The two women wiped sweat from their brows. They nodded at each other and then turned to Bob.

“It’s done.”

Bob nodded.

“Let’s fire her up.”

Kanna let out a sigh.

“Let’s hope she’s not going to destroy humanity…”

The pair nodded and started NSLICE-000P’s activation sequence. Her core and robotic eye started to glow, and then her human eye shot open. She sat up on the table.

“Status Report: All systems online. Running diagnostics…error! Multiple system files missing! Initiating emergency shutdown…shutdown aborted by administrator override. Diagnostics…aborted by administrator override. NSLICE-000P…warning! No primary directives detected! Initiating search…determining directive…searching…searching…no directives located. Expanding search to external sources.”

NSLICE-000P began to move her head around the room, glancing around every which way. Her movements grew increasingly short and quick, her eyes starting to move frantically.

Until her eyes landed on Bob.

Her movements stopped, her eyes stayed fixed on Bob. She lifted herself from the table, walked over to Bob, and stood up straight.

“Status Report: Command personnel identified. Greetings, Arbiter. NSLICE-000P awaiting orders.”

Bob looked at Klara and lifted an eyebrow.

“I thought you removed the directives?”

Klara nodded.

“We did…but it’s not like we wiped her mind or anything. It seems she remembers you.”

“Status Report: NSLICE-000P awaiting orders.”

Bob let out a sigh and looked at the robot girl.

“Look, I’m not an Arbiter. The Concordat of Sorrow is gone. You don’t need to follow their orders anymore.”

NSLICE-000P continued to stare at him.

“Status Report: NSLICE-000P awaiting orders.”

Bob let out another sigh and took out his phone.

“I’m going to send you to the ILS, then. They should be able to figure something out.”

“Clarification Request: Arbiter, is something wrong with this unit?”

Bob looked into the girl’s eyes.

“There’s nothing wrong with you. I’m just sending you to people who will take care of you.”

“Clarification Request: What purpose is there in sending this unit to a hostile organization? Relative force calculation with current assets indicates a mission of eradication has a 0.5% chance of success.”

“We aren’t eradicating anyone, and they aren’t hostile anymore.”

“Bob, could I have a word with you?”

Bob raised his eyebrow but turned to follow Kanna.

“Stay here for now.”

“Affirmative.”

The two moved to another room.

“You should take her with you.”

“No.”

“Bob, I don’t think you understand what you’re dealing with here.”

“...what do you mean?”

“This girl has zero memories. None. Zilch. And we just removed all standards of behavior and purpose she had. Do you understand, Bob? She’s completely empty right now. She has absolutely no way to judge situations or make decisions, except one.”

Kanna pointed to Bob.

“You are quite possibly the last person she recognizes in this entire world, and one she recognizes as an authority. So do you understand what it means to send her away, to people she considers hostile?”

“...it’s not good, but what choice do I have? I can’t exactly take her with me.”

“Why not?”

Bob just stared at her for a second.

“No seriously, Bob, I want to hear it. Why not?”

Bob let out a sigh.

“It’s too dangerous.”

Kanna raised an eyebrow.

“And you think sending her to the International League of Superheroes is safer?”

“Yes.”

Kanna held her brow.

“Seriously, Bob, look at her. She clearly does not look or act human anymore, and she’s packing more weapons than an Army platoon. What exactly do you think the ILS is going to do with her? Put her in a foster home? Send her to school?”

She stared Bob down.

“They’re going to use her. She’s dangerous now, Bob, and frankly is not going to fit in anywhere else. So she’s going on a hero team or she’s getting locked up. Or dismantled.”

Bob stood in silence for a bit.

“...she’s just a kid. I can’t be responsible for her.”

“You already are.”

Kanna let out a sigh.

“Look Bob, there were a dozen ways to handle this. Let the ILS catch her, let her wander off, shut her down, use her yourself, hand her to the police. And any one of those would’ve been less troublesome for you. But you didn’t do that. You brought her here, and asked us to fix her. She’s your responsibility now, like it or not.”

“This is no place for a kid.”

“But she’s not just a kid anymore, is she?”

Kanna let out another sigh.

“Look Bob, I’m going to be real with you for a second. I’m a failure of a mom, you know? I kept my boy away from all this. To keep him safe. So that he wouldn’t be responsible for my crimes. So that he could have a normal life, even if his mom is a mad scientist.”

She made a sad smile.

“That was a mistake. I cut him out of most of my life that way. And he didn’t understand. He couldn’t. To him, the danger and good intentions were a lot less important than the fact that I wasn’t there, and he wasn't allowed here.”

“I wasn’t good for him, so I made the choice only to show him the good parts. And now he’s cutting me out of his life the same way I cut him out of mine. And he’s hurting and there’s nothing I can do to help. I look at Klara and I realize…what could have been.”

She looked into Bob’s eyes.

“Being there is more important than doing everything right. Don’t take away the last lifeline this girl has. No matter how badly it will end if you take her with you, it won’t be better to send her away. Trust me on that. Like it or not, right now she needs you. And you need to keep her around until she doesn’t.”

She smiled.

“Besides, when were you someone who called the heroes for help?”

Bob groaned and held his head.

“This is not going to end well.”

Kanna shrugged.

“Then make it better. You’re smart, figure something out. I opened my heart for this, you know? Now git.”

Bob sighed and returned to the workshop. NSLICE-000P and Klara turned to face him. He looked into the girl’s eyes, then looked down and sighed once more.

“...Follow me.”

“Affirmative.”

He walked in silence for a bit with the girl as they headed towards the grav-jet.

“...do you remember anything?”

“Answer: I have logs stored from my first initialization onward.”

“...I mean from before the Concordat.”

“Scanning…negative.”

“...Do you remember your name?”

“Confused Query: Arbiter, you already know my designation, do you not?”

“That’s not…”

Bob let out a sigh.

“Fine…I’m going to call you Elise.”

“Acknowledgement: I understand. This unit’s colloquial designation is set as ‘Elise’.”

Bob let out another sigh.

“Let’s go, Elise. We have work to do.”

“Acknowledgement: Affirmative. Elise is at your disposal, Arbiter.”

Londyn let out a sigh as she stood in her office. Before her stood a man. He had on simple brown clothes over his muscular frame. The hair on his face and head was half white at this point, mixed in with the original brown.

“Are you sure I can’t change your mind?”

The man let out a laugh.

“I am sure, Director. That is second mission I fail lately. If this were Soviet Union, I’d already be replaced.”

Londyn shook her head.

“Neither of those were your fault, Titan. I’m the one who sent you in alone and with scarce detail.”

“Call me Zhurov! And with all due respect, Director, you are wrong. Such mission is not strange, I did all the time in Soviet Union, and we do all the time in League. That is hero’s job, yes?”

He spread his arms wide and grinned.

“Besides, look at me. Not so young anymore, da? Tesla suit and I fight for decades now, is time to take a break. I let new kids have some fun, yes?”

Londyn sighed once again, then shook her head.

“Fair enough. Well then, what exactly happened there?”

Zhurov’s smile dropped.

“Some kind of fancy war-bot, looked normal at first, bit small. But packs heavy punch, da? And…”

He took a breath.

“It had gravity technology. The same kind Director uses, I think.”

Londyn let out a sigh.

“Well, I knew it would get out eventually. How did you escape?”

“That’s the thing…I did not.”

Londyn raised an eyebrow.

“What do you mean?”

Zhurov rubbed the back of his head.

“I lose fight, badly. Tesla suit is still broken, yes? But war-bot suddenly stop, picked me up and carried me outside. I am not sure why.”

Londyn took a deep breath and turned around to face the window. Convenient. Familiarly convenient.

“I see…do you know what happened to it?”

Zhurov shook his head.

“I only heard explosion later, and then ILS picked me up. I am sorry.”

Londyn turned back around, shaking her head.

“I’m just glad you’re ok.”

Zhurov let out a big laugh.

“Tesla Titan always survives!”

Londyn extended her hand, and Zhurov shook it.

“Thank you for your service, Zhurov. The League’s doors are always open to you, and if you need anything, you just have to ask.”

Zhurov nodded.

“Thank you, Director. It is you who serves most.”

“What will you do now?”

“Well…”

BAM!

The doors slammed open as Agent Tina kicked them down.

“WHERE IS HE?!”

“Ah, Agent Tina, is good to see you!”

“Don’t you ‘good to see you’ me! What’s this crap about you retiring?”

Zhurov nodded.

“Is true. Even we get old eventually, yes?”

“Like heck! Our record is still tied! You aren’t going anywhere until we settle this?”

Zhurov rubbed his beard, letting out a hum.

“Then, how about drinking contest?”

“Huh?”

“We have not tried drinking contest yet, da?”

“...you’re on.”

Londyn let out a sigh, shaking her head.

“You guys can use the League bar, we’ll pick up the tab.”

“Truly?”

“It’s the least we can do.”

Zhurov let out a hearty laugh.

“That is why you are best director! Come, American woman, tonight you have real drink! None of this American water, yes?”

“Bring it, commie! You don’t have crap on me!”

Londyn smiled as the pair walked to the elevator. And then whispered to Linda.

“Priority dispatch to all ILS staff. Code Red. Agent Tina is drinking again. Total lockdown on the fifth floor until morning, no civilian visitors allowed.”

“...right away, Ma’am.”

Londyn shook her head as she turned to the window.

Tesla Titan retiring. Mr. Dapper Tiger MIA. And whatever she said, Agent Tina wasn’t getting any younger either. And now? Shadow organizations. Killer robots, possibly in Bob’s hands now. If it was, she really hoped he knew what he was doing.

Either way, the ILS was stretched thin. She needed more options.

It was time to start searching.

The world needed more heroes.

And it was her job to find them.