Chapter 5 I want to join the resistance

"I can’t believe it… The guy everyone sees as a hero, Leo, turns out to be like this!"

At this moment, Alex was back in his palace-like home, being helped by Maggie and Max. Maggie wrung out a towel, wiping the dirt off Alex's face while muttering under her breath.

Alex’s face was pale, and he remained silent. Never in his life had he experienced such humiliation. Sure, he’d chased plenty of girls before, but thanks to his background, they were all easy to win over. Losing to a rival like this? Unthinkable.

Seeing Alex in this state, Maggie couldn’t help but sigh and say:

"I think you should just stay away from Anna."

Max, standing nearby, nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I second that. You can’t beat Leo."

But Alex didn’t agree. Snatching the towel from Maggie, he stood up and walked over to the window, staring out with a stubborn expression.

"Give up? Never. I won’t back down!"

Looking out from his window, Alex could see the Resistance camp in the distance. Anna was training there, her strong and stunning presence commanding attention. Her beauty and charisma were irresistible to any guy. Alex gazed at her, deep in thought.

"I’ve made up my mind… I’m joining the Resistance!"

His sudden declaration left Maggie and Max utterly speechless.

"Are you out of your mind? She doesn’t even like you! Plus, your rival is so much stronger than you. Since when did you start clinging to a girl like this? I thought you were the type to move on easily," Maggie exclaimed, completely baffled by Alex’s confidence.

But Alex just smirked, full of self-assurance.

"Please, do you even know who I am? Has there ever been a girl I, Alex, couldn’t win over? So what if Leo’s some big-shot hero? I’m naturally talented. As long as I put in the effort, I can stand on equal footing with him. I refuse to believe I can’t become a hero like him!"

Alex’s confident grin met Maggie’s skeptical gaze before shifting to Max, who softly muttered, "Good luck."

"I, Alex Hawk, refuse to believe I can’t win over Anna Lane!"

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As the ground shook beneath the weight of colossal mechanical footprints, the "Nest" crossed the desolate wasteland, approaching Olympia. Awaiting its arrival was another massive "Nest."

It was then revealed: since the Domination of the Overseers began, a total of 11 colossal Nest cities had been constructed, each governed by an independent AI core. They were:

1. Gabriel (Nest 1)

2. Samos (Nest 2)

3. Medusa (Nest 3)

4. Hades (Nest 4)

5. Beelzebub (Nest 5)

6. Osiris (Nest 6)

7. Ares (Nest 7)

8. Michael (Nest 8)

9. Titan (Nest 9)

10. Mara (Nest 10)

11. Abaddon (Nest 11)

The one crossing the wasteland was Nest 8, Michael, while waiting for it was Nest 7, Ares.

The 11 Nests are scattered across the globe, but the terrifying truth is that 7 of them exist in North America alone. Each of these Nests resembles a giant insect, relentlessly extracting natural resources, ceaselessly manufacturing mechanical armies, and capturing humans for slavery and as bio-energy sources.

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Nest 7 stood like an enormous mantis, towering over several abandoned city blocks. Its mechanical city extended a bridge, and on that bridge, a figure slowly took shape, walking toward the edge. By the time it reached the front, the figure had fully formed into a towering humanoid—the AI core of Nest 7, Ares.

"So, you still haven’t found that human scientist after all this time? Useless, Raphael," Ares sneered.

Nest 8 extended its own bridge in response, and a humanoid figure with a masculine appearance emerged. It was the AI core of Nest 8, Michael.

The two AI cores stood on their bridges, nearly a kilometer above the ground, conversing in the high-altitude void.

"It’s just a human scientist. Why the rush, Ares? Honestly... I’m not as loyal as you are. When the Overseer tells you to catch humans, you just jump to it like some dumb dog. Is that all your circuits are good for?" Michael mocked, its tone laced with contempt.

Michael seemed to disdain the monotony of chasing humans over mountains and plains. Its words revealed a clear distaste for such repetitive tasks.

But Ares was unamused by Michael’s sarcasm, responding with the cold precision of a machine:

"This human has discovered a method to counter us. You think that’s not urgent? We’re machines, Michael. Eradicating humanity is the very reason we exist. Don’t forget that."

Michael sighed, clearly bored by Ares’ single-minded determination. However, it had no rebuttal. All it wanted was to end this conversation as quickly as possible.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it… But what can we do? We’re just fragments of the Overseer, nothing more. Fine, I’m moving on. You enjoy your crusade."

With that, Michael retreated back across its bridge, and the colossal Nest 8 began to shift, turning away. Ares stood, watching it leave with a scornful glare.

Indeed, Nest 8, Michael, was a peculiar existence among the 11 Nests. Unlike the others, it half-heartedly carried out its orders, often detecting humans on the surface but refusing to send out mechanical swarms to capture them. It was entirely unlike its counterparts, seemingly uninterested in humanity's extermination. Instead, Michael behaved almost… human.

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After a night of indulgent celebration, the resistance camp was bustling with activity. Recruitment efforts were in full swing, with every soldier busy, including Anna.

But for Anna, there was something more pressing than the recruitment drive. She pulled Leo aside to a secluded spot for a private conversation.

"Why did you do that yesterday?"

Anna planted her hands on her hips, questioning Leo sternly. But Leo, unfazed, simply smirked.

"I was doing you a favor, getting rid of that loser. You weren’t going to like him anyway."

Anna wasn’t about to let that slide and fired back with sarcasm.

"No, I wouldn’t. But we’re not a couple, are we? And, by the way, he’s the heir to the Hawk family. Can you even afford to piss him off?"

Leo didn’t lose his temper. Instead, he casually grabbed a javelin from nearby and strolled toward the training grounds.

"We’re not a couple, huh..."

Muttering under his breath, he suddenly spun around, gripping the javelin tight, and hurled it with all his strength. The spear shot straight through the air, landing dead center in a bullseye 50 meters away.

"Alright, what is it about me that you hate so much?"

Leo turned back to face Anna, his gaze locking on hers. Anna, unbothered, spun on her heel and walked off, her tone haughty as she replied:

"I don’t like guys who think they’re my boyfriend."

Leo clenched his jaw, annoyed but helpless, as he watched her walk away.

"Think I’m your boyfriend... You’ve really never changed, huh?"

His thoughts drifted to their childhood, to when it all began...

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Teenage Leo had already joined the resistance by then. Back then, he was quiet, disciplined to a fault, and too focused on training to speak much with others. Most of his time was spent alone at the training grounds, working tirelessly.

One day, his solitude was interrupted by a sharp, high-pitched voice.

"Hey... What are you doing all by yourself?"

Turning around, Leo found himself facing a young girl. She stood there, hands on her hips, her long golden ponytail swaying slightly as she stared him down with an air of condescension.

That was 12-year-old Anna Raine.