ALITA BATTLE ANGEL : return of Hugo

The dimly lit bar was a hive of activity, the air thick with smoke and the stench of cheap liquor. Alita's advanced sensors scanned the room, searching for a safe haven.

She spotted a familiar face in the corner, a hood pulled over their head. Alita's instincts told her to be cautious, but something about the figure's posture seemed...off.

As she approached, the figure slowly stood up, revealing a shocking surprise. It was Dr. Chiren, Ido's former partner and a brilliant cybernetic engineer.

"Alita," Dr. Chiren said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I've been expecting you."

Alita's eyes narrowed, her mind racing with questions. What was Dr. Chiren doing here? She thought she was killed by vector. And how did she know Alita would show up?

Just as Alita was about to ask, the doors to the bar burst open, and Hugo strode in, his eyes scanning the room with deadly intent.

Dr. Chiren's eyes locked onto Alita's, a hint of urgency in her expression. "Alita, we need to get you out of here, now," she said, already moving towards the back of the bar.

Alita followed, her senses on high alert as she scanned the room for any signs of danger. Hugo's entrance had sent a ripple of fear through the patrons, and they were scrambling to get away from him.

Dr. Chiren pushed open a hidden door behind the bar, revealing a narrow alleyway. "This way," she said, gesturing for Alita to follow.

As they emerged into the alleyway, Alita heard the sound of Hugo's cybernetic legs pounding the floor, getting closer. Dr. Chiren grabbed her arm, pulling her into a sprint.

"We need to get you to a safe location," Dr. Chiren said, her voice breathless. "Somewhere Hugo can't find you."

Alita nodded, her mind racing with questions. How did Dr. Chiren know about Hugo's transformation? And what did she plan to do to help Alita?

As they ran, the alleyway twisted and turned, leading them deeper into the heart of the city. Alita scanned their surroundings, searching for any signs of danger.

But for now, it seemed they had managed to evade Hugo.

Alita's eyes narrowed, her gaze piercing as she turned to Dr. Chiren. "Wait, how are you still alive?" she asked, her voice firm. "I thought your organs were harvested and sent to Zalem."

Dr. Chiren's expression turned wry, a hint of irony in her voice. "I was...rebuilt," she said, her eyes glinting with a mix of sadness and wonder. "Zalem's made tremendous breakthroughs in cybernetic technology. They can build new bodies for humans now, transplanting their organs into synthetic vessels."

Alita's eyes widened, her mind reeling with the implications. "You mean, they can bring people back to life?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Dr. Chiren nodded, her expression somber. "In a manner of speaking. But it's not the same, Alita. I'm not the same person I used to be. I've been...altered. Enhanced. Whatever you want to call it."

Alita's gaze lingered on Dr. Chiren's face, searching for any signs of the person she used to know. But Dr. Chiren's eyes seemed different now, her expression tinged with a hint of artificiality.

Alita's eyes narrowed, her mind racing with questions. "If Zalem built you back, why aren't you being controlled like Hugo?" she asked, her voice firm.

Dr. Chiren's expression turned thoughtful, her eyes gazing into the distance. "That's a good question, Alita," she said. "From what I've learned, Zalem's control technology is still evolving. They're not yet able to control everyone they...rebuild."

Alita's gaze pressed for more information. "What do you mean? Why can't they control you, but they can control Hugo?"

Dr. Chiren hesitated, her eyes darting around the alleyway as if searching for potential listeners. "I think it's because my memories where not wiped like Hugo's," she said finally. "As a cybernetic engineer, I had access to certain...information. I was able to modify my own systems, create a...backdoor, of sorts where I store all my memories."

Alita's eyes widened, her mind racing with the implications. "You mean, you can resist Zalem's control?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Dr. Chiren nodded, a hint of determination in her eyes. "I can try, Alita. But I need your help. We need to stop Nova, stop Zalem's control over the city. And I think I know how we can do it."

Dr. Chiren nodded, a sense of determination in her eyes. "Let's get out of here. We need to talk to Ido."

Alita nodded, and together they made their way through the winding streets of Iron City. They finally arrived at Ido's clinic, the familiar sign creaking in the gentle breeze.

As Alita and Dr. Chiren entered Ido's clinic, he looked up from his workbench, a mixture of relief and concern on his face as he saw Alita.

But his expression changed in an instant as his eyes landed on Dr. Chiren. His jaw dropped, and he stumbled backward, his eyes wide with shock.

"Chiren?" he whispered, his voice trembling. "Is that...you?"

Dr. Chiren's expression was calm, but Alita could sense a hint of tension beneath the surface. "Ido," she said, her voice neutral. "It's been a long time."

Ido's eyes darted back and forth between Dr. Chiren and Alita, his face pale. "But...but you're...," he stuttered, unable to finish the sentence.

As they walked into the room at the back of the clinic ido threw a mango at alita and she caught it in a smooth move and bit into it as she sat down.

"You want anything chiren." He asked her.

"Nope am fine."

After they had all settled down ido look towards alita."so what's did you do about Hugo."

* * * * * * * * * *

She is gone Hugo thought as he smashed his hand on one of the table inside the bar he had seen her entered.

Just then a guy walked up to him with a funny hair cut and he could have sworn he had seen it somewhere before.

Zapan's gaze narrowed, his eyes studying Hugo's face. "You know, 117, I've been watching you. I've noticed that you're...different. You don't seem to remember anything about your past." He was surprised to see that Hugo was the one after alita.

Hugo's expression remained neutral, but Zapan's words struck a chord. He didn't remember anything about his past, about his life before becoming 117.

Zapan's smile was a cold, calculated thing. "I think we can help each other, 117. You see, I have a score to settle with Alita. And I think you do too."

Hugo's advanced sensors picked up the malice in Zapan's voice, but he didn't react. Instead, he spoke in a flat, emotionless tone. "What do you propose?"

Zapan's eyes gleamed with excitement. "I propose that we work together to take down Alita. With your...condition, you won't be held back by any pesky emotions or memories. And with my skills, we can take her down together."

Hugo's systems hummed with calculation, weighing the pros and cons of Zapan's proposal. But as he looked into Zapan's eyes, he saw something there that gave him pause.

A spark of recognition.