She threw up a hand. “Wait. Don’t tell me.” She crossed her arms over her chest, giving me a stern look. “Two days, Dax. Then I’m bringing you back. Understand?”
I nodded happily, the whole time calculating ways I could remain by with her, desperate to study the female that made my processors spin.
Chapter Five
*Viper*
“Boss?” There was noanswering reply on my communication line. I pushed down the rolling sense of unease swimming through my circuits. “Hey Boss?” Nothing. “Reaper, respond.” Only static.
I could hack his processors,my mind taunted.
No. I swore I would never do that to another cyborg again unless it was an emergency.
Thiscould be an emergency!My circuits argued, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. To feel someone invade your mind without permission was a violation. One I knew all to well. I shoved the dark memories threatening to rise to the back of my circuits.
With a shove, I propelled my frame away from the security center I called home. The action caused the purple rabbit seated on top of my main screen to wobble. My hand shot out, catching Floppity before he fell. Floppity had been the only gift I had ever received in my lifetime and I refused to allow him to be harmed.
I placed him back on top of his resting spot.“Stay,” I ordered before I took off, moving through the halls at cyborg speed and racing up the emergency staircase that lead to outside faster. The nagging feeling in the back of my processors ordered me to get to Reaper as fast as possible. It wasn’t like the Military Model not to answer a comm. Granted, he hated when I called him boss, but that never stopped him before from replying.
I scanned the woods surrounding headquarters searching for anything out of place. Off to the right of my visual systems I detected a set of footprints. The weight of the impression was deep. Far too deep to be human. An indentation of that size indicated a Military Model had made those tracks. I followed the footsteps, my eyes locking on another set a bit smaller than the first. Someone else had been out here. It appeared Reaper had been following him or her. Making my way deeper into the woods, I tapped my comm.
“Torque here.” A voice barked from the other side of the comms.
“It’s Viper. I am in the woods outside. I need you to run a scan and find out if anyone beside myself is currently outside of headquarters.”
“Done,” the other Technology Model declared through the comm. “Everyone is accounted for inside of headquarters except for Reaper and Dax.”
My eyebrows shot up. “Dax? Are you sure?” I shook my head. It didn’t make sense. Dax never left. He hid in his lab, running his experiments and fiddling with formulas. Cyborgs didn’t sleep so Dax was always tinkering, consulting Dr. Shaw, or as of late, spending time with Rust. Rust had been injured in an attack by a fellow cyborg, and Dax had made it his mission to make sure he got Rust as close to fully functional as possible.
Rumors had also swirled that Dax and Rust were becoming good friends. Being the only Science Model, Dax had always struggled to fit in with the other cyborgs. Things were getting better, but another friend for Dax wouldn’t hurt. He needed them. Which is why my processors struggled with the fact that he was the other cyborg missing.
“Check again, Torque.”
“Don’t trust me? I’m a Technology Model too you know. I may not have all your skills but I can scan and determine if someone is missing.” A growl sounded on the line, then a sigh. “Fine,” he grumbled. “Second scan reveals the same as the first. Dax and Reaper are the only two cyborgs not located within headquarters besides you.”
I growled. “Fuck!”
“We have a situation brewing?” Torque questioned, a hint of worry imbedded in his voice.
“Possibly. I can’t get Reaper on the comms and I discovered two sets of prints leading further into the woods.” I shoved a branch out of my face. “But Dax doesn’t make any sense.”
Torque sighed through the line. “That cyborg doesn’t leave.Ever. He has only ever gone on one mission in his entire life. The rescue mission for Theo and Reaper. Fuck is right.Do you think? Is there any chance they were taken?” Torque‘s voice had dropped to a whisper.
“I don’t know,” I whispered back. My processors spun. “I need a te-” A loud crash cut me off. “Who’s there?” I commanded. “Identity yourself!”