Chapter 34: Episode 34: A Name for A-01

A-01 stared at her. “A name?”

“Yeah,” Nikki smiled, a mischievous glint returning to her eyes. “A real name. For the man, not the machine.”

A-01 tilted his head, trying to process the request. The [Heart Protocol] bar hovering above his head flickered from CURIOSITY to a soft, warm AMUSEMENT.

“Oh~” he breathed, the sound vibrating deep in his chest. A slow, rare smile tugged at the corner of his lips. “You wish to designate me? Like a pet?”

Nikki giggled, shaking her head. “Not a pet. A partner. ’Unit Alpha-01’ is a serial number. It’s what V-05 calls you. It’s what the Council calls you. But I want something that belongs only to me.”

A-01 leaned back in the chair, crossing his arms over his chest. The blue light in his eyes softened. “Very well. I grant you administrative privileges for re-designation. Proceed.”

Nikki sat up straighter, wincing slightly as her sore muscles protested, but the excitement numbed the ache. She tapped her chin and cleared her throat, racking her brain.

She really did feel like she was naming her favorite pet.

The only difference was that this pet was owning her and not the other way around.

“Okay, let’s see,” she muttered. “It has to be strong. But also… pretty. Because, let’s be honest, you’re ridiculous.”

A-01 cocked his eyebrows at her words, and wanted to reply to her words, but he avoided it.

She looked at him. The black hair, the sharp, aristocratic jawline, the piercing blue eyes, and the body that looked like it had been carved from marble by a Renaissance master who was showing off.

He wasn’t just a soldier. He was a masterpiece.

“Gabriel?” she mused. “No, too angelic. You crush skulls.” “Titan?” She shook her head. “Too cliché.”

She stared at the perfect symmetry of his face.

“Adonis,” she whispered.

A-01 blinked. His processor instantly accessed the archives. Query: Adonis.Origin: Greek Mythology.Attributes: The god of beauty and desire. A figure of death and rebirth.

The bar above his head turned a vibrant, glowing GOLD.

[STATUS: SATISFIED / EGO BOOST]

“Adonis,” he repeated, testing the syllables on his tongue. His voice dropped an octave, turning dark and velvety. “The mortal lover of Aphrodite. A symbol of aesthetic perfection.”

He looked at her, his eyes darkening with that familiar, intense hunger.

“It is… acceptable,” he decided. “It is efficient in its description.”

“You possessive narcissist,” Nikki laughed, feeling her cheeks heat up. “But it suits you.”

A-01 didn’t reply with words. He stood up abruptly.

Before Nikki could react, he reached out and swept the empty soup tray off her lap, setting it on the bedside table with a clatter. In the same fluid motion, he bent down, scooped her up into his arms, and sat back down on the sturdy wooden chair, settling her onto his massive thighs.

Nikki gasped, her hands instinctively clutching his shoulders to steady herself. He was solid as a rock beneath her, the heat of his body seeping through his black undershirt.

He wrapped his arms around her waist, locking her in place. He looked up at her, his face inches from hers.

“You have named me,” he murmured, his thumb stroking the curve of her hip. “In the old codes, naming a thing asserts dominion over it.”

He leaned in, his lips brushing against her jawline.

“From this day onward, I am yours, Master.”

Nikki squealed almost immediately, a sound of pure, unadulterated delight that echoed in the quiet room. Her heart somersaulted in her chest.

“Yes,” she breathed, threading her fingers through his damp black hair. “Yes, my handsome Adonis.”

He hummed in approval, tightening his grip, prepared to demonstrate exactly how ’his’ he was.

From his archives, moments like this called for a kiss on the lips, but before he could, his demanding ringtone cut through the air, shattering the moment.

He sighed, a heavy, mechanical sound of frustration. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a sleek, transparent comms device.

“Report,” he barked into the device, his voice instantly shifting back to the cold, hard tone of the General.

Nikki watched him work. He listened for a moment, his jaw tightening.

“Stabilize Sector 8,” he commanded. “And send a clean-up crew to the Council wing. Vane’s replacement has been selected. I want the transition to be seamless. I am inbound in twenty minutes.”

He hung up and looked back at Nikki.

“Duty calls?” Nikki asked, trying to hide her disappointment.

“The vacuum left by Councilor Vane requires immediate management,” Adonis explained. “If I do not install the new puppet government, chaos will ensue.”

He shifted her off his lap and onto the bed, standing up to adjust his uniform. But before he walked away, he grabbed her left hand.

He ran his thumb over the faint blue barcode on her index finger, the one that gave her access to his bank account.

“I have updated the firmware on your bio-print,” he said seriously.

“Did you give me more money?” Nikki joked.

“I gave you a panic button,” Adonis corrected. “If your heart rate exceeds 140 BPM due to stress, or if you press this code twice, it sends a Priority One distress signal directly to my neural link. It bypasses all other commands. Even if I am in a war zone, I will know.”

He squeezed her hand.

“Stay in the penthouse,” he instructed. “The security here is absolute. However…”

He looked at the window, where the sun was shining over the city.

“If you require fresh air, you may access the roof garden. The perimeter is shielded, and K-09 is stationed at the elevator. Do not leave the building.”

“Okay,” Nikki nodded, feeling a swell of warmth at his over-protectiveness. “I’ll be safe. Go do your dictator thing.”

Adonis walked to the door. He paused, his hand on the frame. He looked back at her, his expression unreadable.

“I am a military robot, Nikki,” Adonis said softly.

He looked at his hands.

“So I was programmed to protect,” he stated, his eyes burning with a quiet intensity. “Don’t associate me with humans who cannot behave like machines.”

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