Page 71 of Seductive Architect
Again, Hudson’s fingers rolled into fists. I prepared a victory cheer for when he sent Apex flying with an uppercut. It caught in my throat as Hudson turned around, eyes void of emotion. Apex had reduced him to another mindless soldier. My Hudson was gone.
The suit finished its reboot just in time to catchHudson’s fist. Even with it, he pushed me back. The rocket on my backpack fired, holding me in place. I knew he was strong, but I didn’t realize he could give Wyatt a run for his money.
He yanked my wrist, dragging me in as his knee slammed my gut, knocking the wind from my lungs. I struggled to pull free. I blocked his palm to the chest. Stumbling backward, the wall prevented me from falling. Throwing up a shield, I drained the last of the suit’s battery.
“I won’t fight you, Hudson,” I whispered, voice cracking. “I can’t.”
“You have no choice.” He could think of himself as a machine. The slight cackle in his voice said otherwise.
Hudson’s fists slammed down, sending out ripples of purple light. I dropped the visor, scanning through the weapons. I had come prepared to tussle with Apex. There weren’t many in the way of?—
The shield shattered. The cannon on my shoulder transformed and fired a subsonic blast. Hudson covered his ears, growling, but he didn’t retreat. When he charged, I threw up my arms to block his fist. Instead, he drove a knee into my defenseless gut. I buckled, unable to breathe.
He grabbed the color of my suit and pulled at the helmet. I clenched my eyes shut as sparks flew. Metal sheared as he pulled it free, tossing it aside like scrap. Unless I was willing to set my suit to explode, I had lost thisfight. Even if I put up a fight, Hudson’s speed and strength would make him a worthy opponent.
“I won’t fight you,” I shouted.
“Where’s that survival instinct?”
Apex didn’t have a clue. I could have struggled. There were plenty of weapons that could get me to safety. Focusing on Hudson’s eyes, I couldn’t imagine hurting him, not to save myself.
“Hudson, I know you’re in there,” I whispered.
“Hudson?” Over Hudson’s shoulder, Apex came into view. “Soldier Prime. Fulfill your objective. Terminate this obstacle.”
I’m sorry.
Hudson whispered in the back of my head. Two words gave me hope he remained somewhere beneath Apex’s command. If I focused, I might be able to sort through code, but not before he finished his task… finished me. There wasn’t enough time to have a conversation from machine to machine. I changed tactics.
“Awkward hello. Burrito.” My voice trembled with every memory I tried to push through to him.
Hudson’s fist tightened on my collar. His other fist drew back, knuckles posed, ready to complete his mission.
“Our first kiss. Remember?”
His eyes flickered. For a heartbeat, Hudson was there.
“Green slime. The arcade. Gay bar. First time you remembered your past.”
“Your attempts to bypass his?—”
“Orion,” Hudson whispered. His eyes glanced down at his curled fist. “I can’t stop him.”
Apex roared. “Kill him!”
I rested a hand on Hudson’s chest. Because of his humanity, Apex had deemed him a failure. The same thing I loved about him had made him an inefficient soldier. I wanted him to choose autonomy, not to save me, but to save the man he could someday become.
“You’re so much more than your programming.” He flinched as if the words struck him in the chest. “I didn’t fall for you because you’re a machine. I fell for all the ways you’re not.”
The smirk. I felt the tension in his arms switch. My Hudson.
Thanks.
He let go of my suit and turned. The A.I. reeled, his sneer faltering as Hudson turned on him. When Hudson took a step toward his creator, Apex stepped back. This continued until Hudson had him pinned against the remaining tubes. I would have joined and tag-teamed the bad guy, but my suit had all but shut down.
The first punch hit hard enough that the air in the lab shook. Before Apex could spit blood, Hudson slammed a fist into his stomach. As he buckled over, Hudson grabbed the back of his head, slamming his knee into Apex’s face. For a moment, I thought he might kill Apex. That had beenmy goal, to avenge Connie, but I didn’t want Hudson to live with the guilt.
“He’s finished. Let the police deal with him.” Trapped in flesh and blood, it was about the cruelest thing we could do to Apex. For him, death would have been a mercy. Hudson’s fist hovered in the air. “You’re not a killer. You’re better than him.”
