The aide placed the metallic box on the floor.

  Thud!

  Dong-jun and Hyun-seop watched in silence, their eyes fixed on the cold steel.

  "You brought it quickly," the Deputy Director remarked. The aide gave a slight, mechanical nod.

  As the aide manipulated the buttons on top, the box began to unfold. It unraveled smoothly, like a paper die flattening out into a cross.

  "Gah! I thought I was going to suffocate in there!"

  A voice emerged from within the box. Both Dong-jun and Hyun-seop froze in shock.

  Inside was an android. It was a perfect replica of the Deputy Director standing right in front of them—except it was only a head, severed at the neck.

  "..."

  The sight triggered a visceral memory for Dong-jun. The massacre. The android that had slaughtered the police officers...

  His hands began to tremble uncontrollably. He had tried to convince himself he wasn't afraid, but his body knew better.

  "What’s going on here? Is this some kind of joke?" the severed head barked, its jaw snapping incessantly.

  Without a word, the aide reached down and yanked a chip from the back of the android's skull.

  Sizzle...

  The light in the android’s eyes vanished instantly. The lids fluttered shut.

  "Startled?" the Deputy Director asked, his voice eerily calm. "I found this thing five days ago. Right in front of... my house."

  He began to recount the events of that night—how he had been ambushed on his way home, how he had narrowly escaped death through a stroke of luck, and how he had managed to take down the imposter and reveal its true nature.

  As he finished his tale, he looked strangely proud. A chilling silence settled over the room.

  However, the aide’s expression flickered, as if something were deeply wrong.

  "Setting that aside," the Deputy Director continued, "the core issue is that these androids—perfect replicas of real people—are appearing everywhere."

  Dong-jun forced himself to breathe, trying to process the implications. Androids attacking humans to replace them... The thought was terrifying.

  "We’ve been hunting for the source ever since. And just the day before yesterday, thanks to 'that incident,' we finally pinpointed their location."

  The Deputy Director shrugged, looking satisfied with his report.

  Pinpointed? Dong-jun felt a surge of doubt. If they found them, isn’t it over? Why are they telling us this now?

  The Deputy Director leaned in, adding one final thought. "That is why we need your help, Dong-jun... actually, we need help from both of you."

  "Wait, what?"

  Dong-jun was lost. He lacked context. Why did they need him? And what did 'that incident' refer to? Was he talking about the android I destroyed?

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  "What incident are you referring to?" Hyun-seop asked, sensing the lack of clarity.

  This time, the aide took over. "Our ability to track the enemy is directly linked to what happened to you in Guro, Dong-jun."

  She used a remote to activate a circular display in the center of the room. A large image of a male android’s face appeared, followed by a gallery of other androids mimicking various real-life individuals.

  She pointed a laser at the male android’s face. "This unit's data was different from the other replicas we’ve acquired."

  The screen shifted to a map.

  "Analyzing its memory revealed a signal originating from the Gwangju region. We’ve identified the location as a decommissioned automobile factory."

  So, the signal from the one I destroyed leads to an abandoned factory in Gwangju?

  "But why do you need Dong-jun?" Hyun-seop pressed. He knew his role was to support Dong-jun, and his protective instincts were flaring.

  "That’s because..."

  The aide started to answer, but the Deputy Director cut her off, his expression hardening with resolve.

  "Because... they are hunting for him."

  "..."

  It was a truth Dong-jun already knew. If they were connected to that android, it was inevitable. FAI wanted him to be the 'bait.'

  Dong-jun had already steeled himself to walk into the lion's den.

  "I’ll do—"

  "Absolutely not."

  "Huh?" Dong-jun turned, startled. Hyun-seop had cut him off.

  The aide’s face flushed with irritation. "Hyun-seop, this isn't what we agreed upon in our contract!"

  Contract? Dong-jun wondered. He didn't know the details, but he guessed it was the reason Hyun-seop had agreed to come here. Did they ask him to persuade me?

  "Dong-jun has done enough," Hyun-seop said, his voice dropping an octave. It was louder, firmer—a side of him Dong-jun had never seen. "You have enough resources to take them down without him."

  Dong-jun felt a lump in his throat. He knew Hyun-seop was doing this out of genuine concern.

  "I’m fine—"

  "Dong-jun needs to rest," Hyun-seop insisted. "The old man said he needs time to recover."

  The aide looked furious, but the Deputy Director simply looked puzzled. After a tense silence, the Deputy Director turned to Dong-jun.

  "Then, Dong-jun... what do you want to do?"

  Dong-jun looked at the Deputy Director, then the aide, and finally at Hyun-seop before speaking.

  "I..."

  "God damn it!"

  Han Myeong-man slammed his fist against the steering wheel as he sat at a red light. The horn blared in the quiet street.

  BEEP!

  Kang Jin-hyeok looked out the window. They were surrounded by mountains. There was no way they could catch that flying thing out here.

  "Chief Han... let's head back."

  Dong-jun and Hyun-seop said their goodbyes to Lia and the old man before stepping back into the underground elevator.

  Lia waved with a smile, but as soon as the doors began to hiss shut, she pressed a button on her wrist. The elevator began its ascent.

  Hyun-seop’s face was grim. Dong-jun knew why. He searched for the right words to break the tension.

  "Phew, that was close. I almost became a lab rat."

  "..." Hyun-seop remained silent.

  "But man, it was creepy. That android looked exactly like the Deputy Director, didn't it?"

  "..."

  When Hyun-seop still didn't respond, Dong-jun hurried to add, "Besides... it’s something I have to do anyway—"

  "It’s okay," Hyun-seop interrupted softly. "You don’t have to make excuses."

  He looked guilty, as if his interference had forced Dong-jun’s hand. Dong-jun didn't need words to understand his old friend.

  "No, really. Even if you hadn't said anything, I would have turned them down. Like I said, I have things to take care of."

  Hyun-seop’s expression softened slightly, though he clearly thought Dong-jun was just trying to comfort him.

  "I'm serious!"

  Hyun-seop’s car was an aging black sedan. He used to drive a larger van, but he had traded it in.

  "Wow! Nice car!" Dong-jun said, trying to keep the mood light. Hyun-seop reached into the back seat and handed him a coat and an energy drink.

  "Thanks. Plug in the GPS."

  "Where to?"

  "The... Guro Police Station!"

  Just as they were about to pull away, Lia’s voice rang out.

  "Wait! Stop!"

  She was accompanied by a man in a wheelchair.

  Thank god... Dong-jun felt his eyes well up. He hadn't shown it, but the guilt of another person getting hurt because of him had been crushing.

  "Are you... are you okay?"

  "...Yeah." The man spoke weakly. He had rushed out the moment he woke up because he had something important to say.

  "You're going back to get your things, aren't you?"

  Dong-jun nodded.

  "Then... don't trust the police too much. There could be enemies among them as well."

  The Deputy Director watched the scene through a CCTV monitor. He turned to the aide—no, he bowed his head toward her and asked:

  "What should we do, Deputy Director?"

  The 'aide' replied coldly:

  "Switch to Plan B."