Reboot: Mechanic

Theobold was overly pleased by Vanessa's willingness to help Gearits City suppress the monster wave. 

The monster wave this time was difficult to suppress, given the monsters are variants of Gilaso, known for their agility and venomous ability. 

His soldiers had even attempted to stop the monster wave momentum, only to receive high casualties and were forced to retreat further. Hence, he had to return to Gearits City to restock supplies and gear up their equipment.

It was also at this time that he noticed an abnormal situation in the Horology Restaurant, unknowingly squashing someone's wicked plot. 

He couldn't help but feel that fate had intervened in a way that might ultimately benefit their cause.

"We have a lot of work ahead of us," Theobold said, addressing the trio before him. 

"Our priority is dealing with the monster wave. But you can also rest assured that while you get prepared, I'll deploy some soldiers to guard you. I would also use my authority to prevent anyone from attempting to pull such a scenario again." He added, reassuring Vanessa that the incident earlier would not occur again. 

At least, not on his watch, and if some fools still attempt to do so, then he shall show no mercy. 

Millions of lives are at risk, and he would be ashamed of himself if he failed to protect someone who could prevent the tragic outcome. 

"Rest assured, the two of them are with me, so I'll contact you once they are ready." Gerald finally intervened and said. "Right now, your job is to delete the footage of these two and cover the crime. And just as well, pin everything upon Kralos Tal and blame it all on him." 

Theobold rolled his eyes in response. 

How could he not know what Gerald was thinking?

His hatred of Kralos Tal was known to him, so it was obvious that Gerald wanted Kralos Tal to be hunted down in Gearits City using his military power. 

"Rest assured, Kralos Tal would be held responsible for the crimes he committed. But don't think I will pin all the crimes on him, especially if some of the casualties weren't from him." Theobold replied flatly. 

Gerald's request to pin all the blame on Kralos Tal and his implied desire for Kralos to be hunted down was met with Theobold's straightforward response. 

The commander's dedication to justice and fairness was evident, even in this tense situation. It was clear that he would not compromise his principles, but some exceptions could overrule it.

Gerald clicked his tongue, clearly a bit displeased by it, albeit not much. 

Even with just Kralos Tal's crimes added today, it would still be enough to make him a wanted criminal in Gearits City. However, it wouldn't do much either, given how slippery Kralos Tal was and how he could always remain hidden from plain sight. 

As the conversation reached its conclusion, the trio and Theobold had established an understanding and a tentative alliance. 

Theobold was committed to the safety of the city, and Vanessa, Shi Tian, and Gerald were ready to play their part in controlling the impending monster wave. 

"Alright, here's the communication device to directly communicate with me. Once my team finishes restocking, I will inform you about it so that we can get ready." Theobold handed a device to Gerald and said calmly. 

"And the footage?" Receiving the device, Gerald then asked for the most important detail. 

"The surveillance footage recording of Vanessa and Nathan will be deleted once Vanessa does as she promised," Theobold responded. As much as he didn't doubt Gerald's guarantee of their integrity, it was still necessary to withhold the evidence temporarily. 

Otherwise, if Vanessa was bluffing him, then wouldn't he have become a clown by deleting critical evidence for naught? 

Gerald also understood Theobold's standpoint and nodded his head. If there was anything that he was confident in Theobold, it would be his integrity. 

Once Theobold said something, he truly meant it even if some of them went against his principles. 

"Very well, I believed no other parties should know about Nathan and Vanessa's involvement in the incident," Gerald said, his meaning implying something else.

And Theobold was quick to catch onto his meaning. 

Since he was going to cover the crime, other than the witnesses and the culprit Kralos Tal, no other people should know about this. Not even Otis would know given that he was halted before even getting a chance to review any surveillance footage. 

Thus, if a higher-up party suddenly enquired about the matter, especially regarding Shi Tian and Vanessa, then chances were, they were the ones behind the matter. 

"It's truly a waste that you have left the military. If you hadn't, then your rank wouldn't be any lower than mine." Theobold uttered and left the scene. Now that he had gotten all the information he needed here, there was other stuff that he needed to do. 

A few seconds later, once Theobold's presence was completely gone, Shi Tian asked Gerald if he would want to go to his apartment for rest.

"No need, I came because Mary informed me about the appearance of Kralos Tal, so I took it upon myself to assist you. It's also why you were nearly in danger because of my stubbornness to do it alone." Gerald shook his head and subtly apologized for the danger that Shi Tian had to face.

If it wasn't for his stubbornness, then reinforcement would have arrived sooner the moment Shi Tian requested help from Mary. 

Meanwhile, Shi Tian refused his apologies, feeling that Gerald didn't do anything wrong. 

In fact, even if no reinforcement had shown up in the end, he wouldn't feel depressed about it. 

After all, it was only natural that someone wouldn't want to enter or be dragged into a mess when they weren't involved in it. 

"You don't have to apologize, Gerald. Although the situation was tense and dire, I managed to gain quite a lot of experience in fighting against someone so strong." Shi Tian smiled briefly, keeping the thought process he had in his mind.