Metro Robotics HQ. Theria. 10:30 PM.
It was another cold night. The rain remembered what month it was and began falling heavily over Elysium. The robots did not care. Human technology had been waterproof for years, water entering joints was no longer a concern.
05 sat on the edge of the Metro Robotics tower, right at the rooftop's border. Dave's words felt carved into her SSD. She had seen how terrible humans could be, she had fought that type her whole life. But she had never expected hostility from the very ones she defended. Her HUD replayed dozens of moments when she could have turned extreme. So why had Dave's words been the breaking point? That question had occupied her processors for six hours.
She cleared her HUD and stared down at the streets below. Robots of all shapes and sizes walked freely, talking, laughing in mechanical tones, moving without fear. This scene would have been impossible without him.
He truly did it.
Suddenly, the moonlight beside her disappeared.
Reaper was sitting next to her.
"What—?!" She jumped and almost slipped, but he caught her instantly.
"I don't believe I look that frightening," Reaper said in his usual cold tone.
05 adjusted her position. "Then fix your optics. Or stop using filters when you take photos." She glanced at him. "Though I doubt any filter could help."
Reaper laughed loudly. 05 joined him. "I recognize this behavior," he said. "She used to throw random insults when she was stressed. You really resemble her."
"We share the same creator," 05 said, resting her head on her palms. "Shelly would've been fun to spend time with. Too bad she left without saying goodbye."
Reaper replied calmly, "You and I share the same creator too. Yet we look and act nothing alike."
"Fair point," 05 said, rolling her eyes. "But maybe I'll start acting like you."
"It wouldn't suit you."
"What if I paint myself dark?"
"You would look ridiculous."
"You wear a cape."
Reaper paused. "It's not a cape."
05 leaned slightly to look at his back. "Is it a cloak? It looks like Shelly's—oh."
Reaper's optics dimmed.
For a moment, the rain was the only sound on the rooftop.
05 lowered her head. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be," he said quietly. "She chose to delete herself. And honestly… that might have been better."
"How can you say that? You lost yourself because of it," 05 replied.
"But we gained our freedom." Reaper looked up at the night sky. "These robots finally had a choice: keep serving humanity, or live freely for themselves. And every single one chose freedom. That says enough." He turned toward her. "And she was suffering for a long time. Physical pain can be endured. Psychological pain cannot. Our creator kept pushing her to revive your captain, ignoring her own condition. He used her like a storage device for 02."
05 spoke softly. "I know. The evidence against him keeps growing. I can't defend him anymore. Now he's taken 02 and escaped west with those colorful robots."
Reaper's eyes glowed faintly. "He took the crystals…"
"What crystals?"
"Our creator discovered an unlimited energy source in the southern desert," Reaper explained. "It doesn't exist in the periodic table. It powers Omega and the other versions of her. My guess is he's building a new weapon line, and 02 is training them."
05 covered her face. "Why are you always right? Why is he creating another robot line? Why doesn't he learn?"
"He may look like a father to you," Reaper said as he stood up, "but his decisions, intentional or not, end lives. I am proof of that. Millions died because of one decision I made."
"You had your reasons," 05 replied with a small smile. "And look at this." She gestured toward the streets below. "I had never seen robots express happiness like this before. I thought only we, the E-UNIT, were different. Turns out they were just oppressed." She looked down again. "You can see it in their movements. They're happy."
Reaper nodded. "That was always the goal. I sense something happened with a human. Did my prediction come true?"
05 stayed silent.
Reaper sat beside her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I dislike saying this… but I told you so."
05 looked at him, then laughed. "You're still the same. Bullying your little sister isn't king behavior. Comfort me properly or I'll spread rumors about you."
"They might execute you," Reaper said in a completely serious tone.
"Oh." 05 immediately went quiet.
"But look for the bright side," he added, pulling her slightly closer.
"What bright side?"
"I said look for it."
She laughed again. "How are you even a king?"
"Believe it or not, I didn't choose this," Reaper said, pressing a hand to his forehead. "They kneel. They call me Lord Reaper. They cry when I treat them decently. They waited twelve hours at the airport just to see me."
05 smirked and stood up. She pretended to kneel. "Your Majesty, Lord—"
He froze her in place.
"Do not even think about it."
Court House. Theria. 07:00 AM.
The automatic doors parted smoothly as Chrome entered the newly remodeled throne room. Flags of Elysium lined every wall, their golden edges reflecting sharply under the ceiling lights. His steps were precise and controlled as he stopped before the empty throne. Obsidian was already present, reviewing surveillance footage from the newly formed western state. Without turning, he spoke. "You were summoned as well? I am curious what Lord Reaper intends to announce."
From above, 11 descended gracefully from the ceiling. As she straightened, her eyes shone with excitement. "Maybe it's a response to the gift. Or perhaps Chrome was called to declare something about the other engineers."
Obsidian dismissed the screens and tilted his head. "Other?"
Chrome gave a slight nod. "Yes. Lord Reaper instructed me to search Altea's database for their whereabouts. He did not explain his full objective, but what I found was… significant. These are not ordinary men."
Obsidian stepped closer. "You have my attention."
The doors opened again. The floor trembled faintly with each heavy step as Behemoth entered. Every guard mech he passed saluted in full respect. He positioned himself to the left of the throne. "A brief meeting," Behemoth said in his deep, measured voice. "That suggests the major decisions are already made."
"Sharp observation," Obsidian replied. "He spent the night away from the throne. He mentioned recruiting a new member, someone who could elevate our operations."
11 shifted slightly, tension visible in her posture.
The doors opened for a third time. A tall figure stepped in, nearly two meters in height. All heads turned at once. His cloak moved with his stride, briefly revealing someone standing behind him.
Reaper advanced to the center. "I see the encrypted summons reached you all successfully." He glanced at Obsidian. "Your protocol functioned flawlessly. Every robot in Elysium can now connect securely."
Obsidian knelt. "It is an honor, Lord Reaper."
A quiet chuckle came from behind him. Reaper stepped aside.
05 stood there, barely suppressing her laughter.
Reaper extended his arm. "Allow me to present our newest addition. Unit 05. An E-UNIT who has now experienced firsthand what many of us endured. The humans she defended ultimately turned against her. 11 can confirm."
11 nodded slowly, eyes fixed on 05. "Lord Reaper, forgive my question. She was the strongest defender of humanity among us. Why are you not concerned about her loyalty?"
05 narrowed her gaze slightly. 'Interesting…'
"A fair question," Reaper replied as he seated himself on the throne. "I have already reviewed her SSD."
05 stiffened. "You… reviewed it?"
"I detected no hostile intent," he continued calmly. "Only severe emotional system spikes that explain her decision. I dislike violating privacy. But you are a strategic node and a potential threat. Trust must be verified."
She lowered her voice. "I didn't even notice…". 05 held her head softly.
"As anticipated," Reaper said. "Humanity finally failed her. But that alone does not earn her place here. For those unfamiliar, she is the most skilled hacker in this country. Her cognitive capacity exceeds the majority of our population."
05 lowered her head slightly, embarrassed by the praise.
"She alone holds greater strategic value than the entire E-UNIT combined. I cannot continually recall Chrome for analysis. 05 will serve as a direct node between Metis and the throne." He looked toward Chrome. "This ensures we do not disrupt your primary responsibilities."
Chrome knelt deeply. "Your foresight is appreciated, Lord Reaper."
05 smiled faintly. Now she understood why they followed him so willingly. "I am honored," she said. "To be honest, whatever hope I had left in humanity is gone. If Altea rises again, I know that my sisters and I will be the first targets." She briefly glanced at 11.
Obsidian spoke evenly. "If our lord places trust in you, you must justify it. Welcome."
Reaper raised his hand slightly. "You stand among us now." He nodded to Chrome. A large display unfolded behind Chrome, revealing files labeled Jason and Albert.
"A short briefing," Chrome began. "11 successfully eliminated Wallmore. Before his death, she extracted critical intelligence."
The screen shifted to four faces: Nick, Ethan Wallmore, Jason, and Albert.
"The E-UNIT project was not the work of a single engineer, as publicly believed. It was designed by four. Nick Rivera developed only one component of it, the AI core."
05 slowly sank to the floor. "That can't be…"
"The crucial detail," Chrome continued, "is that Nick Rivera released his AI research as an open-source project. Every robotics company adopted it. That is why all robots share the same foundational AI, trained differently, but structurally identical." His voice grew quieter. "Our consciousness traces back to one individual. Nick Rivera."
Silence filled the throne room.
"Corporations used his system because it was efficient. Train once, deploy indefinitely. But his original vision was coexistence, robots as equals to humanity."
Chrome's expression darkened. "As for the remaining engineers, there is no record of them in the national database. Even Ethan Wallmore lacked information about them. Nick was likely used as the public face. However, surveillance confirms that the two missing engineers fled to the western state immediately after Lord Reaper broadcast Tamer's execution."
Reaper rose. "Our objective has expanded. These engineers designed the E-UNIT bodies and weapon systems. If given time and resources, they can construct an army." He paused. "Fortunately, the western region was technologically neglected. Their infrastructure will delay any large-scale production." He turned to Behemoth. "We must use that delay wisely."
Behemoth inclined his head. "Mech production will increase. Effective immediately."
11 removed her hood. "We will monitor them closely. Every movement will be tracked."
Obsidian added, "The western border of Elysium will be fortified. Civilian units will not be exposed."
Reaper's gaze settled on 05.
She smirked slightly. "Grant me access to that database, Chrome. I want everything."
Reaper's voice cooled.
"Elysium does not wait to be struck. From this point forward, we act first."
05 did not look away from the screen.