There were very few opportunities to hack into the Watchtower's main frame. With Victor always connected to it, any signs of tampering would surely be discovered before Harper even had the chance to finish it. That's why she had to wait until Victor was running low on energy. With the need to recharge, he would disconnect from the server and assign another person to watch the monitors. Of course, whoever replaced him wouldn't be nearly as competent as he was.

It took almost two weeks before Victor had decided to go offline, leaving Green Arrow in charge of watching the monitors for any trouble. Ollie was an intelligent, though easily destructed man...but it didn't matter. Harper's Model 'Athena' shell was designed for an op like this. It possessed far less offensive capabilities and hull plating than the Val, but possessed intrusion software and the specialised processors needed to hack into a secure system like the Watchtower's database.

Only people directly linked into the system would be able to detect Athena's activity; and that was limited to both Cyborg and Harper. With her neural implant, she guided Athena through the hacking process. It took less than one minute before she was able to manipulate the system into showing a potential threat near Amnesty Bay...at the exact coordinates that Amanda Waller had sent to her.

Soon after, she directed Athena back in line (amidst the plethora of other designs), then casually strolled towards the control centre. She peeked her head around the corner, only to see Ollie why his wide eyes stuck to the screen.

"There a problem?" She asked, trying to sound as clueless as possible.

"Well, there's a big red flashing thing on the screen..." Ollie replied sarcastically. "That usually means something bad, right?"

Harper smirked, scooting Green Arrow over and zooming into the detected danger. A large outline of Amnesty Bay came into frame, and on the western outskirts was the flashing crimson light. Harper folded her arms and tapped her foot against the concrete ground as she rigged the system to relay the situation.

"Internet virus." Harper stated as a series of long and complicated words appeared on the screen. "Making people's electronic devices explode. Fifty people dead within a ten mile radius of the vicinity, twenty more injured."

As if on cue, Green Arrow began to fasten his quiver over his shoulder and grabbed his bow from the table. "I'd better get over there then."

"No. Not you." She replied so quickly that it was almost insulting...scratch that. It was insulting. "That virus will keep spreading, whether you capture whoever's responsible or not. The only way to stop it is to break into an encrypted server at the location the readings are emanating from. We need Victor to go. He's the only one that could hack something that advanced."

Ollie's posture immediately slumped at this news. He had been itching to get out and do something all day. "That's suspiciously specific. Can't you shut it down yourself? You're always saying that you're just as smart as Vic."

"It should be obvious by now that I'm lying whenever I say that." Harper huffed. She didn't quite like being forced to admit this. It was a massive hit to her confidence. "He's got information not just from our world, but from others as well. It's practically impossible for me to be on his level...no matter how hard I try."

"Well, you're in luck. That computer's very likely from our world. You won't need all that alien knowledge stored in Victor's mind...or hard drive...or whatever. So you shouldn't need him to go with you either."

Harper breathed, long and deep, trying to maintain her composure. "Look, I probably could hack into it myself...but it would take a lot longer than Victor. That means more time for the virus to spread, and more casualties. Speaking of which, we don't really have time to discuss this either. Just...stay put. Watch the monitor for any more signs of trouble."

Harper hadn't even gotten to the door before Ollie spoke again. "Vic's resting. It's rare that he ever gets that opportunity. You should take Blue Beetle instead."

"I don't even know who that is, or what he's capable of." Harper responded blandly. She was obviously becoming agitated by his constant questioning. "I want someone that I have full faith in. That means Victor. This isn't up for debate."

As she finally left, the eyes of Green Arrow were stuck on her. She could feel them digging into the back of her head, trying to spring forth any secret agendas hidden within. She was relieved to get out of his line of sight, but even as she hurried towards the spare room where Victor was recharging, she could sense Ollie's distrust.

Upon entering, there was a quiet hum that filled the room. As if Victor's systems had realised her presence and immediately started reactivating his mind. His red eye flooded the area with a flickering light, and then finally, his other dark brown iris came into view. It took a few moments for him to become aware of his surroundings, and when he did there was a sense of sorrow in his expression that Harper couldn't quite describe. He had been dreaming about being human again, and awoken trapped in the same metal shell.

"What are you doing here?" He asked her in a droning voice. "Was I screaming again?"

"No." She shook her head and stepped into view. Victor let his gaze fall on her, and some of that initial sorrow of waking from his dream vanished. "We just need your help."

Victor, surprisingly, didn't enquire any further. As soon as she'd said this he unplugged himself from the elaborate charging port and stepped down. "What do you need?"

Harper, admittedly taken back by his willingness to help her, managed to explain the situation rather convincingly. "Someone's created a virus that forces electronic devices to instantly explode. It's spreading through the internet; messages, emails, even videos. We've found the place that it's originating from, but we'll probably need to hack into an encrypted server to delete the virus... As much as I hate to admit it, no one could break into something that secure as quickly as you could."

Half of Victor's brow furrowed. "It's not like you to admit defeat."

"People are dying, Victor. That's more important than my ego."

It was rare that Harper ever called him by his first name. Typically, she'd use fairly offensive nicknames such as 'Megatron' or 'Terminator'. The fact that she had decided to say his name with such urgency...it surprised him, but it also stole any skepticism that could've developed. It must have been important for her to take it so seriously.

"Alright. I'll open a Boom Tube. Just send me the coordinates."

"Got it." Harper replied. With nothing but a few distinct thoughts, she reconnected her neural implant to Athena, and commanded her to send the vicinities location to Victor.

Cyborg wasn't shocked to receive this information only seconds later. He had grown accustomed to her control over specific technology. In fact, he had to actively remind himself that she was completely human. "You taking Val?"

Large, resounding footsteps echoed through the hallway and then the very chassis that was being discussed stood in the doorframe. Harper smirked. "Good guess."

——————————-

The Boom Tube took them just a short walk from the vicinity. It could have transported them directly inside, but that was an unnecessary risk. Without knowing the layout they could have appeared in a room full of hostiles...and the goal was to avoid as many people as possible. They didn't want to start an entirely preventable fight.

"Arthur's not gonna be happy about this." Victor sighed, right hand morphed into a sonic cannon and pointed outward in preparation for danger.

"Why?" Harper asked in slight confusion. She understood everyone being quite upset by the fabricated events, but didn't know why Arthur would be particularly effected by it.

"This was his home growing up." Cyborg answered simply.

"Wait...isn't he the king of some ancient sunken city? I thought he would have been raised like a male mermaid or something. There's a name for that, right?"

"A merman, and no, he's half human. He was raised by his dad in that lighthouse over there." Victor pointed behind them, and placed against the changing horizon was the lighthouse. It looked small from where she was, and it was utterly abandoned.

Her attention was quickly forced back to the mission at hand, though, when they finally arrived in front of the A.R.G.U.S building. Victor instinctively scanned it for any lifeforms. "Sixty people. Twenty-one are cybernetically enhanced. They're all cut off in separate rooms. If we stick to the main corridor, then turn right into the east wing, we should get to the computer without detection."

Harper nodded and stepped forward to guide them in, but Victor stopped her. "I'll go first." He said.

Harper's brows knitted together, though within the metal chassis of her suit, it was unlikely that he could sense her bewilderment. "Why?"

Victor's hardened, sharp features softened only barely. It was enough for her to know that he was worried about her safety, especially after that little fainting spell. She hadn't been well in the past few weeks. No matter how hard she tried to hide it, Victor could tell. She was paler, and less steady on her feet. If they were attacked, Victor feared that her reaction time would be depleted as well. "Just let me, alright?"

Harper gulped, but allowed him to continue forward. She felt a tug of unavoidable guilt as they entered the building, but found peace in the fact that she
was doing the right thing. His technology could help hundreds of war veterans to hug their children again...to walk on their own without assistance. Not every decision could be weighed down by morals. She knew that all too well.

Walking through that deserted structure was the hardest part. Her job was just to get him there, but she had no idea when they would attempt to capture him...or how they would do it. That question would only be answered once they finally reached the room directly in the centre of their coordinates.

The lights flickered on, and then there was a noise; a machine rumbling to life like distant thunder. Victor jumped into a defensive position, but soon after he was pulled to the opposite wall by an invisible force. Crashing against that metal structure, his head bounced against it with a crack, and suddenly he was stuck to it. No explanation was needed. Harper immediately knew that they had rigged a heavy duty electromagnet inside that wall, and that it had been strong enough to pin Victor against it.

He looked dazed, which wasn't a surprise. Magnets that strong could fuck up even the most advanced computers. Victor, through the confused flurry in his mind, shot Harper a look of absolute panic. Not for his own safety, but for hers. That made the guilt even worse when he finally passed out.

"Good work, specialist." A voice called from the doorway, but it wasn't Amanda Waller. She wasn't stupid enough to be there when Victor was brought in.

Harper turned to face Bobby Zirrozinski instead. His cybernetics looked cleaner than before. He'd clearly had them upgraded. He'd also taken to calling Harper 'specialist' just like Waller had done in the past. It was likely because he noticed that Harper reacted more positively to this title rather than simple terms like 'Miss' or 'Ma'am'. It was a subtle way to provoke her loyalty to the government...to remind her of her duty. It was just one small word, but it brought years of service with it. Bobby was smarter than Harper had given him credit for.

"You should...get moving." Harper advised, trying to push Victor's last expression to the back of her mind. "Bringing him here wasn't as smooth as I'd hoped. People are suspicious."

Bobby nodded. "We'll head out tonight, after we've wrapped up a few experiments."

Harper didn't look back at Victor. She couldn't. Of all the terrible things she had done...all the deaths she had allowed...this one was somehow the hardest. She needed to see what this sacrifice would create. To know what Victor's life was buying. "Then you won't mind me taking a look around."

"Of course not. As long as you let me escort you."

Harper agreed. She hadn't expected them to allow her free access to their facility. Not even after her contribution to their research. No matter how much you trust someone, they always have the ability to betray you. Extend one hand, and arm the other. That was Victor's downfall. He had offered too much, and left no room for a weapon.