Steampunk Cyborg (Mecha Origin Book 1)

by Eve Langlais

“Susan!” Squeaked Eve.

  “Grab the gear and let’s get out of here,” Viola snapped.

  The gun nudged deeper into his side and Jwls realized two things. First, once the weapon charged, she would try and blow a hole in his flesh. Second, the Piktin seemed to think she’d won and reached for the gear hanging around Aggie’s neck.

  To his annoyance, Aggie didn’t slap her hand. The damned human let the Piktin fondle it.

  Unfair.

  “I don’t think so. I found it first,” he declared.

  Susan smirked. “Sucks to be you.” She tugged at the chain, and Aggie grabbed at the hands, exclaiming. “Hey. Stop it.”

  “You heard the human. Stop.” No way was he letting these alien bounty hunters get the cog. The Piktin might not indulge in upgrades, but they did strike a fiercely expensive bargain for pieces they found—or stole off the bodies they left behind.

  He dove at Susan, just as Viola fired. Spinning in the air, Jwls raised his arm. His metal bracer deflected the ray of light, the ricochet sending it through the glass of a window. The edges around the point of impact melted.

  Eve gaped. “Shit, Viola. How did you do that?”

  “With a gun,” was Jwls annoyed reply as he hit the ground and bounded to his feet, keeping his knees slightly bent in preparation for his next move.

  Which involved him hitting the floor, as Viola fired again and again, forcing him to roll, dodge and pray to the Mecha Gods he didn’t get hit. His uncle had gotten cooked by a ray gun once at a family function. Luckily, he had enough metal parts to survive. Unfortunately, he became an example for why inebriation and weapons built into the body weren’t a bright idea.

  He ricocheted off the wall a moment before a hole was blown through it.

  “Oh my god. Stop shooting. My insurance will never cover this,” shrieked Eve.

  “Shut up,” Viola growled aiming at him again.

  But Jwls tired of being on the defensive.

  Time to finish this fight. Jwls clanged his wrists, ringing the metal bracers and sending out a mini electromagnetic pulse. It wouldn’t take out anything big, but the mechanism on a ray gun was simple and easily messed with.

  The weapon stopped firing.

  A smile pulled Jwls lips as he aimed only to curse as Eve threw herself in front of Viola.

  “Don’t kill her!”

  “Move,” he growled. “Or I’ll shoot you both.”

  “Fuck me. This is not happening,” Eve moaned.

  “What are you doing? Stop that!” The exclamation drew his attention to Aggie, who was engaged in a tugging war with the Piktin.

  “Just hand it over,” Susan growled. “I’ll give you mine instead.”

  “What is the obsession with stealing it?” Aggie struggled, and yet he knew her strength would be no match.

  He fired, choosing a projectile option. The bullet hit the upper part of the Piktin’s arm. It shimmered before it sank in leaving not a trace behind.

  Not good. Susan wore body armor, the kind that protected the wearer from damage. Knife, ray gun, dropping from a building. The only way to get past it was to wear it out. Which meant pummeling the shield over and over to kill the power source.

  That would take time.

  What he needed was a distraction. He whirled, grabbed Eve, lifted her overhead, and threw her.

  The shriek ended as Eve slammed into Susan, and they hit the floor in a tangle of limbs. He began to stride towards Aggie only to be slammed from behind. He staggered as Viola wrapped her arms around his neck. She hung on and did her best to twist his head.

  He reached for her and grabbed hold, relying on the strength in his metal arm to fling her over head. He didn’t watch her land but rather pursued his goal.

  Wide-eyed, Aggie didn’t say a word when he got close. He didn’t bother asking. Nor did he just take the cog. The time for that had passed. He took the whole damned woman!

  4

  He’s kidnapping me.

  Kind of sexy.

  Also, super scary, because where the hell was he taking her? And what had happened back there?

  When Eve came to her rescue with the handsy dude—the crazy-hot dude with skin-tight leather pants, a duster to put hers to shame, and more metal parts strapped on than a barbecue—she’d been so embarrassed. Here she finally had a hot guy paying her attention and all he wanted was her costume jewelry.

  Things got really confusing when Viola began shooting at him. Which wasn’t as nuts as Susan, with her weird contact lenses, insisting on seeing the gear thing she had strung on her chain. Then trying to steal it, just like Aggie’s steampunk hottie.

  Which reminded her…He’s stealing me!

  “Put me down,” she stuttered as he jostled through tables going through the ballroom.

  “Nope.” He swiftly ducked, and something exploded. The air filled with smoke.

  “I’ll give you the damned necklace if you just put me down.” Because her life wasn’t worth whatever he thought she had.

  “About time you were reasonable,” he grumbled. He dumped Aggie on her ass, which earned him a glare. One he didn’t even see since he was scanning the room. She could hear Rebecca yelling, “Aggie! Someone save my friend.”

  I’ll save myself. The price was a stupid hunk of metal. Aggie fumbled with the chain, attempting to yank it over her head, but it got caught on the strap for the goggles of her costume, which, in turn, got caught in her hair.

  “Stop moving.” A knife appeared in his hand and got near, maybe to shear her hair, or possibly her throat. Neither option would work.

  Aggie gasped. “I don’t think so. Give me a second to untangle it.”

  “We don’t have a second or even a tic of a gear.” He rose on his haunches, only putting himself high enough to fire his weapon over the table. The reply was many blue streaks of light that made a snapping electrical sound as they zipped by.

  “What is going on?” Aggie huffed as the chain refused to get uncaught. She pulled the goggles down to better deal with the snarl.

  “You are wearing it,” he said, his expression impatient.” Give the gear to me and this will all be over.”

  “I’m trying.”

  The disdainful curve of his lips said not hard enough.

  She finally wrenched the chain and goggles from her head and held out her hand to give the gear to him. “Here. Take it.”

  A bolt of blue seared past, literally, taking a furrow of skin with it from her cheek. Hot liquid poured down her face and pooled on her jaw to drip. The shock had her raising her hand to feel the injury. The hand holding the damned cog that was the cause of this giant mess.

  His eyes widened, and he yelled, “No!”

  But she ignored him to press her fingers on the throbbing spot, the gear dangling loosely, hitting her wet and wounded cheek. Sticking to the torn flesh.

  “She’s human. Maybe it won’t—” he muttered.

  The skin on the side of her face began to burn. Sizzled to the point she screamed. Screamed a whole bunch especially once she realized it was the gear that heated and became hot enough to blister her skin. Even worse, flesh and scorching metal fused, the pain of it intense.

  Distraction came in the form of more blue lights shot at them. Deadly zaps that narrowly missed.

  Ignoring the searing pain, through gritted teeth and in a tone that had no patience left, she snapped, “Would you do something already, tough guy? Shoot them. Call for help. Something? You have a gun. Don’t tell me it’s just for show.” Was he like a bloody stormtrooper? Famous for heavy weapon fire and no fatalities?

  “You wish for me to act?” He bared his teeth at her before standing and going into full Terminator mode. He didn’t just shoot with the gun in his hand. Something began firing out of his arm. His wrist to be more precise. She could see the barrel of the gun poking out of his metallic-looking hand. Not a glove. Not a costume. A metal part attached in such a way it could mean only one thing.

  “Ohmygod,” Aggi
e whispered. “You’re a cyborg.” A killing machine. An impossibility in the flesh…er metal. And she’d been a bitch to him. I am lucky he didn’t shoot me.

  Because he certainly took some glee in firing. A faint smile hinted at his lips. She couldn’t see his eyes behind the goggles. Yet, he didn’t cringe from laying waste to the room, ignoring the screams.

  Please don’t tell me he shot some of the guests. They were such nice people.

  He wasn’t the only one with a weapon, though. The blue zaps continued, along with streaking balls of light that hit the far wall and burned a hole through it.

  The edges smoked. An alarm sounded, and a robotic voice told them to exit the building.

  She would love to. She just didn’t see how that would happen without them getting shot first.

  The steampunk cyborg ducked down amidst the tables. A tickle in her throat had her coughing in her hand as the smoke thickened.

  “There are enemies blocking the entrances,” he stated.

  “Your enemies. Maybe if I just give them the gear thingy—” She went to touch her cheek, only to halt at his scoffing laugh.

  “Go ahead. Stand up and make your deal. At least then you’ll stop being a distraction.”

  “Meaning?”

  His lips pressed into a grim line. “You probably won’t survive.”

  Not exactly the most hope-inspiring words.

  The room lit with a bright flash.

  A strange smell filled the air, and someone shrieked, the high-pitched alien consonants interspersed with “eh.”

  “What is that?” Aggie asked, distracted enough to let him tug her to her feet.

  “The Piktin. That last blast was something to distract the weapon on her head.”

  A reply that made no sense until Aggie turned her head and noticed the strands of hair on Susan’s head wavering and dancing, visible blue lightning skipping between the filaments.

  “She was shooting us with her hair?” Aggie exclaimed.

  “It is a fine feature to have. If easily distracted. Come. We don’t have much time.”

  Cyborg dude dragged her, and that was when she noticed he held up his left arm, which shimmered. The strange-looking space, an almost visible heat wave, flashed as something hit and bounced. Then blinked again and again.

  It caught her as she saw past the blurry spot that they were being shot at. Yet nothing hit.

  “Holy cow, you’re using an invisible shield,” she muttered.

  His smartass reply? “Only invisible to those like you.”

  The smoke thickened as he dragged her across the room, the back wall a smoldering, sparking ruin. A sudden swirl of choking ash got sucked out as a door opened, the glare of fluorescent light a beacon. Aggie practically charged to the seeming haven, which turned out to be an employee hall running behind the ballroom.

  Just inside the door stood Mina Carter, an author, and yet she looked anything but with the gun held in her hand, her expression fierce. Nothing like the smiling woman Aggie had met earlier today talking about her travelling lizard book.

  “Thank you so much. You wouldn’t believe—”

  “Save the talking for later and hurry up,” Mina admonished waving a gun.

  The rebuke and lack of shock on Mina’s face proved enough to snap Aggie from her surprise at discovering yet another author who was more than she seemed.

  They cleared the doorframe, and Mina slammed the door shut behind them, blocking some of the smoke.

  “My thanks for your aid.” Formally said by her cyborg, yet about as sincere as the gun he held pointed on Mina.

  “Don’t thank me yet. I’m still debating if I should have left you to get pulverized. I am sure you’re aware the Siyborghs are forbidden from being on this planet, as are your living metal tech parts.”

  A statement that made no sense to Aggie, and yet her cyborg assailant understood.

  “I am very much aware, which is why I’ll be departing shortly. Unless you’re planning to stop me?”

  “I’d rather you piss off.”

  The threat made Aggie exclaim. “Don’t make him mad! He has a knife.”

  “Mine’s bigger.” Mina winked. At Aggie’s O’d mouth, Mina laughed. “Don’t be so serious, Aggie. He won’t kill me. No one touches PISS.”

  “I should hope not,” Aggie muttered as they ran through the hall. The siren in here seemed louder because of the tight walls.

  “You misunderstand,” Mina stated. “PISS stands for the Protection of Indigene Slow Societies.”

  “Which often gets confused with PISS OFF, the Pretentious Ideologist Secretive Society of Pompous Heirs,” Cyborg dude added.

  “Are PISS OPH still around?” Mina asked.

  “Don’t know. It’s a secret,” he said with a shrug.

  Aggie didn’t get why they both laughed. But she did know one thing. The sudden impact in the wall, which resulted in a spot starting to char and bubble the paint, meant one thing. “We’re in danger.”

  “Indeed, you are, which is why I’m here.” Mina led the way to the far end of the hall where they ran into another door and a staircase. “My job is to keep alien shit away from my sector on Earth. Which means you and that thing”—Mina cast Aggie a glance over her shoulder—“need to go.”

  “My ship is nearby,” he announced.

  “Are you bringing the woman?”

  “Only if you’re making me keep her alive,” he said.

  “No killing innocent humans, if you don’t mind,” was Mina’s tart reply.

  It took a second for Aggie to clue in. “You’re talking about me. I am not going anywhere with him.”

  “Yeah, you are.” Mina held out her hand. “Give me your phone.”

  “No.” Aggie shook her head, only to gasp as Mina yanked the name badge wallet from around her neck. She pulled out the phone from its pocket.

  “Give it back.” Aggie reached for it, only to have Mina dance back, pushing against the wall as a wave of excited people skipped down the stairs.

  Aggie didn’t see anyone she knew but felt bolstered by witnesses.

  Once again, she reached, only to have the guy grab hold of her hand, the metal fingers warmer than expected. Strong too. She cast him a glare.

  He didn’t budge.

  “Code?” Mina asked.

  Aggie shook her head. “Not happening.”

  “Hold out her hand.” Mina glanced at the cyborg dude who didn’t say a word, just yanked Aggie’s hand forward.

  Mina pressed Aggie’s finger to the pad and unlocked it.

  “What are you doing?” Aggie asked.

  “Making sure I lay a trail.”

  A trail that would imply she’d left of her own free will.

  Glancing up at the big guy beside her, she couldn’t see going anywhere with him ending well. Not at all.

  The shrill scream of the smoke alarm proved unrelenting, but it didn’t mask the wave of sound as people clomped down the stairs in a rush to get out. People who could help her escape this insane situation!

  Aggie opened her mouth, only to find her yell cut off as the steampunk cyborg once again threw her over his shoulder.

  The bounce as he jogged down the single flight of stairs stole all breath. The best she could do was grab hold of his buttery soft duster. He shoved through the door and began taking long strides away from the hotel.

  Away from witnesses.

  “Hel—” She never finished the word as he flipped Aggie upright and fixed her with a stern glare.

  Women learned one rule very young: If you worried someone would hurt you for screaming in a place you might be heard, then you’d be hurt worse when no one could hear.

  She heaved in a breath for an epic yodel just as a group of people came running their way.

  He picked her up and kissed her. Kind of. He plastered his mouth over hers and stole her voice—and her breath. Literally. Being terrified didn’t mean there wasn’t something hot and sexy about him kissing her.

&nb
sp; “Are you done?” he grumbled at one point, lifting his mouth only long enough to speak.

  Aggie almost said no, before she realized he didn’t address her.

  “Just about.” Mina kept fiddling with the phone. Aggie, from her vantage point off the ground—the better to kiss the tall cyborg—could see the screen.

  “What are you doing?” Aggie exclaimed hotly. “Shouldn’t you be calling the cops?”

  “I’m covering your disappearance.”

  “What?” Aggie gaped. So much for getting any help from the woman. Aggie was caught between a cyborg rock and a spiky-haired short place.

  Mina’s expression held no remorse. “Sorry, Aggie. PISS doesn’t like messes. It is my duty to ensure compliance by all non-Earth visitors.” Her gaze veered to the cyborg. “As such, you are to leave the planet at once and remind your people that Earth is off-limits.”

  “Trust me when I say we have no interest in a backwards world.” The disdain clear.

  Mina wasn’t done. “I assume that”—a pointed look at the side of Aggie’s throbbing face—“is the only gear that found its way here.”

  “Only one I know of, and no longer your problem. Happy to be of service disposing of it.”

  “Hold on a second. You can’t be seriously sending me off with this guy,” Aggie exclaimed.

  “You should have given it to him.” Mina took his side. “Now, if you don’t mind, I must go PISS on everyone.” Gun held high, her smile vicious, Mina ran back toward the hotel with its wailing sirens and wave of excited sound.

  Not Aggie. She got dragged through some bushes. Not willingly. She dug in her heels. He lifted her with just an arm around her waist and strode like she was a squirmy piece of luggage by his side.

  He didn’t even react to the elbows she jabbed him with. “Let me go,” she huffed. There was no point screaming. No one would hear her over the noise.

  No reply. They scraped past some branches before he released her. She whirled and crouched, because that would totally give her no advantage. She was a reader, not a fighter. But it felt better to pretend she was the heroine in some flick. “I’m not going with you.” Announced without a tremble of the fear quivering inside.

  He ignored her to play with something on his belt.