After getting to know Brone, I had to agree with Axios. The Tank Class has a big heart. My brothers and I saw it when he cared for us after Miss Nara was gone. He hadn’t needed to spend time with us or press his frame to ours to comfort us, but he had.
The Tank Class had a heart bigger than his frame. I hoped Miss Nara would see it, too.
Axios straightened his shoulders and let out a breath. “I only arrived at the cyborg rebellion after I was rescued from a transport vehicle by Reaper and a few others. I haven’t been here that long, but it didn’t take me much time to realize how much they love each other. They fight, they annoy each other, but all of them would die to protect the rebellion and those in it. All they have had up until recently has been each other. They never believed that one from the outside world would ever care for a bunch of cyborgs. Things have started to change that belief. The rebellion had started to find acceptance and love. Those with females gave all of us hope that one day we could find someone. With the Global Allegiance’s attention returning to us, everything that has been built is now threatened.” He looked each of us in the eyes. “And even if it wasn’t Nara’s intention to hurt us, she has by bringing them to our doorstep.”
“But,” Chaos protested, but Axios cut him off. “I don’t believe she did it with malice in her heart or that she wanted anyone to get hurt. In fact, I think it’s quite the opposite. Reaper and Brone aren’t the only ones with guilt. Reaper might have encouraged her to leave, but I think that Nara felt it was the only thing she could do to keep the three of you, no, to keepus allsafe. She doesn’t want more people to get hurt. She left in hopes of protecting us. Reaper just gave her an unpleasant nudge.”
The thud of heavy boots sounded in the hall. “Axios is correct.”
All of us looked up and found Reaper at the end of the hallway. In unison, my brothers and I stepped back, our frames pressing together. The sight of the Military Model caused a foreign sensation to burn in my gut.
I wanted to lash out. To hurt him because I was hurting. Because my brothers were hurting. I wanted to avenge Miss Nara. To demand he bring her back. That she deserved to be a part of the rebellion. That even though she wasn’t a fighter, she had fought for us and that she would fight for him, too.
All he needed to do was give her a chance. He needed to throw down his battle axe and see that she mourned the loss of Torque with him. He needed to realize that she wanted to stand beside him, not against him. Our Nara wanted us to belong here, but deep down, I think she wanted to belong, too.
The cyborg standing before us had the power to make it happen.
Words bubbled up. “Even in the short time Miss Nara was here, she fell in love with the rebellion. She looks at your son, at Ever, at the other cyborgs, the way she looks at us. She would care for all of you if you would let her. She’s not evil. She made mistakes, admittedly big ones. Ones I believe she wishes she could take back. She doesn’t want the end of cyborgs; she wants a new beginning. Here with the rebellion.”
My brothers and I had been asking ourselves why.Why did she leave us? Why would she think that removing herself from our lives would be better than staying and facing what comes together?
The truth now stared me in the face.She doesn’t feel like she deserves to be here.
Reaper crossed the space separating us and stood before us, arms crossed. The position was meant to be intimidating and it worked…to a degree. I couldn’t speak for my brothers, but a part of me was done with being afraid of Reaper. Yes, he was the leader of the cyborg rebellion. Yes, he had been one of the original cyborgs and had more experience, but that didn’t make him more important than us…or Miss Nara.
Given a chance, we could be great additions to the rebellion. The time I spent with Brone made me curious about the others. I liked having a friend that wasn’t Chaos or Caliber. It was a nice feeling to allow Brone in our space and get to know the Tank Class.
The three of us were wary of allowing anyone else close, but maybe it was time to find a real place we could callhome.
But only if Miss Nara was allowed to call it home as well.
“She lied.” Reaper’s eyes flashed.
“She kept some details to herself. She neverlied.”
“Important details,” Reaper snarled and Caliber sucked in a gasp next to me. “Details that put the lives of everyone I care about in harm’s way.”
I laid a comforting hand on Caliber’s arm, giving it a squeeze. We couldn’t back down from Reaper. The databases had informed me that Military Models respected strength…and sometimes even acts of violence. Even though Chaos had wanted to punch him, I wasn’t quite ready to take a swing. Maybe…if it was required to knock some sense into that thick, reinforced skull of his.
Being without Miss Nara had given me plenty of time to think about our situation. We may be naïve when it came to real world experiences, but I had access to unimaginable wells of information. I hadn’t thought much about the original model types. It had been fascinating simply being among them. To observe and process their unique abilities. I had hoped to learn organically.
After all, cyborgs were more than the sum of their parts…and programming. But with the rebellion falling apart around us, Miss Nara hurt and close to death, as well as losing Torque, my desire to understand the new world we were in was accelerated.
“I cannot disagree with that, but I urge you to see that she was afraid. Afraid for myself and my brothers. She has only ever wanted to protect us. If she hadn’t, she would have done what the Global Allegiance asked of her and installed the emotion dampers and kill codes inside our processors. Shelovesus. We are hers in the way you are Dr. Shaw’s.” I met his intense gaze. “She is our mother.”
Chaos nudged my shoulder, his chest puffing out as he glared right back at Reaper. “Core is right. Miss Nara gave up her whole life to make sure we found somewhere safe. She never asked for anything for herself. In fact, she was willing to lose the ones she loves the most to do the right thing. Not only for my brothers and I, but for the rebellion and Lennox’s people as well.”
“And don’t forget Brone!” Caliber shouted excitedly. “She likes the Tank Class.” He frowned. “I am not sure why she didn’t want him to go with her, but I know she must have had a good reason. Brone is good. And kind. And he is our friend. Miss Nara must see it, too.”
Reaper released a sigh. “Brone is all those things and more. He wanted to go with her, but she told him she didn’t want him to, and I embraced it because I don’t want him to get hurt. He has been through enough. He doesn’t need a female who will string him along and abandon him.”
“But you let him go to her anyway?” I questioned.
Reaper’s shoulders dropped. “I couldn’t deny him. Not when he believes.” His lips snapped shut.
Chaos’s copper eyes narrowed. “Believes what?”
Reaper pinned him with a glare. “It’s not my place to say. My Aria would kill me. And trust me, if you think I am scary, you have never seen her when she is truly angry. All I can say is that he believes in your Miss Nara. He cares for her. And while I don’t agree with his choice, I couldn’t stand in his way. I’ve already lost one cyborg. I won’t lose another because I am too fucking stubborn. I may not trust Nara, but I trustBrone.”He rubbed a hand over his face. “And maybe I could grow to trust Nara, too.”