a computer with a strange keyboard, a table with electrical pieces strewn about, and several closed shelves.
He took me through a door on the right. Inside was a laboratory that looked like it was only used to fix or build drones.
“You have a lot of drones,” I noted, looking at one pile of at least two dozen drones with several similar piles around the room.
He released my hand, walked to a bare wall, knocked twice, and stepped back.
The wall opened to another room and out flew a small drone.
The drone flew up to me and hovered in front of my face.
“Uh... Tyson?” I asked nervously.
“Stop being a jerk and talk,” Tyson chastised.
“Hello, Lucky,” Alfred said.
I grabbed the drone out of the air and hugged him to my chest. “Alfred! You were able to fix him? But how? I fried him.” I never expected an emotional attachment to a drone, but the joy I felt was undeniable.
“Lucky, you’re sparking,” Alfred said.
“Oh!” I held him out at arm’s length, waited until I heard the whirring of whatever it was that let him fly, then released him.
“I made some upgrades to help you more.” Tyson said. “Most of his components were fried and his casing was destroyed. He backs up to my company’s servers every five minutes and so I recovered his memory from there.”
“He let me watch the footage from one of his other drones so I learned what happened after I fell,” Alfred said.
“Speaking of that,” Tyson said and folded his arms behind him. “I’d like to hear about your family.”
I cringed. “Since you’ve been sucked into their stupidity, I guess it is only fair.”
“Let’s finish our tour and we can talk about it during lunch,” Tyson offered. “First, I need to tell you about Alfred’s upgrades.”
Upgrades was an understatement.
Blood testing, more weapons, increased communication range, and a spare battery just for me to use to recharge myself.
He had also added a small storage compartment to hold samples in for later testing.
“That is a lot,” I whispered in awe.
“Hopefully, this will aid you enough that you won’t have to worry about watching your back,” Tyson said. “Alfred will be able to cloak and keep a steady surveillance all around you by flying above your head.”
“She’s hungry,” Alfred said.
I scowled at the drone. “I am n—”
My stomach let out a loud grumble that made me put a hand over it.
“Lunch should be ready. Come on.” Tyson took my hand and led me to the elevator and up to the main floor. “We can finish the tour after lunch.”
We went through a few rooms decorated sparsely with furniture that likely cost more for one piece than I made in a year at my previous job. He pushed a button on the wall at the back of the third room, the wall split in half, opening to reveal a lush garden full of exotic plants I had never seen before.
Releasing his hand, I rushed forward and quickly got lost within the garden amongst tall bushes, trees, and plants that smelled amazing. I had barely gone more than ten feet and it felt like I had been transported to an entirely different world.
“I take it you like my garden?” Tyson asked, peeking his head around a plant with long, thick leaves that had tiny pink spikes on the tips.
“This…why do you ever leave this? I would live out here,” I whispered, leaned forward, and smelled a bright yellow flower with long droopy petals.
He disappeared around the plant and then his voice came from behind me. “I leave only out of necessity.”
I spun around, but he wasn’t there. “Couldn’t you just order the necessities?”
He chuckled, his laughter coming from the other side of the tree at my back. “Are you insinuating I could order you?”
I shrugged and twirled a piece of my hair, while casually walking around the tree. “At the right price, maybe.”
“And what price would that be?” he asked. He stepped in front of me and wrapped an arm around my waist.
“Undying loyalty, love, and devotion,” I said with a wide smile. Gazing up at him, I wondered what would have happened if I’d never gotten powers. Would we still have started dating? He had seemed interested when I was only human.
He smirked. “Is that all?”
I gave him my own smirk. “I think that’s a low price to pay for my love.”
He leaned down, his lips stopping a breath away from mine. “I’d pay a lot more just for a night with you.”
“I’ve always