"Silas's city passed by a little too close this month. Think he's up to something?" Ray shifted in his seat as he spoke. The man only ever left his power armor when he was either working on it or during these meetings. Everyone could tell he was ready to get back to the lab.

They were lucky he bothered to change into normal clothes instead of wearing his bodysuit. Ray was a handsome man with black hair and a well-maintained beard. He had to look good since he acted as the public face of the Science Council most of the time. He hated it but still did his job. 

"Doubtful. The number of mistlings around the city has dropped recently. Perhaps he's having trouble finding them too." Jerry replied, not even bothering to look up from his tablet as he spoke.

Jerry was the oldest one in the room, and it showed. His hair was already gray, and he had to wear glasses most of the time to read his tablet. 

"I still can't believe they eat those things. That's basically cannibalism," David commented with disgust. 

David was the strangest one among them. Blonde hair, red eyes, and an entirely cybernetic body made him stand out in a crowd. His head was the only part still human.  

"Considering they're not human, it's a practical solution to their food issue," Jerry replied indifferently, still buried in his work. 

"I wouldn't be caught dead eating that muck," David rambled on, expressing his strong distaste for Silas and his city.

"Can we get this meeting started already? I feel like I'm just wasting my time here." Ray complained, his leg bouncing up and down with jittery annoyance.

Jerry finally looked up and scanned the table, his frown deepening. "Where's Lisa?"

As if summoned by his question, Lisa stepped through the automatic door to the meeting room. "Sorry, I'm late. Had a few technical issues." 

Today, Lisa was using one of her gynoids to communicate instead of calling in through the projector in the room. It wasn't totally uncommon. This was the closest thing she ever got to being able to stretch her legs. Her blonde ponytail swayed back and forth as she took her seat. 

"Finally! First, I need more mistling samples," Ray asserted, wasting no time in making his demand.

"Now, hold on a minute. Are these technical issues going to be a problem?" David interjected, taking over the conversation. 

"Not for long. I've isolated the issue, but I'm currently running in a severely reduced state," Lisa explained as she took her seat.

Jerry pulled up the model number for the body Lisa was currently using. "I got your notice a moment ago. Only 1817 is currently operating. What happened?" he inquired.

Lisa had sent the message just after entering the room, but Jerry had already read over it.

"Some kind of virus corrupted an android and spread to other parts of my system," she replied calmly, though the seriousness of the situation was evident in her expression.

"Did they get anything? We can't have leaks at this critical juncture." Jerry was now completely focused on the conversation. 

"No, they didn't manage to extract anything sensitive. My security measures caught them in time," Lisa assured, her demeanor remaining composed. "But it's still concerning. I've isolated the infected units and disconnected them from the main network, but we'll need a thorough security sweep to ensure there are no lingering threats."

"Ray and I will assist you. We need to be certain there are no lingering effects. I want to ensure that we have no issues moving forward with Project Oversight," Jerry spoke authoritatively.

"I can handle the security sweep on my own systems. What I'd like right now is help to recover the units I have spread throughout the city. When I shut them all down, the androids froze, and I need to be there physically to reestablish my connection," Lisa explained, seeking assistance. 

"I'm giving my Legion the order to collect them now. Ray, I want you to check them over for external interference, and we'll leave dealing with the virus to you, Lisa," Jerry instructed with a decisive tone.

Jerry notified Ray and Lisa of the warehouse where they would gather the androids and sent them a detailed list of their current locations. The message was a subtle power play, with Jerry demonstrating his knowledge of all the gynoid bodies' whereabouts, reminding Lisa that he was in charge. 

He held a certain level of distaste for Lisa ever since her first arrival. The fact that she could mimic parts of his technology bothered him deeply. She had based her army of machine bodies on his Legion, and it fueled a negative sense of rivalry between them.

Her remarkable talent for mimicking and integrating the technology other supers created rendered her truly invaluable. She had assisted in the design of key elements in Project Oversight, and he wouldn't risk any potential sabotage or vulnerabilities going unnoticed by her carelessness.

"My Legion should have them all gathered up by the end of our meeting. Let's move on." Jerry tapped on his tablet a few times before casting what he was looking at to the projector.

"We had a security breach at Shield Station C," Jerry announced, displaying a sketch of the suspect on the projector in the center of the table.

"Blood Diamond encountered a suspicious individual leaving as he was reporting for his shift," Jerry explained.

"Why couldn't he apprehend him?" David inquired, leaning back in his chair. Since they only had a sketch, it likely meant the man managed to escape.

"No one realized anything had even happened yet. As of now, we lack concrete evidence linking this suspect to the incident, other than the fact that Blood Diamond recalls interacting with him during the camera blackout." Jerry meticulously presented the scant facts they had gathered so far.

"Steven Moore. He was one of the men on duty at the outer gate when the subject came through," Jerry announced, displaying Steven's image on the projector.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, this guy came from outside?" David exclaimed.

"He did. His affiliation is currently unknown, and to the best of our knowledge, his only goal was to get into the city. We're still investigating how he bypassed the security measures." Jerry explained. 

"So, this doodle is our only lead? What are his powers, anyway?" David complained in frustration.

"We're unsure. One of the men who encountered the assailant claims he had elastic abilities. They saw arms reach out through the crack of the door. Another claimed they were like vines," Jerry explained, trying to make sense of the varying descriptions.

"Great, so some stretchy plant man infiltrated the city! We got any clue where he's from?" David's frustration was evident as he remained the most vocal among them.

"Perhaps, we're not certain of anything. SID is looking for him, and they requested assistance," Jerry said.

"I'm far too busy to worry about this. Didn't we create SID to handle these matters for us?" Ray complained, clearly annoyed by the distraction from his work.

"I'm assigning this to David. You will focus on ensuring our security in case any of those androids are corrupt, and then you can return to your projects. Our new friend here could be involved in Lisa's problem, so be sure to pass on any information gathered." Jerry cleared the projector. 

"Any chance he had some kind of help from the inside?" Ray chimed in, finally taking a more active interest in the discussion. 

Lisa, who had been quiet until now, spoke up. "It's possible. We know there was a camera blackout during the time he entered. It could have been intentional to cover his tracks."

Jerry nodded in agreement. "That's one of the angles SID is investigating. They're also looking into whether any of our personnel were involved or compromised in any way."

David leaned forward. "We need to find this guy fast. If he made it in once, he could do it again. We can't risk any more security breaches."

"I concur," Jerry replied. "His sketch has been made public, and I'm hoping you can find him with your powers, David. Until we have more information, everyone should remain vigilant."

David stood up. "I don't really have anything useful for tracking or investigating. I won't be much help to the SID." 

"That's fine. My main concern is having a representative involved. We need to know exactly how he got in. Capture him alive if possible." Jerry ordered.

Lisa, using her gynoid avatar, interjected, "I'll assist with the surveillance efforts, searching through the city's camera feeds for any unusual activity. Together, we'll have a better chance of finding him."

"Good, but focus on resolving your own issues first. My Legion can cover the areas you watch over until you're back to full strength." Jerry offered.

"It's fine. My district is fairly peaceful. A few hours without my androids won't result in it falling apart." Lisa denied him. 

Jerry wasn't happy about it but couldn't push too far. He was still in charge for now as long as Lisa remained a light touch. But he couldn't help himself from pushing a little further.  

Jerry raised an eyebrow, unimpressed with Lisa's response. "Are you sure about that? It's not like your district is immune to trouble."

Lisa's eyes narrowed, and she crossed her arms defiantly. "I appreciate your concern, Jerry, but I'm perfectly capable of handling things without your interference."

David chimed in, sensing the tension between them. "Come on, guys, let's not turn this into a turf war. We're all on the same side here, remember?"

Jerry glanced at David, then back at Lisa, his expression still stern. "I'm just trying to ensure the safety of the city. If you're not up to the task, maybe you should reconsider your role in the Science Council."

Had it been possible, Lisa's face would have flushed with anger. "I don't need you questioning my abilities. My technology is just as advanced as yours, if not more. I can handle this, Jerry."

The room fell into an uncomfortable silence as the two of them locked eyes in a silent battle of wills. The rest of the team looked on, unsure of what to say or do to defuse the tension.

Finally, Ray cleared his throat, breaking the silence. "If the two of you are done, I have things to do. Just leave the woman's district to her."

Jerry reluctantly nodded, still not entirely pleased with the situation. "Fine, but if things get out of hand, I won't hesitate to step in."

Lisa huffed, not backing down. "Don't think for a second that I need your permission to do my job."

Jerry almost growled out his next line. "That's it for the meeting. We'll meet again tomorrow."

He stood up and stormed out. At least he tried to, but the man was stopped at the door when it refused to open. After a few seconds, it slid open. 

"And someone take a look at this door!" He screamed. 

"I should probably be heading out too." David quickly escaped too. The friendly conversation was long gone. 

With only Lisa and Ray left in the room, she expected him to leave after his colleagues. But instead, the man placed a cube on the table in front of them, which then produced a field around the two.

"What's wrong with you today? We were ordered not to draw any extra attention to ourselves. Fighting with Jerry is the worst thing you could have done." As he questioned Lisa, a strange calmness washed over him, contrasting with his previous demeanor during the meeting. His tranquil expression made the situation all the more unsettling.

"Being so hindered by this virus has rattled me. It won't happen again." Lisa responded. 

"Our turn will come soon, and we must be ready," Ray said, his eyes seeming to unfocus as he spoke the last line. Whether or not he had even processed Lisa's response was up to debate. 

When he regained his clarity, his face twisted back into an annoyed expression. 

"I have work to do." With those curt words, Ray grabbed the device he had placed on the table and left the room without another word.

Lisa, who was left alone in the room, sat completely still as blue lines spread from her to every electronic device in the room. 

"Ray Wallis. What are you and Lisa up to?" She smiled as the blue lines overtook the room. 

 

Authors Note:

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