Titanium (Bionics) by Alicia Michaels

the trees, leaving the rest of us to board the hovercraft. I turn to find the Rejects standing on the outskirts of our group and am glad to see that they don’t appear interested in coming with us, which takes the task of telling them they aren’t welcome on board our craft squarely off of my shoulders.
    “You’re a good leader and a strong fighter, mate,” says Baron as he steps forward and extends his hand toward me.
    I keep my arms crossed over my chest. “Thanks for your help, but now is when we part ways,” I say. “That stunt your boy pulled over by the tank wasn’t cool. It reminded me of exactly why we don’t need people like you among us.”
    Baron smile s, curling his hand into a fist as his blade retracts back into his arm. “Ready or not, mate, we are here. There are more of us than you realize and we plan to take our lives back. And we don’t plan on doing it nicely.”
    “Why do you want to go against Professor Neville?” asks Blythe as she and Gage join our little powwow. “He is working for peace between us and the people of the United States. It’s not their fault the President has them afraid of us. His lies and dangerous rhetoric are the reason we have to hide. You guys going around killing people just because you won’t go too far in convincing them that we aren’t dangerous.”
    “See, that’s where you messed up,” Spikes chimes in, stepping up next to Baron who puts his arm around her waist, careful to avoid her jagged barbs. “We aren’t interested in convincing anyone that we aren’t dangerous. In fact, I’m more interested in showing them just how dangerous I can be.”
    As if to emphasize the point, her spikes elongate, sticking out of her neck like one of those clichéd biker chick dog collars.
    “You can’t win a fight against the government,” Gage challenges. “Any action you take against them will be used to show the people that they are justified in their treatment of the very people they created. Your logic is flawed. You aren’t helping the Bionics … you’re dooming them.”
    “We’re enlightening them,” Baron says, his voice edged in cold steel. “I wouldn’t expect you to understand, Normal . Aren’t you fighting for the wrong side?”
    “I’m fighting for what’s right,” Gage answers, a deep growl creeping into his tone.
    “That’s enough,” Jenica chimes in as she steps into the middle of our group. “Everyone going to Restoration Headquarters, get on the freaking hovercraft. The rest of you had better get out of my sight as quickly as you can. I won’t let you go so easily next time.”
    Baron bows regally at the waist in a mocking gesture. “As the lady wishes,” he says before motioning for his crew to follow him. They disappear into the woods as we board the Neville I.
    “We have to warn the Professor about the Rejects,” Blythe says as she takes her place at the controls beside Jenica. When we are all together, Blythe or Olivia navigates and mans the guns and Jenica pilots. Gage and I take seats on opposite sides of the aisle as the others slide into the rows behind us.
    “Professor Hinkley and I are well of aware of the activities of these so-called Rejects,” Jenica says, her face twisted in a snarl of disdain as she expertly steers the Hovercraft back toward the hideout. “We have been for months now. We’ve been waiting to see if their little uprising would grow beyond the pitiful numbers they began with.”
    “Do you think that there is cause for concern?” I ask, watching the trees speed by below us through my window. “They seem pretty damn serious.”
    “I think that our main concern is Stonehead, and the fact that they still have several of our people, including Olivia. The Rejects are a problem that will have to wait until another day.”
    “What will we do?” Blyth asks, her voice low. “About Olivia, I mean.”
    Gage reaches over the back of Blythe’s seat and places a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t