Chương 14: Return 1

[3rd person POV]

15 minutes after escaping from prison, Zima and its 5 passengers returned to Rushmore Mountain.

Stopping inside the base within the mountain, the first person to step out of the car was Rojo. She assessed her surroundings, curiosity and astonishment evident on her face.

Waiting for Kevin to also step out, she turned to him and said, "I still can't believe someone could turn the entire Rushmore Mountain into a private base. It's hard to imagine the amount of money and time invested here."

"Well, you should get used to it soon. Considering what we'll witness in the future, this place is just the beginning," Kevin replied nonchalantly.

Hearing that, a mix of emotions surged within Rojo - both worry and anticipation.

Without waiting for Rojo to continue daydreaming, Kevin continued, "But for now, let's let BT show you around the base and find a room for you to rest. We can talk more in the morning."

"Who is BT?" Rojo asked again.

"That would be me, madam," a mechanical voice chimed in, capturing Rojo's attention.

Looking back, she noticed three robot figures, nearly 2 meters tall, approaching, with the one in the middle speaking.

"Welcome back, Commander. It's a pleasure to meet you,Miss McKenzie," BT greeted politely.

"Call me Rojo. That other name belongs to the past," she replied.

"As you wish. I think we should get going now. I believe you'll want to bathe and rest after a tiring day. We can tour the base later if you'd like," BT suggested.

Upon hearing that, she immediately agreed, "Lead the way, then."

And so, one person and one machine ventured deep into the base, leaving Kevin and the other two machines behind.

"What do you wish to do with the remaining individuals, Commander?" BT asked Kevin.

"Detain them and keep them unconscious."

"Yes, Commander."

"Oh, I almost forgot. Take a blood sample from Rojo and scan her entire body. Bring the analysis results to me in the lab."

After speaking, Kevin returned to his room. He had spent the entire day searching the waters for the Kraken and couldn't wait to refresh himself with clean water.

----------

The next morning, Rojo woke up to the sound of an alarm clock. Checking the time, she reluctantly got out of bed.

Though she longed for the comfortable bed, she knew the importance of her mission and that her boss was not one to show leniency.

Rojo's room was spacious yet plain. BT had mentioned she could decorate it according to her preferences. Rojo couldn't have been happier with this arrangement.

Stepping out of the bathroom, she heard a knock on the door, accompanied by BT's voice.

"Miss Rojo, the Commander is waiting. Please prepare quickly. I'll be waiting right outside."

Without having proper attire, Rojo put on her new armor before following the machine.

Their destination was a large laboratory filled with machinery and computer screens. Kevin was already there, deeply engrossed in typing lines of code that Rojo couldn't make sense of. He seemed lost in his own world, paying no attention to the newcomers.

"Hey, Kevin... Kevin..." Rojo called out, but her voice had no effect on the young prodigy. It was only when her hand lightly shook his shoulder that Kevin reacted.

"Oh, you're here?" Kevin asked. But instead of answering right away, Rojo looked at Kevin with a surprised expression. Sensing her gaze, Kevin became suspicious and asked, "What? Is there something on my face?"

"You're rocking the raccoon look today with those smoky eye circles! Sleep much?" Rojo said mockingly.

Slightly taken aback by the woman's joke, Kevin pulled out his phone and looked at himself in the screen. The image of himself on the phone was far from normal, appearing somewhat lifeless with pronounced dark circles around his eyes. Letting out a chuckle, he replied teasingly:

"While others sleep, I find myself consumed by the beauty that flows through your veins. It's a privilege to be immersed in your essence, even if it means dark circles under my eyes."

"Wow, studying my blood must be quite the addiction, huh? I hope you're not secretly sharpening your fangs behind my back."

"What if I did?" He playfully flashed a mischievous grin, revealing his growing fangs and his eyes turning a mesmerizing shade of crimson.

Kevin expected Rojo to be scared or at least astonished, but the reality was quite the opposite.

"Oh, really? I'll have to keep an eye on you then, Mr. Fangs-and-Red-Eyes. Can't have you sneaking into my room at night, trying to get a taste of me. I've seen enough vampire movies to know how to protect myself, you know."

"Haha, don't worry. Your blood is safe from my fangs. Besides, you're not my type anyway. I prefer blood with a little more flavor."

"Ah, is that why you brought those three girls back with us? So you can create a harem of delicious blood samples?"

"Haha, jealous, are we? Don't worry, my dear Rosie, you hold a special place in my lab... I mean, my heart. They are merely tools to mislead the police, and I'm also running short on experimental subjects."

Their banter continued for a while in laughter before Rojo decided to steer the conversation back to the main topic.

"Okay, Dracula, so what's really interesting about my blood?"

"Oh, curious now, are we? Well, let me show you." Kevin said and pointed towards the computer screen. Above the screen were spherical machines emitting red lights.

"What's this?"

"Nanite machines, girl. They were injected into your body when you came into contact with the alien Drone."

"So, they're the reason for my cyborg form?"

"That's right, but in the battle with the kid with the watch, over half of the nanites were destroyed, and the remaining ones in your body have been deactivated."

"Deactivated? Does that mean they can be reactivated?"

"Yes, but I won't do that."

"Why not? Didn't you promise to restore my powers?"

"I did say that, but are you willing to trade your life to gain that power?"

Before Rojo could react, Kevin continued to explain, "The nanites injected into your body weren't just meant to enhance your strength and combat abilities. Their primary function is reconstruction, not augmentation."

"The nanites gradually destroy the cellular structures and natural biological systems in your body. They invade organs and blood vessels, causing disruption and damage to their functions.

Then, like a team of micro-engineers, the nanites start rebuilding each part of you. They replace damaged or old cells and tissues with artificial components..."

"Stop there, get to the main point," Rojo interrupted.

"For an indefinite period, you will become a fully robotic being, stripped of all emotions and some basic senses, becoming a perfect biological weapon."

Rojo's face paled slightly, losing the previous smile. "So how do we fix this?"

"It's simple, just undress," Kevin replied.

"What? This is not the time to joke, Kevin."

"Save those dirty thoughts for yourself, Rojo. I'm still just a kid," Kevin said playfully.

"Age is just a number," Rojo muttered. Although slightly annoyed, she knew Kevin didn't have any ulterior motives. Anyway, if he really wanted to do something, she couldn't resist.

She walked away, removing her armor until she was only in her underwear, revealing her enticing curves. Noticing Kevin's gaze fixed on her waist, she snapped, "Take a picture, it will last longer."

"No need, my memory works much better. Now, sit down, and I'll start the process."

Waiting for Rojo to settle, he placed small devices all over her body and pressed a button.

Rojo felt a current flowing through her body, followed by an itching sensation on her chest. Looking down, she saw several red spots converging on her chest, spreading until they stopped at the size of a fist.

Without hesitation, Kevin took out a syringe, inserted it into Rojo's body, and removed the Red substance. At that moment, Rojo felt considerably lighter.

"Success, not too difficult, right?" Kevin said, his gaze fixed on the test tube filled with red substance.

Regaining her composure, Rojo turned to Kevin and asked, "So it's over now. I've lost my powers, haven't I?"

"Don't worry about that. Even with the nanites' power, you were just a cannon fodder. Stay calm, there will be other ways to make you truly powerful." Kevin reassured her gently.

Hearing this, a glimmer of new hope shone in her eyes.

[POV ends]

-----------

Ok guys, let me know if this dialogue is too long or cringe? Do I need to revise it?