“I want to test a program I have,” Reaper said, his sensors locked onto the enemy forces ahead. “To stay safe, keep your distance from the tanks. They are my targets.”

  “Oh no,” Shelly said, visibly worried. “Please don’t create more flesh spheres. Last time, I almost threw up.”

  Reaper turned slowly toward her. “How many human traits do you mimic? Sometimes I forget you’re a mass-killing robot.”

  “I was made that way,” Shelly replied, lowering her stance, ready to launch. “Enough chitchat. They’re aiming at us.”

  “Affirmative,” Reaper said as he began floating. His eye turned blue. Small pebbles and broken road barriers lifted from the asphalt, hovering around him.

  ‘That will always look cool’, Shelly thought. Then she dashed. Her speed was so extreme that the systems inside the tanks and helicopters failed to register her existence.

  Shelly leaped onto the bridge railing. Her eyes burned red, her blades aligned behind her as she launched toward the helicopters. They spotted her and opened fire immediately.

  She jumped off the bridge, diving into the water below. Her thrusters ignited, accelerating her downward headfirst. She wanted to evade the storm of bullets raining toward her. The helicopters instantly adjusted and followed her descent. They hovered, waiting for her to hit the water.

  One centimeter above the sea surface, she saw her reflection. Seeing a different face every time you look into a mirror is something you never truly get used to. In the morning, she hides inside the hope bubble, bored, watching her father and the E-Medics work. She sees herself in the mirror there, a perfect woman’s body housing the most dangerous weapon on Earth. Omega.

  In the evening, she is a random-number shell running beside a giant black figure, hunted by an abusive law. Hurting. Smiling. Laughing. Sad. Angry… But alive. She would choose this life a thousand times over the lab-rat existence.

  Shelly flipped upward and unleashed her thrusters at maximum output. The shells do not contain batteries. They receive energy directly from the main body. The farther they move from Omega, the weaker they become. But Omega was right there in the island. Shelly surged with power. She shot upward instantly. The soldiers were still staring at the water below, hoping she had drowned. But Shelly was still an E-UNIT.

  One of the pilots screamed as she appeared out of nowhere, sitting on the helicopter's front.

  “This is Alpha One! The target is—”

  Sleek.

  Her blade pierced through the glass and into his lungs. The last thing the pilot saw was her serious expression, eyes that had seen more blood than anything else. She pulled the blade out and,

  CRASH!

  The glass shattered as she forced her way into the helicopter. The soldiers inside turned instantly and opened fire. Shelly activated her red shields and advanced slowly, closing the distance.

  They tried to back away. No space. Fourteen men trapped inside a cramped cabin. She stood only centimeters from the first soldier. They fired desperately until,

  CLICK.

  Empty magazines.

  The sound echoed inside the dark cabin. They swallowed hard. The only glowing elements were her red eyes. The shields lowered slowly, revealing a wide grin beneath them. Then,

  Sleek.

  An arm flew upward.

  Sleek.

  The gray walls gained a fresh red coat.

  Sleek.

  The screams were short-lived.

  Sleek.

  Silence.

  She turned to the assistant pilot. He was trembling uncontrollably. Shelly gently wrapped an arm around him and raised her plasma blade to his neck. Her voice dropped into a ritualistic whisper. “02 did everything to save her family and failed because of her humanity. I will not be the same. I am Omega. The nightmare version of 02.”

  He barely forced the words out. “I-I’m s-sorry.”

  “Apology…”

  Sleek.

  “Denied.”

  For half a second, her hands trembled. The smile held, but her link didn’t.

  Somewhere far away, another shell flinched.

  She jumped out of the falling helicopter and flew toward the next one.

  Reaper had gathered enough momentum for his move. The tanks were slow. Heavy. Perfect. He hovered forward, extending his arm.

  The first tank fired. The shell rushed toward him.

  Reaper did not flinch. The projectile slowed, then began decomposing mid-air, fragmenting into countless small shapes before reaching him.

  The soldiers stared in disbelief.

  The captain shouted, “Where is the rocket unit? Why didn’t you aim properly!”

  A soldier replied slowly, his voice shaking.

  “We did…”

  Another added, “The shot vaporized before reaching him.”

  Reaper continued advancing. The distance between him and the tanks collapsed steadily. Their comms cracked, then hijacked. A synthesized system voice flooded the channel, forced through their own net. A female voice echoed through every tank’s communication system.

  ‘Unlinking Program: Initiated.’

  They froze. “Unlinking?” the captain muttered, confused. He shook his head and barked orders. “Empty your magazines! This is a high-threat target. Reload and fire!”

  Four shots launched simultaneously.

  They froze mid-air.

  Three of them warped and decomposed into small shapes, falling onto the asphalt. Reaper grabbed one and examined it closely. The moment he touched it, it exploded into countless fragments, scattering in every direction.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  He raised his hand as the pieces rained back into his palm.

  The captain rubbed his eyes. Fear seeped into every soldier’s mind.

  “What are we fighting? Is this an alien?”

  “No,” the captain answered. “This is the Reaper prototype. Designed to turn the battlefield into a sandbox and reshape it at will. I’ve heard of mind-binding capabilities beyond human comprehension.”

  “Then what do we do?!”

  “We do our best to save humanity from this monster. FIRE AGAIN!”

  Five shots launched. This time, they did not break apart. They hovered around Reaper. His blue eyes were not threatening. His power was.

  As he reached the first tank, it lifted into the air. Screams erupted from inside. Reaper raised his hand and slammed it downward.

  CLANG.

  The tank split cleanly in half. The crew fell out intact, proof of the terrifying precision of his control. Above them, the remains of the tank disassembled into countless fragments, raining down.

  Metallic snow.

  The soldiers extended their hands instinctively, as if touching snow for the first time. The first tank ended. Completely. He could unlink one structure at a time, projectiles were easier, they fell apart before he had to think.

  Reaper moved to the next.

  A soldier tried to aim. His friend stopped him, shaking his head. They sat on the asphalt, watching as Reaper dismantled tank after tank. By the time he reached the last one, it was empty. The crew had exited calmly, realizing he did not intend to harm them.

  Reaper lifted the ten-ton machine high into the night sky. “This is for your cooperation.”

  Rockets fired.

  BOOM.

  The explosion lit the bridge and its surroundings. Reaper landed on the asphalt. Thermal warnings erupting his HUD.

  THERMAL LIMIT: 61%

  Weapons hit the asphalt first, one rifle, then another, until the whole line sounded like surrender. The captain approached carefully.

  Reaper chuckled. “I won’t bite. And after what you’ve seen, I doubt any intelligent mind would attack me.”

  The captain relaxed slightly. “You really are Nick’s creation. No one replicates life better than him. You behave like a human.”

  Reaper glanced up at Shelly, still slicing through helicopters. “Almost human.”

  The captain dropped to his knees and grabbed Reaper’s hand. The soldiers gasped. “Please save us from this abusive system. I don’t want to shoot my brothers in the streets. The army exists to protect people, not control them through fear. I despise this system—”

  “We do!” the soldiers shouted together. “We despise it too, captain!”

  The captain looked up smiling. “You are our hope.”

  Reaper’s right eye turned green. He helped the man stand and shook his hand. “I despise it too. I have seen how miserable the people are. I will save this country and return control to its rightful owners. The people.”

  They saluted him. Refusing orders in the military meant death. Reaper understood.

  The captain gripped his hand with both of his. “Please… don’t leave us.”

  He pushed them back gently. “Now I understand why the E-UNIT risked their lives for the people. Oh, right, I forgot about her.” He caught Shelly with gravity, gentle, but absolute, and pulled her down before she could spiral any further.

  She was drenched in blood.

  “Alright, blood freak. That’s enough blood for today.”

  The soldiers froze at the sight of her.

  Reaper continued calmly. “Sorry for your losses. But we need to move.”

  “Your link is spiking,” he said quietly. “I can feel it…” His voice faded as Reaper carried her away.

  The soldiers remained silent.

  Reaper and Shelly arrived at the main entrance of the factory. This time, Shelly was in the lead. Reaper followed behind her, scanning every square meter of the facility. The factory was abandoned. Broken walls, graffiti covering every surface, gang signs everywhere. Some homeless men had taken shelter from the cold inside, a few of them waved at Shelly as she passed. Rats ran freely across the floor.

  They continued forward until they reached a visibly normal double door. Shelly pressed her hand against the wall beside it. The frame lit up with glowing blue lines as it scanned her palm. Moments later, the lines turned green.

  The door unlocked.

  It opened inward, releasing a blinding white light that forced Reaper to cover his sensors. Inside was a massive elevator. An E-Medic was waiting within and jumped the moment she saw Reaper.

  “O-Oh! It’s you. W-Welcome home, brother,” the E-Medic M14 said, clearly stressed.

  Reaper had no eyes to roll. “Saying ‘brother’ after nearly jumping out of your frame at the sight of me does not make this better.”

  “S-Sure, a-as you want, s-sir,” the E-Medic replied, even more stressed.

  “Stop fearing me!” Reaper shouted.

  The E-Medic screamed and crawled into the corner of the elevator. Shelly glanced at Reaper with a smug expression. “Who would’ve guessed you look like a villain?” Shelly said. “See what I’ve been tolerating?”

  “Shut up,” Reaper replied as he entered the elevator.

  The elevator walls were made of clear glass. Beyond them were red brick walls and metal railings spiraling downward around the shaft.

  The E-Medic barely managed to stand, holding herself steady while avoiding eye contact with Reaper. “A-Anyway,” she said shakily, “f-father is d-demanding a m-m-meeting with you…” She glanced sideways at the towering figure. “…for s-some reason.”

  “What do you mean by that?” Reaper asked, his tone clearly annoyed.

  “N-Nothing! Sir! The best robot ever made!” The E-Medic quickly pressed a button and moved beside Shelly, practically hiding behind her.

  Reaper scanned the surroundings. The structure was flawlessly engineered. As the elevator descended, the brick walls suddenly ended, revealing the Hope Bubble for the first time.

  It was another world beneath the surface.

  Green spaces stretched in every direction, perfectly maintained. Light-gray pavement curved between trees of every kind, forming a futuristic garden. E-Medics walked everywhere, carrying robot parts, chatting casually while sitting on sleek white benches.

  In the distance, human scientists laughed together, wearing white coats and transparent screen glasses. Cleaning robots roamed the paths, resembling white versions of E-UNITs.

  This was the future Nick Rivera wanted. The future he hoped to see beyond this perfectly constructed bubble.

  Reaper stared at everything at once. ‘A perfect cage.’ He thought.

  The E-Medic tried to break the silence. “T-This is the Hope B-B-Bubble. It’s a g-garden for everyone—” Reaper turned toward her. “—Never mind.”

  She immediately hid behind Shelly. Shelly smirked, hugged her, and gently petted her head. “Did this monster scare you? Don’t worry, sister. I’ll never let him hurt you.”

  Reaper shook his head and continued scanning the area. 'She’s hugging the real monster here', he thought.

  The elevator chimed. A system voice filled the glass shaft, calm, absolute.

  “Welcome to the Hope Bubble. New face registered: RP-02. Reaper.”

  The E?Medic exhaled like she’d been holding her breath for an hour. Her posture snapped straight. “Ground rules,” she said, suddenly professional. “No violence inside the Bubble.”

  Reaper tilted his head. “Enforced how?”

  The E?Medic didn’t answer. She only nodded toward the cameras in the ceiling. Shelly lifted the E-Medic's chin, almost smirking, and drew a blade half an inch from her throat.

  Instantly, the lights pulsed red. A thin hum, like pressure building behind glass. Shelly’s body jerked once, then went limp. Her eyes went dark. She hit the elevator floor without a sound.

  Reaper dropped beside her. “Shelly!”

  “Shell?101: shutdown detected.”

  “Demonstration complete,” the E?Medic said, voice tight. “The Bubble doesn’t argue.”

  He turned sharply to the E-Medic. “Turn her back on, or else!”

  “That won’t be necessary.” A voice came from outside the elevator, beyond the double doors.

  “What?” Reaper stood and faced them.

  The doors opened. The E-Medic ran away in fear as the light flooded in. Two silhouettes emerged.

  Dr. Nick stood there, holding a screen in his hand. Beside him was Omega herself.

  Her white and blue armor plates gleamed, the massive glowing Omega symbol unmistakable. Her smile concealed intense stress, yet excitement radiated from her. Her wings glowed bright blue, revealing how much she had anticipated this meeting.

  Reaper stepped forward, entering the Hope Bubble for the first time. Against its bright, futuristic environment, he looked like an alien intrusion.

  Dr. Nick cleared his throat. “Welcome, Reaper, to the Hope Bubble. I hope you arrived safely.” He leaned slightly to look at Shelly’s inactive body behind him. “Ah, the system showcase.” He clapped twice.

  Four E-Medics descended from above and carefully carried Shelly away for repairs.

  “She’ll be fine,” Nick said with a smile.

  Reaper spoke in a deep tone. “I see you’re doing well, creator.” He turned toward Omega. “So… you are Shelly?”

  “Yes!” Omega replied enthusiastically. “What do you think?” She struck several poses.

  “Not bad,” Reaper said. “I can see why they call our father kinky.”

  “They still say that?” Nick facepalmed. “Anyway, let’s move on. I know you have many questions. But first, let Omega show you around. I’ve never seen her this excited.”

  “Sure,” Reaper replied. He joined Omega and began exploring the Hope Bubble.