Chapter Text
As you already know, I'd hidden my true body—Leviathan—deep beneath the sea and forced it into semi-hibernation. I wanted my precious Levi to get some serious beauty sleep for the indefinite future so the big guy wouldn't grow any further.
The boi is already massive, and I really don't want him getting any bigger. God knows what would happen if a perpetually hungry Godzilla—no, Shin Godzilla with instant evolution went on a rampage just because it was having an empty tummy.
Deep down, though, I always knew that safety net wouldn't last forever. Between the now-lethal ocean—radioactive water, heavy pollution, Arasaka rogue self-replicating mines, and who knows what else—and a Global-threat level monster that just woke up and also hid itself in that same sea, anyone with half a brain would know the latter is the real elephant in the room.
And here we were.
I'd placed sentry drones all around the trench where Levi was sleeping. Those drones had assimilated the local deep-sea creatures, copying their behaviors and appearances perfectly. So yeah—if anyone was wondering, I was technically seeing through hundreds of borrowed eyes down there.
Right now, their eyes were focusing on one thing: a scout drone about the size of a large beach ball, trying to dive deeper into the trench.
...
Huh…
If I recall from one of those marine research papers, bright, high-visibility colors like yellow, orange, and white are most commonly used for painting underwater drones, ROVs, and AUVs that scout the deep sea, since the environments down here are dark and have limited natural light. Artificial lights from the vehicle or support ship make bright colors stand out clearly against the blue-black background. Red and longer wavelengths are absorbed more quickly, so high-contrast yellows, oranges, and whites remain visible longer.
This one, though, was painted a matte dark gray. Minimized visibility. Stealth colors. Designed to stay hidden. No logos, no serial identification number on the outside either...
Intriguing... but highly disturbing.
But the real question was how the hell did it slip past the sea minefield? The whole ocean around here was basically a killzone owned by a hostile AI that loved blowing up anything that moved—even against its former creators. Unless…
Unless using air travel, dropping straight down from an AV. I mean, AVs are a common thing here in this world, just not that accessible to the poor and less fortunate. And I was dealing with the riches here.
So, the most appropriate course of action here was simple: do nothing but keep watching. Once the probe finished its scouting and headed back to its rally point, I'd track it down and find out exactly who sent it—and whether they were just sampling the seabed… or looking for me.
About thirty minutes later, it finally reached "the bottom." The thing didn't come any closer from then on. It just hovered at a safe distance, circling slowly.
Yeah. This fucker was definitely scouting.
Either Biotechnica or Militech. Had to be.
Another thirty minutes dragged by. The probe finally got what it came for—a few good looks at Levi—before it started heading back up.
I immediately ordered six of my sentry drones to shift into Occular form—pure scouting mode, built for stealth and surveillance. They formed a wide hexagon formation, keeping about 50 meters back from the probe. Didn't dare attach anything directly to it, afraid it would trigger an alert.
Once the probe had put some distance from Levi, I detached a chunk of biomass from the big boi and reshaped it into a shark.
God, hivemind multitasking is such bullshit OP. It felt exactly like playing an RTS like Starcraft back in the day, except now I was commanding the swarm in real life.
I followed it for a while, and that's when I noticed something off. Either this probe had some serious black-tech wizardry going on, or the operator was a hardcore Minesweeper player.
Why? Because it hadn't triggered a single sea mine yet.
Back when I first ran into the ocean, I had no idea about the rogue AI mines infesting these waters. Thankfully, all the shits people threw at me back at Biotechinca's containment site gave me resistance to almost every weapon on Earth. The big exception—which you can probably guess—is nukes. But honestly? Part of me wants them to try that option. Really.
Anyway, back to the mines. They were barely an inconvenience for me. The sheer number of them was what pissed me off. I had to split Leviathan into swarms of snake-like things just to slip through, just to cover up my trace. Self-replicating? Really? What kind of genius built that, and what kind of idiot greenlit the idea of letting an AI run it? Since when did Cyberpunk have that "Pre-Dark Age of Technology" bullshit from Warhammer 40k? I mean—come on!
And yet this little bastard was gliding through the minefield like it was on a Sunday cruise.
My paranoia ass had been screaming since the intruder alert, and this was only making it worse. Gut feeling was leaning hard toward Militech now. They were the ones who fucked up the containment in the first place with that sudden raid. Biotechnica was—well, biotech-ish...? But this kind of stealth tech screamed Militech.
Eventually, the probe broke the surface. A camouflaged AV was hovering silently above the rally point, waiting.
A cable dropped down from the AV and latched onto the probe, reeling it up like a fish on a line. I pushed my senses through the sentries—enhanced vision, hearing, the works. Inside the AV, it was all droids, looking a lot like Zetatech's units on the market. No human crew. Clever. I had to give them that.
The second the door started closing, I acted. I ordered two of my drones to morph into Latcher forms and hurled them at the AV with a burst of kinesis, hoping they'd stick to the hull.
As the AV was about to turn—
<Unknown object/matter detected. Initiating self-destruct sequence in 3...>
WAIT, WHAT?!—
<...2...>
ARE YOU FUCKING SHITTING ME RIGHT NOW?!—
<...1.>
*BOOOOOOM!*
...
*Splash!*
...
*Splash!*
...
*Splash!*
...
I was... flabbergasted. Stunned. Genuinely, completely, utterly speechless. I could only stare as burning debris rained down into the ocean like worthless confetti.
The sentries I'd thrown were fine, not even a scratch. I then mindlessly ordered all six of them to check the debris before returning to their stations, while the shark's body swam back to Levi. Then I switched my focus to my real body, sitting in the meat-crawling basement.
...
...
...
How—
...
Why—
...
W-what the actual fuck?!
...
{You good, bro—}
I mean—fuck. Fuck… FUCK! You stupid, impatient piece of shit! I could've fucking had that! I should've waited, played it slow and safe like a goddamn adult, but nooo—my dum-fuckin'-ass trigger-happy egotistic fuck just had to ruin everything! GOD DAMMIT!—
{Bro—}
FUUUUCK! I'm such a fucking idiot! A pathetic, immature fucking child playing with powers he doesn't deserve!—
{Ana—}
YoU HaD OnE FuCkInG JoB AnD YoU CoUlDn'T FuCkInG Do ThAt!—
{ANATHAN!}
{̷͉͇̻̞̱̤͕͑̈́̈́̍̽̂̄̕W̶̢͙̺͎̮̿̒̄H̶̢͕͓̳͈̯̫̣͛͗͛͛̍̐̒Ã̸͇̟̜͓̠̥̎̕ͅT̷̹̫̳͕̖̦̝͛?̶̧̡̖͓̘̤̮͎̓̒̐̽͑͜!̶̣̞̞̝̉̍̇͑̇̔͠?̶̟̲͍̼̟̘͕̇̊̒̅̓̍͝!̵̛̥͒̊̀͒̿͊̾͘?̸͓̩̬̠͍̑͐̉̿!̶̧̢̱̲͙͌?̶̛͕̘͔̂͗̂́̍̂̃}̷͑̌̀͆́̏͠ͅ
{...Uhhhh… d-dude, you've been down in the basement for hours now. And I just heard a lot of noises, so... y-you know... just checking on you…?}
I—
{—FUCK!}
{…}
...
{I already took care of the sisters. They've been sleeping better tonight. Fewer nightmares than yesterday. Clinic's running fine, same old shit, yada yada.}
...
{…}
...
{…}
...
{…Feel better now? Got all that out of your system yet?}
{Yeah…}
{‘Kay then… Mind sharing the details with your sister?}
I took a deep breath.
{Someone found Levi's location and sent a scouting probe. It didn't do anything besides just take pictures and leave. Didn't trigger any mines on both trips, back and forth, by the way. I tried to trace it back without attaching anything directly—I was scared it'd set off some kind of alerts—}
{Uh-huh.}
{I then found the rally point and the AV waiting to pick it up. So I threw two Latchers onto the vehicle—}
{That's fucking great, man—so why are you pissed—}
{It blew up.}
{…H-huh?}
{It. Fucking. Blew. Up.} I repeated.
{Wait, like you blew it up or—}
{Self-destruct. The AV had some kind of exterior detection system. A few seconds after my Latchers touched it, I could hear the alarm from the inside. Worst, the damn thing didn't even try to identify them. Just counted down three fucking seconds and detonated.}
{Including the people inside?}
{All I saw were androids. After the shit I pulled a few months ago, I'm sure whoever sent this thing had already accounted for my assimilation and mimicry tricks. These fuckers—they know. They took no fucking chance.}
{…Damn.}
I didn't say anything for a long while after that. Eventually, the basement door hissed open, and Mina stepped inside, closing it behind her.
"So…" She stepped closer.
I raised both hands. "Alright, I'll admit it. I was expecting the probe, but the AV too? They got me good."
Really. I didn't expect them to go for such an extreme. Ten out of ten.
Mina crossed her arms. "Did you check the debris? Hull serial numbers, types of androids, anything?"
"Zetatech commercial standard units," I muttered. "Aerodyne gunships, security, combat, and utility drones. The kind every megacorp uses."
"So proxies?"
"Exactly." I dragged a hand down my mask. "Gods, I should've used the birds instead… Why... All that brain upgrades and still got played like a fuckin' child..."
"Bro," Mina cut in, "even if you turned into birds, that AV probably would've gunned them down anyway. They blew up their own proxies just to keep you blind. And don't you think a random flock of birds tailing an AV all the way to inland would look a little suspicious?"
She paused, then tilted her head. "Are you sure you're not having some serious imposter syndrome? Both this life and the last one? Just asking since I don't have your personal memories."
"Mina, how the fuck is that even related right now?!"
"Because you're overthinking this one single mistake like it's the end of the world, and you're a massive tryhard in everything you do!"
"Woman, this 'one mistake' could potentially fuck up both our lives later. The last thing I want is a war against the ENTIRE GODDAMN PLANET!!!"
"Look—" I continued. "There had to be something out there that could counter me. If the... 'supposed original' was this overpowered, why wasn't the world already fucked? And who the hell put the big guy in a coma in the first place before I stepped in?"
"Well..." Mina shrugged. "As for that, you're right, can't argue. But what I want to say is: about your mistake earlier. From where I'm sitting? It's fine. You didn't gain anything, so did they, and you didn't lose anything either. Levi's still a-okay, our identities are safe. Silver linings, right?"
...
"Despite you saying you don't want war, aren't you overprepping a little too hard, my guy? Suicide biobomb sleeper agents? Hidden nests under every major city in America? What are you? Evil Batman? At this point, if anyone found out, they would prefer to negotiate with you rather than start a war. What profit is there for those capitalist pigs in hunting a monster when you've got that many scorched-earth contingencies?"
"That—"
"Dude, serious talk? Just take it easy," She interjected. "I know you've been looking out for both of us—well, three, if you're counting Levi—but the last thing I want here is for you to go salamanca-ding-ding-ding in the head."
...
Mina stared at me for a long moment, then let out an exaggerated sigh.
"Alright, that's enough. You're done spiraling for tonight. Go the fuck to sleep."
"Bitch, we don't even need sleep."
"Exactly my point, genius," she shot back, crossing her arms. "Just because we don't need it doesn't mean we can't. Sleep is still a great way to reset your thought process, especially when you're stuck in this... perpetual brooding manchild mode like this. Besides, you're looking inhuman the more the days pass by."
"Mina, I’m f—"
"Bitch, nuh-uh." She cut me off, stepping closer with that dangerous little smile she always used when she knew she was about to win. "If you don't go lie down right now, I'm staying here. Right next to you. I'll talk. I'll hum. I'll ask you the dumbest questions every thirty seconds until you want to rip your own ears off. You damn know I will."
"You wouldn't."
"Try me, brain-for-shit. I'll start with: Is it considered incest if—"
"NOPE. Nope. Stop. I know what that question gonna be, so shut your damn mouth." I threw my hands up in surrender. "I'm going to sleep. Happy?"
"Fuckin' ecstatic," she said sweetly, clearly proud of herself.
I knew she wasn't bluffing. And she also knew I wouldn't actually do anything to her.
"What a waste of time," I grumbled under my breath as I headed toward the sleeping area. "Pain in my ass…"
"Love you too," she called after me, grinning like she'd just won the lottery.
I headed back to our unit—the second apartment right next to the clinic. The second I stepped inside, I morphed into naked form and took a long, hot shower, letting the water wash away the day's bullshit. After drying off, I wandered into the bedroom. Or should I say, Mina's bedroom now?
Back when it was just me, this room was basically a glorified storage closet until I gave it to Mina as I moved to the basement. She's a fully living, sentient being; might as well let her have some personal space and money.
My little sister had clearly used her free will to the fullest. Soft lighting, cute wall decorations, plush rugs, and way too many pastel colors for my taste, even though, in theory, she was a clone of mine. Still, you have to acknowledge the effort that was put into this room.
I eyed the bed.
Okay, real ass question: Is it weird sleeping in my sister's bed?
Limited living space: understandable. Morality: questionable at best. At least to me. Still… the damn thing looked stupidly comfortable.
{You don't mind me crashing on your bed, right, sis?}
{No...? Why are you even asking?}
{It's called 'having manners and etiquette,' dipshit.}
{...Fair.}
{Quite a bed for a shorty, eh?}
The bed had more than enough leg room for me, which was saying something.
{Shut it.}
I chuckled under my breath and finally climbed in. The mattress was every bit as soft as it looked. I lay there staring at the ceiling for a while, the silence feeling strangely loud.
How long has it been since I last slept?
Just staring at the ceiling already felt foreign. The last time I could remember actually having proper sleep was back when I was still fully in Leviathan form, right after I escaped into the sea. That was months ago.
How long has it been since I had a bath?
It wasn't like I was being nasty or anything. I have a self-cleaning feature, a body that stays odor-free and sweat-free, and no shedding skin—
Wait, how long has it been since I've done something normal? As in a normal living being?
...
Damn…
I let out a slow breath and forced my mind to go blank, shutting everything down completely.
-------------
The next morning, Mina made her way over to the Glen apartment. Blanca and Noira were still fast asleep in the wide reinforced bed, curled up together like they had been every night since they arrived.
"Rise and shine, you two," Mina called softly. When neither of them stirred, she walked over and gently shook Blanca's shoulder. "Hey… morning. Time to wake up."
Blanca's eyes snapped open first, instantly guarded. Noira followed a second later, blinking slowly.
"Morning," Mina said with a small smile. "Sleep well?"
Blanca gave a short, wary nod. Noira just stared down at the sheets.
"Alright, let's get you both cleaned up before breakfast and meds."
She scooped Blanca up first—careful but steady—and carried her toward the bathroom. Even after doing this multiple times, the sisters still looked faintly awed that someone of Mina's size could handle them so easily.
"Comfy enough?" Mina asked as she went back for Noira. "I grabbed that unscented stuff you liked yesterday." She chatted lightly as she lowered Blanca onto the padded seat on one side of the oversized tub.
Once both sisters were settled, Mina rolled up her sleeves and started running the water, testing the temperature with her wrist.
"So… you two got dragged here from somewhere else?" she asked casually, keeping her tone light. "I'm not fishing for trauma dumps or anything. Just small talk. Helps pass the time. And since there's a good chance you'll be sticking around for a while… so, yeah."
Noira stayed quiet, but Blanca glanced at her sister before answering.
"…We were brought here. Against our will."
"Originally from France?" Mina guessed, judging by their accents.
"Oui."
Mina nodded, not pushing. She gently ran the cloth down one of Blanca's stumps. "Well, for what it's worth… you're not getting passed around anymore. Not on my watch. Or Ana's."
"W-why… did you help us?" Noira asked, sounding as sheepish as usual.
"Dafuq kind of question is that?" Mina twirled her hand in the air, searching for the right words. "Isn't that just the right thing to do?"
Both sisters stared at her, their expressions open with confusion.
"Look, I get why you're doubting us," Mina continued. "The world's fucked. Fucked in every hole you could possibly imagine. But fortunately for you, we've got a pretty strong sense of morality. Who the hell is cold enough to see what happened to you and not offer a hand?"
"O-oh—"
"No need to apologize. So… anything you wanna ask me?" Mina turned to start cleaning Noira.
"Can we ask about Ana's options?" The albino said.
"Shoot then."
"He mentioned the high risk of cyberpsychosis. Can you explain that?"
"Right." Mina nodded. "Ana had looked into a ton of cases regarding cyberpsychosis. Pretty much all of them had the same two problems: extreme cyberware use and serious mental health shits. Too much chrome leads to rejection, chronic inflammation, nerve damage, all that 'fun' stuff," Mina quoted with her hands. "And mentally meaning… most victims had heavy trauma or were under insane pressure and stress."
"If you want the full lecture, ask Ana. Hell, he'll probably do a whole puppet show for you," Mina added with a small grin. "But yeah… as much as we'd prefer you pick the first option—the most straightforward and easiest way for clearing the debt— even putting a little chrome on you right now feels like handing you a death sentence. I don't like the idea of Ana or MaxTac having to put you down like animals. And I really don't like seeing my patients die of poor choices."
She shrugged. "But it's your choice. We'll respect it. As for the second option… I can't really talk about the details. Ana's orders. He took a huge risk just to semi-cure you—your eyes and teeth, yada yada—but things are just getting heated right now. For him. Dude's in full serious mode."
Mina's voice dropped a notch. "Just know this: that man can switch from one of the kindest people on Earth to one of the most ruthless motherfuckers alive with zero compromise. No fuckin' Mr. In-between." She then looked at them seriously. "I'm saying this in case you two ever think about betraying him or taking advantage of his goodwill, and I'm only saying this because of your own safety."
"Yes, you can outsmart him, but you won't outrun the aftermath. "
Mina shook her head, letting the heavy atmosphere drop like it never existed. She flipped right back into full gremlin mode with a cheeky grin.
"Okay? Okay. Any other questions, you two? Fire away." She turned to Noira, waggling her eyebrows. "Especially you, Noira-chan. Got anything?"
Noira quickly shook her head, looking a little disturbed by how fast Mina had switched.
Blanca stayed quiet for a long moment, chewing on her lip, before finally speaking.
"…We’ll take the second option."
Mina froze mid-scrub, sponge hovering in the air.
"You… what?"
Mina stared at them, mouth slightly open. "Wait—hold on. You're sure? Like, really, really sure? This is a life-changing decision. You don't have to rush it just because—"
The albino cut in softly. "We have nowhere to return to. No one else out there would help us like you and your brother." Her voice was quiet but steady. "Between the two choices… I only see potential in the second one. Even if we have to sacrifice a bit of our free will." Noira nodded along beside her. “Besides… we’ve already started hating the feeling of having no limbs."
Mina's heart immediately dropped into her stomach.
'Shit.' Had she painted Ana too darkly earlier? The "ruthless motherfucker” line was supposed to be a warning—'even though it was the truth...'—but… this? She suddenly felt like she'd just accidentally sold her brother as some kind of devil in a mask.
And the way Blanca had mentioned “free will” earlier made her inside twist. The last thing she wanted was for these two to feel like they were walking into another cage.
She forced a smile anyway, trying to keep her voice light. "Okay… I hear you. But you're still my patients right now. There's no rush. You can think about it more. Sleep on it. Whatever you need—"
Both sisters just looked at her calmly. No hesitation.
Mina let out a long breath and went back to gently washing Noira's arm.
"…Alright. I'll let Ana know."
Inside, though, her mind was already spinning.
'Fuck. FUCK.'