I watched the four now working, and Fawna asked me, "Is this the only way you can look?"
"I don't know yet. Many things about this body are a mystery to me, but I don't plan on telling people about them," I said, as I tried to call Numera in my mind.
'I am here, and you can change your body, but you will have to acquire some platinum. Once you get enough, you will start to be able to create a monster-like body that will be indistinguishable from the real thing,' she said.
Fawna was about to say something, but I raised my hand, shook my head, and pointed to it. She seemed confused at first, but then her eyes went big, and she went back to watching the others. They were nearly done.
I turned to them and declared, "Alright, everyone. Clean up done." I walked over to the two dead bodies and squatted down.
I squatted down and made the gears in my knees squeak very slightly, making me frown, so I put my hands on them and concentrated on making them silent. Time slowed, but no prompt popped up in my head, but I could feel the change. After it was done, I stood back up and then squatted a few times with no noise, then I squatted back down.
Everyone had been watching me, but I had made the place tense, so I didn't expect them to talk. Ignoring them, I placed my hand on one of the bodies and closed my eyes as time slowed, but this time it was different.
Instead of slowing down, I felt like my mind started to get sluggish, and my thoughts started to stutter like my mind was buffering. I tried to open my eyes, but it wouldn't work.
[Warning: Unable to accurately complete tasks.]
[Target: Human Corpse]
[Use: Imitating a Human Guard]
[Transformation: Living Doll Corpse]
Finally, my mind and everything else sped up, and I was able to open my eyes again, and I felt fine, but everyone had changed their position more than they should have been able to.
"How long did that take me?" I asked, and Fawna put up five fingers.
"50 seconds, I counted," she said. This was clearly to do with my lack of platinum, and now I was leery about using my Nanobots to do the next body. I looked around the room and spotted a bug on the ground. Reaching down, I touched the little insect, and time again slowed. The prompt appeared in my head, and I channeled my concentration into the bug, allowing it to grow until it became more human-like, though it was still covered in metal plating. Everyone immediately pressed themselves against the wall, but Rax looked terrified of the creature.
"Protect me," I said and then looked at the others. "Sit down at the table while I do this, and know that this thing will kill you faster than any spell you might be able to cast from what I have seen," I growled. Everyone scrambled to find seats except for Kyla, who was sitting motionless in the chair; she had moved the second I told her like a good little mind-controlled slave. I sighed, not liking that part or controlling anyone, but it was part of me staying alive for now.
Everyone scrambled around until I gestured for Fawna to share her chair with Coron. "You are going to have to learn to think for yourselves sometimes. If I order you to do something, then there is no required thought except for how to achieve my orders flawlessly. If I tell you to do something, then you have the option to do said thing however you need to, like figuring out a way to sit down without racing around like idiots."
They all nodded solemnly and took their seats, so I squatted back down and let out a deep sigh. I had been trying to figure out how to get the body just right, but my lack of platinum was causing me some issues. I touched the corpse again and closed my eyes as time slowed. This time it was identical to the last time; instead of slowing down, I felt like my mind started to get sluggish, and my thoughts started to stutter like it was buffering. I pushed through the feeling, allowing my nanobots to enter the corpse.
When I opened my eyes, I was met with a perfect replica of one of the guards we had killed earlier. Unfortunately, I knew it wouldn't last. It certainly was a fantastic feat to see, and it gave me hope that I could use these Nanobots to take control of this city soon. But it also sent chills down my spine, knowing the extent of power that I possessed.
I tasked the others with setting the building on fire and gave them a location to go with my guard to keep an eye on them. I then sent the three guards to get help after giving the bugged one, who was just past zombie intelligence but better than the others, to find some things for me. With all the pieces in place, I knew I would only have one night before people started to look for me. I needed to find the informant, or else I wouldn't have much chance of success. My mind was heavy and burning with questions; I looked at the five scared crew members I had and then made for the door, ready to make my move. Whether I succeeded or failed hinged on my decisions from this point onward.
"Wait!" Fawna said from behind me and then ran up to grab my arm. "Take me with you."
I turned back to her with a glare and then looked down at her hand on my arm, which she removed very fast. I raised my gaze back to the girl's eyes and looked into them. She was clearly scared of me, but she had more spine than the other runts. Considering her abilities, this might not be such a bad idea, and I could use her to stay hidden, but she did not look like she could move that fast.
"Fine, get in," I said as I put a hand to my chest, and time slowed down as I watched Fawna's eyes get bigger.