[ENG] Family Family

X - And I Obtained Immortality.

Their footsteps rumbled and echoed in the tunnel, as did the mysterious voice that continued to mock us.
- You're hiding, huh? Just wanted to let you know I can see you... - it said.
- But who is this here? How can he see us in the dark? And where is he? -
- I'm much closer than you think... -
A shiver ran down my spine with those whispered but amplified words. It was now clear that it wasn't a recorded voice and the lights were getting more and more intense: the distance between us and one of the robots was narrowing, but not thanks to some sensor of its.
- How close is it, Helen? - I was almost trembling, but despite this, I was confident in the successful outcome of my plan.
- Not enough... -
It was moving at a very slow pace, that I thought was extremely unusual, so I started a new flame. But he stopped for a moment, in disbelief.
- Do you think you can defeat a robot with fire? I thought you were better than that - he continued insistently, but we ignored him.
After that brief moment of uncertainty, he resumed his advance faster than ever. Luckily the machine guns were unloaded, as they were mere display pieces, but if it had gotten any closer, the blades in its forearms could have easily torn us to pieces.
But Helen did not let this happen and, avoiding my fiery fists, she threw herself at its feet, exclaiming: - manifest yourself! -
Initially we doubted that temporary exorcism would also work on inanimate objects, but our doubts ceased as soon as the automaton stopped moving, that is, when she finished pronouncing that verb. The bright image of a semi-transparent boy with curly red hair appeared in front of it.
- How strange, souls usually don't have clothes - Helen stated, noticing a pair of glasses, a white shirt and a black bow tie.
- Helen, is it normal that I can see him too? - I asked her.
- No. -

The lights came on and I noticed the boy looking at Helen, confused.
- Teleportation, creation of flames, manipulation of death or the plant genome, feline physiology or mental powers... you have nothing of the sort... you are not one of them - he concluded, then checked her arms. - You don't even have that weird communication device. -
- He listed them all! - I exclaimed, almost laughing. - But who are you? -
- Ah, right. Allow me to introduce myself. I'm... an admirer. A huge admirer. -
To impress us, he pretended to shake my hand and Helen's, passing through them. The only thing he could touch were his clothes, which apparently were part of the soul.
- I put you to the test, and you passed the test. That's all. -
- An admirer! That's funny! - I giggled, but my expression drastically changed to seriousness almost instantly. - We have no admirers. -
- Maybe you don't, but your father does. -
After hearing that statement I immediately understood who he was.
- This is really strange. And how do you know all our powers? -
- It's... a long story, and a very complex one. You see, I am... -
- Troy Wareheim! - a scream reached us from the entrance to the tunnel. It was Stella, accompanied by Larry and the boy's father; the latter looked in silence at the shattered case, then at his out of place, still turned on, immobile robots, and finally he stopped in front of what remained of his son.
- Where is your body? - he asked, as if this wasn't the first time he saw Troy as a disembodied ghost, which was actually very likely.
Troy sighed. - I knew this moment would come... -

He waved us over and somehow sat down cross-legged on the floor, and then we understood it was going to be a long story, so we joined him in doing the same.
- It all started when I was 15. I was diagnosed with some illness, with a prognosis of about a year. -
- Let me understand, you knew what your prognosis was, but not what disease you were suffering from? - I asked confused, still skeptical.
- No, he shouldn't have known one thing, much less the other! - exclaimed the father, who covered his face with his hands, embarrassed that he hadn't managed to keep such a secret.
- But that doesn't explain why you disappeared into thin air. -
- Oh, yes instead. I didn't let my hatred of you get me down after I overheard a phone call and discovered that I was destined to die in just under three hundred and sixty-five days. Instead, I decided to put into practice something I had been thinking about for a long time. -
- And that would be? -
- With the help of a computer science club member, we developed a software that could encrypt computer files and demand a ransom... -
- The ransomware in the office computers - observed Stella.
- Exact. That one. Anyway, we added a link to your PayPal account, Dad, so that you could be the one to earn money from it, although illegally. And unlike with real ransomwares, there was no way for us to send a decryption tool to the victim's computer, and their files would then be lost if they didn't already have one available. It was partly due to our poor programming skills, but deep down I wanted it to be that way. Not because I'm evil, don't get me wrong, but because my goal wasn't to make money. -
- And what was it? - asked Stella, more interested than anyone in her story, almost more than the boy's father himself.
- Stella, do you know what causes the failure of 60% of businesses? -
- Cyberattacks. -
- Hell, I didn't think you knew that. In particular, what type of cyberattacks? -
- Malware infections. -
- Ransomwares, in particular. -
- So yes, you are evil. -
Then Troy looked at his translucent hands.
- I'll just tell you I can transfer my soul into any inanimate entity - and after saying this, he let out a disturbing laugh, but then he calmed down seeing our shocked faces and started talking again. - I wanted to become something great, and I achieved... immortality. You know, it doesn't exactly replicate itself, but you have no idea how many computers it has infected, and every single copy of the malware is linked to a copy of my soul. -

The father was shocked, but still gathered courage, called his son's name and asked him another question.
- Troy, your soul must return to your body before possessing other objects. How did you control the robots? -
- It's very simple. For some reason, I was sent to the museum's computer. And I would have stayed there if Stella hadn't connected herself to it. -
Stella had made a mistake, and this seemed absurd to me at first, but then I remembered that despite everything, she was a human being.
- Some kind of organic computer that programs reality... once I gained access to that, I gained access to reality as that which exists. Now I'm in the robots, security cameras... and in the speaker! -
After hearing about her mistake, Stella frantically tried typing a command on the RAAC's keyboard, presumably to remove the strange malware from the RAAC itself.
- Woah, not so fast! - and an animated version of Troy appeared on the small display. It had replaced the artificial intelligence that operated the device in emergency situations - that hateable computer version of Stella's voice.
- How did you notice I was trying to delete a copy of yours? -
- We are all connected. I call it an "hive mind," because that's what it is. -
- A collective conscience... well, I guess it can't do anything to remove you at this point. -
- Do you really want to remove such a lovely being? - he said, pointing to what used to be the artificial intelligence software, but which now had his own appearance.
- I want to help you fight crime! I promise that I will make good use of my skills, and that... I will not hinder any attempts at removal. -
- You'll have to earn a good amount of trust - Stella resigned herself.
- I'm aware of that - he nodded, then looked at Tony. - As for you, dad... I know you will struggle to accept my new nature, especially after I kept it hidden from you for so long... but you also kept something hidden from me, so I'd say we are even. -
That copy of Troy then seemed to disappear.
- Is he leaving like this? Without even saying goodbye? -
- Usually, he did this to return to his body, but after an entire speech about replication, I doubt he can still do it. So yes, he just disappeared - the father sighed, and accompanied us out of the closed building, where we could teleport without any spectators.
And that way the team obtained a new member, and consequently the forced formation of a new Duo took place, dubbed WORM-HOLE and formed by ALPHA and TROY, specialized in remote administration as Stella was previously.
Troy had access to all of our information and mission logs, and Stella feared that he would not keep his promise and permanently encrypt them in the event of his removal. But it was a reasonable fear; after all, that's what a ransomware does.

- So now there are eight of us, huh?! - Henry shouted as soon as he found out about what had happened.
- We don't count? - said Larry and Helen in unison, who that evening had sat around the metal table of the headquarters, large enough to accommodate the whole family.
My brother stood up in front of us, our parents and cousins.
- You are but cheaters, just like that stupid virus! - he shouted, pointing to the RAAC.
- Technically I'm a malware - Troy's voice resounded from the device, confirming the unpleasant situation. Compared to the rest of us, he was doing really well.
- The only difference is that we can easily get rid of you - and having said that, he whispered something to Stella, who got up from the table and returned shortly after with a document. Henry took that copy and gave it a quick reread, being careful not to fold it too much, then began speaking again.
- Do you see this? It's the certificate that your father intends to forge and alter through his power. But Montgomery Crowfield is smart, and probably knows well that a short description of it is associated with his name, but he believes that we, a team of superheroes daughter of a professional, do not know, despite this information being one of the tools we use to more, like when all we know about a criminal is the skill he possesses. And I doubt there are many people named Montgomery who can manipulate ink. But what he is aiming for is to scare us. -
Henry didn't lose his mind when he got angry, and that was well known. He had come very close to the truth, but he hadn't been there when Stella revealed her plan to me. It was true, she initially panicked when she saw the words change on the document, but then, having calmed down, she picked a strategy; indulge Monty temporarily, and then get rid of him later.
And part of the plan was to let the cousins eat at his house and stay there until their aunt and uncle arrived.
The metal table hadn't hosted so many people since Leonard I put his power at our service. But something was still missing, namely the food, and someone, the cook.
Julianne came running, sweating: she had climbed down the countless rungs in a hurry, still afraid to use the pole like a fireman.
-The crops are gone, as well as the fruit from the trees - she resigned herself. - Again. -
- Unbelievable! I hoped they'd calmed down... Stupid insects - I joked. - It means we'll eat at McDonald's. Our parents offer. -
- Nicholas! -