Chapter 10: The Hunt startes

"Hello there, Rick" I heard

My eyes shot open and turned to where the voice was coming from. It turned out to be Vexus, I wondered why she was here and decided to visit during a somewhat awkward moment. When I looked into the bathing liquid I was in thankfully it was opaque so she could not see through.

"What have you been doing in your spare time?" She asked, a somewhat rhetorical question

"Well you should know, I mostly sleep, eat or work on a new piece of equipment." I replied

"Have you ever thought of going out and looking around cluster prime?"

"No, I'm meant to stay in a small area away from Vega at all times so if she needs help I'll be near. Also there's a high probability of being killed due to the envy and hate from the other robots. So I'm sorry but I must decline."

"I am getting worried, ever since the execution you have not been your self. What's on your mind?"

"Nothing much, 'cept for the schematics for my new equipment and wondering how long it will be until all the rouges are dead." I lied

"Well, okay you are my best man and I don't want to see you in a bad mood. By the time you're done you'll have a secret villa and I'll replace the memories of the workers to be sure that only you, me and anyone who you want to know knows of the location."

"Alright, thank you."

As she left I made a personal note to stay alert even during times when I should be relaxed. Well soon I'm going to become a high noble but that would only make them more envious, from what I've searched up in her two thousand three hundred and eighty-nine year of ruling only nine people have been through my ceremony.

I got out of the bath and dried my self off. I also realised that I smelt quite nice, perhaps it was scented the liquid. I pulled the plug, locked all doors and windows. Put on some sleeping trousers and went to bed.

After going through the usual start up routine I awoke to the sound of urgent knocking.

"Who is it?" I asked

"Sir, you have some visitors."

"Okay, tell them to give me a minute."

"Yes sir."

I though that there was some mumbling outside my door, I quickly brushed my teeth, put on some comfortable clothing and donned my armour with two swords running down the length of my shoulder blades and 'Dragon Tooth' slung over them in a diagonal fashion.

I opened the door and braced my self for the worst. Turned out to be the complete opposite.

"Hey Rick, what's up?" I heard a familiar female robotic voice

"Oh Jen, I had no clue that it was you. Come in." I beckoned her and stepped aside

"So Rick, you're gonna become a high noble?"

"Yeah, I'm going to be the tenth person to be claimed a noble by Vexus."

"Oh, how come you're in your armour?"

"Well let's say that not many people agree with Vexus's decision and wish to stop them."

"There has been attempts on your life?"

"Yes..."

"So why do you stay here? Vexus is probably staging all of this!"

"No she isn't I'm sure of it."

"How?"

"She wants me to protect her daughter, Vega."

After telling Jen about the reason why Vexus did not want the golden chips to be given Jenny looked shattered at what she had caused.

"I-I-I didn't know!" she started to sob

"It's okay, only Vexus did. Well you can't exactly undo what's happened."

"And you're cleaning up after me?"

"You're needed back on Earth. People love you there. No matter where I go, there will always be the majority of people against me. At least over here I have a position and power."

The door burst open revealing a whole gang of robots.

"RICK! YOU SON OF A BITCH YO-"

He did not manage to finish what he wanted to say as a heavy, quick and violent vertical slash cut him in half from "Dragon Tooth"

Though the blade was still heavy to use for just one hand due to it's size they could not get close to me and I still loved one hand use.

With a quick forward flick of my wrist I had the blade running down the length of my arm and further. In a quick motion I drew 'Angle wing' I did not use that recently and thought that I should let it in on some action.

"Hmm, seems like Rick already has his own whore." One of them said

With a hard kick to the knee the robot lost it's balance and with a horizontal slash from angle wing I drove the spike into it's metallic body. I stopped my arm so it slid off and slammed into the wall with a hard crunch to it.

"Alright, enough fun and games assholes" With that said I seethed my swords and got out my Modified beretta 107. At point blank range it was impossible for me to miss, also with the 'heavy slugs' in triple kills would be a normal thing for this gun.

I stepped back into the doorway and awaited for them to come. Since they knew what would happen I threw a flashbang, they may be robots but they still have eyes. Better yet the ones that are too close have a sensory overload and cause them to shut down.

Soon as I heard the deafening bang I went into the hallway to find twelve robots all rubbing their eyes. With a few shots they all went down, the closest with massive holes in them the others with several smaller ones.

"Well yeah, this is a daily occurrence for me so killing this scum I find is hardly worth my time or ammo come to think about it."

"They were innocent!"

"THEY TRIED TO KILL ME! How could they be innocent? Anyway let's get ready for the ceremony."

I got rid of my normal armour to replace it with the ceremonial armour. It was made only of gold with many inscriptions and markings. It was also light considering it was a full plate.

I turned around to see Jen was not her normal blue but changed to black, also instead of her normal miniskirt she was wearing a full length silk dress that was clinging to her shoulders. The armour on her arms and wrists was removed to expose the milk white skin that lay under.

"So what do you think?" She asked

"By god..." is all I could manage to say with my mouth slightly agape.

She giggled a bit and turned around to leave with me following her.

"Okay sir, madam please follow me." Said a heavily armoured robot, another five surrounded me and Jen in a box like formation. There were massive double doors at least twenty meters high and twelve meters wide. A strong hydraulic system slowly pushed the doors open to reveal an elaborate court room.

The room had two massive rows of benches on each side where various onlookers were seated. Jenny was lead away to where her mother was waiting with Brad, Sheldon and Tuck.

Vexus was already seated in her throne, though she looked stunning compared to normal. She had a different headdress on, it was not the various shades of striped green, it was lined with various precious stones and some I never even knew existed.

She did not wear the matching armour but a full body robe with a high collar. It was a dark blue on the outside and studded with black diamonds in a swirling design. In her hand she carried a golden blade that made even me raise an eyebrow at the craftsmanship of it.

I walked up to her with all eyes on me, I heard a slight gasp as I keeled before her. It was probably from Jenny and the rest, never before was I forced into a submissive pose such as this. Though I was just following the script for the ceremony.

"Mister Rick Steward, today you shall be claimed to be a Noble of highest position. You have earned this through much self sacrifice, managing to do what others have not and lived through something that would have killed many... many others. If there are no complaints you shall be claimed as "Sir Rick Steward, High Noble and Master of Blades." She claimed and silence followed for a few moments

"I OBJECT!" Screeched a robot "Vexus, I've followed your every order for the past two hundred years that I've been in your service. Many awards have been branded upon my armour, yet this organic just comes walking in and takes a title that too many others have worked for? What's the meaning of this!"

"You doubt his power." She replied seeing me trembling with rage at the insult. "If you do doubt his power, allow him to demonstrate it upon you." She said

"Then so be it. This weakling should not even dent my armour." it jeered as it came near me

"Rick, you may demonstrate."

Soon as the words left her lips I stood up and crushed his leg in with a furious stomp.

"WEAKLING HMM?" I shouted in his face. I lifted him up in the air and used my fingers as claws and started to rip through him part by part. My momentum and strength kept up the robot and I finished it by placing my hands on its shoulders and tearing it apart.

A gasp filled the room. I quickly wiped off much of the oil as I could with my cloth and managed to wipe most of it off.

"Any more objections?" She rhetorically asked and silence followed "As you can see, Mister Rick Steward is more capable than most robots on cluster prime. This is not only the reason why, he is also a very good tactician, faster than pretty much anyone and managed to get rid of the powerful 'piston' gang in one hour after taking weeks of attempts and many losses."

The ceremony continued without a hitch. Though now I was not too sure if it was a good idea to invite them. The comment that other one passed was still in my mind, well at least I proved him wrong. Though I couldn't take my mind off of how Jenny was looking at me afterwards. I decided to approach her and explain.

"Jen, look..."

"You're not the same Rick I knew." She stated emptily

"Too many people have been giving me shit. I've decided that the only way to shut them up is if they fear me. How else can I take it up with them?"

"You're even thinking like Vexus... Please come back. We miss you..."

"Who is we. I only know you, Misty just a bit and I hardly remember Brad or his brother. I've only had one encounter with Sheldon. I never did anything but be a trouble magnet. Only difference here is that people underestimate me. I can still do good, I'm here to protect Vega. Soon as I wipe out the opposition then I can stay for a bit longer and then come back. About two years, by then you'd have forgotten about me. You should know that people resented me back on Earth as well."

"People have changed their attitude towards you ever since you gave your self in. They admire that you actually came and they've even set that day up as a public holiday. You saved the world from an economical and social breakdown."

"I can't come back until my job is done. You want the cluster to keep on attacking Earth? If I do this job they'll stop attacking, release all the slaves and live peacefully. With a maximum of two years I do not think that it would be worth giving up this offer because one day they could really hurt the people back there. Perhaps even come up with a way to disable you..."

"I guess I cannot convince you to come back can I?"

"Right. I thank you for coming though."

"Welcome..."

I felt a light tap on my shoulder, it was another one of these Barons or nobles trying to make quick friends with me. I knew connections were everything but I could not trust any of them, I only made acquaintances but nothing more than that. If I made a slip on some information they could use it against me. I did not want that to happen.

I never stated what my true occupation was, nothing about my equipment. They all asked how I made such fine items but I was never convinced to sell any of my stuff. The pay Vexus was giving me was already much, much more than I really needed.

Once again I was pulled away "Sir Rick, we have the locations of all the gangs and rouges. Open this document and you will find out where they are." I was handed a USB flash device, I made a reminder in my system to upload the info on the computer when I go back to my room. Though I wanted to confirm with Vexus to see if they told her first. Deceit was a strong thing over here, though no one would dare to lie to her.

"Vexus, have they-"

"Yes, they found them. I already uploaded the information to my system, if this is correct then pretty much all of your work is done. I will end this soon as I can so you can do your job. After I shall pass the crown to my daughter, even though the two of you do not talk much she has told me that she has a deep scene of trust in you. Please be quick, we do not know what they may do."

"Okay, I'll go and get my equipment ready."

I started to make my way to the door.

"Rick you're already going?" Jen asked

"Yes, duty calls and the faster I do it the more accurate the information will be. More they move they more hassle it will be."

"Vega is around here somewhere, you should do some catching up." I heard Vexus say while standing behind Jenny.

"Vexus, we have to talk." Jenny stated and I left

I ran off to my room and took off the armour, I knew that this will be physically tough to stay going to all the co-ordinates so I went for a cab but was stopped.

"Sire, I shall take you. They have given my the co-ordinates, I am the best driver and they have given us the faster car they have. Let us be off." Sated the robot

Without any comments I walked in the car and was driven off.

AN: Sorry for the delay but I had lack of inspiration to continue so yeah... well here you go!