Black Feather: Episode XXXIII
"Arkunis Ceipheid"
Gardens Accord Keep Underground Layer
7:36 p.m., 03/19
"Watch out!! Don't get any closer!!!" A female voice rang through my cockpit.
"Garnet!?" Diana boosted ahead, but stopped as soon as...
"It's dangerous in here!! Get out while you can!!" Diana stopped and withdrew a little.
I spotted a garnet hued AC standing behind a large pillar. Sparks flew from its right shoulder, where its arm was missing and its entire armor was damaged. I went up to the corridor and peeped into the void. Garnet was near us and from the looks of the structure, it was an enormous rotunda. Every sound we made in that dome reverberated off the high walls.
"Garnet, let's get out of here!!" It seemed like Diana didn't want her friend to die in a place like this.
"It's MUCH easier to say it than do it!! Just get out- Aaahh!!" A spinning lance of plasma whizzed through the pillar, slicing it in two. The pillar gave way and Garnet boosted out of the way. I launched myself into the rotunda to get her. Another wave of energy came and barely missed me by five inches. I lost balance, but made my way to Garnet.
"Diana, get in here! Take Garnet and I'll hold off whatever's in here!!" Diana boosted in and led Garnet out.
"Be careful..." Those words made my heart sink, coming from Garnet. Whatever mutilated her AC like that is bound to do so similarly to me. I started to wonder if I'll ever see Iris again...
I was finally able to see the oppressor. Its armor was black and white. Its arms were long cannons, which it brandished in the air. Two blades stuck out from the back of the cannon arms. Its head was shaped like that of an elongated egret's, but had no details on it. There was no face, no eyes, no sensors, nothing; the head was just white glossy metal, like a perfect pearl. Six thick spikes protruded from its back, with narrow, linear, vein-like grooves glowing with blue-green energy. Also from its back were two distinct, metallic wings. One wing resembled an angel's wing, while the other was distinguished as a devil's.
I charged in with overboosters, ready to break-slice him. But then...
"AAAGGGHHHHH!!!!" I screamed as I was thrown to the ground. I landed hard on my core and the missile interception barrel snapped. My left arm, dismembered, landed next to me, its laserblade still drawn and nearly sliced my head as it twirled.
"WARNING: LEFT ARM OFF-LINE."
"Don't you think I know that!?" I was furious as it took me a few precious seconds to get up with one hand. I kneeled down and grabbed my rifle.
The air was stagnant, as if nothing had happened.
I found myself slamming against the metallic wall with intense force. The screens fizzed and sizzled with stripes of gray and black.
"WARNING: LEFT BACK WEAPON AND OVERBOOSTERS OFF-LINE. CORE RESPONSE DECREASED TO 70%."
"This can't be happening..." I had the wind knocked out of me and one of my side-screens had shattered. My chain gun and overboosters were damaged in the impact, as I was thrown against the wall back-first. My AC leaned against the cold, metal surface. This was it for me...
"If you're gonna finish me off, you might as well do it now, damn lunatic..." That 'thing' just appeared out of nowhere in front of me. I recoiled. My eyes grew wide... Is this the end?
"W... What the hell are you!?" I suddenly remembered. The structure of that... 'thing'... was similar to Rey Vyn's Ark Omnis. I knew it then... 'It' had some relation to him and was using the same time-freezing technique I had used at Sphere's detainment facility.
"My NaMe...." My ears shivered and its drums quaked, as the voice had a shrieking mechanical quality to it. I could sense excruciating pain from the voice.
"Is AnGeLuS..."
"Arkunis Ceipheid"
Gardens Accord Keep Underground Layer
7:36 p.m., 03/19
"Watch out!! Don't get any closer!!!" A female voice rang through my cockpit.
"Garnet!?" Diana boosted ahead, but stopped as soon as...
"It's dangerous in here!! Get out while you can!!" Diana stopped and withdrew a little.
I spotted a garnet hued AC standing behind a large pillar. Sparks flew from its right shoulder, where its arm was missing and its entire armor was damaged. I went up to the corridor and peeped into the void. Garnet was near us and from the looks of the structure, it was an enormous rotunda. Every sound we made in that dome reverberated off the high walls.
"Garnet, let's get out of here!!" It seemed like Diana didn't want her friend to die in a place like this.
"It's MUCH easier to say it than do it!! Just get out- Aaahh!!" A spinning lance of plasma whizzed through the pillar, slicing it in two. The pillar gave way and Garnet boosted out of the way. I launched myself into the rotunda to get her. Another wave of energy came and barely missed me by five inches. I lost balance, but made my way to Garnet.
"Diana, get in here! Take Garnet and I'll hold off whatever's in here!!" Diana boosted in and led Garnet out.
"Be careful..." Those words made my heart sink, coming from Garnet. Whatever mutilated her AC like that is bound to do so similarly to me. I started to wonder if I'll ever see Iris again...
I was finally able to see the oppressor. Its armor was black and white. Its arms were long cannons, which it brandished in the air. Two blades stuck out from the back of the cannon arms. Its head was shaped like that of an elongated egret's, but had no details on it. There was no face, no eyes, no sensors, nothing; the head was just white glossy metal, like a perfect pearl. Six thick spikes protruded from its back, with narrow, linear, vein-like grooves glowing with blue-green energy. Also from its back were two distinct, metallic wings. One wing resembled an angel's wing, while the other was distinguished as a devil's.
I charged in with overboosters, ready to break-slice him. But then...
"AAAGGGHHHHH!!!!" I screamed as I was thrown to the ground. I landed hard on my core and the missile interception barrel snapped. My left arm, dismembered, landed next to me, its laserblade still drawn and nearly sliced my head as it twirled.
"WARNING: LEFT ARM OFF-LINE."
"Don't you think I know that!?" I was furious as it took me a few precious seconds to get up with one hand. I kneeled down and grabbed my rifle.
The air was stagnant, as if nothing had happened.
I found myself slamming against the metallic wall with intense force. The screens fizzed and sizzled with stripes of gray and black.
"WARNING: LEFT BACK WEAPON AND OVERBOOSTERS OFF-LINE. CORE RESPONSE DECREASED TO 70%."
"This can't be happening..." I had the wind knocked out of me and one of my side-screens had shattered. My chain gun and overboosters were damaged in the impact, as I was thrown against the wall back-first. My AC leaned against the cold, metal surface. This was it for me...
"If you're gonna finish me off, you might as well do it now, damn lunatic..." That 'thing' just appeared out of nowhere in front of me. I recoiled. My eyes grew wide... Is this the end?
"W... What the hell are you!?" I suddenly remembered. The structure of that... 'thing'... was similar to Rey Vyn's Ark Omnis. I knew it then... 'It' had some relation to him and was using the same time-freezing technique I had used at Sphere's detainment facility.
"My NaMe...." My ears shivered and its drums quaked, as the voice had a shrieking mechanical quality to it. I could sense excruciating pain from the voice.
"Is AnGeLuS..."