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She does not hesitate.
The Tinker sword flares, a cold fire illuminating our surroundings through her jacket. The alternate twilight world of green descends around the white enemy. Tracers draw themselves on the ground as she pulls the sword out of its hiding place, already drawing out the future.
Plans complete, she activates the Turn.
In the real world, she simply disappears from view.
Only coincidence will allow the public to spot her as she reappears, behind the white creep spying on us.
Maybe I shall name all of them Creep, in honor of this one.
The white anomaly reacts, turning as it throws itself to one side. But it is out of time. It just does not know that yet.
An unspoken command flows through the handle. I feel my harnessed essence shiver, my trapped soul flare.
A blue flare of light escapes the broad blade. Flying true, it pierces the four legged creep square in the middle of its teardrop body. The blast continues beyond the target, dissipating in an empty spot on the road, an empty spot between vehicles in the traffic.
Well. I wouldn't say my personality is piercing, but it fits.
The Creep staggers. But it does not die, does not dissipate. If only it is this easy.
Yeah, yeah. I know. But I say nothing. She knows. We've met Processes before.
Another flare of energy builds, a burning mix of orange and red. It bursts into an explosion as the sword crashes onto the ground, causing a wave of destructiveness. The colorful air reaches the Creep, spinning it over, stunning it.
She certainly is stunning.
I let the sword harness me one more time. The alley turns blue once more. And it is done.
The Tinker swords glows, its aura burning. Circuitry traces bright lines on the blade. The centerpiece orb twinkles where it is recessed into the thick blade.
Time resumes.
Traffic screeches, reacting too late to the bolts unleashed earlier. Someone screams.
Someone else screams, pointing at us…
… no. Not at us. Not at us at all.
"Paige!" I shout, "Behind you! Back Back BackBackbackbackback!"
She does not look behind. She does not question. She trusts me instead, dashing into the stopped traffic without looking back.
"Jerk! You big Jerk! Using one of your buddies as bait, will you!?"
A huge shape with the white skin of a Process bursts out of the alleyway, tearing gorges onto both walls with its bulk, creating a shower of dislodged bricks as it charges us.
Its comically simple body of an orb of white with a red spherical crystal insert supports the three smooth domes making its upper body. Two 'arms' sprout out from both sides, below the domes, each a thick multi-segmented piston ending with a spike.
The 'hands' pound onto the floor, creating a visible effect of white and red, leaving gorges of destroyed sidewalk behind.
Well, I know exactly what to name it.
"Not yet! Halfway there!" I shout as she clears the other side of the street and dashes along the suddenly empty sidewalk. "Dodge left!"
She narrowly avoids the pickup flipped over by the Jerk.
Pausing, she turns. I feel the tug on my self.
"Oh no," I start, "Don't."
The Jerk pulls out of the hole of traffic it just made in the roadway. It turns, facing us.
"The time to charge up without a Turn is too long!"
It starts to pound the ground again, the two stumpy legs moving its bulk towards us.
"Paige…"
A mailbox in the Jerk's way disappears, flattened in one blow.
"Run! Back up! You're cutting it too close…"
The store beside us loses its window as the Jerk's explosions shatters the glass.
"Paige!"
Another piercing bolt of blue lashes out.
It does not even stagger the Process.
But it does not matter. Looming tall in front of us, the Process stops.
The world stops.
The twilight has descended.
We win.
The Jerk just does not know it yet.