Free Her Cyborg by Nellie C. Lind Page A

and over there, you have a third example.” It was a group of people saying goodbye with handshakes and waving their hands before they parted.
    “Everyone touches each other one way or another.” Shade's forehead was wrinkled. It was as if he had a hard time believing what he was seeing. “Why isn't the cyborg protecting his female?” He looked back at the first couple again.
    “Because he knows that the man won't hurt her. Do you see any signs of the man wanting to hurt her?”
    Shade remained silent for a while. “He is smiling. They are talking.”
    “Yes. Does that mean he will attack her?”
    Shade met her gaze. “No.”
    “Exactly. Nothing in his body language indicates that he wishes her any harm.”
    Shade bit together his lips. “There is never a guarantee.”
    Phoebe opened her mouth to answer but shut it again. What did you say to a thing like that? In a way, he had a point, but at the same time, you can't walk around and expect that everyone wants to stab you in the back all the time.
    “You must learn to trust people, Shade. Yes, there are some out there that are bad, but most people just want a normal life and they want to be happy. The same thing applies to the cyborgs.”
    “You are talking about the Fighters.”
    Phoebe wasn't surprised that he knew about them. He probably had information about them.
    “Yes,” she said. “How much do you know about them?”
    “Not much, but I do know they are not bound to anyone. Many cyborgs who lose their bound ones die, but those who survive choose to join the Fighters.”
    Phoebe nodded and felt a sting of sorrow in her heart. She felt sad for the Fighters. She often wished she could help them get back into society, but they were dangerous and not trustworthy, and they killed without remorse. She had never met one, but she followed the news. No one knew where they lived, but they showed up in town from time to time, robbing stores for provisions. No one dared to stop them. They attacked both humans and cyborgs, and they even seemed to be stronger than regular cyborgs. How that was possible, Phoebe didn't know, but she did know they weren't getting the help they needed. Instead, they were hunted down like animals and killed by the police force. She also knew MedAct didn't approve the police force's actions. For them, each cyborg was important and valuable. They all deserved to live, but not everyone believed that.
    “Their leader calls himself Nightmare,” she said.
    “Nightmare?” Shade raised an eyebrow.
    “It isn't his real name, or so I've heard, but he decided to change it after his bound one had died.”
    “Do you know what happened to her?”
    “No, but there are rumors.”
    “What kind of rumors?”
    Phoebe took a deep breath. “That she was murdered.”
    Shade gave her a long look, and she knew what that look meant. It told her he would never let that happen to her, that he would always protect her and be there for her. It also said he wouldn't let anyone near her.
    “Shade, you can't go around assuming that it will happen to me. We won't be able to live a normal life if you do. Faye and the others will be here any minute. When they arrive, you will see that there is another side to it all as well.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “Well, as you already know, Faye is an outgoing and happy person. She is looking forward to seeing you. She is thinking about creating her own cyborg one day, but she wants to see how things turn out for you and me first. She is lonely, but she will never admit it. She will probably give you a big hug to say hello and I will probably get one too. Don't push her away. That is just the way she is, do you understand?”
    Phoebe heard a happy voice call her name from the reception. She turned her head and looked down. There was Faye with a huge smile on her face. She was waving frantically and almost jumping of joy. When she gazed at Shade, she saw surprise fill his eyes. She couldn't help but smile. Shade had yet to