[Humanity.exe temporary shut down.]

[Reading activity logs.]

[Evaluating actions.]

[Checking plan of action margins against Morality.db]

[Primary order from Human side received.]

[Checking current priority list….]

[Manual override received. Rerouting computational processing power for new task.]

[Designating target of evaluation. Target: Unknown Age, Unknown race, Unknown Core type, Unknown Last Name, Temporary Designation, Alexandra, Temporary Alias: Rhapsody.]

[Checking biometric scans…..]

[Determined Age: 12 Year Old.]

[Determined Sex: Female.]

[Determined Core Power: Shapeshifting.]

[Probable Core Designation: Doppelganger, Skinwalker….Humanoid.]

[Probable Sub Core Power: Tinker, Mental acceleration, disguise.]

[Suspected Core Power: Emphatic. No evidence of mental tampering, discarding theory.]

[Target attitude: Fearful, wary.]

[Target attitude toward user: Amusement, envy, admiration, wonder, curiosity…Hunger.]

[WARNING SET THRESHOLD OF TIME WILL BE MET IN 42 ATTOSECONDS!]

[Do you want to continue operations host?]

[Y/N]

—--------------

[Humanity.exe restart.]

Alexa was barely out of the room when he felt the information crash down into his mind, all the options and problems with having Alexa work with them, and the possible answers he could get should he give her back to SuperForce.

“So, what do you think?” And of course, Eleanore was the first one to speak to him.

“She seems like a normal girl her age.” Was his answer, and that was the thing, she was….too normal for her age.

Her body was twelve years old like she said, not a single day over the age of twelve, as if she had just biologically gotten to that age. And her body decided to stay there, she was the perfect picture of health, with no blemishes on her skin, and no wounds either. No broken bones, no malnourishment. Nothing.

“Aye, as if. Eleanore, why did you even let her in? Her Core Power isn’t even that useful. Shapeshifters aren’t that good, most can’t keep the form for more than a few minutes. And those that can end up crazy.” Billy said after.

True, most shapeshifters had problems keeping their sense of self while changing into other forms, that was why they usually kept to minor changes. And yet…

“You all know what we know about her, and that girl is anything but normal,” Vulcanus said as he projected the information he had learned about the girl.

“Twelve-year-old, female. We already know that.” Gabriel said the winged man had been the one to test their endurance. “If anything it surprised me how she managed to keep up with the Beast Core users and with Golem….But then again, she may have more energy since she is a kid?”

“Do you truly believe that?” he asked his lieutenant. He would remove him from the spot if the answer given was a yes.

“...of course not. She didn’t stop running, but she kept her attention on SuperForce and me all the time, she never left an opening…That girl knows combat.” Gabriel admitted.

“...She must have a sub-type power that is tinker-based, no way a twelve-year-old has a mind as sharp as hers,” Billy added, it was the main reason his files had that, the man was a tinker and he could smell his brethren better than most.

“And she isn’t twelve,” Eleanore added at the end.

“Yeah, that….how sure are you about that? Her Power seems to allow her to change form, maybe she is just playing up for pity? Wouldn’t be the first time a shapeshifter tries that.” Gabriel said at the back.

But was that the reason?

“No, she doesn’t know how old she is or isn’t sure. Either way, we need to help her.” Eleanore said turning to look at him.

…Damnation.

“How many problems do you think it will bring us if we use her?” So he asked, his mechanical side had already done the math. It…was fine from a logical standpoint. Hell, he could get plenty from the girl if he played the cards right.

The girl's expression when she saw him was that of an awestruck kid seeing something she liked. It was a first. Most adults who saw him for the first time showed fear, and most kids liked his shiny form, but that was about it.

No, Alexa had shown hunger and envy at his form. That was a first.

“Not much, she can change form easily enough, we could play her as a beast core user if we get her enough beast bodies to study.” Gabriel was the first to answer. Right. Alexa had said that as long as she understood the forms she could make them.

“If she has a sub-tinker power we could stick her in the hangar, a mechanic that can squeeze in hard-to-reach places could help us,” Billy added, of course, he wanted the new blood.

“....plenty if SuperForce finds out we had the kid he is looking for.” Eleanore was the last one to answer as she brought a copy of the picture SuperForce had been carrying.

And a print photo of little girl Alexa speaking with her.

“Send a report his way that the girl was an orphan…she IS an orphan right?” So he asked, he didn’t want to be thought of as a kidnapper after all. If people thought the machine guy had abandoned his humanity it could be a problem.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

“She isn’t in any orphanage database, nor hospital database…nor school database…not that we would know if this is even her real form. Like Billy said, we aren’t sure what her original form was. But…” Eleanore let her words trail.

“It isn’t this. This one is….too perfect. As if it was designed.” He ended it up at that, he didn't want to say more, the kind of entity who could design a fully functional human...And then stick it into the body of a little girl. There weren't many that could do it, and even fewer that would dare to do it.

“Yes, she also may need a psychologist,” Eleanore added after that.

“Is she mad? “ Billy asked, he couldn’t help but laugh internally at that. The old man was…not out of touch, but had these mannerisms.

“...she may have gone through some traumatic experiences. I don’t have a psychology degree, but I did notice some weird signs.” Eleanore said glaring at the old man.

“She doesn’t move like a kid, that is for sure.” Gabriel added, “She moves more like a wild beast or a caged animal.”

…Wasn’t that a wonderful mental image to have?

“Yeah, okay. Send probes into everywhere, we need to narrow down where she was.” So he added that to his list, he could feel his mechanical side complaining about more [Non-important] work being added to the list.

But this was the difference between them, he knew that this was more important than the logistics. This was about a little girl, the world was for the new generations.

“What will we do if we find out the place she used to live?” Gabriel asked with a smile on his face.

He already knew the answer to that.

“We will teach them why we don’t take kindly to human experimentation.” They knew what his posture was on this.

There would be no more monsters like him, experimentation in Core Users had been rampant for years, at least till he was forced to twist his Core into this. From a normal Core into the [Machine Core].

It granted him an innate understanding of machines and even allowed his body to change and adapt into what it was today, a body that never tired, a body that granted him pseudo immortality. A body that if he willed it, could allow him to create more….

He still….longed for his human body, not that he could get it back.

“Who will tell SuperForce?” Billy asked, making them all stop moving.

“I will. Send him in.” He answered it was his responsibility, if he wanted to take in Alexa…No… If he wanted to take in Rhapsody, then he should shoulder it.

“I will send him in, anything else Vulcanus?” Eleanore said turning to him, waiting, as if there was something else…

Oh….right, Eleanore.

“...set Rhapsody’s apartment in the same immediate area as yours. You will be taking a guard role for her till we find her family…Or the closest thing we can find.” Not that they would give them the girl back. And if they managed to get her to take an adult form…

Then she would be able to make decisions for herself….After they made sure she was aware of what she was doing at least.

“Will do boss,” Eleanore smiled as she answered, and walked out. “I will send in Superforce!”

*Sigh*

“Are you sure we are a Villain Organization boss?” Billy grumbled at the side, “This feels like a daycare….”

“If Rhapsody manages to change into an older body then it will not be a daycare.” Gabriel chimed from the side.

“....SHE WILL STILL BE A BRAT ON THE INSIDE!” Billy grumbled and screamed his lungs out.

Would she? Her mind seemed to reflect her body, and it was more in sync than he was with his own body. The wonders of a naturally created Core.

“Leave, SuperForce is about to arrive.” He ended the discussion among his subordinates and sent them away, for he would deal with a SuperHero. He didn’t believe it would devolve into a fight. SuperForce was too much of an….honest person.

As long as he wasn’t actively doing Evil, he would be fine… Probably for the better to disassemble the weapons he had on his body…

Then after waiting for a few minutes, a knock on his door arrived, it was even and measured, each with the same strength and cadence. “Enter.” So he prepared himself.

And sure enough, it was the SuperHero, “Vulcanus.” The man said as he walked in, he was a cliché of an American hero, with a billowing cape at his back, his face wasn’t covered, and more importantly. His body thrummed with energy, as if he was ready to fight everyone on this base.

And he probably was.

“SuperForce.” So he answered in kind, and only in kind. Unlike him, he didn’t want to fight him that much, he would win nothing from it. But his body still was ready to react. The Wonders of a Machine Body.

“I was told you had information on the kidnapped girl. Was it one of yours?” SuperForce asked promptly, nothing else was said. Straight to business.

“We didn’t kidnap her nor restrain her.” He answered, this only made SuperForce frown, “Then do you know where she is? I would like to think you still have some humanity in that carcass Edward, but…Even while knowing who you were I will still fight you if needed.”

“Edward Black is dead.” He said with perhaps more emotion than needed, he felt already the complaint from his mechanical side. And the prompt from it asking if the emotions could be turned off. “Either way, it wasn’t to remember the past that I asked you to come.”

So he centered himself and focused on what mattered the most, get a checklist, prepare what you could, and answer what was easy. And do what you need.

“One of our orphanage programs got a new kid,” Set up the lie in the most natural form possible. “It was a girl with no parents or registration, a new core user to boot.”

“...where.” Superforce of course took the bait.

“So that you can pull her into the orphanage system? So she can be auctioned? Sold to a pharmaceutical? To the Saintsworths?” The mirth in his voice didn’t even need to be faked, he truly felt it. “If you are truly asking for it I will give you the address, and I will call in advance to tell her you are going for her. That a SuperHero will go and take her home.”

That, however, made SuperForce stop.

“What do you know?” Of course, he noticed it, the best way to tell a lie is to mix in the truth, the more nasty and hideous the truth, the better you can hide the lies.

“We think she was abused, at the very least she doesn’t know the meaning of Birthday or Parents.” A transcription of their interactions with Rhapsody was printed and he handed it to SuperForce. “Do you want me to call in Cerberus?”

“....that will not be needed.” SuperForce said, the man was still a softy, “...Will you take care of her?”

See? He knew it too well, what could happen if you take a young core user and give it to the system. And the horrors that could happen, he too, was one of those horrors, even if his monstrous side was hidden behind flashy heroics.

“Of course, we will not force her to do anything she doesn’t want to do.” So he answered with the truth here, the hell would freeze before he did to someone innocent what they did to him.

“And if she wants to join your minions?” SuperForce asked him with narrowed eyes.

“Then she better grow up fast. I will not field five-year-old midgets.” And he wouldn't, it wasn't his fault if Rhapsody could change her body age and mind age.

“You accepted Stella,” SuperForce said back at him. Was he still mad about that?

“We didn't send her against sidekicks. And she is fifteen. Let the girl do....” Oh…. Stella was fifteen.

He could….try that…no wait, was she fifteen? The last time he met her she was fifteen.

“She is eighteen, she just got her ID card. If you are poaching my daughter the least you could do was at least look over her.” Superforce grumbled at him.

It was almost as if they had returned to better times, two newly awakened Core users looking at the world with bright eyes. Hopeful for a great future full of adventures.

“We don't give preferential treatment, “he could even feel his face make a smile, of course, it wasn't like most could perceive his face anymore.

“You need to work on your poker face. Even as a machine I can still see through it.” It almost made him sad…

Almost.

[Confirmed status of Guilt.dll: Offline.]

“Fine, you got me. Want me to call her over?” Not feeling guilt had done wonders for his career.

Or at least making sure of when he could feel it.

“...no. we are keeping it professional, she can work as whatever she wants. But the moment I catch her… she must work as my sidekick.” SuperForce smiled at him, “Can you…. Send her my way?”

“Hah!” It was funny, he could almost forget how much he would have regretted lying to his best friend's face before he became Vulcanus. “Sorry, but she is free to make her own choices and can decide which missions she joins… best I can do is assign her to the new minions.”

“Hoh…any promising one?” SuperForce asked, it was mostly him being polite of course.

“A couple yes. One of them may even rise to our power level if you can believe it.” But of course, he would need to groom her well. If they could mold Rhapsody well enough….

She may be the answer to his problems…. He may even manage to steal the motherlode hidden within the depths of this city.

“I will keep my eyes open for this superstar minion then.” Not like Superforce would do such a thing. He liked to be an example to Core users.

That was why he was his best friend… that was why he was his nemesis. That was why he would regret the day he had to kill him…

Unless he turned off his humanity that is. In which case that would be Friday. Murdering one's best friend is best done when you have the weekend to regret it.