Chapter 05: Faded Light.

Outside Dr Nick’s Office. 5:40 PM.

Hours had passed since 02 handed her sister’s broken body to Dr. Nick.

She hadn’t moved a centimeter. She leaned against the wall outside the lab, expressionless. Destroyed. And angry.

She thought their one-year training and constant victories made them untouchable. But life had just shown her the ugly truth: Everything is balanced. Only God is exempt from that rule. And these androids were definitely not gods—not when 03 was in the next room, half-destroyed.

To the world, they had only been active for a few days. But for them, it had been a whole year of simulation training. They developed a bond that only the word "family" could describe.

02 stood in silence. Every few minutes, a notification would pop up on her HUD. The other E-UNITs calling to check on 03. But in reality... they were checking on their Captain. They could feel her slowly losing herself.

The Factory Ruins. 05:55 PM.

05 worked in silence. Her movements were precise, almost graceful. Every shattered piece of glass, every trace of DNA, every scorched bullet casing—collected. Nothing escaped her scanners.

She was always like this—perfectionist, curious, dangerously smart. Maybe because she read too much. Most of those books weren’t even hers; she’d “borrowed” them from her Father’s digital library months ago.

She didn’t really read—she scanned. Each page flashed before her eyes for less than a second. If she went any faster, the paper might catch fire. Usually, she read while working. But not today.

On her display, instead of words and diagrams, there was a replay. The Captain.

Blood dripping from her hand. That red, cold gaze. Her voice calm but empty. Her movements mechanical, terrifying, powerful.

05 whispered, almost admiringly. “Terminator…”

She didn’t fear her Captain. She didn’t feel disgust or pity. Instead, her eyes widened with awe.

“She was freaking cool! I can’t believe she went that wild! She smashed their faces like piñatas!” She chuckled to herself, shaking her head as she picked up a piece of scrap metal. “No wonder Father chose her as Captain… ruthless, unstoppable. That’s our 02.”

High Above Metromania. 06:00 PM.

01 was flying the two captured criminals to the Metro PD for interrogation. She wasn't using a vehicle. She didn't need one.

She held one mercenary by the back of his collar with her left hand, dangling him over the city lights. The other clung desperately to her back, his face buried in her armor to avoid looking down at the 2,000-foot drop.

“Did you see how cool she was?” 01 shouted over the wind, full of excitement. “She’s not a captain—she’s The Captain!”

The criminal dangling from her hand nodded quickly, his legs kicking at empty air. “That cold gaze alone would make me faint! Whoever built her… your maker’s got taste.”

The other one on her back added nervously, “I’m just glad I wasn’t in that poor guy’s boots!”

01 laughed. “Right!? She was a walking cinematic moment! I’ve gotta train more—at least reach ten percent of her level someday.”

The first criminal tried to cheer her up. “Hey, with hard work, maybe even fifty!”

The second added, “Yeah, you’re strong yourself.”

01 smiled proudly. “Ahh, thanks! But no, she’s built different. Father once said she holds more power than any other of his creations.”

Both criminals turned pale. “Wait… Father!?”

01 blinked, realizing what she said. “Uh—classified!”

As they glided over the city, one of the prisoners muttered to the other: “Your creator got some weird kinks, you know that?”

01 burst out laughing. Then, she went quiet, looking toward the glowing skyline. “I just hope 03 survives…”

* * *

E-UNIT HQ. 06:20 PM.

04 was leaning on the railing of the upper floor, watching the Captain from afar. 02 had been standing by the office door for hours. Her back pressed to the wall; head lowered.

The usually fierce leader now looked… human. She’d nearly lost her sister. And that thought alone shattered her.

04 approached carefully. “Captain?”

No response.

“Don’t worry about her,” 04 continued, forcing a smile. “She’ll be remade in no time. We’re robots, remember? As long as the data exists—”

02’s voice was quiet. Trembling. “What if her SSD didn’t survive?”

04 snapped suddenly, louder than she meant to. “BUT IT DID! And that’s what matters!”

02 replied quietly, staring at the floor. “You don’t understand, 04…”

Click. The lab door opened. The Father came out. His eyes were swollen, dark circles underneath them. He looked terrible.

02 jumped to him, panic controlling her movements. “So!?” 04 followed. “Is she alright??”

Dr. Nick sighed—a big, heavy sigh. “Yes. She survived. The luck was on our side this time. The core memory is intact.”

02 and 04 shouted in unison. “Yeeees!” 04 cheered, hitting 02 on her shoulder. “I told you, Captain! Just hope for the best!”

Nick cut her off. His voice was low. “But... we don’t have the spare body parts. We don't have the CPUs to remake her body.”

The cheering stopped.

“Her SSD is staying in my office,” Nick whispered. “In stasis. We are hoping for a budget increase. I really can do nothing here. The parts she needs... they cost millions.”

Nick rubbed his face, muttering as he walked past them. “I’ll reinforce the SSD housing next time. And I really need to call Mikael about that budget…”

His voice faded down the hall.

02 sat on the floor, her back sliding down the wall until she hit the ground. 04 instantly bowed. “S-sorry, Captain. I thought—”

02 shot her a glare so cold it froze her mid-motion. 04 panicked. “…Captain?”

02 turned her gaze toward the outside in the window. In that moment, a new fire burned inside her. Not rage. Not panic. Purpose.

The destruction of 03 had awakened something dark and unstoppable.

“They’ll pay,” she whispered. “I held myself back from destroying the entire factory. I wanted to hit them more, but 03 needed us.”

04 joined her, voice serious. “Everyone who dares to be a roadblock in our way will be crushed. But we have to be careful. We’re their main target now.”

02 stood up. “Then we kill the rats in our house first.”

02 changed in that moment. Being lovely and following protocol led to her losing the dearest thing she had. It was time for things to take a turn. It was time to go dark. Mercy cost her a sister.

Mil Meals Restaurant. 10:54 PM.

Alfred Kane arrived at Mil Meals—a high-class restaurant that served as a playground for the elite.

The streets of Metromania were empty and cold, but inside, the restaurant was alive. Warm light spilled through the windows. The rich were laughing, chatting about million-dollar projects, and celebrating the housing market crash that let them squeeze the poor for more rent.

No middle-class citizen dared to even look at the menu.

Inside, it was a different world. Red velvet carpets. Waiters in suits more expensive than most people's cars. Chandeliers dripping with 21-karat gold pieces. Old art hanging in every corner.

Kane walked past the tables. He went straight to the VIP section. A waiter took his coat without a word. They knew him. He was a loyal customer—and the owner himself had summoned him.

He reached the private table. Two high-value figures were waiting.

Fredric Mil, the 54-year-old Mayor of Metromania. He had ruled this town for 14 years. Yuan Shikimori, the 82-year-old CEO of Metro Robotics. The man who built the machines.

They were laughing. “...I’m telling you,” Mil chuckled, swirling his wine, “the look on that guy's face! I squeezed the life out of him!”

Shikimori smiled back. “You are ruthless, my friend. Oh—look. Our Detective Gadget has arrived!”

Mil laughed louder. “Haha! He looks too tense. Loosen up, pal!”

Kane sat down with practiced elegance. He slammed his hand on the table jokingly. “You bastards know how to get on my nerves.”

Shikimori replied, “Mil is right! You really need to loosen up a bit. Both in mentality…” He looked pointedly at Kane’s stomach. “…and literally.”

Kane laughed. “Haha! That little belly of mine will never catch up to Mil’s globe.”

Mil frowned, annoyed. “Alright, alright. Enough messing around. We need to talk.”

Shikimori nodded. The jovial old man vanished, replaced by the CEO. “On point, Mil. So, Kane? I guess you have some explaining to do.”

Kane sighed. He poured himself a glass of water. “Before you get angry... I know I messed up by sending them to your factory. But I really needed to slow them down. I needed to see what they could do against heavy armor.”

“Targeting an ally is a sign of mistrust,” Mil said sharply.

“Exactly,” Shikimori joined in. “Friendly fire will never be tolerated. However...” He leaned forward. “I understand. I saw the security footage. And let me say—whoever made those things did an incredible job. They dismantled our dummy factory in minutes. They are efficient.”

Kane nodded grimly. “They are more than capable. For now, they are following protocol. But if the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Police Head grant them full power... we will be massacred in a month. At most.”

Mil’s face twisted. “A month? That is a great threat.”

Shikimori cut him off. “I already destroyed one of them. No need to panic. But you, Mil—you need to ensure they never make more. Press our friends at the Ministry of defense.”

Mil nodded, confident. “No need to worry on that part. I’ve already frozen their assets. The Minister is against the idea of fully automated, high-threat robots outside of military control. Their budget is dead.”

Kane exhaled, relief washing over him. “Thank god. We really need to be cautious here. Did you send your clean-up crew to the factory?”

Shikimori smiled. “On their way already. And Kane... do not launch a reckless plan like that again without discussing it with us first. Okay? Or things will change for the worst. The Owner hates wasted efforts. And money.”

Kane froze for a second. “That man can really be scary.”

Suddenly, five waiters appeared, placing plate after plate of exquisite food on the table. Shikimori clapped his hands excitedly. “Now! The best part of the night has arrived! Talk to you later, gentlemen. I really like to enjoy my food in silence!”

The two men laughed at him. They ate, drank, and celebrated their control over the city.

That night, they felt untouchable. They didn’t know that they had just messed with the wrong robot.

Dr. Nick’s Office. 10:57 PM.

Dr. Nick was in a secure video call with Mikael. Both of their schedules were full, so the night was the only time they could talk freely. Usually, these late-night meetings were celebrations—success here, government support there.

This time was different. The polar opposite.

Dr. Nick sat silent, his face buried in his hands. Mikael was shuffling reports, waiting for the usual joke or tease to lighten the mood. It never came.

Mikael broke the silence. “Are you okay, Doctor? You look terrible.”

Nick fixed his posture, rubbing his eyes. “I am fine. But the E-UNITs aren’t.”

Mikael replied in shock. “What! There is no way your prediction was this accurate!”

Nick smiled, instantly breaking his act. The "Sad Dad" vanished, replaced by the Strategist. “I told you, Mikael. There isn’t a situation that can’t be predicted. If the variables are known, the results are inevitable.” A grin drew across his face. He had already planned for this.

Mikael slammed his desk in excitement. “I cannot believe I found a gem like you, Nick! Our partnership will bloom soon.” He sat back, putting a hand under his chin. “But we do have a tangible problem here…”

Nick’s voice was calm. “The budget won’t move, huh? Don’t worry. My girls will take care of that.”

Mikael frowned, confused. “How? Without the right man in the right position, there is no way we can bypass the Ministry of Defense. They hold us at gunpoint by freezing every bit of liquidity we have.”

Nick leaned into the camera, pure confidence radiating from him. “Just do your part. The whole system will be yours. We will clean every bit of rot, just the way you wanted.”

Mikael smiled in genuine happiness. “You know the right words to please a man, Dr. Nick. You—”

SLAM!

The office door flew open. 02 stormed in. She didn't walk; she marched straight to her father’s desk. “We need to talk.”

Nick jumped, genuinely startled this time. “02! What are you doing—”

BAM. She slammed her metallic hands on his desk, cutting him off. “I won’t tolerate the cold reaction from you again. We need to strike back.”

Mikael spoke from the screen. “But Captain, you need to understand. We are working on the budget—”

02 cut him off too. Her eyes were burning. “Is that all that is stopping us now? Mikael! We are not working fast enough! My sister is sitting on a desk like a decoration piece! You told us that connections were the least of your worries!”

Dr. Nick stood up. His voice was calm but firm. “02. Let’s talk.” He looked her dead in the eyes.

02 took a fake breath. Her shoulders dropped slightly. “Alright. Then, let’s talk.” She stood beside her father, facing the screen.

Nick started. “So, as we were speaking, the money is at its lowest point. This time, the Ministry of Defense blocked the whole funding.”

Mikael joined in. “Your attack at the factory led to consequences we didn't hope for. Because of the raid, Metro Robotics announced ‘unexpected losses.’ They increased the price of their technology and weapons sold to the Army.”

02 narrowed her eyes.

“That caused the Ministry of Defense to search for liquid cash to pay the corporation the price difference,” Mikael continued. “And to their luck, they found our budget the easiest one to ‘slurp.’ They needed a reason, of course. And they used your huge success as a weapon against us.”

Dr. Nick nodded. “They sent a letter. They observed your incredible work in the prison, the drug den, and the bank. They declared the E-UNIT project ‘Finished.’ It doesn't need extra funding. The ‘priorities’ required them to move chunks of funding from an ‘experimental side project’ to a ‘vital military need.’”

Mikael finished the thought. “And they are using the war at the western border as a valid reason to prioritize external threats rather than internal ones.”

02 looked down. Defeated. She was a creature of logic. When logic was used against her, she had no defense. The Irony: The E-UNITs destroyed the factory to stop corruption. The factory claimed losses. The government took the E-UNIT's money to pay the factory. They had paid for their own destruction.

“Giving up will only give them more feeding ground to crush us all,” she whispered.

Nick smiled. “Of course. We will strike back. Just finish the investigation, and we will do the rest.”

02 felt a spark of hope. “Thanks, Father. But before I go… one request. Did you finish analyzing the Super Speed data?”

Nick blinked. “From when you carried 03? Yes. I can surely allow it now. The chassis stress levels were within acceptable limits. I will unlock it for the others later. But how did you know it was ready?”

02 didn’t answer. She was already turning away. “Thanks for the info! I will make sure to use the speed in crucial moments.”

She walked toward the door, her stride heavy with purpose.

“02…” Nick called out, his tone cold.

Beep. A voice crackled in her internal comms. “Captain. Are you there?” It was 05.

02 touched her ear. “I’m here.”

She walked out into the hallway. The politics were messy. The budget was gone. But she had her speed. And she had a target.

*

The Factory Ruins. 10:50 PM.

05 hid behind a massive industrial press. She had already sent a van full of mech cores back to base using the police’s drones. But before she could leave, guests arrived.

A large white truck pulled up. The logo on the side was half-torn: ‘MET… …ICS’. It didn’t come alone. A police cruiser with veteran cops escorted it.

05’s processors whirred. ‘Why are they here? To clean? I already took everything important.’

Voices echoed from behind the cracked concrete. A senior officer was speaking to a group of men in grey suits.

“Don’t worry about it, it’s done. They won’t come back here soon. They lost one bot already.”

“Are you sure? They’re fast. And strong.”

“Seriously? They’re just little girls in metal body!”

“Even so, we need to be careful! Did you see what they did to our mech pilot? The mechs themselves are shredded!”

“For that alone, The CEO will have their heads on a platter.”

“Shut it! Clean everything up, fast! Only the cores remain.”

05 opened a secure line. “Captain. Are you there?”

02’s voice crackled in, “05. Report.”

“I’m still at the factory. But I’m not alone. A clean-up team from the corporation is here. And they brought police.”

“Don’t move,” 02 ordered instantly. “I’m on my way.” distorted by wind noise.

“You won’t make it in time. You’re at the lab.”

“Father unlocked my limiters,” 02 replied, her voice devoid of emotion. “I have Super Speed now. He reviewed the data. I’m fine.”

05 said quietly. “Will it be available for us all later on? If not, that’s not fair.”

“Life is not fair,” 02 said. Her tone was heavy. “I experienced that firsthand today.”

05 felt the sadness radiating through the connection. “Captain. 03’s SSD is intact. She will be rebuilt. All we need to do is break this system, and 03 will be by your side again.”

“You’re wrong, 05,” 02 replied. The wind noise on her end stopped. “Breaking it won’t satisfy me anymore. I will burn it. I will burn it to ashes so nobody who touched this rot will ever be safe again.”

“Burning a whole spine of rot will take more than two hands, Captain. We will be here for you. And for 03.”

“Thank you, 05.”

05 jumped. The voice didn't come from the comms. It came from right beside her. She turned. 02 was crouching next to her in the shadows.

“AHH!” 05 shrieked.

02 clamped a hand over her mouth. “Shut up, idiot!”

Crunch. Footsteps on gravel. One of the police officers had heard the scream. He was walking toward their hiding spot, hand on his pistol.

“At this point a takedown will be necessary…” 02 hissed. “He is coming toward us now.”

Step by step, the officer got closer. The flashlight beam swept over the machinery.

05 looked at 02. ‘Do we engage?’

02 shook her head. “Not yet, without solid evidence, we can’t just arrest the officers,” she whispered. “Let them report the site as clear. We’ll blindside the old man at PD later, if thing turned south, we attack.”

The officer was almost on top of them. “Phil! We are going back now! Come on, my wife’s going to kill me if I'm late today too.”

Phil stopped. He stared into the darkness where the two androids were huddled. “I got paranoid, I guess. Be careful, I heard some voices.” He stepped back.

“Here you go with that ghost topic again! I told you, ghosts are fiction!”

Their voices faded as they walked back to the truck. 02 and 05 stepped out of the shadows. 02 gave 05 a glare that could freeze helium.

05 shivered. “What?”

“Never mind,” 02 sighed. “I hoped those books would make you smarter. Let’s follow the truck.”

The Flatlands. 11:00 PM.

The white truck rolled onto the highway, surrounded by flat grassland and abandoned warehouses. The police car stayed behind to cover the tracks.

02 and 05 took to the sky, trailing the truck from above. But within seconds, the drivers noticed them. It wasn’t hard—two glowing blue figures in the middle of a dark field.

CLANK. The back doors of the truck swung open. Two auto-turrets unfolded, locking onto the aerial targets.

RAT-TAT-TAT-TAT! Bullets rained into the sky.

The sisters dodged effortlessly, twisting through the streams of metal like dancers. “Turrets spotted!” 05 yelled. “Heavy attacks incoming!”

The attackers weren’t done. They aimed heat-seeking rockets.

“No, not this again!” 05 shouted. “Captain, those are heat seekers!”

02’s eyes glowed crimson. “Move back, 05. I’ll handle it.”

“Those are high threat target locking rockets!”

“I have a plan,” 02 replied calmly. “We’ll use the flatlands before we hit the city." 05 reluctantly pulled back. The truck fired two rockets. “Eat that, aliens!”

The rockets screamed toward 02. 02 dropped to the road. “Super Speed: Activated.”

She ran.

She Ran toward the grass land, Sound didn't just blur; it vanished behind her. A blue energy trail sliced through the dusk like a neon scar. To any human eye, she was gone—just a gust of wind and a streak of light tearing across the fresh black asphalt.

The first rocket was relentless, riding her heels, matching her acceleration. But 02’s sensors picked up the second one—damaged, wobbling, lagging far behind.

Perfect.

She calculated the trajectory in a nanosecond. She slammed her heels into the ground, executing a razor-edge U-turn that shredded the grass surface. The sudden change in direction forced the fast rocket to swing wide, struggling to adjust its arc.

Now, she wasn't running away. She was sprinting full throttle straight toward the second, slower rocket. She had become the bait in a deadly sandwich.

The Flatlands became a tunnel of velocity.

Velocity. Impact point. Time to intercept. Jump too early? The fast rocket tracks me over the slow one. Jump too late? become the explosion.

She watched the broken rocket grow larger in her vision. Behind her, the heat of the first rocket licked at her armor. Three meters. Two meters. One.

She jumped. A precise, vertical leap powered by maximum thrust. Two centimeters. That was the margin.

She cleared the gap just as the fast rocket behind her slammed head-on into the slow rocket in front of her.

BOOM!

The two warheads collided mid-air and detonated in a blinding shock of light. Dirt, shrapnel, and fire threw the landscape like confetti. 02 streaked through the aftershock, the force propelling her landing. She skidded to a halt on the grass, safe.

Meanwhile, 05 used the chaos to move. She pushed her speed, leveling her pistol sight. The world slowed into calculation: wind, driver reaction, frame sway.

Click. BANG! The first van’s driver dropped instantly. The vehicle lost control, crashing off-road.

She set the next shot, but then she saw a blue streak slam into the second van like a wrecking ball. CRASH! The impact flipped the metal frame and sent the vehicle skidding across the pavement. The van stopped dead.

05 hovered above, watching her Captain walk through the smoke and wreckage. “She’s on another level… honestly.”

The dust settled. Metal screamed in the wind. Two vans were crumpled roadside, techs sprawled and groaning. 02 hovered back down, her cooling vents hissing loudly as they purged excess heat.

“Are you okay?”

05 laughed, a little shaky. “More than okay. You’re ridiculous.”

They moved in. The ruined vans were messy, but salvageable—much to Metro Robotics’ future discomfort. Evidence, drivers, and cores were now prizes within reach.

02 cocked her head at the horizon where faint lights were already approaching. She straightened. “Time to work.”

05 nodded, eyes bright. “Let’s make them regret cleaning up.”

They melted into action—two sisters hunting the men who thought they could bury the truth.