A Flash of Memory

            What Herman loved most about Nicholas was his strength.

            “Don’t move,” the dark haired man whispered as he placed firm metal hands on Herman’s hips in the dark. “And don’t make a sound.”

            Herman bit his lip as a wet tongue trailed down his stomach, past his navel, tracing a path onto his hips. The metal hands-cold at first, but warming on Herman’s hips-moved down too, to rest on Herman’s thighs, where his flesh joined the metal of his own enhanced legs.

            Nicholas pinned Herman’s legs down, hard. He was one of the few cyborgs in their platoon that intimidated Herman with his sheer power.

            Then he swallowed Herman’s weeping erection in his soft warm mouth, and Herman forgot about everything but the sensation of being sucked. Fire traveled through his body, peaking at the root of his cock, and coiled there, surging with every movement of the dark haired man’s mouth.

            “Nicholas…” He breathed a moan, fighting not to buck his hips. “So good.”

            He nearly cried out when Nicholas released him. “Be quiet,” Nicholas hissed, a smile evident in his tone. Herman nodded, wondering if Nicholas could see it. He didn’t know if the other cyborg had infra red or not.

            Nicholas returned to his task, and Herman choked back another moan. The other man’s tongue wrapped around the head of his cock as he pulled back, his lips tight, and Herman surged, the darkness of their shared room obliterated by pleasurable nothingness.

            Nicholas leaned down and kissed him hard on the lips, sharing Herman’s semen. “Tomorrow will be my turn,” he whispered. “I want you inside me tomorrow night.” He kissed him again, then left, padding across the floor to his own bed.

            Herman nodded once more in the dark.

            ***

Herman had learned quickly that he had to duck to fit through the doorways of the ship they flew on. It aggravated him, all the more so because he had so little to do.

“Another day of inactivity.” Reiner grumbled from his place at the table as Herman and Nicholas sat down. “The pilots get to do all the work.”

“It’s not so bad,” Nicholas said, grabbing a piece of dried rations from the center of the table. “They don’t find transports, we get to relax. They do, they blow them up-we get to relax.”

“I want to board and take prisoners, like we’re supposed to.” Reiner raised his voice. “I was not built this way to sit around.” He clenched his metal fist.

Nicholas shrugged, brushing crumbs off of the finger of his gloved hands. He peered at Herman out of the corner of his eye, and Herman shifted, his face heating. Nicholas could do a lot when his hands were gloved…

“Well if we never see any combat-” Reiner began to protest, and then the alarms rang.

“Looks like your prayers are answered,” Nicholas said with a frown. “That’s the tone for one of the King’s defense ships.”

“Finally.” Reiner stood up, heading toward his room to get his weapon. Herman followed suit, his heart already beginning to pound.

***

Herman knelt by Nicholas, gripping his laser tightly while gunfire pinged around them, lead bullets bouncing off the metal walls of the ship.

“There are four of them,” Nicholas whispered. “I’m going to shoot out the lights. Infra red and take them out while they’re blind and confused.”

So he did have infra red. “Yes.” Nicholas raised his laser and fired, the sizzling red beam slicing through the cable that jutted from the ship’s wall. As the room plunged into darkness, Herman activated infra red and stood, the defenders moving in shrouds of red and green.

He fired his own laser, just once, slicing through all four-but not before a bullet pinged off of the metal wall behind them. Nicholas thudded to the ground, the sound like a club.

“Nicholas?” Herman dropped his laser, placing a shaking hand on Nicholas’s shoulder. His blurry form shifted in Herman’s infra red vision, as blood pooled below him.

“I’m hit,” Nicholas wheezed. “Bad. Ricochet.” Herman swore aloud. The only advantage the defenders’ ancient weapons had were those ricochets. How stupid to forget that! He hit the button on his belt, the one that would send an emergency signal to their ship. Help would come. It had to.

“Can you get up?” Herman’s heart pounded sickeningly in his chest. Nicholas…no. The only person Herman had ever met who was like him, who knew what it was like to be a cyborg and would indulge in pleasure…This couldn’t be happening. Chilling fear tightened his throat. “Nicholas, can you get up?”

“I don’t know,” Nicholas coughed. “I’m bleeding. A lot.”  Herman swallowed against a sick anxiety.

            “Relax, Herman,” once again he heard the familiar smile in Nicholas’s words. “I’ll be fine. We won, right? I just have to get to sick bay.” He gave a tired sigh, tight with pain.

            A door crashed open, familiar popping sounds filling Herman’s ears as three other men entered the room, bursts of heat as they fired through the door visible in infra red. He heard Reiner’s bellow of rage.

            Another laser blast, and the men went down. It took every bit of training Herman had not to call for help. If there were other enemies, that would only bring death down on them both.

            The room was silent, the only sound Nicholas’s labored breathing. It began to grow softer, and Herman’s heart raced, even faster than it did during battle. He had never lost anyone before. He couldn’t lose Nicholas. Where were the medics?

            “Nicholas!” he hissed.

            “Sh, Herman…” His voice was weaker, labored with pain. “Go on. Win the battle. Help can’t come otherwise.”

Herman’s eyes narrowed. “I’m not leaving you here.”

“Don’t be stupid,” Nicholas ground out, and his words stabbed. “Fight for me.”

Herman’s gut twisted as he leaned down kissed Nicholas softly on the lips. “I’ll come back. I promise.”

***

He met up with Reiner in the hall outside the room. The two cyborgs teamed up without a word, taking down everyone who approached.

Every minute of battle felt like hours. Herman couldn’t keep his mind off of Nicholas, off of the bleeding form of his lover on the ground and the sensation of his soft lips. That wouldn’t be the last time they kissed. It couldn’t be. He would fight, and Nicholas would live.

Every shot he fired was perfect. When a desperate soldier tried to sneak up on him from behind, he whirled and used the hidden blade in his artificial arm to dispatch him with little effort. He ignored Reiner’s nod of appreciation.

Sweat dripped down his neck-and then the communicator at his belt buzzed. The ship shuddered.

They had won.

Herman whirled, heading back down the halls to where Nicholas lay. The lights came on, power from the generator, as he entered the room.

A pool of blood lay on the floor. Nicholas was gone.

***

“Where is he?” The small medic outside the sick bay backed up against the slate gray wall, his eyes wide. “Tell me where he is!” Herman demanded.

“Soldier!” Herman froze, the voice of Commander Nitle echoing off of the ships walls. “You are out of line. Come with me.”

Swallowing his fear and anger, Herman fell into step behind Nitle. He towered over the unmodified man, but he would never dream of disobeying.

“It was a hard battle?”

“Nicholas was injured,” Herman tried to keep emotion out of his voice, and failed. “I…he is a friend.”

“Yes, I see.” They turned the corner, and Herman stifled a sigh. The Da Vinci’s. Maintenance after a battle-routine.

“Relax, Herman. This will take a bit longer than usual.” He wanted to ask why, but he would never question the commander. As soon as this was done, he would go and see Nicholas.

He closed his eyes as the Da Vinci bots spread over him.

Some time later, he sat up, testing the strength in his modifications. His head hurt, just slightly, but that could just be a stiff neck from lying on the metal table for so long.

“Greetings, Herman,” Commander Nitle said with a smile. “I am pleased to inform you that you will be reassigned after helping to win the battle today. Your belongings have been collected. Report to the shuttle bay.”

“Yes sir.” Herman stood, and for a moment he wondered if he had somewhere else to go-someone to see.

No. There was only one other cyborg on this ship, and he and Reiner had never really gotten along. “Thank you, sir.”

            ***

            “Herman?” Blaze’s voice intruded into his thoughts. “Does it work?”

            Herman removed the electrode-covered tiara, staring down at the looping wires. Ancient technology, but powerful. They had discovered a lot in this dead city.

            “Yes, it does.”

            “That’s great!” Blaze’s green eyes shone. “What did you remember?” Blaze leaned against him, his lips cool on his forehead. “Anything interesting?”

            “A few things.” The number flashed through his mind from Aver’s computer. 25-61S. And now he had a name.

            Nicholas.

            He would never be able to keep his promise. The Distant Rule had made him break it.

            Herman pulled Blaze closer, the smaller man gasping as Herman hugged him. He would never break such a promise again.