Automatons ✔

Chapter XVIII

                                                               Her hips swayed like an enchanted snake as she walked down the lonely streets of Los Angeles. To the stranger's eyes, her poised composure can easily be mistaken for confidence, but there were tufts of fear growing inside of her. The area was awfully quiet and it terrified her greatly. It felt like the years were rolling back as she walked past the familiar neighborhoods that she has not seen in three years. And although the new structure has changed the look of the district, the kiss of the past still lingered between its buildings. 

Fatigue eventually conquered her knees and she decided to rest in the bower of a garden inside a secluded estate in Long Beach. She placed her bag and her smart gun next to her before leaning against a tree-bole to enjoy the breezy air. She almost surrendered to the urge to remove her silver masquerade mask, but protecting her identity was far more important than scratching the itchy area around her eyes caused by the material of the mask.

Unfortunately, her short peaceful moment was interrupted by a brute. 

"Get up and put your hands on your head." The husky voice commanded as he held the gun behind her back, causing her legs to tense.

"I am glad that amidst the war between humans and Automatons, a police officer is wasting his time with an innocent human girl." She sarcastically commented.

"I am not an officer and I am giving you ten seconds to get up." Yoel replied, dryly.

Nerezza quickly reached for her smart gun and turned around, pointing it at him. 

"I do not take orders from anybo—" words froze in her throat when she looked at his face.

The sun behind him shined brightly making it look like it was an angel standing before her. The sunshine oddly matched the hazel rays in his eyes. His dark eyebrows, knitted together with thick hair sat arrogantly above his eyes like kings. His high cheekbones gave her a threatening glare, but his lips screamed of seduction.

Before logic could stop her, Nerezza took his face in both her hands and kissed him. Her lips were like two scorpion tails; poisonous and deadly, saving their sting for the dense hearts. But his heart was not dense for it was already captured by the love of another one.

When the distance between them became eradicated, and her arms wrapped tightly around his neck like a python, she felt like she was carried by two angels on a palanquin as their kiss deepened. Almost immediately and with one swift push, Yoel broke her unwanted kiss and pushed her.

"What the hell is wrong with you, woman?" 

"I am not here to do any harm. I am just a lonely traveler who was looking for a shade to nap in before I continue my long journey." She smiled.

"This is a private property. Find another place to nap and get out of my estate." He put his gun in his belt before walking back to the mansion.

She started clapping, "bravo! What a gentleman, leaving a weak woman alone in the streets for the robots to kill."

"Leaving a crazy woman who kisses strangers," he corrected, "you have a gun, use it."

She followed him as he walked away, "one smart gun is nothing compared to a building protected by an AA sound system." 

He suddenly stopped in his tracks, "how do you know that we have installed an Anti-Automaton sound system?"

"My dad was an Automaton engineer, I can tell from the neon blue cords around the bricks that it's the AA sound system."

"Why are you wearing that stupid mask?" He stretched out his hand to remove it, but she slapped his hand away.

"Do not touch me." She growled.