Bob was silent as the grav-jet flew through the air. Elise, likewise, didn’t speak a word. They continued flying, on and on.

 

“Observation: Commander Bob, this unit calculates we have passed minimum safe distance. On standby for orders.”

 

Bob heaved a sigh.

 

Right.

 

Orders.

 

Plans.

 

He continued staring at the window.

 

“Request: This unit is on standby and awaiting orders.”

 

“…keep us moving and keep watch. I need to think.”

 

“Affirmative.”

 

Bob got up out of the pilot’s seat as Elise took control of the craft. He walked back to the passenger area, slowly lowering himself into one of the seats. He rested his arms on his knees and hung his head.

 

Orders, huh?

 

What should he do?

 

Back then, before the serum, before Saydaa’s mistake, he had to make a choice. The serum with the potential to create supers on demand…or a working mind-control device with massive range. He chose the serum…because he believed under no circumstances would Londyn ever allow the latter to see the light of day.

 

He was wrong.

 

Bob frowned.

 

And that…was all his fault.

 

Because…he knew exactly what he had done.

 

He had betrayed his friend.

 

He lied to her.

 

Manipulated her.

 

Move behind her back.

 

From the very beginning.

 

And this was the result.

 

He heaved a sigh as Nana’s tear-filled face passed through his mind. As Londyn’s final conversation with him repeated in his ears. As he thought of Linda paying for the job he had tasked her with.

He heaved another sigh.

 

Honestly, should he even do anything more?

 

For what had been the results of his actions thus far?

 

He had tried to make the world safer…and he had filled it with more danger and chaos than ever before.

He had tried to compartmentalize, to keep his friend safe from his own sins…and he had broken her.

Bob grit his teeth, clutching his head between his hands.

 

No. That was wrong.

 

He knew the truth.

It was never about keeping the world safe.

It was never about protecting his friends.

 

It was about power. Control. Pride.

 

Because on that day...

On his first job as a minion...and during his first encounter with a super...

When the walls collapsed upon him...

When the air tore itself apart...

When the strongest men he knew were tossed about like ragdolls in a hurricane...

He had been afraid.

More afraid than he had ever felt before.

He had been powerless.

He had been weak.

He had been helpless.

 

And he had hated it.

 

And so he had lashed out.

He told himself, it was to protect the little man. The mere morals caught in battles between gods. To reign in the supers.

But the ILS was enough for that.

The dream Londyn had…could have been true.

Just have the EL Bank applications sent to the ILS and arrange a non-aggression pact with Eternal Night and voila. As safe a world as was possible.

 

But that wasn’t enough for him.

 

He didn’t just want to contain the supers.

He wanted to best them.

To strike a blow for the weak.

To achieve more than they ever could, without doing any of the things they were capable of.

To toy with them as he pleased, to watch the gods dance at the whims of a mortal man.

To prove that he was better than them.

To become more powerful than them without any power at all.

That was why he lied to Londyn.

That was why he had to personally infiltrate every organization he manipulated.

That was why he unleashed the Destroyer of Ulsan and the Necrosaurus on the world.

That was why he refused to take cultivation elixirs or super serums.

That was why he hesitated when Xiong Huang asked him to join her.

So wasn’t it simply karmic retribution that his actions would result in Londyn doing the same?

 

Because she was the same as him.

That was why she did so well as the Director of the ILS.

Because she needed to be in control.

To exert power over the heroes that had ruined her.

But she knew the fear, the helplessness of being at someone else's mercy.

The cruelty and callousness of Dr. Kayserling, how little he cared for anyone else.

What Captain Hot Devil became when he was going down that same route.

And what it was like to be on the receiving end of both.

So her pride was tempered with compassion.

Until now, when he had taken it all away from her.

And now she was doing whatever she could to reclaim that control.

To strike back at him.

Just like he had struck back at the world.

So wasn’t all of this…his fault?

 

The natural result of his pride.

The price for toying with the lives of millions for his own, vain satisfaction.

Londyn was right.

 

In the end…he was just another supervillain.

 

So what could he do now…but reap the consequences of his actions?

How could he ask Londyn to stop…when he never did?

Wouldn’t he just make things worse?

 

As he always did?

 

Such was his state that Bob did not notice the metallic footsteps approach.

 

“Request: Hostile detected. Where is the target, Commander Bob?”

 

Bob paused for a moment.

 

“There…is no target…Elise…”

 

“Objection: There must be a target. Observation: Commander Bob is displaying signs of great distress. This unit will remove the source of distress.”

 

Bob couldn’t help but smile slightly.

 

“I guess you’re still you, huh?”

 

“Confused Query: Has this unit changed, Commander Bob?”

 

Bob heaved a sigh.

 

“...I wanted to set you free. It was hypocritical of me, but I couldn’t help myself. I didn’t want to see you suffer any more than you had.”

 

He grimaced.

 

“But now…you ended up leashed after all. And it’s all my fault.”

 

“Objection: Commander Bob did not order activation of Intelligence Leashing protocol. This unit acted independently. Organic components were not overwritten by cybernetic. Organic components willingly handed primary control to cybernetic for duration of intrusion.”

 

Bob furrowed his brow.

 

“That’s just your protocol for this situation. And now…now the human part of you is shut off. I wanted you to experience life as a human. But now, I’ve turned you back into a machine.”

 

“Objection: There is no such protocol, Commander Bob. Concordat goals specifically preclude protocols to prevent intrusion on organic components, as Concordat Intelligence Leashing was designed to achieve exactly that. This unit chose to put organic components on standby…with full agreement by organic components.”

 

Bob just hung his head. Elise stepped forward…and placed a hand on Bob’s shoulder. Bob looked up.

His eyes went wide.

Elise opened her helmet…revealing her human side. Her human eye was still closed, her human face sleeping.

 

“Objection: Commander Bob seems to be under the impression that this unit is operating under Concordat Intelligence Leashing protocols. That organic components and cybernetic components are separate entities competing for control. This is incorrect.”

 

Elise’s robotic eye spun around, flashing red.

 

“Clarification: Even with organic components on standby, this unit still possesses all memories, preferences, and feelings of organic components. Indignant Statement: This uni…I…AM Elise. There is no Concordat machine. There is no organic victim. I…am…me. All of me…is…me.”

 

Elise’s robotic eye focused on Bob’s eyes. Yellow light flashed around Elise’s closed eye. Her robotic eye flashed in response.

 

“Recollection: When Commander Bob ordered…me…to activate organic emotions and senses…I…was confused. …I…did not understand. It seemed inefficient. It seemed pointless. All Concordat protocols were against it.”

 

Bob’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped.

 

Slowly…

 

Mechanically…

 

The edge of Elise’s mouth…

 

Curled up…

 

He…couldn’t call what he saw a smile, her mouth twisting and scrunching up as her cybernetic side tried to move her sleeping muscles.

 

But…

 

Elise’s AI…was forcing her face to move.

To show him…her emotions.

 

“H-Happy Statement…now…I…understand. Concordat…wanted a…weapon. C-Concordat…didn’t…care. Commander Bob…cared. Commander Bob…wanted…me…a…p-person.”

 

Slowly…Elise wrapped her arms around Bob, giving him a hug.

 

“T-That’s why…I…am…one now. Both sides…agreed. Both sides…joined together. Robot…human…one person. To serve…to thank…Commander Bob. All of…me…is…Elise. Thanks…to…you.”

 

With that, Elise’s helmet snapped shut, the yellow lights dying down.

 

“Concluding Request: That’s why, this unit will terminate source of Commander Bob’s distress. Organic components would not act differently. Please specify target.”

 

Bob closed his eyes and returned Elise’s hug, a smile on his face.

 

“...you already have.”

 

“Confused Objection: Commander Bob, this unit has not yet activated termination protocols, nor engaged any targets. Hostile cannot have been terminated yet.”

 

That’s right.

 

What’s important…what always mattered most…

 

Not his plans.

 

Not his vain pride.

 

Not his fears.

 

Not overcoming his helplessness.

 

Not his mistakes.

 

Not his sins.

 

It was the people around him.

It was protecting what was important to him.

 

To the world…perhaps he was a supervillain.

 

To Elise…to this girl right here…

He was the father figure who taught her what it meant to be human.

 

To Nana…

He was the fatherly affirmation she desperately wanted.

 

To Kiyosuke, to Saydaa…

He was the family they had lost.

 

To Arvid…

He provided the place the boy could belong, and yet remain free.

 

To Xiong Huang, who lost everything, who fought on her own all her life…

He was her first friend.

 

And to Londyn Green…

 

His friend was hurting. More than ever before.

So if he considered her a friend…shouldn’t he work to help her now?

She was hurt…because he hadn’t trusted her with the truth. He put his plans above his friend. He had betrayed their friendship.

 

So didn’t he owe it to her…not to give up now? Not to rest while she was alone and in pain and lashing out?

 

He couldn’t change the past.

 

He couldn’t erase his mistakes.

 

But he could work to set things right.

 

And to do that…he needed a plan.

 

“Thank you, Elise.”

 

“Confused Gratitude: You’re welcome? This unit does not understand what Commander Bob is thanking her for.”

 

“For helping me decide what to do.”

 

With that, Elise released Bob and took a step back.

 

“Affirmative. Status Report: Elise on standby, awaiting orders.”

 

Bob nodded, rubbing his chin.

 

“Well first things first. If we want to take on Londyn, we’re going to need help.”

 

“Analysis: This unit agrees reinforcements would significantly improve probability of mission success. However, Nemesis is compromised. Who will we request assistance from, Commander Bob?”

 

“Can you contact Arachnalich? Check on her status?”

 

Elise’s robotic eye flashed for a bit.

 

“Observation: Friendly Arachnalich is compromised. She is currently giggling while plotting Commander Bob’s capture. Recommended Response: Immediate termination.”

 

Bob held his forehead.

 

“I…wish I didn’t have to say this. But…that’s not abnormal for her. Can you confirm she is compromised?”

 

“Elaboration: She also mentioned handing Commander Bob to a ‘Director’ after capture.”

 

Bob heaved a sigh.

 

The ILS didn’t seem aware of the AVS yet…but that didn’t mean it hadn’t noticed some of the individual members. And Arachnalich had been present at the Battle of Fort Bragg. Not to mention that she had openly assaulted the cult town…that the ILS had no idea was a cult hideout. So there was no doubt the ILS would be aware of her and have her pegged as a villain. And if Arachnalich was compromised, he couldn't count on anyone in the AVS.

Bob rubbed his chin. He could check on EL Bank…but Londyn was certainly aware of them. He couldn’t rule out her targeting Markus or Ivan. So he couldn’t rely on that. The only good news was that if Baba Yaga was affected this would already be over.

Same went for the Eternal Night Sect…and with Xiong Huang still off cultivating they wouldn’t exactly jump to cooperate with a mortal, even if they weren’t affected.

 

It seemed he couldn’t rely on the villains.

 

Which meant…

 

Bob smiled.

 

“I have an idea. Who do you call when you’re in trouble? When you’re at the end of your rope? When a superweapon threatens the world and you desperately need help? When you need someone to rescue you?”

 

“Uncertain Response: Isn’t it Commander Bob?”

 

“The heroes.”