Finally, the ruins of the factory stood before them. Pillars of ashes, pits of dust and rusted metal lurked.
Winnie peered down into the dusty depths. This was it. "All right. We should be able to just slide down this slope here pretty easily, as long as you avoid those jutting beams. Don't worry; you'd have to be pretty clumsy to run into one.
"Mike, I want you and Julie to go and find the original Angel. Once you find her, convince her through any means necessary to use her harmonics ability."
Mike nodded. "And everyone will be ok, once she's safe."
Winnie watched him, noting the way his eyes lit up once he said safe, alive again with the light she had come to associate with him. What is his deal; she thought again, bitterness sweeping through her. Doesn't she know what Angel is, what she represents?
Whatever, we don't have time for this. "Come on."
They carefully stepped over the lip of the slope, and started down, balancing as their feel slid on a layer of loose sand. Julie followed a few feet behind, her hands waving franticly.
"Ahh, guys, I really don't have good balance, I… Ah, steel beam-Thwang…"
Mike and Winnie made it to the bottom. They looked around.
"Where'd Julie go?"
"I thought I heard a short scream on the way down…"
Winnie tutted. "Shame. Looks like our enemies got to her too, the poor dear. Come on, can't let her sacrifice go in vain.
They made their way into the ruins. Up ahead, they could make out a petite figure strolling into view, and the flash of a blade forming.
Winnie whistled. "Well, it looks like it's just us again.
"Yep," Mike agreed. He glanced at her. "You do know that this isn't your fault, right? Everyone did what they could to let us get this far. You managed to hold us together."
"Yeah, I got it." Winnie grumbled. "…thanks for sticking by me, Mike. Even if you are a moron. Now go find Angel, I bet she's sleeping somewhere. Leave this chick to me. I really want to beat someone up right about now."
As Mike tip-toed away, Winifred flipped out her handgun, unloading two shots at the Fallen Angel's head. Both were repulsed by a distortion field.
She cursed. Figures.
A white blur flew at her. Darn it, these creepers are aggressive, Winnie thought as she flicked out her knife. Their metals met in a clash of sparks. Winnie made out her enemies eyes, alive with bloodlust.
They spun apart. Who the hell are these people, Winnie wondered. Whatever. They aren't sticking around much longer.
"Guardskill: Delay," the clone whispered, seconds before Winnie's grenade imploded against her face. The clone's afterimage was blown apart by the explosion as the physical form surged forward, meeting Winnie's blade again with a clang. They fought, lunging, sliding, and slashing.
Winnie felt the metal bit into her shoulder before she repulsed with a parry. Her breath came in short gasps; it was all she could do to deflect her opponent's ludicrous attacks. With a grunt, she kicked out.
The Fallen Angel spun away, face not even flushed. But then, instead of jumping back in, she smiled. Rising her blades over her head, she began to hum.
"Guardskill: Howling."
"Mike!" Winnie shouted. "Cover your ears!"
Across the cavern, her surprised friend had just clasped his head when a grinding shockwave tore through him, throwing him to the ground. "What… what is it?" he gasped, veins throbbing in agony.
All throughout the cavern, metal twisted and screeched with the disturbance. Invisible shockwaves of perverted discord emanated from the Fallen Angel's hands, before racing out, causing avalanches on the slopes of dust.
The Fallen Angel leered with pleasure. Then, the smile faltered. What was this? A figure, some battered school girl was fighting her way forward, clothes rippling with pressure. No, this was impossible! She couldn't, she couldn't she-
SCHLIZE!
The clone collapsed, the discord fading into swirls and eddies. Winnie leaned over the other girl, letting go of her submerged blade with satisfaction.
The Fallen Angel coughed, eyes narrowed. "How… how did you…"
"Hmm?" Winnie questioned, indicating her ears. She popped out her ear plug. "Sorry, didn't catch that?"
Her enemy groaned with fury, straining under Winnie's weight.
"Now now, calm down. I can slit your throat with my spare knife, if you wish."
The moment the Howling had ended, Mike forced himself back onto his feet. He was stumbled onward, when a flash of white in a nearby pit caught his eye. There, curled up at the bottom, lay a young girl.
"Emily!" he slid down to the bottom of the hole. "Emily! Are you ok?" When he saw her, he felt something tear
. He encircled his arms around Mike, gathering her up into his lap. He tried to ignore the systematic series of holes present in her chest.
She was silent for a moment. Then, gradually, her eyes stretched open. "… Mr. Carter? What are you doing down here? It is very dusty, and I …am afraid you might have trouble sneezing." She coughed feebly.
He nearly laughed with relief. "No, no, it's okay. Listen Emily, there's something very important I need you to do for me? Please, just this one favor.
She blinked at him in acknowledgment.
"I need you to use one of your guardskills. Harmonics. Everyone else is in trouble, they're hurt. If you use it… you can help them. We can get rid of all of these monsters.
"If I use it… all of the copies will be absorbed?"
He nodded franticly. "Yes! Yes, they'll all disappear."
I'm sorry I couldn't protect you, he cursed to himself. I should have known that I'm not good enough to do that basic thing.
Her eyes closed for a moment. "Very well. If it is what you wish. I think I can handle it, once."
He felt her chest expand as she took a breath. "Guardskill: Harmonics."
Just as when Emily had fought the Master of the River, her body was briefly illuminated in a blinding glow. The light flowed through her, moving to a single point before leaping from her form, to solidify in the rubble behind them. Mike watched as a figure became apparent, a reflection of the girl in his arms.
Far away, Emily's computer flashed. Timer activated. 10. 9.
The Fallen Angel blinked. "Oh. You have altered the program."
"Yes," Mike glared. "This is the end. You're leaving, all of you.'
Angel's reflection smiled. "Oh, really? We're going back into Miss Emily Robinson, all 99 of us?
"But us copies have strength of our own, you know. Do you think she'll be all right, after absorbing all these hate-filled minds?"
1. : Absorb
She smiled. "It's time."
"Wait, what do you mean?" Mike gasped. "Hold on!"
The taunting grin evaporated. Angel's copy dissolved, her body splitting into stream of 1's and 0's. The smog of code hovered for a moment, before sinking into Angel like a burial shawl.
Emily screamed. Eyes flew open, she lashed out, her body convulsing as the code permeated her. Mike's gaze snapped round. All around them, clouds of red code were dribbling through the cavern's ceiling, sucked toward them. Mike felt terror strike him, and the urge to flee howled in his ear.
No. I may not be able to protect her. But I won't leave her. Clenching his eyes, Mike brought Emily in to his chest.
Searing agony ripped through him as he felt the code tear through his back, before entering Emily. Mike's back arched as poison after poison ate through him.
Emily jerked and thrashed against him, and every Fallen Angel that passed through burned like an inferno from hell. But he couldn't let go. All he could do was keep her fevered form close to his, and hold on.
A/N: End of Mission Eight. More than halfway done, and almost at chapter 50. We've really gotten far, much farther than I thought we would. Now's the time that I start thinking about how I want this to end. I guess I've got a few ideas. Thanks for all the support guys.
