Chapter 99 : Missing

Noche swung her sword. Caligo jumps, dodging her attack. Her sword passed under his feet. She looked up. He lunged at her with his blade. Noche quickly parries it. Caligo jumps back. 

He pressed his chest and black smoke burst out of his armor. 

"Ugh. So that's where he put the power sphere," Noche mumbled as she covered her face with her arm. 

Noche closes her eyes and focuses on her sixth sense. She charged forward towards Caligo.

"Heh. Attacking me from the front. How arrogant," Caligo mumbled. He put up a stance, ready to stab her. 

But Noche suddenly maneuvers to the side. She uses her left hand to slap Caligo's blade away. She spins and swings her sword to her right, catching Caligo in surprise. 

Caligo dodge. The tip of Noche's sword scratches his cheek. 

"Ugh…" Caligo groans. Had he moved any slower, he would've lost his head. 

Noche runs and jumps out through the window. Caligo caught a glimpse of her shadow going to the yard. He jumped out and chased her. 

Noche keeps running. The thick fog didn't hinder her from reaching her destination. After a while, she stopped and looked around, making sure she's standing where she's supposed to be. Her ears caught slight abnormal sounds. Caligo must be not far behind her. She pulled a firework and shot it into the sky. Light flickers through the fog. 

"My part here is done. I leave the rest to you guys," Noche mumbled.

Before Rum and Lahap drive the spaceship to hover above the yard and disperse the fog, Noce slipped away through the garden at the side of the yard. She climbed up the gate. 

Noche looks at the hovering spaceship for a moment before she goes. 

Outside the star market, a man waited with a small spaceship. 

"Noche, you're finally here. I got what you've asked," said that man. 

"Thanks. I hope you're a man of your words," said Noche. 

"Of course I am. Everything is ready, just like you ask. A good quality spaceship ready to launch. And of course, no one will know about this."

"I doubt. I know some people who can squeeze my info from you. But it doesn't matter," said Noche. "If you can shut up long enough for me to leave this planet, then that's good enough." 

"Oh, don't worry. With this spaceship, no one can chase you," said the man. 

Noche nods. She walks and enters the spaceship. 

The spaceship slowly ascends. She glances at Star Market and sighs. She then punches the lever and the spaceship boosts out of the planet. 

"No turning back," she thought to herself. 

Meanwhile, at Astrum spaceship. 

"We got MistBot and Caligo with us. But Axion has gone missing," said Kaizo. 

"What? Axion is missing?"

"Yes. We were apprehending Caligo when we realized she's not with us."

"Why are you fighting Caligo? I thought I told you to go back to Astraeus immediately," said Maskmana. 

"You send her to fight Caligo alone," said Ramenman. 

"With all due respect, we're not letting her do such a dangerous mission alone," said Rum. 

"We understand that this isn't what you ordered us to do but…"

"Wait wait wait… Mission… alone? What are you talking about?" Maskmana asked in confusion. 

Kaizo and his friends looked at each other. 

"Axion said you send her on a solo mission to take down Caligo by any means," said Kaizo. 

"What solo mission?" Maskmana asked. 

Kaizo sent him details on Caligo's case. Including the permit from Axion. 

"I've never sent her this mission. This permit is a fake," said Maskmana. 

"What?!"

They gasp in surprise. 

"A fake…?!" Ramenman mumbled. 

"It looks like Axion fabricated this mission to distract us," said Kaizo. 

"But why?" Rum asks. 

They are all silent. No one knows the answer

"...return to Astraeus immediately. We'll discuss it at the station," said Maskmana. 

"But sir, wouldn't it be better to look for her? She shouldn't have gone far. Maybe we can catch up," said Lahap. 

"No. Axion is a bounty hunter. She's cunning and she always does her job very cleanly. She probably already destroyed her track by now. And since she's a part of your team, she knows your way of thinking. There's nothing much you can do," said Maskmana. "Besides, you have a criminal and a power sphere on board. They should be a priority."

"...no. We can't leave. Not without sweeping around this place first!" Kaizo insisted. "We'll do a quick search and then we return." 

"Very well. But keep in mind the longer you take your time, the harder it will be to chase her," said Maskmana. 

"I understand. We will return ASAP," said Kaizo. 

They cut off the transmission. Tense filled the room. 

Ramenman falls on his chair. 

"I can't believe something like this would happen," said Ramenman in distress. 

Kaizo is silent. He clenched his fist. "Axion… why?" he wondered. 

He lifts his head and turns to his team. "Rum, check all the CCTV footage you can find on Star Market. Lahap, check the entire spaceship. See if you can find anything. Ramenman, go and ask around the market. Find anyone who has seen her," said Kaizo.

"What about you?" Ramenman asked. 

"I'm going back to Isadore. See if he can help us with his connection in Star Market."

The rest of the team nodded. They immediately go to their assigned task.