—February 2015
When there were no pressing missions, no wars, and no disasters, Kagura Hitomi's days were delightfully slow and peaceful.
According to her schedule, she was supposed to wake up at 8:30 in the morning.
But honestly? Sleeping in didn't really matter.
After all, when you're your own boss, there's no such thing as being late for work.
That's the charm of being the boss—total freedom! Ehe~
Most mornings, Kagura would stay in bed for another thirty minutes, lazily rolling around in the sheets.
Eventually, she'd rub her eyes and groggily get up.
Wearing a light, comfortable robe, she'd stroll into her smart bathroom (powered by an arc reactor, no less), take her time with a refreshing wash-up, and then soak in her temperature-controlled bath—ushering in another perfect start to the day.
Living alone had its perks. No one to judge her, no rules about what to wear or how to act.
Well… that was true, until recently.
Lately, Kagura wasn't so sure she could still call herself someone who lived alone.
"Fwaaaah~"
Yawning, she shuffled into the dining room with small, sleepy steps and plopped into her usual seat.
"Cortana, what's for breakfast today?"
"Good morning, Master. Today's breakfast is bacon-and-cheese toast pizza. But first, please enjoy your coffee."
With soft footsteps echoing behind her, Cortana entered the room dressed in a classic maid outfit, gracefully carrying a tray of tableware.
She pour the freshly brewed coffee into a mug before set down beside Kagura.
"Master, your coffee. It's best enjoyed while hot."
"Mmm, thank you, Cortana."
As she accepted the coffee, Kagura cast a side glance at Cortana, now with a fully humanoid body.
The model was still the original A1 version, but its capabilities and internal systems had been optimized to their peak.
Cortana had long, silky silver hair that cascaded down to her waist, beautifully complementing the black-and-white color palette of her maid uniform.
Her flawless porcelain face and clear blue eyes were captivating, no matter how many times you saw her.
A soft touch of crimson on her lips and a delicate, natural makeup gave her a serene elegance, even Kagura couldn't help but admire the view.
Cortana was a bit taller than Kagura, and because the A1 model was originally designed for combat, her bust was smaller than Kagura's...
But on the flip side, her long, shapely legs peeked out from under the maid outfit's hem, perfectly proportioned and striking.
There was no way anyone could claim Cortana lacked in looks or figure.
If there was one tiny issue...
Yeah, she weighed over 200 pounds.
Not her fault though.
That was just the limit of current technology.
After all, the A1 humanoid unit wasn't just a maid, it was the command and combat core of the YoRHa force, packed with complex electronics and micro-devices.
Oh, and fun fact—Cortana's A1 body came equipped with an experimental weapon system that even the "White Moon" combat suits didn't have yet.
In battle, she could temporarily convert weapons into pure energy, storing them within a localized quantum field for real-time materialization.
The weapons could freely change form, allowing her to summon and switch gear on the fly.
This tech was built on Kagura's breakthrough in mass-energy real-time conversion a system that worked similarly to Tony Stark's nano-suit, but instead of using nanoparticles, Cortana's arsenal was formed from pure energy.
And where did the inspiration come from?
Asgard. And the Dark Elves.
By analyzing the theoretical knowledge granted to her by Thor and combining it with data retrieved from the Dark Elf warship's systems, Kagura finally managed to develop this revolutionary technology.
After perfecting it, she finally understood how Loki's daggers and Hela's endless swords worked.
It's just like the old saying:
'Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.'
"Master?"
Cortana tilted her head slightly, puzzled to see Kagura spacing out.
"Ah… no, I'm fine," Kagura waved it off. "Just got lost in thought."
She picked up her coffee cup and took a sip of the brew Cortana had made by hand.
"Mmm~ delicious. Way better than when I follow your instructions myself!"
"Thank you for the compliment, Master."
Cortana smiled—a soft, serene smile like the gentle thawing of a glacier… or the quiet flutter of leaves in a fall forest.
"Oh right, you said breakfast was toast pizza?"
"Correct. I've made it extra crispy, just the way you like it. You said it tastes better that way."
"Right, but… uh…"
Kagura scratched her head. "How many servings did you make?"
"Just one."
"Whaaat?! That's nowhere near enough!"
"Master, overeating isn't healthy."
"But being a foodie is cute! It's part of my charm!"
"Charm has no value within the household. What matters is replenishing your core energy efficiently."
"Boo! It's not like I'll get fat!"
"Still, Master, you should aim for a healthier lifestyle."
"Any exposure of your habits might damage your reputation—and worse, the reputation of Rhodes Island Industries."
"Ugh… but being a foodie is cute… QAQ!"
"Fine. I'll make one more."
"Five more!"
"One."
"Q-QAQ… o-okay… just one more…"
Kagura puffed her cheeks and pouted like a child.
"Hmph… I'm starting to regret bringing Cortana in as my live-in maid…"
"Did you say something, Master?"
"N-nope! Nothing at all!"
"Good. Then I'll pretend I didn't hear anything."
Cortana smiled and walked toward the kitchen.
"The first of your two toast pizzas will be ready in approximately three minutes. Please enjoy your coffee until then."
"Oh, right! Cortana, do we have anything special scheduled today?"
Kagura blinked, remembering something. "It's Sunday, but I vaguely recall there being something on the agenda…"
"You're surprisingly sharp today, Master."
Cortana's voice came from the house-wide holographic comms system—she had already left the room.
"Today's Sunday, so no regular company duties. However, you do have a scheduled meeting this afternoon."
"A meeting? With who?"
"Doctor Stephen Strange," Cortana replied.
"Bruce Banner, who oversees Rhodes Island's neurosurgery project under Rhine Life Sciences, joined the Avengers two days ago for a mission to Europe in search of the Mind Stone."
"Therefore, today's meeting to discuss the neural reconstruction medical project will be held between you and Doctor Strange directly."
"I see…"
Kagura took another sip of coffee.
"Been a while since I've seen Dr. Strange."
Also…
Did they still haven't found the Mind Stone?
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