“No, you look," she screamed. “Look at what I have before you. Your friends life balances upon a pin head and you presume to tell me to look.” She took a breath and continued on in a calmer voice. “Now I will talk and you will listen.”
She sat down again and crossed her legs elegantly. “You will surrender to me now and lay down your weapons. I hold all the aces you see. I have your friend, I have the advantage and most importantly, I have the Overdrive. You, on the other hand have nothing, if you count your lives as something and you’re only holding onto those by the slimmest of margins.”
She looked down at the female figure supported by two of her Valkyries. “I even have Ram Terry’s greatest creation and the object of Felix’s affections. Crystal."
“I think you’re wrong there bitch,” said a woman’s voice from the rear of the chamber. “You may have something that looks like me but she’s a far cry from the real thing.”
All eyes turned to look at the figure standing at the chamber’s doors.
“Crystal?” said Felix, confusion evident on his face.
“Yes, its me sweetcheeks. Who’d you expect? Someone had to save you.”
“We were just doing that,” said Logan defensively.
Crystal looked around her, taking in the Sefiroth and the Valkyries before looking at Logan. “And a great job you were doing to by the looks of things.”
“Enough of this,” roared Gabriella. “Sammael. Kill them all. I’ll take care of the woman personally.”
Activating her personal field, she launched herself out of the throne, using her innate powers to carry herself over her henchmen. She landed, sword already drawn, to stand before Ram Terry, Tarquin and Logan. They brought their weapons up but before they could fire, they were brushed aside by Gabriella.
“Don’t worry boys,” said Crystal, her eyes never once leaving Gabriella’s. “You sort out the others. I’ll deal with her.”
In front of the throne, Felix used the momentary distraction of his guards to make a run for it, hiding behind the throne as plasma blasts splattered around him.
Sammael took command of the situation.
“You two,” he said, pointing at the two Valkyrie who held the mindless form of Crystal. “Drop that and take care of him,” he said, indicating Felix. He turned his gaze on Tynan and the three remaining Sefiroth. “Deal with those two” he said pointing at Logan and Tarquin. “I’ll take the sheep.”
As they moved to obey, first one, then the other two Sefiroth were hit by the unmistakable energy bolts of Afers fired by Logan and Tarquin. Fields disabled, the three Angels drew swords and marched purposely towards the two men.
Tarquin looked at Logan. “Any ideas?”
Logan examined his microprojectile launcher, discarding it when he saw the gauge read empty. He drew the short handled plasma cannon from his belt and dropped the Afer from his other hand.
“I’m not sure,” he said sarcastically, “but how about ‘kill the bastards?’”
“Sounds like a plan to me,” replied Tarquin, drawing his own plasma cannon. They fired in unison, cutting down one of the Sefiroth. Then the Angels were upon them.
Both men used their cannons to block the sword thrusts from the two Sefiroth, rapidly losing ground as they were forced out of the audience chamber.
Self preservation being foremost on his mind, Tynan saw his opportunity and sprinted out of the chamber. He raced around the corner and ran straight into a hairy chest.
“You just never know who you’re going to run into next around here," said Bruce, smiling pleasantly down at Tynan.
◊
Sammael flexed his arm and brought his sword up to test the edge. He glared evilly at Ram Terry who squatted calmly before him. “I’m going to enjoy this,” he said, preparing to lop the head off the animal.
“I don’t think you want to do that,” said Ram Terry.
Sammael ignored him and brought his sword back for a mighty stroke. He brought his sword down, channeling ever ounce of power into the blow. It struck a seemingly solid barrier centimeters from Ram Terry’s wooly head and bounced back. In disbelief he tried again and then a third time, each time meeting with failure as he tried to lop the silly little animals head off.
“I warned you,” said Ram Terry.
Unbelievably, Sammael’s sword started to move towards him of its own volition. “This isn’t happening” he rasped, straining to force the sword away from him.
“I’m afraid it is,” said Ram Terry, who hadn’t moved at all during the encounter.
The sword inexorably made its way towards Sammael’s head and with a final jolt, buried itself to the hilt in his neck. He fell to the ground, surprise still etched on his handsome features.
“I wonder if Goliath said the same thing to Samson?” Ram Terry wondered aloud. He gave the sheep equivalent of a shrug.
◊
“Do you like that?” snarled one of the Sefiroth, twisting his sword into Logan’s side.
“Not really,” Logan managed to grunt. He looked around him desperately. Tarquin wasn’t faring any better, still retreating from the other Sefiroth and covered in cuts. No help from that quarter.
The Sefiroth withdrew his sword and brought it back for a final stroke. Just as he was about to sweep it down, his head exploded, gore raining down on Logan who lay confused and shaken on the ground. A hairy hand reached down to pull Logan to his feet.
“What kept you?” he said to Bruce. Nearby, Walter was shooting a continuous stream of plasma bolts onto the other Sefiroth assaulting Tarquin.
The gorilla smiled. “Me and Walter have been keeping Gabriella’s troops busy. I also had to take care of an old friend.”
Logan looked around him. “Speaking of Gabriella. Have you seen her or Crystal anywhere around here?”
The gorilla shrugged. “Nope.”
“That’s funny. I could’ve sworn they were behind us. Never mind. I think we have more pressing problems. Felix is still in there and I’m pretty sure he’s not playing cards. I think he might appreciate a little help."
◊
“How did you do that?” demanded a startled Gabriella.
Crystal smiled infuriatingly “How did I do what?”
“Bring us into Nospace. You shouldn’t be able to do that?”
“Do you really care?” asked Crystal.
Gabriella tugged a strand of her hair nervously. “Maybe in some deep theoretical part of my mind, but generally, no.”
“Good then.” She drew her sword, willing herself to move closer to Gabriella. When in range, she struck, forcing Gabriella to parry. The Princess struck back, penetrating Crystal’s field and nicking her shoulder.
Crystal drew backwards, avoiding and parrying the slashes of Gabriella’s sword.
Gabriella’s lips drew back in a fierce snarl. “Not as good as you thought you were, are you girl?”
Crystal fell further backwards, bleeding from a number of minor wounds. Gabriella was good. Two hundred years of combat training would do that to a woman. She parried again desperately, Gabriella’s sword still managing to sneak through, leaving a vivid line of red across her thigh. The back slash made a matching line on her right arm.
Almost out of options and her field strength rapidly being depleted, Crystal made her desires known and focused the thought even as she evaded the lightning sword strokes of her opponent. Another cut appeared above her eyebrow, the blood dripping down to impair her vision.
She parried again, her reflexes slow now so that she left her right side wide open. Gabriella saw it and exploited it, stabbing in. When she brought her sword back, the tip was covered in a darker shade of grey. Crystal’s blood.
“It was fun while it lasted Crystal. I haven’t met anyone that could last more than a few moments in combat against me and for that I’ll give you a clean death. Say goodnight.”
Gabriella drew her sword back for one last stroke. She hesitated as sudden pain formed within her skull. Just as suddenly it was gone. She
quickly interrogated her AI. That bastard Felix had inserted a virus into the Overdrive data. Not to worry, she thought. She’d soon sort him out when she got out of here.
Crystal hadn’t moved during her momentary distraction. Gabriella prepared for the final strike and brought her sword down in a brutal arc. It stopped dead just above her head. Confusion marred her perfect features as she looked up. A huge tentacle was wrapped around her blade. Terrified, she tried to wrest it free. As she did so, a massive tentacle, thicker than three men’s bodies wrapped around her waist and legs.
“What the fuck?” exclaimed Gabriella. “Let go of me you mindless piece of shit." She turned her head around, glaring in fury at the 3 kilometer long Shiva. The Shiva paid her no heed, opening its gaping maw and drawing the tasty morsel inside. She continued to scream even as the huge jaws closed.
Crystal shut her eyes in relief and then opened them again to look at the giant Shiva floating before her. It made no effort to take Crystal. It seemed to be waiting for something.
Crystal sighed. It was time to come to terms with her heritage. She smiled wanly.
“I told you I’d bring you some food. Mother.”
Satisfied, the giant creature turned and floated away.
* * *
* “Fuck it. Missed”
Overdrive Page 35