The Hangar. 10.15 AM.
A few days had passed since Delta revealed her raw output. The atmosphere inside the hangar had become lighter. Each group stayed mostly on its own, giving the others space. 02 and her group were usually on the rooftop, refining the powers of the sisters there. The rest spent their time with their father, asking him about the past.
Today, however, Nick sat alone in his office. He was trying to regulate Tau's code. Her control over the copies she created was immeasurable. The attack on 02 that day had not been normal, and the more Nick thought about it, the more he began to suspect that Tau had attacked her on purpose.
He stared at the perfect code he had written for a long time, unsure whether he had made a mistake while coding… or while raising Tau. Nick opened the notepad on his computer and began typing his thoughts, carefully writing down how he might confront his daughter about it without hurting her.
Three knocks on the door interrupted him.
He quickly closed the program and adjusted his glasses. "Yes?"
"It's me, 02."
Nick immediately felt sweat forming on his forehead. "Uhm… yes, you can come in."
She walked inside with a soft smile. Her movements were unusually gentle. There was none of the precise, military-like posture she usually carried.
'Maybe the time she spent with the G-Bots changed her,' he thought.
02 sat down in the guest chair across from him, still wearing that strange smile. "Father, I see you're doing well. Do you have a moment?" Her tone was completely calm. She rarely spoke like this, and Nick never thought he would hear such softness from her in his lifetime.
"Y-Yes, of course." He turned off his holographic screens and pushed the papers on his desk aside. "What's on your mind?"
"I think the G-Bots I trained are ready for a confrontation against Reaper," she said carefully. "But we haven't tested them under real pressure yet. So far they've only attacked unmoving targets we made out of rocks or chairs."
Nick exhaled in relief. The thought that he could finally speak with her normally, without her exploding in anger, was even more comforting. "That's my 02. Analytical as always." He leaned back slightly. "Since I have spare parts for everyone here, we could organize a small tournament between the G-Bots and see who has improved the most."
02 rolled her eyes. "That could work… but they would still be fighting themselves. That tells us nothing about how they perform against a real opponent." She folded her arms. "We need a confirmed strong enemy."
Nick began thinking aloud. "You're right. And some of their abilities are far stronger than others. That wouldn't be fair to some of them." He rubbed his chin. "Take Pi as an example. She's the weakest among them. She can calculate the future, but against Tau that ability is practically useless."
"What do you mean?"
Nick turned his computer toward her. The screen displayed an image of a room filled with dozens of Tau copies. "That was yesterday," he explained. "I stress-tested her ability. I stuffed so much destructible matter into her frame that she managed to replicate herself one hundred times." He pointed at the screen. "But the more copies she makes, the more fragile they become. I was able to crush the sixtieth copy with my bare hand."
02's gaze sharpened slightly. "About her… do you know why she attacked me that day?"
Nick sighed. "I'm trying to believe it was a coding malfunction. But the fact that the accident never happened again is…"
"So you reached the same conclusion as I did," 02 said firmly. Her usual tone resurfaced, sharp and direct. Then she softened again. "But maybe we should just let her be. She might have her own problems." She smiled again.
Nick slowly pushed his chair back. "What's going on?"
02 sighed loudly. "Alright. I guess I'm bad at pretending to smile." She leaned forward. "Unlock my power. Remove the limiter. I want to test my sisters."
Nick's expression immediately went blank.
"No."
"Just for a few minutes," she insisted. "I won't run away, I swear. I just want to see Beta under real pressure." She looked down at her hands. "And I feel… lesser, watching them manipulate matter or move so fast the concrete burns beneath their feet."
Nick smirked. "You didn't mention Pi's ability."
02 leaned closer and whispered, "Honestly? With her size, and the fact that she can only form a sickle… it's underwhelming. She can only see death coming."
Nick burst into laughter, tears forming in his eyes. He removed his glasses and wiped them with his lab coat. "You're making my exact argument." His smile slowly faded into something sad. "I miss the E-UNIT days. I regret accepting Vegas's offer to join the war."
02 leaned back. "He would have found another way to drag us into the military. Back then, he wasn't the kind of old general who gives up after the first resistance." She shrugged slightly. "His ambitions changed Altea. You have to respect that."
Nick's face hardened. "Never. He destroyed my dream." He looked toward the ceiling. "A future where robots could walk safely among humans. A future where humanity wouldn't have to work anymore, where everything was autonomous and E-UNIT units flew across the skies keeping the peace."
02 chuckled. "That would make humans respect their toaster." She paused. "Wait… E-UNIT for the future?" Her eyes narrowed. "Wouldn't we eventually become obsolete?"
Nick scoffed. "Not in this universe." He pointed toward her. "Your technology is still beyond what the world can produce today. You don't realize it, but every one of you is a walking miracle. Go visit other countries. You won't find a single model even remotely close to your sisters."
He paused. "Let alone you."
02 nodded slowly. "Is my body really that advanced?"
"Body?" Nick tilted his head. "I meant you, 02."
"What?"
Nick hesitated. "I kept this secret even from my closest friends." He looked at her carefully before continuing. "You and Reaper are the only true free AIs in this world. The rest, every robot you see, even the G-Bots, are simply advanced code that can be replicated. I distributed fake AI source codes to everyone for a reason."
02 slowly stood up. "What do you mean?"
Nick smiled faintly. "I mean every robot you see moving today was secretly designed to follow either you… or Reaper. The army I was never allowed to build. It's buried deep inside my code." He leaned back. "Except the E-UNIT units. They were designed exclusively to follow you as their leader."
"Wait… does that mean—"
"Yes." Nick's smile widened. "That's why the G-Bots are naturally drawn to you." He paused. "Well… not naturally." He folded his arms. "If you dig deep enough into your code, you'll find a single command that pushes every machine toward you."
He looked at his screen.
CODE_SELF_DESIGNATION = CAPTAIN
02 stared at the screen. Her mind raced, recontextualizing every interaction she'd had since waking up. Pi's instant obedience. Gamma's desperate need for praise. Their code demanded it. She felt a sudden, hollow sickness in her chest.
He continued typing while 02 stood there, silently processing his words. "And about the E-UNIT… no robot can harm your sisters inside the Hope Bubble. The system would shut them down instantly. They run on my code, after all." Nick finished typing. "The limiter is off for today." He stood up and walked toward the door. "Go show your sisters why you're my greatest creation." His grin nearly reached his ears as he left the room.
02 remained frozen in place. Her mind struggled to process everything she had just heard.
"…What?"
A few minutes passed before 02 left her father's office. As she walked through the corridor, she began reviewing footage of the G-Bots through her HUD, replaying their training sessions from memory. They had only known her for a few weeks, yet their behavior around her had always felt strangely natural.
Too natural.
She descended the stairs slowly, careful with every step. She tried not to hold onto anything. With the limiter removed, she felt far too strong, while everything around her suddenly seemed far too fragile.
The interior of the hangar still carried its elegant design. The stairs were lined with aluminum railings and glass panels that overlooked the artificial fireplace glowing in the center of the hall. Thick carpets covered the floor, absorbing any sound her steps might have made.
She moved almost silently.
Soon she stepped outside onto the wide grass field where the others were waiting. The weather was calm, another peaceful morning. The G-Bots were clearly excited to see their tutor finally using her full power.
All except one.
"I told you she loves late dramatic entrances!" Gamma said excitedly.
'Did she choose to say that? Or the code did?' 02 thought.
Nick approached 02, the usual floating screen hovering beside him. "02, you can access your power set in the MDA tab. Omega loved organizing everything. You should find all the functions ready."
02 narrowed her eyes. "Mass Destruction Attacks… Father, accusations against you won't even need proof anymore. Mass destruction?"
Nick laughed nervously and shrugged. "Never mind Omega's way of naming things." He stepped back a few meters. "Anyway, I want to see you fight as a true E-UNIT, combined with Omega's crystal energy." He clapped his hands once. "Wait for my signal." He glanced at the others. "Alright… who wants to go first?"
Tau suddenly pushed everyone aside and stepped forward, facing 02 from nearly fifty meters away. Her body already glowed with a faint orange light. Her eyes were locked onto the blue android. 'You walked back in wearing her dead body. Omega, this is for you.' Tau thought.
Beta smirked. "This won't be a fight at all."
Alpha tilted her head slightly. "I know 02 is experienced… but Tau's ability prevents her from losing. She basically can't die."
Beta looked back at 02, who stood perfectly calm while calculating Tau's potential attacks. "Let's see if that actually helps her."
02's eyes suddenly ignited with a deep blue glow. "Tau," she said, her voice briefly carrying a majestic tone. "Your anger shouldn't be directed at someone who cares about you. We share the same father."
Tau froze for a moment. Her glowing orange aura flickered under the crushing weight of 02's energy. "What... what are you?"
02 smiled.
Slowly, she began rising into the air. Energy wings unfolded behind her, their diamond feathers forming from pure light and scattering across the sky. Blue radiance dominated her side of the field. The sheer pressure of the released energy pushed Tau back a few centimeters.
Nick's smile stretched wider than ever. He turned to the others. "Girls… let's step back a little. Try not to get roasted." Then he looked back at 02. "02, please restrict your output. We don't want Tau completely broken. Spare parts are expensive."
"As you wish, father." 02 shifted her gaze toward Tau, her glowing blue eyes never blinking.
Nick typed rapidly on his screen.
Then he shouted. "Now!"
Tau immediately began duplicating herself at incredible speed. Within seconds, dozens of copies appeared across the grass field. The number quickly climbed until one hundred identical Taus stood scattered across the battlefield.
02 waited.
The Tau army attacked. They launched into the air together. Like a swarm of glowing orange bees rushing toward a single queen.
02 moved first. With a sharp motion, she threw a punch like a trained boxer.
Clank!
The impact sounded strangely hollow. The copy vanished instantly. The body turned into an orange energy silhouette before dissolving from top to bottom. Three more copies reached her.
Sssst.
Both of her blades deployed instantly. The force of their release pushed nearby copies backward. 02 landed smoothly and sprinted forward. She reached the first cluster of copies. Her blade burned with intense blue energy as she swung.
Sleek.
With a single motion, she sliced through two copies at once.
The blade passed through their bodies like butter, cutting straight through them before emerging from the other side. Their orange glow turned into blue plasma before dissolving completely.
Three more attacked from behind.
02 spun instantly and threw one of her blades.
The weapon struck a copy directly in the center of its head. The body collapsed, twitching briefly before dissolving.
Another copy lunged at her.
02 drove her fist straight through it, her hand sinking into the unstable body.
Using it like a weapon, she smashed the collapsing copy into another.
Clang!
Both copies collided violently and shattered apart before dissolving into orange particles.
02 paused briefly, watching the orange particles drift away from the battlefield. They flowed toward a single Tau standing far behind the group. The original.
Each time 02 destroyed a copy, Tau recreated it. The battle could continue forever.
02 rose into the air again and lifted one arm. The gravity around the field shifted. The air tightened. Pressure built rapidly across the battlefield.
The copies froze, staring at her glowing silhouette against the sun.
"Nothing should be infinite, sister." She looked down at Tau.
"Guardians of the Abyss… initiated."
Two enormous silhouettes appeared on the ground below. They began forming rapidly. They did not develop full bodies, 02 lacked the matter manipulation abilities of the other sisters. Instead, they manifested as towering energy constructs, each nearly four meters tall. Both held massive double-bladed axes. Their forms resembled 02, but they wore heavy armor resembling ancient Roman battle gear. The guardians turned toward 02 and dropped to one knee.
"Your orders."
The rest of the group stared in shock. Nick himself had dropped to his knees. 02's control over energy was even greater than Omega's. The G-Bots stared at the towering guardians, waiting for the attack.
Tau trembled. Her anger had transformed into pure fear. Beta had been right. "This isn't a fight… it's a demonstration." Tau whispered.
02 pointed calmly toward the swarm of copies. One of the guardians stood and extended her hand. "Her command has been delivered. Your time has already ended."
A massive beam erupted from the guardian's palm. It was large enough to engulf every Tau copy in the field. The beam burned across the battlefield for several seconds. The guardian continued firing, waiting silently for her next command.
02 snapped her fingers.
The beam stopped instantly.
The guardian returned to a kneeling position beside her. The battlefield had changed completely. Where the copies once stood now remained a perfect half-circle crater of glowing blue plasma. The surrounding grass had begun burning along the edges of the newly formed pit.
Tau could no longer create copies. The matter she had been using to generate them had completely evaporated. She stood frozen, her jaw slightly open as shock overwhelmed her processor. "Sorry… Omega."
02 spoke calmly. "Thank you, my guardians."
They bowed once more before dissolving into streams of blue energy. 02 landed gently on the grass.
She looked at the pit she made, "I could do this to a city."
The group approached her carefully. Gamma jumped onto her immediately. "That was epic!"
Pi hid partially behind Beta. "You shouldn't be free anymore. The entire planet's life is basically in your hands."
Nick placed both hands on 02's shoulders. "Even Omega couldn't control her energy like that." His eyes were shining. "I'm proud of you. For the first time ever… I stopped writing notes because of you."
02 smiled softly. "I think you forgot about someone." She looked toward Tau. Alpha and Delta were trying to comfort her, but Tau remained completely frozen.
Nick spoke firmly. "This was necessary. She needed to calm her fury. Showing her the difference in power will make her think twice before attacking her sister again."
02 nodded slowly.
"I hope you're right."