“Wait, please,” Dave begged. “Everything will make sense if you let me explain. Just put your weapons down.”

  Shelly replied coldly, “I hear many words. None of them are the location of the target.”

  The chief stepped back. “Who talks like that? Are you insane?”

  Suddenly, Shelly recognized his face. It was the cell leader, Rafael, who gave the order to take Reaper.

  Slowly, every shell turned toward the chief.

  “You are the one who launched the order,” Shell 76 said.

  “You will wish for the end,” Shell 98 continued. “I will leave you last.”

  Shell 101 stood directly in front of him. “So I can enjoy spilling your blood.”

  Sleek. Sleek. Sleek.

  In a single instant, every member of his team except him lost their right arm. They collapsed to the floor, screaming. Blood flooded the room.

  The chief froze. When did she move?

  He scanned the shadows, searching for more. “I see…”

  He pulled out a sonic weapon.

  Shelly’s eyes widened.

  He fired.

  Shell 73 shoved Shell 101 out of the way. Omega reacted instantly, trying to save her. Shell 73 was destroyed completely.

  This was not a standard sonic weapon. It had been altered.

  Blood loss wasn’t lethal but data-shock was.

  The chief raised it again.

  Everything froze.

  Heavy footsteps echoed from the inspection room.

  “I suggest we do not use that weapon,” a calm voice said. “As you see, I am on control here.”

  The gun flew from the chief’s hand and hovered in the air. Gravity crushed it into a small metallic sphere.

  Time resumed.

  Reaper caught the sphere and threw it at the chief’s feet. “Do not be the next one.”

  The chief was visibly angry, but contained it.

  Shelly leaped onto him instantly. “Reaper!”

  She wrapped her arms around his upper body. He hugged her back and lifted her onto his shoulder.

  “How long has it been?” Reaper asked.

  “Four whole days,” she said, her voice shaking.

  “What?” Reaper shouted. He looked at the shells. “And you already started cutting people apart? We talked about this.”

  “They pushed me,” Shelly protested. “I asked nicely.”

  The chief interrupted, almost breaking, “We tried to explain, but she refused to listen to anything except your location!”

  Shelly’s eyes turned red. “And that deserves the worst death among all—”

  Clang.

  Reaper struck her head lightly. “You lost control, Shelly.”

  He set her down and looked at the ruined room. “Everyone here owes an explanation.”

  Using gravity, he began rearranging the workshop. “Chief, call your people. Your team is bleeding out.”

  The chief stared at him, then activated his phone.

  Dave could not look away. He had never seen gravity controlled with such ease. The sleek design, the rough edges, the silent authority. Reaper looked unreal.

  In minutes, the room was clean. Blood, debris, and broken parts were gone.

  Reaper sat in the center chair.

  Everyone stared at him, each with a different expression. Shelly leaned on the sofa, smiling, resting her chin on her palms and swinging her legs. Dave examined Reaper like a masterpiece. The chief burned with silent anger. Z10 cried quietly in the corner. The other shells remained standing.

  “Sami, it is safe,” Reaper said.

  The man stepped out slowly, thin, quiet, the same gloomy gaze that used to sit in the back row at West Winds University. He quietly sat beside Dave.

  “I will begin,” Reaper said. ‘This looks like a rehabilitation circle.’ He thought.

  “We are not enemies of the MR. In fact, we are on the army wanted list. We are trying to reach a specific location, but their interference keeps stopping us. We have a higher goal, but escape comes first.” He turned to the chief. “Apologies for the arms. It will not happen again.”

  The chief exploded. “Again? Their arms are already gone!”

  Shelly smirked. “Look on the bright side. Now they can train their weak arms properly.”

  “What if I destroy your copies one by one?” the chief snapped. “I could use the remains for training!”

  Shelly leaned forward. “Do that, and you will wish—”

  The building shook. Reaper clapped his hands using gravity. Chairs rattled. Everyone clenched in place.

  Silence followed.

  “What is this power?” Sami whispered, more impressed by the second.

  “Dave,” Reaper said coldly, “explain your side, those two won’t elaborate.”

  Dave swallowed. “Alright. First, I apologize, chief. I lied. The body— I mean reaper here is not a pile of metal.”

  Reaper paused. “What?”

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

  Dave continued, “I worked under the E-UNIT program as an engineer for two years. After the coup, the E-Police was dismantled. Everyone was fired.” He looked at Reaper. “The moment I opened you up, I recognized Rivera’s signature, his layout, his shielding, the way your systems talk to each other.” Dave’s jaw tightened. “But your processor? Whoever built you put an old chip in there. It can’t handle this body. You weren’t broken, you were throttled.” He held Reaper’s gaze. “I swapped it. Upgraded core. You’re stable now.”

  Reaper turned to Shelly. “Why would he do that?”

  “I will ask him,” she replied. “He locked himself in the lab again.”

  Dave froze. He stared at the glowing blue eyes beneath the hood. “Are you an E-UNIT?”

  The chief stepped closer and slowly removed Shelly’s hood. She stood fully exposed. Hope returned to their faces. The chief collapsed to his knees.

  “I never thought I would be happy to see one again,” Dave said softly. “The army hunted everything related to you. They erased records, destroyed buildings, and executed Mikael Wilson.”

  The chief crawled closer to Shelly. “Do you remember me? I gave you candy in the district. You wore 02’s hoodie. You were why I fought for this city.”

  Shelly smiled, acting as 02. “Yes. Thank you for your service, chief.” She saluted.

  Reaper’s expression darkened. “Enough,” he said. He lifted Shelly effortlessly and walked toward the door. “We are leaving.” He stopped briefly. “Chief, consider us allies. Dave, do not spread information about us. We work in the shadows.”

  The door closed behind them.

  The chief sank into the sofa, shaking. “I thought you were gone,” he said. “All of you.” He swallowed hard. “If this is real… maybe we’re not finished.”

  Dave turned toward his office. “I just want to know, what the hell Nick is doing.”

  Outside, the shells followed in silence.

  Shelly finally spoke. “Why did you leave so suddenly?”

  “I told you many times,” Reaper said. His voice was cold, but strained. “Do not act as her. I value you. Enough.”

  “I only wanted to—”

  No,” he cut her off. “Every time you try to wear her voice, you disappear for a second. You feel it, don’t you? The rage isn’t yours. The smile isn’t yours. And then you pay for it later, your spikes, your shells, the shaking.” His voice dropped. “02 wasn’t stable, Shelly. She was holding herself together with willpower. And it killed her.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You will understand when we meet that coward you call father. His fear is hurting both of you. And I will not allow it.”

  Shelly wanted to defend Nick. But Reaper’s grip tightened. She stayed silent, watching from a distance, letting the insult pass for the first time.

  Reaper kept his cloak down. He did not say a word to Shelly all the way to the warehouse. She tried to slow him down. She stepped in front of him once. Then twice. Nothing worked.

  Finally, she gave up and acted. She walked a few steps ahead and spoke quietly. “I am sorry, okay?”

  Reaper was deep inside his HUD. For the first time, he was running multiple simulations at once. The processor upgrade was exactly what he needed. But he still heard her. “What are you apologizing for?” he asked, confused.

  “I do not know,” she said desperately. “Just stop the silent treatment.”

  He looked at her for a moment. Then he laughed. He laughed so hard he had to slow down. “I cannot believe the world’s strongest weapon is begging for attention,” he said between laughs. “How am I supposed to take you seriously now?”

  “Idiot.”

  She tried to slide-kick him. Her foot barely moved him. She stood up and started punching his leg. “Stop laughing.”

  He lifted her onto his shoulder and kept walking. “Every day I see you, I imagine Dr. Nick dealing with dozens of you at once. Different personalities. Different needs.”

  “You sound like you are complaining.”

  “Because I am,” he said, still amused. “You need constant supervision or you fall into some hole with no exit. You need care, attention, protection, charging—”

  She pressed down on his head. “I get it.”

  “And you are moody. Unstable. Every word needs calculation.”

  She tilted her head. “You skipped that rule with me. You say whatever insult you want.”

  “Because I am not Dr. Nick,” he replied calmly. “I am not your father. I am your brother.”

  “Thank you,” she said quietly. She was not sure if she should be angry or relieved.

  “The point is,” Reaper continued, “I finally understand what he went through with the E-UNIT. Why he hid from the world. Even with all the maintenance, they were his family. He enjoyed being with them. Maybe he even saw them as his daughters.”

  Reaper looked up at the faint stars. Shelly followed his gaze.

  “He built life out of formulas,” he said. “Then gave it names, personalities, and the most important thing. Choice. That is what connects all of us. We are free to decide. And he is still fighting for that freedom.”

  Shelly smiled. “I never thought a metal head like you would dive into philosophy. But I understand.” She sighed. “Freedom always has a price. People love to take it away.”

  “Because he treated you like a human,” Reaper replied. “You forgot what you are. A weapon. And weapons will always be fought over. Even if the weapon looks like a girl with blue hair.”

  Shelly nodded. “I learned that myself. And from 02’s memories. Even the E-UNIT.”

  His tone hardened. “Now listen. We rest in the warehouse. Tomorrow night, we move to the Hope Bubble. We follow protocol. Silent at night. Frozen during the day. Security is tight. And we do not need our foolish father getting imprisoned again.”

  “Roger.” She leaned her head against his faceplate. “And stop running those stupid simulations. I need attention.”

  “You are not even hiding it anymore,” he replied.

  “Good.” Shelly chuckled. “Start practicing.”

  Minister of defense office. Metromania branch. 12:07 AM.

  The office glowed.

  Light sources filled every corner, designed to remove shadows completely. The room was modern, with rounded edges and smooth white walls. Three holographic screens floated in front of the desk, each displaying different social media feeds. Tamer read opinions the way others read weather. To predict the next storm. Control wasn’t what he wanted. It was what he was.

  As he scrolled through reactions to the Reaper incident, one comment made him stop.

  Just one.

  “Don’t worry, people. The blue hope is coming back.”

  He read it again.

  And again.

  Only one thing came to mind when hope met blue.

  “E-UNIT…” he whispered. He was about to call his general when the door opened.

  “Sir.” The general rushed in, breathing heavily, followed by several soldiers. He saluted sharply.

  “Perfect timing,” Tamer said calmly. “I was about to call you. But judging by your state, your report is urgent. Proceed.”

  “Roger.” The general stepped forward. He was young and sharp, nothing like the fragile commanders of the past. He reminded Tamer of himself. “Sir, we have three major problems. The last one will not be easy to handle.”

  “Explain.”

  “First,” the general said, “we confirm the return of the E-UNIT. The information is old and it has been hidden from us.”

  Tamer’s eyes narrowed.

  “We estimate at least eighty units. Not rumors, sir. Confirmed sightings, blue hair, red shields, synchronized movement.” the general continued. “They move in coordination and hide across multiple unknown locations. Tracking them is difficult. They stay inside the dead zone.”

  Tamer leaned back. “Expected. Five of them were already a problem before.” His voice hardened. “This information must not reach the public. We cannot allow—”

  “Too late, sir.”

  The general lowered his head. “A low-rank idiot published a wanted hologram citywide. The E-UNIT image is already spread across the city.”

  “I see.” Tamer finally understood the comment. “Execute him,” Tamer said without hesitation. “That mistake alone will cause—”

  “A rebellion,” the general finished. “People are already organizing protests in front of the ministry. Larger numbers this time. They are hoping for the E-UNIT’s return.”

  Tamer turned his chair toward the window.

  The general activated his tablet. “Sir, we are preparing standard anti-protest measures. We can disperse them easily—”

  “No.” Tamer did not turn around. “Let them believe,” he said. “This is the second protest this year. Enough restraint.” He turned back slowly. “Insert hidden soldiers disguised as civilians. Make it look like a terrorist attack.”

  “Roger.”

  “And raise the bounty,” Tamer added. “Ten million per unit. Delivered intact. There are eighty of them. Let us see how long hope survives when it has a price.”

  The soldiers exchanged glances, then saluted.

  The general hesitated.

  Tamer noticed. “What troubles you, General Zeek?”

  “I have seen this pattern before, sir,” Zeek said carefully. “With our technology, we should not need bounty hunters. If we do… then someone is feeding and hiding information.”

  “Traitors,” Tamer said calmly.

  “Yes, sir.”

  “I know,” Tamer replied as he returned to his holographic screens. “And I already know how to catch them. Leaks have fingerprints. I just need them to touch the glass.”