The Next Day. E-UNIT Wing. 09:00 AM.
03 was back.
The atmosphere in the E-UNIT wing shifted instantly. For weeks the charging bay had felt cold and efficient. It felt like a graveyard. But now it felt warm. It felt human.
02 had nearly lost her humanity in that silence. She had become a cold blade of vengeance. But today that blade finally softened.
03 sat in her charging station. She swung her legs back and forth like a tourist returning from a long vacation.
"It has been so long, huh?" she said while looking around the familiar room.
04 grinned. "Just twenty-two days. But who is counting?"
02 leaned against the wall with her arms crossed. She tried to look cool but failed to hide her relief.
"I can not believe we pulled it off."
05 nodded. Her voice was serious. "Mikael really risked all of us this time."
01 added her thoughts. "Taking down a high-profile Minister cleared the road. We have room to move now."
02 narrowed her eyes slightly. "Exactly. Their legal shield is gone. Taking down Metro Robotics will not take long."
05 sighed. "Still. They remain the biggest obstacle."
04 waved her hand dismissively. "More E-UNITs will be in service soon. No problem."
The door slid open with a soft pneumatic hiss. Dr. Nick walked in.
"Sorry for interrupting the circle. I need you outside my office in three minutes."
Dr. Nick's Office. 09:02 AM.
Nick sat everyone down outside his door. He looked tired but smug.
"Since everyone is here I want to show you that money can indeed buy happiness."
He opened the door and they stepped inside. The clutter was gone. No more loose wires and no more half-eaten sandwiches. The space felt open and clean.
"Renovations?" 02 asked.
"No," Nick said with gleaming eyes. "Since we took the garage I turned half into the launch bay and half into my lab. And this..."
He pointed to a massive and sleek table in the center.
"...This is for you. Meetings with me or without me. Store anything you want."
04 cocked an eyebrow. "Store info?"
Nick beamed. He walked to a wall covered in stacks of robot parts and pulled a hidden handle.
A secret door slid open. Cool air rushed out and carried the hum of high-powered fans. Blue LED lights flickered in the dark.
"That is new!" 03 stepped in and scanned the racks of hardware.
"The old room could not hold it," Nick explained. "So I bought a server just for you. Private. Out of police reach. 500 Terabytes NVMe. Local private network speed is 550 gigabytes per second."
He folded his hands. He looked proud yet exhausted.
"Mikael set up the infrastructure after a long call. There is a direct doorway to the charging stations. Every door is locked by our security. Only E-UNITs can enter. No stealing."
01 felt her mouth water. "Wow."
Nick blushed slightly. "Stop making it so obvious. But I thought of 05 since she was low on memory, we stored everything on her storage. Now she can dump everything here. Copies and scans and backups. It is safe."
The girls scattered like kids in a candy store.
02 went to the big screen to analyze the interface. 01 and 05 rushed to the storage units. 03 and 04 started playing with the new hologram projector.
Dr. Nick sat back in his chair. He watched them like a father proud that his gifts were loved.
The laughter of her sisters echoed in the room but 02 noticed Father's gaze. He was not looking at them. He was looking at her.
He gave a microscopic nod toward his desk.
02 stepped away from the group silently. She approached him while the others argued about who got which shelf in the server room.
"Sit," Nick whispered. His voice lacked its usual cheer.
02 sat. Her internal fans whirred as she sensed the shift in atmosphere.
Nick did not speak immediately. He opened a drawer and pulled out a thin matte-black physical folder. No digital trail. No server upload. Just paper.
He slid it across the sleek table.
02 looked down. There was no title. No security clearance level. Just a single white Greek letter stamped in the center.
[ Ω ]
Metromania. 09:20 PM.
It was a calm evening.
It was the kind of night that made the city feel almost alive. The E-UNITs circulated the streets as usual and their presence glowed faintly under the neon lights of Metromania.
It was 9 p.m. The sun was gone but the city center never slept. Friends laughed in outdoor cafés. Coworkers celebrated new milestones. Couples walked under the streetlights.
Here the system released workers at 4 p.m. sharp so the night was when life truly began. The air buzzed with chatter and music and freedom.
02 walked down the main street. She was calm and steady.
Everyone had grown used to her. To E-UNIT. No more panic and no more stares. There was just quiet respect for the blue glow of justice walking beside them.
02 turned the corner onto 5th Avenue exactly as her patrol schedule dictated.
Then it happened.
A man was waiting there. He was not shopping. He was not walking. He was just waiting.
As soon as his eyes locked onto her he did not panic. He grabbed a brick and smashed the nearest jewelry store window.
The glass shattered loudly.
He did not take anything. He just looked at her to make sure she saw him. Then he sprinted into the dark alleyway opposite the store.
02's processors paused for a nanosecond.
'He waited for me? He knew my exact arrival time?'
A suspicion formed in her logic centers. Internal Leak.
She did not rush blindly. She engaged her tactical scanners and followed.
The thief ran faster. He turned back in horror when he saw those blue eyes locked on him closing in without even using super speed. Panic forced him into a side alley. It was a dark and narrow path where no regular officer would dare follow.
He burst through an old door and disappeared inside.
02 arrived seconds later. She tilted her head slightly.
'He did not even close it. Shame.'
She loved kicking doors open.
She entered.
Inside were shadows. Then red lights ignited.
Two mechs stood waiting ahead to block her path. Another two dropped from the ceiling with the sound of screeching metal.
02 blinked. She was unimpressed.
"Was the dramatic entrance necessary?"
Their weapons rose in unison.
And that was when everything changed.
Her system flared. Her voice turned cold.
"Code Red. Initiated."
Her eyes shifted from calm blue to burning red.
In the blink of an eye she vanished. A streak of blue trailed behind her through the dark.
The mechs activated their new weapon. A 360-degree precision shooter mounted above each unit's chassis. Bullets poured from rotating barrels like a storm. This forced 02 to stop her high-speed movements.
She raised her shield as metal sparks rained around her.
"I see you came prepared," she muttered.
Rounds crashed against her barrier. It was holding but not forever. The ambush was well-calculated. It was almost military-grade.
So she stopped thinking. And started cutting.
She drew her blade. The air shimmered with blue light.
One hand held the blade. It was pure and sharp like a laser. The other gripped her red shield which glowed with reactive energy.
In that moment she was art in motion. She was the perfect balance between blue yin and red yang.
Her eyes narrowed and turned crimson. The temperature of the room seemed to drop. The pilots inside their metal shells froze as if they were prey caught in the gaze of a predator.
Then she moved.
To them she was gone.
Only flashes of blue and red flickered between their sensors. The automated aimers lost track. Their targeting feeds glitched as they desperately tried to follow.
They began shooting each other.
02 moved in perfect rhythm. She weaved between the shots and made sure their own crossfire destroyed them from the inside. You would see her for half a heartbeat and then she was gone again.
One pilot heard a metallic whisper behind him.
Sleek.
He looked down and realized his mech's arm had been sliced clean off.
Sleek.
Before he could react 02 stood atop his wrecked unit. Her eyes glowed red like burning coals. The pilot's breath hitched. He did not even feel it but the blade was already inside him.
Blood ran down her forearm.
She did not blink. She did not look down.
Just cold red silence.
The man's body fell with a heavy flop, he hit his head on the cockpit glass, gliding down slowly. 02 turned to face the three remaining mechs.
Blue light shimmered across her blade. Shadows bent around her stance like a ghost of steel and flame.
Then, she ran.
The blade sliced through the air.
One mech's core split open. Glowing blue light leaked from inside.
She moved again.
The blade sliced again.
Another mech shut down instantly as its lights faded to black. The pilot inside screamed in the dark. He was trapped. The monitors flickered once then died. He sat alone in total silence until a faint blue glow rose from beneath his seat.
For a second he smiled. Hope?
No.
It was her blade.
It passed through his stomach before he could even flinch. There was no pain. Only speed.
Then came the sounds. Cut after cut after cut.
Sleek. Sleek. Sleek.
Precise. Cold. Repeated.
Until nothing inside the cockpit was left moving. Only blood dripped through cracks in the metal.
The two remaining pilots were shaking. The last Mech was a two headed one.
"They sacrificed us... they sent us to our death!"
"I can not even see her! Her blade is glowing! How can we not—"
Sleek.
The blade silenced him. The first one's voice cut off.
"Mark? Are you—"
Sleek.
The blade silenced him too.
Two halves of a body fell to the ground. The Cockpits were wide open, glass would never stop the blades.
And silence returned.
02 stood still in the middle of the chaos. Her eyes cooled back to blue.
The floor around her shimmered with reflected neon from the street but it was painted red by blood.
"Target compromised."
She sheathed her blade. She was calm and precise.
The warehouse was quiet now. Only the faint hum of her systems filled the air. It was a mechanical heartbeat in a field of death.
Outside Metromania kept glowing. It was unaware that its peaceful night just witnessed another silent storm from the E-UNIT.
The North Shore. 10:15 PM.
The shore was quiet that night.
The wind brushed softly over the sea and carried the smell of salt and cold air. Since the weather had turned chilly lately few people came here anymore. There were just a handful of souls standing by the railings watching the big moon reflect on the dark waves.
The scene was pure gold art. It was calm and silent and almost dreamlike.
Among them walked E-UNIT 03. Her steps were light and rhythmic. She was the most expressive and energetic member of the team. She was full of color and emotion which was a stark contrast to 02's calm and surgical demeanor.
Maybe that was why 02 always chose her for missions requiring multiple E-UNITs. Even after 03 had come close to destruction in one of those missions she never lost that spark.
At least things would be easier now. Mikael Wilson had reinstated permission for them to use heavy weapons. No more restraint.
Then the peace shattered.
A semi-truck pulled up on the empty coastal road. Its headlights sliced the fog. It was not a delivery truck. This one was too big and too armored. Its logo had been torn off leaving rough scratch marks across the metal.
03's eyes sharpened instantly.
Her instinct was sharper than most humans. It told her what was coming. She did not hesitate.
She jumped back and rose off the ground with her boosters. The light of the moon shone behind her like a halo.
From the truck poured out fifteen men in exo-suits. They were black and heavy and hummed with low power. Behind them a massive two-pilot mech emerged from the trailer. Its steel plates scraped against the sides.
She tried to call 02. Nothing.
The line crackled with static.
"Radio is jammed. Of course."
03 tilted her head and smiled faintly.
"I see you came ready."
Then her tone dropped. It became sharp and cold and precise.
"You messed with the wrong E-UNIT."
Her pupils shifted. Eyes burning red.
"Code Red. Initiated."
She reached for her back. The sniper rifle detached magnetically from its holster and locked perfectly into her grip. She did not move. She did not vanish. She did not even blink.
The enemy froze for a second. They were confused by her stillness. Then they raised their weapons anyway.
A quiet click. Then a shot rang out.
Pew.
One of them fell to his knees. Blood sprayed from his mouth.
A perfect headshot. He did not even see her move.
"What—"
Another shot. Another man dropped.
Her rifle was silenced. No flash and no echo. The only warning they got was the sound of their teammates dying beside them.
Panic spread fast.
The mech opened fire and targeted the moonlit figure above the sea.
03 dropped low. Her boosters ignited blue as she sped beneath its line of fire and vanished into the dark behind it.
In one smooth motion she swapped her rifle for her blade. She whispered through the mech's external mic with a twisted grin.
"They say swapping is always faster than reloading."
The blade sliced.
The pilot never heard the first cut. The mech erupted from within. A blinding explosion lit up the shoreline.
03 landed softly. She grinned as she watched flames dance across the water.
"If that was the old me," she said lightly, "I would have saved the pilot for questioning. But we do not need information anymore."
She twirled her blade. Her eyes glinted blue.
"I love fireworks at night!"
Her cheerful tone sent chills through the remaining soldiers.
They broke formation. They ran for the truck shouting and tripping over each other in fear.
"Too late."
She lifted her sniper again midair.
When she saw the civilians were already gone from the area she unlatched her silencer already.
No need to be quiet anymore.
The loud shots rang out through the night.
Bang. Bang.
It sounded like an assault rifle but it was a sniper rifle. Her shots landed with impossible speed and precision.
One after another the exo-suited soldiers fell. It was not a battle. It was a massacre.
Red eyes flashed against the moonlight once again. From below anyone looking up would see only a dark silhouette against the glowing moon. The sea behind her was painted red with reflection.
Four survivors scrambled into the back of the semi-truck. They were desperate to escape. Big mistake.
The driver was already dead with a neat hole through his temple. They screamed and pleaded with a corpse.
Then the rear door clicked open.
Red eyes pierced through the darkness inside.
"Captain would love kicking this door down!"
She said it in a joyful and cheerful tone. She smiled like a child at a game.
The men screamed.
"HELP!"
"SHE IS A MANIAC!"
"I GIVE UP! PLEASE!"
Her smile faded. Her voice turned flat and serious again.
"I love your screams. But sadly I need to finish this mission. Captain's approval is my main pleasure."
The blade in her hand hummed with power. She did not bother pulling the second one.
They opened fire in panic. Bullets sprayed wildly. But 03 was already beside them moving faster than their eyes could register.
From outside the truck all you could hear was the sound of metal slicing flesh.
Then another.
And another.
Screams. Pain. Begging.
Until silence.
One final cut echoed from the metal walls and the noise stopped.
03 stepped out of the truck. Blood dripped down her armor. Her red eyes slowly dimmed and returned to a soft peaceful blue.
She stretched her arms and exhaled lightly.
"That was fun! Sadly they did not put up much of a fight!"
Her tone was cheerful again. The mood swing was almost childlike.
She walked down to the sea. She dipped her hands into the cold water washing off the red stains that glowed faintly under the moonlight.
Then she destroyed the jammer, it was in a nearby vehicle. She opened her comms and began her report. Her voice was calm as if nothing had happened.
The moon kept shining above the sea. Its reflection was broken by ripples of red spreading across the waves.
Cold Steel in Aqua Frost. 10:15 PM.
The Southern Sector near Aqua Frost Peak was colder and quieter. It was the "Family District." Old records said the former President designed it himself to be compact and affordable and warm.
E-UNIT 05 walked the narrow streets. She turned a corner and froze. 04 was walking the same street.
05 spoke first. "What? How?"
"What are you doing here?" 04 asked.
"That should be my question! Did they give us the same patrol?"
"No way. This is the safest point in the city! I think 01 messed up the schedule."
"Wait," 05 said. "I think I know what is going on."
They both looked toward the small park nearby.
05 started running.
"Why are we running to the park?!" 04 asked.
"For the citizens' safety!"
05 opened comms. "03. Captain. Do you copy?"
Static.
"Jammed," 05 noted.
"You are saying we are being attacked?"
Thunder roared from above. Three mechs fell from the sky like meteors. One was a two-pilot unit and two were auto-turret units.
A pilot's voice echoed. "Exactly metal head! Give up easy and follow us. We guarantee the safety of everyone here."
04 burst into laughter. She laughed so hard she nearly fell over. 05 face-palmed.
"Seriously? Okay 04 stop clowning. Time to cook these guys."
04 wiped a digital tear. "Sorry. I think they have short-term memory loss."
"Indeed. You and 01 and the Captain sliced up twenty of these last week."
The pilots went silent.
"What?! They did not report that to us!"
"That old head! He will pay for this!"
05 smirked. "Sadly you will not live long enough for that."
"04. Code Red. Initiated."
Red eyes flickered in the fog. 05 drew twin blades. 04 raised dual shields. No teleportation. No flashiness. Just terrifying precision.
The mechs opened fire. Bullets pinged against armor.
04 advanced. Her shields locked together to form a wall. She dashed through the hail. They reached the first mech.
Switch. They swapped positions mid-stride.
05's blades cut through the turret then the arms. The cuts were clean and fast. The pilot was exposed. 05 yanked him out and threw him skyward.
04 was already above. Her shield came down like a meteor. The impact removed one threat.
They moved to the next. 04 tackled the second mech. A 500kg machine lifted off the ground like paper. 05 slid underneath. The mech split in two.
04 clicked her tongue. "Tch tch! 05 you were two millimeters off center!"
"Your tackle was sloppy!" 05 retorted.
The last mech trembled. He tried to back away.
04 sighed. "Are you dumb or what?"
The pilot hesitated. "What?"
Too late. 05 dropped from the sky. One perfect cut. Halved.
04 clapped slowly. "Now that is a perfect half!"
05 felt her internal temperature rise slightly. "Thank you. Let us report back to HQ."
They cleared the scene and reported to 01 as the jamming field faded. But the source of the jammer? Nowhere to be found. The enemy was getting sneakier. But not smarter.
High Above Sector 4. 11:45 PM.
The night was quiet. 04 and 05 sat on the edge of a gargoyle-lined rooftop overlooking the sleeping city. It was their scheduled break during the night patrol.
05 was not looking at the city though. She was looking at her data HUD scrolling through the Captain's recent log entries. She gestured in the air.
"She did it again," 05 muttered. Her voice was tight.
04 crunched an empty energy canister. It was a habit she picked up from humans even though she did not eat. "Did what?"
"Rerouted. The Captain altered her patrol path for the third time tonight. See?"
05 shared the HUD with 04 via mirroring.
"She moved three sectors East just to 'assist' 03 with a minor pickpocket."
04 shrugged and leaned back against the stone.
"So? 03 just got back from the dead. The Captain is worried. Her SSD was sitting in a jar for weeks remember? If I woke up after being dead, I would want a babysitter too."
"It is illogical," 05 snapped. Her optical sensors narrowed. "03 is fully repaired. Her specs are 100%. Yet 02 treats her like she is made of glass."
She stood up and paced the narrow ledge.
"Does she even remember we exist? 01 takes care of small thugs. I hack entire networks to keep us invisible. You take hits that would crush a tank. But who does she look at during briefings? Who does she smile at? 03."
04 frowned. "You are overthinking it Five. It is not favoritism. It is guilt. 02 blames herself for what happened at the factory."
"It is favoritism," 05 insisted. "She prioritizes 03's safety over mission efficiency. She prioritizes it over us. We are supposed to be a unit. An E-UNIT. Equal components. But lately it feels like we are just the background NPCs in their story."
04 let out a loud metallic laugh trying to break the tension.
"Wow. Jealousy really fries your circuits huh? Look at it this way. Do you really want the Captain hovering over your shoulder 24/7? '05 check that cam. 05 your posture is off. 05 why is there a cat video in your cache?'"
04 grinned and nudged her sister. "Trust me. Let 03 have the attention. I prefer my freedom."
05 did not smile back. She looked out at the distant blue dot of 02 flying toward 03's sector.
"It is not about supervision 04," she whispered. Her voice was cold. "It is about value. And right now I do not think she values us the same way."
04's smile faded. She did not have a joke for that.