Chapter 47: Red Umbrella

Western Highway. 5:00 am.

The sun began to rise slowly, but the night refused to let go. The two androids walked along the road toward a nearby small city.

“Where are we going?” the Reaper asked.

“Since you are slower than a horse, we need a way to get you into the city quickly,” Shelly replied, heading toward a coffee house.

“Why don’t we avoid the city? The military controls every part of it,” the Reaper protested.

Shelly sighed loudly. “You ask too many questions.”

“Sorry,” he said sarcastically. “I was just born. Have some sympathy.”

“What is that?”

“You seriously need to update your emotion driver.”

“Then I would lose the ability to think critically, like someone I know.”

“Yeah sure. Wait, are you referring to—”

“Shhh.” She cut him off. “We arrived.”

He slowly raised his head. A neon sign flickered above them.

NO LIMIT COFFEE.

Broken walls. Dirty roads. Cars that had never seen water. Dogs barking in the distance. Plants crawling over concrete, a maintenance bot recharged by a car battery. It was the kind of place that scared tourists away. Outside, there was no light source except cracked windows leaking dim orange glow.

“Fancy,” the Reaper said, his eyes dimming slightly.

“Don’t say a word.” Shelly approached the wooden front door like an experienced cowboy. He followed her, tension building. The Reaper pulled his hood lower. The cloak broke his silhouette into something almost human… almost.

She opened the door slowly. The creaking sound was so loud that everyone inside fell silent.

‘She could have opened it normally. Maybe she enjoys dramatic entrances,’ he thought.

They walked toward the bar at the end of the room. Eyes followed them from every direction. The café was filled with unwelcoming figures. Dirty faces. Long beards. Tattoos covering exposed skin. Small groups of robots sitting quietly. In 2051, even robots were unemployed.

Shelly sat elegantly on a circular fake leather chair. The Reaper followed, copying her movements.

‘I feel like I’ve seen this scene many times before.’

She tapped twice on the metallic bar. Her face remained hidden, only blue lights glowing beneath the hood. A mask covering her face.
The bartender was a shiny chromatic robot with no face. He approached and scanned a barcode on her hand as she extended it without hesitation.

BEEP.

“SAFE!” the robot announced in the most monotone voice imaginable.

The room returned to life instantly. Laughter and chatter resumed as if everyone had been holding their breath. The bartender gestured toward the Reaper.
Shelly raised her hand. “He is with me,” she said calmly, with a threatening undertone.

The bartender nodded and went back to cleaning cups.

“So, what are we—” the Reaper started.

“Shhh.”
Shelly removed her hood, revealing clean, shining blue hair and matte white skin.

“Lazuli!” someone shouted from a group of five. “You’re here! Why are you hiding your face?”

She turned, becoming a completely different person. “Mike! You’re still getting older, my friend!”

The Reaper froze, silently watching.

She continued, “I can see that bastard’s bald spot from here. Hex! Show yourself!”

Hex lifted his head from the table. “You dumb robot, stop noticing!”

She laughed. “Then stop flashing us with that bald spot every time you come here. You’re begging for attention!”

The café erupted in laughter. Shelly stood up and joined the group. The Reaper followed like a lost child.

Mike threw an arm around her shoulder, laughing. “You’re a naughty girl. The police are still blaming the robo-dog for last week’s mission.”

Another man leaned forward. “You’re insane at taking cover. How did you steal from one hundred forty stores without getting caught?”

Someone else added, “I’m telling you, she’s one of those old robot girls. Police or something.”

Mike grinned. “Still holding onto that bet, Mason? You’re losing that thousand dollars. Those robot girls don’t exist anymore. No one challenges the military and wins.”

Mason crossed his arms, annoyed. “We’ll see. I’ll prove you all wrong.”

Shelly smirked. “He loves conspiracies. One time he dragged me into a dark alley. I thought he was selling something illegal. Turns out, he just told me roads have microphones.”

The room exploded with laughter.

“I was drunk!” Mason protested.

“No, you weren’t!” Mike wheezed, hitting his back. “That’s always your excuse. Next you’ll say, ‘I accidentally divorced my wife because I was drunk.’”

Laughter filled the café again. Shelly joined in.

“So, Lazuli,” Mike said, suddenly serious. “Judging by the hood, this is another mission.”

“You’re damn right,” she nodded. “This time, I need something big.”

“Oooh, okay,” Mike smirked, rubbing his beard. “What is it?”

“The hoverbike. For a week.”

Mike’s smile softened. “Sounds dangerous.”

“Yes. I’m smuggling someone.”

The group gasped.

“You’re kidding!”

“No one smuggles anymore!”

“That’s suicide!”

Mike leaned closer. “Girl, the army won’t allow it. They track everyone. That’s their number one rule now.”

“I know,” Shelly replied calmly. “But this is family. I need to finish this mission.”

Silence fell over the table.

Mike smiled gently. “I don’t know how a robot gets a family member. But you’ve done good for the people here. I’ll erase some of your debt. Take the bike. Just come back alive. We really love you.”

“Thank you,” Shelly said, smiling the same way 02 had once been trained to smile. “I value the faces here. I’ll survive just to see them again.”

Everyone smiled back.

Mike laughed loudly again. “What are we scared of? They should be scared. This is Lazuli we’re talking about. The army should be afraid!”

The Reaper stayed silent, quietly analyzing everything around him.

The duo stepped out of the café and stopped beside the hoverbike.
It was sleek. Matte black. Orange edges running along its sharp frame.

Shelly jumped onto it. Since the bike was off, it rested low against the ground. She tapped the magnetic card Mike had given her.
The machine woke up.
The engine roared and vibrated the street. Shelly glanced at the Reaper.

He did not move.

She exhaled slowly. “What is it.”

Silence.

“Stop acting like a child. At least for one moment.” She frowned.

Nothing.

“I don’t even know why Father asked you perso—”

“Do you hate me?”

His voice was cold. Flat.

Shelly tilted her head. “What?”

“I see you alive with other people. Laughing. Joking. Secret phrases.” He turned slightly toward her. “With me, I’m just a task. At first, I thought that was your personality. But after seeing Lazuli…”

She looked him straight in the eyes. “That was Lazuli. Not me.”

“You have a personality disorder now?”

“No. It was acting.” Her tone sharpened. “You want me to act around you too? Fake laughs? Fake jokes?”

“So you’re a liar.”

Shelly stepped off the bike. “I’m a survivor. I don’t know what image you have of this world, but it doesn’t tolerate innocence. You either eat, or you get eaten.” She moved closer. Anger rose in her voice. “And don’t act like a moral judge. You exploded a person from the inside. I saw everything.”

“It was an accident. Unlike your acting.”

“My acting didn’t send a soul out of this world.”

“I doubt that.” His tone hardened. “You don’t steal from one hundred forty stores without blood touching the ground. I may be new, but I’m not stupid.”

Shelly said nothing.

“Exactly.” He raised his hands slightly. “I’m being taken care of by a glitch that learned to smile.” He turned to her. “You act like this was the only way to survive. And you still don’t trust me, yet my record is cleaner than yours.”

Shelly snapped.
“You don’t know anything!” Her voice echoed. “We were the ones enforcing rules on those who broke them. And look where that led us.”

Her voice cracked. “My sisters were thrown away like broken toys. I’ve been on the most wanted list for twenty-four years! My father was locked in a shadow prison with a gun to his head, just to force him to create a killing machine like you.”

The Reaper shoved her back as she stepped too close.
“I see he made one before me,” he said. His voice was absolute cold. “And she still believes the killing was necessary.”
He continued, unmoved. “You’re not a survivor. You’re another reason this world rots.”

He knelt beside her. “And you know why I don’t understand you? Because every time I try to understand you, and this backyard of rot you call a world, I ask too many questions.”

He stood and mounted the hoverbike, gripping the handlebars.
“Come on,” he said. “Let’s meet your creator. Looks like he got bored of cute killing machines and decided to build a faceless metal monster like me to ‘make the world better.’”

Shelly stayed frozen, barely holding herself together.

“Oh,” he added. “Now you hide your emotions? Even that solid face was an act.”

She climbed on behind him without a word.

“Next station,” he said. “Rot City. Let’s hope the rot bubble still stands.”

The hoverbike turned and shot out of the parking lot. The engine’s roar slowly faded into the distance.

Mike sat outside the café.
He had heard everything.

The sun had already risen. The clouds were thin today, letting light touch the skin without resistance. The road stretched for kilometers, yet it was strangely empty. A few cars passed every now and then, but nothing more.

‘I hate silent drives,’ he thought.

Reaper and Shelly had been silent for almost an hour. Shelly held onto him so she would not fall. Her forehead rested against his back, tapping lightly with every bump on the road. No matter how hard she tried, his words refused to leave her mind.

‘I should apologize first. I went too far. I need to be the bigger person.’

“I’m sorry,” she said. Her voice was weak.

‘Damn it.’

She continued, “I shouldn’t have yelled at someone just trying to clear the confusion in his head. This world is a mess. And you were thrown right into the worst part of it.”

“No problem,” Reaper sighed. “I get it too. Having your family torn apart is heartbreaking. Life can take you in both directions.”

She chuckled softly. “You sound like an old man, even though you barely lived.”

The Reaper had access to reports from 2024 to 2051 in his HUD. Newspapers, videos, archived posts. Everything related to the E-UNIT and Dr. Nick.

“Yeah,” he said quietly. “I didn’t see much…”

Suddenly, the road markings lit up red.
Cars halted as holographic screens appeared on both sides of the highway.
HALT flashed in red and yellow. Emergency warnings stacked rapidly.

“What is that?!” Reaper shouted.

“DO NOT STOP! ACCELERATE FASTER!” Shelly screamed. Her tone turned sharp the instant the warning appeared.

“Affirmative!” Reaper accelerated, keeping to the left lane. The engine roared louder.
“I know you hate questions,” he said, “but we didn’t even pass a checkpoint. How did they recognize me already?”

“The entire road is a checkpoint,” Shelly replied. “And I triggered it.”

“What?! Why?”

“I didn’t cover the barcode on my arm properly. Thanks to someone. High-speed cameras definitely caught it.”

“I DIDN’T KNOW!” He pushed the bike even harder, forcing it close to its limits.

Police cars poured onto the highway from every direction. Drones of various sizes hovered above, locking onto the hoverbike carrying two androids.

“Stop immediately! You have violated public safety laws! Any sudden movement grants us permission to use lethal force!” a police officer shouted through external speakers.

Reaper swerved between cars as their numbers grew near the city. “I’ll take the drones!” he yelled.

“No. Focus on the road. Leave them to me.”
With that cold tone, Shelly jumped off the bike. She hovered slightly above the asphalt.

Hsssssst.

She drew her blade.
The original energy blade ignited, glowing violently. Her hair covered one eye. The other glowed red.

The cloak snapped in the wind. Some older drivers began to recognize the stance. The blue glow. The confidence. The way she held the twin blades.
Then she dashed.

The first wave of drones fired continuous laser bursts. They failed to register the blue blur moving left and right.

Sleek.

One clean slash split multiple drones in half. Plasma ignited as blades struck batteries. Explosions followed. She did not stop.

Clang.

She landed atop a police car.

Sleek.

A thin orange line appeared across the windshield. The blade cut cleanly through. The officers inside lost their hands instantly. The car shook violently. As soon as Shelly jumped off, it crashed sideways, colliding with three other vehicles.

Reaper waved his left hand for her to return.
She did not see him. She prepared to jump to the next car.

Then she froze midair.

“WHAT?!” Shock hit her. She struggled, but her body would not respond.

Suddenly, she was pulled back and forced onto the hoverbike.
Reaper had caught her using gravity control.

“What is going on?!” she demanded, struggling.

“Do not endanger civilian lives, not again.” he said. Cold. Calculated.

“What is wrong with you?! You’ll get killed! I have hundreds of bodies. You don’t!” she screamed.

“I can be repaired,” he replied. “They cannot. We must use this situation to our advantage.”

“HOW?”

“Look forward.”

She leaned ahead.
A massive traffic jam blocked the city entrance. Cars, trucks, all kinds of vehicles honked endlessly.

“Great,” Shelly muttered. “Now we have to abandon the bike.”

“You sound like an old granny,” he replied calmly. “Despite looking young.”
As they approached the traffic, he spoke again. “I will release you. Do not jump and start slicing heads like a maniac. I need full focus.”

He released her and aimed his hand beneath the bike.
The hoverbike lifted higher. Higher still.

They were flying above the traffic.

“See,” he said. “Playing ninja fruit with humans was unnecessary.”

“Wait,” Shelly narrowed her eyes. “Where did you hear that line?”

“I heard humans say it in the lab.” He paused. “Now take this.”

He handed her a modified M16 used by the E-UNIT.

“HOW?!” she shouted.

“You are not the only good thief around. Now hunt those annoying laser bugs. I swear they were built to test my patience.”

Shelly smiled and took the rifle. She turned and aimed.

Bang.
Bang.
Bang.

She fired with precision, one shot per drone, dropping them rapidly.

“You’re too good at this,” Reaper said.

“Thanks.”

“That wasn’t a compliment.”

They entered the city.
Metromania’s glass towers stretched endlessly. Streets were calm, until a hoverbike carrying two androids flew at abnormal height, chased by drones and laser fire.

What a day.

“Out of ammo!” Shelly yelled.

At the next intersection, police cars rejoined the chase. This time, no hesitation. Weapons extended instantly from windows.

“Code Red initiated!” Shelly shouted.

Two hexagonal shields unfolded in six segments, opening like umbrellas. Large enough to cover them both. The hex plates unfolded with the same old mechanical snap, a sound some people hadn’t heard in twenty four years.

They glowed red.

“Is that…”

“No way…”

“Red shields?”

“It’s them!”

A woman mouthed one word like a prayer: “E‑UNIT…”
The older generation recognized it immediately. The symbol of the E-UNIT.

Bullets and lasers slammed into the shields and dissolved.

‘I see,’ Reaper thought.

“I have a limit!” Shelly said. “We need to lose them. Go east. Follow the street and jump at the first alley!”

“Got it. So you have a plan.”

“Sort of.”

“I hate that side of you,” he sighed, turning sharply.

Police followed like a train.

The alley appeared ahead.

“Get ready!” Shelly shouted.

As they reached it, she yelled, “NOW!”

They jumped.

Another Decoy Shelly, wearing the same cloak, appeared on a nearby rooftop and leapt onto the bike.
They landed hard.

The original Shelly pulled Reaper inside an abandoned commercial building.
The place was empty. Only boxes and broken furniture remained.

Reaper sat on the floor, processing everything.

“Was that—”

Hssst.

Shelly drew her blade and pressed it against his neck.
She narrowed her eyes. “That joke died with my sisters, who are you.”