Chapter 86 - 53,5: The Key

While Gin is still training in the stadium, Roger was visiting his old friend and was talking about the good old days.

Roger: I remember when you and i drank so much we almost put the bar out of business.

Pietro: Yeah, I also remember that we had to work there to pay the bill, the others was laughing the whole time.

Roger: Gaah, it's becase Maria wouldn't pay for us and while working there, she just came to the bar to laugh at the sight of us.

Pietro: Hahaha, Yeah that was good times.

Pietro looks at the table while looking back how his past life was and just laughed.

Roger: Yeah, time is cruel.....

Roger then drank up the drinks he had and looked around and noticed some blueprints around his place and got curious.

Pietro: Huh? Ah yes, remember what we been working on, the former general challenge us to find the next breakthrough in defense technology, most of my colleagues pursued more obvious choices. I was one of the few who believed in looking inward for inspiration.

Roger: True, even I had doubts about the plan of yours. Wait, does that mean?

Pietro: Yes, General Ironwood, Much to my surprise, also saw the potential of our prefect, and so the Penny Project was chosen over all the other proposals.

Roger could only look at Pietro with big eyes and stood up in a haste.

Roger: So you actually were able to create artificial Aura! This is a huge breakthrough Pietro!

Pietro looks at Roger and just smiles a little, then he pitched a button on his chair and from the walls was a robotic girl hanging there.

Roger: So this is it, The Penny project!

Pietro: Yes, actually there is more to the story.

Roger: What do you mean?

Pietro's Aura flickers and becomes visible. There are several holes in it, with blackened edges. Roger and Maria who was hiding up stairs gasp.

Roger: You gave it part of yours! That reckless of you!

Pietro: Yes, and each time, if I have to rebuild Penny, it takes a little more. So you see, there's a reason why Penny is the only one of her kind.

Roger just stand there and looked at the Penny project and clenched his hands.

Pietro: Don't be like that, if I ever find another solution to the Aura problem, then I will certainly do it.

Pietro pouched the button again and his the Penny project from sight and went back to the kitchen with Roger behind him, while Maria upstairs looked helpless and looks at her hands.

Maria: To think he was that engaged at this, to use his own aura.... artificial aura....