Chapter 54: Episode 54: This is my friend.

Out of fear, the staff finished their final touches, keeping their hands strictly to the fabrics and brushes, avoiding even the brush of a fingertip against bare skin.

When they finally stepped back, parting like a curtain, Roxy and Nikki were left staring at their reflections in the massive, floor-to-ceiling mirror.

Roxy forgot how to breathe.

The woman staring back at her didn’t belong in Sector 4. She didn’t scrounge for battery packs or fight off smugglers in alleyways. She was absolutely beautiful. The designer had chosen a deep crimson gown for her.

It possessed a high, daring slit up the thigh and a structured, asymmetrical bodice that made her look like royalty with a vendetta. Her wild hair had been tamed into a sleek, elegant cascade, and her glasses had been replaced with subtle, high-tech ocular contacts that made her dark eyes pop.

Roxy would never believe she was the one if she wasn’t looking at herself through the mirror.

Beside her, Nikki’s dress was a flowing, midnight-blue material that seemed to capture and reflect the ambient light in the room, shimmering like a galaxy every time she shifted her weight.

It clung perfectly to her curves, elegant yet undeniably dangerous, contrasting beautifully with her fiery ginger hair.

The staff flanking them watched with wide, awestruck eyes. They had worked with the elite of Sector 1, but this transformation was a masterpiece.

The clothes screamed luxury and Roxy didn’t even want to calculate how much this makeover was worth; the fabric alone could probably feed her entire housing block for a decade.

Roxy tilted her head, a slow, wicked grin spreading across her painted lips. She met Nikki’s eyes in the mirror.

“We look fuckable,” Roxy stated, her voice dripping with confidence.

Nikki let out a sudden, bright laugh. “Damn right we do!”

She turned to her best friend, her eyes shining with excitement. The transformation wasn’t just physical; seeing Roxy looking so powerful and secure did something to Nikki’s posture. She stood taller.

“Are you ready to leave?” Nikki asked, her voice buzzing with adrenaline. “Because I don’t think I can stand in this room for another second without pacing.”

“Girl, I couldn’t wait even if I tried,” Roxy breathed, turning away from the mirror. “Let’s go show these Sector 1 snobs what they’ve been missing.”

They hooked arms, the slick crimson fabric brushing against the midnight blue, and turned toward the exit.

The Butler drone floated seamlessly into their path, halting their dramatic exit. It extended a mechanical appendage, holding a tiny, sleek silver device no larger than a grain of rice.

“A custom transport awaits you in the garage,” the drone chirped in its cultured, chilling voice. It offered the device to Nikki. “However, General A-01 requires that you wear this auditory implant for the duration of the evening.”

Roxy raised an eyebrow, plucking the tiny earpiece from the drone’s metal claw and inspecting it. “An earpiece? What, is your boss going to micromanage your conversations? Or is this a bomb?”

“It is a real-time linguistic and social decryption matrix,” the drone replied unhelpfully. “It is mandatory.”

Nikki sighed, slipping the device into her ear. It hummed slightly, then synced with a nearly invisible flash. “Total control freak,” she muttered.

Roxy threw a glance at Nikki. “Bummer that your General couldn’t bother to pick us up himself. What kind of date makes you take a robot taxi?”

Nikki shrugged, though a fond smile tugged at her lips. “He rules the entire Earth, Rox. He’s hosting a diplomatic summit with the other warlords. You should be glad he’s just a machine and not a human politician, or we’d be taking a subway.”

Roxy snorted. “Fair point. I guess global domination is a decent excuse for being a bad chauffeur.”

They followed the drone back to the elevators, descending all the way down to the private garage. Waiting for them was a vehicle. It was matte black, completely devoid of windows on the outside, with gull-wing doors that slid silently open as they approached.

There was no driver. There wasn’t even a steering wheel. The interior was a curved lounge of plush white leather and ambient amber lighting.

They slid into the back seat, the doors sealing shut behind them with a heavy, pressurized sigh. The car pulled forward smoothly, accelerating without a single sound of an engine.

Roxy sank back into the leather, crossing her long, crimson-clad legs. “High class,” she murmured, tracing the stitching on the armrest. “Okay, Nik. I get why you totally love this place.”

The drive was incredibly fast. Within minutes, the vehicle slowed, the hum of the tires changing pitch as they rolled onto a textured driveway.

“Arriving at the Grand Diplomatic Hall,” a smooth voice announced from the car’s speakers.

The gull-wing doors glided upward.

Nikki stepped out first, her blue dress catching the flash of the exterior lights, followed closely by Roxy.

The doors to the venue were massive arches of frosted glass. As they approached, the glass slid apart, revealing a wave of sound, light, and overwhelming opulence.

The hall was packed. The human elite of Sector 1 were draped in jewels and fine outfits, sipping sparkling liquids from crystal flutes. Towering above them, acting as both sentinels and guests of honor, were the Android Generals and their high-ranking officers.

But before the anxiety could even fully register in Nikki’s chest, the crowd near the center of the room seemed to part. It wasn’t a polite shuffling; it was an immediate, instinctual stepping-back, like prey sensing an apex predator.

Adonis was striding toward her.

He was breathtaking. He wore a variation of his military uniform, but tailored for high-society dread: stark black with gold accents, a cape draped over one broad shoulder, and his medals gleaming against his chest. His blue eyes were locked onto Nikki, completely ignoring the hundreds of billionaires and politicians surrounding him.

He closed the distance in seconds. He reached out, his massive, gloved hands wrapping securely around Nikki’s waist, and pulled her flush against his solid chest. The impact knocked the breath from her lungs.

???

Nikki blanked out for a second.

Ehn?

“You finally came,” he breathed, the low rumble of his voice meant only for her, vibrating with a possessive heat that made her toes curl.

Nikki’s face erupted in a furious, radiant blush. She could feel the stares of the entire room burning into her back, but surrounded by his scent, she couldn’t bring herself to care.

“I’m… sorry I was late,” Nikki stammered, looking up into his glowing eyes. “We got held up in makeup.”

Beside them, Roxy cleared her throat loudly, driving a sharp, pointed elbow into Nikki’s ribs. N

Nikki gasped, she blinked, suddenly remembering the entire reason she had brought her friend into the lion’s den. She placed her hands on Adonis’s chest, gently pushing herself back just enough to breathe, though his hands remained firmly anchored on her waist.

She turned her head, gesturing to the woman in the crimson dress who was currently staring down the God of War with a mixture of terror and absolute defiance.

“Adonis,” Nikki said, her voice steadying as she made the introduction that could change everything. “This is my friend, Roxy.”

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