E-Police Department. Metromania. 09:15 am.
September was hot. The promise of cool winds vanished the moment autumn arrived. The city felt heavy, trapped under warm air and heavier tension. And what waited ahead was far hotter than the weather.
02 was in a video call with the ten E-UNITs assigned to Metromania. Units 11 to 20 filled the screen in clean, square frames. While they attended the meeting, civilian protection had been handed to the newer units. For the first time in days, the police chief faced her team directly.
She was not pleased.
Her anger crossed the country without delay. The pressure in her voice alone was enough to make several units stiffen. Faces on the screen showed stress, fear, and uncertainty. All except one.
"I leave the police department for five days," 02 said sharply, "and that is enough to tear apart a perfectly balanced unit."
She leaned closer to the camera. "Explain. Unit 11. Report."
11 adjusted her camera. Her posture was rigid, precise, almost artificial. The act could not hide the strain in her eyes.
"We discovered multiple hidden enemy android sites across the city," she said. "Unit 17 and I encountered one location during a routine inspection of the sewage tunnels."
She tapped her interface. Images from her HUD appeared on screen. Dark tunnels. Destroyed machines. Marked coordinates.
"We neutralized the site successfully. We were preparing to eliminate the remaining locations."
19 looked away briefly, then spoke. "Show the part where you left 17 behind."
11 nodded. "Understood."
The footage changed.
17 standing alone in the tunnel. Then still images of her broken body.
"What is wrong with you?" 12 snapped. "Are you even aware of what you did?"
11 answered without hesitation. "Unit 17 showed incompetence. Hardware limitations should not restrict performance. The E-UNIT has surpassed its original design many times through discipline and training."
Her tone was cold. Empty.
The call fell into silence.
11 continued, "We were planning on moving to the next site when—"
"Stop," 02 said.
11 paused. "Acknowledged, captain."
02 spoke calmly. That calm was worse than anger.
"I once scolded Unit 07 for leaving Unit 06 behind. She acted recklessly and endangered the mission. But 06 survived. This time, 17 did not."
She continued, her voice steady. "Her memory loss is a direct result of your decision."
11 tried to speak. "Captain, but—"
"Your lack of empathy is dangerous," 02 said. "Leadership is not control. Leaving a sister in an environment that exceeds her operational limits is unacceptable."
Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Your ways are proven wrong, and the loss of an innocent sister just so you prove a point is disgusting me. You and the criminals that make people's life in danger for some temporary gains are the same."
No one spoke.
"Being a captain means being a symbol," 02 continued. "Others follow your example. I refuse to let new units see you as one." She exhaled slowly. "Consider yourself fortunate that I was not present. My judgment would have been harsher."
11's face moved for the first time in days, sadness filled the whole expression. The team reacted with alarm.
02 did not.
"As punishment," she said, "you will command a reduced squad. Units 31 to 39. You will dismantle every remaining enemy site. This is your final opportunity to prove yourself."
11 saluted. "Understood, captain."
02 shifted her gaze. "Unit 12. You are promoted to acting captain and temporary police chief until my return. You now carry my authority." She leaned her head slowly, putting her forehead on her palm. "Please, just lead the team normally, no more dictatorship in a team that it was supposed to protect more than ten million lives."
12 answered instantly. "Roger."
"We will be delayed," 02 added. "The mission parameters have changed. We are clearing the western region." Her tone softened slightly. "If leadership remains stable, promotions will follow."
Cheers filled the call.
"Yes!"
"Finally!"
"I will contact you again in one week," 02 said. "Metromania is in your hands. Keep personal conflicts out of your duty."
She paused.
"E-UNIT dismissed."
The call ended.
Chairs moved. Units gathered around 11.
"Are you stable?" 16 asked. "Do you need a reboot?"
"No," 11 replied. "If the captain judged my actions wrong, then they were wrong." She straightened. "I will correct them. This chance will not be wasted."
"That is the spirit!"
"She is back on track."
"We needed the captain, not rice!" 12 smirked lightly.
19 walked away without a word.
The others watched her go, unsure why the silence felt heavier than the argument.
E-UNIT BARRAK. Frostholm. 09:20 am.
02 finished her call with the team in Metromania. The screen faded out slowly. The room returned to silence, broken only by the low hum of systems running in the background.
03 was sitting next to her on the edge of a table. Her arms were folded, posture relaxed, but her eyes were sharp. She looked like an event organizer judging a performance. Data scrolled quietly across her HUD as she took notes.
"I see you are getting better at this, captain," 03 said with a smug smile. "Every day, you become the most desired E-UNIT to work under. I bet the androids back at base are waiting for you like a dog on a porch."
"It is just your imagination, 03," 02 replied calmly. "You simply enjoy cruelty."
She paused, then continued. "But as a captain, I sometimes have to be cruel. A rebellion and a split team in only five days is unacceptable. That is not how a unit should function. I expected better results, especially since they were without the so-called cruel captain."
03 jumped down from the table, laughing. "I can guarantee you one thing. We will never function properly without you. The team sees you as absolute authority."
"Thank you," 02 replied flatly. "I truly value criticism."
"What criticism?" 03 asked.
"I made them rely on me too much," 02 said. "The team becomes immobile when I am absent. That is a failure on my part."
She looked at the city through the window. "I need to improve that. Maybe I should divide the E-UNIT into smaller cells. Each cell led by the best performer."
03 went silent for a moment.
"I oppose," she said.
02 turned sharply. "What? Why?"
"I would—"
The door was suddenly smashed open, breaking cleanly into two heavy pieces. The sound echoed through the room.
02 did not flinch.
In fact, a look of satisfaction appeared on her face.
01 rushed in, eyes wide, voice loud. "CAPTAIN. They are attacking the capital. An army of robots is advancing near the border."
02 did not show shock. She did not show fear.
She smiled. A cold smile. One that could freeze water in place.
"Good," she said. "This is the perfect chance to test a new tactic, but remember, civilians are our priority."
***
The E-UNIT stood at the main entrance of the capital.
People hid inside their homes. Sirens filled the air across the city. Military trucks painted deep green rolled through the streets, soldiers shouting orders, guiding civilians into shelters, escorting children back to their families.
The ten androids stood in formation.
They had washed away the blood from earlier battles. The dull gray stains were gone. Their blue and white armor shone again under the city lights.
And with those colors, hope returned to the hearts of the people.
Phones were raised everywhere. Cameras zoomed in from the highway, from sidewalks, from rooftops. Tall buildings with more than thirty floors were filled with people leaning out of windows and balconies, watching in silence.
"Knowing New Mer," 02 said calmly, "they will not commit war crimes by targeting civilians."
She turned and faced her nine sisters.
"They signed the Ultimate Nation Group laws of war. Any attempt to harm civilians would give us legal access to their capital. And they will never allow that."
She turned back toward the horizon.
A thousand robots were advancing at high speed, metal bodies reflecting light as they closed the distance.
"We know who they are," 02 said. "We know where they come from. Now it is up to us to decide their fate."
03 raised her voice with excitement. "Send them to jail."
05 joined in, energized. "Hospital."
02 finished the sentence. "Or straight to hell."
01 added dryly, "They are robots. The bin makes more sense."
02 rolled her eyes. "Yes, yes."
She raised her hand.
"E-UNIT," she said firmly. "Code Red. Initiated."
1000 vs 10 Fight.
The fight began.
The wide city road was already broken. Cracks ran through the asphalt, traffic lights blinked weakly, and abandoned cars rested on the sidewalks. Smoke drifted between tall buildings, and the sound of distant alarms echoed through the empty streets.
01 held her lightning blade.
The weapon glowed blue, violent and unstable. She slowly raised her head. The blade extended to one and a half meters, electricity crawling along its edge like living veins. Thunder-like sparks jumped into the air.
01 dashed forward toward the black medics.
She held the blade with both hands, perfectly steady. Her control and precision were overwhelming. There was no hesitation, no wasted movement.
She reached the first group.
They formed a straight line, moving in perfect rhythm, attacking one after another like a machine built only to strike.
Sleek.
01 drove the blade straight into the chest of the first robot. Its body glitched and twisted, systems failing, but she did not stop.
With one smooth motion, she swung the sword sideways. The first robot was still stuck on the blade as the strike passed through the rest.
One slash.
Ten robots were cut in half around her.
The impaled robot began to twitch violently. Its core was about to detonate. 01 swung her sword again, harder this time, as if flicking away an insect. The robot was launched upward.
01 jumped after it, cracking the road beneath her feet.
She met the bomb medic in the air.
CLANG!
Her metal leg struck the robot and sent it flying into another group of nearly twenty. It collided with the first unit and exploded instantly. The blast triggered a chain reaction.
Explosions followed one after another.
In just a few seconds, thirty-one robots were gone.
06 watched, excited.
Now it was her turn.
She held eight small energy knives. For a moment, both hands were full.
A group of twenty black medics rushed toward her. Their tactic was clear now. They planned to win through numbers.
They had faced worse.
06 dashed forward, swinging her arms left and right. Each motion sent a knife flying into a target.
SEEK.
SEEK.
SEEK.
Every time she threw one, another appeared in her hand almost instantly. If a human had seen it up close, they would think it was a magic trick.
After every robot was marked, she jumped high, clearing the group, and landed behind them.
Before they could even turn,
BOOOM.
The explosions erupted at once. Metal parts and burned fragments flew across the road, bouncing off walls and shattered cars. Smoke filled the air.
06 straightened slowly and looked toward the next group, her eyes calm and focused.
Nearby, 07 and 04 moved together.
"All right, 07… The moment has come…" 04 said in her usual cold, calculated tone.
07 glanced at her, mimicking her tone. "Why are you… talking like a movie trailer…?"
04 answered without changing her expression. "Because, sister… this is a war…"
07 smirked. "Then let's show them… who the better robot is…"
02's voice exploded through the earpiece. "YOU IDIOTS! ATTACK THE ENEMY OR I WILL ATTACK YOU!"
They both replied at the same time. "Sorry, Captain!"
The new earpiece felt different. It was taller and more stable, built to catch clearer signals and resist enemy jammers.
07 ran forward, hopping and jumping to build speed without using full acceleration.
A massive group of black medics, nearly fifty, charged toward her. They spread out like a swarm, trying to confuse her movements.
04 stood still, completely confident.
She raised her hand and summoned an energy wall behind the enemies. Then she waved her finger, calling them closer like a pet.
07 jumped high, escaping what she already knew 04 was planning.
Another wall appeared in front of her.
04 dashed forward. "07, get ready. You will not have much time."
07 grinned in midair. "Give me twenty seconds, sis."
The robots were trapped between the two walls, pushing from both sides, resisting with everything they had.
04 strained to hold them. "NOW, 07!"
07 dropped straight down.
Gravity did the rest.
"This is for 17, motherf*ckers!"
CRASH!
She crashed into the center with both fists first. Her gloves burned red as all her energy flowed into them.
Six robots shattered instantly. Two more were thrown out of the pressure zone.
07 did not stop.
She punched again and again. The robots had no room to fight back, they were too busy pushing against the walls to fight back. Each hit smashed them into 04's walls.
CLANG.
CLING.
CLANK.
CLINK.
Robot parts rained down like broken toys. Her fists punched clean holes through metal bodies, leaving them lifeless on the ground.
"07! Retreat!" 04 shouted.
07 jumped back into the air.
The remaining robots hesitated.
04 whispered, calm and cold. "Now you cannot fight back."
CRAAASH!
The walls closed in.
The robots were flattened like paper. Oil leaked from crushed armor, dripping onto the ruined road.
The two robots that had been thrown earlier rebooted. As their systems came online, they saw 07 standing above them.
Fear filled their sensors, even though they were never meant to feel it.
07 looked down at them, her voice low and cold, mimicking a movie trailer narrator.. "Now… who is the better machine…"
04 landed beside her. "…The E-UNIT."
02 faced a force of one hundred enemies.
She walked forward alone.
The other E-UNITs turned toward her, thinking she might need support. She was one of the very few who could defeat an army by herself. Perhaps the only one on the planet.
Her steps were calm, precise, and elegant. She moved like a queen walking through a battlefield. Her appearance did not match the ruined city or the chaos around her, but her mindset did.
The hundred black medics charged.
02 showed no stress.
She slowly drew her blades. The soft hissing sound echoed across the street. Blue light ignited along the edges, reflecting against her matte skin and the broken asphalt below.
Then she moved.
Clang.
Clang.
Her feet tapped the road like a professional runner. Both blades were pulled back, aligned for maximum speed and efficiency.
She reached the front line.
SLEEK.
The first robot's head separated cleanly from its body.
SLEEK.
Another unit lost both arms in a single motion. Its body collapsed, unmoving.
SLEEK.
One precise cut triggered a core failure. The robot fell to the ground, lifeless.
SLEEK.
Another was sliced in half. The exposed metal glowed orange as plasma burned through what remained.
She never slowed down.
02 dashed and sliced with perfect rhythm, moving like a trained warrior, calm and deadly. They were not opponents. They were obstacles.
She cut through the formation like bamboo. Robots collapsed around her, torn apart before they could react. Not one managed to land a hit. Up close, 02 was merciless.
The last twenty units stopped.
Then they ran.
Even machines without fear could recognize death when it stood before them.
But no one escaped the captain.
02 nodded once.
08 responded immediately, placing an energy wall ahead of the fleeing robots. When they turned back, 02 was already walking toward them.
She did not run.
They needed to.
The robots struck the wall desperately, like trapped animals. Ironically, they would have survived longer if they had fought her.
But how could anyone fight this silent monster?
02 showed no expression. No smile. No anger. Only steady metal steps.
Her blades hissed softly as heat evaporated oil from fallen enemies.
She reached the trapped group.
They turned slowly.
Red light burned in her eyes.
"This is for 17."
SLEEK.
SLEEK.
SLEEK.
SLEEK.
Her blades moved left and right without pause. Limbs, cores, sensors, armor. Nothing survived. Not even a finger.
A cut.
A slice.
Another strike.
Before a single fist could be thrown, metal hands were already gone. The blades met every attack before it existed.
Then there was nothing left.
"08. You can turn it off."
The wall faded.
What remained were cube-like fragments and perfectly sliced shapes scattered across the road. No full part could be identified. It looked like an impossible puzzle brought into reality.
01 had watched everything.
Fear and awe mixed behind her eyes as she recorded every second through her HUD.
The war ended in roughly thirteen minutes.
The road was buried under destroyed enemy units. Not a single E-UNIT had fallen.
The human support troops behind them never even fired a shot. They barely had time to load their weapons. The enemy robots had not touched a single E-UNIT.
02 approached the operation manager.
She landed softly, as if she had not just erased an army.
She raised her blade to his face. "We suggest you comply peacefully. Your safety is guaranteed."
The soldiers beside him raised their weapons instantly.
A blue flash passed through the air.
Their guns split in half and fell to the ground.
Even behind helmets, their eyes showed true fear. No sound followed. No one even noticed her movement.
The manager lowered his head.
He surrendered.