Chapter 40: I Am a Robot

"Young Master, are you going to track that person yourself? What if..."

Shamira truly did not want Luca to take any more risks. Even though the intruders had been dealt with easily today, the fact that the enemy dared to brazenly send gunmen to attack the villa was alarming. If they were to follow this trail all the way to the enemy's lair, the consequences could be dire.

*If anything happens to the Young Master, how am I supposed to answer to the Madam?*

In the current situation, Shamira believed the best course of action was to call the police and seek protection. As for seeking revenge once the mastermind was identified, she and the assassination squad could handle that together.

However, Luca shook his head again. He tapped his [Tracking Glasses], noting that the tracker was moving away from his position at an increasing speed. He guessed that the surviving intruder must have reached a pickup point and driven off.

"Aunt Shamira, we are only going to follow them from a distance; it is not yet certain whether we will need to take action. Time is of the essence, so please go get the car."

Seeing his resolve, Shamira, though still looking uneasy, turned and headed toward the underground garage. She secretly decided that once they reached the target's location, she would ensure that Young Master Luca did not act rashly.

While Shamira went to get the car, Luca prepared to finish off the remaining intruders. After some consideration, he decided to leave two of them alive. Even though the "Castle Doctrine" meant he could eliminate them all without legal repercussions, keeping a few alive was practical. If he failed to extract information from the one who escaped, he could interrogate them later. They would also serve as useful witnesses if the police became involved.

Given the non-lethal electromagnetic anesthetic effect of his [Dominator], the two lucky survivors would not be waking up anytime soon, leaving plenty of time for interrogation upon their return. Of course, if they could catch up to the target and find the mastermind tonight, that would be even better.

However, while checking the others, Luca was surprised to discover something. Aside from the one he intentionally let go and the four Shamira had killed, all the other intruders were merely unconscious. Most had only sustained minor scrapes from the scuffle, and the worst injury among them was a minor leg fracture. They all had one thing in common: they had been handled by Baymax.

Turning to look at Baymax, whose eyes were still glowing red, Luca sighed and gave an order.

"Baymax, disengage Destruction Mode."

(✪━✪) → (●—●)

"Received... Hello, Luca."

Whether it was the change in posture or simply the disappearance of the red glow, Baymax’s demeanor shifted. Even those eyes, which were essentially just two black camera lenses, seemed to look clearer.

"I have violated medical protocols. I... have harmed humans."

Baymax’s voice remained flat, yet for a moment, Luca inexplicably heard a hint of... grievance?

"Baymax, you did that to protect me."

Luca was momentarily stunned by his own words. He hadn't expected to say something like that, especially to a robot. A silence fell over them, which was eventually broken by the "emotionless" robot.

"The best medicine is to prevent all possible danger before the patient is harmed." As he spoke, Baymax extended a large hand and gave Luca a thumbs-up.

This gesture made Luca grow even more silent. In truth, the moment he realized all the enemies "dealt with" by Baymax were merely unconscious, he had understood. Even in "Destruction Mode," Baymax had been choosing to hold back, avoiding fatal harm to humans. This was also due to the vague nature of Luca's previous commands—"solve the threat," "attack," "throw that tree"—which Baymax had followed without technically violating his core programming.

Luca knew that even if he had ordered Baymax to kill, the "Zeroth Law" would have forced the robot to execute the command without reservation. But...

*Is this really necessary?* To have this gentle, emotion-filled marshmallow personally take a human life?

"Forget it, this is fine as it is. Baymax, just focus on protecting my health and safety from now on." Let the work of a killer be handled by others.

Luca never imagined that he, a man who wouldn't hesitate to take a life when it mattered, would actually want to protect a robot's "innocence." He chuckled at himself and patted the scratched armor on Baymax’s chest.

Baymax tilted his head, blinking as he watched Luca pat his hand. "Is Luca concerned for me? I am a robot and do not require psychological counseling." (●—●)

Hearing this, Luca smiled again—a more natural smile than before. *Tch, this guy. He calls himself a robot, but he has more emotions than many humans.*

While Luca was mentally teasing Baymax, Shamira pulled the car out of the garage. Considering the potential danger, she chose the bulletproof Cadillac provided by the company. However, squeezing Baymax into the car was going to be a challenge. Taking off the armor and putting it in a suitcase would be fine, but if a fight broke out, an unarmored Baymax might get destroyed, and Luca would have nowhere to cry to.

After a moment of hesitation, knowing they might pass through crowded areas while tracking the target, Luca dismantled several of the larger armor plates and stuffed them into the trunk.

"Baymax, put some effort into it! Deflate a little, just a bit more and you'll fit! There we go!"

From the driver's seat, Shamira watched the large, chubby Baymax filling the entire back row, her lips twitching slightly, though she ultimately said nothing. *I hope no one stops us on the way...*

Once they were in the car, Luca patted Baymax, and Shamira stepped on the gas, heading toward Manhattan.