“I’m growing tired of this,” Fortunato said.
“Yes, and you aren’t the only one,” Lilliana said. She lowered her arms. “I can’t do anything to stop you from shooting me, if that’s what you want to do.”
“You’re admitting you’re helpless?”
“No, I would have kept my arms up if that were the case,” Lilliana said. “I’m admitting that I can’t make you do anything you don’t want to do. Now it’s time to find out if you can do the same thing.”
She started walking for the door.
“Stop!” Fortunato yelled. “Stop it, or I will blast you!” Lilliana didn’t slow down. She didn’t even run. She just kept walking. “Damn,” he said under his breath when she’d stepped outside. He hadn’t expected her to call his bluff, not with her life on the line…
Not that he’d been bluffing, per se. He’d had every intention of killing her if she proved obstinate, he was sure of that. He simply hadn’t expected to need to make good on the threat.
It was a moment’s work to summon up the anger he’d need to correct that mistake, but in that moment, the door to the security cell slid shut.
Lilliana’s voice filled the room.
“I’m giving you the chance to experience what it’s like to have absolutely nothing for five minutes,” she said. “Nothing to hold onto, nothing to control, nothing to worry about… you especially won’t have to worry about hacking your way out of there. I know where all the little pathways and workarounds are and I’m blocking them as we speak. When the five minutes are up, the door will slide open and I’m sure by that time you’ll have plenty of things to worry about, but I won’t be one of them. Goodbye, Fortunato. Here’s hoping you learn something.”
She finished destroying his access as she finished the little speech… no coincidence, as she’d kept talking while she worked and wrapped it up when she was almost finished. Though he knew that talking to keep people distracted was one of her favored methods, that didn’t mean it wasn’t effective on him. If he’d fallen in love with any part of her, it had been her voice.
She turned around as the gleaming silvered arm of Cicada came into the security office, scoping the room out via her gun’s barrel sensors. Lilliana tensed when it lingered on her, but then the cyborg stepped all the way into the room.
“Where’s himself?” she asked Lilliana.
“Dealt with,” Lilliana said. Dick and one of the Nick Bradleys came into view. “Where’s Regan?”
“Clearing a path back, I hope,” Cicada said. She hefted her gun. “Gossamer here’s just about spent. It’s going to be a hell of a time getting out of here.”
“Yes, well, I’ve had a few brainwaves on that subject,” Dick said. He held up an empty satchel. “It means we’ll have to make a stop on our way out, but if it works out, it should make our trip a bit easier.”
“Let’s get a move on, then,” Lilliana said.
“Right,” Dick said. “Where’s Leo?”
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