"I, uh, I think you're mistaking me for someone else." I nervously chuckled.

I know you've heard the saying before.

Why did I have to decide to be the cat? I should've just turned around and left as soon as I saw those legs poking out.

The robot girl slightly tilted her head but showcased no difference in emotion.

"You activated me." She stated. "Are you going to abandon me?"

I suddenly feel threatened.

"No..?" I uneasily spoke.

"Then you are now my new master." The robot girl stated, as if it was natural.

Why? Why is this happening to me?

Damned if I do and damned if I don't!

The robot girl pushed herself out of the crate, standing up and staring at me. I quickly stood up as well, not wanting her to be the only one standing. She was a little shorter than I was, and other than the robotic seams looked completely like an actual human girl.

"What is your name, Master?" She asked.

She's already scanned me, so I think it's a little late for using fake names. Maybe, since I'm apparently her...master, I can keep her from exposing anything.

"Jason." I stated. "But don't tell anyone that."

"Understood, Master." She nodded.

Well, great. Not sure what to do now.

"What is yours?" I asked.

"I am model AW-VSD III." The robot stated.

Why couldn't it have been a simple acronym that was close enough to a female name? I don't have the imagination to properly think of a name for this thing...

"Do you have a codename? Any sort of thing you were also called?" I wondered, praying for something.

"Mark III." She stated.

Not what I meant...

"You know what, how about...Sophie?" I replied, saying the first thing that came to mind. "Does that work?"

Her mismatched colored eyes stared into my soul for a few seconds until she finally nodded. I have no idea how she feels about that, but I guess that's what we're going with. I sighed to myself, before flinching as another explosion sounded from upstairs.

"Shit, I gotta get out of here before this building collapses." I cursed.

The hell they doing up there?

"Hold still, Master." Sophie suddenly stated, grabbing me and quickly holding me in a princess carry position before I could even possibly refuse.

"Wait-!" I cried out as we suddenly launched towards the ceiling. She held me with one hand, bringing her other hand up. Her hand started to mechanically move as it morphed into a cannon made of white armor. Some sort of air blast came out from her cannon, breaking a hole through the ceiling and allowing us to land onto the first floor.

"What...was that?" I questioned.

"Concussive blast." She spoke. "You wish to leave this building, yes?"

"Yes." I quickly nodded.

"Understood, Master." She looked forwards, before starting to run while still carrying me.

I wrapped my arms around her neck to make sure I kept on, still barely understanding the turn of the events that had just occurred.

Hold on, let's get this straight.

I accidentally find a robot girl, activate her, and then become her new master. And then I find out apparently she has advanced features such as concussive blasts!

I'm not exactly sure how to feel in this situation. In one case, having a robot like her will greatly increase my firepower. On the other hand, she is the opposite of subtle.

And there are some people I would rather stay under the radar to avoid.

Sophie continued to run forwards, before suddenly we were cut off by an explosion from the floor above us. Coming crashing through the ceiling landed a thug, dazed and confused.

"What the-!" I gasped as another object crashed through the ceiling, but this time landing on their feet.

As they stood fully upright and stared straight at the two of us, I once again cursed my horrid luck.

There she was, standing proudly in her radiant gold and red costume. Her red cape fluttered behind her as she stared us down with her crystal blue eyes. The Hero of Hope herself.

"Another one." She noted aloud. She shifted her feet, getting herself into a better stance to fight.

"Ah, Stellar, we meet again! Though, this time, I would suggest letting us go." I grinned, trying my hardest to bluff and not get captured today. "I have myself quite the strong companionship here."

Sophie's head slightly tilted to the side.

"Again?" She questioned, narrowing her eyes before they slightly widened as she reached a realization. "You're the one from the bank three months ago."

The fact you made that connection almost instantly just gave me the shivers, this lowly grunt does not feel safe.

"Is she in your way, Master?" Sophie asked.

"I mean, yes, but she's quite strong." I whispered back to Sophie while covering my mouth to keep Stellar from hearing.

She took a step forwards, quickly followed by another one after.

"You aren't getting away this time." Stellar declared.

"I will take care of her." Sophie stated, setting me down and pushing me behind her.

The two had a stare down, before suddenly they launched themselves at each other. Sophie's hand and arm started to move, morphing itself into a large gauntlet made of white metal this time.

Taken off guard by the sudden change in size and form of Sophie's fist, she was hit by the armored gauntlet and flung through the wall.

Sophie shortly followed, leaving out of sight and allowing me to continue on my escape from this place. You know what, at this point I'm starting to become thankful I found this robot girl.

I started to move forwards, only to be startled as something grabbed my leg and refused to let go. I looked down at the fellow grunt, who desperately held onto my ankle.

"Get me out of here!" He growled. "The plan went to shit!"

"Buddy, maybe you shouldn't have decided to resort to bombing!" I replied, stomping hard on his hand with my free foot. "Get your friend to help!"

He hollered, pulling his hand away with a furious look. I quickly got moving before he could attempt to grab me again.

Explosions may cause good distractions, but they're too good of distractions! And frankly, you're dead weight to me.

I dashed forwards, running down the hallway to try to make it to the exit. I skid to a stop as someone was launched through the wall in front of me, crashing into the opposite wall.

Sophie pulled herself out of the wall, only for Stellar to fly through and slam both of them through the the other wall, leaving me alone in the hallway once more.

I'm becoming more and more thankful I found this random robot girl. I mean, she's somehow going toe to toe with one of the current top heroes in the city.

Why would anyone leave her to rust in storage?

I continued running down the hallway, counting my lucky blessings as I saw the exit ahead. Well, another easy job for the great Jason-!

Another explosion sounded right above me, rocking me off of my feet. I groaned, pulling myself up as I watched the ceiling start to cave in.

"Oh shit!" I exclaimed, scrambling to my feet and backing up as the ceiling collapsed, rubble crashing down and covering the exit.

You know what, maybe I shouldn't go jinxing myself.

Okay, focus. Now I have to run all the way to the opposite side of the building and pray that entrance hasn't been cut off.

As soon as I turned around to start moving Stellar crashed through the ceiling, slamming into the ground and through it to the basement.

Following through the ceiling came Sophie, avoiding the hole into the basement and instead landing next to me.

"This place is collapsing, Master." She stated. "We must leave."

Before I could say a word I was once more picked up into a princess hold. I clung onto Sophie as she jumped up through the hole in the ceiling, landing onto the second floor.

She started running across the hallway as another explosion rocked the place. How many bombs did they bring into this place?!

Sophie suddenly halted, jumping backwards as Stellar burst from the floor, now floating in front of us with her arms crossed.

"Please surrender." She requested.

Uh oh.

"Sorry Stellar, but I'm feeling a little stubborn today." I smirked as the building rumbled, an explosion going off a floor above." Besides, don't you have someone to save before this building collapses?"

Stellar let out a short sigh before quickly flying back down to the first floor. Thank you, grunt I abandoned from before! The Hero of Hope always priorities the safety of people!

Sophie started running once more, avoiding the holes in the ground as she continued at a quick pace. We started to reach the end of the hallway, where the hallway became a dead end. The only thing there was a window.

"Prepare for impact, Master." Sophie suddenly stated.

"Wait, what-?!" I screamed as she suddenly turned around and jumped backwards, slamming us through the window.

I watched the broken and collapsing building as we fell from the second floor, unable to stop my heart from dropping as I felt the wind rush against my face.

It was a quick drop, Sophie landing on her feet and successfully keeping me safe. We now stood outside the building, where Sophie finally let me down. I'm so relieved to feel the ground under my feet...

"Your heart rate is accelerated, Master." Sophie noted. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine..." I gasped for air. "...good job."

"Good...job...?" She slowly replied, tilting her head.

"Yeah. Good job." I nodded.

Another explosion rocked the building, once more making me think that my fellow grunts decided to go overkill. I guess they really wanted to look good for Mother Wasp...

"Maybe we should leave-" I started to say, before getting cut off by a loud voice to the right.

"Go!" A familiarly hopeful voice screamed.

I looked to the side, seeing multiple people run out of a hole in the wall of the first floor. The building was collapsing more, trying to fold in on itself and close the exit.

But in the way stood Stellar, floating and pushing upwards above the exit to keep the rubble from falling down and crushing the escaping people. Her arms shook as she strained to hold it up. Eventually it seemed all of the people left, running away from the scene to a safer place.

I didn't even realize there were that many left! How did she get all of them so quickly? With everyone out Stellar looked around, noticing us standing to the side watching.

"You..." She grunted, before quickly returning all of her focus to the building. More of it started to collapse, making the strain even harder. She tried to slowly bring herself down, but her arms were starting to fail her.

And then, she slipped, crashing to the ground as the building collapsed behind her. She laid on the ground, crawling as the building collapsed, rubble falling onto her lower half.

The building seemed to finally settle, but at the end of it now was a half-buried Stellar, still determined to fight.

She grit her teeth, trying to crawl only to be stuck from the rubble. She looked at us, her eyes flickering as she fought her exhaustion, only for her head to drop.

She's uh...she's not dead, is she?

"She is vulnerable, Master." Sophie stated. "I can take care of her."

Stellar could stop being a problem. All I have to do...

And then a face flashed in my mind.

Sophie took a step forwards, only for me to extend an arm and stop her. She turned towards me, tilting her head with an expressionless look once again.

Damn me and my bleeding heart.

"Get her out from under the rubble." I ordered.

"Understood, Master." Sophie nodded.

She walked over, removing rubble with ease before dragging Stellar out. We dragged her over to the side, leaning her against the fence which surrounded the now destroyed Stromford North Facility.

Gabriel would be distraught if you died.

Why should I care? I'm-

"We'll leave her here for the other heroes." I stated, drowning away the voice with my own. "Let's get out of here."

And that's when I turned to Sophie and realized something major.

What am I supposed to do with her now?