The moment Leon remembered that 2B was still lying pristine and untouched inside her "coffin," he immediately switched to another office—one with top-tier soundproofing and noise suppression.
He had prepared quite a few of these private offices around the company. Most of the time they went unused.
But look—now they were useful.
Pepper was always saying he occupied public resources.
Honestly—
This concerned the future legacy of the Stark family. How could that possibly count as misusing company space?
Leon retrieved the Regeneration Cradle from his System Storage Space.
Through the palm-sized transparent observation window, he could clearly see that 2B's bio-engineered vibranium skin and her black gothic external armor components had already been fully printed.
The entire android body was pure as fresh snow.
Perfect beyond mortal craftsmanship.
Lifelike.
Just looking at her—
Was enough to make one want to take a bite.
Tap. Tap.
Leon's fingertips glided lightly across the Cradle's control panel before pressing the hatch-release button with unconcealed anticipation.
Hiss—
White vapor spilled from the seams as the lid began to rise.
When it fully opened, the serene, immaculate beauty of the Snow-White Battle Android revealed itself before his eyes.
"Beautiful…" Leon murmured.
Under the watchful—and faintly judgmental—gaze of Arcee (currently using her A2 personality module), Leon lifted 2B's external thermal-dissipation components.
After some very "careful" exploration, he pressed her activation switch—
Positioned in the same place as the famous design from Chobits.
Originally, it hadn't been there.
But Leon firmly believed that an android's activation switch should be located there.
So the beautiful, wise, and extremely accommodating Miss Arcee had made a small adjustment to 2B's configuration.
Given Arcee's own past modifications, there were no technical barriers whatsoever.
Hum—
A micro nuclear reactor—on par with Tony's Miniature Arc Reactor in technological sophistication—powered online.
At the same time, Leon removed 2B's black combat visor, allowing himself to witness her awakening fully.
Her eyes slowly opened.
Pale blue.
Clear as crystalline gemstones.
Her pupils contracted slightly as they focused.
Lying within the Cradle, 2B fixed her gaze upon the human who had activated her.
From her perspective—
Not merely a human.
But her creator.
"Inquiry: Are you my Master?"
Her slightly confused expression, her gaze still carrying untainted purity, made Leon—whose inner world was anything but pure—feel faintly ashamed.
He was already eager to dye her in his own colors.
Even if 2B, at this moment, lacked emotional autonomy—
Time nurtured attachment.
And for YoRHa-type artificial beings, that principle applied perfectly.
Especially considering Leon had installed a highly realistic Pseudo-Neural Feedback System, accelerating the emergence of self-awareness.
After all—
Joy was the most direct path to self-recognition.
"Yes."
Leon nodded with a gentle smile.
"YoRHa Unit 2B. I am Leon Stark Odinson—your one and eternal Master."
At his words—
2B slowly sat upright within the Cradle.
Her hands rested lightly upon her gothic armor components. With a subtle motion, the external shell parted along a vertical seam—revealing the inner structure beneath.
Her bio-vibranium dermal layer shifted aside.
Within lay a black-and-silver Uru-reinforced mechanical frame, and at its center—a thumb-sized identity core.
"Response acknowledged."
"Proceeding to confirm contractual commitment."
"Master, I have only one request: I am an artificial tool, incapable of bearing responsibility. Therefore, please assume full responsibility for my existence."
Is this some kind of cyberpunk wedding vow?
Leon thought dryly.
Outwardly, he remained composed and nodded.
"Then—"
"I will now record Master's biological identity. Please reconfirm consent to the stated request."
As she spoke, Arcee guided Leon's right hand forward, pressing his thumb onto 2B's identity core.
"Yes, yes, yes!"
"Beginning Master life-record acquisition—"
"Fingerprint recognition complete. Genetic signature recognition complete. Divine energy recognition complete. Higher-mystic layer verification complete."
"Master identity successfully recorded."
"Identity registration module will now self-destruct."
Once the process finished—
2B voluntarily destroyed her identity-registration system.
From that moment onward, she became Leon's exclusive combat android.
"Master, internal divine energy reserves are insufficient. Immediate replenishment is recommended. Do you consent?"
"Consent? Of course I consent. But how exactly—?"
"I—whoa!"
Before Leon could finish his question—
2B swiftly disengaged her thermal armor modules, exposing a divine-energy intake interface, and pulled her designated "divine power generator" into the Cradle with her.
"Divine energy replenishment sequence initiated."
"Estimated duration: two and a half hours."
…
Two and a half hours later.
"That's enough, right? You said two and a half hours."
"Can you even absorb more than that?"
"Are you going to overload?"
Leon—radiant, righteous, and concerned—began worrying that 2B might not understand the principle of equilibrium.
"No."
"Divine energy replenishment sequence error detected. Significant internal leakage observed. Master, please continue replenishment."
"That's enough."
Arcee—still in A2 mode—finally lost patience.
Like lifting a kitten by the scruff, she seized 2B by the back of the neck and pulled her out of the Cradle.
Then she pressed Leon back down just as he tried to climb out.
With a cool, A2-style smirk, she repeated 2B's earlier line:
"Master, I also require divine energy replenishment."
"…Huh?"
"But you're Adamantium, not Uru—wait, hey—fine! Replenishing!"
Against Arcee's "hostage tactics," Leon had absolutely no resistance.
His first day back on Earth—
Was spent almost entirely converting and outputting divine energy in relentless cycles.
Praise be to Starlight.
…
The Next Day
Still inside his office, Leon received a mysterious package delivered by none other than Nick Fury.
Since Tony remained in seclusion, it had been redirected to Leon instead.
…
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