by Bridget Ladd
“But you did exactly that in our last fight against Margie and Damaris. How is this any different?” I hissed.
Xander straightened and looked threateningly at me. “This is a completely different situation. I know how Percival thinks. He thrives off the desperation of others. Scottie and Giles, we already know are morons, morons with a lot of firepower. It’s not Scottie that I’m worried about.”
I blinked quickly a few times, noticing that Xander was worried again, not for his wellbeing, but for mine.
Xander stepped a few feet from me and readjusted the grip on his blades, holding them at his sides, his armored shoulders twitching from the muscles beneath. With his back turned and his posture severe, he angled his head towards me.
“Percival cares nothing for the Key. His sole purpose is to get to me through you. He wants nothing more than to take my greatest treasure away. My best friend.” He turned his head away, peering down the street before us. Peering as though he could stop this, stop this with just a look. “He wants me to feel the same sorrow—the sorrow he felt when I left his side. That’s why I refuse to leave yours.”
Xander returned his blades into a defensive position and continued down the alley. He wasn’t only my partner. He was my own personal bodyguard I realized now, a deadly shadow, waiting and watching for every threat to my safety and happiness.
A selfless act that may get him killed.
Idiot. I picked up my pace so I could tell him to forget this prideful sense of chivalry that was now clouding his judgments. We had to be a team to survive this day, not a—
Xander stopped suddenly and crouched. He beckoned me to do the same. Xander held steady, his ominous spiked helm motionless in front of me, not even the muscles in his unarmored hands flinched.
Careful not to make a sound as I hovered, I stretched my hearing, but nothing out of the ordinary caught my attention. No sudden exhalation of steam, or a misplaced footfall onto gravel. Surely Scottie and Giles with their seventeen-foot Walker suits could be heard coming from at least a half-klick away . . . .
Becoming impatient again, I cringed at how my thighs began to burn from the awkward position I’d put them in. If only I could just shift my—
Out of nowhere Xander deployed his wings and rocket tackled me to the ground. I sucked in a labored breath as the world swam into gravel and bits of brick siding, all showering us in an angry hailstorm of fury.
Xander repositioned his arms around my waist and lifted us into the air, just high enough so my back wouldn’t scrape the ground that blurred beneath me. He grunted as the falling debris pelted him from above, his body blocking me from the impacts. Through my helm, I couldn’t get a good look at what was happening from above—but I soon felt him taking us higher, judging by his firm readjusting grip around my middle.
As if time slowed, I now saw the walls of the alleyway crumble like the improper use of a game of dominoes, cascading closer upon us—a large metallic hand swiping through the building at our side.
We neared another building’s rooftop and Xander practically threw me on top as he wasted no time to soar in the opposite direction. I hit the concrete hard, but was otherwise unharmed as I rolled to my feet and stumbled to the ledge.
Looking over—I saw no one, but as I ran to the opposite side of the building, my eyes went wide in horror. Xander, like a ravenous animal set upon its prey, was mounted upon the Walker’s back, stabbing and slicing his blades across the inner workings that connected the head from the body of the suit.
Judging by the smaller design of the mech-suit Walker, I’d say it was Giles who’d attacked us. Smaller in height: thirteen-feet compared to Scottie’s seventeen, according to Dex’s information.
Practically tiny.
Bones. How stupid! I thought desperately, fear clinging to the edge of my skin. Scottie is using Giles as bait. Even if Xander was onto his plan, he was too busy dealing with Giles to do anything about it.
Just as I feared, from my higher vantage point I saw Scottie’s enormous frame sneaking his way from the building’s rear—the massive metallic net resting at the end of some sort of harpoon weapon. A design which I’d never seen the likes of before. White steam shot from the back of his suit, making me frown in confusion. No sound emitted from it.
But then I looked closer.
A slightly blue aura appeared and then suddenly disappeared again within the blink of an eye, much like the reflection of a silver coin rolled in one’s fingers—much like the force field surrounding our hut. That’s why we didn’t hear their approach . . . . Scottie and Giles both wore a protective sound barrier that if not seen directly, would be near impossible to detect.
Not caring what Xander would want me to do, my decision was made. I had to confront Scottie. Scottie after all was a cankerous sore that I solely wanted to eradicate—he was mine to deal with.
Backpedaling a few steps, and without thinking, I sprinted towards the edge of the roof with no plan of stopping. For what little airtime I would have, I wanted to make the biggest impact that I could.
Instinctively, I hit the middle of my chest, engaging the Defyer as I leapt off the side. My body became heavy, surging with the all too familiar gathering energy. Rushing quickly towards the ground, I released the Defyer in the palm of my hand, praying Scottie would be waiting directly below.
My stomach soared to my throat as the energy propelled me downwards. Two stories I had fallen before I felt the air cascade past with enough force that it already knocked Scottie’s Walker to one knee beneath me.
One second, two seconds—I slammed hard onto the Walker and it took everything I had to not lose hold of my shield and axe from the collision. My body bounced and I spun, my palms squealing against the metal as I slid. I grunted at the effort it took to grab at the slippery surface. I was falling and falling fast.
Reacting on instinct, I spun my axe and rammed its spiked end into the joint of the Walker’s neck. It took hold thankfully, though it was now my only anchor. I swung in a dangerous arc from the end of the hilt; my back slamming hard into the Walker’s shoulder with Scottie’s every jarring movement.
At this point Scottie realized that he too, like Giles, had been mounted. He swiveled and threw his large iron-laden arms around, trying to shake me. He removed the sound barrier. “Good to see you’ve joined us, Mistress,” he shouted, his voice odd and distorted behind the mask.
The axe anchoring me came loose and I was thrown upwards onto the crevice of his shoulder and upper arm. I quickly spun the axe around again and jammed it into his mech’s shoulder, once again using it as a pick to hold me in place.
Scottie’s Walker reached up with its left arm to grab at my swinging legs, but soon found us both flying through the air. —Xander had somehow directed Giles’ Walker at a ramming speed directly into us.
Using Giles’ shoulders as a kick-start, Xander engaged his wings and shot out at Scottie’s head with a crushing impact.
All three of us; Scottie, Xander, and I, were sent tumbling through the street, rolling several times over. I tucked my body close to the mech, fearing we’d both be crushed beneath the Walker’s massive weight. Holding my breath, I waited until this surreal moment of uncontrolled flight was over—the faint hue of Xander’s blue jets passing before my eyes like a blurring comet.
Finally our spinning slowed, but Scottie didn’t hesitate to try and right himself again with me still perched on his shoulder. Xander shot off towards Giles, who was now charging us, tackling his midsection, and slamming him backwards into the brick siding of a dilapidated store front.
I looked down. Scottie was having trouble trying to get the massive legs of the Walker beneath him.
Using the opportunity, I yanked at my axe, removing it just before jumping down to the dusty street below. Using my shield to help push myself to my feet, I rolled away and ran to gain cover. I skidded to a halt, peeking my head around the corner of the nearest brick building.
My mind ran frantic, sea
rching for a way to disable him and thinking of what had happened to Hugo. I have to get that net away from him.
I looked to the gleaming surface of his arm, my mind focused momentarily to decipher its inner workings. If I disconnect the wire that controlled the directional mechanisms for the harpoon, I could then sever the link between him and his weapon.
Perfect.
Timing my next attack would be crucial. I was very aware of the threat of not only severing the inner workings of the joint, but also my own hands should they get trapped in the Walker’s overlapping armor.
Swallowing hard, I calmly took a step forward into the open street, gripping my axes as I waited for him to push himself from the ground. Just as I’d hoped, Scottie’s Walker bent low, using its arm as leverage to help push itself to its feet.
—I broke into action and sprinted towards the mammoth, sliding just beneath him. Using the momentum, I drove my axe into the joint at his elbow. An oily brown substance spurted from the slashed metal—but not at the rate I would’ve hoped. My face blanched, quickly realizing I needed another hit to fully break through.
I grunted furiously as the brown oil dripped down the front of my helm and into my mouth as I yanked on my axe, trying to pull it free. Throwing my shield down, I spat the vile substance and growled loudly as I grabbed hold of the axe with both hands and lifted my feet into the air, using my body’s weight to finally dislodge it.
Scottie wouldn’t have any of that.
I cried out as I felt an explosive blow to the side of my body, my breastplate doing nothing to protect against the Walker’s massive left-handed assault.
Soaring through the air, my back slammed into the brick building behind me. I thought I heard Xander call out my name, but I was unsure—my only thought was a searing white pain that was now erupting in my side.
An odd and unfamiliar sound escaped me. My lungs were not doing their job. I started to panic as I found I couldn’t pull in the oxygen that I needed, a pathetic gasping sound being the only indication of my current predicament.
I stumbled away from Scottie’s swinging arms in a daze, holding my side, finding my shield and dragging it along the ground. I staggered inside the nearest building and slumped against the wall. I threw off my helm. Old papers, tattered and stained and still pinned to a board, tickled the tip of my head.
Through the warped and broken windows, I could see Scottie still struggling to get his Walker back onto its feet.
My vision blurred, swayed—I was so dizzy.
I closed my eyes to the pain and tried to slow my racing heart. I held my sweaty palm to my breastplate, willing my rapidly rasping chest to function like it should. The grooves of the tree trunk carved across it felt rough across my fingertips and an indention now drove itself inwards towards my ribs.
Xander is still out there. Get UP!
Spots danced before my eyes and I angrily tried to blink them away. The walls of the building started to careen inwards and pitch at unnatural angles.
I couldn’t breathe.
I panicked even more, knowing I was going to pass out. There was no denying it now as I felt my body tilt towards the ground, it too forfeiting its duty.
No! My mind screamed at the will of my body.
Only a small haze of my vision remained as I stared through the fog. The last thing I had the energy left to witness was a shape appearing beyond—across the broken room. It approached slowly towards my helpless form.
Xander? But wasn’t he just outside? Fighting with Giles?
Even in my weary state, the thought sounded illogical.
The dark shape crouched to inspect me, a curious tilt to its head. It was the last thing I remember before my vision failed me completely, rendering me into the waiting arms of unconsciousness.
Chapter 42
Soured Friendships ~ Going Numb
“How tragic is it that the very armor Xander designed to protect you is going to be the very element of your demise? Judging by his dedication to perfection, I would assume it’s going to be a rather long and treacherous one,” an oddly mechanical voice said just beyond the edge of my subconscious.
I shifted uncomfortably only to find that I had no control of neither my hands nor my feet. My heart rammed itself in my throat as I jolted awake. Memories of what had taken place flooding back to me.
“Ah, yes. I see you have joined us in the land of the living. Welcome back, Lily.”
I realized my labored breathing had thankfully returned to normal. Though when focusing my bleary eyes, the dark shape of the person before me coalesced into view.
“Percival?” I asked warily, trying to keep calm as I attempted to figure out my situation with only the sideward glance of my eyes.
I was kidnapped and bound. That much was clear. And wherever I was . . . it smelled awful, like hot soured meat.
“Where’s Fin?” I asked as I tested the strength of the clasps that stretched my wrists and ankles painfully to my sides, holding me up vertically.
“Ah, Fin . . .” he tsked, the sound not coming from his mouth but from the voice box below his chin. “Fin is sadly no longer with us. I had no use for him.”
Rubbing my lips together to mask my surprise, I looked at him. “So you killed your partner?” I asked carefully, gauging how to better read him. He was mad, and a madman with a temper was even worse.
Percival shrugged, frowning as if the task was of little concern to him.
“They all leave one way or the other,” he said through his clattering voice box, his mouth unmoving, a hidden vehement hostility locked within his gaze.
Percival showed no emotion through his features, though I could tell he held an unbridled fury just beneath. A maddening rage. He was seething within, always seeking his just retribution. Like Xander he was patient to attack at the opportune moment, the moment that will cause the most hurt. And unfortunately for me . . . it appeared that time was now.
Unlike Xander, Percival had nothing to lose and that terrified me.
“I wouldn’t bother trying to slip from your bindings. You’ll only make it more painful for yourself.”
Bloody Bones. He was right; the clasps were iron tight and chafing my skin raw.
“Xander still respects you, you know?” I lied. I needed to buy some more time. “You had to do what you had to do. You deserved better than an abusive uncle.”
“Oh, so I see he’s told you my story.” He turned his head towards me, his eyes darkening oddly. “Did he also tell you that he left me? Deserted me when I needed him the most? Needed his friendship? An abusive uncle is the least of it! The things that monster did to me! The serums he injected . . .” Percival shook his head slowly. “Xander should’ve been at my side in my moment of victory.” Percival stepped closer to me, his face turning red and strained, a frothy spittle gathering in the corners of his mouth even though the only sound that emitted was from his throat.
He was mad. And now I’ve provoked him. Just great, Lily . . . .
“Xander lost his parents too—they were murdered. He feels remorseful for leaving you like he did. He was protecting you from his mistakes. He told me that leaving you was for the better.”
Percival’s lips curled into a sinister smile as he regarded me with an awkward tilt of his head. It was like my words were what he wanted to hear all along.
Percival laughed. “My dear, you can refrain from the lies. They won’t save you. If what you say is true, then he would’ve left you long before now.”
This wasn’t working.
I needed something else. Something else to distract him with.
“You said you were injected with serums? The same that created the Shadow Kanes?”
He didn’t respond.
“The Council hired your uncle to perform such tests. It isn’t Xander who you should hate.” I took a breath. “Help us so we can find an antidote. I promise as Mistress that when this is over, I’ll do everything in my power to help you.”
Percival
laughed again, the box at his throat moving up and down from the motion.
“The serum does not concern me. It, if anything, has made me stronger, made me act on my behalf when before I would’ve done nothing. Would have accepted my cruel fate . . .” He reached up and placed his gnarled hand upon my cheek, his black and broken nails scratching at my skin. “You are a lively one I must admit. Much vigor in you. It’s a shame, really.”
Seeing that my trial at negotiations had reaped no benefit, I dropped the ruse. “And how is it that I fit into this plan of yours?” I said drolly.
Percival clapped, almost delightfully. “And that is the question of the day my dear. Allow me to introduce you to my companions.”
I surveyed the room as quickly as I could while he had his back turned. My heart leapt when I spotted my axe, helm, and shield lying strewn across a table in the darkened corner.
My body went numb with dread when I noticed something else moving in the same shadowed corner. Ironclad talons clicked and clanked onto the floor excitedly—like a dog waiting for permission to go after a scrap of meat.
“Don’t be shy, Newt. Come say hello to our newest fffrriend,” Percival called out absently, his voice box having trouble delivering the last word. Percival tinkered with something on the table. A remote? It was hard to tell with him blocking my view.
As if on command, a small robotic beast leapt from the corner and shook with pent up energy, ready to please its master.
Percival crouched low to stroke the bronzed imp-like creature affectionately. Its green eyes were almond in shape, set close to a mouthful of razor sharp metallic shards shaped like teeth.
“Lily, meet Newt. I was ever so overjoyed to hear I had acquired the Venator specialty for the Barrage. I was hoping to have the chance to create such lovely helpers.”
Helpers. Plural.
I’d forgotten Venator was allowed two creatures.
“I didn’t expect you to choose the axe with Dimachaeri. Well done I must say. You are rather adept with them. Flashy, but talented none the less,” he said causally from across his shoulder.