Black Feather: Episode XIII
"Lenore"
Surface Crater S-75X900
6:38 p.m., 03/07
Sparks flew as Qastor swiped the AC's hand with his laserblade. He withdrew to a safe distance, catching sight of the AC's left arm, smoke rose from where the blade struck.
The AC aimed its large right weapon. Qastor reacted, but stopped, his adrenaline accelerating his heart. The AC froze, holding its posture like a doomsday statue. A blue glow awakened in its weapon. A quiet hum crept into Qastor's ears, eventually turning into a loud roar. Electricity gathered into the weapon's barrel. The ground quaked.
A cerulean flash thundered its way towards Qastor, as if he were the sun's prey. The overboosters reacted and Xanthippius escaped with a graze on his left shoulder and Stealth extension, racing right. A shockwave explosion blasted where the AC's enormous shot landed. Qastor followed up with his rifle. The AC dashed backwards, slowly turning towards Qastor and absorbing his rifle bullets. The AC's dual-missile launcher positioned itself. Qastor reacted by activating his extensions. Another of the AC' shoulder weapons positioned itself, the missile launcher eased. The AC made its way towards him, firing triple rockets once every second. A few direct hits were more than enough to make Qastor switch to his chain gun. Suddenly, the AC raced, its overboosters burned behind it.
"Damn!" The AC caught up to Qastor and swung its MOONLIGHT blade. It barely missed as Qastor boosted back, but left him open to fire. A blue crescent wave was nearing Xanthippius' torso, the armor reflecting the blade wave's luminescence. Qastor escaped again by breaking left, the wave only a few centimeters from touching him. Qastor remembered his Rail Gun.
"It better work!!" The weapon positioned itself, its long rail barrel oozed with electricity, the numerous rails of magnets illuminated. Qastor pressed the trigger button. The weapon screamed. The AC stopped. "Huh?"
The rail bullet landed a mile away in less than half a second, sending a sharp ping that reverberated throughout the crater and into the sky. One of the AC's eyes was replaced by a smoldering hole. The bullet had penetrated its armor and punched a hole in its head. Stars in the night were visible through the AC's head. It overboosted straight for Qastor. He reacted and boosted backwards. He fired another shot.
A sphere of sparks laughed and the AC's left arm radius dropped to the ground, the MOONLIGHT landing with it. The rail bullet had ripped the AC's left arm elbow joint asunder. The AC pointed its deadly weapon. Missiles dived towards the AC from behind Qastor.
"What the... Where!?"
"Qastor, get Iris now!" The voice sounded faintly familiar. The incoming missiles missed as the AC dashed right.
"G-Gaidoz!" Qastor boosted left, nearing the hole in the ground.
"Leave this guy to me and save her! We don't have much time!!" Qastor could tell he had not fully recovered from yesterday's ordeal. Gaidoz's voice labored, but was adamant.
"What about you!?"
"Don't worry about me! I'll be fine..." Doubt riddled his words. His gray and red AC landed roughly. His core was new.
Qastor leapt into the abyss. Bright specks adorned the night sky.
_____________________________
He drifted in nevermore. Dim luminescence from the cockpit screens seemed to come alive in the howling void. Blood rushed to his head as Xanthippius wandered into the deep.
Invisible pebbles and boulders launched from their resting place. Xanthippius had landed. A 3-D map guided Qastor ahead. It was a gargantuan cave, but a steel-clad corridor was dead ahead.
A metallic clash disturbed the confined expanse, the rocks clicked and flipped upon the damp, stone floor. Qastor hurried, the undead cave denizens stirred.
The corridor made way. Another even larger cave came into view. A ponderous metallic pillar, illuminated with a thousand suns, slowly spun in the center.
"Q... Qastor... h... help..." Qastor gasped. It was Iris.
A crimson and jet-black AC stood near the pillar, its details barely distinguishable against the spinning rays. Silvermoon, heavy damaged and irreparable, hung suspended in the air by the AC's left hand. The hand trembled slightly, choking Silvermoon, electricity sparked from her neck while its circuits slowly snapped, one... by... one...
"LET GO OF HER!" Qastor fired his Rail Gun, only grazing the AC's hand and swaying it slightly to the side. Its head turned to Qastor and tossed Silvermoon like a pillow. She landed right in front of Qastor.
"IRIS!!" Xanthippius kneeled down.
"Qastor......" Iris whispered hopelessly.
"Hahahahahah..." The AC stared at the pathetic duo. Its eyes glared a vibrant turquoise. "That voice..."
"Who are you!?" Qastor's voice tremored with fear and enmity.
"Don't you remember me?" A hollow metallic rasp was apparent in the voice.
"No. I don't!" Qastor spoke low and sharp.
"It is I... Rey Vyn."
"Lenore"
Surface Crater S-75X900
6:38 p.m., 03/07
Sparks flew as Qastor swiped the AC's hand with his laserblade. He withdrew to a safe distance, catching sight of the AC's left arm, smoke rose from where the blade struck.
The AC aimed its large right weapon. Qastor reacted, but stopped, his adrenaline accelerating his heart. The AC froze, holding its posture like a doomsday statue. A blue glow awakened in its weapon. A quiet hum crept into Qastor's ears, eventually turning into a loud roar. Electricity gathered into the weapon's barrel. The ground quaked.
A cerulean flash thundered its way towards Qastor, as if he were the sun's prey. The overboosters reacted and Xanthippius escaped with a graze on his left shoulder and Stealth extension, racing right. A shockwave explosion blasted where the AC's enormous shot landed. Qastor followed up with his rifle. The AC dashed backwards, slowly turning towards Qastor and absorbing his rifle bullets. The AC's dual-missile launcher positioned itself. Qastor reacted by activating his extensions. Another of the AC' shoulder weapons positioned itself, the missile launcher eased. The AC made its way towards him, firing triple rockets once every second. A few direct hits were more than enough to make Qastor switch to his chain gun. Suddenly, the AC raced, its overboosters burned behind it.
"Damn!" The AC caught up to Qastor and swung its MOONLIGHT blade. It barely missed as Qastor boosted back, but left him open to fire. A blue crescent wave was nearing Xanthippius' torso, the armor reflecting the blade wave's luminescence. Qastor escaped again by breaking left, the wave only a few centimeters from touching him. Qastor remembered his Rail Gun.
"It better work!!" The weapon positioned itself, its long rail barrel oozed with electricity, the numerous rails of magnets illuminated. Qastor pressed the trigger button. The weapon screamed. The AC stopped. "Huh?"
The rail bullet landed a mile away in less than half a second, sending a sharp ping that reverberated throughout the crater and into the sky. One of the AC's eyes was replaced by a smoldering hole. The bullet had penetrated its armor and punched a hole in its head. Stars in the night were visible through the AC's head. It overboosted straight for Qastor. He reacted and boosted backwards. He fired another shot.
A sphere of sparks laughed and the AC's left arm radius dropped to the ground, the MOONLIGHT landing with it. The rail bullet had ripped the AC's left arm elbow joint asunder. The AC pointed its deadly weapon. Missiles dived towards the AC from behind Qastor.
"What the... Where!?"
"Qastor, get Iris now!" The voice sounded faintly familiar. The incoming missiles missed as the AC dashed right.
"G-Gaidoz!" Qastor boosted left, nearing the hole in the ground.
"Leave this guy to me and save her! We don't have much time!!" Qastor could tell he had not fully recovered from yesterday's ordeal. Gaidoz's voice labored, but was adamant.
"What about you!?"
"Don't worry about me! I'll be fine..." Doubt riddled his words. His gray and red AC landed roughly. His core was new.
Qastor leapt into the abyss. Bright specks adorned the night sky.
_____________________________
He drifted in nevermore. Dim luminescence from the cockpit screens seemed to come alive in the howling void. Blood rushed to his head as Xanthippius wandered into the deep.
Invisible pebbles and boulders launched from their resting place. Xanthippius had landed. A 3-D map guided Qastor ahead. It was a gargantuan cave, but a steel-clad corridor was dead ahead.
A metallic clash disturbed the confined expanse, the rocks clicked and flipped upon the damp, stone floor. Qastor hurried, the undead cave denizens stirred.
The corridor made way. Another even larger cave came into view. A ponderous metallic pillar, illuminated with a thousand suns, slowly spun in the center.
"Q... Qastor... h... help..." Qastor gasped. It was Iris.
A crimson and jet-black AC stood near the pillar, its details barely distinguishable against the spinning rays. Silvermoon, heavy damaged and irreparable, hung suspended in the air by the AC's left hand. The hand trembled slightly, choking Silvermoon, electricity sparked from her neck while its circuits slowly snapped, one... by... one...
"LET GO OF HER!" Qastor fired his Rail Gun, only grazing the AC's hand and swaying it slightly to the side. Its head turned to Qastor and tossed Silvermoon like a pillow. She landed right in front of Qastor.
"IRIS!!" Xanthippius kneeled down.
"Qastor......" Iris whispered hopelessly.
"Hahahahahah..." The AC stared at the pathetic duo. Its eyes glared a vibrant turquoise. "That voice..."
"Who are you!?" Qastor's voice tremored with fear and enmity.
"Don't you remember me?" A hollow metallic rasp was apparent in the voice.
"No. I don't!" Qastor spoke low and sharp.
"It is I... Rey Vyn."