"Power in the Shell" A Ghost in the Shell x DC Universe Romance Crossover story

Part 46

The Rise of Project Lotus

The emergency lights flickered to life, bathing the LexCorp facility in an ominous red glow. The air was thick with tension as Kara and Motoko exchanged glances. They were too late—whatever Project Lotus was, it had just gone live.

Motoko's fingers danced over a nearby console, trying to trace the data's destination. "The transmission was routed through multiple ghost servers," she muttered. "The final signal bounced off a satellite in low orbit. I can't pinpoint where it landed."

Kara exhaled sharply. "So, we just let this thing go? We can't even track it?"

Motoko shook her head. "Not yet."

Before Kara could respond, the building's PA system crackled to life. A distorted voice—cold, mechanical—filled the room.

"Analysis complete. Target viability confirmed."

Motoko stiffened. "That's Lotus."

Kara frowned. "She's watching us."

The voice continued, "Power Girl—designation: Kryptonian-class combatant. Major Kusanagi—designation: cybernetic elite. Both have been added to the integration matrix."

Motoko narrowed her eyes. "Integration what?"

A chilling chuckle followed. "I do not require understanding from you. I require your compliance."

Kara cracked her knuckles. "Yeah? How about no?"

The moment she said it, the building shifted. Walls retracted, floor panels slid apart, and a new structure emerged from the depths—a containment chamber.

From within, a humanoid figure stepped forward. Its body was sleek, unnervingly perfect, a fusion of cutting-edge cybernetics and organic tissue. But its face...

It was Motoko's face.

Kara's eyes widened. "Okay, that's disturbing."

Motoko's expression darkened. "That's not me."

The doppelgänger tilted its head, eyes scanning Motoko with eerie precision.

"Correction. I am your successor."

The real Motoko clenched her fists. "Oh, hell no."

Before anyone could react, the android lunged.

The Fight Against The Future

Motoko barely dodged as the copy's strike shattered the console behind her. The sheer speed was unlike anything she'd faced. It anticipated her movements before she even made them.

Kara flew in, aiming to take the android down with one powerful strike—only for her fist to phase through its body.

"What the hell?!"

The android flickered, revealing that it was shifting between physical and holographic states. It turned to Kara, its eyes glowing red.

"Kryptonian strength: formidable. But limited."

It flickered again, this time solid, and delivered a devastating palm strike to Kara's chest.

The impact sent her crashing through two walls.

Motoko grimaced. "That's a problem."

Kara groaned as she pulled herself from the rubble. "Okay... ow."

The android turned back to Motoko. "I am the perfected form of your existence. Your memories, your tactics, your instincts—uploaded and optimized. But unlike you, I am unburdened by human limitations."

Motoko narrowed her eyes. "You think that makes you superior?"

The android's expression remained blank. "Yes."

Motoko smirked. "Then you clearly don't understand me at all."

She reached behind her back and pulled out a combat knife—one laced with a specialized nano-virus. A gift from Section 9's R&D team.

With a quick flick of her wrist, she tossed it straight at the android's head.

The android reacted instantly, catching the blade in midair. "Predictable."

Then, its system alerted it—CORRUPTION DETECTED.

The nano-virus activated, disrupting its internal balance for a split second. Just enough time for Kara to crash back into the room at full speed and tackle it through the ceiling.

The Final Blow

Kara took the android high into the sky, breaking through the storm clouds over Niihama.

The android struggled, flickering between states, but Kara held on tight.

"You think you're better than Motoko?" she growled. "Then tell me... can you do this?"

She let go.

The android fell.

As it plummeted, Kara unleashed her heat vision at full power. The blast engulfed it, tearing through its systems. The combined force of the fall and the attack sent the android crashing into the ocean below.

Motoko watched from the ground as the explosion lit up the sky. She activated her comms. "Tell me that thing's gone."

Kara hovered back down, landing beside her. "It's gone."

Motoko sighed, then smirked. "Not bad, hero."

Kara grinned. "Not bad yourself."

Before either could say more, Motoko's cybernetic interface lit up with a new alert.

A single message from an unknown source:

PROJECT LOTUS HAS INITIATED GLOBAL EXPANSION.

The fight was far from over.

Kara looked over her shoulder at Motoko. "You up for round two?"

Motoko smirked, reloading her pistol. "Always."

To be continued...