"You want a smoke?" Lucas asks, holding a cigarette for Argus.

Argus nods and grab the cigarette from Lucas's hand, "You still smoking, huh?" He says, he pulls a lighter out of his pocket to light his cigarette and offer the lighter to Lucas.

"Old habits die hard." Lucas says, as he takes the lighter from Argus.

He puff a smoke out of his cigarette and leans on the car of Argus. "Let's get to the point, shall we?" He asked. Argus nods and leans on the car as well.

"Alright... If you're wondering if can see where Ethan is, the answer is no. I can't track his whereabout, someone is blocking my spatial sensing." Lucas says, as he puffs a smoke again.

"Damn, that complicates things," Argus mutters, frustration evident in his voice. "I was hoping you could help us locate him quickly."

Lucas takes a thoughtful drag from his cigarette, and after a moment of silence, he speaks up. "There might be another way we can track him down. Have you considered reaching out to some of our old contacts?"

"I'm not part of H.U.M.A.N.S anymore." Argus respond, he drop his cigarette on the ground and steps on it.

"You're not, but Lisa is still part of them. I'm sure they will not let Ethan get away from kidnapping her." Lucas says, as he toss a small notebook to Argus.

Argus catches the notebook and flips it open, scanning the list of names scribbled inside. Argus narrows his eyes looking at the names marked with 'X'.

"What's this?" He asked, looking confusedly at the names.

Lucas exhales another puff of smoke before responding, "Those are the individuals that we can potentially leverage for information. Some of them owe me a favor or two."

Argus's eyes widened, as he looks at the name marked with 'X'. "Why's my name on this list too?"

Lucas smile before tossing the cigarette on the ground, "You still owe me a car from our last race."

The tension in the air was broken as both men chuckled, reminiscing about their past adventures. Argus shook his head in disbelief before grinning back at Lucas.

"Alright, you got me there," Argus said, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Lucas clapped Argus on the back. "Let's round up the troops. We have some old debts to collect and a friend to rescue. It's going to be one hell of a ride." He says, before going back to his house.

Argus follows him from behind and stand by the door as he watch Lucas asks for permission to go out. He smile at them reminiscing about the past. When they're still a kid fighting all the time on who's going to be the best.

Suddenly, his sister approached him. "You're gonna protect Lucas at all cost. I don't want Milla to grow up without a father."

"I will, I promise," Argus replied, his voice filled reassurance to his sister. "Milla will have her father back safe and sound, I won't let anything happen to Lucas."

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

"Uncle Argus, I want to come too." Milla says, tugging on the pants of Argus.

Argus bends down to Milla's level and ruffles her hair gently, a soft smile on his face. "You can't, sweetheart. It's too dangerous," He says softly but firmly.

Milla pouts, clearly disappointed, but she nods understandingly. "Okay, Uncle Argus. But you promise to come back, right?"

"I promise, Milla. I'll come back, and we'll play all day," Argus reassures her, his heart warming at the love and concern in her innocent eyes.

As Argus stood up, he hugged his sister and Milla tightly before turning to Lucas, who was already geared up and ready to go.

"Let's go," Lucas said. "We have a gal to rescue."

NEURACORP...

Viktor parks the car and steps out to see the tall building standing before him.

NeuraCorp, a famous laboratory in Manhattan and a home to highly intelligent individuals. Due to it being the largest building in Manhattan, NeuraCorp is dripping with hungry scientists that wants to make change in the world and creates a future full of advanced technologies.

But despite all of that, there are still scientists that wants to make the world a better place for everyone to live on.

Viktor walks towards the door and the door opens automatically. Then a loud speaker announced, "Dr. Viktor Mikhailov has come back!" Catching the attention of all scientists inside.

"What the hell? There's an A.I announcer here now?" He asked to himself, burying his face in his hands.

As Viktor made his way through the bustling corridors of NeuraCorp, he couldn't help but remember the days spent in this very building working on groundbreaking projects alongside brilliant minds. But things had changed since then, especially with the introduction of artificial intelligence into the mix.

"Dr. Viktor Nikolai Mikhailov." A voice speaks behind him, announcing their presence to him. Viktor turns around to see a girl on a wheelchair looking at him nonchalantly.

"Who are you?" Viktor asked, looking at her confusedly.

"Dr. Mikhailov, my name's Sophia Margaret. A new scientist assign as your assistant." The girl introduced herself nonchalantly.

Sophia Margaret. A girl on a wheelchair with dark green hair that tied up in a bun, a tan skin, and a sense of passion.

"Well nice to meet you, Sophia." Viktor says, smiling at her. "You see, I haven't been here for a while. So how about you explain to me what happened in the past two months."

Sophia nods slightly. "Dr. Mikhailov, in the past two months, there have been significant advancements in our research on neural networks and AI integration. We've made breakthroughs in enhancing human-computer interfaces, exploring new frontiers in biotechnology, and even delving into the realms of quantum computing. However, there have also been some ethical concerns raised regarding the use of AI in certain projects, particularly in the realm of autonomous decision-making."

Viktor nods slowly, not sure if the girl usually talk this fast or his brain is loading. "Yeah, right... What about my past secretary? Where is she?"

"Your former secretary, Dr. Helene Montclair, was reassigned to a different department due to her expertise in nanotechnology. She's now leading a team working on nano-robotics for medical applications," Sophia explains. "But don't worry, I've been fully briefed on your projects and can assist you effectively in her absence."

"Yeah, about that.. I don't think I can continue my project for the time being." Viktor says, scratching the back of his head. "There is a problem... I assumed you know about my transformation ability?"

Sophia nods. "Yes, I'm aware of your transformation ability. I've read about your previous work involving genetic manipulation and morphogenetic fields. If there's an issue with your transformation process, we can conduct further research to address any concerns and work towards a solution. Your expertise in this field is invaluable, and I'm here to support you in any way I can."

"What the hell is wrong with this girl? Why is she talking so damn fast."

"Is there any problem, Dr. Mikhailov?" Sophia asked, her expression still unreadable.

Viktor, feeling a bit overwhelmed, chuckles nervously. "No problem, Sophia. Just taking a second to catch up with your lightning-fast updates. Let's discuss my transformation issue further, but maybe this time, at a slightly slower pace," He says with a nervous grin.

Sophia paused, tilting her head slightly as she observed Viktor's reaction. "I apologize if my pace was too fast for you, Dr. Mikhailov. I can adjust accordingly." Her voice slowed down slightly, but her expression remained neutral.

"Too fast for me? Now this is ticking me off."

Viktor thought to himself but proceeds not to show it on his face. "Let's go to my office, shall we?"

Sophia nods and follows behind Viktor. The way to his office was not long but it was a sight to see a bunch of scientists working on their own projects.

Viktor opens the door to his office, but before he can touch the doorknob, a blue light scan his palm and eyes. The light turns to green after scanning Viktor and a speaker speaks above the door, "Welcome, Dr. Viktor Nikolai Mikhailov."

The door opens automatically revealing the inside of his office, Inside Viktor's office, the atmosphere changes drastically from the bustling lab. The room is spacious and well-organized, with bookshelves lining the walls filled with scientific journals and research papers.

A large desk sits in the center, cluttered with research notes and prototypes of various projects. A holographic display in the corner projects complex genetic structures and morphogenetic field simulations.

"Well, this is new." Viktor says, looking around inside his office.

"I always go to your office for the past two months to clean it up and organize it to make it look more like an official office." Sophia says, opening a computer on the side of the office.

Viktor, intrigued by the changes in his office, walks over to the holographic display and examines the intricate genetic structures being projected. "Impressive work, Sophia. You've certainly brought a new level of organization and efficiency to this space," He comments, nodding with appreciation.

Sophia nods slightly. "Thank you, Dr. Mikhailov. I believe a well-organized workspace can enhance productivity and creativity. Now, let's address the issue with your transformation ability. What specifically seems to be the problem, and how can I assist you in resolving it?"