My Human

Chapter 36 Bound for the Floor

"Is it really already that time again?" I complained. We had to work together daily and the dread set in every time I saw him. I hated that I had to work so closely with him. It wasn't just his arrogance; it was just the overall vibe I got from him. He felt toxic to me.

He smirked and stood up. "Don't act so haughty, Aeris. If I'm not mistaken, you are much more improved after every session of our work together," he retorted smugly, and I rolled my eyes.

If he was improving me so much, I sure had not memory of it. We would always start programming together and then suddenly it was like time passed without my knowing until hours later when everyone else had gone home and I was suddenly aware of how late it was. Tobias was the real robot. He never stopped. I would leave with Victor and he would still be going at it. I hated that about him. I was in a constant state of one-upping by this pompous jerk.

"The hair dye must be leaking into your brain if you think my skills at all relate to you," I retorted with a menacing grin.

An amused chuckle escaped him as he shook his head. "Your defiance is such fun for me," he laughed and I sighed. He was so strange, it almost seemed that he thrived on our constant competition and bickering.

"Can we just get this over with already?" I moaned not in the mood for his banter.

He moved closer and drew his face closer to mine, seemingly to intimidate me; it didn't.

"Do you not enjoy our time together, Aeris?" he asked seductively which only further my annoyance. Every little action of his always felt like a form of manipulation.

"No, not particularly," I answered coolly.

He looked down at the floor for a moment and chuckled before drawing his eyes back to mine, but now with a purple glow that made me jump.

"Oh, I think that might change, my dear," he said slyly, caressing my cheek with his fingers. The sweeping sensation of my exhaustion only intensified and my eyelids could no longer stay open.

When my eyes opened, I found myself floating weightlessly in a dimly lit room with the peaceful sound of water that was immediately disrupted by the pain in my head. I groaned, pulling myself to standing position but quickly clutching the wall of the recovery chamber tank. Whatever happened to me, I was barely functional. I sat down on the stairs of the tank and grasped my head.

"What the hell happened?" I muttered, my mind flashing back to the cavern and the memories that sprang forth in those moments a strange energy emitted from me. I pulled my hands away from my head and looked down at them, now trembling. How was I capable of any of that?

"Aeris," a voice said sternly and I jumped, realizing Trish had been sitting in the corner all along.

"You scared me," I breathed, holding my chest to catch my breath.

I looked at her sitting in the chair in the corner, her knees pulled into her chest like a scared child. The look on her face was one of uncertainty and anxiety.

"What's wrong," I asked urgently. "Where's Xan and Neron? Are they alright?"

She nodded slowly and I felt a small sense of relief, but still I could sense the uneasiness from her,

"What's going on, Trish?" I asked sympathetically. Trish was strong and determined, I had never seen her in this state of fearfulness before.

"Teo, Tierian, and Ryuna saved us," she began in a small voice. "But they couldn't do it alone and Teo had to call the GIU."

I felt my heart drop. "They had to rush you and I out first," she said with a trembling voice. "The GIU can't know about us. They'll lock us up."

"They took Neron and Xan?" I inquired sullenly and she nodded slowly.