Chapter 19

He wasn’t in shock. There was pain radiating from the point where the metal ends were hanging, and he could hear his heartbeat resonating in his ears.

“Marcus, what the fuck, man?” Ayn was the first to react.

Ayn pushed Marcus away, and grabbed the man’s hand, forcing him to lower the weapon. As expected, Marcus pushed back, trying to hold Xavier at gunpoint.

“He’s a fucking freak, Ayn! Let me put a hole through that metal head!”

“No fucking way!”

“Stop it!” Xavier intervened.

The two other men turned to look at him, Ayn’s hands still on Marcus’s wrist, fighting him, the other fighting him back.

“I’m still bleeding,” he pointed out, raising his hand.

Ayn let go of Marcus and grabbed the torch from the ground. He didn’t look at Xavier at all while directing the blaze over the open wound. Xavier grunted and thrashed despite his effort to remain cool. He was breathing heavily, and the smell of burnt flesh was making him sick to the stomach.

“He bleeds like a man,” Ayn pointed at Xavier, as he stood up, and looked at Marcus.

“Then what is that shit? Could you tell us what the fuck you are?” Marcus had no qualms about turning to look at Xavier.

At least, the man no longer seemed that murderous, lowering his gun and just watching Xavier with a deep frown on his face.

“It may come as a surprise to you, but I do not know the answer to this question. These modifications have occurred without my knowledge,” Xavier spoke with difficulty.

“How can you tell you’re not going to kill us all? I’m sure you can break our necks, like this,” Marcus made a hand gesture to emphasize his words.

“I doubt it,” Xavier replied. “Ayn can overpower me, and I doubt he is stronger than you.”

Marcus shook his head, his frown deepening.

“I don’t believe you. Your word is horseshit.”

“It’s true,” Ayn mumbled. “I can take Xav if need be.”

“I am not going to turn against you. Do you have anything in those skulls that might resemble brains?” Xav shook away Ayn’s hand still resting on his wrist. “But please, do not let me keep you. The both of you. I will take the bracelet with me and be out of your hair right away.”

He stood up. There was a small, rhythmic throb in his hand. It was going to get infected, most probably. They had forgotten to pour some whiskey on it. But it didn’t matter, anyway. His lifespan didn’t look any longer now from before.

“The fuck you will!” Marcus said through his teeth. “We’ll take that thing and throw it somewhere away from here. And you? We’ll just fucking kill you.”

Xavier sighed.

“Should I want you dead, I would say ‘fine by me’. But, regardless of what you might think of all this, I still think it would be for the best that you two won’t stay anywhere near me. Unless you want a death warrant and a bounty on your heads.”

“No one is killing anyone,” Ayn intervened sharply.

“Like fuck not!” Marcus protested. “Ayn, listen to me, moron. This is not your sweetheart,” he pointed the finger at Xavier. “He’s some fucking machine, and he will fucking kill us in our sleep.”

“So why hasn’t he?” Ayn batted his friend’s hand away from his face. “He could have done it countless times by now.”

“Beats me! How should I know what freaks as this one think? I bet he has a plan!”

“The only plan I have is to start walking,” Xavier spoke.

True to his word, he stood up and picked the bracelet from the ground with the only hand he had whole now. The greyish light was still there, but it was getting fainter and fainter by the second. That was a good sign. Probably there had been a magnetic impulse between the metallic structure enveloping his bones and the device. With it gone, there was a chance for the device to lose its power.

He started walking away, his decision taken. But strong arms reached him from behind, pulling him into a strong hug.

“I said that you’re not going,” Ayn spoke, his voice pained and soft.

“Ayn,” Xavier warned. “Go back to Haven. Forget everything.”

“No way,” Ayn said stubbornly.

“Marcus,” Xavier called. “Please take Ayn away. As you can see, I cannot break myself free from him, especially now with this bloody pain in my arm.”

“No, you’re coming with us,” Marcus replied. “I know the perfect place to throw that wristband away. And we could throw you there, too. No one will find you.”

“Stop speaking shit, Marcus!” Ayn shouted, but he didn’t let go of Xavier.

“Ayn, you stop with the bullshit! This guy’s bad news. Don’t worry; I’ll let you kill him.”

“Like hell I will!” Ayn shouted again.

Xavier set his jaw.

“You are doing nothing but endangering yourselves. Go back now. Marcus, be at least the one reasonable. Take Ayn and go.”

“No, I need to see you dead, motherfucker,” Marcus spat. “I don’t trust you.”

“And you have no reason to. Fine, let’s go to this perfect resting place for me,” Xavier decided to comply. “Ayn, let’s go.”

“No way! No one is killing no one! Do you hear me, Marcus? Or do you want to kill me, too?” Ayn finally let go of Xavier to turn and face Marcus.

“Don’t make me. Are you insane? Dude’s some kind of robot! Do you think he cares about you?” Marcus gestured wildly, his gun still in his hand.

“He does, or else he wouldn’t have left in the first place, moron. And he’s not a fucking robot!”

“Then why the fuck is he made of metal?” Marcus yelled.

“I am not made of metal,” Xavier protested.

The throbbing in his arm was intensifying, and the pain was making his stomach clench. He dropped to his knees.

“Xav, what the fuck?” Ayn asked, alarmed.

The world went black.

He woke up to the monotonous sound of the vehicle engine. For seconds, he didn’t open his eyes. This way, he could listen to the conversation taking place between Ayn and Marcus.

“Do you vouch for him, then?” Marcus’s voice was apprehensive and tired.

“Of course I do. How long have we known each other, Marcus?” Ayn was aggressive, but Xavier could read impatience and fear in his man’s voice, as well.

“I must be fucking mad,” Marcus murmured. “If it were just me at stake, I’d say, ‘yeah, why the hell not, let’s see how I fare going against a robot’, but you know, Ayn, that it’s not just me. Think of all the people back home. If some shit goes down, they’ll pay the price.”

“I know Xav,” Ayn said stubbornly. “He left that shitty city of his with me, and not because I forced him. He could sound that fucking alarm and have me executed, like that,” he snapped his fingers.

“You do think that thing loves you or something,” Marcus sighed.

“He isn’t a thing. He’s flesh and blood. I know he is. He is the guy I love,” Ayn said with determination.

“All right, I am a complete idiot for trusting you with this.”

“Come on, man, why would he have let you cut his thumb if he knew he was going to expose himself? He doesn’t know why he’s like this.”

“Yeah, and we don’t know what he’s capable of. What if he has one of those machines in his brain that’ll tell him to kill everyone?”

Ayn grunted in response. Xavier decided that it was time for him to intervene.

“I highly doubt it.”

Marcus didn’t turn to look at him, busy tending the wheel. But Ayn did. Xavier wasn’t sure he could face all the questions in those dark eyes. But he could reply to a few from Marcus.

“What makes you say that, Your Majesty?”

Good, the man was back to calling him annoying nicknames. That was a good sign.

“There would have been no need for the bracelet, should I have had a neural implant,” he replied promptly.

“I don’t think I understood all the words you said,” Marcus shot back.

“These modifications I have, they may not be extensive. There was still a need for an external device. And by the way the signal seems to fade, it needed to be close to me. Take a look at the bracelet, Ayn.”

“It looks dead,” Ayn grabbed the thing from the dashboard and showed it to Xavier.

“See? The proof is in front of your eyes. But still, Ayn, I believe that Marcus has a point. It is best if you don’t let me live.”

He could not believe his ears, but his decision could not be shaken. Not by Ayn’s dark eyes filled with hurt. Not by the hands that were now reaching for him.

“Your Majesty,” Marcus sighed, “your boyfriend here, unfortunately, is deep under my skin. So Gods forgive me if I’m making a huge mistake here, but after we throw this thing away, you’re coming back with us to Haven.”

“Marcus,” Xavier tried to reason with the man. “Hear me out.”

“No, I’m done with talking. And I already cut you once. I spilled your blood. That’s enough for me. Should be.”

“Now I am the one who fails to understand your logic.”

“Don’t bother,” Marcus raised one hand and waved. “Your partner thinks you’re human. You say you have no idea you were modified. And you two seem so in love that it’s stupid. Who am I to go against that? But, make sure you understand this one right. The moment I notice you putting us in danger, I’ll fucking kill you, no matter what your boyfriend says.”

“Fair enough,” Xavier replied.

He got to one side and grunted.

“This thing fucking hurts like hell,” he mumbled. “Do you still have that booze?”

“Look at His Majesty. He even knows dirty words. Hit the man with some medicine, Ayn. And stop staring at me like you found God or something.”

“I owe you everything, Marcus,” Ayn patted Marcus on the back.

Xavier was thankful when Ayn cradled him in his arms and helped him drink some of Marcus’s liquor.

“This stuff tastes like gasoline,” he grimaced but took another mouthful.

The burn in his blood was doing him good.

“Who says it isn’t?” Marcus joked.

“We need something more than this for the infection,” Ayn spoke. “I don’t like how this hand looks.”

Marcus threw a look behind.

“Shit.”

“Yes,” Ayn confirmed.

“You should draw some blood from the area,” Xavier offered.

“Yeah, that will help,” Marcus confirmed. “It’s bad blood there.”

“More cutting?” Ayn asked.

Xavier captured Ayn’s hand with his free one.

“It will prevent the infection from spreading, trust me on this. I will show you where to cut.”

“Okay,” Ayn nodded.

“Are you going to make a mess in my luxurious vehicle?” Marcus joked.

“Fuck you, man,” Ayn said back, but there was no more bite in his bark this time.

Somehow, the two men had reached an understanding. Xavier could not say it was a good or a bad thing. But one part of him, the egotistical one, the one that yearned for Ayn’s love, was tipping the balance hard.

“So, what are we going to do now?” Edgar tried to get his attention.

Cory could barely draw his eyes away from the book he had brought with him to dinner. He could feel the women’s eyes on him from all sides, but he was trying to ignore them. It was normal for them not to trust them. They were men, after all. He had to say that it was unnerving for him too, to be surrounded by so many females, and it was only so much he could do not to stare. In Aeria, the women had been so wrapped up in their strange clothes and were talking just about scientific topics that he hadn’t felt that uneasy. But here, many of the women, especially the young ones, had lost their hoods to show off their flowing hair and fresh faces. So he was trying hard to focus on reading. The fact that Edgar was pestering him wasn’t exactly helping.

“I suppose we should just read some more,” he whispered, aware of the way some of the others were trying to pretend not to be interested. “And I thought you were hungry.”

“The food here appears to be quite filling. I don’t think I am capable of taking another bite. Frankly, I think we should talk to Tora again.”

“Why are you so impatient?” Cory finally decided to look at Edgar.

The man looked a bit pale, and he was adjusting his collar over and over again. What could make Edgar so uncomfortable? He risked a look around and understood right away. Some of the women were giggling and pointing at them. While Cory had done a fine job ignoring them, poor Edgar hadn’t been that strong.

“You have women in Aeria,” Cory tried to point out, leaning over the table.

At least, they had been allowed a small private table, so, if they managed to speak quietly, no one could understand them.

“Yes, we do, but never before have I...” Edgar began but stopped mid-sentence.

“Go on,” Cory tried to encourage his friend to speak.

“Well,” the other exhaled, “never again have I been the subject of so much interest from the fairer sex.”

“Ah,” Cory managed. “What about Lena?”

“You’re not helping,” Edgar glared.

“Why should you be so bothered? And they’re staring at us, not particularly at you,” Cory tried to reason with the Aerian scientist.

For a man who was supposed to be extremely rational, Edgar seemed to be quite an emotional mess at the moment.

“Again, Cory, this is not helpful. What am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to act? What if I do something that is objectionable?”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know,” Edgar complained. “Let’s just go.”

“All right,” Cory understood his friend’s predicament and closed his book.

Maybe it was not such a bad idea to talk to Tora after all.

The old woman was sitting behind a wooden desk that looked like it was sharing her age, and there was a musty smell, of ancient books, all around, more overpowering than it had been at Edgar’s house, in Aeria.

Tora was accompanied by that young woman, Diane was her name if he remembered correctly. They were both perusing some papers and were engaged in hushed conversation. Diane’s young face was scrunched up in thought, and she was carefully listening to what Tora was telling her.

“We’re sorry to bother you,” Cory began.

“Not at all,” Tora waved and gestured for them to sit on a long wooden bench that seemed to be siblings to the old desk. “Diane and I were just talking about the next step of your journey.”

“The next step of our journey?” Cory repeated, unsure he understood Tora’s words right.

“Oh, thank you, thank you,” Edgar mumbled next to him, and Cory elbowed him quickly.

“Too bad you have to leave so soon,” Diane spoke and giggled, her attention trained on Edgar more than on Cory.

It was clear as day that the young woman found great pleasure in tormenting the poor man. Cory just squeezed Edgar’s hand in sympathy.

Tora began speaking again.

“You needed the rest, and if it were solely after me, I would keep you here with me a lot longer.”

“And we would have been so happy to have you,” Diane spoke, earning a stern look from Tora. “With all due respect, mother, but look at how cute they are. You can’t expect us not to talk. And make plans.”

“Plans? What about?” Cory asked.

Diane’s mischievous eyes set on him this time.

“For making babies, of course.”

“Babies?” Edgar exclaimed. “Well, I do understand why Cory, but what could I possibly offer concerning genetic material? And do you have one of the Trainers’ reproduction facilities here?”

“You’re kidding me, right?” Diane snorted. “First of all, you’re a scientist from Aeria. And you’re cute. Secondly, we prefer the old fashion way of reproduction,” she burst into laughter right away.

Edgar remained nonplused, while Cory averted his eyes, blushing. Poor Edgar didn’t have it in him to protest anymore.

“Stop teasing the young men, Diane,” Tora finally intervened. “They have a nobler mission. Diane will take you to one of the settlements inhabited by free men. There you can start laying your groundwork.”

“But what work that might be?” Cory inquired.

“Recruiting manpower,” Tora explained.

“For what? We’re nothing but a former servant, and a scientist, both on the run. I don’t see how we will manage to convince these men...”

“You will,” Tora cut him short and stood up with difficulty.

Diane hurried to help her. Tora rummaged for something in the folds of her black dress, and her gnarly hand came back with something that looked like a pendant. From up close, he noticed that the silver wires were making up the same symbol he had burned into his flesh.

“Those who pray, those who work, and those who fight,” Edgar spoke.

Tora nodded.

“It is up to you to unite them all.”

“So, I’m going to go searching for ... those who fight?” Cory asked, taking the pendant and wrapping its long chain around his hand.

“Yes. You know those who work. They are your friends back home, and you were once one of them. You have just met those who pray, here, so the only ones that remain for you to know are those who fight,” the old woman explained.

“How will I know...” Cory hesitated. “How will I know how to make them join us?”

“You show them the pendant. We all do our part. You need to do yours. You were born for it.”

He wasn’t so convinced. Everything seemed new.

“We need to fight them,” he spoke with determination, going against the feeling of anxiety nestling in his chest.

“Yes, we need to fight them. There, in the desert, The One is not forgotten. Your pendant will keep you safe and will bring you what you need to move forward.”

“Are you in danger?” Cory asked. “It feels like we are leaving you behind.”

“Don’t worry about us, Cory,” Tora caressed his cheek and her glassy eyes filled with warmth. “We know what danger is. We live with it every day. They might think that they made us kneel, but as we knelt, we prayed. Our faith is not a whim, something they believe they let us have so that we obey. Our faith is the true power of this world. Help us unite those who believe.”

“Yes,” Cory said softly.

“Can I still have the scientist?” Diane interrupted.

Cory might have thought the young woman rude, but, by the way she hurried to take Tora to sit down again, he understood that they were overstaying their welcome.

“Well, when are we bound to leave?” he inquired.