"Well," Oscar said, rubbing his forehead, "they scammed me. Stole the EMP weapon right out from under my nose. No protection, no deal, just me left standing there with a dumb look on my face."

    The room went silent for a moment before the elder broke out in a hearty laugh. "Hiohiohio! You got outwitted by a bunch of criminals! Well, that’s a story for the grandkids, eh?"

    Oscar groaned, shaking his head. "Believe me, I’m still kicking myself over it."

    "But that’s not the whole story," he continued, his tone shifting. "After that mess, I was at my lowest point. But then, by sheer luck or fate, I ran into Rex. And it turns out, Rex was a being unlike anything I’d ever seen." He glanced at Ys, who was listening intently. "An angel from the ancient age, the last protectors of the human race."

    Lilly, who had been quietly sitting on Oscar’s lap, suddenly perked up. Her eyes sparkled with wonder, as if someone had just lit a fire in her imagination. "A real angel?" she whispered, hanging onto Oscar’s every word.

    Oscar smiled warmly, his voice softening. "Yes, Lilly. A real angel, just like the ones from the old human legends. Strong, noble, and sworn to protect us in our darkest hour."

    Lilly’s eyes shone with pure awe as she gazed up at him. "I knew it," she whispered. "I knew the angels would come back for us."

    The rest of the room had fallen into a stunned silence. The mention of angelic beings thought to be lost to history had a way of captivating even the most hardened souls in the camp.

    Oscar leaned forward slightly, his voice lowering to a near whisper, though everyone in the room was hanging on his every word. "I’ve seen things on this journey that would shake you to your core. And this... this angel, this protector, is something beyond our understanding. But if there’s any hope for us, it’s with Rex at our side."

    The elder, who had been quietly sipping his coffee, let out a soft chuckle and leaned back in his chair. "Hohoho, it seems we’ve got ourselves a proper legend brewing here. Maybe we’ll all end up in the history books one day."

    "Or at least a campfire story," one of the other leaders quipped, lightening the mood.

    The tension that had gripped the room since Ys’s arrival had all but dissolved, replaced by a strange but comforting sense of hope. Even the lingering doubt in some of the humans’ eyes was slowly being replaced by cautious optimism.

    "Well, then," the elder said with a wink, "another cookie, anyone? Hohoho!"

    Ys suddenly remembered her purpose here and leaned forward, her expression shifting to a look of wide-eyed innocence that could almost be called... cute. "By the way, Elder, do you guys have a plan for what to do next?" she asked, batting her eyes.

    The Elder chuckled, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "Well, our original plan was to rebuild here, but we still have to vote on whether we stay or leave."

    "But Elder," Ys interjected, setting her cup down and fixing him with a serious gaze, "there are major problems with both options. If you stay here, it’s only a matter of time before someone else stumbles upon you, just like the Black Horizon did. And if you leave... well, where would you even go?"

    The elder chuckled, clapping his hands together. "Well, it looks like we’ve got ourselves an interesting proposition. How about we take a vote, gentleman? And Ys... pour yourself another coffee. I have a feeling it’s going to be a long night."

    The voting was dragging on, and Y had lost interest ages ago. She let out a stifled yawn, her eyes half-closed, barely listening to the endless back and forth. Just as she was on the verge of nodding off completely, a familiar voice crackled through the communicator on her neck.

    "Ys, how did the conversation go? I’m above the camp now," Rex’s voice came through, sounding slightly amused.

    Her face lit up, and she spoke in a dreamy, slightly slurred voice. "Darrrrliiiing... I missed you so much," she giggled, a little too happily.

    "Erm... Ys? Are you okay? Why do you sound... weird?"

    "Whaaat do you mean? I’m thinking normally, you know?" She replied, her words stretching and slurring like she’d been sipping on something a little stronger than coffee.

    "Did you... smoke something you shouldn’t have?" Rex asked, sounding more concerned.

    "Mmmm? Zzzzzz..." she mumbled before drifting off mid-sentence, the communicator going silent.

    "Ys? Ys! Did you just fall asleep?" Rex sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He could practically picture her curled up at the table, snoozing with a half-finished cup of coffee in hand.

    Not wasting any more time, he brought the Black Horizon transport ship down to the outskirts of the human encampment. The moment he touched down, six Aegis units marched into formation around him, their white armor gleaming under Cleo’s control. She had ordered them to protect him, knowing he was running dangerously low on energy.

    As Rex approached the town hall, a group of young guards stepped forward, aiming their weapons at him with shaky hands. "Stop! Identify yourself!" one of them demanded, voice wavering.

    Before Rex could respond, all six Aegis units around him raised their plasma rifles, the weapons humming ominously as they powered up. The young guards’ eyes went wide as the Aegis Units shifted into a protective stance, forming a tight circle around Rex and activating their combined energy shields. The glowing barrier expanded, covering Rex, who towered over his robotic escorts.

    "Hold your fire! Stand down," Rex commanded calmly, his voice cutting through the tension. At his order, the Aegis Sentinels powered down their weapons and resumed their patrol routes as if nothing had happened, though the ones directly guarding him maintained their vigilant circle, rifles at the ready.

    With the situation under control, Rex stepped forward, his Aegis guards following in perfect sync, still keeping their shields raised to cover him. "Apologies," he said, addressing the stunned guards. "They’re just following orders from my wife to protect me."

    One of the young guards swallowed hard, glancing nervously at the towering Aegis Units before finding the courage to speak. "W-who are you, sir?"

    "Mmm? me? Im......."