Exo Saves The Day, Chapter 16

[gynoneko]

This is my longest chapter yet. Be sure to read both posts.
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Chapter 1. Chapter 2. Chapter 3. Chapter 4.
Chapter 5. Chapter 6. Chapter 7. Chapter 8.
Chapter 9. Chapter 10. Chapter 11. Chapter 12.
Chapter 13. Chapter 14. Chapter 15.
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Exo Saves the Day
Chapter Sixteen: Shot glass
By Gynoneko

I awoke from a night of forgotten dreams with only a vague remembrance of the serene imagery it brought.  I had the distinct impression, however, that they weren't as pleasant as I remembered, and a familiar face from night past echoed through my mind.  Something was off, but I couldn't tell what.  The image of the same man in a grey business suit still haunted me.  Apparently, I was not alone.

Tera sat up in bed abruptly having been jostled awake from a nightmare, waking me up in the process.

"What's wrong?" I asked looking up at her dainty form in the dark.  She looked around the dim room, slowly remembering where she was, still breathing deep and heavy from the nightmare.  She wore the half-pant jeans and light-blue cami I bought her yesterday, having never changed out before she collapsed in my arms; I didn't bother changing her clothes after.  They were covered in sweat and wrinkled all over.  For an instant I thought it fascinating that she could sweat, but all thoughts of fascination died when she turned toward me with fear in her eye.

"Hey now, is everything alright?" I said as I sat up next to her.  She collapsed into my arms and sobbed silently.  After a few minutes of consolation, she finally calmed down enough to talk.

"I saw him again... in my dream.  He's always there, lurking.  He's always searching for me.  This time, he found me and he took me away.  I couldn't get away, and I saw him push you into a fire."

"Who did you see?" I asked.

"I don't know.  I've never seen him before, except in my dreams.  Usually I dream that I'm hiding, or that I'm running, always from him.  He's never found me before."  She remained clinging to me as she spoke, her body trembling.

"What does he look like?  Does he have a name?"

"No name.  Never a name.  But he always looks the same.  Middle-aged, an angular face, round glasses that hide his eyes, and always in a grey business suit."

I was shocked.  She just described the same man I had been seeing in my dreams.  The same man who told me  couldn't save her, before she was hit by a train.  It was all a dream of course, but how was it possible for us both to have the same unknown person in our dreams?

I consoled her as best as I knew how, and she calmed down and grew tired again.  It was still early, about 4am, too early to get up, but Tera was having a hard time sleeping.  She was warm in her clothes, and quietly stripped herself naked in the dark before climbing into bed beside me, and snuggling close for protection.  She felt safe around me, and I around her.  I held her close as she lay her head on my chest.

"I want to go home with you, Danny.  I don't want to hide anymore" she whispered.

"Then we won't hide.  But we will have to act."  I thought about what we would do, but it seemed best to take action, instead of hiding out.  If we stopped them, there would be no need to hide.  "I swear I will keep you safe, at any cost."

She held me a little tighter after I said that, before she drifted off to sleep again.  She slept soundly after that, but my mind was racing at a mile-a-minute, thinking about everything that had happened, who this dream-man was, and what our next move would be.  I too drifted off to sleep, and was awoken again a few hours later by a pair of vibrant blue eyes and a smile.

"Good morning" Tera said as she gave me a kiss on the cheek.  "So what's the plan for today, master?"  She put a sexy note in her voice when she said 'master', making it sound far more playful and naughty than I expected.

"Well"  I cleared my throat and put my arm around her again as she looked up at me, resting her head on my shoulder.  "I suppose we should eat, finish with your sister, and come up with a plan."

"Sounds good, but I think you forgot something" she said, walking her fingers up my chest playfully.

"And what's that?" I asked, trying to figure out her angle.

"The part where I thank you for saving my life again, and my sister's."

"I did not save your life, you saved mine" I interjected.  "You were the one that blocked that attack from hitting me and drew her attention away."

"She was there for me in the first place" she argued.  "If I wasn't there, she'd have no interest in you."  She had a point, but I didn't care.  "Besides, you were the one that stopped her after she knocked me to the ground."

"Well then I guess we're even.  By the way, how are you feeling?  Is your chest alright?"

She giggled at me.  "See for yourself" she said as she rolled over to expose her breasts to me.  There was no sign of trauma, and her playfulness was a good sign she wasn't hurt.  I became aware in my mind that her nanobots had completed all repairs from the attack last night.  For now, I just enjoyed the sight of her 2 perfect breasts.

"Let me take a closer look, you can never be too careful" I said, continuing our little game.  She mewed and moaned softly as I massaged her breasts, teasing her, tasting her, and pleasuring her.

"Ohh Danny, I'm already turned on!"  She kissed me deeply on the lips and rolled over to straddle me.  She was completely naked, and started rubbing her hips against mine, anxious to take me inside her.  I descreetly pulled down my underwear, and rubbed my growing phallus against her moist folds.  She felt so good, I left all my cares behind me.

As soon as I entered her, she started to moan and pant, undulating and grinding her hips against mine.  "Oh my god" she whispered quickly as she took me in fully.  "It's so big...  Ohhh!"

She sat upright and threw her head back, sticking out her chest, as she slowly bounced up and down along my shaft.  Each little noise she made excited me.  She never sounded this good before during sex, and hearing her moans and gasps with her real voice excited me more than ever.  She bent over in pleasure, grabbing onto me, but I decided to take things up to a new level.

Grabbing onto her hips, I rolled her to the bed, remaining together with her, and lifted one of her legs.  I picked up the pace, and started thrusting faster into her, causing her to spasm and grasp at the bed sheets.

"Oohhh  Ffffuuudge!" she said, as I brought her to a new level of pleasure.

"Fudge?" I said aloud, halting my movement.

"Don't stop!  Keep going!" she said, trying to bounce her hips to make up for my lost movement.

"Did you say fudge?" I asked.

"What?  Yeah, so?  I don't like to use the 'f' word" she said as she tried to grind her hips into mine.

"What?  Fuck?" I asked.

"Yeah...  well it's not that I never say it... I just... don't like to.  Why does this matter?  Keep going!"  She tried again in vain to pick up the pace.

"You realize we are fucking right now.  It's ok to say it."  Maybe my logic is twisted, but I for one like hearing a girl yell out in the throws of passion, but fudge is not the word I was expecting.

"Yeah.  Well... we were until you stopped!"  She was getting a little distressed, and tried to move my hips some more with her hands.

"And we can continue once you call it by the right name." I teased.

"Sex?"

"Err.  Try again." I said, mimicking a game show.

"Making love?"

"Getting colder" I teased.

"Fornication?"

"Ooh so close.  You got the first letter right."  She was acting really cute as she avoided saying the word, but the tension was getting to her, and she was desperate to keep going.

"... fuck" she said quietly.

I bounced my hips against her once to get a squeal from her.  "Oh, you'll have to ask better than that!"

"Please... fuck me" she said shyly, almost in a whisper.

I bounced my hips again.  "Naughtier than that I think."  It was a lot of fun to tease her.

"Fuck me" she said louder.

"That's right" I said as I thrusted some more.

"Fuck me!" she repeated.  I continued my onslgaught as she threw her head back in pleasure.  "Oh Danny!  Fuck me harder!"  She was much louder this time, and I decided she was sufficiently naughty that I could get back to the action as it was before.  Clearly she understood the rules of the dirty talk game, and she got the reward she wanted.

She moaned and squealed and mewed as the intensity of the session grew.  Before long, she had straddled me again, and lost all control of her impulses, completely caught up in the pure joy and pleasure of sex.  I could feel her tighten around me as she approached her orgasm, something I longed to hear from her own sweet voice.  She leaned forward as I gave her one last onslaught of thrusts, bringing her over the edge.

"Oohhh!!!  God, Danny!!  Ahhhh!  FFFFFFFFFUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK!" she screamed as she climaxed, grabbing onto my body as waves of convulsions swept over hers.  Hearing this was enough for me, and I came shortly after, filling her with my essence.

She collapsed on top of me, resting her petite body on mine, and caught her breath for a few minutes as the last of the waves of pleasure washed over her.  Occaisionally I'd feel her body twitch with an aftershock, and I wanted nothing more in that moment than to hold her tight.  I realized when I wrapped my arms around her that some vents on her back were open, probably releasing some of the heat from the activity, and I never noticed until now.

"Ohh Danny!" she said as she showered my face with kisses.  "That was amazing!"  She was suddenly so full of energy again as I heard the vents on her back close, before she rolled off of my chest and stretched out naked on the bed next to me. I couldn't help but appreciate her sexy body as she arched her back.  She stood up, ready to face a new day, and reached out to me, to help me stand up with her.

"You seem rather upbeat this morning" I said as I took her hands and stood up.  She beamed a radiant smile as she wrapped her arms around me and gave me a big bear hug.  It was amazingly difficult to see this adorable girl as anything other than a human, but I had to remind myself that she was a machine beneath that soft and sensual surface.  However, she was so advanced, she was fully capable of actual emotion, and seemed more human than any other robot I ever met.  Her sis was a close second though.

"And why shouldn't I be?  I got to make love to a handsome, strong man, who not only saved my life, but also saved my sister's."  She tightened her squeeze on me, and I returned the favor.  "Plus, I'll be able to see my sister for the first time since this all started.  You made it all possible, Master.  Thank you."  I kissed her on the forehead, before we broke our contact.

I realized she was actually hugging me with most of her strength, which only reminded me that she was not some terminator bent on the death of Sarah Connor, but rather a delicate girl who had human strength and near human intellect.  Granted, her reflexes were faster than an average human, and her sister could probably arm wrestle a bulldozer, but Tera was meant to be as human as possible, and sometimes was easy to forget she wasn't.

"Hey, Tera.  Are you feeling ok?"  Tera seemed to be in a small amont of pain, as she strained her face.

"I... I'm not sure.  I feel... pressure" she said as she held her stomach.  "I.. I think I have to go to the bathroom.  I'll... be right back" she spurted out as she grabbed my t-shirt off the floor and held it to her front.  I realized in this moment that the first time she ate anything solid was yesterday, and she had been too busy or just too low-powered to need to use a restroom until now.  I suppose she needed to expel the waste just as anyone else would.  I'm just glad she recognized this new sensation now, and knew what to do about it.

"Not so fast" I said, as I grabbed the trailing power cord from her back.  "You have a bad habit of forgetting about this" I said as I retracted the cord for her and safely stored it back in the panel on the small of her back before sealing is closed.  She gave me a coquettish smile before turning toward the door to go next door into the guest bathroom.  Giving her a playful slap on the butt, I watched her leave before I threw on my pants, and waited for my turn to use the facilities.

I walked into the other room to be greeted by the bright red face of Joan, who was still sitting on the couch, still with only one arm attached, and who could hear everything that went on in the bedroom a few feet away.

"Um,"  I coughed.  "Good morning?" I said to her.  My face must have become as red as hers in about 2 seconds flat.

"I've never heard Tera say words like that before..." she said as she stared at me in disbelief.

"Uh... I... she..."  I stuttered trying to think of how to respond.  Instead, we just ended up in an awkward silence.  The flushing of a toilet and a sink running were the only sounds that broke the silence, which only made the awkward tension in the room get worse.

Finally, the bathroom door swung open, and Tera emerged with a look of relief on her face, wearing nothing but the t-shirt I wore yesterday.  It was loose and long on her, but was incredibly sexy.  She looked at the two of us, and paused in her tracks.

"What?" she said as we looked at the floor uncomfortably.  "Is something wrong?"  She looked between us, and puzzled to figure out the source of the discomfort.

"N... Nothing" Joan said.  "It's just that you've grown up so much" she exclaimed as she look up at Tera for the first time since they were separated.  In actuality, they had seen each other before, when Joan was still registered to Liberati, the mob boss, and tried to kill us.  But since she was newly registered to me, and her mind eased of the mental torture the Liberati boss inflicted on her, she had yet to see her youngest sister until this moment.

Joan studied Tera for a moment, seeing her with new eyes.  Tera had grown mentally and physically since they last saw each other like this.  Sure, Tera didn't grow up, but she was an unfinished prototype in a lab when Joan was taken away.  She smiled at her sister and I noticed that Tera was getting more than a little emotional with the silent interaction.

"It's like we've switched places" Tera said timidly, her voice full of emotion.

"Don't be silly" Joan said as she held out her one arm for a hug.  "You were never this good looking."  The two of them laughed and embraced.  It was good to see them getting along so well after all that happened.  "I'm sorry for everything" Joan whispered to her sister.

"Don't be.  It wasn't your fault.  Besides, I'm just glad to finally have my big sis back."  Tears ran down Tera's cheeks as she made up with her sister.  I suddenly felt so out of place, I tried to retreat to the bedroom to give them some privacy.

"Where do you think you're going?" Joan said, spying me trying to sneak off.  "Come over here you big lug."  She reached out her hand to me, ready to grab me and take me into their hug.  I reluctantly let her take my hand, but she didn't pull me into the hug I expected.  Instead, she took my hand, and placed it on Tera's shoulder.  "She's under your protection now, Danny."  Tera looked up at me, and I ran my hand down her cheek to her chin, and wiped away a tear as she smiled.

"Wait, what do you mean?" Tera asked glancing down at Joan.  "You are here too now Joan.  We can protect each other.  The three of us!"

"Sure, kiddo.  We'll be there for each other."  Seemingly satisfied with that answer, Tera stood up again, and leaned into me.  "What are you wearing, Tera?" Joan asked, eyeing her outfit.  To call it an outfit is an overstatement.  It was really just my sweaty t-shirt from yesterday.  I didn't bring a change of clothes, I only hoped Jen thought about grabbing some for me while she was there, but I hadn't asked.  I was currently topless, while Tera was currently bottomless.  In fact, she wasn't wearing anything at all down stairs, which Joan must have noticed.

"What?  It's Danny's.  Besides, I like it.  It smells good."

"Smells good?" Joan asked.  "It's covered in sweat."

"I know" Tera purred.  "It smells like Danny" she mewed as she rubbed her cheek against my chest.

"And where are your panties?" Joan interjected.

"In the bedroom" Tera replied rather matter-of-factly.  It didn't concern her that her sister could see her this way at all.  "Why?  You've seen me naked before.  I mean, it's not like I wore anything in the lab most the time."  The thought of this sent my imagination on a ride, which was only interrupted by Joan's voice.

"But your seal is gone..." she noted.  Tera just giggled and looked up at me.  "So... it was you wasn't it Danny?" Joan asked to be sure.

Red faced and stuttering I answered her.  "Y-yeah.  Sunday night" I said.  That little seal was a major pain for the first few days together.  Tera couldn't eat anything because it blocked off her anus in an attempt to keep her factory sealed for her registered user.  It worked.  I had to register her using some rather unconventional means before we could get that seal off her.

"Thank god.  I was afraid one of those thugs..." Joan started.  She looked up at us and smiled.  "You two are awfully cute together, you know that?"

Tera just blushed and giggled.  It was nice to have a girl that devoted to you.  She was everything I ever imagined in a girl and more, and I felt like the luckiest guy in the world, even though there were robot assassins and mobsters after us.

"So... you don't mind showing off that cute naked butt to Jack?" Joan said.

"Jack?  Who is this Jack?  Why does his name sound familiar and why would I show my butt off to him?" Tera asked, looking at her behind.

"He's my neighbor, the one I mentioned before.  He helped me the night you got sick, remember?  You probably never noticed him there." I said.  Tera nodded that she remembered that I mentioned him, but her expression was still puzzled.

"And... he's right upstairs" Joan said looking up at the staircase behind us.  Tera's face went bright red, as she stretched out my shirt to cover her bare butt.  She gave a small yelp before sprinting for the bedroom and slamming the door behind her.  I looked up the stairs expecting to see Jack.  It was empty.  No one was watching us at all.  Joan laughed heartily as her little prank paid off.

"I loved doing things like that to her.  She'd always fall for it!"  Joan sighed in releif, or perhaps just because it felt good to laugh so well after so much pain.  I just eyed her, but I joined her in a laugh as well.  "Could you maybe give me a hand here Danny?" she said nodding at the still disconnected limbs piled on the floor near her.  I couldn't help but snicker at her pun.

I leaned over and grabbed her other arm, and started studying the end carefully.  Once again, I'd need some tools if I wanted to actually reconnect her limbs.  As I started to work at the joint of her arm with a screw driver, I heard the bedroom door open once again.  Tera shyly glanced up the stair-well, and turned with a disappointed pouty face to confront her sister.

"Ooooh!  There was no one there!"  Tera was a little miffed, but it only made her sound more cute than usual.  "Here, let me help you with that" she said as she came over to help.  She now wore her pants from last night, but still had on my shirt.

"What's wrong with your shirt?" I asked, wondering why I had to go topless.

"It was wrinkly!" she complained as she positioned herself on the couch next to her sister.  "I did sleep in it last night."  Just like a girl to make a man give her the shirt off his back so she could avoid wearing something wrinkled.  I didn't really mind, but I didn't have anything else to wear.  Still, I let it drop for now.

Tera reached up behind the back of her neck, and with a dim blue light and an audible click, a panel opened up and she pulled out a retractable thunderbolt cord to attach to her sister.  Joan looked over at her, and with a nod, allowed Tera to access her panel as well.  Soon, the two of them were connected, and both of their sets of blue eyes were glowing, fading in and out, while they interacted through the port.

"Her right arm looks good, Danny.  Good job putting it on!"   Tera said looking over at me.  Just then, Joan's other shoulder joint clicked open, and internal mechanics started to move around.  "This next one should be easier."

After rolling back her sleeve, I aligned the arm to the socket.  With a twist and a click, everything fell into place, and all the panels closed up to complete the connection and make her torso look complete again.  There were still some faintly visible lines denoting the edges of her access panels all over her body, but they were faint and could be easily overlooked.  Joan swung her arm around in her socket, and made sure everything felt good.  She smiled at me when she was satisfied everything was good.

"Much easier" I said.  "Thanks."

"Of course!  It's the least I could do."  I picked up Joan's left leg.  It was cold, but softer than I expected.  I was in such a hurry last night when I took them off, I didn't think about how sensual they looked and felt.  Joan's hip joint opened up just as her shoulder had, and with another twist and a click, her leg was connected, and the panels closed up.  Joan suddenly looked more like a human girl again than a robotic torso.

With one last twist and click, her other leg was attached, and she was whole once again.  Joan sighed with releif, and playfully kicked her feet in the air as she giggled.

"Much better!  Thank's so much Tera!  I can finally get that foot rub I've been wanting" she joked.  Tera pulled the cord out from Joan's neck, and retreated it into her own.  Likewise, Joan reached behind her and unplugged herself from the wall, where she had been charging all night.  Their eyes were back to normal, and suddenly before me sat two perfect and cute girls, and not two robots.  And yet, I knew their true nature, and that excited me.

Joan stood up, and stretched.  "Feels good to get off my butt!" she said as she started a series of stretches.  She only wore a low cut white shirt, a bra, and panties.  Folded neatly on the small coffee table was a long dark blue skirt.  She took no time in picking up the skirt, and walked past me.

"My turn to use the facilities" she said as she vanished behind the bathroom door.

Tera and I stood there, gazing at one another.  She smiled playfully at me, doing that little chance she sometimes does when she's happy.  I smiled back, and couldn't keep myself from studying her body as she moved around.  An unspoken tension built up, and without warning, she ran into my arms and kissed me.

"Please,"  I said.  "Once is enough before breakfast."  She laughed and held my face in her hands, staring into my eyes.

"You have nice eyes" she said.  "But you need to shave."  We laughed some more, knowing full well that we couldn't escape the fate waiting just outside the door.

A short while later, I was stepping out of the bathroom myself.  I had rummaged through some more of the bags in the cars upstairs, while Joan was in the bathroom, looking for something more for Tera to wear, when I discovered Jen (or maybe it was Jack) had packed some of my things in a rush for me, including my razor and toothbrush.  I now emerged from the steamy guest bathroom freshly showered, shaved, and clothed in Jeans and a black Hard Rock Cafe shirt.

Tera stood before me, still wearing my generic blue t-shirt from yesterday, and stared at me.

"Rrowr" she said, mimicking a cat paw with her hand.  It was all too cute.  "Does that mean it's my turn, master?"  She loved to tease me, and I found she liked to call me master whenever she wanted to play.

"The bathroom.  She is all yours" I said in a phony french accent, for no other reason than to be corny.  She loved it, and kissed me on the cheek before closing the door behind her to take a shower and change into a fresh outfit.

Joan was already upstairs going through supplies, organizing things.  She was preparing us either for staying on the run, or perhaps holding our ground.  I wasn't sure which, but I didn't want to bother her when she was so busy.  It was still early, but I knew we had to figure out a plan of attack as soon as possible, and I was anxious to get started.

Walking into the back hallway, I ran into Jen, who was leaving the master bedroom, closing the door behind her.

"Good morning Jen" I said, causing her to jump 2 feet in the air.

"AH!  Oh.  Hi um.  Good morning Ja..  um..  Danny.  I um.  I got to go.  Excuse me."  She looked particularly nervous, and her hair was a mess, but besides that, she looked rather energized as she quickly walked into the kitchen.  I watched as she nervously ducked around the corner.

"Good morning Danny-boy!" Jack said from behind me.  He had just emerged from the same door as Jen.  His face was all smiles, his hair even more a mess than, and he was wearing only pants.  The lipstick smeared across his face was an indication that Jack had gotten lucky once again.

"Um..  wait..  You and..."  A small part of my brain exploded at the possibility that my best friend had just slept with the object of her disgust, my playboy neighbor Jack.

"Shh.  She doesn't want you to know mate" he said with a wink and walked into the hallway past me, pulling a shirt on.  I could do nothing more than stare wide-eyed and disbelieving.  I must still be asleep.  Except Tera felt all too good earlier.  No this was not a dream.

I shuffled back into the kitchen, staring between the two of them.  Jack was all winks and smiles, drinking milk from the carton with the fridge open, while Jen was shying her eyes away from mine, her face bright red, even redder than Joan's had been.  I couldn't help but stare between the two of them.

"I'm off to the loo" Jack said, breaking the silence, as he put back the milk and disappeared down the hallway again.

Jen busied herself with going through bags, getting out some cereal, and preparing breakfast when she stopped frozen in her tracks.  I could feel her embarrassment growing, and soon it boiled over.

"WHAT!?  Can't a girl eat in peace?!"  She practically screamed at me, before going back to her bowl and pouring the cereal.

"S- Sorry!  I didn't mean to..." I said.

"Well stop!  I just want to... I just...  I..."  She stuttered, before violently going to the fridge to grab the milk, and returning to the table only to make a mess pouring it out.  Joan just stood there, watching all this with fascination.

"I'll just go check on..."

"I couldn't help it!  He just... I don't know.  I was... he... it was my... he was... damn it felt good" she spurtted out.

"Say no more.  No really.  TMI.  You can make your own choices.  Let's  just leave it at that."  I was still trying to come to grips with this, but I didn't want to lose her as a friend.  I really hated it when she got mad, especially at me.  I admit there were times I fascinated about her, but now things seemed so different.  She was thrust back into the role of a friend, more like a sister, and less like a potential lover.

She sighed a huge sigh of relief.  "Thank you Danny.  You're a really good guy you know.  I hope this doesn't... upset you... or anything."

"I'll get used to it" I replied.  She sat there eating her cereal and staring into the table, deep in contemplation.  I decided to let her be, and got out a bowl for myself.

"You want any Joan?" I asked.  Joan had started loading boxes and bags into one of the cars in the garage and had come in to grab another.  She looked over at me, and nodded before going back to her self-appointed task.  She soon took a break, and came up to the table and sat next to me, as I poured her a bowl of cereal and milk.  She seemed to be unfamiliar with the concept of cereal, but played a straight face and kept silent, copying everything I did.

It didn't take long for Jack to walk back into the room, refreshed and ready to go.  Jen quickly excused herself and vanished into the bathroom herself.

Jack ate with us in silence, before he too decided the tension was too much.

"Think she'll be alright?" he asked.

"Yeah.  She'll be fine.  Give her a few days" I said.

"I didn't mean to... I mean, she came onto me" he started.

"Look.  Ok.  Got it!  I don't want to hear about this.  She's my best friend, and I don't want to hear anything more about why you two last night had..." I couldn't bring myself to say it.

"Sorry mate!  I didn't want to upset you" Jack said apologetically.

"Oh no.  Don't worry about me getting upset.  Worry about upsetting her.  If you hurt her, you will be in a world of pain.  Whatever you do, don't make her cry!"  It sounded more like a threat than I intended, but I decided to go with it.

Jack stared at me for a moment, and I could see the wheels turn in his head.  He seemed to be thinking deeper than I had ever seen him think.  Apparently something about his encounter last night with her sparked this uncharacteristic change in him, he never contemplated his dates like this before, and I only hoped it wasn't something he already did to hurt Jen.

As I finished my bowl, Joan took the liberty of taking my dishes to the sink and washing them for me with a smile.  Around this time Jen came back in, and I couldn't help but feel the tension between her and Jack, as thick as butter.  I just couldn't take the awkward silences anymore!  I stood up, and decided it was time we held a planning session right then and there.  Tera would just have to catch up when she finished her shower.

"Right.  We need to have a plan."  They all looked up at me and gave me their full attention, apparently as glad to have a change of topic as I was. 

"A plan for what?" Jack asked.

"We need to figure out what we are going to do about Liberati and his men."  Joan said as she finished the dishes.  Everyone seemed to be stunned as soon as they heard her say "we".  No one questioned it, but it was apparent we were all somehow involved, and knew we had to do something together.

"Exactly."  I decided to give everyone a brief rundown of the situation.  I needed to know that everyone was on the same page, and there were a lot of things that Joan had told me last night that I didn't know about.  I asked Joan to fill us all in on the information she told me yesterday.

"My sisters and I were designed to be prototype models for the armed forces.  We each had a specific branch we were designed for.  Tera was different.  She was designed for espionage, to infiltrate the enemy and manipulate their data through advanced hacking capabilities, but she was  never commissioned."  Joan's voice was cold and emotionless, once again taking on the role of a soldier.

"Where is Tera?" Jen asked looking around.

"She must still be in the shower.  I'm sure she'll be up in a minute." I said.  I could still barely hear some running water.  I guess she just really likes long showers.

"Our parents, Cynthia and Tom, as well as their partner Rob, designed Tera to be as human as possible" Joan continued.  "We all were to some extent, but she had to be the most convincing.  We all had to be capable of human intelligence, and free will.  As soon as our company, MMR, found out about our abilities to break the 3 laws..."

"I KNEW it!" Jen said loudly, as though she just won a prize.  "I mean... Tera kind of... felt that way to me.  I don't know."

Joan looked at her in surprise not because Jen had startled her, but rather because she realized she let slip her more important secret.  It was the secret that could get us all killed or arrested.  She turned her gaze to me, concern filling her eyes.

"I need to make sure both of you understand what this could mean to Tera, Joan, and myself.  If anyone was to find out about this, we could all be in danger.  And by helping us, you will subject yourself to that same danger.  I need to know I can trust you to keep this a secret."  They looked at me and nodded.

"Don't worry about me mate, I ain't gonna snitch.  I already have enough trouble with the Old Bill as is" Jack said.  Again with his British slang.  "Besides, I have more riding on this than you realize."

"I'll..." Jen started.  Her old man used to be part of the FBI, so breaking the law was something she was never happy with.  "I want to help you Danny, and Tera.  You are my best friend, and Tera is... different than any robot I've ever met.  She's... special, and I want to protect that."

I smiled at them both, knowing my two friends were with me on this.  I for one was completely dedicated to this since not only did I save and own Tera, but now also her sister.  They would keep looking for me and Tera until either we were dead or they took her from me, or both.

Jen continued with her explanation, satisfied with their responses.  She kept it very brief.  She explained how they were being reprogrammed and repurposed, before they were sold to Liberati who tricked them.  She told them about being taken away and tortured, and forced to turn against their own sister.  She kept her emotions out of this, but I got the feeling that she was uncomfortable with the topic.

While she went on, I decided to put on a pot of coffee, in case anyonne needed the caffeine.  I know I did.  By the time she wrapped up her explanation, the pot was just starting to fill with hot delicious brew.  It was now my turn to continue the story where she left off.

I told them about how Tera was unfinished and hidden from Liberati, only to be discovered later.  During their daring escape in an attempt to hide Tera again, they lost control of their van and Cynthia and Tom were knocked out while Tera wondered confused and scared into the alleyways.

"What happened to Rob?" Joan asked suddenly.  I slowly shook my head.

"He didn't make it.  Sorry."  Joan stood there stiff and silent, swallowing back a sob, before she turned her face away from the others to look out the window.  "I haven't told Tera yet.  I meant to, but I haven't had the nerve to yet."

"I'll tell her" Joan said with a cracked voice.  "She deserves to hear it from me."  I nodded in agreement.

"Is she still down there?" Jen asked.

I checked the backmofmmy mind  The nanobots in my system told me that she was taking her sweet time in the bathroom drying herself off and fixing her hair.  She was happy, singing even, but I could not hear her voice or tell what she was thinking, only that she was singing happily.  I nodded to Jen who just rolled her eyes.  I sure hoped she wouldn't take such long showers all the time.

To make sure everyone was caught up, I briefly mentioned how I heroically saved Tera from a gang of thugs, and had to repair the damage done to her.  I mentioned how she lost her voice in the attack, and how I met Cynthia and Tom, as well as the kill-switch that almost killed Tera over the weekend.  Finally, the story came to a close when Jen helped us get Tera a new voice, and Joan showed up to take Tera back.  The rest they knew, but now we needed to plan what to do from here on.

"So now it comes to it.  We need to figure out what our next move is. Liberati is on our trail, and I think it's best if we act sooner rather than later."  I remembered that early this morning Tera was scared of staying in one place, and I agreed.

"I have intimate knowledge of the layout of Liberati's Headquarters" Joan said.  "I can lead us to his base and to him, but it is too dangerous.  It is heavily guarded, and I cannot take them all on myself.  Tera might be able to take me out, but these are humans and cyborgs, they can't be hacked like I can."

"I can disable their security systems" Jack said.  "I can probably take care of some of their hit men too.  Just get me to a computer, and I'll hack circles around them."

"It can help, but we'll need more" Joan said.  "We need to get inside before they notice us.  We need to get past their guards and body guards.  Once we are inside, we need to get to Liberati and take him out."

"Take him out?!" Jen said.  "You mean kill him?  I'm not signing up to kill people!"

"I will take care of that" Joan replied.  "I owe it to him for everything he did to me and my sisters... and to Rob."

"Well... I'm not sure what help I'll be then" Jen said.  "I'm not a fighter, or a spy, I repair robots, like Danny.  I just don't have a suit like he does."

I poured myself a cup of coffee as I listened to the debate.  We needed to figure out how to get inside his base without alerting all the guards, and it wasn't going to be easy.  One does not simply walk into a mob boss's lair and assassinate said mob boss without a few years of special forces training.  We would all need to play a part if this was going to work.

"Tera could do it!" Jack said.  "Didn't you say she was designed to..."

"She'd be spotted a mile away.  They are looking for her specifically, so getting her anywhere close to them is a bad idea" I objected.  Speaking of Tera, I could sense that she was finally ready to start her day, and about to head up stairs.  However, another thought occurred to me.  Something that would probably help us figure out the right move and buy us some time as well.  I sipped at my coffee as I pulled out a card from my pocket.

"What's that?" Joan asked, eyeing the small card I read.

"I think it's time we found this hotel, and visited Tom and Cynthia" I said.

At that exact moment, 3 things happened faster than I could register.  The first was the sound of glass shattering from the window above the kitchen sink, but also from the coffee cup in my hand as it shattered into a thousand pieces.  The second was the lightning fast reaction of Joan as she stood up and moved between me and the window, facing the outdoors.  The third was pain.  Pain of the searing hot coffee that spilled over my hands and legs, as the mug I was holding it in was destroyed by a bullet.  A second later, a distant but hard bang could be heard from somewhere outside, but we were all too panicked then to realize what it was.

"Holy shit!"  I wasn't sure who yelled it, but we all thought it.  Before we humans could react, Joan had already blocked the line-of-sight of the sniper who took the shot.

"Sniper!  Hide!" Joan yelled, keeping her eyes on the window.  "Keep away from the windows!"

"The basement!" I yelled.  My hands were still burning, and my legs hurt from the coffee, but it was better than a bullet through my head.  The three of us strugged to get down the stairs as Tera was just coming up it.  Without a second thought, I lifted Tera over my shoulder, and ran down stairs with her, the others close behind.

"Hey!  What's going on?  What are you doing?" Tera complained.

"Stay here!" I said, before heading back upstairs to the very edge of the stair-well.

"What's going on?" Tera asked again.

"A sniper tried to kill Danny" Jen said.

"A SNIPER?"

"We need to keep you out of sight Tera" Jack said.  "They are after you two remember.  So we need to keep you safe."

At the top of the stairs, I looked around the corner.  There were no windows visible to me where I was, but I didn't want to risk going any farther and taken one in the head.

"Joan!  Are you ok?" I called toward the kitchen.

"Yes.  She sees me, and she won't take her next shot until you or Tera are in view again."

"She?" I asked.

"My sister.  261.  She's about a mile away in a tree.  Stay down there!  Her last shot was a warning.  She was aiming for the cup in your hand."

Holy shit did that scare me.  She mentioned before that 261 was assigned to the marines.  She failed to mention she was part of the sniper corps.

"Get over here then.  We need to find a back way out!" I yelled, urging her to join us as we figured out an escape.  Luckily, she decided to join us, never taking her eyes off the window until it was out of sight.  We rushed downstairs, and joined the others.

"Are you ok?" Jen asked Joan.

"Yes.  I'm fine.  But Daniel is suffering from minor first degree burns.  He should seek first aid."

"That isn't an option right now.  We need to get out of here fast!"

"Of course" she agreed.  "I know where she is located, I can distract her while you make your escape."

"What?  No!" Tera yelled.  "I just got you back, I am not going to let you run off and get killed.  Wait, did you say 'her'?"

"Yes Tera, it is 261.  She's found our hideout" Joan clarified.

Tera grew silent, and scared again.  I just noticed now, looking at her as she struggled to figure out what was going on, that she had done her hair fancy and put on makeup, as well as a short red dress.  I wish I could have enjoyed it more, but it isn't easy to enjoy a lovely woman when your life is at risk.  Perhaps she thought it would be a more relaxed day and wanted to show off to me, but that clearly didn't happen.  I reached over and held her hand as she held back her tears.

"I must do this Tera" Joan explained.  "She will not kill me, but she will kill you or Danny on sight.  I can distract her.  Don't worry, I'll be fine."  Joan then turned to look at Jack, Jen, and me.  "I already loaded up the SUV, you need to drive it out of town exactly 60 seconds after I leave the front door.  I'll meet you at the hotel, but you must keep Tera and Danny hidden"

"The SUV?" Jen asked.  "That's Dave and Kristy's!  We can't take that!"

"We can and we must" Joan interjected.  "They would easily recognize master's car, and theirs is much more powerful and efficient than his."

"Master?" Jack silently mouthed at me.  I shook my head.  It was neither the time nor the place.

"You're... you're right Joan.  Oh Jesus, I'm such a bad friend!"

With that, Joan marched upstairs while we gathered what we could of our things.  I made sure my suit and clothes we all together, and that we brought the charger and workstation to repair Tera and. Joan if we needed to.  Tera grabbed her clothes and makeup and Jen just helped us out since all her things were n the bedroom upstairs,  Jack risked going upstairs to get their things, figuring he was not a target.  We tried to stop him, but to our relief, nothing happened.  He returned in time for us to head into the garage, and prepare our run.  Tera had given Joan one last hug, fearful she wouldn't see her sister again, and we all piled into the car, with Jack at the wheel.

"Tera, this is Jack.  Jack, Tera." I briefly made introductions.

"Hi" Tera said timidly.

"Hey" Jack responded.

"Remember we drive on the right side of the road in this country, Jack" Jen nagged.  It was proobably more out of jest, and I could hear a hint of playfulness in it, despite our precarious predicament.

Jack rolled his eyes and said "Yes your majesty".

"Jack, Jen, be ready!  I'm going out now" Joan announced.  Tera and I hid in the backseat, keeping our heads down, with Jen sitting up front.  I watched as Joan opened the garage door, and bolted out into the yard faster thn any human could run.

Before she could even get to the street, I saw her body lunge to left, forcing her to take a knee, and then again, almost knocking her to the ground.  The sound of the shots hit our ears half a second later.

"JOAN!" Tera yelled out.  I held her down so she didn't run outside to help her.

"Shit!" Joan yelled.  "Error.  Error.  She's already repositioned to the right.  I... I can't move."  She stayed there, grabbing her right arm as it hung lifelessly to her side.  I ducked my head back down, and waited for another shot.  It didn't come.  She was using her own sister as bait to lure us out of the garage, so she could despose of us.

Tera was bawling as she cried out Joan's name, afraid she was about to lose her sister after everything we went through to save her.  "What do we do?" she cried, her makeup smeared from tears.

"Stay down you two" Jack said.  "I'll show you what we do."  Before I could object, Jack turned over the engine, and rammed the SUV into reverse.  I held Tera down as low as I could as Jack stopped the vehicle on Joan's right side, and yelled out to us "pull her in quick!"

"I swung open the door, keeping my head down, and grabbed Joan, pulling her toward me.  The sound of a bullet piercing the door startled us, followed by another.  Tera held her ears and screamed.  Two holes appeared inches above her head in the door behind her, and I knew another shot was likely to hit her, or Jack.

With all my might I got Joan in the truck and slammed the door.  "Go!" I yelled to Jack.

What I didn't expect was to have Jack suddenly put the truck into 1st gear, and slam on the gas.  We lunged forward, back toward the garage, except we didn't slow down.

"Jack!?  What are you...!?" Jen started to yell before she screamed and curl into a ball.  Without warning, we crashed head long into the opposite wall of the small garage.  Had we been in my car, we would have been crushed by the wall or the crumbling car.  However, being in an SUV, we soared through the wall, and into the backyard of the house.  Jack didn't stop, or even slow down.  He continued to drive off-road through their garden, through their fence, and through another fence, before we finally made it back to a road.

"Holy Shit Jack!  Are you trying to kill us?" Jen yelled.

"Yes.  That's why we are still breathing" he said.

He turned onto the road, and had to swerve violently to avoid coming head to head into another car.  He was on the wrong side of the road after all.  "Sorry" he said, red in the face.  We raced down the road, going in every which direction, until I finally felt safe enough to take a closer look at Joan.

"Joan!" Tera yelled out as she held her sister's head in her lap, brushing her hair.  "Why did you do such a crazy thing?"

"I thought it would work.  Error." she answered.  "I guess I was wrong.". Every system error and warning we hear from her was in a monotone voice, but at least it was her own voice and not some disembodied one like cheaper robots tended to use.

"Hold still, let me take a look at that arm" I said.

"It's not the arm I'm concerned about, it's my leg.  Error.  Damage detected in right hip joint."

I looked closer at her leg and discovered she had been hit precisely in the joint, shattering her hip joint with what must have been armor piecing bullets.  The bullet was still there, but it was doing no further damage to her, being a robot.

"I can't fix this" I said.  "I mean, you need a new joint!  There's nothing I can do."

"Error.  Just take it off then" she said, clearly in pain.

"I don't know if I can.  Your leg seam is actualy lower than this, and I doubt you can take off your hip.  I'm sorry, we'll have to get your hip replaced .  Let me look at that arm."

She let go of her arm, an struggled to stay on our laps as Jack swerved through traffic.  It was hit precisely in the frame structure, disabling all movement beyond her shoulder.  It was a hideous wound that tore all the way through her arm.  She was lucky it didn't hit any other part of her.  Then again, it was probably 261's intent to keep her alive as bait.  I couldn't repair her arm here either, but at least I could take it off.

"Tera, we need to remove her arm."  She nodded, still keeping her head down, opened the panel behind her neck and pulled out a cord.  She connected to her sister, and within a few seconds, we had removed her right arm again, this time to keep her from feeling the pain.

"Thanks" Joan said, still wincing in pain from her leg.  "Is it ok if I stay like this for now?" she asked, hoping she could continue lying across our laps. We nodded and she closed her eyes, tying to concentrate on something other than the pain.  Tera sat there stroking her hair as I studied the wound on her arm and leg.

Another bullet pierced the side of the truck, but luckily missed everyone.  Tera curled up into a ball, and squished herself to the floor between the front and back as best as she could.

"Oh god, it's happening all over again!"  She stared up at me  as another shot rang out.  Jack swerved the vehicle in and out of traffic hoping to lose the sniper.

"Turn here!" Jen shouted from the passenger seat.  Jack made a sharp right turn that almost rolled the SUV on its side but luckily regained control.  "Left here!"  Again, another sharp turn, but this one was more under control.  "Go through here" she said, and suddenly everything got dark as Jack turned into a short tunnel.  The road from there went down a forested street that wound around hills and valleys.  I didn't recognize the area, but Jack was sure to put the pedal to the metal, and we were confident that after a few more minutes of driving, we had lost 261.

"I'm scared Danny.  What if she finds us again?" Tera asked, getting back into her seat.

"We'll be alright for now.  We just need to find Tom and Cynthia fast, and figure out how to take them out first."  I know it sounded a bit far fetched, stopping a mob boss by ourselves while a sniper was on our tail.  But the last thing I needed was for Tera to panic.

"Be careful" Joan said through labored breath.  "They know where the hotel is.  But Tera is their first priority.  We'll need to keep you and Tera out of sight."

"I don't think that's an option" I speculated.  "They know about Jack, but they don't know Jen, and they still think you are playing for Liberati.  There is no telling what they'd do if they saw you and Jen show up, without me there too."

"You don't think they trust me mate?" Jack said never taking his eyes off the road.

"They probably do.  But a person is easily coerced, especially if he is surrounded by 2 possible agents of the enemy.  It's too dangerous for you to go alone.  No, I think I need to be there at least.  With you and me together, the girls can hide out nearby in case we need to make a getaway."

"We girls aren't all that weak" Jen said.  "Don't just brush us aside, mister."

"No.  I didn't mean that.  It's just, I'm worried for Tera's safety, and Joan is too injured to come along."

"I can manage" Joan said, trying to sit up.

"Hey, take it easy now, you got hurt pretty bad" I objected.

"I'll be fine" she retorted.  "It isn't life-threatening.  You should know that.  I should go along to protect you."

"And how do you plan on doing that?" Jen asked.  "You can barely sit up, let alone fight."

"She has a point Joan" I chimed in.  "I don't want you to get hurt any more, and there isn't much you can do for Jack and I.  No, I rather have you protect Tera.  Can you move your leg at all?"

"A little" she said.  As she sat up, she wiggled her foot, wincing from the pain, but she had good control of her foot.  Her hip joint was not going to work, so standing and walking were out of the question, however, driving a car she might be able to manage.

"Do you think you can drive?" I asked.

"If you get me to the front seat, I think I can manage it."

"Joan..." Tera said, concerned for her sister.

"I'll be alright sis, besides, this is nothing compared to what they put me through."  I didn't know if she was lying or not, but she was putting on a straight face, hiding any evidence of pain.

"It's settled then" Jen said.  "Joan and Tera can watch the car, Jack, Dan, and I will go to the hotel."

"Hang on!" I interjected.  "What if one of them needs help on foot.  Joan can't provide any.  No, I want you to stay and help protect Tera."

"No offense, but I am not staying here and leaving you two alone to face the mob by yourselves."

"Well I don't want you to risk your life by coming with us" I argued.  We were getting nowhere with this fast.

"Look mate" Jack intervened.  "Why don't we all go.  We can hide the SUV nearby, and that way, if anyone needs help, we can all help each other."

We thought about it for a while.  If 261 or another sniper saw us, they would take us out faster than we could get away, but no matter what, we all risked that same fate whether or not we split up.

"I'll go alone then" I decided.

"What?" the three of them said simultaneously.

"Don't Danny!  I can't lose you!" Tera said.

"Park the truck close by but out of sight, and I'll go in alone.  If they want me, they'll have to deal with Exo.  If I need any of you, I'll signal."

"Really?  And how will you do that?" Jen asked.

"He can signal me" Tera said.  "Danny can sense me at any time, but if he needs me, he can sort of alert me.  Through the nano-bots."

"Alright.  It's settled" Jack said.  "Just get us to the hotel, and we'll be nearby to help."

Jen got out her cell phone an started dialing in a number.

"Who are you calling?" I asked.

"A friend.  I need to have someone look at Dave and Krity's house, and make sure their cats are still alive and cared for.  God!  I'm such a terrible friend.  I'm going to have a lot of explaining to do about their garage."

[gynoneko]

Jack and Jen navigated to the hotel downtown while I got on my Exo suit which we threw into the back before we left.  We got to the hotel around noon, but a storm had come in since the morning and the sky was dark with the threat of rain.  We drove around the block to make sure there was no one nearby waiting for us.  It was a small rundown motel with the doors to the rooms all facing a small courtyard.  2 stories tall, it had a small pool in the middle of the courtyard that probably hadn't been used in year.  I'd call it dilapidated, but signs stressing "Under New Management" and "Pardon Our Mess" indicated it was under renovations and not just worn down.

Jack found a shady area across the street surrounded by trees and a brick building.  It would have been difficult for someone to see them waiting there, but easy enough for them to drive into the parking lot if I needed help.  I prepared to get out, but Tera grabbed my hand.

"Danny..."  She looked intently at my eyes, her grip tight on my hand.  "Don't go."

"I have to.  Stay low."

"Be careful" she said, and kissed me on the lips.  It was not a passionate kiss, just a small peck, but I smiled at her and nodded my promise to be careful.  Before I could turn to get out, Jack hopped out of the driver's side, and came over to the back.

"What are you doing?" I wondered.

"You might want to go in alone, but if you do need help, I reckon Joan here will be more useful as our driver, so I can run out and help" he answered.  What he was going to do by running out and helping I didn't know, he was a hacker, not a fighter, but I didn't argue.  Joan couldn't walk, and she would be the most useful as our driver for the time being.

I turned on the suit and helped carry Joan to the front seat, before walking across the street to the motel parking lot.  I noticed for the first time how badly damaged the SUV was after driving through a garage.  The front was smashed in a bit, and the headlights were shattered, but it was relatively in-tact considering he drove it through a wall.  The parking lot ahead was almost empty, with not even half a dozen cars in various spots, but I didn't see the one Tom and Cynthia were driving when they were at my place.  Regardless, I looked again at the room number on the card.  Room 212, second floor.  I checked around for any sign of Liberati's men, but  there was almost no sign of anyone.  It seemed all too much like a trap.  Still I went forward.

I walked up the metal and concrete staircase near the front office, and slowly made my way toward the back of the hotel.  The room closest read 235.  I moved down quietly, and found 233.  The numbers were going in the right direction, but these were odd numbers.  I made my way down a hallway to the other side of the building, and found an empty parking lot, and more doors counting down, this time even.

The sky was as dark as dusk, and the occasional drop of rain could be heard striking metal.  The weather was not going to hold out much longer, and I only hoped my suit would survive getting wet.  I never tested the water-resistance, and I only hoped for my sake I didn't have to.

As I approached my destination, I realized there was a light shooting out of a door that was cracked open slightly, and an odd sound from within.  Of course, that was 212.  On the other side of the door, the sound grew louder.  I wasn't sure what it was, but it sounded like an animal sniffing and knocking things over.  There was no way a wild animal could have gotten in a second floor room and close the door mostly behind it.

I peaked in, but could see nothing but a disheveled hotel room.  Sheets were strewn about and ripped, pictures torn from the wall, a lamp lay on the floor, and ripped paper was everywhere.  I slowly pushed the door open a little more to get a better look inside.

A hint of movement coming from the back of the room, near the bathroom, caught my eye.  It was hunched over, large, and metal.  I struggled to identify what it was, but the skin was so reflective, I had a hard time seeing the various shapes of the form.  Before I could register what it was, it froze, lifted its head up, and turned toward me.

Faster than a speeding train, the gigantic metal cougar lunged at me with razor sharp claws and teeth glinting in the light.  I reacted as fast as I could, and backed away against the railing, only to duck under another pounce.  The shiny metallic beast roared as it flew over me, and off the second story, to the parking lot below.  It didn't miss a beat as it landed gracefully with a soft clang below, and turned toward me again.

I bolted for the staircase farthest from it, running with all my might and enough speed to outrun a car.  However, it was faster.  I barely caught myself as it jumped up to the second floor in one leap, and slowly stalked toward me growling with a voice that sounded like metal grinding against metal.  I was terrified as I backed away from the monster, toward the bedroom.

I couldn't run fast enough to evade it, and there was no way I could survive an attack from a creature with claws as big and sharp as those.  My only hope was to get back into the room before it could reach me and keep the door between us.  Before I could make my move, the shiny metal death lunged and pushed me to the ground, preparing to rip out my throat.

"Down Leonis!" a voice thundered.  "Back!  Good girl."  The cat backed away from me, taking its enormous weight off my chest and lowering its head in submission.

I looked up from the ground and beheld the figure of a man, lean and thin, as he emerged from room 212.  He was holding a black cane with a cat's head on the handle, and wore a dark black suit.  The warm light of the room clashed with the cool darkness of the approaching storm revealing the man's face.  It was angular, middle-aged, wearing circular glasses, and looked familiar.  The man I had seen in my dreams for the past few nights  now hovered over me, looking down at my prone form with a sinister smile.

I could think of only one thing left to do.  I mentally sent an alert to Tera comprised of just one word: Run.  He leaned forward, and reached out a hand as if to shake mine.  "You must be Mr. Hawthorn, or should I call you Exo?"

------
/End Chapter 16
Chapter 17 here.

[Asato]

Oooh, getting exciting here

[transhuman]

You truly are building a masterpiece here, gynoneko. This story combines action, adventure, love, cyberpunk, technosexuality, and comedy. What more could you ask for.

I can't wait for next installment. I really like the meme's you pulled as well--from military science fiction to the Little Mermaid (the voice box and the singing.) There is something in this story for everyone.

[gynoneko]

I'm really glad you like it! It feels nice to have positive feedback from other members here. I have been trying to get a little of everything I like into this story. Soon you will be introduced to the character you just met, who I hope everyone can enjoy and is a believable character, and secrets about others will be revealed. Not to mention a twist is coming up that will take the story into a new direction, which you will see before too long. I also have plans for unexpected surprises near the end. Just to give everyone a hint, I don't like the typical happy ending. If there isn't something to make you think... then it isn't worth it. I plan to get as much done before the fall, but I can't promise it. I expect there will be around 30 chapters... but we'll just have to see how things turn out.

Any suggestions or comments? Feel free to PM or reply here.