Lynn toyed with the pen in his hand, his gaze shifting from the investigation report on " Hector Ayala" to the woman in front of him.
Tifa Lockhart changed into a more practical fighting outfit today, with a black bodysuit that accentuated her toned muscles.
"Boss," Tifa spoke softly, her voice like a clear mountain stream, "Are you worried that ' No. 001 ' is out of control?"
" Adrien is a genius, but he's too superstitious about Logic Lock and thought imprints."
Lynn stood up and threw the report into the shredder.
"Machines are the ones that talk about logic, but Kara Zo-El is a person now. Once a person's emotions overflow, Logic Lock becomes worthless."
Lynn walked up to Tifa and straightened her slightly crooked collar.
"Go to the academy. I want you to be her 'anchor.' Teaching her to kill is secondary; what's important is that you etch Vought's will into her very bones."
"It's not just about commands," Lynn's fingers traced Tifa's shoulder, "It's about 'bonds'."
"I understand. I'll become her sister, or... a nightmare."
Vought Future Academy, underground " Deep Well " training ground.
This place was originally an abandoned bunker used to test the pressure resistance of nuclear reactors, but it has now been transformed into an arena exclusively for "god-tier" units. The surrounding walls have been coated, but even so, the ground still trembles with every impact.
Adrien Veidt stood behind the one-way glass, his hands behind his back, a confident and elegant smile on his face.
" Miss Lockhart, you've come at just the right time."
Adrien pointed to the training ground below, "Look at this work of art. In less than twenty-four hours since waking up, she has mastered the essence of seven martial arts styles, and her control over Heat Vision has reached the micrometer level."
Tifa didn't reply. She walked to the glass and looked down at the battlefield below.
The blonde woman hovered in mid-air, wearing a blue and red bodysuit with a golden "S" shaped emblem on her chest.
This was also designed by Lynn herself.
Opposite her were three heavy combat mechs codenamed " Titan ".
Each of these mechs is equipped with a high-frequency oscillating blade.
"Target locked, eliminate."
Kara's voice was completely flat.
She moved.
There was no sonic boom cloud—she smoothed out air resistance the instant she took off with her bio-force field.
Tifa only saw a golden afterimage.
Kara placed her palm on the mech's chest and, with a little force, the several-ton steel behemoth was crumpled into a lump of scrap metal like foam.
The other two mechs simultaneously brandished their shockwave blades, attempting to attack from both sides.
Kara didn't even turn her head. Her body shifted half a meter sideways in mid-air, dodging the Blade while her eyes glowed with a blinding red light.
"Zzz--!"
Two Heat Vision severed the mech's power core.
Three seconds.
All wiped out.
The battle is over.
"Perfect." Adrien clapped softly, his eyes gleaming with undisguised fervor. "Her calculations are faster than a supercomputer; any tactical maneuver is like slow motion in front of her."
"She's strong," Tifa commented, "But only strong."
Adrien raised an eyebrow. "Oh? It seems the boss's chief secretary has a different opinion."
She's wasting her energy.
Tifa pointed to the still-smoking wreckage of the mech in the arena.
"That last attack used enough power to destroy a building to crush a mech. And her movements were too stiff; she was just executing a program, not fighting."
Tifa turned around and walked towards the elevator leading to the training ground.
"Open the hatch."
" Miss Lockhart, I must remind you," Adrien blocked Tifa's path, " Kara is like a naked Negasonic Teenage Warhead right now. If you go in, I can't guarantee your safety. After all, you are the boss's most valuable... asset."
Tifa stopped and glanced at Adrien.
"Open."
The pressure valve hissed, and the heavy explosion-proof door slowly opened.
A wave of scorching heat hit me; it was the residual heat from the high-energy laser.
Kara Zo-El hovered three meters above the ground, her azure eyes coldly watching the intruder.
Her feet did not touch the ground, as if the filthy ground was unworthy to bear her body.
"Who are you?" Kara tilted her head, her voice mechanical. "Unauthorized personnel. According to Rule 34 of the Logic Lock, I have the right to expel or eliminate you."
"I am Tifa Lockhart."
Facing those emotionless, burning blue eyes, Tifa did not adopt any defensive stance.
She stood there, her hands hanging naturally at her sides.
Adrien squinted behind the one-way glass, his finger resting on the emergency brake button.
He was confident in his work, but Tifa was, after all, someone close to the BOSS. If she were to disappear here, it would cause a lot of trouble.
"If you want to kill me, you don't need to aim," Tifa suddenly said. "At your speed, you could snap my neck before my brain even receives the death signal. Aiming is the hesitation of the weak."
Kara was stunned for a moment; the Logic Lock was working frantically.
The other side showed no fear, did not flee, and even pointed out tactical redundancy.
This is completely inconsistent with the behavior patterns of the "enemy" in the database.
"Get down."
Tifa gently waved.
"Invalid command. Your privilege level is insufficient."
"I'm not giving you orders," Tifa stepped forward. "I'm teaching you manners. The boss doesn't like looking up to people unless he allows it."
The red light in Kara's eyes went out.
Logic Lock Rule 34: Eliminate Threats.
Logic Lock Rule 1: Absolute obedience to Lynn Morris.
These two lines of reasoning conflict in Tifa's words.
"Look at me." Tifa looked up.
The previously rampant and raging bio-force field has developed cracks.
Tifa stepped down to Kara's feet, her hand passing through the energy field and gently touching Kara's ankle.
There was no force, no grasping.
Just hold it gently.
"Your muscles are too tense," Tifa's voice came from the point of contact. "What are you afraid of? Afraid of losing control? Or afraid of the code screaming in your head?"
Kara was startled.
It was a sensation I had never experienced before.
Warm and soft, yet possessing an irresistible firmness.
This is completely different from Adrien's cold, instrumental testing, and also the complete opposite of the lifeless nutrient solution in the culture chamber.
"Presumptuous."
Kara let out a low growl, instinctively wanting to unleash her energy to repel the toucher.
"Shh."
Tifa grabbed Kara's calf with her other hand, using the momentum to lift herself up, her movements as light as a black cat.
In the blink of an eye, she was hovering face-to-face in front of Kara —using only one hand to grip Kara's shoulder for leverage.
The two were less than five centimeters apart.
Kara's eyes, capable of seeing through steel, could only see Tifa's warm, red eyes.
" Adrien gave you divine power, but he forgot to teach you how to be a 'human being'."
Tifa reached out, her fingertips touching Kara's cheek.
Kara instinctively wanted to lean back, but her body strangely wouldn't do so.
Because Tifa's fingers weren't aggressive; they were simply tidying up the messy strands of hair at her temples.
"Your hair's a mess," Tifa said softly. "As Vought's trademark, image management is the first lesson. If you can't even control a few strands of hair, how can you control this devastating power?"
Kara's pupils contracted sharply.
That mechanical indifference is crumbling, transforming into an unprecedented chaos and... curiosity.
"What are you doing?"
Tifa straightened her blonde hair and brought her back to the ground. Then, she cupped Kara's face in her hands and forced her to look directly at her.
"Listen, Kara. Those Logic Lock are just tools, not your soul. When you feel like killing, ask yourself, is it for the mission, or for catharsis?"
"The mission... is everything."
"Wrong." Tifa shook her head, her thumb gently stroking Kara's skin. "The mission is given by the boss. But how you complete it is your own choice. You can choose to burn the enemy to ashes, or you can choose to make them kneel in fear. The former is a weapon, the latter is a god."
Only by being grounded can you feel the weight of the world.
Standing in front of Tifa was a blonde girl in a tight-fitting outfit who looked somewhat bewildered.
"Very good." Tifa gave a very faint smile. She stepped forward and smoothed out the wrinkles on Kara's suit. "From now on, you don't need to call me 'sir' or my number."
What's that called?
"Call me 'sister'."
Behind the one-way glass.
Adrien Veidt's finger left the emergency button.
He looked at the monitor screen, his expression rather interesting.
"Incredible..." Dr. Selvig stared in disbelief. "What kind of psychological technique is this? Hypnosis? Or some kind of more advanced neuro-linguistic programming?"
"No." Adrien was equally surprised. "This is 'humanity.' I endowed Kara with divinity, but I overlooked her fundamental human need for belonging. Tifa filled that void."
He turned to look at the large screen, which displayed Kara's various stats.
The previously volatile mental threshold had become a smooth straight line.
"Perfectly complementary," Adrien exclaimed. "The BOSS saw this coming long ago. A sword that's only sharp is easily broken, but if you give it a flexible scabbard..."
"Then it can cut off everything."
Half an hour later.
Kara sat quietly on a bench in the rest area, holding a cup of hot cocoa in her hand.
Tifa sat beside her, holding a tablet computer and working on official business.
"Is it good?"
Tifa asked without looking up.
Kara took a tentative sip.
The high sugar content of the liquid stimulates the taste buds, triggering the release of dopamine.
"Sweet," Kara replied. "According to the database, this drink causes a spike in blood sugar and slows down reaction time."
"But it can make you feel better." Tifa turned off the tablet and looked at her sideways. "In this world, some things are illogical, but they're very useful. Like sugar, like trust."
Kara nodded as if she understood, and then took another big gulp.