Total Discretion

"Achoo!!"

Airachnid tilted her head, giving me that inquisitive look typical of someone about to dissect an interesting creature.

"What was that?" she asked, as if trying to translate the word into her internal database. "Is it some kind of biological malfunction? Are you... disintegrating?"

I rolled my eyes and gave a half-smile.

"No, relax. I just sneezed. Like... my body went 'achoo.' It happens to humans sometimes."

"And what is the purpose of this action? Defense? Attack? Alert signal?"

"Usually, it's just annoying." I shrugged. "But culturally, we say it means someone's talking about us behind our backs. Sometimes, it's a bit of an awkward conversation."

She blinked slowly, which for her was probably the equivalent of a frown."So... your species engages in passive communication even when not present? Fascinating."

I couldn't help but laugh a little.

"No, Airachnid. That's just superstition. Human stuff. Like tossing salt over your shoulder or thinking black cats bring bad luck."

She looked even more confused.

"Why would a dark feline bring misfortune? Do they have hidden weapons?"

"You're really taking everything literally, huh…" I said as I rummaged through the cash from the 14th wallet we'd snatched that day. "With this money, we can barely buy a skateboard, let alone a car."I glanced at the sweaty, crumpled bills Airachnid had collected from the last few lightning-fast thefts.

She crossed her arms, visibly offended by the harsh truth. Her body language said it all: no, she was not getting on that bus again.

"I'm not getting into that smelly box on wheels again," she said, with nearly theatrical disgust.

"I deserve this…" I sighed, for the thousandth time in the last hour.

"I would rather face Megatron again than sit on that… sweat-soaked fabric."

I tried to negotiate — maybe offer a food bribe, like a milkshake or a fast-food combo. But she was stubborn. Not even cotton candy worked, and frankly, that scared me more than any insanity I'd experienced so far."Okay, listen, we can't buy a car, and renting one isn't an option either.

"She arched an eyebrow and struck a sensual pose, probably unintentionally.

"Why not?"

I took a deep breath and smirked.

"Because, technically, I don't exist."

"Oh… so you're like a criminal? That actually makes me like you more."

"Let's call it… undocumented citizen." I shrugged. "Some would say illegal immigrant. But come on… I was pissing on this land way before half of America's great-great-grandparents even learned to walk."

She stared at me for a moment. Then let out a muffled laugh, the kind she tried to hide, but that gave away how amused she really was.

"You're impressively stupid," she said, smiling in pure mockery.

"And you're way too picky for someone who used to collect heads from rare species."

"Hunting is an art. The beauty of my victims' blood is... beautiful."

"Holy crap, you need a therapist more than I do in—" I rolled my eyes. Not surprised. I think I'm getting used to her sense of humor, and that's honestly concerning.

"Let me think... We're at least half a day away if we had a halfway decent four-wheel vehicle," I said, eyeing the cops across the street. They were in a conversation way too intense to be about coffee and donuts. It wasn't hard to guess the reason.

I slowly turned my face toward Airachnid and, miraculously, kept my eyes on hers, quite an achievement, considering how unsubtly she flaunted herself.

"I think it's time you got yourself a vehicle mode," I whispered.

Immediately, her eyes lit up with an intense purple glow. I swear I could hear the sound of her inner gears turning from sheer excitement — like she was seconds away from transforming into that six-meter-tall version of herself that looked straight out of some sci-fi erotic nightmare with claws, curves, and homicidal intentions.

"Let's keep it discreet, okay?" I asked, clinging to that sliver of hope we toss out into the universe.

She didn't even respond. Just tilted her chin up with a smug smile. "Lux… I'm a woman," she said, almost offended. "There's a universal language. You never interrupt a woman when she's choosing her new look."

I sighed, defeated. She had a point. A terrible, dangerous, infernal point… but a point.All I could do was hope that, whichever deity — earthly or alien — was on duty today would show me some mercy.

"Remember: the moment you transform, your energy signature will light up on radar like a Christmas tree," I warned, trying to sound serious. "You've been exposed to radiation from my powers. Your true form will be very hard to miss."

Airachnid smiled at me in that way that was half promising, half threatening."Don't worry, my dear pet," she said, her eyes gleaming with amusement. "I wouldn't risk my property."

I looked away, trying to play it cool. She definitely had no idea how strange those words sounded, especially coming from her human form, sculpted to stir unholy thoughts in even the most virtuous monk.

After a few minutes of quietly wandering, we found a dealership. Naturally, Airachnid's curvaceous and lethally charming presence captured the attention of every salesperson in seconds.

I stayed outside, watching the scene unfold.Down the avenue, a heavily armored military truck rolled by, full of soldiers. The tension in the air was almost tangible."They're probably going to lock down the whole state…" I thought. "But it's hard to predict how the government will act now."I crossed my arms, staring up at the overcast sky. "When I regain full control of my powers, I swear, I'll do something about this mess."

Airachnid suddenly appeared at my side. I jumped as her cold claws slid across my back.

"I've made my choice," she said with a satisfied smile that gave me chills.

"You picked something discreet, right?" I asked, still skeptical.

"Of course!" she replied, dramatically flipping her hair with one hand.

"I took discretion into account… and a little of my personal taste."

Only Primus knew what that was supposed to mean.

We continued on foot through the city, careful not to draw attention, until we found a quiet street.Now more serious, Airachnid scanned the area with her cybernetic sensors, blending advanced programming with her natural predatory instincts to ensure no one was around to witness what was about to happen.

With a metallic sound, she cracked her knuckles and neck. In the blink of an eye, her human skin began to dissolve. Mechanical parts emerged and her body expanded. Two pairs of three glowing spider claws opened up on her back.

Her body, an elegant blend of deep red, gold, and black metal, gleamed under the dim streetlight.Even in her true form — tall, menacing, and beautiful in an alien sort of way — I couldn't help but admire her for a moment.

"Feels good to stretch my legs..." she said, stretching out her limbs "The human form is so… limiting."

Any sensible person would've run at the sight of her. Me? I just thought it was kind of sexy.

"I know you want to show off, but we don't have time for that," I said, crossing my arms.

"I know, I know..." she grumbled, clearly annoyed.

Without much delay, Airachnid began her transformation. Her body shifted, metal plates slid, claws retracted… until she reshaped herself into a car, but obviously not just any car.

A black Koenigsegg CCXR, with red and gold accents.

I stared, jaw dropped.

"WHAT part of 'be discreet' did you not understand?!" I couldn't help the eye twitch, she definitely chose that on purpose. "You realize you can count on one hand how many of these exist in this country, right? That's basically a four-wheeled neon sign saying: 'Be jealous of my supercar!'"

In the driver's seat, the prototype Airachnid remodeled itself, perfectly mimicking its human disguise. "If we're going on a long trip, we might as well go in style," she said with that provocatively smug smile that always managed to irritate me.

"There's no convincing you otherwise, is there?"

"No," she replied simply, with sarcasm dripping from her voice.

I sighed and opened the door. I got in, dropped my backpack between my legs, and crossed my arms.

"What are you waiting for?"

Without a word, she gently accelerated. The engine roared with an imposing growl. She was using her protoform to simulate a driver at the wheel, a convincing illusion, I had to admit. She'd probably watched humans drive, learned in seconds, and now played the role with theatrical perfection. I just hoped she had the minimum sense of traffic rules.

Obviously, a supercar like a Koenigsegg CCXR drew a lot of attention. Luckily, the windows were dark enough that no one could see who was driving.

As the scenery started to roll past us, I glanced at the car's gleaming dashboard.

"How are you feeling?"

"The T-Cog you upgraded is excellent," she replied proudly. "Now I can transform into anything without worrying about weight."

I smirked."It's kind of ironic… no matter the species, women always worry about weight."In her protoform, she shot me a sideways glare, the kind of glare that could cut steel. "Keep it up, Lux, and I'll turn you into a seat cushion."

"Okay, I'm done with those jokes."

***

A group of police officers stood on the side of the road, chatting near their patrol cars. The atmosphere was tense, a reflection of the past few hours.

"Do you think the government's going to do something?" asked the younger officer, gazing into the distance.

"To be honest, I don't even know what to think," replied the older one, his face weary. "Our world's changing way too fast."

"The roads are busier than ever."

"And you can't blame people… No one wants to stay near that cursed forest," the veteran said. "I asked my daughter to take my granddaughter to her in-laws' house. That way I can work without constantly worrying about their safety."

"Luckily, my family's in New York. Far enough from this mess."

Suddenly, a deafening engine roar echoed from afar. The younger cop rushed to the patrol car and grabbed a pair of binoculars from the glovebox.

"What the hell is that sound?"

"I've never heard an engine make that noise."

Before they could say anything else, a black blur streaked across the road like lightning, kicking up a cloud of dust that made them recoil and squint.

"What the hell was that?!" one of them shouted, coughing.

The younger officer dashed to the car's speed radar. His eyes widened.

"Three hundred and fifty-six kilometers per hour?! You've got to be kidding…"

"If that maniac hits someone!" the older officer growled, clenching his teeth. "Alert the next city—they've got a lunatic behind the wheel."

***

Inside the supercar…

"At this speed, we could reach the cocoon in three or four hours… if traffic cooperates," I said, gazing out the window.

Airachnid's humanoid form nodded, a smug grin on her face.

"Well…" she said, glancing at me, "I'm not even going full speed yet."

I sighed deeply.

"Try not to kill us, okay?"

I had barely finished the sentence when the engine roared even louder, more aggressive, and I instinctively grabbed the door handle, like that would save me from anything.

"I said don't kill us!"