[THREAT DETECTED]

[WEAPON: 1 PLASMA PISTOL, 1 STEYR M9-A2 HANDGUN]

[THREAT ASSESSMENT/DANGER LEVEL: HIGH]

[ACTION: TERMINATE]

‘I guess I couldn’t hide it in the end. Fuck! Anyways, everything’s still alright, I guess. She shouldn’t have any reason that would make her take me as her enemy.’ Kayden thought as he stood before Serena with his hands raised up in surrender.

“Yeah, you are right. I’m technically not human. I have both human and machine body parts.” Kayden admitted.

“A hybrid. No wonder.” Serena mused as she was nodding to herself.

“Yes, that. But first, tell me, how did you figure out my true identity?”

Serena motioned with her gun for Kayden to move away slowly from the crates.

Serena then said. “I have to admit that you did put in a lot of effort while trying to hide your identity from everyone. But during our escape journey from the facility and as I spent more time in the group with you, I realized that even though you always tried to not do anything that might be seen as suspicious by the other people in the group, you also seemed to be ignorant about a lot of things. So, even though you tried your best, you still unknowingly made a lot of mistakes. And so, over time, I was able to notice some suspicious things about you.”

‘Yeah, I figured as much. I had that fear from the beginning.’ Kayden thought, sighing.

She continued, “Firstly, it had started with little things like how you were able to spend such a long time away from the group seemingly holding back the groups of Hunter-Killers and Terminator without dying. You had even returned to the group without seeming to have suffered any wounds even though your clothes looked like it had suffered some damage. I even suspect that you had abandoned pieces of your clothes in order to protect yourself from even more suspicions.”

“Secondly, when we finally got out of the facility, you were able to start the truck so easily. You might not be aware, but that was something that would have actually been impossible for anybody who had not been given an authorization from Skynet to be able to do so. Even the most technically savvy people among the Resistance would have needed to spend a lot of time or use a specialized high-tech hacking and cracking device in order to be able to reprogram and unlock one of Skynet’s trucks.”

‘Ah, the truck! Skynet must have already added me to its database and given me some level of authorization as a part of its machine force.’ Kayden thought.

He knew that there was no way he could have avoided making that mistake with how he was still missing so much of his memories which had greatly impacted the amount of knowledge he currently had.

“During the journey, I also witnessed several displays of your exceptional senses and reaction speed, especially when the HK-Aerial was chasing the truck.

“But the most damning evidence was when I saw the numerous thin, black metal threads—that looked very similar to Skynet’s more advanced liquid-metal mimetic polyalloy technology—that had extended out from all over your hands and had then pierced into the steering wheel of the truck. At that time, you had looked like you were in a very excited mental state which had made you become so completely oblivious to a lot of things happening in your surroundings that you had not noticed me observing you.”

And with that, Serena ended her speech. But soon after she looked a little absentminded as she muttered to herself as her voice trailed off.

“And that feeling—that should have been impossible—I have been getting from him from the beginning….” She murmured softly.

Soon after, Serena’s eyes became clear and then took on a narrowed look before she said, “And finally, there is this other thing….”

She aimed her Steyr M9-A2 handgun at Kayden’s right thigh and fired.

“What the f—” Kayden shouted, shocked at the sudden change.

Serena frowned when she saw the bullet that she had just shot had barely penetrated the skin of Kayden’s thigh, and then, the small, negligible wound had quickly pushed out the bullet and had begun to close up. So, she immediately switched over to using her plasma pistol instead, aiming it at the same thigh and firing.

“FUCK! Come on! Why did you shoot me in the leg again?” Kayden screamed out in pain.

He almost lost control and attacked her right then and there, but he barely managed to restrain himself.

Serena had just shot him in his right thigh with her plasma pistol, but unlike what had happened with when she had used her Steyr handgun, this time, the shot from the plasma pistol had burnt a large wound into Kayden’s thigh and had even exposed his silver-white metal femur—his thigh bone—underneath.

“I had to obtain my final confirmation that you’re really not a normal human. And I was right. You really aren’t human.” Serena said. She then mocked him by wagging a finger at him. “Besides, I also noticed a sudden tensing of your leg muscles. Were you trying to attack me or something? Tsk tsk tsk. Don’t try anything funny with me. I can always tell, and I will always notice whenever you want to act against me before you can complete the action. So, getting back to my ques—”

Just as Serena was about to continue with her questions—Kayden felt that he should consider this situation as being more like an interrogation session at this point.

“Wait!” He interrupted. 

He forgot for an instant that Serena was currently holding him at gunpoint and lowered his hand to make a ‘stop’ hand gesture at her.

Serena tutted, looking a little irritated, and immediately waved her guns at him to bring back his attention to the fact that she was still holding him at gunpoint.

“I just revealed to you that I know you are not actually a human. Why are you acting so calmly? A normal person would be freaking out right now. You look like you are still able to have emotions or am I wrong to think so? Aren’t you worried that you’ve given me a very good reason to kill you right here and right now.” Serena asked.

Kayden shook his head. “No, I’m not worried. I don’t think you will kill me. At least not for that reason.”

“Why do you think so? Are you underestimating my resolve? Do you think I have any hangups about killing you right now?”

“No, I didn’t mean it that way. I’m sure your threats are very serious. I just don’t believe you will kill me for having a connection to Skynet.” Kayden looked Serena straight in the eye and declared, “I’m sure of this because you are like me. You aren’t a normal human yourself. And I seriously doubt that you are really a normal Resistance fighter either.”

Serena’s hands tightened on her guns when Kayden said those words. The two people—one holding the other at gunpoint—stared at each other in complete silence for a few seconds. Then a slight smile appeared on Serena’s face, breaking her original cold, ruthless expression.

“So, before you continue, I think there’s a little misunderstanding going on here that we should sort out immediately. I don't think you really have the moral high ground to act so angry just because I hid some things about me from you.” Kayden said, “I believe it’s now my turn for you to be honest with me.”

“What do you mean by that?” Serena asked, looking a little puzzled.

“I mean that I know the secret you are hiding. You’re actually like me.” Kayden paused and said, enunciating each word in the sentence for emphasis, “You. Too. Are. Not. Fully. Human.”

*****

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