by David Aries
I was going to make him pay for everything he’d done to us and everyone else he’d dragged into this mess.
It was time to bring this twisted experiment to an end.
Chapter 25
A volley of metal spheres raced through the air.
I grabbed the girls closest to me, Akko and Sylvetty, and dragged them away from the incoming fastballs that surged past us all, drifting over the lawn.
Before the orbs completed a u-turn, I placed my girls down and said, “Get to cover. I’ll handle this guy.”
“I-if you say so, sweetie,” Akko replied, emerald eyes following Walt’s projectiles. “Be careful.”
“When am I ever not?”
“Do ya really want us to answer that?” Sylvetty replied.
I pushed her and Akko back as the balls completed their loop. Rolling saved me from the majority, but the fifth was too precise to dodge. I had to use my light shield to bat it away.
The glancing hit took my recharged barrier down to a lime yellow.
“We’ll talk later,” I said. “Go!”
Akko snatched Sylvetty’s hands and rushed to the wall of greenery lining the garden’s perimeter.
The orbs didn’t follow or chase after my other girls who had retreated out of sight. They concentrated on attacking the three trouble makers who had refused to back down: me, Faris, and Vay.
Faris flipped around the rampaging spheres like a dancer in a performing troupe while Vay bounced from side to side, treating them like baseballs.
“Get down here, you coward,” Vay said as she smacked the orbs with her ‘bat’. “Fight me like a man!”
Waltgomery didn’t answer her request. He kept floating in his protective bubble while orchestrating his destructive spheres without so much as lifting a finger. The only sign that he was controlling them was his glowing head.
Psychic powers. To think that’s the stage we’ve reached.
At least it made a nice change from fighting robots.
“Don’t worry,” I said after throwing myself left-right-left to avoid a trio of incoming orbs. “I’ve got this!” I jumped like a missile and gave his shield another drubbing.
It deflected my hit away.
Faris stepped in and unloaded her blaster.
Each laser landed right where I’d stuck, drilling it again and again before the barrier could recover.
Once I’d flipped past another pair of incoming metal orbs, I flew back up and gave that same spot a smashing.
Boom!
Let’s see you keep acting casual after that!
As I fell back to the garden below, the red smog left behind by Faris’s barrage faded, revealing the damage done by our combined flurry.
H-huh?
There wasn’t a mark to be seen.
Is this for—
My instincts screamed. I threw up my shield to protect against the orb I’d been too distracted to dodge away from.
The portable barrier protected my sides from a beating, but the impact still forced me off my feet… and ate up the last of my shield’s energy.
“Brandon!” Faris yelled.
“Why did you appear so surprised, Child of Earth?” Waltgomery asked. “Did you think such an insignificant amount of damage could possibly threaten me?”
“Shut it,” I growled as I picked myself up before he could take advantage. “What’s the deal with your shield?” The sentinels, I could understand; they were hooked to a power supply.
Unless Walt had an invisible tube jammed up his ass, he was working alone.
Two hits from my axe and a few lasers from Faris would have done serious damage to our portable shields. Why wasn’t his bubble the same? How come there was no crack or even a little discoloration?
“I hope you’re not trying to liken my barrier to your paltry toy,” Waltgomery said, head flashing. “A mass-produced armlet cannot compare to my abilities.”
Several orbs whizzed toward me from different angles.
I clenched my jaw as I put my instincts in the driving seat. They ordered me how to move, and I obeyed without question. Left, right, left, left, right. I threw myself into every action, dodging the barbaric crossfire coming for my head.
It was a close call—too close. Even with my zerrin powers doing their thing, one of the orbs grazed my shoulder, smashing off the pauldron and tearing the undersuit below.
Sure, these spheres weren’t as big or intimidating as the sentinel’s flail but being hit by one would be costly.
If he thinks that’ll scare me off, he’s got another thing coming!
As soon as I survived the onslaught, I jumped as high as I could. My powerful leap ripped up the lawn below and took me over Walt’s head. There, I brought my axe down like I was trying to drive a pickaxe through a resistant stone.
My hit pushed Walt down by a meager centimeter, yet his bubble refused to yield.
I ground my teeth together.
Still nothing?!
Let’s see how long that will last!
I raised my axe into the air.
“Brandon!” Faris yelled.
My senses caught it too. A trio of spheres were heading for my spine.
I planted my feet against the mind shield and pushed away, propelling myself over the incoming orbs at a speed they couldn’t curve to intercept.
It didn’t stop them from trying. They looped around and came for my head.
The moment I landed, I jumped backward.
It was just enough; the sphere’s couldn’t follow and had to curve the other way to avoid making craters in the lawn.
“Your resistance is pointless,” Waltgomery said. “You cannot win. None of you.” His gaze turned to his sides.
On one side of the garden, Trez was trying to climb to the next layer in secret. On the other, Sylvetty was heading up courtesy of her wings. They both came to a stop when they thudded against a transparent wall of light that appeared out of thin air, cutting off all access to the upper floors.
Sylverry growled and smacked it with her hammer.
“It’s useless. You’ll never break through,” Waltgomery said, directing a sphere toward Sylvetty.
“Watch out!” I yelled.
Sylvetty turned to my voice and flinched when she saw the incoming sphere. She threw herself out of the way, leaving the orb to strike the wall.
Even that couldn’t break through.
I snarled, but not because of Walt’s ridiculous power. “Leave them alone!” I jumped back into the action and unleashed a full torrent of my max strength hits into his mind bubble.
They didn’t do anything but push him around a bit. Waltgomery didn’t even seem perturbed. More bored. His eyes were like those of an African elephant irritated by a couple of flies buzzing around its ears.
Faris and Vay tried to change that. The former switched between her spear and her pistol, depending on her location, while Vay attacked with her outstretched sword.
Nada. Walt’s barrier fended off everything we threw at it.
I gasped for breath when my feet touched back down on the grass. “Seriously, what’s with this shield?”
“Did we not just discuss this, Child of Earth?” Waltgomery said. “You cannot compete with my powers. There is nothing you can do to beat me.” His head shone as he unleashed another psychic barrage.
I put my instincts in the hot seat once again and let them steer me away from the orbs coming within millimeters of crushing my bones.
Fortunately, in a twisted sense, Walt had decided to target us all rather than me alone. It made it easier for me to keep myself safe… but at a cost.
While Faris showed off her incredible agility, Vay ducked and weaved like the trained fighter she was.
Her reward was a punch in her middle.
“Vay!” I yelled.
She grinned while clutching her stomach, having turned away from the worst of it. “Do not fear, stud. It’s only a few shattered ribs.”
How was I even supposed to re
spond to that? Vay was tough, sure, but she wasn’t immortal.
Even ‘The Indomitable’ was capable of falling.
The orbs looped and came for their second pass.
Vay escaped past them without receiving anymore blows, but it didn’t stop her from groaning as she clutched her aching sides.
“We need to hurry and stop him,” Faris said.
“How?!” I replied.
“Ain’t that obvs?” Trez said as she emerged from the bushes, railgun in hand. “We hit him with something even he can’t ignore!”
My heart jumped. How had I overlooked that cannon? If there was anything in here that could overpower Walt, it was that.
Grinning, Trez pulled the trigger.
Nothing happened.
Her victorious expression vanished. She kept clicking the trigger, but it didn’t change anything. “No, no, no. This can’t be happening…”
“Trez!” I yelled.
Two metal orbs were shooting her way.
She saw them late. With her railgun weighing her down, there was no way she could dodge… and I was too far away to stop them.
No!
As Casella rushed out to save Trez, Vay jumped in the way, catching the orbs against her sword. She used the blade as a makeshift shield while squeezing her fangs together.
“Where do you get off underestimating me?” Vay said as she pushed back. “If you refuse to play nice, I’ll crush your balls until you don’t have a choice.” At last, she moved, letting the orbs continue their original course.
It didn’t matter; Casella and Trez had gone.
I exhaled while clutching my chest.
You have no idea how much I love you, Vay…
Waltgomery was less impressed. “Fighting on despite your injuries? Just what I’d expect from a fool who thinks with her fists instead of her head.” As his head shone, he summoned his orbs back around his person and brought in two, four, six… eight more.
“Interesting. Very interesting!” Vay said, chuckling. “Hey, stud! Leave this to me.”
My eyes widened. “Are you insane?!”
“Of course!” she bellowed, fighting through the pain making her midriff twitch. “Now go check on the little ones. I have a score to settle with this patronizing SOB.”
“But—”
Faris brandished her sparking spear. “Go. I’ll help Vay. Find out what’s wrong with Trez’s gun.”
A part of me wanted to argue, but there was something about Faris and Vay stepping toward a fight that made it impossible to talk back. All I could do was nod and rush to the far side of the room.
Hidden in the shadow of an artificial forest were DD and my mates. They were gathered around Trez why she fiddled with her cannon.
“Why does everything I build turn out like this?” Trez complained.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“The battery’s totally fried. Look!” She pulled out a crispy black cylinder. “Just so you know, this is supposed to glow.”
“Can you fix it?” Casella said.
“I’m not a miracle worker! Only way we’ll make this shine again is if we set it on fire… and that ain’t gonna help us one bit.”
I growled as I glanced over my shoulder toward the sound of battle. “Then… what? We need this gun.”
“The only way’s to find a new power supply,” Trez said.
“You mean like these?” Akko asked, pointing to her pistol’s battery.
“That ain’t nearly strong enough.”
“Ohh,” Akko said, shoulders slumping.
Casella gasped. “Then how about we plug it into the station like the sentinels were?”
“How? I don’t see no outlets,” Trez replied.
“The only outlets within this chamber are located on the upper levels,” DD explained. “While there are some located just outside this room, that would require—”
“Opening the door and letting the robots in!” Akko said with a shrill squeak.
I clicked my tongue. “There’s got to be a way to do this…”
“Not unless someone’s got a spare high-grade cell hidden up their ass,” Trez said.
I didn’t even know what that meant…
“Beep boop,” DD said. “I am afraid there are no cells located in my rectal chamber. However, there is one located within my chest.”
Trez’s eyes widened. “Wait, wait, wait… you ain’t trying to suggest what I think you are, right?”
“I do believe I may be, Lady Trez.”
“But that’s insane!”
“What’s the big deal?” Sylvetty asked. “Ain’t she giving ya what you asked for?”
Trez held up her railgun. “You know this thing fries batteries, right? What do you think’ll happen if I hook it to Dee?”
I was ashamed to say I’d been slow on the uptake myself, but once I’d learned the truth, I couldn’t help gawping at DD.
She giggled. “There is no need for such an expression, Master Brandon; I am well aware of what I am doing.”
“Killing yourself?!” I said.
“Only this body. Do not forget that I am really just an advanced computer program wearing a humanoid shell. Besides, is our time together not approaching its conclusion?”
“Not if I can help it!” I had so much I wanted to say to her, but my senses screamed, followed by the rest of me. “Incoming!”
An orb swung around the corner and raced down our hidden alley.
Everyone scrambled out of the way, sending the sphere racing past.
“He can still see us?” Casella said.
“Either that or he’s attacking blind,” Akko said.
“Which means we cannot delay any longer,” DD said. “Please, Lady Trez, use me as you wish. There is no other option. We must get to that terminal.”
“Alright,” Trez replied, under her breath. “But don’t blame me when you get fried like a crisp.”
“I would never,” she said with a giggle, calm expression turning to me. “Would you please buy us time to work, Master Brandon?”
I ground my teeth. My instinct, of course, was to say no, but this wasn’t my choice to make. The most I could do was support them.
“I’ll see what I can do,” I mumbled as I rushed back into the open.
Vay and Faris danced around the lawn’s center, their partners each other and the swarm of spheres aiming for their lives. The pair worked like their minds were synced, with Vay providing the power while Faris showed off her impressive acrobatics.
“Welcome back, stud!” Vay said, her green skin damp with sweat.
“We’ve gotten ourselves a little occupied,” Faris added, her breathing not at its best.
“But only a little!” Vay said as she deflected a ball from striking Faris in the back. “It turns out our pompous friend is all talk. He acts like he wants us dead, yet he dares not ruin his garden.”
The lawn was in pretty good condition for something serving as the stage for a boss fight. It was sullied by heavy steps and slices, but there weren’t any major holes.
“I see no reason to damage this place to speed up an encounter I cannot lose,” Waltgomery explained as he remained safe in his mind bubble.
“You’re underestimating us after everything we’ve done?” I said. “And to think you style yourself as a genius.” I clutched my axe and raced forward… past Waltgomery.
Faris watched me run by the man I was supposed to be fighting. “What are you doing?”
“I’m hitting this bastard where it hurts!” With a roar, I swung.
The tree shattered.
Faris, Vay, and even Waltgomery and his orbs froze as they watched me do a bit of impromptu landscaping.
“I repeat: what are you doing?” Faris asked.
“What’s it look like?” I replied while grinning from ear to ear. “If we can’t hurt him physically, why not try another way?”
Faris froze… before spinning and torching the lovely flower trim around the nearby pond
.
Vay howled with laughter as she sunk her blade into the ground and dug up a chunk of turf. “Don’t leave me out of this!”
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” I said as I rushed down the row, crushing every bush and tree I reached.
How’s this for a distraction?
Try sending out your scouts now.
Waltgomery’s assured expression had vanished. Gone was the contempt in his eyes, swapped for hatred. “Barbarians. It’s clear I’ve not been strict enough.”
“What gave that away?” I said as I chopped through another tree.
He didn’t answer… with words. Walt’s head shone with a newfound radiance as he turned his power up a level. A force so strong I could feel it tugging me filled the room, summoning every object available to his side. It ripped the burning petals from their scorched homes and dragged over the trees I’d toppled from their roots, merging them with the metal spheres to create a psychic vortex of death.
Vay laughed as the air swirled around us. “So the little snob still has a trick up his sleeve? Interesting. Very interesting!”
“I was holding back for the sake of my garden. Blame this on your own idiocy,” Waltgomery replied.
“You’ve not won yet,” I said.
“Guess again.” His head flashed, ordering his soldiers to attack.
Every weapon in his arsenal descended upon us.
My girls and I bolted in different directions away from the tree Walt drove into the ground with the force of a giant’s stomp.
Yep, he was definitely over protecting his lawn.
I clenched my jaw as I was struck with a gust of mental energy and flaming petals. Neither was something that gave me much cause for concern, unlike the racing orbs they obscured. I threw myself away from sphere after sphere after sphere, each only coming into view when already on top of me.
Fortunately, I still had my instincts.
My zerrin-gifted perception gave me the heads-up a second before my eyes could, giving me a fighting chance. It got me away from another, then another, then—tree!
What? Shit!
I was prepared to escape to the side, not away from a sweeping oak. There was no time to dodge; all I could do was brace before the tree drilled me across the room.