Bubble Gum HYTE (Fan-fic)
Source: Bubble Gum Crisis/Crash
Author: LV426
Chapter 9: Combat Critical
Astis heard the thud sound when he was on his way up the elevator of the hospital. The other two in there with him stopped talking among themselves for a moment or two.
"What was that?"
"I don't know... probably nothing though."
"Yeah... someone probably dropped a medicine ball."
The first guy winced. "Hope not on their foot. That would hurt."
The conversation went back to normal from there, the two guys forgetting the sound. But then, Astis couldn't blame them. They were only human, and could only gather sound to a certain degree. He, on the other hand, recognized what the sound was, and though it didn't show yet, he was now concerned. He knew the sound of a gun blast when he heard it. He could even identify the make and model of both gun and bullet. This isn't something he was proud to be able to do, but none the less, this is something he was built to be able to do... part of his original purpose according to the humans who had made him.
As the door opened for his floor, Astis barreled out into the hallway, startling the other two in the elevator, his pace quickening as he heard a few more shots going off in the direction he was headed... toward the room one officer Leon McNichol was being treated in. He could only hope he wouldn't be too late for what ever was going on.
* * *
Koshiba made it to the scene a few seconds before Priss. She watched as he lined the side of the room, gun held in position as two guards followed suite. With a nod, the first leaned in as the other guard and the detective covered him mechanically. Priss watched in shock as the trench-coated man she had seen at the Big Egg turned to face the guard with such calm and precision from his position poised over the prone Leon.
The guard spoke. "Don't move! Don't even breath." When the man ignored the warning and took a step forward, the guard repeated. "DON'T come any closer, Sir!"
Koshiba spoke up. "This is Detective Koshiba of the ADP... and you are under arrest for breaking into a hospital, as well as possibly for an assault on an officer."
The man seemed to listen a moment, before without a word or warning, raised his own hand gun and fired at the rather shocked guard twice, once in the chest and once in the head. The guard fell with the shock still on his face, reminding Priss of the kill this man had claimed a few days ago in the stadium.
"What the HELL! FIRE AT WILL!" Koshiba yelled as he took a shot for the man's shoulder. A few rounds of gunfire were heard in response from the other guard, but neither lasted long. The man didn't even move out of the way of fire, choosing instead to aim with the precision that nothing human should have and place one more round in for each of the two officers shooting at him... each right between the eyes.
Priss watched in horror as both went down. The man who had shot them now looked at her calmly. He had about three holes in his chest, two in the left shoulder, and one just over his right eye, but still he stood there as whitish fluid flowed slowly from the wounds, and revealing to her the inhuman nature of the man before her.
Instinctively, she lunged out of the doorway and into the relative protection of the wall. A searing pain ripped through her leg as she heard the gun in his hand speak again. Under cover, she cursed as she looked to see she had been shot in the calf... she had been just to slow.
In her current shape, she would not be able to run long or far enough to keep away, but a part of her really didn't want to run anyway. She grabbed the guard's gun and checked the ammo. There were maybe four rounds. With a low growl, she decided to take her chances and pushed herself up against the wall, cocking the gun now cradled in her hands. Then, she waited. If this machine continued as she thought it would, it would walk right out to her... all she needed to do was wait and finish the job.
It didn't disappoint her. It stepped out of the room methodically, and right into her aim. She squeezed the trigger and put all the hatred she had known in her life into the assault, cursing as each shot hit it's mark in rapid succession.
For the machine's part, it apparently wasn't expecting an assault the instant it stepped out of the room, and fell to the floor as it turned to try and return fire. It hit the ground with a thud before Priss smashed the last round into it's neck, hoping to cut something vital and end it here and now. "Eat this you miserable piece of shit!" she roared as she finished her ammo off. The machine remained still for a moment, leaving Priss to wonder if she had killed it. A sense of unfeeling shock overcame her before it twitched, and methodically moved to stand up, gleaming metal backbone revealed where her last round had hit.
Priss backed up slowly, but in her mind, she had lost. She had failed to take it out and without being able to really run, she was going to be dead in the next few minutes. The boomer calmly raised his hand gun once more, but only halfway before stopping, and in just as controlled a fashion, turned his head and torso to look behind him.
The look was too late, however, as the information guy from the Big Egg that night careened into him, and to the shock of Priss, sent him tumbling past her. The man looked up, not even sweating from the effort. "Get out of here!" he yelled, keeping a watchful eye on the boomer already getting up from the floor.
Priss started to go, but couldn't go very fast and knew it. "Like hell I'm going anywhere like this," she replied, letting her annoyance in her own condition show as annoyance at the man who had just saved her life.
Without another thought, the man ignored Priss as she watched him face off with the boomer intent on killing her. "You have two choices, my friend. Either give up and come with me, or continue, and I will be forced to destroy you." His tone was calm and purposeful, as if he genuinely meant to call this thing his friend.
"Hey! Who the hell are you, anyway?" Priss asked, more than annoyed at that tone.
"I will answer your question later," the man retorted as he extended his right arm. "But right now, I have to handle this." His arm bulged violently under the sleeve of his coat before ripping it to shreds, now a rather large mass of blue bio-mechanical muscle. At the end, two small lasers protruded below his hand with red dots that focused on the center of the chest of the other boomer. The larger cannon above the hand crackled with energy. "Now, as I was saying... the choice is yours... I didn't quite catch your name."
The boomer smiled through the now small stream of white fluid dripping down it's face. "The name of the killer is never the concern of the victim." It stepped forward once more.
The cannon in the man's arm discharged it's load in the form of a bright white energy bolt, which crackled loudly as it lashed out through the gap between the two combatants. In the two seconds it remained connecting the two between it, it ripped a large chunk out of the would-be killer's torso and destroyed many relays and chips within it's systems.
The boomer stumbled backwards, it took it a moment to get a feel for where it was, before it ran down the corridor. The man who just shot it almost followed before Priss yelled out once more, half in anger and half in pain. Both were clearly audible in her voice. "WHERE THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOUR GOING?!?!?" she bellowed.
He turned to her as the sound of glass was heard, knowing he had already lost his target for now anyway. "Ms. Asagiri..."
She glared at him "and how the HELL do you know who I am, BOOMER!"
He was silent a moment. "I was coming to talk to you... but the reason to do so just jumped out the window over there."
She huffed. "Alright, then leave me alone, bucket head."
"Astis."
"WHAT?" She spun on him before falling over in agony.
"My name. It's Astis." Without a word more he picked her up and put her on the couch nearby Leon.
Priss tried to push him away for about three seconds before giving up. She simply didn't have it in her to continue at the moment, and then she was on the couch and there was nothing to push anymore. She regarded him thoughtfully, as if trying to figure out why he even gave a flying shit, before looking at Leon. She could tell quickly she had lost him. He now had two bullet wounds in him, in the same manner as the guard who had been at the door, and had probably been dead for several minutes. Her voice was shaking a she spoke, "I don't really care who you are right now... its best you just go."
Astis would have argued, but the tears in her eyes and what he knew of humans suggested otherwise. "I will call you later... when you have had time to grieve." With that, he walked out of the room, and to the elevator, his arm shrinking down to seem like a replacement arm someone might get if they lost their own.
Priss watched him go in shock. Most humans would not have had such respect for anyone, not even someone who just died. But here was this machine parading as a man, who not only could pity someone who was hurt, but actually understand such things as losing someone enough to on their own offer to leave her alone. Tears clouded her eyes once more as she leaned on Leon's body and let herself cry. She could figure out Astis later... right now, she was too hurt to even begin.
* * *
He was leaking heavily. If he had been human, he might have laughed sarcastically at the readouts in his display that told it this. The trail he had left was enough to explain just how dire his situation was. He would also be wondering right now if everyone thought him dead. He had just jumped from a floor that not even a boomer should be able to survive, much less one in his shape. However, he had also been able to do it without anyone looking, who could have guessed he would swing around on the window sill to land in the next floor below?
Still, while this wasn't something he could give much though, he had to consider two other things now. He had just been shown a new player who had entered the fray, and one he didn't have access to any files on. He would have to learn about this boomer who had damn near destroyed him. It would be more than likely they would meet again.
But at the moment, something else was far more dire: he needed repairs. His readouts blared at him that he had maybe an hour to remain active before his systems would be unable to function. He had no time to decide the best route, not even at his processing speeds. He walked down to the parking lot of the hospital. Under 45 seconds later, a black compact pulled out and drove out, smashing the stop-gate on the way out.
Source: Bubble Gum Crisis/Crash
Author: LV426
Chapter 9: Combat Critical
Astis heard the thud sound when he was on his way up the elevator of the hospital. The other two in there with him stopped talking among themselves for a moment or two.
"What was that?"
"I don't know... probably nothing though."
"Yeah... someone probably dropped a medicine ball."
The first guy winced. "Hope not on their foot. That would hurt."
The conversation went back to normal from there, the two guys forgetting the sound. But then, Astis couldn't blame them. They were only human, and could only gather sound to a certain degree. He, on the other hand, recognized what the sound was, and though it didn't show yet, he was now concerned. He knew the sound of a gun blast when he heard it. He could even identify the make and model of both gun and bullet. This isn't something he was proud to be able to do, but none the less, this is something he was built to be able to do... part of his original purpose according to the humans who had made him.
As the door opened for his floor, Astis barreled out into the hallway, startling the other two in the elevator, his pace quickening as he heard a few more shots going off in the direction he was headed... toward the room one officer Leon McNichol was being treated in. He could only hope he wouldn't be too late for what ever was going on.
* * *
Koshiba made it to the scene a few seconds before Priss. She watched as he lined the side of the room, gun held in position as two guards followed suite. With a nod, the first leaned in as the other guard and the detective covered him mechanically. Priss watched in shock as the trench-coated man she had seen at the Big Egg turned to face the guard with such calm and precision from his position poised over the prone Leon.
The guard spoke. "Don't move! Don't even breath." When the man ignored the warning and took a step forward, the guard repeated. "DON'T come any closer, Sir!"
Koshiba spoke up. "This is Detective Koshiba of the ADP... and you are under arrest for breaking into a hospital, as well as possibly for an assault on an officer."
The man seemed to listen a moment, before without a word or warning, raised his own hand gun and fired at the rather shocked guard twice, once in the chest and once in the head. The guard fell with the shock still on his face, reminding Priss of the kill this man had claimed a few days ago in the stadium.
"What the HELL! FIRE AT WILL!" Koshiba yelled as he took a shot for the man's shoulder. A few rounds of gunfire were heard in response from the other guard, but neither lasted long. The man didn't even move out of the way of fire, choosing instead to aim with the precision that nothing human should have and place one more round in for each of the two officers shooting at him... each right between the eyes.
Priss watched in horror as both went down. The man who had shot them now looked at her calmly. He had about three holes in his chest, two in the left shoulder, and one just over his right eye, but still he stood there as whitish fluid flowed slowly from the wounds, and revealing to her the inhuman nature of the man before her.
Instinctively, she lunged out of the doorway and into the relative protection of the wall. A searing pain ripped through her leg as she heard the gun in his hand speak again. Under cover, she cursed as she looked to see she had been shot in the calf... she had been just to slow.
In her current shape, she would not be able to run long or far enough to keep away, but a part of her really didn't want to run anyway. She grabbed the guard's gun and checked the ammo. There were maybe four rounds. With a low growl, she decided to take her chances and pushed herself up against the wall, cocking the gun now cradled in her hands. Then, she waited. If this machine continued as she thought it would, it would walk right out to her... all she needed to do was wait and finish the job.
It didn't disappoint her. It stepped out of the room methodically, and right into her aim. She squeezed the trigger and put all the hatred she had known in her life into the assault, cursing as each shot hit it's mark in rapid succession.
For the machine's part, it apparently wasn't expecting an assault the instant it stepped out of the room, and fell to the floor as it turned to try and return fire. It hit the ground with a thud before Priss smashed the last round into it's neck, hoping to cut something vital and end it here and now. "Eat this you miserable piece of shit!" she roared as she finished her ammo off. The machine remained still for a moment, leaving Priss to wonder if she had killed it. A sense of unfeeling shock overcame her before it twitched, and methodically moved to stand up, gleaming metal backbone revealed where her last round had hit.
Priss backed up slowly, but in her mind, she had lost. She had failed to take it out and without being able to really run, she was going to be dead in the next few minutes. The boomer calmly raised his hand gun once more, but only halfway before stopping, and in just as controlled a fashion, turned his head and torso to look behind him.
The look was too late, however, as the information guy from the Big Egg that night careened into him, and to the shock of Priss, sent him tumbling past her. The man looked up, not even sweating from the effort. "Get out of here!" he yelled, keeping a watchful eye on the boomer already getting up from the floor.
Priss started to go, but couldn't go very fast and knew it. "Like hell I'm going anywhere like this," she replied, letting her annoyance in her own condition show as annoyance at the man who had just saved her life.
Without another thought, the man ignored Priss as she watched him face off with the boomer intent on killing her. "You have two choices, my friend. Either give up and come with me, or continue, and I will be forced to destroy you." His tone was calm and purposeful, as if he genuinely meant to call this thing his friend.
"Hey! Who the hell are you, anyway?" Priss asked, more than annoyed at that tone.
"I will answer your question later," the man retorted as he extended his right arm. "But right now, I have to handle this." His arm bulged violently under the sleeve of his coat before ripping it to shreds, now a rather large mass of blue bio-mechanical muscle. At the end, two small lasers protruded below his hand with red dots that focused on the center of the chest of the other boomer. The larger cannon above the hand crackled with energy. "Now, as I was saying... the choice is yours... I didn't quite catch your name."
The boomer smiled through the now small stream of white fluid dripping down it's face. "The name of the killer is never the concern of the victim." It stepped forward once more.
The cannon in the man's arm discharged it's load in the form of a bright white energy bolt, which crackled loudly as it lashed out through the gap between the two combatants. In the two seconds it remained connecting the two between it, it ripped a large chunk out of the would-be killer's torso and destroyed many relays and chips within it's systems.
The boomer stumbled backwards, it took it a moment to get a feel for where it was, before it ran down the corridor. The man who just shot it almost followed before Priss yelled out once more, half in anger and half in pain. Both were clearly audible in her voice. "WHERE THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOUR GOING?!?!?" she bellowed.
He turned to her as the sound of glass was heard, knowing he had already lost his target for now anyway. "Ms. Asagiri..."
She glared at him "and how the HELL do you know who I am, BOOMER!"
He was silent a moment. "I was coming to talk to you... but the reason to do so just jumped out the window over there."
She huffed. "Alright, then leave me alone, bucket head."
"Astis."
"WHAT?" She spun on him before falling over in agony.
"My name. It's Astis." Without a word more he picked her up and put her on the couch nearby Leon.
Priss tried to push him away for about three seconds before giving up. She simply didn't have it in her to continue at the moment, and then she was on the couch and there was nothing to push anymore. She regarded him thoughtfully, as if trying to figure out why he even gave a flying shit, before looking at Leon. She could tell quickly she had lost him. He now had two bullet wounds in him, in the same manner as the guard who had been at the door, and had probably been dead for several minutes. Her voice was shaking a she spoke, "I don't really care who you are right now... its best you just go."
Astis would have argued, but the tears in her eyes and what he knew of humans suggested otherwise. "I will call you later... when you have had time to grieve." With that, he walked out of the room, and to the elevator, his arm shrinking down to seem like a replacement arm someone might get if they lost their own.
Priss watched him go in shock. Most humans would not have had such respect for anyone, not even someone who just died. But here was this machine parading as a man, who not only could pity someone who was hurt, but actually understand such things as losing someone enough to on their own offer to leave her alone. Tears clouded her eyes once more as she leaned on Leon's body and let herself cry. She could figure out Astis later... right now, she was too hurt to even begin.
* * *
He was leaking heavily. If he had been human, he might have laughed sarcastically at the readouts in his display that told it this. The trail he had left was enough to explain just how dire his situation was. He would also be wondering right now if everyone thought him dead. He had just jumped from a floor that not even a boomer should be able to survive, much less one in his shape. However, he had also been able to do it without anyone looking, who could have guessed he would swing around on the window sill to land in the next floor below?
Still, while this wasn't something he could give much though, he had to consider two other things now. He had just been shown a new player who had entered the fray, and one he didn't have access to any files on. He would have to learn about this boomer who had damn near destroyed him. It would be more than likely they would meet again.
But at the moment, something else was far more dire: he needed repairs. His readouts blared at him that he had maybe an hour to remain active before his systems would be unable to function. He had no time to decide the best route, not even at his processing speeds. He walked down to the parking lot of the hospital. Under 45 seconds later, a black compact pulled out and drove out, smashing the stop-gate on the way out.