? Because, it’s like a follow up letter, kinda sequel. The first one says, “I will avenge the Earth”… The second one says, “I have kept my word, haven’t I?” You see, there can’t be a sequel unless there’s an original”, she said.

Doppler frowned in amazement and said, “Yes, of course. You’re right”.

“That says”, Cleo went on, “since all the letters are in MER-code and sure of Minto to have written them, he must have either deleted the memory of writing the first letter from the RAM before mailing it, or might have not written the letter at all, though it is in MER-code. The same applies to the third letter too, what say?”

Doppler nodded in agreement and fell into a deep thought.

“And to finish, I just played the guessing part till now, inferring from what has been believed apriori. But the truth is that, the memories on Bio-RAM cannot be manipulated or deleted or destroyed. That says, Minto has never ever written those letters, except for the second one, if you say so. Since the second letter did not fetch us any bad news, but just a pill, we have no need to worry about whether he wrote it or not. So let’s not discuss about it anymore”, Cleo concluded, “He meant no harm to this world! Well, though Mr. Kraler didn’t trust him, Minto still trusts Kraler”.

“What if Mr. Minto has deleted the events from his own memory? He has done so once before installing the RAM in him. He mentioned it in the second letter”, Doppler said.

Cleo thought for a while and said, “He was a scientist and have had his memories altered or deleted or whatever it is. But, he still can’t manipulate or delete the events from the RAM, which also reads and stores memories from his own memory”.

“Well, what if he has uninstalled the Bio-RAM every time before he wrote a letter?”, Doppler supposed.

“Nops! My memory doesn’t say that. Even if he had uninstalled the RAM and so couldn’t read writing of the letter into it, the RAM would be still be reading at least when he’s about to uninstall it, right? In that case, I would know”, she said, “and the only case you must have doubts about that, is when I lie to you. That’s even more impossible because there are many Bio-RAMs out there in the EURO-lab and I can install one in you too if you insist, and you can then know the facts all by yourself on the firsthand”.

“Well, what if he had written the letter beforehand, even before installing the RAM in him?”, Doppler asked.

“Minto first installed the RAM in him, then he was accused and later he wrote the letter. How can he write the letter even before the accusation?” Cleo asked.

“Well, I get it. But, what if he had wrought the jeopardy upon the Earth after uninstalling the RAM in Cairo?”, Doppler’s eyes shone like he had grabbed a missing link.

Cleo smiled looking at his innocence, “Doppy, do you at least believe that Minto didn’t write those letters?”

“Of course, I do. What I mean is not that he wrote those letters, but that he destroyed the Earth”, Doppler said.

“Ok, since you believe that he didn’t write the letters but only destroyed the Earth, answer my question. Why will anyone else rather than Minto want to write the letter if Minto is the one who wanted to destroy the Earth?”, Cleo asked now leaning forward, with her chin resting on her palms and looking straight into Doppler’s eyes.

“May be someone’s trying to save Minto?!”, he asked.

“In that case, why will they mention his relation with Kraler in the first letter, which makes it obvious that Minto himself wrote it? And if someone really wanted to save him, they wouldn’t write the letters at all!”

“What if Minto himself sought someone else’s help in writing those letters, the case in which he is still behind writing those letters and yet not in the memory?”, Doppler shot back.

“My memory doesn’t say that again. Met none on the way to Egypt and neither asked Mike to write the letter, and by the time Kraler received the third letter the Earth was almost ashes. What would Minto still bring upon it? It must only be the other way round. The Earth must have jeopardised him and killed him. You wanna talk about it?”

“No, no and Yes, Captain Kraler must have known better to mistrust him. Then who else would have written them? Who else knew the MER-code?”, Doppler asked puzzled.

“Someone who knew Minto and his moves in and out and who wanted to shatter Minto’s reputation, just like the ones who wanted to shatter yours”, she said lolling back into her chair.

“Why not both be the same?”, Doppler asked.

“There’s an ample scope for that too!”, Cleo said shrugging her shoulders, “because Minto and Kraler were very good friends and worked for the same cause. And there were many people who were against them, this society first of all. Everything starts from there”, she said.

“But who is it? And what happened to Mr. Minto after that?” Doppler asked himself, but out aloud.

“If we consider that Minto himself wrote the third letter, he must be still alive”, Cleo said. Doppler frowned, as he didn’t get what she said.

“It’s because, the letter was received on the very day the Earth was destroyed. So he must have been somewhere away from the jeopardy and watching it all”, she said, “But forget that. Owing to the RAM, the trustworthy source, he didn’t write those letters. So we can’t exactly say whether he’s alive or not, and that’s what we gotta find out!”

“Seems like you are trying to help him?”, Doppler asked.

“I’m here to help you, Mr. Doppler. Hope you know that. I just trust in the authenticity and purity of the RAM. I just say what it says. I don’t take sides!”, Cleo said with emotion.

“Well, Cleo”, Doppler said, “Let’s begin our mission. Let not the sleeping dogs lie anymore”.

“Sure, but I have just one last question. What is it that Minto deleted from his memory, anyway? I mean, did he mention it in his second letter?”, she asked fascinated.

“Got no answer!”, Doppler said.

——-o——-

>>>To be continued! Thanks for your patience!!

Cleo Patra : Part-II : Episode-8 : Part-A

Chapter 17: SLEEPING DOGS.

“I can’t stay here and trouble you anymore, Mike”, Minto said sighing in remorse, “and can neither apply for asylum, since there’s banishment in force upon me”.

“Mr. Minto, look who’s talking here. This is Mike, the reliable, the bon homie with the lost and a bon fire to the baddies. You can count on me and bet to the last penny of yours on me, maestro. Now what do you wanna do, or want me to do for you?”, Mike asked looking unwaveringly into his eyes, ready to do anything for him.

“I wanna write Kraler a letter and send him a token of gratitude, you’ll understand later”, Minto said, “But all I need you to do now is to go to Slipper’s shire and fetch the ‘Gene implanter’, a heavy box bigger in size than a coffin, without getting caught or suspected by anyone”.

“Let me worry about it, Mr. Minto. Just plan what to do later and I’ll be back soon”, Mike said with a gratified look, that a stranger and a noble laureate above all, has trusted him so much into sharing all his secrets with him, and with a zeal to help Minto even in exchange for his own life.

Then Minto shared the lab’s access passwords with him and the ways to modify the DNA detector (which will access only Minto into the lab, by providing a staircase and leads all others into vacuum) so as to allow him in, and asked him to fetch him the Star ball too.

Mike brought enough minced meat, salted bacon and steaks for Minto, familiarised him with the security systems of the flint house, and the secret get away tunnels. Then he warned Minto not to step out of the house, armed himself and left.

Mike used to wander Egyptian deserts and thick forests lost in thought. Mike’s were humble origins. He was a member of the African rebellious group ‘Espirit’ (pronounced as ‘Ei-spirit’, which means hot or raging spirit). He fought for unleashing the Africans off their shackles of slavery, but the scenario capsized when all the other rebels scattered away as the white carried out an arson attack on their houses. He was left all alone, as he lost both his supporters as well as his family due to the incident. But, the rebel in him did not die. He waited for the perfect moment to wipe out ‘White rule’ in his homeland. He lived anonymously and away from urban environs in the forest, every moment working on his plans. That is when Minto came into his life. At first, he only thought he was helping a homeless, but when he knew that Minto was on a mission to save life and living beings, he was enchanted. Touched by his passions and ideals, he resolved to help him, being a humane human and on grounds of fellow feeling.

That afternoon, Minto sat at the edge of the waterfront lost in thought, puffing his pipe. As he raised his head, the sharp sun rays pierced through his glasses into his eyes and hence he immediately averted his eyes away from the sun, when his pipe slipped and fell into the raging waters. He watched it disappear into the waters and then went back to the house, slid into a chair at the east window and fell asleep in spite of himself. He only woke up the next day when he heard a knock on the door.

Mike made it! He returned safely with the Gene-implanter and the Star ball.

Minto was overwhelmed with happiness and embraced Mike, “I’ll be indebted to you my entire life, Mike. You have no idea what you have just done for me!”

“Still in the mood, maestro. Just gimme your orders!” Mike said smiling.

“I’m damn hungry, Mike”, Minto said when both burst into a heart full laughter.

They had roasted turkey for the night and then Minto set out on his work. He spent the next day without taking any food and water, cleared his entire gastric tract as per implantation protocol.

“I’m retiring into the implanter, Mike. Don’t try to open it at any cost from outside, whatever happens. I have some inbuilt signals that will automatically unleash me from the implanter after the process”, Minto said sliding into the slot of the implanter.

Mike’s pathetic looks bid him farewell!

——-o——-

“That’s it. I don’t remember anything after that”, Cleo said.

Doppler frowned. ‘No wonder. He uninstalled the Bio-RAM from his body by then. God, but why?’, he cried in his heart, ‘May be to pass it on to someone else to safeguard the truth, because he can’t come out into the open and prove himself! But, he should have done it at least after writing the letters to Kraler that would have enabled us to know what he really wrote in them’.

“And what about the Star ball and the Gene-implanter? Where can we find them? You remember anything about them, Cleo?”, he asked curiously.

“Um… No! How can I remember something that took place after the RAM has been uninstalled?! But, I know how to construct the Gene-implanter, because it’s in Minto’s own memory, but not the Star-ball because it’s in Jaquar’s memory, and not in Jaquin’s memory, which Minto actually inherited. But if we find their son, Zetor, who has both Jaquin’s and Jaquar’s memory, we can know about the Star-ball too. But I have no idea where he is or at least if he’s alive or not”, Cleo replied.

“Well, in case you had something on your mind before you got into the implanter about what to do with the Star-ball later?”, he questioned again.

“No… I was actually thinking not to think about anything, the last thing I remember. I didn’t want it to be recorded into the RAM to safeguard the locations of the implanter and the Star-ball”, Cleo said at which Doppler sighed in disappointment.

“What’s wrong, Doppy?”, Cleo asked.

“Captain Kraler received three letters from Minto…”, and before he could complete, Cleo jumped in with a question, “This is all kinda weird. I told you they’re giving me goose bumps. Why am I related with these things anyway?”

“You are in no way related with these things, Cleo. It was just coincidence. Minto mailed the Bio-RAM, preserved in a special liquid in an organic capsule to Kraler and asked him to suggest any pregnant woman to have it for strength. So the baby born will have his memories turning up in the baby at an age of eighteen”, Doppler said.

“Yeah, I know that. I know about the activation time of the Bio-RAM. It’s in my memory, I mean Jaquin’s memory”, Cleo said.

“But, activating the memories only was not Minto’s aim. He mutated the RAM, a sort of gene in such a way that it imparts into its bearer resistance against all radiations, heat and abrasives, gives the capacity to overcome and defend himself or herself against any kind of problem or attack, right from the day the bearer takes his or her form in his or her mother’s womb, the measures Minto took to safeguard the bearer of the truth. So, Minto tried to give you all powers right from your birth, but wanted the memories to get activated only when you turn eighteen, just as destined. And above all, nobody can read your mind due to the Bio-firewall. You are the Fire-kid, Cleo! Your mother was aboard Haven, when she had a drink doped with the pill. It was all carried out confidentially by our agents. But after she gave birth to you, we couldn’t find her. Both your parents went missing. So I resolved to take you away and I did. I entered Haven with the aid of my Shadow potion and took you away and raised you”.

Cleo sighed out of despair.

“Don’t be downhearted, dear”, Doppler said.

“Well, what about the other two letters?” she asked, when something struck Doppler’s brain, “Cleo, tell me when did you install the RAM in you, I mean the date?”

“I solidly remember, it was on 4th of June, 2012, two hours before fleeing to Egypt”, she replied.

“And when did you uninstall it?”

“It was on 2012, the 8th of November. Well, is it of any help?”, she asked.

“Of course! The day, Kraler received the first letter that Minto was going to come back and avenge this world, was on 1st of November, 2012, that is far before he has uninstalled the RAM”, and before Doppler could complete, Cleo said, “That says, if he had written that letter, it must have been in his memory that he wrote it. And since, it’s not in his memory, he hasn’t written it, but someone else has. Am I right?”

>>>To be continued! Thanks for your patience!!

Cleo Patra : Part-II : Episode-7 : Part-B

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…As she reached her home, she found a black car from which she heard a voice, “Quick Cleo, quick!”“I’m on it”, she cried and rushed to the car and asked agent Brown, getting into the car, “Do we have a restroom in agency Dextro. Need a shower right away!”

“You have the finest restrooms of the Earth! Just gotta break in”, he said as he put his Ray ban glasses on, and moved the gearshift. The car rolled away at full throttle…

“Happy Birthday Cleo!”, Doppler said as soon as she entered the luminous hall. And as she looked around, she saw a luscious dark chocolate cake dripping with honey and cream.

She ran to the cake as her mouth watered, but held back from touching the cake, turned around and asked, “Where are my parents?”

Doppler sighed and said, “I never saw them. I don’t know who they are”.

“Liar!” Cleo cried, “I’ve lived all my life just thinking about them and living with them in my thoughts, fancying they’d be like this and like that. And you still wanna lie to me? Are you so oblivious to my pains?”

“You gotta trust me on this, Cleo. I’ll never lie to you, ever!” Doppler said. Cleo sighed and went to the restroom. __________________________________________________________________

“Tell us what you know about the Omnius? Where is it and what is it capable of?” Doppler asked as Cleo settled in a chair.

“Omnius is a multipurpose, customizable device that can be transformed into any gadget of the user required purpose. It’s in the lab, the EURO lab”, Cleo said.

“Where did you flee after you came to know that the police are on hunt for you, considering you to be Dr. Minto here?” Doppler asked adjusting his tone.

A pathetic ambience filled the place as Cleo narrated the story..

Well, but let’s see what actually happened there..

2012, at a desert in Cairo, Egypt:

Minto was running desperately in the desert. His lips and tongue were shrunk from thirst and his eyes from exhaustion. At a place, he fell to the ground face down, and as he opened his eyes after some time and lift his head, he saw an African king cobra in front of his eyes, swaying its hood and hissing furiously. Exhausted in his escape journey, he barely had any strength to cry out for help or at least get shocked. So he stared at the snake emotionless and thought he was going to die. And as the snake dilated its hood to sting him, a hefty hand came from nowhere, caught hold of the snake by its hood, swung it in the air above his head and hurled it away so violently that the snake puked all its venom and died of the hit. Then the Egyptian caught hold of Minto’s hand and helped him to his feet. He walked him to his house, as Minto shuffled along. They reached a flint house abut to river Nile in the deep woods of Cairo. Minto already felt his energies welling up inside him as the peaceful ambience of the place boosted his spirits. The Egyptian helped him to a chair and gave his thirst and hunger.

The Gabriel’s House

“Your name?” he managed to ask Minto with the little English he knew, recognizing him to be an Anemonian.

“Minto, James Minto and your good name please?” Minto asked.

“Mike Gabriel”, the Egyptian said with a pleasant smile and focused eyes.

Mike was muscular, robust and hefty. He was sandy white like deserts of Egypt and charming behind the sand, the suntan and the sweat that masked his face. He had smooth cropped hair and a French beard, wore animal skin round his waist and slung a leather strip down his neck, which appeared like some sort of tie.

“Going hunting”, he said picking up his gun, slung from a nail on the north wall and said, “Be back by dusk. Help yourself with some tequila in that leather bag over there, but don’t step out of the house, senore, until and unless you hear me knock the door”. Minto nodded.

Mike left after picking up his javelins too, he had shot into trees here and there.

Minto tried to sip tequila, but it was too strong and aromatic, so he withdrew from drinking it. He soon fell asleep and woke up only when he heard a knock on the door.

“Bacon and beef steak will make our night”, Mike said coming in with bacon and beef stuff hanging down his back.

That night, Mike set up an open barbeque and roasted the bacon and beef steaks whose splendid aroma wafted up in the air and whet their appetite.

“Bon appétit”, Mike cried as he began eating his share in a wooden bowl.

“Sleep tight, Mr. Minto. We will discuss whatever is bothering you, the first thing after breakfast tomorrow”, Mike said as he turned off the lights.

The next morning: Mike was out and already preparing for his hunt, when Minto woke up and peeped out of the window. He went out to have a clear view of the premises.

“Morning, Mr. Minto”, Mike said gleefully dusting his gun, when Minto too replied, “Morning, Mike”.

“Welcome to the natural bathe, river Nile”, Mike said waving his hand at the river, “It’s fresh and free. Please help yourself”.

Minto smiled and walked along the waterfront taking off his shirt and pants and plunged into the river. After having a refreshing bath, he came back to the house to see his breakfast already waiting at the table.

“Tell me now, what’s bothering you, Mr. Minto?” Mike asked as Minto broke his fast.

“It’s complicated”, Minto sighed, “Don’t know where to start from”.

“I shall put up. You don’t even have to start, just give the start a start and the story takes you through”, Mike said shrugging his shoulders, as if they can handle whatever was going to come.

Minto closed his eyes, took a deep breath and started narrating his story from the very beginning. Mike did not question or talk until Minto was through. He just nodded or frowned now and then, and sighed as Minto finished his story.

“It’s complicated, of course”, Mike said, drawing a conclusion. “Do you think Captain Kraler still trusts you?”, Mike asked out of curiosity and hoping that he still does.

“I trust he trusts me”, Minto said and walked to the window, “He’ll never mistrust me even for the whole world”.

——-o——-

Cleo Patra : Part-II : Episode-7 : Part-A

…Rhonda frowned, puzzled and speechless. “You are right!” she muttered and said, “How could I not understand that? How could such a thing elude me? And what the hell’s making her so powerful then????” Nobody had an answer for that.

“I have to figure it out before designing my weapon then and before presenting her to Maximus!” Rhonda cried and left in a fury. The Dinos looked at each other having no idea what’s going to happen.

——-o——

Chapter 16: THE DISCOVERY.

BlueCrafts-MissionBlue

Blue crafts were on their way home, with loads of sand from a planet of Andromeda, when ‘boom’, went an explosion as soon as it entered the Earth’s atmosphere. All the seven crew, the Blue-nauts turned to ashes and dispersed into the cosmos. The big bang swept the Earth with cosmic dust and people with terror. Rescue crafts immediately went to recover the indestructible black box installed in the blue craft for clues. A detonator was set even before the take-off of the blue craft from Earth eighteen years ago, to explode on encounter with the Earth’s atmosphere for the second time (the first time is at take off and the second encounter is at retreat), that is on its way back home. The detonator had the Dextro seal on it! The seven governments sank with fear that a mutiny has arisen already and accused the ‘Anti Dextro league’ for being unable to stop the menace by capturing the agents already.

While, the agents on the other hand, were taken aback by the incident, since they have not planned it and yet being accused for the same. “Who’s behind this?!” Doppler’s head exploded with confusion and frustration. But he knew, he just has to wait for a day more for a miracle to take place that can unveil the truths and the mysteries. On the other hand, Cleo awaited the Dinos to come out with the truth.

October 7th, 2030:

EURO lab in the heart of shadow wood

Cleo turned eighteen and that was the night she had a dream, which she found out to be memories of two persons, an alien and a scientist. Her memories led her to the lab, she remembered, was somewhere in the Shadow wood. Her eyes shone as she discovered the roof of the lab. She typed the password from her memory and found herself in surprise at every stage of the advancement she made in finding out something, as if she knew them already, yet with a subliminal awareness that she don’t know anything about them and it was from her weird memory actually that she was able to do so. The door opened agape in front of her eyes that thrilled her much more. She knew a staircase would then appear and lead her into the lab. The same happened. And before the door in the dome behind her could close, she got a call from Doppler. But soon the call got cut as the door closed behind her. So she immediately signed out of the lab to call Doppler back.

“I just don’t understand what’s happening to me and around me? They’re giving me goose bumps, ya know? I’m knowing things that I’ve never seen and known before”, she cried as soon as Doppler picked her call.

“I told you, you would. You have the Bio-RAM in you, Cleo”, Doppler said, “Now that your time has come, please make haste in reaching agency Dextro. A car will be awaiting you at your home by the time you reach there. Don’t take much time. The car can’t be out for long”.

Cleo was in a shock since she heard what Doppler said-“You have the Bio-RAM in you, Cleo”. Nothing Doppler said after that got into her head. She couldn’t find her voice and felt numb and dumb for a while. ‘You gotta be kidding!’ she thought, ‘I’ve just faked the Dinos with the truth, without knowing it was actually a truth. But what’s actually up? Why did it start in me only today? Why do I feel all these, so strange only today? God, what’s going on? Gimme some grip!’

“Are you there Cleo?” Doppler asked when she came back to her normal senses, “Yeah, please come back over the last few lines”, she said.

“Are you alright Cleo?” he inquired.

“I am… absolutely”, Cleo said and hung down the phone, without waiting for his response. She walked home thinking about the unprecedented, nerve-racking things going on with her. ‘Why am I related with these things anyway? What’s the point in me having the Bio-RAM and the Dinos searching the one with the RAM? What are these buccaneers up to and who’s behind them? I knew, they were vying for something else beyond what actually seemed to be. Was it me? If it was me, did they already know that I’m the one with the RAM? If they knew, then why are they still searching for the one? In case, they didn’t know, then why are they still fighting me? But they know now, don’t they? Though I faked it, it actually turned out to be true. So would the hunt have been set up already? And what happened to Jaquin’s son, the royal heir? Did the baddies get him?! The alien I killed in the forest was an Ultiman. What is it doing there anyway?’ many thoughts stormed her brain.

As she reached her home, she found a black car from which she heard a voice, “Quick Cleo, quick!”

“On it”, she cried and rushed to the car and asked agent Brown, getting into the car, “Do we have a restroom in agency Dextro. Need a shower right away!”

“You have the finest restrooms of the Earth! Just gotta break in”, he said as he put his Ray ban glasses on, and moved the gearshift. The car rolled away at full throttle.

——-o——-

…To be continued!

Cleo Patra : Part-II : Episode-6 : Part-B

…“Yes, I didn’t receive any call from the power source about the second round. I just faked it and the Dinos fell for it. I set up the letter with this legacy of my own, the Dinos will surely trust, because they trust its origin is from the power source and hence, it is authentic. And they themselves will come up with the truth about themselves and their conspiracies”, Cleo said.

“What’s the legacy anyway?”, Garnet asked coming back to her normal senses…

“Cleo Patra is the one with the RAM!” Cleo said and paused to allow her words to sink into them, “And now they’ll be after me, but will not know that it’s the other way around! I’m after them”.

“You are such a genio, Cleo”, Alcor hailed her.

“Come on Alcor; are you out of your mind? Be serious. This ain’t a child play”, Deneb cried horrified and worried about Cleo, “You are gonna risk yourself, Cleo, and this Earth too if the Dinos find out it was all a fake operation, when the real call from the power source comes, you understand that?”

“I do!” Cleo said.

“But, how can they anyway find out whether it’s a second or third round?” Alcor jumped in.

“The venue makes the difference”, Cleo said, “And that’s when we need to gather our wits, pull ourselves together and defend ourselves. And if we can find out about them before the second call, we’ve no need to play the actual second round and the third round either. They should give up on harming the Earth”.

“What if they find out about us before the second round?” Garnet asked.

“How do you suppose Garnet?” Cleo inquired, “They don’t know that we actually know about their conspiracies and that they are searching for the one with the RAM. They must only find out when the second call comes, and before that, I’d have accomplished my mission. But what I still don’t understand is where those extra terrestrial ninjas came from”.

“Didn’t you set them up too?” Ron asked.

“Are you crazy? No”, Cleo cried, “How can I set up such a thing, something phenomenal and paranormal?”

“Well, we’ll figure it out then”, Garnet said, “Now, who’s in?”

“I’m in”, Alcor cried when others thought for a while and said, “I’m in!” one by one, still obsessed with suspicions and a gut feeling that something bad is going to turn out as things seemed to getting more complicated and dangerous. Cleo smiled and then they left home.

——-o——-

Meanwhile, at a place, whose locations were unknown:

The place was secluded, alienish^©, spooky and eerie. Many beasts like the one Cleo killed in Shadow wood, teemed the place. The realm was frosty, muddy, barren, and congested with unevenly towered mansions and curvy, narrow lanes. A strange plant crop resembling a Larch was raised in a special glade away from the mansions. The light under which the plants grew was bright blue and was confined only to the area where the plants were grown. The plants were glittery and glassy, with rhomboid leaves, star like flowers, and diamond like fruits. Fruits outnumbered the total leaves and flowers. Some beasts were working their asses out to raise the crop, when some other beasts were pulling loads of cargo on trolleys up and around the lanes. Female beasts were on their martial art classes along with kids and other male beasts in the open grounds. A grey mansion, with many towers and a sole eyrie, stood above and aloof of all other mansions. Its door led into a chamber where some organic life forms, juveniles of unknown origin were suspended in liquid filled incubators. The following door led into a computerised and highly technified chamber, where Rhonda was toggling on the dashboard of a large multi-panel monitor, trying to contact a person.

A virtual avatar appeared on the screen, whose face was masked and he asked her, “What’s the matter?”

“I found the one with the RAM. She’s none other than Cleo, our opponent team captain”, Rhonda said.

“Do we have a proof?” the avatar asked.

“Yes, one from a trusted source, I can elucidate”, Rhonda said, “But, she is impossible to get”.

“I’ll take care of that. Is she eighteen?” the avatar asked.

“No, still a week more to go”, Rhonda said.

“Alright. See you then”, the avatar said and signed out.

Rhonda smiled mischievously, “Show’s up!”

Just then, Orion, Jack and Sandra entered the room and asked her what the matter was.

“The one with the Bio-RAM of Jaquin, the queen of our enemies is going to die now! And the secret of the power that can kill us will be found and destroyed forever. We shall be immortals and reign this universe for all the times to come, just like the Outlander promised our ancestors”, Rhonda said, when Sandra felt very sorry for Cleo, ‘I hope you don’t die upon me!’

“I’ve been wondering, what made Cleo, the black box so powerful and impossible. And every time I tried to read her mind, I failed. I knew she was the one with the RAM, the very reason I proposed for a fight, and waited for the day to get it proved. I tried to read her mind every moment and on every movement she made. Though I failed in reading her mind, I could still get familiarised with her inborn powers and fighting skills so that I can create compatible anti-powers and impart them into one powerful weapon that can kill her. At first, I didn’t know, she had such powers. I only discovered them when I saw her fighting an Ultiman in the Shadow wood. It is the ‘Bio-RAM’ that gave her the knowledge to design her own gadgets, and to unearth and augment her powers within. And it’s the ‘Bio-firewall’ that disables others from reading her mind. She’s the fire that no liquid can put off, except tears that loneliness left her for her entire life”, she grinned and turned to the Dinos, “We gotta capture her, torture her and present her to the Outlander, you get it?”

“Yes!” they nodded.

“Wait wait wait”, Jack who has been in a deep thought for a while cried, “You said that the Bio-RAM is the reason behind her powers and strength, didn’t you? But the RAM would be active only from the eighteenth year, whereas Cleo has been that way since her childhood. And she’s not yet eighteen. So how can you attribute her strength and skills to the RAM?”

Rhonda frowned, puzzled and speechless. “You are right!” she muttered and said, “How could I not understand that? How could such a thing elude me? And what the hell’s making her so powerful then????” Nobody had an answer for that.

“I have to figure it out before designing my weapon then and before presenting her to Maximus!” Rhonda cried and left in a fury. The Dinos looked at each other having no idea what’s going to happen.

Rhonda

——-o——

…To be continued!

Cleo Patra : Part-II : Episode-6 : Part-A

…“Let’s figure it out then”, Cleo said, “they ain’t the inhabitants of our province and… any other province!” The Dragons looked at each other knowing another adventure was up…

———-O———-

Chapter 15: THE LEGACY

“Why don’t we consult the customs officer that checked immigration of people aboard Haven into the provinces, and check the list out?” Garnet asked.

“No, we can’t give this thing an airing unless we find out the conspirer behind this and gather lucid proofs. We don’t know what’s out there beyond that black hole, those Dinos popped into. You go by the laws.. you get nothing, because I sense definitely a human and someone behind the desks is doing this”.

“What makes you so sure?” Ron inquired.

“No intruder can breach in unless the security fails or unless someone else abets them in. Well, I know in and out about our security systems officers. They never fail, because they never defy the government, which in turn strictly despises strays and aliens. That implies, the security strictly despises strays and aliens. So on default, the second case must be true”, she said, but stifled from mentioning about the innocence of the agents.

“Got a plan?” Deneb asked.

“Summon the Dinos for the second round”, Cleo said, but nobody asked why, though they hadn’t actually got a call from the Power source, because they knew Cleo gave a deep and rational thought before whatever she said or did.

Round : Two.

Venue: Crystal Castle (Modified Rebel Rambo).

Time: 18 hours today.

ET NInjas

Extra terrestrial ninjas, too powerful to handle, pounced on the Dragons as they reached the environs of Rebel Rambo. Cleo was shocked to see them. ‘Where did they come from without my knowledge?!’ she wondered. A black mist rose from the ground and blurred the vision of the Dragons as they were about to fight back the ninjas. Ron immediately cleared the mist away with her powers, and as the mist cleared away, the Dragons found the swords of the ninjas already at their throats. They quickly dodged away from them, but Garnet received a blow and fell to the ground. Deneb got enraged at this incident and knocked that ninja down with his hyperactive knockouts. The ninja disappeared, but reappeared in a more powerful form, a pitch black, blood thirsty beast depicting a yeti, with its canines dripping with warm blood and mighty arms reaching the ground. The Dragons were awestruck. The beast pounded the ground with its fist and the Earth beneath them sank into a crater, and all the Dragons slid to its bottom. The ninjas followed them and struck them violently. The powers of the Dragons seemed too weak to work against them and all the ninjas who got hacked down turned into beasts and struck back. Dragons used all their powers to fight them.

Meanwhile, the Dinos who encountered a rattle of flaring demons took their positions. Sandra on her knees shot her Dino-arrows gyrating in all possible directions, rotating her waist and neck in all possible dimensions. Rigel triggered a whirlwind around her to protect her from any attack. Orion hurled the demons against each other, while Jack wrecked them and shot them into the sky and relayed them to Rhonda, who was above the clouds. She blasted the demons with her super-whiz salvo.

On the Dragon side, Alcor at full thrust replicated himself and even the beasts. Then he merged his replicas into the beasts, forming hybrid beasts, which then started acting according to Alcor’s will, since they had his spirits. They began counter attacking the other beasts. Alcor also replicated Garnet and her ganglions that took captive of more beasts and served them to the hybrid beasts. Cleo and Deneb fought other ninjas, taking care not to hack them. If the ninjas die in hands of other ninjas or beasts, they don’t strike back, but they will if they die in the hands of the Dragons. So Cleo and Deneb managed to keep them alive and feed them to the beasts. The fight ended.

The Dragons and the Dinos made it to the core zone in time. As they got their orders ‘Find the letter of the legacy’; and returned to the battle venue, they saw Rebel Rambo transformed into a crystal castle with walls like mirrors reflecting back their own images. The hall led into many staircases, crypts, dungeons, caves and eyries. And the castle spread to miles within, but appeared the same dimensions as that of Rebel Rambo on the outside. The rangers fanned out in all directions in pursuit of the letter. Cleo didn’t go after the letter, but watched everyone from an eyrie at the peak of the castle, herself being unnoticed by others. Then after locating positions of everyone, she disguised herself as a phantom came down and began the hunt. Oops, but she hunted down the Dragons, her own teammates!

Dinos fetched the letter and won the round, and they mocked at the Dragons who couldn’t make it. Rhonda got her bike back and the Dinos left Rebel Rambo with ‘the letter of the legacy’, and then Cleo awoke the Dragons lying on the ground. Bewildered, the Dragons woke up and asked her, what was happening.

“We lost!” Cleo said.

“What do you mean by we lost?” Ron asked.

“The second round is not yet up. It’s all a trap I have set up to trick the Dinos, and it worked”, Cleo said at which the Dragons were taken aback.

“What are you talking about? You set it up all?! The whole Crystal castle?!!!” Deneb asked, with his eyes wide open, awestruck at her skills and yet nervous deep down.

“Yes, I didn’t receive any call from the power source about the second round. I just faked it and the Dinos fell for it. I set up the letter with this legacy of my own, the Dinos will surely trust, because they trust its origin is from the power source and hence, it is authentic. And they themselves will come up with the truth about themselves and their conspiracies”, Cleo said.

“What’s the legacy anyway?”, Garnet asked coming back to her normal senses.

…To be continued! Thanks for your patience!!

Cleo Patra : Part-II : Episode-5 : Part-B

…“But, why should you leave me?” she asked.

“Because, it was destined. You’ll understand that when time comes”, he concluded.

“What about the abductions? Are you behind them?” she inquired aghast…

“No, no, no… Not even in my dreams. It’s a plot, a conspiracy the baddies have played to shatter our reputation. But what that still puts me at awe is, nobody know about us and still we are being set up”, he said, “Some master mind is behind it. We thought he would have given up after the nemesis, because we were not aboard Haven that would have left him with a false notion that we were dead, but he did not! He did not give up since he began this massacre twenty years ago. He’s haunting Dextro and making it feel feeble and worthless. Since, we needed someone who can chase this mystery, you are here”.

Cleo understood the gravity and graveness of the situation. “But how can I help you?” she asked.

“You’ll find out for yourself after seven days, the day when we’ll come out of our professional exile and begin our mission”, Doppler said, “Now you can go back home Cleo, but don’t breath a word to anyone, even the Dragons!”

She was thrilled again, as she was told about things she thought not anyone had ever known.

“I have a question”, Cleo said.

“Go ahead. Ask it”, Doppler said.

“How did you make it through the nemesis? Were you on Haven, I mean were you stow aways?”, she asked with lot of enthusiasm.

Doppler smiled, “You see this agency? It was built during Captain Kraler’s reign. The most secure place on Earth, the real Haven that protected us through all adversities”.

Cleo smiled and as Doppler retreated, she was escorted back to the car and was taken away to her home.

On the way, the guy, whom Cleo thought was a punk, said, “I told you, you’d wimp out!”

Cleo smiled, “If you were the bad guy, I would have really disappointed you!”

“Agent Brown”, the guy smiled. But all the while, she thought, ‘How can I work for Dextro when I’m in Rebel Rambo? It would be against the rules and still how can I give up on someone who have laid their trust in me?’

Agent Brown said, “There’s malice in working for another firm for money and self benefits, but there is not when you work on grounds of public security”. Cleo nodded.

She walked home getting down the car with thoughts that pulled her away from her…

Cleo Patra

That night another woman, wife of another Blue-naut from Meron was abducted in the same way as Dr. Pedro’s wife was. The government feared that, since the agents are back and abducting wives of Blue-nauts, a mutiny from the agents has arisen against ‘Mission Blue’. So it recalled Anti-Dextro league. Doppler fell into a deep thought and so did Cleo.

Next day, at St. Thomas:

The Dragons, disguised as pillars in the portico eavesdropped the Dinos, who seemed like conspiring against something.

“Agents are on the move. A slightest folly would send us all to the gallows. Rigel, you are the one that need more care and vigilance”, Rhonda said, “We still have not got the one with the RAM. He is still on the loose and we can’t let that be so anymore. We have little time left. Well, we can’t hang around for long. Let’s get going now, the Dragons may turn up any time”.

Then the Dinos scattered away.

“What’s that ‘man with the RAM’ and why is she worried about the agents? What’s she talking about?” Alcor cried, “She’s getting on my nerves man”.

“Yeah, why are they afraid of those bad guys when they themselves are bad? Does that mean the agents are good?” Ron wondered, “And what are they doing that would send them to the gallows?”

They started wondering about things going on when Cleo turned away from the group and started wondering about something else as she knew things beyond what the other Dragons knew, ‘How do they know about the movements of the agents? How do they know the agents first of all and that they are alive? What are these swines up to? Are they with the person behind the abductions? Must figure it out!’

That evening she wanted to follow Rhonda home to find where she lived and what she did outside of school, and thus waited at the corner of a street beside the school along with other Dragons, who did not know anything about Cleo’s encounter with the Agents. They were there to find out about Dinos, but had no idea about what else was in Cleo’s mind. Her strategies were different. She was there to get the idea of the big picture, where the others knew only a bit of the jigsaw, who are the Dinos?

They saw the Dinos, except Rigel Woolf boarding a black car and soon another black car pulled across and stopped by Rigel. He boarded it and the two cars drove away in opposite directions. Cleo signalled Ron and she pursued the car, the one that four of the Dinos boarded, in disguise as its shadow. Alcor’s invisible replica just broke into Rigel’s car and sat beside Alcor. Ron returned very soon.

The Dragons gathered around her curiously, “What is it?”

“I don’t know, the car just disappeared into the sky around the corner of the street. I tried to hang on, but some mysterious force, diffused in the air, pushed me away. Then I tried to transmogrify the place, but I could not”, Ron said.

“What the hell was that?!” Garnet cried, when Cleo fell into a deep thought.

Meanwhile, Alcor returned. “The car kicked my ass out of it when the car passed through the gate man!” he cried.

“That’s what I call a kick ass car”, Deneb retorted putting his hand around Alcor’ shoulder.

“You dunno man, they are notorious. Something’s going on in the back room”, Alcor cried.

“Let’s figure it out then”, Cleo said, “they ain’t the inhabitants of our province and… any other province!” The Dragons looked at each other knowing another adventure was up.

———-O———-

Cleo Patra : Part-II : Episode-5 : Part-A

…“Whoever the culprit is, his day of reckoning is near!” warned Mr. Donovan Pedro, Chief of Police and son of Dr. Rafael Pedro. He said, “I’ll investigate the case all on my own and see that the bad guy is hanged for his mischief”…

——-o——-

Chapter 14: THE AGENTS.

“Do you think the agents are really back?” Ron asked Cleo.

“It seems that some people survived the nemesis, yet not aboard Haven. Agents may be some among them, I’m not sure”, Cleo replied.

“Quien estos (who are) agents anyway?” Alcor, the most ignorant and childish of all inquired.

“They were private detectives, alleged for their notoriety and brutal murders. Formerly people had a soft corner for them, when they had been abducting baddies and assassinating them, though it was against the law. But soon the scenario flipped across. They started murdering innocent women and kids”, Deneb said, “We were not even born when all these happened”.

“If I were born before the nemesis, I’d have stopped it”, Cleo said, “but since the scenario seems to be recurring, I think I got a chance for it now”. The Dragons nodded in agreement.

“I hope the task force gets them before I can, because even if I get them, I can’t kill them”, she said, “and that would leave the victims disappointed”.

“And if I get them before the task force, they have no need to kill them”, Deneb said adding gravity to her enthusiasm. Cleo smiled.

That night:

Cleo was returning home all alone, thinking about the day that she could meet her parents. ‘Why if God loved everyone completely, should he make their happiness incomplete?’, she thought as a tear rolled down her cheek.

Suddenly a black car appeared from nowhere, stopped by her and before she can understand what was going on, the door opened, and someone tried to chivvy her in grabbing her hand. But Cleo, with one of her hands in the punk’s hold and the other one held against the car, put her feet against the punk and kicked herself back that threw the man chivvying her onto the ground through the door. Then the punk in the driving seat and the one on the ground detoured around the car and rushed to her lest she should escape. Cleo stifled the idea of enforcing her powers on them, because she can’t use them outside Rebel Rambo. She can only use her gadgets, but didn’t have one on her. So she fought the two punks bare handed. The punks were masked, hefty and skilled fighters, but Cleo didn’t give in.

“Give it a break Cleo”, one of the two punks, said.

“You are the agents, ain’t you?” Cleo growled and punched him on his nose.

“You are too intelligent for an agent”, he retorted and cried at the other punk, “What’s the travel strategy?”

“It’s 12 minutes, 16 seconds on land and 34 seconds down the track”.

Then he injected something into Cleo and she fell drowsy, “You may be powerful and bullish, but that doesn’t mean you’ll win”, she said, “and not after I’ve laid my eyes on you!” she said almost swooning out.

“Seems like you’ll never wimp out on something you’ve taken charge of, but you’ll definitely wimp out after a while”, he said in a clear tone.

“You’ll be disappointed”, she snapped back with knocking teeth as her vision got blurred and then swooned out.

The punks rode away and reached a place where the Earth beneath them opened into a big chasm diagonally, the upper lip of which seemed like reaching the sky and engulfing the car. The chasm looked like barren land above, but was plastered with metal and finely finished from the rim inwards. After entering it, Cleo opened her eyes, the car picked up speed and sped away so fast that Cleo couldn’t see anything around the car, but felt like flying in the air. Soon the car reached a place, which was underground and somewhere out of the province. It had two doors, one opening into the province, Anemone and the other into the stray lands. It seemed like a dungeon to Cleo, as her perspective that she’s gonna die reflected the scenario in that way. But, it was a colossal underground ‘Agency Dextro’, highly sophisticated, fine tuned, space age firm. The car came to a halt in the centre of a circular atrium and immediately an escort of five rose from underground through a conveyor that injected them out of their gulfs spread at equal distance from each other along the wall circular wall. They marched towards Cleo and the agents from five directions, formed a pentagon around them and marched them ahead through an immense door that swirled open and led them into another big hall, which was spotless and luminous.

Cleo’s mouth went agape. She was so absorbed that she completely forgot her idea that she was brought there to be killed. Another door opened ahead and quite opposite to the first door and a man in black overcoat and a black top hat came into light. As soon as he came, the escort and the punks, whom Cleo felt like, left on tacit knowledge.

“So you are the God father behind these murders, ain’t you?” Cleo asked.

“Don’t you remember me, Cleo?” the person asked in a mild and velvet like tone. The voice evoked many memories in her. ‘This voice is familiar. But whose voice is this?’ she thought and thought, but couldn’t get it.

“How did you manage since I left you?” he asked, at which Cleo’s eyes shone in joy.

“Doppy”, she cried, “You are Doppy, aren’t you?”

Yes, he was the one that brought up Cleo at her childhood and left her at an age of four. He’s Captain Doppler, the descendant of Kraler.

“Why did you abandon me at an age when I can’t even understand what loneliness is?” she asked in a pathetic tone.

“For the same reason, Cleo, that you should not feel lonely. If you reached an age when you start to understand what loneliness is, it would be hard for me to leave you”, Doppler said.

“But, why should you leave me?” she asked.

“Because, it was destined. You’ll understand that when time comes”, he concluded.

“What about the abductions? Are you behind them?” she inquired aghast.

…To be continued!

Cleo Patra : Part-II : Episode-4 : Part-B

(For the entire episodes till date, have a look at the category ‘eBook’ and please read from Episode: 1 at the bottom if you want to understand & capture the entire gist of the story… Thank you!  )

…Many just believed that he was a perfect match for Cleo and waited for a love chronicle to begin, but that never happened. Cleo and Don were never that into each other what the world felt about them. ‘They were two opposite directions that never meet’. But ‘Far east makes west!’ others used to think…

“I’m Rhonda, Rhonda Rhydes”, Rhonda finally ventured to shake his hand one day, but Don did not requite it.

“Excuse us”, he said frowning.

“I’ve waited all my life to find a worthy person who can save this Earth. I guess I found him”, Rhonda said with a hypocritical emotion.

“Who is it?” Don asked, acting like he had no idea about who she was referring to, when Dragons who were spying from atop a tree, disguised by Ron, chuckled.

“It’s you, Don… er Don Bosco”, she said sheepishly, trying to cover her embarrassment.

“You got the wrong person. I’m not who you think I am. Now can I?” he said giving a sign to her with his hand to give way so that he can take leave.

“But why not?” Rhonda cried.

“Why do you care? I’m not. That should explain that!” he said and was about to turn away from her when she said, “I’ll make you one!”

“What do you mean, all that super-hero stuff?! You gotta be kidding. Better stay off me. I’m done now”, he said and left without waiting for her response. Rhonda left in a sulk.

Dragons got down the tree and Alcor cried, “What is she up to, man? She knows that she can’t reveal the secret of Rebel Rambo or invite a new person into the team unless it lacks one, doesn’t she?”

“I guess someone’s quitting the team soon. I know Rhonda will not break the rules and neither will give up”, Cleo said.

“But we can’t let that happen”, Deneb, who was disturbed with all the stuff the world thought about Cleo and Don, retorted in frustration.

“We can’t do that either, unless Rhonda breaks the rules”, Cleo said, “Let’s hope she wouldn’t!”

On the other hand, Deneb thought that it would not be so dire, if Don joined the opposite team, because it would make him their rival and Cleo would never love him. Either way, it’s gonna be alright, he thought.

“You have no idea. Don is unyielding. He is so stubborn! He will not take sides, even for the whole world”, Garnet said, trying to conclude about him.

“He’d better not!” Deneb said, trying to conceal his envy in his eyes he had for Don.

“Or maybe she didn’t have inviting him into Rebel Rambo on her mind. She had something else!” Cleo said when all the Dragons frowned.

The next day:

The class was charge less and everyone were enjoying the free period.

Don unintentionally looked at Cleo, who was imbibed in reading a book sitting on a bench across him. Cleo too looked at him accidentally when she was about to turn back to talk to Garnet.

This caught Deneb’s attention, who used to watch every movement of Cleo and anyone who watched her. He immediately rose from his bench and walked towards Don, pushing his shirt sleeves up and clenching his fist in anger.

Alcor who observed this rushed to him and cried, “Wait wait wait…” holding him by his waist, “What’s up dude? Why are you in a fury?”

Don who noticed Deneb’s furious approaching and his cold stares at him, rose from his chair and walked forward; “What is it buddy? What makes you clench your fist against me?”, he asked looking at his fists and then into his eyes.

Cleo and her teammates rushed to them and soon everyone gathered around. Deneb retreated from snapping back at Don as he saw Cleo’s eyes asking him to give up. He left in a fury.

Don just went back to his bench without responding about anything like nothing has happened. Rhonda grinned mischievously within her, ‘Show’s up!’ But, when she tried to read Cleo’s mind, she couldn’t.

That night at Dr. Rafael Pedro, a Blue-naut’s house in Xeryl (the once Europe):

Dr. Pedro was out on mission Blue. Some eerie shadow crept in through the bedroom window, gobbled up Mrs. Pedro and retreated as silently as it came. Then, it rushed through the gloomy and cold streets to a place, whose locations were not known and delivered her. Then a team of black coat boys came into the scene and took her away.

The next day, “Are the agents back?” questioned Times of Anemone. “Blood thirst never ends unless the agents end!” stated another news head.

Fear surged through people on learning the news. Women were so horrified they barely stepped out of their houses unless they had someone to accompany them. Task force of Xeryl and other provinces gave into action.

“Whoever the culprit is, his day of reckoning is near!” warned Mr. Donovan Pedro, Chief of Police and son of Dr. Rafael Pedro. He said, “I’ll investigate the case all on my own and see that the bad guy is hanged for his mischief”.

——-o——-

…To be continued!

Cleo Patra : Part-II : Episode-4 : Part-A

He felt someone else conquering him and replacing him, yet from so far. He cursed the moments that took her away from him and the moments she was away from him. He has just taken her for granted and was feeling hopeful. But, something unexpected happened, something that he’d never want to happen.

——-o——-

Chapter 13: DON BOSCO.

At St. Thomas’:

The Dragons were seated at a porch. “They set us up. It was Rhonda, who changed the course of the asteroid to alarm the planetans of Gyron and provoked them into attacking us”, Cleo said, “she’s got some nerve and I’m gonna crack it”.

“She abetted the beast into attacking us”, Alcor said, “My replica sensed that. They were on the beast’s side. But how come? Must they have known the beast already or visited the planet before. They’re back stabbers, shrewd and sly”.

“Nobody till date knew where the Dinos came from or at least where they lived. They’re a set of mysterious bugs”, Garnet opined.

“Seems like, they are not fighting us, but trying to kill us for some reason”, Deneb said.

“I know the reason”, Cleo retorted as she sighed.

“What’s that? Come on speak up, Cleo. You give me goose bumps”, Alcor cried.

“It’s me! Yes, she turned grudge full due to me”, Cleo said.

“If that’s the case, we shall do whatever to protect that reason”, Deneb said and turned his face away to hide the love in his eyes he had for her, lest the Dragons should find out.

“Well, we’re still in the budding stage and have no idea what we can do if we can fine-tune our powers by practice and precision”, Cleo said when Garnet jumped in with a question, “How can we turn more powerful?”

“By bringing it out. It’s nowhere but within you. You are the power you need to discover. We fared well anyway in the first round. But, I can see a more lethal round coming ahead. The previous performance is not enough. We gotta outdo ourselves!”

“But the Dinos will play foul and will set us up again. We need to be prepared for the worst”, Deneb said. Everyone fell into a deep thought.

“Awriiit, forum’s up. Let’s hit the class now”, Garnet cheered her teammates up.

During the class, “Excuse us”, a mild, but a stentorian voice came and everyone looked at the door. A guy, so handsome and posh was standing there waiting for consent from the teacher to enter the class. He was cool and wore a plain shirt and a denim pant.

Every girl’s mouth went agape at his finesse and flair but acted like nothing serious has happened. But, ‘He’s mine!’, everyone decided from their heart.

Mr. Douglas, professor in Zoology, who was writing the blackboard turned his head and said, “Yes”, looking above his glasses.

“I’m Don Bosco, pleased to meet you sir. I’m a transferee from ‘Xeryl’ (where Europe once existed). Can you please excuse us!” the guy said.

“Of course, you’re most welcome Mr. Bosco. Please come in”, Mr. Douglas said.

Don entered the class that took the breath out of the girls, except Cleo. She was imbibed in her thoughts staring blankly into the air.

Rhonda was so excited on seeing him, that she wanted to make friends with him as soon as possible and before the Dragons could appeal to him. But poor Rhonda didn’t know they won’t care about him.

Don was British and stately, gave much attention to himself and had a high self-esteem about himself. He was self-reliant and took no sides. He just glanced at girls and seldom smiled, but his looks and smiles just bored deep into their tickers. Many girls were awe struck and many ended up moon struck. Soon a maxim came into vogue, ‘Don is for girls, what Cleo is for boys!’ No wonder, Don attracted many a girl with his calm and cool ambience. He spoke less but was precise and particular about whatever he said or did. He just felt that no girl was still born worthy enough to win his hand. He never tried to endear himself to anyone that stirred the want in others to have him even more. He chose things on several and random checks and preserved them for many years spotless and without a pinprick damage. He walked alone and never intended to touch anyone even if he had their consent or knew their want.

Many just believed that he was a perfect match for Cleo and waited for a love chronicle to begin, but that never happened. Cleo and Don were never that into each other what the world felt about them. ‘They were two opposite directions that never meet’. But ‘Far east makes west!’ others used to think.

… To be continued!