The moment the fake Tayo vanished the hall’s fragile quiet shattered.
Adam’s team stared at the empty space then at the cooling body of the clone she had just executed. Adam’s reaction was immediate. He spun toward Phantom with incredible speed.
"Find her" he commanded his voice sharp. "We cannot let our badge fall into the enemy’s hands."
Phantom vanished without a single question obeying her master’s order. Her departure left a strange stillness in the hall.
He then walked over to Zero who was already standing back up. Zero’s face showed clear concern. "Adam you don’t look well. You should rest."
Adam ignored his concern. "I am fine" he said his gaze still fixed on the spot where the fake Tayo had disappeared.
"I want you to find this Lily person. Involve Pratham. I need every piece of information you can gather on her and I need it now."
Zero saw the determination on his leader’s face. He did not argue further. He just nodded.
"As you say Adam. I will get on it right now." He knew this was not the time for debate. The threat was too great and questioning Adam’s decision was pointless.
Zero moved quickly toward the control room to contact Pratham.
Adam turned his attention to the real Sona and Tayo.
"You two you need to establish communication with the government." He then looked past them to Krish who was watching the scene unfold.
"You will go with them. Finalize our alliance and make them aware of the current situation. Use Pratham’s secure communication channel for any direct contact with us."
The three of them nodded in unison their expressions grim. Without another word they turned and left the hall. Their footsteps echoed in the tense silence.
Adam’s gaze drifted back to the holographic screen where the video of Lily was paused. He then looked down at the body of the fake Sona lying motionless on the cold floor. He walked over and knelt beside her.
A wave of sadness washed over him. She was a fake a weapon sent to harm them. But in her form he saw a shadow of his own creation.
He gently scooped the body up into his arms. She was so light he barely registered her weight.
The instant he lifted her a blue window materialized in front of him.
[Anomaly Detected. Unregistered creation signature found. System is attempting to formulate a countermeasure.]
The message surprised Adam. Before he could process it the message changed.
[Does the Host grant permission for the System to analyze this creation?]
Adam stared at the message. A new wave of shock hit him. He looked down at the clone in his arms then back at the screen. Without hesitation he lifted his free hand and pressed the glowing "Yes" button floating in the air.
The moment he did the body of the fake Sona dematerialized from his arms vanishing into particles of light. A new system window appeared in its place.
[Analysis in progress. This process will require some time. The System will notify the Host upon completion.]
The window then faded away leaving Adam kneeling on the floor his arms empty. He was taken aback.
The System had initiated this on its own. It acted with an autonomy he had never witnessed before. Before this the System only followed his commands.
This was the first time the System had made a decision on its own.
Shaking the thought from his mind he stood up and focused his attention on his true enemy.
He looked back at the holographic screen where the paused image of Lily remained. A thought struck him with the force of a physical blow. This text is hosted at noⅴelfire.net
Lily can copy anything she has seen.
A cold dread crept up his spine and the fear was plain on his face. He took an involuntary step back.
No he thought his mind racing. If that is true... she could copy any of my creations just by seeing them. She could use my own power my own family against me.
He felt a surge of confusion. What were the limits of such an ability? How far could her power to copy extend? Was it a perfect replication?
He did not have the answers. He only knew one thing for certain: from this moment on every step he took had to be calculated with extreme caution.
Every new creation he brought into the world could become a potential weapon for Lily to use. The thought alone weakened him from the inside.
The fake Tayo materialized in a flash of light. Her teleportation deposited her in the center of a meticulously manicured garden. The air was still and silent.
The only sound was the gentle rustle of leaves in the night breeze. She stood within the grounds of the mansion where Lily resided. She like all of Lily’s creations knew the rule: wait in the garden.
The mansion was off-limits unless direct permission was granted.
She immediately fell to her knees bowing her head low and waited. Time passed and her heart beat faster. She knew she had failed.
Sona was not with her and she did not have The Union’s badge. Lily despised failure.
Sometime later a light came on in one of the mansion’s rooms. Lily appeared behind a large floor-to-ceiling window. It was the kind of window found in traditional Japanese houses that opened directly onto the garden.
She looked down and saw Tayo kneeling alone. Her expression tightened slightly with surprise.
"Where is Sona?" Lily asked her voice calm but carrying an edge.
The fake Tayo’s body trembled. Beads of sweat were visible on her forehead as she kept her gaze fixed on the ground. She ignored the question.
"My Lord Lily" she said her voice shaky and hurried "I have very important information for you."
Lily’s eyes narrowed at the blatant evasion. This was not the standard protocol. Her creations never ignored a direct question from her.
"What news?" she inquired her tone shifting becoming colder. Lily’s face was like stone. Anger was rising inside her but she did not let it show.
Tayo took a shaky breath before finally speaking the words.
"I was captured by the leader of The Union."