Null Technologies has a number of offices and facilities in New York; as the fastest growing brand in America, it's to be expected.
What is not known by the general public is that underneath one of the warehouses there is an underground facility, completely sealed off from the surface, which has never seen a human life.
Until two streams of red energy slash through the rock and metal, piercing them with ease.
Torn lands in the dark room, holding in his hands the unconscious body of Noriko.
"You didn't call your attack" she says through the Neural Transmitter.
"I only do that when I need to concentrate. This was easy" he thinks back.
"Easy? I specifically designed this room to be...wait. Don't tell me that you scream the name of your attacks when it sounds cool"
"I won't"
The rooms lights up, slowly, one neon lamp after the other. It's far larger than Torn thought, large enough to house the thirty Nullbots that are pointing their weapons at him.
Six energy sabers appear around Torn, ready to reduce the robots to a pile of thrash.
"Wait. Say out loud: activate Protocol 65, authorization 610DE737AB-NULL"
The Nullbots stand back. Only one of them approaches, holding out his arms and waiting for Torn to give him Noriko's body.
"It's alright. They can't harm me"
Reluctantly, Torn leaves her in the custody of the faceless black robot made of black shiny metal.
The Nullbot quickly removes Torn's duster from her body, but she doesn't have to worry about modesty: black holographic censor bars are projected where needed.
The floor opens, each tile carefully rearranging itself until Noriko's body can rest on an operating table. Small and precise metal arms come down from the ceiling, some of them assembling a band holding her head and others dressing her.
the closest Nullbot answers, helping the arms to put a pair of jeans on Noriko.
Torn raises an eyebrow.
the Nullbot says, opening in half its right arm to reveal the hidden circuitry.
The robot fires electricity at Noriko; Torn's first instinct would be to stop it, but recalling what happened the last time he did that he decides to give her the benefit of the doubt.
This time, however, Noriko doesn't shake uncontrollably. The electric field is carefully calibrated by the machinery before being fed to her brain.
The robotic arms of the automated assembly line move quickly to dismantle the Nullbot, taking out the micro-reactor from its chest and rapidly modifying it.
The lights flicker when Noriko opens her eyes again. She stands up, stumbling for a moment to readjust to the fact that the muscles in her legs are working again; the machines move to deliver something in her hand, when the lights go out permanently.
Silver eyes flash in the darkness.
A thousand light-years away
The Relentless has just crossed the border of the Hephaestus Collective, something no sane person would do willingly. Unfortunately a Talos, one of the indestructible robots of the god of technology, has taken over the ship.
Elytra Elater, the Lampyrian captain of the ship and leader of the Hunters, is one of the survivors of the hijack. The robot has already killed everybody else on the bridge; a dozen ships were destroyed before the Talos even set foot on the Relentless.
If Elytra didn't know any better, she'd swear that the Talos hesitated for a fraction of a second before deciding what to say.
New York City
It's been a long night. Every electrical device inside the negative field has failed, leading to hundreds of problems from traffic jam to medical emergencies.
Quantum's been moving from place to place at the speed of light, doing whatever he can to help. Thousands of Kari duplicates have spread everywhere, carrying out all the menial tasks that would've otherwise distracted the rescuers. Vesta's been literally doing the heavy lifting, flying ambulances and moving cars off the streets.
Null Tower is at the center of this chaos; cops have been keeping people away, but have yet to enter the building. Torn lands right there, carrying Noriko in his arms.
One of the cops is nervous enough to draw his gun and point at the red skinned man.
It's wasn't exactly a soft landing, but Noriko's still able to get her bearings and walk towards an officer she recognizes. Technically she recognizes all of them and could know within a second their full service record, but one catches her attention.
Quantum adds, suddenly appearing by Noriko's side. This time she doesn't seem annoyed by it.
Officer O'Malley has seen up close what Null and Quantum can do, and he does owe her his life.
None of the other cops really want to get in Null's way, and they just give the team some breathing room. Kari doesn't waste any time, coming out of nowhere to hug Noriko.
Quantum places a hand over Noriko's shoulder, adding:
Noriko comes very close to smiling: maybe Torn's not as alien as he wants them to think.
< It won't stop absorbing energy. I can reverse the process, but I have to get close enough to attach this device to the Negative Drive> she explains, showing the heavily modified Nullbot reactor.
<"If you're right"? That doesn't sound like you> Quantum adds, suspiciously.
Quantum answers, leading to everyone staring at him like this is the strangest thing they've ever heard.
Without further ado, Quantum transforms his mass into what he guesses are tachyons: particles faster than light, the first thing he ever transformed into, even though he didn't know at the time that they were tachyons. Everything around him is a still picture now. He knows he won't be able to keep this form for long, and immediately flies through the building and right into Noriko's lab.
One second later, the lights come back. Not only in Null Tower, but everywhere else in the city. There is an immense sigh of relief, followed by silence. It's Noriko to break it:
Noriko answers with a creepy smirk.
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