Chapter 15
Predictably, Phase vanished. I had, of course, taken this possibility into account, and likewise was prepared to change my course of action. I had my right foot forward when he disappeared, and launched myself backward off of it, changing my direction fully with a twist of my hips. Barely stopping to think about it, I grabbed Mayu roughly by her forearms and flung her away as the specter reappeared next to her and with his claw slashed the empty air where she had been standing. Mayu, now with a chance to react, activated her own beam-daggers and dodged around me to lunge at him. She's going to fight no matter what I do, I realized, also charging the pale reploid and hoping that the human girl would have the good sense to avoid leaving herself open.
Our ghost-like nemesis swung his left arm again at the orange-clad woman, and she dropped beneath the swipe, slide-tackling his legs. He stumbled, but vanished again, leaving a silver fog behind, and teleporting in behind me. He struck out with a kick aimed for my back with one red-spiked boot, but I whirled to the side. His leg passed by my midsection and I grabbed it from the air, yanking and dumping him to the ground, although he teleported again before he landed, appearing a bit farther down the cave.
"You coward," I called out acidly. "You rely on cheap parlor tricks to keep you out of harm's way. Stand and fight!" I was taunting him, hoping to anger him into making a careless mistake. Such tactics were usually below me, but I found myself not caring how admirably I dealt with this foe, since he himself fought dishonorably, and more importantly, had openly threatened a human. Mayu ran down the corridor after him, her daggers held backwards and parallel to her forearms, drawn back and ready to strike like a venomous serpent. The red and white reploid waited until she was nearly close enough to attack and then flashed from in front of her to behind her.
I saw the blow before it came, but was too far back to do anything about it. Move, move… was all my mind could scream… and she did. Her sudden twist in her attack was so precise, she had to have been expecting Phase's next move; with all grace, she turned her body to face him while skidding her legs backward, nearly lying down in the air. Since there was no way for her to regain her balance, as she took the fall intentionally, sliding back between his legs as he swung at her previously occupied space. Bringing both blades out, she caught him in either calf and sent him stumbling backward, dangerously close to stepping on her.
By this time, I had managed to get close enough to perform an attack of my own, and I drove a saber straight for his head. He disappeared and reappeared again, this time transing in where we had been at the start, a fair distance behind us now. I pulled Mayu from the floor, although she did not particularly look as though she needed help, and glared back at the specter.
Phase chuckled, his right hand held in a curious position next to his face. "Very amusing," he nodded jovially. "I'm surprised; the human hasn't let herself be destroyed yet. What a… vain effort." He frowned and looked down at his claw. "I supposed I should stop drawing this out more than it needs to be, and simply destroy you both." The hand by his face began to glow with whitish power, and I stepped in front of Mayu protectively. I was not sure what he had in mind, but I was quite certain that I could take the blow better than she could. Suddenly, he was no longer in front of us, but to the side, and let a blast of clear, precise energy fly in our direction. From the new angle, it would have hit us both, but Li flew in front of us and erected her barrier, sapping the power from the attack.
"Harpy-boy, slaughter him!" she hollered, flying angrily at his face, although it would not accomplish anything. "Human-killing Maverick!" she screeched at him, her orange light bright enough to be blinding. Phase teleported again, appearing on our other side.
Mayu drew back her sabers to slash at him, but he was apparently more set on confusing us now, and appeared right in front of me before she could swing. I, too, tried to attack, but he vanished again, coming in behind me to kick the small of my back. I stumbled forward from the blow and whirled to face him, but he was gone again. Mayu stood with her back to the wall, trying to avoid any surprises. She appeared ready to counter anything he threw at her.
Perhaps humans aren't as helpless as I once thought, I conceded to myself. However, that doesn't change the fact that you can't just rebuild them if they're destroyed. Our enemy appeared directly in front of the girl, and I dove at him, intent on attacking before he did. He looked at me with a growl and vanished again, forcing me to stop and hover in midair so I did not crash into Mayu.
"This is going nowhere," I muttered darkly, and she nodded in agreement.
"There's no place to move here; you really can't even use your boosters," she acknowledged. "He's just gonna go on like this 'til one of us makes a mistake."
I shook my head. I hated running from battle like this, but… "Make for our exit," I hissed. "If you get there before me… just jump. Trust me." She looked uncertain, but nodded.
"Incoming," Li screamed in warning, and I felt the piercing weight of Phase's claw pitch me sideways. I turned my head as I was falling to see him direct his attention toward Mayu, but she was already following my instructions and bolting for the side-tunnel.
"Oh, no you don't," the ghost-like figure growled, vanishing and reappearing almost on top of her.
Mayu let out a little exclamation as she was knocked to the floor. Phase attempted to jab her with his pointed boot, but she rolled out of the way and grabbed the corner of his cape, yanking him off-balance. I used the distraction to slam into the back of him, sabers pointed before me. Both tips punctured about a half an inch before he disappeared again. Mayu jumped up from the floor, recovering surprisingly quickly, and I shoved her in front of me to run down the tunnel. I was capable of running much faster than she, but I was intent on covering the rear, so I slowed my pace considerably to match hers.
Phase appeared in front of us and we both broke and dodged around him, slashing as we passed. He sidestepped my attack and lunged for Mayu, swinging his claw in an overhand blow that caught her across the back and sent her crashing against the wall. She landed on her hands and knees and struggled to get up quickly. Blood welled from the deep gash that the enemy had inflicted.
"Mayu!" I yelled hoarsely. Blast it; I should have known he'd try to kill her first. I turned to Phase. "Maverick!" I screamed, my normally calm-sounding voice rough with rage.
The ghost-like entity laughed without any real humor. "So, I have struck a pathetic human; what do you think you can do about it?" He teleported as I moved to attack him and caught me on the side of the head with a backhand swing from his claw. I toppled to the ground and rolled into a sweep-kick to take him down. He disappeared and reappeared over me, claw raised to strike. "You amuse me. For all that I have heard about your great fighting abilities, you're careless.
"And you talk too much," Mayu spat, driving one beam-dagger into his back. He gave a wordless exclamation and vanished again, ending up somewhere behind us. I did not wait to see where, or to launch another attack. We were at a disadvantage with the terrain, and I wanted to get my human friend out of danger. I gingerly picked Mayu up in my arms, trying to avoid her wounded back, and took a few steps forward at a sprint. More speed than this… I kicked in my thrusters and flew recklessly down the tunnel. Mayu, not sure what else to do, simply clung to my neck, but I could feel her muscles tense, still ready and willing to fight. More of my warriors need that kind of spirit.
I saw a white blur at my side and realized that Phase was keeping pace with me with his teleporting, and would soon be ahead. I screeched to a stop, my metal-soled heels grating noisily against the floor, and set down my lightweight burden. Phase overcompensated and appeared too far in front of me to attack. I threw a crescent of blade energy in his face and urged Mayu to keep running without me. Phase teleported to follow, but I anticipated his next location and met him with a sharp kick to the face. He stumbled back and I thrust forward with my left-hand blade, attempting to score a direct hit to his chest. He, of course, vanished again, and I used the brief moment to run after Mayu, knowing that if I did not, he may very well get to her first.
Mayu's wound was most definitely causing her pain, and she was out of breath, but she continued to run anyway, knowing that it was crucial to me that she escaped. I again activated my boosters and grabbed her as I passed, hoping that I did not hurt her, but not having the time to be gentle. Li was having trouble keeping up, but I thought that I could see light ahead, giving me hope that we were almost there.
Phase appeared just ahead of me and clothes-lined me, and I flung Mayu out of the way. I used the force of the blow to my advantage, flipping over completely and landing on my feet beside my pale foe. I then ducked beneath his follow-up swing and slashed his well-armored stomach with both sabers. Mayu pulled herself from the floor and moved to help me, but I shook my head and yelled, "Get out of here, I'll hold him off!"
She looked as though she were about to argue, but closed her mouth and nodded determinedly. Good; she understands. Phase teleported after Mayu, but I anticipated the move and ran in behind him, yanking him back away from her by the throat. I caught hold of his cape and threw him to the floor, planting a solid kick into his left side that sent him crashing into the wall. He glowered and disappeared again, and I used the momentary freedom to continue my retreat down the corridor. Mayu was out of sight around the corner, and with every turn, I hoped to see the light of day blinding my darkness-attuned eyes, promising escape.
Phase flashed past me, and I pushed myself to run faster, not quite daring to activate my boosters since a wrong move in the winding corridor would have easily sent me careening into the wall. I've gotta be almost there… And then there was sunlight hitting my face like a beacon of promise, and I breathed a mental sigh of relief- A sigh that was cut short as the pale specter appeared between Mayu and I and kicked her already-wounded back, sending her flying off the edge of the precipice.
"Mayu!" I leapt after her, but felt an iron grip on my ankle as Phase grabbed hold of me and flung me against the wall.
"You won't be saving her today," he informed me coldly. "How does it feel to be helpless?"
"Surprisingly not all that different than anything else lately," I growled. "It sucks." I activated my boosters, carrying us both off the ledge, and dove after my charge, catching up to her, catching her, and slowing our descent to land lightly on the ground.
"…Ow…" Mayu managed , rubbing her back after I had set her down. "Where'd ghost-boy run off to?"
I looked up, but saw no sign. "I don't know, and presently, I don't care. If we're away from the jamming signal, we're returning to base."
Mayu frowned, looked away, and nodded. "Guess I was pretty useless."
We'll talk later. I activated the portable transerver, which was now working perfectly, and had us both teleported back to base.
"We need to attack swiftly, decisively… and soon," I commanded, addressing all of the top officers for the Rekku, Jin'en, and Meikai armies. I had made certain that all notable military personnel with a mid-high rank and up were present, and the conference room was full nigh on to bursting, but the discordant murmurs of unrest had ceased some time ago as I had begun to address the crowd. Although I would tolerate interruption in the form of legitimate questions, only my fellow guardians and the occasional general ever bothered to give any input, whether it be inquiries, suggestions, or comments. I took that to mean that they were satisfied with my leadership and my information; either that, or no one dared to contradict me. In my present mood, that was not a particularly unreasonable scenario.
There was a lengthy, heavy silence that reigned until Fefnir finally broke it, standing from his chair with his hands on the table. "Wait… Just how soon are you thinkin'?" His frown creased his face, actually aging him a few years, testament to how bothered he was by my latest report. "The Rekku and Jin'en armies have barely recovered from that last battle, y'know."
"It can't be helped," I told him, allowing a hint of regret to taint my voice. "We know they're there now, and obviously they know we were there. I'm sure they're packing up as we speak and watching over their shoulders to see if we attack." I narrowed my eyes. "We won't disappoint them."
"But doesn't that mean they're expecting us?" Leviathan asked incredulously. "We could walk straight into an ambush." Her eyes were worried, and she shifted uneasily in her chair.
I nodded. "That has occurred to me," I conceded. "However, that information works both ways; they won't be sure what we're going to do because they know what we know and vice-versa. I admit that it's a volatile situation, and attacking will, doubtless, be dangerous, but it's a war. These kinds of risks must be taken to achieve any kind of victory."
Fefnir grinned, a much more customary expression for his features than the last. "Well, if that's the way it's gotta be, we'll give it our all."
Magnion, however, seemed much more reluctant to accept the battle plans and turned his head to shoot me a disapproving glare. "I would think that more stealth would be a bit more appropriate in this case."
"What good is stealth when they already know we're coming?" Falcon fired back, angry at Magnion's questioning of my decision.
Hyleg Ourobockle waved his serpentine head back and fourth. "If there is an ambush awaiting our arrival, perhaps we need a different approach altogether."
The meeting quickly deteriorated into a cacophony of one voice trying to be heard over another. Arguments broke out across tables, and some of the less intelligent mutos soldiers resorted to bellowing animal noises to get their points across. I shared an aggravated glance with Fefnir and Leviathan before rising, pounding a fist on the table, and shouting, "Silence!"
All disagreement ceased as I clenched my fists and attempted to regain control of my temper- and the meeting. The sound of my voice raised in wrath was usually enough to stun everyone into muteness, since normally I spoke with a sort of soft calmness. My men had long since learned, however, that that did not translate to weakness. I stared down at the table for a moment. My knuckles had left a shallow dent in the polished wood. "This is no longer up for discussion," I said slowly. "Since you all lack the competence to discuss this in a coherent manner, you'll simply have to deal with my decision." I gazed coldly over my men. "Dismissed."
There was a collective shuffling as all rose and made their way to the door. Falcon shot me a sympathetic glance, and I nodded in return. Fefnir and Leviathan moved past me and I stopped them both.
"Meet me up in my office," I told them, pressing my forehead against my thumb and forefinger. "Hopefully we, at least, can manage to talk about his without getting into a yelling match."
"Hey, if this is what you-" Fefnir began, but I held up my hand to silence him.
"Just save it all until we get up there. I think I need a minute or two to myself."
He nodded in understanding, and Leviathan patted my shoulder and gave me an empathetic smile before they both left the room.
I waited until the conference area had cleared out before leaving myself, but instead of going directly to my office, I decided to take a detour down to the medical center where Mayu was recuperating from her wounds. She would have been present at the meeting if not for that, so I thought that I should give her a brief summary of the disaster of a conference I had just gone through.
The woman was lying listlessly on her stomach on one of the med-ward cots with her face buried in her arms and the pillow. She was covered by a sheet and wore a simple hospital-style gown. It surprised me just a bit; I had always seen her in full armor. She looks so… human… and helpless. I shook off the thought, knowing that she was anything but helpless.
"Hey," I said softly, wondering if she was asleep, and not sure how to start a conversation. I was still getting used to the idea that she was not a reploid, and sometimes it felt just a bit awkward.
She turned her head to the side, looked at me with bleary eyes, and mumbled something that sounded vaguely like "Hi." She looked tired and worn, almost as though since I now knew her secret she had let her guard down. I pulled a chair over and sat down.
"So, how are you feeling?" I inquired, not wanting to start right out with a report on the meeting. Presently, I cared more about her condition, anyway.
"Like crap," She muttered, burying her face in her pillow again. She seemed a bit embarrassed, and I did not blame her, in a way. I was the Master of Neo-Arcadia, and I was standing in front of her in her weakest moment. I placed a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm sure you'll be fine soon." I thought about telling her that she had no obligation to continue being a spy, but I knew from experience that that was not what she wanted. Instead, I shrugged, managed a half-smile, and said, "You'll be info-gathering again for us in no time."
She sighed. "I hope so. This really sucks. If I even move, my back starts bleeding again."
"They said you're healing fast, and your armor was repaired, too." I sat back. "We could re-design the armor a bit, if you want, so it would be more protective."
"Better not," she told me. "The Resistance would notice the difference and wonder who did it."
"Does the Resistance know you're a human?" I wondered suddenly. They must, if she spends so much time there. Humans have different needs than reploids; no wonder she never stuck around here for very long.
"Yeah," she said uneasily. She turned her head again to look at me sorrowfully. "I'm sorry for lying to you, Sage. I just… didn't know how else to do what I needed to do."
"I'm not mad," I said. "Not anymore. But, I've found out the one thing that scares me, and that's the idea that I could have caused a human to come to harm." I looked at her meaningfully. "Do you understand what I'm getting at?"
"I'm sorry," she said miserably. "I wish I could say I shouldn't have done that, but I really don't feel that way. I just… I can't do nothing. I'm not content with that."
"Yeah," I answered finally. "I understand that." I forced my expression to be stern. "But don't hide any important information from me again, whether it be about you or anything else. Do you understand?"
"Yes," she said quietly. "…All I can say is I'm sorry. I… didn't want to mislead you, and I never wanted to put you in a bad position."
"Your apology is accepted. I thought I told you that back in the cave. You don't need to keep saying you're sorry." I gave her just a hint of a smile. "Human or no, it doesn't change that fact that you've been a great help to us, and I thank you for that."
She looked relieved. "I'm glad." And after a pause, "I suppose you didn't really come down here just for a pep-talk. What's up?"
I chuckled. "Perceptive as usual." The minuscule smile died on my face and I chewed half-heartedly at my lower lip before realizing what I was doing and stopping.
Mayu, apparently noticing the habit, let out a breath. "Uh-oh… What's wrong now?"
I decided to plunge ahead. "I called a meeting of everyone of rank to give them the information that we gathered. Unfortunately, there is some…dissent over what to do with it. I did the best I could, but sometimes…" I broke my phrase with a sigh. "Sometimes I wonder how smart I really am as opposed to how smart everyone thinks I am."
She turned toward me little more and chuckled. "You're living up to your name, Sage."
"What do you mean?"
"One who is wise… it's the destiny of someone possessing great intelligence and wisdom to question everything."
I snorted. "I have enough questions, all right. Not enough answers, though."
She tried to shrug, but winced in pain. "Well, regardless of how much you question your own decisions, I'll support whatever course of action you plan in the end."
My lip twitched in just the slightest hint of a smile. "Thanks. That means a lot." I shifted, draping my arms over my knees. "Anyway, the meeting…"
"Well, how bad was it?" she asked wryly.
I made a sound halfway between a groan and a growl. "I ended up dismissing them all and saying, in word, 'deal with it.' Had you been there, you may have mistaken it for a zoo instead of a gathering of what are supposed to be Neo-Arcadia's finest."
"Ouch," she breathed empathetically. "Sorry it went like that. What's the end result?"
"We're attacking them head-on. I've ordered the top generals of all armies to prepare to move out as soon as possible."
Her expression turned worried. "Isn't that pretty risky, after what just happened to us?"
I nodded. "Of course it is. War is a game of taking risks, but I don't think they'll be expecting something this direct."
"But we don't really know what they have to throw at us," she pointed out. "What are their numbers? What is their weaponry? How prepared are they?"
"All good questions," I agreed. "And so we will be prepared for the worst; we overkill, if we must."
She managed a grin. "Now, I like overkill."
I raised an eyebrow. "Okay 'Fefnir.'" She smiled at that, and I continued on seriously. "We're going to hit them and hit hard, sending in every main force we have. However, that leaves us relatively open for an attack from the Resistance. It's up to you to tell me how likely that is."
"Not likely at all." She rolled onto her side, wincing against the pain in her back. "Not after the number you did on 'em last time. I think you freaked 'em out; they're convinced that they didn't plan well enough, and I guess it hit home to them just how little it would have taken for you to have totally decimated their forces." She cocked her head to the side. "I got to hear some pretty interesting horror stories about you while I was working in maintenance. Seems you strike fear into the hearts of many."
"Is that so? And why weren't you afraid of me?" I questioned sardonically.
"Because I was already prepared to face the consequences of my actions, whatever they would be." She turned her face away from me. "Of course, that's not to say that my decisions were particularly good ones."
I shook my head. "A conversation for another time, perhaps. But you are certain the Resistance won't choose now to strike at us again?"
"As sure as I can be in the matter." She rolled onto her stomach again.
"I must be going," I informed her. "Fefnir and Leviathan are waiting for me in my office. I shouldn't keep them."
"All right. Good luck."
"Thanks. Rest easy." I rose from my seat and gave her a lop-sided grin in farewell. She returned it and I turned and left, heading quickly up to my office. I was met by two humorless glares when I opened the door, fiery red and icy blue. "Sorry for the delay," I managed.
"You could've warned me you'd be awhile," Fefnir grumbled. "I'm hungry. I could have been getting food!"
"You don't even technically need to eat," I pointed out mundanely.
"You're missing the point, Sage," Leviathan sighed. "Anyway, what kept you? Something important?"
"Mayu," I shrugged. "Figured I'd inform her of the present situation."
"How is she?" Leviathan wondered with mild concern. "She's gonna be all right, right?"
"I'm sure. She seems pretty resilient for a human." I flopped into the seat behind my desk. "Still, it still hits me as a bit of a shock. Who would've thought that a human would get herself involved in this war when she didn't have to?"
"Hey, that takes some courage, I bet," Leviathan nodded. "In that case, I think she puts a lot of our soldiers to shame."
I noticed Fefnir fidgeting uncomfortably. "What is it, Fefnir?" I gave him a steady, unwavering stare, knowing that he had something on his mind, and wanting him to know that he could not back out of telling me what it was.
"Huh? Nothin.'" He pretended great interest in picking at the arm of his chair.
"We know you too well, Fefnir," Leviathan urged. "Come on, spill it." She gave him the full brunt of her large, watery eyes. "Please?"
"Err…" He made the mistake of looking at Leviathan, and then quickly looked away again. Unlike me, he was not immune to her "charms."
"I- uh… kinda knew about this."
"About what?" I thought I already knew the answer to that, but…
"I knew she was human, okay?" He continued to pick at the chair arm, scowling."
"You what!" Leviathan and I exclaimed nearly simultaneously.
"Fefnir, why…" Leviathan tried to bite back some of her anger. "Why wouldn't you tell us that? That's no small thing; it's a big deal!" She stood up, standing in front of him and forcing him to look at her. "Look, you breaking the window on the lookout tower and not telling you did it; that wasn't at big deal. When you 'accidentally' blasted a hole in the wall of the indoor shooting range; that wasn't terribly important. Heck, when you drained all the water out of the pool without telling me, I even forgave that." She took a step closer. "But this is important!" What were you thinking! She could have been killed!"
Fefnir looked miserable. "I promised her. Y'know, trust between pals 'n all, right?"
"Trust? Trust! Let me tell you about-"
"Sit down, Leviathan," I commanded quietly. Her tirade could have easily lasted a good deal longer, and I thought I had better diffuse the situation before it became worse. Turning my gaze on the crimson warlord, I sighed. "Explain, Fefnir. Why did she tell you and not the rest of us?"
"We're sparring partners. Of course I had to know she was human, or I would'a decimated her. But she made me promise not to tell, and, y'know, I wouldn't go back on my word to a friend…"
"Fefnir, did it not occur to you that she could have been killed? She was seriously wounded as it is."
"She wasn't out fightin' anymore when she told me, just spyin' on the Resistance. I didn't know you were gonna go off on some crazy recon mission. Besides, knowing what I know of her, she would'a gone even if you'd tried to stop her."
Leviathan looked upset. "But I'm your friend, too, and you weren't honest with me." She looked as though she were about to say more, but finally mumbled, "She could've been killed."
"I'm not going to argue with your logic, Fefnir. It's too… ah… " I paused, searching for the right terminology. "Mind-boggling to think through. But don't you dare do something like that again." I did not voice it out loud, but I was also a bit hurt by the fact that both Fefnir and Mayu had hidden the truth from me. They were two of my closest friends, and they had seen fit to mislead me? Am I so cold that people feel as though they can't confide in me?"
"See? Look. You hurt Harpuia's feelings, too," Leviathan informed Fefnir indignantly.
"I'm not hurt," I lied. "I'm angry that I apparently cannot trust my fellow Guardian as much as I thought I could."
"Would'ya just stop already?" Fefnir finally exclaimed. "Past is past, what's done is done. We all know now, and she seems to be fine, so what're we discussin' it for?" His face twisted in defensive anger. "If you're planning on punishing me or something , then do it. I don't see any reason to sit here talking about it."
"You're right, Fefnir," I conceded with a sigh. "There is nothing more to say about the matter, so it is pointless to continue. As far as punishment goes…" I narrowed my eyes almost imperceptibly. "I think it's punishment enough to think about what could've happened."
Fefnir growled very softly to himself, and Leviathan sat in an unhappy silence while I stared at a paper without really seeing it. Li, who had been quiet for once, apparently could not stand the heavy silence that fell on the room and perched on top of the paperweight on my desk, singing something out loud just to make noise. I looked idly at the weight she was standing on, the one that had mysteriously gotten a paperclip embedded in the side. It was a glass, four-sided pyramid with three-dimensional gold lettering inside proclaiming "Neo-Arcadia; peace at last." It had been there when I had moved into the office twenty years ago, and perhaps then had had some meaning Now it seemed a joke in poor taste.
"Earth to Harpuia; stop staring at the naked elf," Leviathan said, breaking into my thoughts.
"I was looking at the paperweight," I muttered, shifting my green-eyed gaze to the female Guardian.
"I know," She smiled with a shrug. "But it got your attention, didn't it? Now come on, we can't sit here like this forever. Forgive and forget, right? We're a team, and more importantly, we're friends. Things like this are going to happen sometimes, but we can't let it get in the way of that or what needs to be done."
A slow, very small smile crept to my face. "And people say I'm the wise one? Well said, Fairy." We both turned to Fefnir expectantly.
"I want a cookie," he managed drowsily.
Leviathan's face fell slightly. "What?"
"What?" Fefnir answered, looking around confusedly. "What what?"
"Uh… never mind." I looked from one to the other, trying to tell if Fefnir had, in fact, dozed off, or if he was merely trying to disgruntle Leviathan, which seemed to be working if that were the case. I could not, however, decide which it was.
"All right, the meeting," I began, changing the subject.
"That was a disaster," Leviathan moaned.
"I know," I nodded. "I apologize for losing my temper, but-"
"Don't apologize," she said, making a face. "I think I might've just speared a couple of 'em myself."
"Yeah, keep in mind, Harpuia," Fefnir added, now completely coherent, "if you lost it then, any of the rest of us would've a long time before that."
I snorted. "I think that's why I've always been in charge of the meetings, even when Master X and Phantom were alive." I leaned back, shoving the paper I had been pretending to look at before off to the side. "Anyway, yes Leviathan, it was a disaster. Which is why I am hoping that the three of us are capable of discussing it like adults." I glanced at Fefnir. "Although that remains to be seen."
"You really don't think that they'll be expecting us to attack?" Leviathan wanted to know.
"I'm sure they are, but I doubt that they'll be expecting us to hit them with all three armies. Sometimes the most unexpected move is a direct one. Also, we'll be attacking them today; I don't think they're expecting us to mobilize this soon. On top of that, the enemy, although we know little about it, seems to enjoy secrecy, therefore I would bet my right arm that they're moving out as we speak, and probably not in the best position for battle.
"Makes sense," Fefnir said, scratching his chin.
"I still feel a little nervous about it," Leviathan sighed. "I dunno, maybe I'm just a little edgy overall about this new enemy. And you said that Mayu has been trying to fight against them by herself for how long?"
"Actually, she battled the occasional demi-dragon, but didn't know about the rest. And she's been doing it for four years…" I trailed off in surprise and added softly, "Since she was sixteen."
"I guess that's what they call growing up fast," Fefnir shrugged, the same shock etched on his dark-skinned features.
"What the heck's a human doing, going out and fighting like that!" Leviathan exclaimed. "She was just a child! She practically still is!"
"Her part," I said softly.
"Huh?" Leviathan asked incredulously.
"She told me that she just wants to do her part; that she can't sit around and do nothing. I think I understand… even if I don't like it."
"Tough kid," Fefnir nodded in admiration. Leviathan shot him a dirty look.
"Back to the subject," I chided. "Now that we're free of interruptions, are there anymore aspects of this battle that you want to discuss before going to the field?"
"I think I've said my piece," Leviathan said in resignation. "Fefnir?"
"Uh…" He thought for a moment. "I still want a cookie."
I shook my head.
It was the second time that day, and the canyon looked as harsh and uninviting as ever, while still managing to be pristine and beautiful. It was the second time, but now, instead of a girl and a cyber-elf, there were three armies behind me. And still a cyber-elf, I thought as Li flew past my line of vision. I was so used to her presence by now that I often forgot that she was there.
This time around, however, instead of being deserted and empty, Pinnacle Canyon was a bustle of frantic activity. The enemy encampment had revealed itself in trying to disappear again. I hissed between my teeth at the vast number that stretched out before me. My force was far greater and would most certainly crush them, but still… So many. There's over a thousand men there visible to the eye. This is only an encampment? What in X's name does the main force look like?
I felt the presence of Fefnir and Leviathan on either side of me and shared a brief but concerned glance with each of them. What awaits us after this? Will they keep coming? I had no idea what their intentions toward Neo-Arcadia- or the Resistance, for that matter- were, but it was clear from all previous encounters that they had bore us and the humans open hostility, and therefore needed to be held in check.
Almost immediately, the army below opened fire on us, and Fefnir motioned the Jin'en forces forward to begin their charge. I leapt to the air to hover a few feet off the ground, allowing the Rekku army to ready themselves. Being flight capable, it was our first objective to bring part of the Meikai army down to the river. I grabbed Leviathan about the waist with my right arm and held Cerussite's wrist with my left hand. Once they were both secure, I launched myself over the edge, moving to plummet toward the water. When we were about thirty feet above the torrent, both aquatic warriors dropped into a graceful swan dive to plunge into the azure waves below. The rest of my men followed suit with their own designated Meikai fighters and then followed me as I continued down in a strafing run through the enemy.
The nameless forces were made up of a rather mismatched group of humanoid and mutos reploids and robots, along with some machines that appeared to be nothing so much as walking artillery. A few lithe warriors dove into the river after the previously deposited Meikai army. Already, the foaming rapids were boiling with underwater battles that I could not see. I summoned my sabers to my hands and activated them with a hiss of energy, swiping horizontally on either side of me at passing foes. From the mass, winged forms began rising to meet us, pale and feminine and feral. I narrowed my eyes in recognition of my "kin." Perhaps I had been designed with the mythological harpy in mind, but these hideous creatures were as close to the real thing as technology could create.
Their arms and wings melded together into one, and their shapely legs ended in grotesque, grasping talons. Their white, naked flesh appeared to be unarmored, although I imagined that it was probably reinforced against attack. Their female forms were nude, but lacking detail, and as they rose from the ranks they twisted their bodies provocatively, tossing their manes of flaming red-gold hair. One came at me and smiled a toothy, animal-like grin, revealing vampire-esque fangs. Eyes shining like twin peridot, she soared above me and then dove, talons outstretched. Over the battlefield, the other pale creatures were also attacking systematically, surprisingly strong. It stuck me that they all looked nearly, if not completely, identical, obviously a standard issue from an assembly line. I tried to examine the cat-yellow-green eyes for intelligence, but simply could not tell.
"Well, aren't you a pretty thing," the harpy hissed at me, cackling in a hoarse alto; a decidedly unattractive sound. How could I have ever been designed with these bestial whores in mind? I did not bother to try to figure out this little mystery, but instead charged forward to attack straight on with my sabers.
"Not a warm welcome, Pretty-Face?" She cackled again, diving to loop under and behind me, slamming my back with her claws. I allowed the attack to push me forward and continued in that direction to spear another of the winged women who had been headed our way. She cried out in a piercing shriek that made my ears ring terribly, and then she fell to the ground, acrid purple blood pouring from her wound. The scream echoed inside my head long after her lips had gone silent, resonating fiercely in my skull until it throbbed and my vision flashed dizzily. the death-cry is a weapon, I realized, holding my aching forehead. The final attack caught me in a moment of weakness, and the other harpy kicked me in the small of the back and then circled around to face me, unfurling her wings and releasing a charge of angry violet energy. Li placed herself in front of me and absorbed the attack easily before retreating back to my side.
"Thanks, Li," I said breathlessly. "I'll give you credit for it this time."
"Can your little pet save you again?" the white woman laughed, lunging at me. I moved a foot and a half to the side and clothes-lined her with a blade. Her head was severed easily from her neck and deep purple blood sprayed from the artificial artery.
"She won't have to," I told the falling corpse. Fortunately, in severing the vocal chords, I had also ended the threat of another nightmarish scream. My headache was fading, and I did not particularly want another one.
Several more avian temptresses, alerted by the keening of their sister, had flown after me and now dove at me from different directions. I watched for an opening, shot through, and severed part of a wing. The creature emitted a sound that was something close to a squawk and fluttered like a wounded bird to stay aloft. Flecks of blood sprayed from the torn flesh, but ceased quickly as the pasty skin sealed over again. The power of resilience. Any wound that is not mortal will heal within minutes. I glanced at the harpy, who now only had half a wing. Limbs won't regenerate, though, fortunately.
"I'll show you how a real harpy fights," one of the two unwounded ones told me, twirling lavishly in the air. "Such a shame we have to kill such a pretty one; there aren't many around like you…" She smiled, showing her glistening fangs. I stabbed her through the stomach.
"I don't appreciate being called 'pretty,'" I growled, ripping the saber up through her. She tried to scream, but it was cut short by my sword splitting her throat in two. The wounded one ripped at my shoulder with her talons, but I kicked upward, falling back upside down and catching her solidly in the chin. One of her fangs broke off, and she fell back. Unable to regain her flight because of her half wing, she plummeted into the seething mass of battling reploids below.
The remaining attacker cried out in rage at the loss of her comrades and raked my back with her talons. I whirled to face her, but she rose, flapping her feathered wings and sending out a violet discharge of energy. The electricity tingled through my systems, stinging painfully but doing little real damage since my body had been designed to hold electrical charges of its own. I shook off the slight paralysis, growling at the woman.
"That was weak; I'll show you how to use lightning," I taunted, raising my sabers above my head. Before I could release the charge into the air, however, something heavy and metallic stuck my head and caused me to fall for a few short meters before regaining control and turning around to see what had hit me. I was met by a snarling mouthful of teeth.
This new creature closely resembled a metallic, winged dog. Its body was covered by silver-blue armored plates, and the wings, which were a deep blue, almost black, were made up of razor sharp, metal "feathers," and were augmented by jet boosters, since they would be incapable of holding the lupine beast aloft on their own. It glared through blood-red eyes and lunged, snapping at my arm with jaws that could doubtless tear steel apart. The harpy hovered on the other side of me, ready to attack me again, although I knew not how.
I tried to hover so that I could see both dog and woman, although my peripheral vision did not allow me to get a very good look at either. Suddenly, in a flash of color, Aztec Falcon, extending and dividing one of his wings into a grasping, claw-like device charged with magnetic energy, grabbed the harpy from the side and half-crushed, half-electrocuted her. She shrieked, and I tried to cover my ears, but to no avail. Fortunately, the winged dog apparently was effected by it, too, and pawed at its head, growling metallically. Falcon visibly winced and crushed the avian woman's throat disdainfully.
I quickly shook off the short but intense migraine that the harpy had provided and turned my attention to the flying beast that I had been watching warily. As I moved to attack, it snapped viciously at my torso and then raked me with a bladed wing as it passed.
Falcon charged the electrical energy in his split wing to fire arrow-like bolts, scattering the little shots through the air. Two hit the creature in the chest and sizzled into the armor, but the cobalt-blue beast veered around sharply, sucking in a breath, and blew out a long, boiling column of fire. Great. Just what we needed.
The fiery stream singed falcon, and he turned his face away, but I moved in behind and slashed a saber along the dog's ribcage. It emitted a gasping rumble of pain and snapped at me. I was ready to strike again when I spied two cerulean and ebony forms, one unusually large, soaring toward me and my comrade. I should have known… "Falcon," I barked sharply, directing his attention to the incoming demi-dragons. He nodded once and flew to meet them while I dealt the winged canine a fatal blow, splitting the head despite the relatively tough armor.
I spared a quick glance down below. It was hard to truly make out what was going on in the roiling mass of reploids, although I could now see that the enemy army was transporting some heavier artillery that was not appropriate for this battle. Several large, lizard-like mechaniloids trudged indifferently through the melee, and upon their hunched backs I could discern heavy guns- perhaps missile launchers. That sort of artillery is more suited for attacking a city or base, I noted. Could they really have been planning such a bold move? At least six of these massive beasts of burden moved among the men like great, lumbering tanks. I supposed that was really all they were, although what benefit there was to giving a tank legs and a head I could only guess. Perhaps it has rudimentary intelligence to protect itself; an un-manned weapon of mass-destruction. I reflected on that for the briefest of moments. …Definitely not good news. I also spied several dozen ATV's with chain-guns mounted on them. They screamed across the terrain, firing ceaselessly into groups of combating reploids, and I wondered how they avoided hitting their own men in the process.
Falcon now hovered in the air, facing the smaller of the two demi-dragons, both of his wing-like appendages split and crackling with charging electricity. He flung little darts of energy out from the pulsing charge, and they struck the black demon like a half-dozen tiny lightning bolts, flickering and sinking into the armor. The monster roared angrily and flew at Falcon with a mighty sweep of its wings. The larger one, which I guessed was probably as powerful or nearly so as the two that Mayu and I faced off with in the city, also moved to attack my ally, but I arrived just in time to counter its plans with a sharp thrust of my sabers.
Falcon and his nemesis were now locked in close-quarters combat and tumbled out of sight into the whirling mass of chaos that was the air-force. I hoped that my friend would be okay, but concentrated more on stopping the larger dragon from following them. He keened at me angrily and charged a turquoise blast of energy to fire at me, but I kicked in my full speed, flipping around underneath him and coming up behind to slash at his neck. Unfortunately, he, like the two Mayu and I had faced, had reinforced armor, and instead of severing the dark head, my blade slid off, leaving only a small gouge. The monster whirled and struck my midriff with its claws, leaving four parallel bleeding stripes. Fortunately, they were fairly shallow, and I ignored the pain, twisting away and ramming one saber into its knee joint. The demi-dragon jerked its leg away, avoiding most of the damage, and ducked its head, flying forward to ram me with its horn-like protrusions. I deactivated my boosters and fell away from the attack, although the massive body struck me, sending me toward the ground even more quickly.
I turned and dove head-first at the battle below, activating my jets about eight feet from the ground to pull up in a clean swoop. The dragon, lacking maneuverability, pulled up slightly too late and managed to knock one of its own allies flying. I hovered above the river, awaiting its next attack. It charged another blast to fire at me, but I moved just right of the shot and swung one saber like a baseball bat, returning the blast to its creator. The demon huffed, flying over the shot, and came at me with extended talons. The blue plasma ball continued on to hit an ATV broadside, sending the rider careening through the air to land atop a comrade on another vehicle. The driver veered, careening into the side of the canyon and creating a massive explosion. The other ATV, with no one to control it, plowed into the side of one the giant robotic beasts of burden, causing the monster to rear up and fall over, crushing many enemy soldiers in the process. My men quickly overpowered it, making sure it would never get up. I grinned to myself. That couldn't have gone better if I'd planned it.
I turned and dove into the water to avoid the dragon's claws, shooting back up about six feet from my starting point. I was met in the face by a turquoise wing. The razor-edge missed, but the blue webbing seared my cheek and knocked me back into the water. I was grateful for the cooling liquid on the burn, and I noticed that the demi-dragon was unwilling to venture into the rapids. A bad reaction to water, perhaps? I watched for the dark shadow to pass over, marring the bright ceiling above me, and swam upward, quickly enough that I shot halfway out of the water once I reached the surface. Leviathan may have been our top swimmer, but I was not so bad at it myself. I came up behind it and kicked its back, right between its wings, with all my strength, sending it reeling forward. My hope was to knock it into the water to see what would happen, but I had no such luck and the monster retained relative control of its flight, whirling around to face me with a growl.
As it turned, Leviathan shot out of the water behind me, sweeping her harpoon in a great arc. To my surprise, the blade passed through wings' webbing with a little trouble, crackling slightly.
Leviathan's harpoon was unique in the fact that it gathered surrounding moisture and froze it into an incredibly sharp blade that constantly rejuvenated itself. That way, the true blade of the weapon never dulled, and the outer coating of ice was so cold that it was likely to affect what it came in contact with, freezing blood and circuitry and causing malfunctions. Obviously, the weapon was most powerful underwater, and when it was at full power, it could actually leave frozen hunks of ice behind it, encumbering enemies and causing ones not built to withstand cold to grow sluggish. Since Leviathan had been underwater for quite some time, the blade was at peak strength and sliced easily into the spokes of the demi-dragon's right wing, deactivating it. Now incapable of flight, it plunged into the river after Leviathan, who had once again disappeared from sight. The water crackled with shorted-out energy, and partially out of curiosity, I dove in to see what was happening.
All energy-based areas of the dragon had died off, which was probably the disruption I had seen. It's defenseless. Wings, claws, energy-blasts… useless in the water. On top of that, it sank like a rock, flailing and attempting to roar, which was greatly muffled by the water. Leviathan dove after it, her harpoon held out to her side, her arm extended. Cerussite, cutting swiftly through the water, got to it first and tore into it fiercely. His claws were not reinforced the same way Leviathan's spear was, and did not cut through the armor so smoothly, but they still ripped into the ebony plating deeply, and gouts of black blood discolored the water like ink from some desperate undersea creature. Through the dark mist, I could make out Leviathan's lithe form as she decapitated the beast. That done, she swam back to me with a grin on her face.
"Not bad, eh?" Her voice was muffled and watery, but I could understand it. Talking underwater was a bit of a trick, and one that I was not very adept at, so I simply nodded and gave her a very slight approving smile.
When my head again broke the surface, I tread water for the time being and took a moment to note the positions of any nearby allies and enemies. Falcon was still in battle with the smaller demi-dragon, but I could not tell who had the upper hand. Several harpies swooped down toward me, but were too far off to worry about for the moment. Leviathan came up beside me.
"Those things don't have much affinity for water. If you can lead them in close enough, Cerussite and I can dispatch them easily. Right, Cerussite?"
The icy blue, perpetually mute reploid nodded once, his eerily glowing eyes locked on the combat overhead. Leviathan and I, of course, had not expected a verbal reply from the cold-faced warrior; in fact, I could not recall a single instance in which he had spoken. Although his schematics contained obvious vocal chords, he apparently chose to let them lie dormant. To each his own, I shrugged inwardly. As long as he does has duty and follows orders, I couldn't care less if he talks or not; he could talk to himself, for all I care.
I looked up at the harpies again. "It sounds like a good plan, but don't be surprised if it gets interrupted."
Leviathan nodded in understanding, and I jetted out of the water and veered toward Falcon, who was firing a concentrated burst of electricity at his black foe. I rammed the demon from behind, stabbing both sabers into its back between the wings, and then kicked off with my feet, ripping the daggers out again and sending the creature flying toward Falcon. He opened one wing and used a magnetic charge to grasp the demi-dragon, prepared to dive into the ground or water with the captive.
"Take it to the water," I ordered. "Leviathan and Cerussite will do the rest."
He complied and I watched just long enough to see him dump the beast into the churning rapids. After that, I did not have time for anything else, as the new group of harpies were upon me, diving with their talons, sending violet charges of electricity boiling at me. One bolt glanced off my armor, but did little more than sting. Since my body was built to channel electricity, it would take a charge of unimaginable power to really damage me. I flew into one of the offending winged women, ripping my sabers downward through her unarmored wings. That was a bit of a mistake.
As her torn wings sprayed deep violet blood, she screamed, the sound giving me an instant migraine. Squinting through my flashing vision, I watched as her face went blank and relaxed. The producer of the scream damages her own mental pathways, I deduced. Which is why they only scream when they're dying; it's a suicide move.
I held my head against the pain, trying to see through malfunctioning optic sensors. My head pounded and rang, and I hissed between my teeth, waiting- hoping- for a fast recovery. I was hit in the chest by a set of sharp talons and sent flying backwards into the chest of another of the pale females. My head was beginning to clear, and I managed to stab backwards though the cold embrace, impaling her stomach. She screeched in pain like a vulture and let go, but as I backed away, I saw that the wound was already beginning to close. They just heal too quickly; I have to kill them in one hit, no matter what. I lunged at the harpy again, but was knocked to the side before I could reach her. Something seared hotly into my ribs, almost instantly cauterizing itself, which meant whatever it was was a highly concentrated beam or laser-type weapon. I immediately turned myself around in my half-controlled flight to spy, as I had suspected, a new enemy.
The harpies gathered around her like chicks to their mother, and I assumed that she as a military higher-up in the air force. Unlike her ghostly charges, her face was beautiful rather than bestial, and was graced with glowing white markings like tattoos. A set of huge, pure-white feathered wings sprouted from her back, lightly armed with green-gold plating. She wore a blood-red body suit, also adorned with green-gold markings, which revealed her rather idealistic figure. cumbersome for battle, I thought disdainfully. Her creator apparently tried to combine his idea of beauty with a warrior. Bad choice. I hung back, sabers ready, but not wanting to strike without knowing what my enemy was doing first. Ridiculous figure or not, I shouldn't underestimate her. If she didn't know how to fight, she wouldn't be here.
She glared coldly at me with eyes the color of the sky. The wind blew her long, loose hair, which hung in tight golden waves, over her shoulders. Finally, she brought her arms, which had been hidden from view by a couple of obstructing harpies, into sight. Gold gauntlets covered her forearms and ended with rounded blades over her hands and emitted cold blue energy. Short-range weapons; and I already know how it feels to be hit by one. We stared each other down, both unwilling to make the first move, both knowing that the only way the other would be satisfied was by the death of their opponent. Then I dropped like a stone.
I turned so that I was flying head-first at the water, using the drop to boost my speed tremendously, and then curving my flight path upward to move in behind her. I moved blindingly fast, and she had little time to react, although she managed to bring her guard up in time to deflect the stab that I had directed between her shoulder blades. So her weapons double as shields, and she has the reflexes to use them as such. Duly noted.
She spun around to face me, swiping with one weapon at my chest. I evaded easily and struck out with a kick, hitting her hard in the stomach. She fell a short distance before recovering, and I followed, charging forward with both blades aimed at her chest. She turned and my blow landed on her shoulder instead, surprisingly not piercing through. The body-suit is better armor than it initially appears to be.
Turning, she swooped at the ground and I followed as quickly as I could, bearing down on her mercilessly. We were only about six feet from the ground as I dove at her back with my sabers, but she turned and faced me, somehow avoiding the red-violet blades, caught me full in her arms, and spun around so that I would take the full brunt of the impact. I kicked in my boosters to soar upward and stop this from happening, but it was too late, and I only managed to soften the blow. Pulling my legs back, I got my knees beneath her and kicked out with my feet, sending her flying. She landed in front of one of my soldiers- Arcan. I did not recognize him at first, since his armor had been modified, the shoulder-pads more bulky, the chest-plate thicker and more protective, and he now fought with twin light-repeating pulsers- basically, an energy based machinegun. The trainee looked startled at first to see an enemy land at his feet, but recovered quickly and moved to fire his guns at her. She pulled her arms back over her head and did a back handspring, kicking Arcan in the face. He reeled back but kept his balance, and I sprinted forward to engage my enemy. Fefnir beat me to her, noticing the commotion and firing several rounds at the battle angel.
"Hey, need some help?" the scarlet Guardian grinned, splitting his buster into two and firing both massive guns in the general direction of the enemy. A few shots strayed dangerously close to one of our small transports.
"Watch what you're doing," I cautioned.
The angel warrior agilely dodged Fefnir's shots and leapt into the sky, disappearing into the myriad of airborne soldiers. I paused before I followed, assisting Fefnir in destroying some immediately surrounding enemies.
"Whoa, hot chick at twelve o-clock," Fefnir cried, spotting the winged warrior driving at us from straight ahead. He fired a charged shot from his cannon, engulfing her in flames. "Really hot chick," he added.
Despite the chaos of battle around us, I still managed the chance to smack him on the back of the head. "You should be taken out and shot for that," I grunted tonelessly.
Fefnir only laughed, firing his guns in rapid succession, seeming to think that his bad pun was the funniest joke in the world.
I decided to leave my overly jovial friend to his own devices and fly after the female enemy I had been pursuing, who had recovered from the fire-buster shot. She was hovering above the field, whether giving orders or waiting for me to attack again, I was not sure. I flew at her, but not directly, curving around to soar underneath her, veering around from behind, avoiding her flock of harpies, and aiming to take her head off. My attack was interrupted as something- or someone, more likely- slammed into the side of me and sent me uncontrollably into a flock of harpies and a couple of winged dogs. Several demi-dragons also joined the melee, and I only barely managed to see my latest attacker. This one was clad completely in white full-body armor trimmed with red-gold. A sharp, opalescent horn protruded from his forehead, from underneath which peered a pair of focused, determined blue-gray eyes. He had jets on his back quite similar in design to mine, with glossy white, mid-sized stationary wings attached the them to steady flight. He carried a two-handed broadsword that glowed with inner heat and occasionally spurted a small gout of flame from the heated metal. I had not seen someone use a real metal sword since Phantom had been with us.
The new assailant circled behind me- based off- what? A pegacorn? -and I realized that I was surrounded in a clump of harpies, dragons, and dogs, with a powerful enemy on either side. I decapitated two nearby harpies before they could cause a problem and kicked away a smaller demi-dragon. Both the male and female aerial warriors charged at me. Crap.