1 week had passed since Verlin had help Chloe rescue her aunt.

 The time had passed slowly for Verlin as his perception returned back to 1 to 100 second ratio. At this speed he could easily communicate with Desna with efficiency, although they could have gone much quicker Verlin decided to keep the pace constant.

 The time was well spent as he had been very productive in creating the world wide sensor. Next time he gets that feeling as long as it is somewhere on the planet, he would be able to find them. The sensor wasn't the only thing he had been researching, he had taken the chance to create a body for Desna to operate in. It was a body made completely out of kryptonium, durable enough to withstand anything the planet could offer, but because of the absurd density of the metal he had to install anti gravity mechanics to cancel out the weight like he had done with the pyramid.

 Meanwhile, Chloe will be coming to the pyramid as she had wanted to discuss something with Verlin. She had been busy with her aunt's recuperation so they hadn't met since he dropped her back in the Hidden Society HQ. Just as Verlin was thinking he heard a familiar heartbeat approaching the pyramid, he immidiately knew it was Chloe, albeit she was still more than 50 km away, but at her flying speed will arrive in less than a minute.

 And as Verlin expected, after 30 seconds had passed, Desna's advanced sensory mechanisms picked up the distinct signature of Chloe's energy patterns. " Familiar entity approaching: Chloe." Desna spoke in a monotone voice.

"Let her in when she arrives."

Verlin instructed, his gaze fixed on the myriad of displays and monitors showcasing the various outputs of the world-wide sensor.

Without any discernible change in tone or mannerism, Desna responded, "Acknowledged."

The hum of Chloe's approaching energy grew louder, culminating in a soft landing sound just outside the pyramid's entrance. Moments later, the pyramid's vast entryway slid open, revealing Chloe's familiar form bathed in the twilight glow. 

"Verlin," Chloe greeted, her voice carrying a mix of relief and urgency.

Verlin turned away from his screens to face her, a small smile appearing on his face. "Chloe, good to see you. How is Chleopatra's health?"

She nodded, her eyes scanning the interior of the pyramid, settling on the unfamiliar form next to Verlin. "She's pretty much fully recovered but, she will still be under watch in case anything goes wrong," She paused, looking at the humanoid form made of kryptonium. "Is that... Desna?"

Verlin nodded lightly. "Yes. I've been working on this for a while. Desna, meet Chloe in person."

Desna's new body, meticulously crafted from kryptonium, stood tall at roughly 7 feet. Its complexion was a deep, rich black, almost absorbing the ambient light, but was interrupted by intricate lines of electric blue that pulsed subtly, revealing the energy coursing through it and allowing its seamless movement. Although the form had the basic structure of a humanoid – limbs, torso, and a head – the face was notably featureless, devoid of any human attributes , yet its voice retaining the familiar monotone Chloe had heard before. "Greetings, Chloe."

Chloe seemed momentarily taken aback, but then extended a hand. Desna paused slightly looking at Chloe's extended arm before reaching out to shake her hand. "It's... different seeing you like this, Desna."

Desna replied, "This form facilitates better interaction in the physical realm."

Chloe circled Desna, observing the kryptonium construct. "The craftsmanship is exquisite. Every detail, every joint, it's flawless."

Desna nodded, "Verlin's design and precision ensured functionality and durability. I am now more equipped to assist."

Verlin interjected, "I believe having a physical presence can make many interactions easier and more intuitive. Anyway what happened for you to want to meet in person."

Clearing her throat, Chloe shifted her focus back to Verlin. " You know how the Hidden Society sent several teams on missions to destroy the new technology of the Federations?"

Verlin nodded his head, " Yes, I'm aware. It was in hopes that the war could be avoided."

Chloe looked down for a moment, gathering her thoughts, and then met Verlin's gaze. "Well, the other teams were succesful in their mission, and the technology has been destroyed and wiped from the memory of those that had worked on it."

"Isn't that a good thing?"

"It should be," Chloe sighed deeply, her expression troubled. 

She continued, " But, the war does not seem like it's going to end. And the rest of the Hidden Society don't seem to want to intervene with the war anymore."

Verlin replied, "Well, that was what Alexander said, if the plan didnt work the Hidden Society would no longer intervene with the war."

Chloe's face darkened, the weight of the situation evident in her gaze. "I know Alexander said that, but I didn't think expect the plan not to halt or even slow down the war. Too many innocent lives are at stake."

"Chloe, you shouldn't worry yourself about things beyond your control," Verlin said

After a pause he continued, " The war was inevitable to begin with. Just treat it like a storm. Sometimes, you can't prevent the storm, but you can prepare for it and do what you can to protect those you care about."

Chloe shook her head, " Maybe you're right but I want to atleast see if i can prevent the storm for those who can't prepare for it." 

The Pyramid remained silent for a while before Desna's voice echoed through the room, "A strategic and thought-out approach is essential. Impulsive decisions can lead to unpredictable outcomes. There are plenty of ways to avoid the war, it all depends how far you are willing to go for that purpose."

Chloe looked at Desna with some hope in her eyes, Verlin quickly noticed the situation and said," How many ways can you come up with does not include mass murder?"

Densa remained silent before replying, "More information on human behavior will have to be collected."

The slight hope in Chloe's eye quickly disappeared as the look of shock and slight horror surfaced, she turned her attention back to Verlin. " Verlin.....Are you sure there's nothing wrong with Desna?"

Verlin frowned, sensing Chloe's unease. "Well, Desna thinks in terms of logic and efficiency, not morality. He's just like a child, eventually he will learn what's right or wrong based on our interactions and guidance."

Chloe turned back to Desna whose physical body stood at an imposing 7 feet tall, " A child you say....."

She continued, " So, if he learns morality from you Verlin, what do you think of humans?"

Verlin hesitated for a moment, caught slightly off guard by the directness of Chloe's question. He hadn't thought of this question since he had arrived on this planet. " Humans are complex beings. Stupid but have potential, its also why i chose not to interfere directly in their affairs. I believe this war will be a step for humanity although a step that could have been avoided, it will lead to a greater future for Humanity."

Verlin looked at Chloe, " That's if they don't completely destroy each other."

Chloe nodded her head in understanding, "But thats not what I meant. I mean what value does a human life hold to you?"

Chloe stared at Verlin trying to find an answer in his expression. She remembers during the past week when they had interrogated Magnus. He had told them that Verlin was the greatest threat to both humans and enhanced humans, She didn't want to believe a criminals words over those of her friends. She wants to trust him, she wanted to know if he helped because he saw her as a friend or if he took it as pity for a lesser being and to do that she had to know him. More so than she already does.

Verlin began slowly, " All life has value."

When Chloe heard this she felt a sense of relief, but Verlin continued, " But that does not mean I place the same value on all life forms or treat them with the same level of respect or priority. Just as you might prioritize a loved one over a stranger, or a human over an insect."

Chloe smiled slightly, "So where do I stand in your perception of value?"

"In my perception, You're life has the most value out of every other being on this planet."

Chloe's eyes widened in surprise at Verlin's words. The room seemed to grow still for a moment as she processed what he had just said. A myriad of emotions flitted across her face – from disbelief to surprise, and finally to a soft smile.

"Is that so?" Chloe murmured, her voice soft. "I never expected to hear something like that."

Verlin's eyes met Chloe's, his expression calm yet thoughtful. "I thought it was quite obvious. Why else would I go out of my way to help you? I don't mean to brag but there's nothing on this planet that holds enough value to compel me to intervene on someone's behalf, unless I personally deem it worthwhile. "

Chloe chuckled lightly, trying to mask the warmth she felt. "Well, when you put it that way, it sounds more like a calculated decision than a genuine sentiment. But... I appreciate it, Verlin."

Chloe's eye shifted to the holographic image that Verlin was working on, "What's this?" she asked, pointing to the swirling patterns and symbols on the hologram.

Verlin glanced at the display and replied, "It's the interface for the global sensor. This will help us detect anomalies, or anything out of the ordinary across the entire planet."

Chloe tilted her head, "Why did you feel the need to create this? Is there something you're specifically looking for?"

Verlin hesitated before answering, "It's more of a precaution. I've been getting a feeling that im being watched recently."

" It might be a government satelitte keeping a close eye on you. They do know of your existense."

Verlin shook his head, " If it was satelitte I would know. Believe it or not but I can see Jupiter clearly from here, I wouldn't miss something as obvious as a satelitte."

Chloe smirked, raising an eyebrow, "You can see Jupiter clearly from here? Sure, Verlin, and I'm secretly the president of all 4 federations."

Verlin smiled in response. "Well, sometimes the truth can seem stranger than fiction."

"Wait...you're serious?" Chloe's eyes widened with a mix of amazement and incredulity.

"I can fly through the vaccum of space without any form of assistance, what do you think?"

Chloe paused, considering Verlin's statement. "I... suppose when you put it that way, it's not as outlandish as it initially sounds. But....It's just a bit hard to believe."

"How else did you think I navigate my way through space?"

Chloe raised an eyebrow, curiosity piqued. "Speaking of which, When you left earth for a while. Where exactly did you go?"

"I went to Venus to collect some materials."

" So, you went to Venus and came back to Earth and it only took you a week? The distance from Earth to Venus is nearly 1 billion km. And you're telling me it only took you 1 week?"

"Moving through space is alot easier than moving on a planet."

Chloe crossed her arms, intrigued. "Still, that's an impressive speed. Faster than anything humans have ever built or even conceived. Besides the G force alone at such speeds should have killed you."

" Luckily for me, my body is more than strong enough to withstand G forces thousands of times greater than what humans can handle."

Chloe walked towards Verlin and lifted his arm. His arm was smaller than her own and appeared much lighter. It was flawless and smooth, with no wrinkles or hair and he didn't have any pores on his skin. After her short examining, She pressed her finger gently against his skin, feeling the undeniable hardness and resilience.She continued to slowly increase her strength until she was using her full strength, and still, Verlin's arm didn't budge an inch.

Even the skin didn't turn red, if not for the slight warmth that radiated from his skin she would have thought he was made out of some indestrctible metal. "I didn't notice it before but, your body feels... different. Like a dense metal or some sort of super strong alloy. It's hard to believe it's biological. "

Verlin gently withdrew his arm, " I do have a different biology, my skin probably has more in common with the kryptonium Desna's made out of than human skin."

Chloe turned to look towards Desna, " Kryptonium? Is it the same thing my suit is made out of?"

" Not entirely but it does have a thin layer of kryptonium. Speaking of your suit, can you take it off. I'm gonna make some adjustments to it."

"Why? Is there something wrong with it?"

"No, but knowing you. You will probably still get yourself involved in the war. Althought I doubt any human weapons could damage you especially when you're in that suit. You can never be too careful."

Chloe smiled slightly, " Am I that predictable?"

Verlin replied with a small smirk, "You're not exactly subtle about your intentions."