Summary:
The third and final crossover between TEAS and Tagoda. When an independent city-state is besieged by a bandit group run by three brothers, they reach out for aide. If the Deiglyian military can ensure the state's safety, open commerce and trade with the imperial empire will be approved. The only problem being that this offer isn't extended solely to the Talon Corps. Competing against them is the lethal force of the wire mage, Thresh Hunter. While not canon, this chapter does feature a fair amount of character development for Talon and co.
Quick Character Synopsis:
Thresh Hunter – After losing his parents in a traumatic home invasion, Thresh was trained in the practices of deadly wire magic from a young age. Through endless practice, Thresh has become peerless on the battlefield. Using ethereal wires conjured out of thin air, he can ensnare, entrap, and sever opponents cleanly from up to thirty yards away. His will and personal philosophies are equally unbending and indomitable.
Rosa Hunter – Thresh's older sister and gifted plant mage. While much more relaxed and socially adjusted than her sibling, she would rip a city in half it it meant ensuring the safety of her kin.
Jack – Operating without a shred of honor, Jack the dark mage manages a small group of assassins of the more magical variety. A proclaimed king of the criminal underworld, no job is too dangerous or underhanded for his employees as long as it pays well enough.
Honey Rockabelle – An acquittance of Thresh from a young age, the girl quickly become infatuated with the young man to an... unhealthy degree. Despite her posh upbringing, she was born a powerhouse mage, a rare magic user with limitless power at her disposal.
– TEAS: The Lost Archives –
Chapter 7: War Games
A pair of light gray jeeps and a similarly painted infantry truck coasted along the lowest point of a spacious and dry valley. A deep growl reverberating from their bulky engines making their approach anything but subtle. Giant headlights, despite their wide illuminant gaze, the severe lack of natural lighting from the pitched black sky rendered them both absolutely necessary as well as near worthless. The terrain was far from settled, but the military class vehicles pressed through the bumpy landscape without much trouble.
From the passenger-side of the front most jeep, a short haired blonde hung out the side window as she steadied herself on the door. Making use of her other hand, she clasped a pair of night-vision binoculars. Scanning the area ahead, she relayed the shape of the road to her driver, a long haired, lean built man dressed in identical garb.
The canyon was deep as it was dry. The remnants of what must have been a mighty river appeared to have withered centuries ago, but not before wearing away at the now high walls of the basin.
Approaching the shadow of a structure in the distance, the white uniformed female instructed her companion to slow his approach, the action causing those following behind to do the same.
As the chasing clouds parted, a glossy moon revealed the valley in its entirety, as well as the structure up ahead. Nested underneath a sharp overhang from the peak of the rock walls above were the ruins of an ancient temple. Stone architecture and wall tunnels and carvings dug in on the sides of the canyon. The main building may have only been one story high, but stone pillars and earth carved fencing spread far.
Slowing their approach more and more, the front-leading jeep came to a halt along the outskirts of the once hallowed grounds.
When the driver and passenger both hopped out, the vehicles behind came to a stop as well. Their headlights, once again becoming the sole light source as the sea of clouds once again overtook the moon.
Out from the rear of the truck poured a strong platoon of soldiers and riflemen. Jogging out two by two, they came forward, stopping at attention before the pair of the front runners.
Holding his rifle in one hand by the stock, the other rested underneath the bayonet. As he examined the fallen vestiges of the environment, a smirk grew to fit his features.
One of the grunts stepped forward. "Orders, Lieutenant Talon?"
Instead of answering right away, the young woman pulled her personal machine gun out from the jeep. Holding her weapon against her side, she opened up the rear door to allow a woman with mechanical limbs out. While unarmed, she took her place beside the other female.
Keeping her weapon safely trained near the ground, she turned to the soldier. "Our contact is waiting inside the area." She turned away and started a steady approach down the main walkway leading to the central structure.
"Move out. Stick together." Talon instructed curt, yet clear and to the point.
"Yes, Sir!" The squadron shouted out affirmatively, following behind. The accompanying sargent, leading his pack.
As the troop made their deliberate path onward, they kept a vigil lookout for any signs of danger along the way. They slowed to a crawl when they walked through pathway intersections. As the culling winds cut through the surrounding pillars, giving way to eerie whistles, every one of them remained alert at all times.
Arriving at the front of the central building, a figure stepped out from an out-jutting column. Bleeding strands of moonlight illumined the man.
He dressed himself in a tattered cloak, a proud face with a hefty braid which hung behind his shoulders.
"I didn't expect you to show up." The man admitted as he stood below the reflected lunar glow. Its luminescent rays forming a full circle in the middle of the path, almost like a heavenly spotlight.
While many of the men seemed on edge by the new newcomer's presence, the Sargent remained ever relaxed. "Weren't you the one who sent for us?" Richter questioned in typical casual fashion, lowering his weapon.
Stepping out further, the interloper now stood dead center in the light. Not hiding anything of his form, it was clear he was unprotected and weaponless.
At the soldier's more laid-back response, the man granted the unit a single offhanded chuckle. "When a known raider and a bandit sends word of his surrender, one would think more caution would be allotted."
Talon said nothing, but retained a firm and resolute stare all the while.
Sighing, the self-introduced thief lowered his gaze in a defeated manner. "You..." He paused briefly to compose himself. "You have to understand, this isn't easy for me." Raising a hand, he gripped his arm and clenched it tensely. Releasing himself, he looked up again, more steadfast. "You were the lot that captured my youngest sibling. As you can imagine, this is hardly a thrilling encounter for me." A restrained hatred in his eyes.
Dropping her weapon's aim entirely, the commanding officer started to move up to meet the criminal as an equal. All the while, she remained silent, allowing the older man to continue as he saw fit.
Composure failing the man once again, the rogue's shoulders shook as his grinding teeth reared themselves. "Exceptions had to be made after that thing tore our middle brother to pieces."
Talon halted herself. "Thresh Hunter."
The raider glared at the officer at this. "So it has a name, does it?" The eldest of the marauding family spat back spitefully. The hatred he bore was not so neatly subdued as he managed with the military. With a huff, something akin to a growl left his throat. "I won't deny self-preservation was a key argument when I considered this meeting. I've already lost one brother, I won't lose two to that inhuman creature." Standing tall and imposing, he faced the blonde in full. "If you can ensure our safety, I'll come along quietly."
The lieutenant was about to step closer when she noticed something out of the corner of her eyes. Down by her feet, a vertical shadow cut the ray of moonlight in half. A cold shiver running down her spine, she darted her gaze upward as her suspicions were proved true.
Standing above them all atop an overhead stone arch was the devil himself. While his main features where hidden in the self brought about shadow of the moonlight, his stance and battered hoodie were easily ascertainable. Even with his face obscured, the chilling killer intent resonating from him seemed almost audible.
"I had a feeling following you throw away soldiers would prove beneficial." Thresh announced, making his prescience fully known to anyone who hadn't yet discovered him. As he spoke, his pale gaze fell flat upon the bandit and no one else. "I finally found you. The final target."
As the raider turned around and glanced up, his jaw dropped as pupils shrunk in panic.
Before anything else could be said or done, Talon dashed forward and slammed a pair of handcuffs around their contact's wrists from behind. "This man has officially been apprehended by the Deiglyian empire!" She roared, affirming her stance. Pulling out a side arm, she pulled the man closer toward her and her men. Pointing the handgun up at the skyward mage, she cocked the hammer. "Any actions of aggression toward him or his captors from this moment on will be seen as nothing short of an offense against our nation! Doing so will mark—brand you as an enemy of the state!" Even in her cold sweat, the conviction of her decree were nothing short of testament. "Is that clear, Thresh Hunter?"
The men seemed to grow more confident from their leader's harsh statements. Realizing her ploy and use of leverage, they all stood their ground in spite of the other's force. Every single soldier training their sights on the mage above.
With an annoyed look, Thresh swatted the air in front of him with his dominant hand.
Acting quick, the adolescent dove forward, tackling her prisoner to the ground as wire lashed out where the two of them were standing. In the blink of an eye, a sharp, narrow and precise crevice was carved into the ground between Talon and her men without hesitation. A pillar nearby along his course of attack slid down the middle on a slant before collapsing with a hard thud and shaking the ground around them.
The men all retaliated with unison firing volley. A wave of bullets flying up at the dreadful mage.
Not an ounce of worry seated on his face, Thresh retracted his hand and flicked it in the opposing direction. A large portion of the hail of gunfire was carved to shreds less than a foot away from their mark. Simultaneously, the young mage jumped down behind the arch, shielding him from the remaining assault. Passing underneath, he swung forward with the use of his wires and landed in the middle of the stone path, now a simple few steps away from his target and captor.
"You attacked me." Talon uttered, balling a fist.
Thresh crossed his arms at the other's apparent indignation. "You should consider yourself lucky for your trained reflexes. You were about to receive far more than a simple inju—"
"You fool!" The lieutenant cried out, slamming a balled fist into the rock below her. "You've really done it now. I can't protect you any longer. You've gone and made yourself an enemy of one of the most imperial nations in the world!" She despaired in an apparent fury.
Frowning, Thresh narrowed his gaze. "I decided a long time ago that if needed I would make this world my enemy. If I have to start that path with your feeble Deiglyian empire..." Raising his hand once again, a symphony of wires were created from his fingertips. "...so be it."
Moving up, Richter took aim with his rifle over his commanding officer's shoulder. At the same time, Belle repositioned herself beside her partner.
Reluctant at first, Talon rose up onto a knee and took aim with her machine gun.
The mage readied himself to attack, his primary leg digging into the ground behind him, preparing to kick off at any second. "Challenging me once was bold. Doing so a second time, and drawing arms against me, that was moronic."
Cocking her full-auto weapon, Talon pressed the stock up against her shoulder. "19th infantry squad, 6th branch serving under commanding general Hallowright, take aim, battle positions! Engage!"
A hail of gunfire was unloaded toward their pursuer. Instinctively, he kept his head low as he ran toward the nearby stone architecture for cover. More exposed than he liked, he leaped forward and pulled himself out of harms reach with a tug of his strings.
When the gunfire ceased momentarily, the trained mage pressed his face against the cold stone, waiting for the sounds of the men's assumed fevered advance.
Staying silent, Talon made a hand signal of a clenched fist that became a two fingered point ahead, motioning for her and her men to move up silently. Despite their hushed and steady steps, as soon as they extended no more than two steps closer before their foe returned the combative movement with one of his own.
While still taking up refuge behind his bulwark, the man sent out his wires in sets of three. Sending them out in diagonals and verticals, he was able to cut clean through his own defenses without destroying them and still utilizing them as flourished cover.
Carving up the landscape, his deadly strands lashed up from the ground. Age old masonry craft shredded apart form the precise and lethal attacks.
Not yet completing their approach, the soldiers were able to throw themselves up against the walls and drop to the ground. A few were lucky enough to avoid the attack in its entirety. Others with a slower reaction time, watched in horror as their rifles were cleaved in half within their grips.
One of the wires stretched out further than the other two in its set. Straying farther, it made connected as it sliced into the solider nearest their commanding officer. The slack of his thigh shaved clean off. Blood oozed out through the gaping hole in the pant leg, dark red staining his once pristine white uniform.
"Arrg!" The injured soldier cried out, falling backward. The weakened limb no longer capable of holding its owner upright.
Witnessing the no doubt trauma inducing wound, a pair came over from the adjacent wall to held the crippled soldier. One cut away the remainder of the pant leg with his knife as the other immediately began to clean and dress the injury on the field.
Distressed, Talon reached at her side and unclasped a grenade. "Sargent!" She called out, making eye contact before tossing the explosive.
Richter pulled the pin as soon as it reached his hands. "Fire in the hole!" He warned his comrades, lobbing it up and over the wall.
As soon as the hand grenade passed the threshold into the enemy's territory, a wire reached up and snatched it out of midair. Whirling around, it was flung right back toward its sender.
When all the other soldiers turned to run back from the live explosive, Richter nearly went bug-eyed as he darted forward instead. Pulling back on his rifle, he gripped it near the stock and butted the bomb high into the air moments before detonation. While saving him and his men, the aerial blast knocked him clean off his feet.
One soldier bent down to help the sargent back onto his feet. Simultaneously, three of the grunts rushed forward, hoping to press the initiative. Rounding the corner, weapons drawn, they found nothing. Not a trace of the assassin remaining.
"We have lost sight of the enemy!" One of the three troopers warned, checking his corners. "Repeat. We have lost visual!"
"Belle, shield!" The lieutenant instructed ordered in a worried yell.
The black haired cyborg instantly rose both her arms at her order. In the span of a second, a magic imbued bubble materialized around her company leader as well as the prisoner, field medics, and their patient. Trapping them all safely inside.
The men rushed to gather around. Keeping their backs to the protective dome, they kept up a keen look out amongst their dark surroundings.
A lone wire struck down from up above. Bypassing the soldiers, it gave a sharp lashing to the top of the shield. After a harsh collision, the mage's slender whip snapped and disappeared into nothingness.
"Look alive! Six O'clock!" Richter warned in a yell. "Keep those heads high!"
Following the trajectory of the attack, Thresh was once again discovered atop another archway, this time, to the South. When the soldiers took aim, he lunged headfirst off the side. Summoning his murderous strings, a handful pierced a nearby wall of stone. Using gravity, he swung and propelled himself out of sight and into safety. The desperate bullets missing him by tens of feet.
"Belle," Talon called out, turning to her partner. "Can your shield hold?" She asked, tensely.
Nodding, the prosthetic lined woman glanced up toward the prior point of impact. "It wavered only momentarily. My shield can normally be projected for up to one minute if needed. Analysis shows that under relentless assault from the target, estimated length would shorten by half." She explained, informatively.
A forsaken scoff of a laugh echoed out of the marauder made prisoner. "It would seem my trust may have been misplaced in you, girl." The restrained raider taunted. He had since seated himself on the ground. His head held low, perhaps in resignation to his own fate.
Ignoring the pessimistic comment, Talon remained focused on her partner. "Belle, I'm going to suggest several battle strategies. I want you to analyze them individually then give me your input. Can you do that?"
"Understood." The mechanical woman replied in monotone following a slight nod.
"Retreat." The lieutenant proposed.
The other paused briefly before responding. "Chance of success: Moderate."
"Casualty rate?" Talon inquired, a fair bit of sweat beginning to pool up on the back of her neck.
"High." She conveyed in a further colorless tone. "This unit can ensure your safety. Given the agility, range, and aggressiveness of the target, full-stage redeployment cannot be achieved without overall unit loss."
Taking in the other's consultation, the blonde shook her head. "Not good enough." She criticized inwardly.
The adolescent shifted her view outside the dome. "E.T.A. On your shield?"
"Thirty seconds." Belle answered promptly.
"For further analysis disregard chance of success. Gauge input solely on casualty rate." Talon instructed. Upon receiving a nod, she continued. "We engage the target."
"Casualty rate: High." She replied, stoically.
The lieutenant nodded. "We spread out and disengage, taking shelter inside the–"
"Casualty rate: High." She replied. "Shield will remain standing for T-minus fifteen seconds." Belle informed.
Talon gulped lightly. She cupped her chin and lowered her gaze in thought, even closing her eyes for a time. "Okay." She began, taking a deep breath. "We disengage, but you and myself stay here to buy the rest of the troop time to escape safely."
Belle shook her head at the suggestion. "Ill advised."
"Casualty rate?" The more obstinate girl questioned, reopening her eyes and staring ahead.
"Casualty rate..." The cyborg hesitated. "...minimum."
Lunging in from down center, Thresh used his wires to fling himself amidst a clumped up section of the soldiers. Making eye contact with the one closest to him, the mage took out his knife.
So close to his target, man's rifle was rendered unusable. In an attempt to create some distance, he thrust the stock outward at the shorter foe.
Easily ducking the attack, the efficient killer aimed a clean slash at the other's gut.
Worried, the soldier behind grabbed his comrade by the shoulders and yanked him back. Thresh's knife still sliced against flesh nonetheless. The size and depth of the cut had been reduced to cumbersome, as opposed to fatal.
Not deterred, the mage set his sights on the next of the troop. His piercing and fearless gaze turning the man to stone where he stood. His arm pushing forward as he aimed for another vital.
The magic barrier receded. The moment it had, Talon returned to the forefront in an impassioned sprint. Before her adversary could reach his mark, her thick bayonet interrupted its path.
Not wanting to harm their leader, or each other, the soldiers refrained from forming a close-range firing squad. Their nerves struggled with rational thought as they formed a tight ring around the warring duo.
Throwing her weapon and its sling over her shoulder, she pushed it out of the way as she drew her military knife. Inching forward with her lead foot, the pair's neutral ready stances almost seemed to mime one another to a raw degree. The similar size and stature only helping the illusion.
Taking the initiative, Thresh aimed to strike first. Stepping in, he attempted to puncture the skin with a clean shank near the kidney. He would correct his motion as needed while he moved closer.
Rather than follow the steel, Talon kept up a fiery locked glare with the other. When the mage's weapon drew near, she caught it with her own. Steering it passed her waist, the tight motion redirected the attack cleanly, causing it to stab the air next to her body.
Seeing her opponent left open, if only briefly, she made her move. Reaching out, she grabbed the other's dominant arm by the wrist with her off-hand. Keeping him trapped in place, she put away her knife and reached over for her sidearm to take its place.
Instead of struggling, Thresh dropped his knife. As it fell, he scooped it up with his left hand. Shifting into a high stance, he switched his thumb over top the butt of the handle. Wearing a malevolent indifference, he began to plunge it straight down for the center of the officer's chest and heart.
In that instance, Talon's hand froze. Her cerulean gaze tracing the sharp tool as it continued its course for yet another no doubt fatal strike. The sensation passed as her trained instincts kicked in. Rather than an attempt at her handgun, she reached outward with both of her empty hands. Working fast, she caught the other by the backside of his hand and pulled it down further toward her, hastening its time before impact even more so. Before connecting, she rotated the other by his elbow, altering the weapon's path down toward its owner's stomach.
Realizing what had transpired, it took all of Thresh's immediate strength to halt his hand before stabbing himself. His feet widened as he grit his teeth, his arm shaking as it was shoved into conflicting directions.
With the man preoccupied temporarily, Talon whipped her main weapon out from back over her shoulder. Instead of firing and endangering her men, she claimed some forward ground and rammed the butt end upward.
Before even processing what had happened, the wire mage felt the full force of the stock as it crashed into the side of his cheek, pushing him back as he was forced to disengage.
Using his strings for aid, he was able to escape the ring of riflemen. A pair of wires digging into a nearby pillar as he pulled himself up and away.
As he was about to prepare another offensive volley of his strings, the Sargent took aim. With a crack of his gun, a bullet hit the area of the obelisk the mage had reseeded his wires into. Damaging the area, the aged stone gave way to a small cavity, dislodging the anchor point entirely.
Falling hard mid-swing, Thresh was thrown onto his shoulder. Rolling over onto his feet in the middle of his tumble, the balls of his feet dug into the ground as he skidded to a halt. Raising his head, a small trickle of blood ran down the corner of his lip from the lieutenant's blow.
Wiping the blood away, Thresh stood up tall. "Not bad. How about we test your mettle?"
"Crescent Wave: Plasma!" The mage yelled out, throwing a punch ahead of him.
A swarm of white shockwaves descended upon the men. In a violent rush, they tore up the vicinity in front of him. The range varying from short to long as the destruction ensued.
As the blasts collided with the ground and other stone surfaces, explosions of dust and sand blew outward. More than century old signs of erosion erupted out from their recently shaken refuge. The result being pockets of dust clouds spawning all around.
The soldiers clumped together for safety. As the blasts continued, some of their paths could be safely observed, while others were hidden behind smoke stacks.
The riflemen ducked their heads as they hunkered down low to the ground. A horde more of the white shockwaves flying overhead.
Taking a knee, Talon refused to lower herself any further. The role of watcher taken up voluntarily.
When the storm stopped, the lieutenant pushed off back onto her feet. "Stay on alert!" She commanded, surveying the shambled land in front of her. "He'll likely incorporate 'hit 'n run' tact—"
"Lieutenant!" Richter roared, pulling her attention. His rifle raised up, aimed nearly right at her head.
Turning over her shoulder, the blonde officer saw exactly what the Sargent had been aiming at. Directly behind her, he was descending from above. His knife still drawn, Thresh Hunter had already begun his next attack.
The currently airborne threat had used the havoc of his prior assault to move in from behind. Completely disregarding his true target, he had moved in straight for the troop commander.
The lieutenant grasped the severity of her dire straits immediately. She wasn't staring at someone about to pounce. Her opponent had already started their strike without her realizing. His knife lunging toward her exposed throat.
It was as grim as circumstances could be, yet also just as lucky. It was fortuitous for the soldier that her foe came at her from above. By doing so, the motion of his forward arm triggered something cemented into her from hundreds of hours of countless training drills.
Stretching her hands out, she utilized a built in reflex, she reached his arm not a moment too late. Turning around by swerving on her back most heel, she hoisted the other by taking the brunt of his force onto her shoulder. Pulling down, she flipped the other over and threw him down hard, landing him back first across the ground.
With the hunter and his prey safely distanced from each other, the Sargent pulled back on the lever of his bolt action rifle. Closing one eye, he shot off a round as the mage was still getting up.
. . . . . . . . .
As soon as Thresh threw himself back onto his feet, a sharp stinging sensation tore throughout his back calf. The associated limb flattered briefly, but he balanced himself by shifting the remaining amount of his weight onto the opposite leg.
He didn't have time to gauge the wound. Instead, he glared over his shoulder to see the shooter loading another round.
Turning forward again, he found his first adversary preparing her own firearm.
With a troubled scowl, the wire mage decided to cut his losses for the moment and summoned a pair of tethering strings. Grabbing them tightly in his hands, they anchored onto a nearby focal point and he pulled himself away. He sent out his wires in multiple succession of each other in order to clear a fair bit of ground. The gunfire that followed after him trickled down as he covered more and more ground until it subsided completely.
Having lost any signs of pursuing threats, the young mage took shelter behind a boulder amidst the many barren fields of the ruins. Even while certain the night covered up any traces of his presence, he kept his body close to the rock as he observed the enemy unit from afar.
They were now a ways off from each other, much further than they had been since the start of their engagement, but every last one of them was easily visible from his cover. Their white uniforms may as well have been incandescent as they caught the scarce moonlight.
Making use of his emergency respite, he grabbed the fabric of his left sleeve. Tugging it roughly, he formed a tear starting just passed the shoulder blade. Yanking further, the whole sleeve was removed.
Rolling up the pant leg of his injured limb, Thresh examined the wound. The bullet seemed to graze him in the back of the caff. It was deep, but clean. He was certain any damage to the muscle would heal in time without complications. His elder sister's aid shortening this recovery time to a day at the most.
Using his knife, he shredded his detached sleeve into clean strands. Applying the appropriate amount of pressure, he cleaned up the gunshot injury and wrapped it up snugly. Testing his footing with alleviated weight, he was content when his provisional gauze held together.
Shifting back into position, the mage returned to his temporary reconnaissance. In doing so, he was reminded of his first interaction with the Deiglyian earlier that day.
. . . . . . . . .
"You don't have the slightest idea where our last man is, do you, Jack?" Rosa asked, sauntering over toward the group's eldest.
Their usual assortment currently resided themselves in a modest hotel suite. Jack and Honey found their place among a small round wooden table in the room's center. Meanwhile, the deadly siblings each claimed opposing walls.
Rosa hovered near an open window. The occasional breeze helping her make due with the city's beating heat. The sun's touch pleasant to her skin.
In the opposite more shaded corner, the skilled wire mage busied himself by sharpening his knife against a disposable wooden wedge.
Kicking his feet up on the table, the no good man leaned back leisurely in his chair. "If he's got half a brain, he's three towns over, runnin' scared." Bored, he started rocking back and forth on the backmost legs of the chair. "We'll lurk around town a few more days before I reach out to any contacts or informants."
Rosa hummed lightly at the other's response. She crossed her arms under her chest as she pondered the notion. "I'll be taking a walk around town then. Take a gander at the local flora and what have you."
"Mind if I come along too?" Honey requested.
The redhead smiled down at the younger girl. "Of course not, dear."
"He won't be running anywhere after yesterday." Thresh noted from the sides.
A bit perplexed, the petite dark magic user scrunched up her brow. "Why do you think that?" She asked inquisitively, turning around toward the apathetic.
Jack couldn't hold back a wave of downright sinister chuckles. "Yeah, now that you mention it, I can kinda see it too." He responded in a more lively fashion than before, changing his stance on the matter. "With what you did to that man's kin, he'll be bloodthirsty alright." Looking backward from his seat, he glanced over at the younger mage. "Don't know how he could be that mad though. I saw the whole thing. Every single sling of those strings of yours was like a paint brush from a master painter."
Thresh glared at the older's forceful flattery. "You're trying to get me in a pleasant mood. You're failing miserably, but the intent still stands." Pushing off the wall, he started to approach him. "Which implies you've either done something I won't like, or you plan of doing it."
"Thresh..." Jack began, feigning some pained expression. "You wound me."
"That can be arranged." The late teen informed without sympathy, summoning his wires in one hand.
The younger's threat wiped away any mock emotion on the felon's mug with legitimate unease. "Hey. Easy, easy." He voiced, his hands held up defensively.
A firm knock at the door became jack's savior. The alerting noise halting the other's approach.
"I'll get it." Honey volunteered, hopping out of her chair and walking over to the entrance.
Opening the door outward, a younger blonde haired woman in a white military coat stood at attention. She kept up a hard expression, an attentive gleam to her work-minded gaze.
Upon becoming face to face with the military clad woman, the Rockbelle heir leaned her head back a little in surprise. "Oh, um, hey miss. Ma'am?" She greeted, plainly if not somewhat ridged.
"Pardon the intrusion." The soldier apologized first and foremost. "Lieutenant Talon." Her introduction proper in a self-relent way, true to any concerning member of the armed forces. "I—"
"Finally come for me have you?" Jack shouted, practically coming off belligerent. "Figures, really. After all the laws I've dishonored, important people I've stepped on. Congratulations are in order. You've finally tracked him down. The man who—"
"Who are you exactly?" Talon brought up bluntly, utterly lacking any signs of urgency.
Silencing himself, Jack sat back down more naturally and pulled out pack of smokes from his coat pocket. "Hm? I didn't say anything." He claimed, taking a bite on one end and lighting the other to shut his mouth.
"As I was saying..." The Deiglyian continued, turning back to her greeter. "I'm looking for a Thresh Hunter. I've been informed this is his room. Is he around?" The young teen questioned directly.
Honey's gaze grew less friendly at the request. A scowl deepened across her face. "What do you need him for?" She brought up, suddenly on edge.
Walking into view from the side, Thresh made his presence known to the uninvited guest. He made no signs of hiding his weapon as he finished cleaning it up before putting it away on his person. "What is it?" He challenged callously, making the other woman's deliberate request seem almost tactful.
Turning away from Honey, the soldier gave Thresh her full focus. "I'd like an audience with you in private. Is now a good time?" Never the type to beat around the bush, her invitation was straightforward.
An immature pout grew from Honey's original scowl. "He doesn't have to go anywhere with—"
"Move aside." The wire mage instructed, walking passed his co-worker and out into the hall.
"Hey!" The blonde squawked back indignantly.
Without a word, Talon turned abroad and followed the older man away from his suite.
An annoyed huff escaped Honey as she watched the two take their leave. Leaning on the door as she stuck her head out the entrance way, it almost seemed like she was about to go after them. The thought was stricken from her immediate thoughts as she noticed several armed military men lining the hall. Turning her head, she found another had been stationed directly outside and behind her door; most likely, being there the whole conversation.
Glancing out their door, Rosa came to the same realization as the other. Analyzing the situation, she walked back over toward the window.
Leaning casually on the window frame, she spotted a pair of binoculars spying on them from an adjacent building rooftop. At her notice, the pair of magnifying lenses ducked down out of sight. "I think we've become popular." She stated, growing a smug smile to match her demeanor.
Jack pulled the cig away from his lips as he started rocking in his chair again. "Surrounded by armed military before breakfast. It's like my first spring break all over again." A single chuckle was let loose as his face was overtaken by a nostalgic expression.
Back in the hall, Thresh remained assured as he boldly kept up his nonchalant pace in front of the other. Before reaching the corner of the hallway, he came to a sudden stop. Turning to his side, he backed up against the wall and slipped his hands into his pockets. "Speak." He ordered, shooting out an unfriendly glare.
"Here?" The willful teen asked, almost in a jolt. Glancing over her shoulder for verification the two had only traveled several doors down the hall.
"This is private enough." Thresh remarked with impatience.
Turning back around, the soldier nodded her head readily. "Very well." Moving in front of the mage, the two now occupied opposite sides of the narrow passageway. "I'd like to have a discussion with you about the three brothers besieging this city."
The wire mage cocked a brow at the request. "One's dead, the other's in your captivity, and the third will be joining the first shorty." He kept up his hard exterior as he continued to stare down the woman in front of him. "There's nothing to discuss."
The lieutenant took a breath, squaring up her shoulders. "Thresh Hunter, I—"
"Where did you get my name?" The mage snapped back, cutting the other off as soon she began. "I've spotted you now and then during my rounds. It wouldn't surprise me if a few of your men reported my involvement regarding the brothers..." Pushing off the wall, he shortened the distance between them, staring into the dead center of her pupils. "...but this is the first we've spoke. So I ask again: Where did you learn my name?"
"I got it off the hotel registry." Talon brought up swiftly, not intimidated in the slightest by the other's approach. Rummaging through an interior coat pocket, she pulled out a tidy folded up piece of stationary for the other to examine.
Studying the sheet, the light skinned mage found his name and room number. "Thresh Hunter. Party of four." He read aloud. His face grimaced as he looked over the unfamiliar signature.
Back in the suite, Jack began whistling an innocent man's tune. The action earning him a pair of befuddled stares from the girls.
When the paper was folded back up, Thresh took a step back and retook his spot against the wall.
"I'll be blunt," Talon disclosed persistently. "My unit has been instructed to take care of these troubling raiders. If the town's safety can be assured by Deiglyian soldiers, we can begin foreign trade and embark on a coalition between this city-state and our empire."
Thresh rolled his eyes at the notion. His head was pushed to the side in disinterest.
Walking in front of him yet again, the blonde pressed on. "I'm not asking for your assistance. I simply want you to let my men and I handle the situation from here on out. While I can't pay you in full, I should be able to forgo a contractor's fee for local assistance on the matter. The payment won't be as high as the combined bounty of all three bandits, but you won't have to do a thing." Extending her hand, she tried to seal the dead on her suggested arrangement. "Do we have a deal?"
The messy haired mage remained stonewalled as he considered the compromise. He never so much as flinched at the proposal, he barely seemed to even blink. "I refuse." Thresh informed with a short indifferent tone.
"What?" Talon gaped, pulling back her hand in confusion.
"You make too many assumptions for a soldier." The older criticized, pushing off the wall once more. "I never involved myself in any of this for the money. And before you get any other ridiculous notions in your head, no. I don't have a personal stake in this either."
The other couldn't comprehend the mage's intent. "Then why? Why involve yourself in this? Take a life?"
"Personal growth." Thresh replied dully. "To test my strength." He informed further.
The lieutenant appeared to grow appalled at the retort. Her hands clenched themselves at her sides, tightly wound at the affront. "That's nonsense!" She shouted, her voice risen in outcry. "Why would you—?" She held her tongue before saying something she would regret. "I don't understand."
Thresh ignored the other's complaint as he started retreading his steps back toward his room. "I showed you restraint because you choose to wear a uniform. Don't mistake this for compassion." He warned, still giving the other his back. "Don't pursue me again. Not unless you have a death wish." The man cautioned one last time, taking his leave in full.
"Thresh Hunter!" The obstinate girl called out, halting the man in his tracks. As she approached one last time, she received a menacing if not dirty look from over the mage's shoulders. "It saddens me that we couldn't reach an accord." The authoritarian upstart revealed with a sincere expression, her voice diminishing to its normal volume as well. "Let me leave you with one last piece of advice."
Standing up straight, the officer tugged on the strap of firearm. "You don't seem to be well rested. I would recommend at least eight hours of sleep nightly." With a polite nod, she turned around and signaled for her men to accompany her on their departure from the hotel.
The mage could only stand there with a partially annoyed look, his forehead scrunched up. "What?" He uttered aloud in deadpan.
. . . . . . . . .
The Talon corps had made it back to their vehicles, somehow surviving the powerful mage's terrifying assault. While not entirely unscathed by any means, the officers watched as the injured were carried into the truck beds first and foremost. Their prisoner joining them off to the side.
"You're an odd one." The captive man announced, glancing over toward the young lieutenant.
The stern teen returned the stare back up at the man next to her. "How so?"
The eldest turned his head to her in full, looking down the teen under half his age. "You actually plan on everyone under you surviving this nightmare encounter, don't you?" He finished by giving the officer a doubtful stare. "I can't tell if your naive or impetuous."
Talon took a look at her men scurrying about to haul the wounded into the truck. Those not directly involved were doing everything in their power to make the task easier for everyone else. Some held the bay door open while others made makeshift beds along the truck bed using their extra previsions and their very uniforms.
"These men have put their trust in me." The hard-nosed teen acknowledged out loud. "Making sure their faith is rewarded is the least I can do." The response lacked any dressing. It was delivered dry and plainly, like common knowledge.
Richter remained silent, staying uninvolved in their conversion. A proud smirk couldn't help but be brazenly drawn at his commander's final comments however.
The older's pessimistic gaze wandered away from the two officers. "Naivety it is." He condemned in a crestfallen nature.
Talon looked up at the other man briefly at this statement before they returned to surveying her men. "I don't know why you seem so distraught hearing that. That same naivety is the reason their safety is linked with yours. My promise to protect them extends to you."
The raider's expression dropped completely at this. A single bitter laugh emerged from the man as a sad smile hung on his face.
"What is it?" Talon asked, eying the other somewhat suspiciously.
The raider looked skyward, his eyes trapped on the quiet night sky. "The village I grew up in was founded by a riverbed. We used the running water for everything. One day, the capital was founded further upstream." A bitterness similar to how he described Thresh became present again as he went on. "The waters became polluted, and our people grew sick. We were forced to recruit guards from the neighboring towns for protection. Those men were bastards, the whole lot of them. They looked down on us and stole what little we had for themselves. They knew full well we couldn't oppose them. My brothers and I grew up resentful, full of hate. In adulthood, we raided and pillaged every town that ever took our homeland for granted, never looking back."
The lieutenant kept up her respectful gaze for the entirety of the man's tale. Upon its completion, she remained considerate and still. "Why did you tell me all that?" She asked in a muddling state.
"I had a passing thought." The man explained. His tired eyes still glued to the murky heavens above. "If you didn't know my whole story, it wouldn't mean anything."
Giving the man a moment to collect himself, the adamant youth allowed for a pause. "What was the thought?" She finally asked after the brief respite.
The scoundrel's bittersweet smile irked just a tad bit wider at the question. His shoulders shook as his core bounced from a withheld and silent laugh. "I wondered what my brothers and myself would be like if just one of those worthless guardsmen were more like you." Even after divulging such vulnerable piece of information, the man still refused eye contact. The broken man's remaining pride allotting him that much.
One of the men ran up to his superiors in a huff. "Sirs!" He greeted with a quick salute before immediately dropping it. "The wounded are packed away. We're ready to move out. Orders?"
"We're leavin' now, right?" Richter suggested in verification.
"You are." The blonde established, Belle moving in closer to her as she did. "We'll stay back and draw our enemy's attention so you all and the prisoner can get out of here."
The more laid-back officer frowned at the order. Lifting his rifle upright, he held it up on both shoulders, pressing the middle against the back of his neck. "You sure about this?"
"It's our best option." Talon assured with confidence.
With a disapproving sigh, the rifleman sunk his head. A moment later, the sargent flung it right back up with a matching smile. "Alright men, you heard the lady!" He all of a sudden shouted. "Pack it up! We're movin' out!"
The remaining troop saluted their captains before lining up one by one and entering the back of the truck one by one. Climbing in one after the other, it became time for the captive to do the same. He remained speechless, but he pulled himself aboard all the same, putting his faith in an odd soldier from a foreign land.
The easygoing sharpshooter hesitated right before hopping aboard with the rest of his men. His hand reached up, ready to start climbing, but he remained still. Turning around, he flashed a smile that was done so hastily that it became apparent it wasn't there before addressing his superior. "Get back to us in one piece. Ok, Lieutenant?" The man requested more candid than usual.
"Of course." The willful troop leader replied naturally with a tepid visage. "You stay safe as well." She added, unsure what else to say to reassure the older adolescent.
"Yes, sir!" The usually tempered man cried out with all he had. With a sneering grin, he gave a more enthusiastic and animated salute then ever before. The powerful ridged movement causing his limbs to jitter before snapping into their trained places.
All of the able-bodied soldiers in the truck got up one by one. Moving up to the back they all mimicked their sargent with such vigor the vehicle rocked partially for an instance.
"YES, SIR!" The platoon roared in unison, unprompted.
The spirited gesture caught the youngest off guard. The result was a warm smile and soft gaze gracing her normally stiff facial features. The soldier cleared her throat as she wiped her weakened expression away and retook her proper form. Returning the salute, she turned around and took up her weapon, covering her unit as they took off.
As the clunky engine was brought to life, Talon removed the safety from her gun again. When the wheels started treading through the sand, she pressed the stock into her inner shoulder, aiming toward the ruins, she steadied her breath, slowly scanning the dimly lit environment for any signs of opposition.
When the sounds of the truck all but vanished, the teen slowly started moving up, keeping her wits about her. "Stay close." She instructed for Belle who was keeping up right beside her.
"Good plan." Came a voice from behind.
The lieutenant's head whipped behind her to see the sargent standing in exactly the same place he had been before the truck took its leave. The only addition to his person being a military bag he now carried in a sling over his right shoulder. With a smile that lacked any concern, he started walking forward.
Talon's jaw fell for a period before it's owner straightened herself out. Lowering her weapon, she turned around behind her. "I-I told you to leave with the others. I gave you an order!" She scolded, chewing him out.
"You did?" The man questioned in a mock confusion. "I must have missed that part." Rummaging through his pants pocket, he pulled out a set of keys. "Thought you might need these for the jeep. I figured I'd give them to you before I left." Turning around briefly, he feigned surprise this time, his mouth held wide open as he pointed at the place the truck used to be parked with his thumb. "Lieutenant, can you believe it? Those guys left me behind."
Smirking, he took his place on her left side, opposite of her other partner. "Guess I better stick around and lend you a hand, huh?" He proposed with a crude confidence. Tossing the keys in the air, he caught them before proceeding to shove them away back onto his person.
While partially annoyed, the squad leader couldn't fight back the smallest of grins. "Remind me to reprimand you for this later." She instructed, retaking her position.
"Yes, sir." The man replied in good nature.
Before anything else, the two girls eyed the satchel which now occupied the other's body. At their notice, he unzipped the bag and showed off its contents. "It's a parting gift of sorts, from the rest of the guys. Guess they figured we might be able to use 'em."
The two peered inside. Examining the lot, Talon pulled back with a nod. "That'll do."
Remaining idle, the automated woman stared up at the interloping officer. "Recalculating." She announced, capturing the pair's attention. "Casualty rate: Moderate."
With a cheap laugh, the Sargent ignored the statistic as he joined his leader up front. "Who asked you?" He chastised lightheartedly, donning a smirk.
A strong wind blew ahead of them. dusting off the top-most level of a nearby dune, a controlled sand storm wandered over the main road and entrance to the ruins. When the concealing sands finally took their leave, another visitor took its place. Standing in wait half a mile ahead of them, was the dangerous mage, Thresh Hunter. At their attention, he began a slow intimidating walk toward them.
Talon aimed her gun forward. "Target sighted. Use caution." She advised.
"Still here?" Richter joked. "Don't worry. He's still young. I'm sure he'll learn soon enough that girls hate the persistent types."
The Sargent cocked his rifle, flinging the bag over his shoulder. "It's only gonna get harder from here on out. Sure you wanna stick to non-lethal?" After his baiting question, he eyed his commander anxiously for her response.
"Yes." Talon replied without hesitation or any hint of consideration. She traced the mage as she kept him locked down her sights. "I think enough unnecessary blood has been spilled this past week. Let's not add any more to it."
Pride retaking his face, Richter moved up again. Making it overly apparent, he let loose a hardy sigh. "My lieutenant's always choosing the harder path, isn't she?"
"Agreed." Belle spoke up, a rarity on its own. "This unit has noticed multiple instances where lieutenant Talon has acted with a complete disregard for logic as well as personal safety."
Surprised by the unexpected team up, the blonde took a double take at her two teammates by her sides. "H-Hey!" She voiced in disapproval.
Raising his rifle, the sargent also began tracing their target. "What's the plan here?" He stressed, their time before the other's arrival dwindling by the second.
"A pincer maneuver." Talon announced, gaining a skeptical look. "I don't know if it's all he's capable of, but I've only seen him attack in front of him. If that's the case, by attacking him from opposite angles—"
"He can only hunt one of us down at a time." The taller male finished, following the other's train of thought. "Which means while he's got one of us pinned down, the other gets a clean shot."
The company leader nodded. "Precisely."
He was still too far off for him to have heard their plan. Perhaps on instinct alone, Thresh summoned up a new set of wires. While his advance was slow, he walked with such purpose that if given the right opening, or if either of the two soldiers opened fire upon him, he would most certainly shift hard into a sprinting offense.
"Worth a shot I suppose." Exchanging a brief glance with his squad commander, Richter signaled with a quick gesture of acknowledgment. "On your mark." Her confirmed.
"Belle!" Talon called out, looking over her right shoulder. "Give me a five second countdown. Now."
Nodding, the mechanical figure did as instructed. "5... 4..."
"Sargent," the lieutenant hailed, drawing his attention back. "In case we become spread too thin, or lose each other, stick to SERE protocol."
"3... 2..." Belle continued, unhindered.
The man laughed at the other's command. "Man, when'd things get so serious around here? You owe me lunch when this is settled. I'm holdin' you to that." An eagerness lining his tone.
"1... 0!" The cyborg modified woman declared, almost coming off impassioned by the end.
"Mark!" Talon screamed, her and her subordinate crossing one another's path as they broke out into a sprint in opposing directions.
A sea of deadly wires erupted in front of them as they attacked everything within their owner's sight, a frenzy of precision awaiting should they progress.
. . . . . . . . .
Nested within the interior of two sprawling buildings resided a quiet alleyway. The nook was hidden from plain view by the near building's structural architecture. Unless one was specifically looking for it, the pathway may as well have been invisible.
A slow dripping echoed throughout the hollowed side path. It was similar to the soft patter that followed a benign rain shower.
A splash of red messily painted the otherwise mute colored building wall. Draining down, the still wet liquid pooled together in the center of the alley.
The material was clumping well. It was a thick substance, keeping a sticky hold on the ground as it spread wider along the pavement in a stringy viscus.
Laying in the center were chunks of cleanly hacked flesh. No one looking at the sight could ever dissertate that it once belonged to that of a man. Especially not one whom was just sprinting with all his might not more than a few minutes ago.
A single man remained in the alley. He wore a warn expression as his eyes glossed over his handiwork. Hefty breaths left him as he struggled to maintain a steady breathing. His dark brown eyes, the only part of him that could ever be considered calm.
The man's face had become riddled with small cuts and scrapes. Small trickles of blood ran down his face in slender streams. His hair was a tattered mess, more than usual anyway. His sweat overshadowing his blood loss by a mile.
The corner of his lip tugged in a snide annoyance as the mage looked down at the remains. "You were stronger that I expected." His gaze lingering as he went to turn around. "You shouldn't have run from me." He noted aloud as he went to take his leave.
Standing at the entrance of the alley was the young lieutenant. The soldier's eyes trembled in horror as she took in the nauseating sight before her. Her feet may as well have been cement. Her voice, lost.
Thresh eyed the soldier woman for less than a second before taking the first step of his steady approach. The action alone uprooting his observer as she instinctively took a step back.
Keeping forward, the introverted youth walked right passed the woman. His pupils never bothered to acknowledge her presence. Instead, he let his feet carry him passed her as he started his trek across the city and back to his sister's company.
The soldier remained grounded and still. Composing herself, her hands clenched at her sides as they started to shake. The act not brought about from fear, but a crippling resolve welling up inside her.
The fallen raider on the ground a testament of her failure. A symbol she would not allow to be repeated.
. . . . . . . . .
The lunar glow of the midnight moon bloomed across the otherwise black desert. Its merciless winds carving through the dunes and wrapping around the ruin visages.
Having just crisscrossed one another, both units of the sargent as well as Talon and her partner were sprinting in near opposite direction of each other. Their plan to entrap their attacker in a pincer maneuver still fresh in the head.
A ravenous flail of strings chased after the two of them. The lethal tendrils annihilating everything they came across in its attempts to ensnare the owner's targets.
The desert landscape was ravaged in the pursuer's vicious hunt. The ground itself torn to shreds, the proud wires dancing below the patchwork of lonely stars.
The distance between the wires and Talon and her partner shrunk by the second. Knowing if she continued to run ahead any further would spell her untimely demise, she altered her path toward a recently toppled pillar in the sand.
Time running out, she dove behind the cover. Taking Belle with her, the pair rolled along the earth just in the nick of time. A clean swipe of a wire overhead cut straight through the stone as if it weren't even there.
Staying hidden, the blonde pulled her companion inward to her. Pressing her back against the remainder of her emergency barricade, she tucked their limbs in and used the time to catch her breath.
Seeing his lieutenant pinned down, Richter stopped in his tracks. Taking a knee, he took aim with his rifle, loading in a bullet from the top of the barrel.
Thresh summoned more strings as he readied to unveil another barrage of his wires on the other's cover. About to follow through, the realization that the small remainder of the soldier's platoon had diminished even more without his notice. So long as he kept aware, it didn't matter how independently the trio acted, he would end up on top.
Shifting his focus away, the curt mage spotted a gleam of a scope pointed right at him. The moonlight betraying the shooter, giving his position away.
Withholding his attended attack, Thresh instead jumped back with the aid of his strings, not a moment to spare.
As soon as Richter placed his finger along the trigger, his target leaped back in a jerking motion. The unexpected reaction forcing his first shot to cleanly miss. The other's dark clothing blending him into the night as the trained spotter struggled to line up another shot.
When the gunman pulled his dominant eye away from his scope, the change in winds caught his attention. The gusts stayed low, the shriek of the musty breeze became sharper. The sound had changed, now more akin to a razor scraping against a hardy surface.
Even when glancing around, the low visibility would yield nothing. The noise drew louder the the seemingly invisible force closer. Yet still, he saw nothing. Trusting his instinct, Richter hit the deck as he dove to his side with all he could.
The gales became silent for the briefest of seconds. The normal howl of the wind returning soon there after.
Getting back up, the sargent peeked over his shoulder. Directly where he had positioned himself now laid a long perfectly even scar in the dunes leading all the way from the far off mage. The shifting sands covered up the damage in moments.
Gulping, the soldier donned a nervous smirk, a cold sweat spawning down the nape of his exposed neck. "O-Okay then."
From behind her cleaved barricade, Talon took a subtle look over its tattered edges to see their foe perched on a rock facing almost completely away. "Still not wide enough of an angle."
Turning her head, her eyes followed the pathway of a ridge leading up further into the ruins center. Seeing her adversary distracted, she started moving up again. Once again, she was sprinting as hard as she could further up toward the stone framework.
Catching the pair's movements almost instantly, Thresh spun around. "Too predictable." Raising both hands, they followed the two. "Chain Restraint: Plasma!"
Before she was able to make it for the next hurdle of safety, Talon and Belle were both forced to stop halfway to their objective. All around them, dozens of razor-sharp wires generated in their immediate encompassing area in complex heights and angles. They were trapped in the open, escape impossible.
When the wires twitched, Talon inched closer to her comrade. "Belle, now!"
Without needing to specify, the mechanical woman stepped in front of her officer and spread her arms wide. In an instant, the magic infused sphere of water surrounded the two of them completely.
The wires lurched and came in from all sides. Vitals such as the head were focused as the body's center of mass was also free game. Unlike the other boundaries, the mage's strings coiling around its target's shield. They wrapped around it like a snake would a prey with the mindset of suffocation. Despite squeezing and trying to break through, the dome remained unfazed as every last string snapped, disappearing and leaving the pair unharmed.
Protected by the watery spell shield, Talon took a knee. Taking up her automatic weapon, she pressed it into her shoulder as she steadied her aim forward. Her cerulean gaze returning as steadfast as ever.
With the mage's focus split, Richter took the time to scale a high rock surface further up. Laying on his stomach, he took aim through the now scraped looking glass of his scope.
Thresh remained watchful, a certain cautiousness to his controlled attacks. She's switching to offensive now all of a sudden? Why? What's changed? His eyes went wide for an instance as he shot his merciless gaze back over his shoulder on a hunch. Spotting the shooter from earlier, now positioned directly behind him, he scowled. With a quick double-take between the two, he exposed clenched teeth in annoyance. "Well aren't you a clever pair of—"
Belle's shield dropped without warning. "Fire!" Talon roared.
Both parties let out a simultaneous volley of gunfire. Taking his first evasive steps away, Thresh took dozens of scrapes and nicks as he bled on both sides. Summoning his wires, he latched them onto opposing structures and used the angle to catapult himself up and away.
Escaping the hail of led, Thresh spun around in midair and cast down a loathing glare. From his now aerial advantage, he was able to take in both parties within an unaltered field of vision. Summoning a handful of strings, he cast them out in a singular path, tracing both of the soldier's units at once.
Clasping his bag close to his chest, the halfhearted soldier leaped off his sniping point. Behind him, its foundation was severed torn to pieces like paper the instant he did. Crashing shoulder first a full story down into a sand dune, he rolled and tumbled onto his stomach.
The moonlit bathed battlefield became defaced further as the same path of destruction was carved in straight paths forward. The lieutenant dead center in its path.
Before the instinct to dodge could even materialize in the soldier's head, Belle stepped out in front of her. Without a verbal command, she spread her arms, summoning her shield once more. The deadly assault was halted around them, they appeared to be safe.
Unlike the last attack, not all wires seemed to be focused on the duo. Avoiding the dome completely, they pressed on right passed them. Talon watched in a mix of relief as well as unease. His aim held true from a further distance before, his injuries couldn't have been more severe than she realized. The pair's footing weakened as light cracks appeared in the stone underneath their feet. Glancing down, her sense of worry finally made sense to her.
Still sky bound, Thresh had only just now reached the apex of his vault and now started his descent. As he was falling, he continued the precise angulation of his strings. Having finished his prep work, he gave a strong tug of his arm and pulled down on his wires.
Talon grabbed Belle by her shoulder but before she could move her, another of their opponent's wires zipped right underneath. The ground cracked to pieces as the two lost their footing and were sent plummeting down the side of the ridge.
As his descent sped up more than his liking, the mage used his wires to slow his fall. Landing safely, he started a decisive dash through the central ruins.
The lieutenant and her partner dug themselves out of the rubble caused from the Thresh's forced pitfall. Shoving aside the rocky debris, Talon was the first to retake her stand. More than a little beat up from the toppling fall, she ignored her cuts and scratches as she helped uproot her automated ally.
"That was a rough landing." The soldier noted, grabbing Belle by her arms and helping her back onto her feet. "Are you alright?"
The prosthetic clad woman nodded lightly as she retook her rigid stand. "I am operating with acceptable measures." She informed.
Looking around, Talon frowned seeing how exposed they were at bottom of the ridge basin. Keeping level-headed, she preoccupied herself with the sight of the yet untouched ruin interiors just up ahead.
Checking her equipment, the soldier readied herself once more. "This location is too open. We'll head inside the ruins."
"Acknowledged." Belle replied, moving to her side.
. . . . . . . . .
Pressing his back against the stone wall, the sargent stayed on alert. Glancing across all sides, he saw no signs of friend or foe alike.
Having entered the mesh of the forgotten lands, Richter didn't try to hid the worry on his face. Reaching for his hand radio on instinct, his hand stopped right before he could grab it. He shook his head, pulling his hand away, not daring risk the sound.
Taking a knee, the soldier lowered himself down as he approached an upcoming corner. Cautiously, he peeked his head out. At the slightest sign of even a moving shadow, he was prepared to pull himself back. Gazing out, he saw nothing.
Leaning back behind the corner, the slim man slid down into a seated position. Planting his bag onto his lap, he relaxed the grip on his rifle.
A single chuckle escaped him, a smirk overtaking his features. "Lowest bidder, don't fail me now." He joked to himself. Raising his rifle back up, he pressed his lips against the top of the barrel for a quick kiss. Hopping back upright, he took one last precautionary glance around the corner before quietly moving out.
. . . . . . . . .
Thresh Hunter had his head low to the ground as he reinforced his namesake. Putting his tracking skills to full use, he examined the grazes of sand underneath him as he combed it for any signs of footprints. It didn't matter if he was following the trail of a beast or a person, they all left behind clues; traces behind their wake.
The mage presently found himself in the middle of the central ruins. To his dull surprise, the soldiers proved to be more cunning than he originally expected. Choosing to directly stalk the pair he'd pressured into the same remains, the key choice of action had been decided to cut them off. If he had elected to following behind them, he could unknowingly walk into a trap. Instead, he prowled the grounds, looking for hide or hair of his target, where he could finish them off once and for all.
Getting back onto his feet, the wire mage shook his head, not finding any traces of his hunt. Looking around, he noticed how similar the interior architecture of his moonlit arena truly was. He noted how easy it would be to lose track of his mental map, especially when scaling multiple floors and levels of the complex.
Pulling out his knife, the man scrawled a small 'X' in the wall beside him at eye level, so that he would notice it should he retrace covered ground unnecessarily. Putting the steel away, he returned to his pursuit in a steady pace, delving deeper inside.
. . . . . . . . .
The pair of soldier women hugged the walls as they progressed. When treading through long stone halls, Talon took point. Heading up first, she cleared the passage and stopped at the upcoming corner. Reaching her next position, she diligently scoped out the area. Only when she herself deemed it safe, she signaled for her partner to move up with silent hand signals.
Spotting the sign to move up, Belle didn't do so immediately. Before taking a single step, she reexamined their flank. She checked all sides for any signs of life. Only once thoroughly scanning their flank did she even consider standing up. With a hunched walk, she returned to her officer's side.
With Belle back at her side, Talon was ready to move up toward the next hall, the cycle commencing once again.
The process was gruelingly slow. It was however the safest and most optimal course of action to ensure no careless mistakes were made.
Eventually, the duo found themselves in a much larger room than the claustrophobic halls they had been forced through prior. Half a dozen stone pillars held up high ceilings, glimpses of a second floor noticeable, even from the entrance. A stairway reaching up to it directly across from them.
About to enter inside, the soldier froze up when something brushed along the sides of her peripheral vision. Whipping her head in its direction, a crack of moonlight exposed her enemy's presence on the floor above them. She couldn't tell what he was doing, but as soon as he was spotted, he was on the move again.
"Engagement is not advised." Belle reminded in a whisper.
Talon nodded in reply. She pulled her head back, making sure not even a hair was exposed. All the while, she focused herself on controlling her elevated breathing.
After a few more moments within the shadows, she pushed her head out again. Extending herself just enough to get one eye out, she watched as Thresh left the room through one of the upper halls in a brisk pace.
"I know that pathway." The lieutenant noted aloud for her partner. "We saw it on the way here. It leads back down to the ground floor." Her eyes refocused on the stairs ahead of them. "If he's heading down, then we'll lose him by heading up."
With the coast clear, Talon stuck to the walls as she made a light run for the stairs. After once again scoping out the new territory, she signaled for her partner to follow.
In their shared haste to create much needed distance between them and their pursuer, neither failed to see a small 'x' carved into the wall from where they were previously taking refuge beside.
When the pair finished heading up toward the second floor, Talon dug herself into the closest hall. About to move up, she felt a firm grab on her shoulder. Looking back, she watched as Belle pointed back into the main room.
Looking out, the lieutenant watched as Thresh reentered the spacious room from the first floor. She was about to question why he would return so soon until she saw him stop and crouch down to the ground. Taking a knee, he traced the path of their footprints.
Hearing the light sounds of the whirling winds outside, it only then dawned on the soldier that she herself hadn't felt any strong winds in quite a while. Although the same winds would have covered up her trail outside, there wasn't nearly enough force inside to do similarly.
Pressing on, Talon wasted no time as she hurried forward down the hall. She did all she could to move as fast as possible without noise. The precautions she took earlier thrown aside as she rushed in an attempt to get back outside. Ultimately, when enough ground had deemed covered, she no longer hindered her movement for silence. She had broken down to a sprint, grabbing Belle by the wrist, she made sure she too was running along with her.
At the junctions of the temple grounds she would sometimes head deeper left, only to swerve right at the next. She ran up stairs only to leap down to exposed terrain a level down moments later. It didn't matter to her how disoriented she could become in the maze-like interior, so long as she kept moving in a singular direction, her chances of bumping into her adversary shrunk significantly.
Reaching another corridor intersection, moonlight shined through her right. A long elevating tunnel of cut rock was the only thing separating the two of them from far more maneuverable battlegrounds. Moving up, she ran toward the literal light at the end of the tunnel. Her boots echoing loudly against the stone footing.
With the powerful strides of her bursting steps, the two had cleared their way out of the harrowing aged labyrinth. No more than a handful of steps after a dreadful noise spawned from behind them, the pinpoint sound of splitting air not too different from that of a whipping bullet.
Talon gazed behind them just in time to see it. The ultra thin wire almost glistening as it dove straight for them. While she herself was just out of its reach, the same couldn't be said for her partner. It struck as low as it was fast. Within the splitting of a second, the deadly thread clipped the cyborg's back most leg. Everything from the shin down of her right leg was cleaved clean off as steel and cables scrapped along the ground.
Struck in the middle of her stride, Belle fell forward. The sudden loss of support yanking her arm free from her commander's protective grasp. Her loss of a limb was so sudden, she collapsed at an odd angle, the muted woman's face slamming against the rock under her as her body slid to a halt.
The Deiglyian soldier stopped in her tracks at the agonizing sight. If only the attack could have transpired just a few feet further, where she could at the very least drag her partner behind reasonable cover. Instead, the onslaught had to strike them the moment they made it outside, the entrance left completely out in the open.
Talon looked back inside the structure to see Thresh approaching in nimble fashion, more wires in tow. She had two options before her, neither preferable. On one hand, she could leave in search of better cover so that she could potentially rendezvous with the sargent in a chance for a counter attack. On the other hand, she could run over to Belle's aid, no guarantee for either of their safety, with absolutely no exit strategy. The choice was obvious.
Doubling back, the lieutenant didn't so much as flinch as she ran headfirst into danger. Crashing down onto one knee, she slid over to her partner's side, doing her best to pick her back up.
As a new wave of lethal strings lashed out at them, Belle weakly rose one of her arms. Not a moment too late, a new protective dome of water sprawled to life around them, warding off the other's attack.
The blonde raised her gun defensively, but kept her focus on her injured comrade. The injury had thankfully only destroyed what was already prosthetic, nothing that couldn't be replaced. The startling lack of mobility that came with the injury was no laughing matter however, especially against this foe. Her initial fall also left residual damage of its own, a lot of blood drained out of the wide abrasion of a cut stretched out above her cheek.
All the while, Thresh Hunter closed in on his wounded prey.
. . . . . . . . .
Charging out of the ruins from an opposing side of the central ruins, Richter came barreling out. His carrying bag from earlier since discarded. Having been following the recent emergence of noise in the otherwise subdued arid wasteland, he whipped his head around in a fearful desperation. Finally spotting the unmistakeable bubble, he was about to rush over until he saw the mage's figure walk into frame.
Disregarding his earlier instruction on sticking to non-lethal tactics, the sargent pulled up his weapon with full intention on eliminating the threat. Trying to line up a clear shot, he abruptly became panic stricken. From where he was standing, the bubble perfectly blocked off his target.
Given the difference in elevation, as well as how dug in the architecture was by the other entrance, there was no telling how much time it would take the shooter to appropriately reposition himself. Time of the essence, he started looking for any alternatives. In his distraught state, his eyes grazed over their vehicle from earlier. Left without any immediate options, he started a mad sprint over toward it.
. . . . . . . . .
Thresh lacked any urgency as he slowly walked up toward the pair's defensive barrier. He stood above, looking down at them as he crossed his arms. An inch of magically imbued water being the only thing separating them all from the night's inevitable climax. Even with his limited understanding of the other's magical limits, he could tell from a single glance at the caster that her shield would not hold forever, especially not in her poor state.
He remained quiet as he matched the adolescent soldier's heated defiance of her stare with the cold resolve of his own. Watching her, he saw as the bitter resentment on her face gave way to a more restrained one.
As she glanced around in a dire attempt to problem solve, he too followed after her direction. He could see the gears turning as dozens of strategies played out in her mind. When she scanned the nearby rubble, he could see her plans of using it as cover. He watched it become more sunken in when she no doubt concluded how easily it would be for him to remove it. When her head darted behind them, he saw her attempt to calculate how many seconds it would take to escape, her expression falling when she realized the time allotted to her wasn't nearly enough.
While mostly pragmatic, when needed, Thresh could be a patient man. The current situation more than fulfilling that requirement. He needn't raise a finger. All he needed to do was wait out the last inevitable sands of the bleak hourglass that presented itself before him.
The soldier's eyes stopped their distraught scouring. In frustration, they pointed downward as she lowered her head in defeat. The motion causing her dog tags to fall out before her. The metal jingling as they clanged against one another.
The mage lowered his gaze as he watched the dangling cheap aluminum. Talon. He read in his head. What an unfitting name. He thought as the dwindling seconds continued to count down. Talons, the tools of hunting birds of prey. Keen creatures that perceive their moment to strike and act without hesitation or recourse. Staring down at the soon to be conquered foe, the mage scowled to himself. Unfitting indeed.
"You shouldn't have doubled back." Thresh voiced, dragging back the other's attention. "A soldier's task is to be cruelly efficient. You had the audacity to think you could come out victorious in this encounter without the loss of a single life." His glare intensified. "That was foolhardy of you."
The sounds of the windy black desert were impaired as the prominent roar of an engine emerged from a ways off. The sudden noise catching both parties off guard as their heads turned toward its general direction.
"Even your subordinate seeks to abandon you." Thresh noted in a fatalistic narrative.
He was about to continue silently waiting until the revving engine grew louder instead of retreating into the night. The sounds of the tires digging into sand starting to emerge as well.
All stared over the cracked rock wall of the ancient structure as the sound drew only closer behind it. Wary, Thresh took a step back, about to walk around it to get a better take of the land. Before he could take another step, the vehicle blew straight through the wall. Rubble flying everywhere as the automobile cascaded straight for the mage.
Jumping out the side, Richter let gravity and momentum run its course as he flung himself out toward his comrades in arms. Hitting the ground, he rolled to disperse the blunt of the impact before continuing the slide toward the two. As he did, Belle's shield finally ran out and the bubble popped. This allowing the soldier to come to a stop directly beside them.
Thresh stared agape as the two-thousand pound transport machine was hurled straight for him. Needing to act, he summoned more wires and split the vehicle in half down the middle. The spark of the engine colliding with the now severed and flooding fuel tank, the combustion explosion that followed was expected.
The harsh blast knocked the young mage back off his feet. His aura absorbing most of the damage, he was quick to topple himself over back onto a rising if not shaky stand.
Debris of metal shrapnel littered the zone amidst the burst. The burst of smoke and fire caused everyone to shield their head and eyes from any damaging blow-back. The chassis scrapping across the ground before knocking against an adjacent pillar. A thick black smoke stack now covering the predominant area.
Before the dust could settle, Talon worked as fast as she helped Belle into an upright sitting position. Once sure she had stabilized herself, she handed her her steel cased handgun. Pulling down the hammer for her, she let her take aim on her own.
Rolling over onto his stomach, Richter pulled off his rifle from over his shoulder. Getting into prone position, he scoped in to the dense fog, awaiting further instruction.
Rising into a firm stand, Talon positioned herself between the two. Once again removing the safety of her automatic firearm. She pressed it up into her shoulder as she waited for her chance.
Thresh coughed as smoke filled his lungs. With winds of change starting to blow, he was about to prepare more wires to finish off his resilient enemies. As fate would have it, the wind blew from behind. The smoke stack was split in half away from both parties.
Gazing out, the mage met a troubling sight. Directly across from him laid a fully ready and able makeshift firing squad. Eyes wide, he went to dodge, but his body responded too little too late.
"Fire!" Talon ordered capably. All three shooters unleashing as many bullets in a unified hail as they could muster. The dull pop of a handgun, the deep burst of a rifle, and the unrelenting cry of a automatic weapon. All bled together into a cacophony of what could only be described as a wail of sheer force.
Getting by on nicks and scratches like before was not going to be the case this time. While the overall numbers of the soldiers had dropped, the remaining group were far more disciplined. With his aura fading, what could have been shrugged off as scratches before instead ripped up his skin. Even when tucking his arms and legs in to protect his core, dozens of focused shots were ready to chew him up and spit him out in pieces.
If he stayed in the aftermath of the shrapnel and hail for longer than a second, there would surely be nothing left. Forced to call his wires, he took more and more clips. A cut against his cheek bleed outward, a chunk of ankle was stripped from him as his posture waned. Stretching an arm outward, grabbing his recently summoned strings, a bullet brushed against the underside of his fingers, a blow that burned his skin could have just as easily removed a digit or two if it had been fired off a few centimeters higher.
Grabbing his wires, Thresh lacked the time to make an appropriate approximation of his leap. Literally dragging his body out of the wave of gunfire, he flung himself out toward the closest cover as fast as he could. Taking a few more shots, his body was sent hurdling against one of the ruin's exterior stone walls. Bracing himself, he crashed against it before dropping a dozen feet onto the course sand.
A growl escaped the furious mage. His entire body ached and pleaded with the man to be still, but he wouldn't allow it, not yet. His hands clawed into a fist against the loose sediment his body rested against. Rolling over onto his back, Thresh looked up to see a streak of red from where he collided leading down to where he presently laid.
Holding his left arm out and up in front of his view, he caught a glimpse at the weakening moonlight through a clean hole in his twitching forearm.
. . . . . . . . .
"Hold!" The lieutenant ordered, calling an end to their dutiful trigger work. Kneeling back down, she caught her partner mere moments before she could collapse. Keeping her upright, Talon accepted her handgun back when it was presented for her.
Pushing off onto a stand, the long haired sargent braced his rifle against the back of his neck and seated it on his shoulders. "Think he took the hint yet?" He asked with a tired laugh, leaning over his shoulder.
"He'll be back." Talon replied, doing her best to look over their critically injured teammate.
In a glower, Richter glanced over at the wreckage of their vehicle. "Well uh, might wanna radio in some backup. Otherwise, we're gonna be hitchhikin' our way outta here." A few remaining flames staying ever vigil as they littered the mess of a jalopy. "'Cause uh, I don't think I can buff that one out."
Talon contemplated the scenario as she thought back to the mage's rash exit. "Perhaps we should press the initiative."
Supporting herself better, Belle removed her officer's hands finely. "At this stage, I would recommend the Snowblind Subroutine."
The response shocked the lieutenant. "You told me that protocol was banned." She leaned closer to make speaking easier for her. "You're sure about this?"
Richter walked over at the notion. "Alright, fill me in."
Talon looked up at the sargent. Gazing back down, she placed an arm around the other's side for support despite it seeming not fully necessary. "Belle told me that Professor Undine had originally designed a special spell for her to use, but was deemed unneeded before our first meeting, so it was removed from her system."
The wounded cyborg shook her head at the other's explanation. "It was removed from my active registry. It was never fully taken out from my systems. Other spells were instead built on top of it." She looked up at Talon's worried expression before continuing in her expected monotone. "My primary protocol is to ensure the safety of Lieutenant Talon. If the list of spells and actions given to my disposal do not fulfill this protocol, then access to preceding spells is authorized."
Richter raised a brow at the suggestion. "What's it do? Anything good?"
Belle nodded. "Affirmative. I can verify that our chances of survival would raise at an exponential rate from the aftermath."
Richter grinned at the other's report. "See? Isn't it fun to break the rules sometimes? I'm startin' to like you." Removing his rifle from his shoulders, he lowered it down and pressed it more naturally up against his chest. "Alright then, whip it out."
"Please advise:" The automated woman began again. "Due to the difficulty of the work around for accessing this spell, combined with my current condition, preparation time will not be optimal."
"Oh boy." Richter complained, getting a worrisome feeling in his gut.
"How much time would it take Belle?" Talon asked, seeking verification.
The robotic woman paused briefly as she calculated the conditions. "The preparation to activate this spell would take five minutes at the minimum."
The lieutenant was quick to shake her head at this. "That's not possible." She started looking around again. "We'll have to think of something else." She concluded.
Richter didn't share his superior's imminence in his actions as he instead stared up at the murky sky hovering above. "Five minutes." He repeated to himself, his grip on his rifle tightening.
"Sargent?" Talon questioned, staring up at the taller man.
"Three-hundred seconds." He replied, catching her eyes with his own.
"Absolutely not." The blonde voiced in disapproval. "I am not going to let you— "
Richter leaned down at his superior, shrinking the distance between them. A mischievous smirk spreading across his lips. "Not gonna let me what? Carry my own weight for five measly minutes? I'm hurt here Lieutenant."
A frown marred the younger woman's face. "You know what you're asking, don't you? You're certain about this?" She insisted, needing to hear him clearly before making any such decision.
"I already kinda set up. So don't worry too much." He said, trying to defend his reckless actions as he flashed a wider grin. "Though a little incentive wouldn't hurt."
Staring up at the brash man, Talon's stern expression faltered into not one of a proud superior, but one of a comrade. "I order you..." She halted, making sure subordinate matched the conviction in her eyes before continuing. "...to survive."
"Yes, sir!" Richter shouted in a sudden gung-ho manner. His stance shifting into one of a salute. Wrapping up his posture, he returned to normal as he turned around and gave his back to his commanding officer.
Turning back over to Belle, Talon looked over her steel limbs. "How heavy are you're limbs?" She inquired, her cerulean gaze drawn back to the injury.
Belle replied in her usual formal and informative fashion. "It was decided early on that in order to prevent my movements from being that of a hindrance to you, that my core components would be made using a lightweight metallic alloy that—"
"Roger that." Talon acknowledged placing one hand under the other's knees as the other held the small of her back. Shifting her crouch state before standing, she positioned her partner over her shoulders. With a hefty grunt, she pushed up into a stand. Stabilizing herself, she quickly turned around and started a slow jog away in search of better cover.
Once out of earshot, Richter let out a dragging sigh. "Three-hundred seconds." He repeated to himself for reassurance, marching ahead.
. . . . . . . . .
Thresh had just finished dressing the largest of wounds on his person. He didn't have the time or resources to worry about the smaller ones. His hoodie now a tattered mess.
He'd gotten sloppy. There was no other excuse for his state. His aura had been drained from both haphazard use as well as from defensive use after being caught off guard several times. The amount of wires he could probably summon from this point onward had diminished down to the single digits.
Slumping up against the rock wall, he dragged himself over toward the nearest edge. While his breathing was heavy initially, it began to normalize as he started to grow accustomed to the constant pain shooting through most of his body.
Wherever the remaining bunch might be, the injured member would surely drag them down. As soon as he found them again, he could easily dispatch one or even two if they remained on the defensive.
Pressing his fingers tips up against the brink. About to take his first step outward to scan the battlefield, a lone bullet impacted the wall mere inches from where his head rested. Pulling back on the instant, he pressed his body against the stone for protection. It had happened so fast that the mage couldn't even take a guess as to where the shooter nested himself.
Not willing to risk life and limb so fragrantly in his condition, he turned around and headed for the opposite side. Touching the contradictory corner with his right hand, he was ready to peek his head out to survey the landscape and track down the marksman. As he was about to, another bullet dragged itself along the rugged stone. Clipping the mage's middle finger along the way, it chipped and took part of his fingernail with it.
With an anger as well as pain induced grunt, Thresh tucked back his hand. Multiple shooters. Has to be. Safely from his position, the mage spotted part of the vehicle wreck from earlier. The rear-view mirror since dislodged and sprawled out along the ground, the glass reflecting in the moonlight caught his attention.
The wire mage unwillingly called a string to his fingertips. What a waste. He thought, sending it out toward the mirror. Figuring that if he tried to drag it toward him to use as a hand tool would only cause it to be shot and destroyed, he left it where it was. Instead, he used his hold of the wire to tug it ever so slightly as to give him a clear angle of the area behind his cover.
His brown eyes squinted as they did their best to work with the pocket sized view. Angling it just a bit further, a hole was blasted clean through it, shattering the mirror to pieces.
Thresh wasn't agitated. If anything, it was a blessing in disguise. From the angle of the shot and the way the object was blown back, he had already figured out the core direction of the shooter. Having also heard the gunshots go off several times now, he formed a strong mental image of where they were located.
Closing his eyes, the mage rebuilt the surroundings outside the central ruins entrance in his head. Just North of the entrance, passed the hole caused by the third soldier's vehicular arrival, there was definitely ample cover. If he could make it there, retaliation would be simple.
Reopening his eyes, Thresh rushed around the corner with a calculated confidence. As soon as he rounded the corner however, his eyes went wide. One step beyond the corner, tucked perfectly out of sight laid a single live landmine. Without a second thought, the mage thrown his body backward. The instance he did, the shooter shot his own trap, detonating it manually.
The ground shook as new cloud of smoke and dust filled the area. Having hit the deck when he did, Thresh avoided any serious damage. Forcing himself back up, he decided to use the smoke to his advantage. Making a dash for his prior objective he hid himself among ashes. Coward hid explosives, did he? That won't work on me again.
Reaching a fallen pillar, the mage spotted a rifle sticking out from atop a structure overhead. Found you! Summoning another of his withering supply of wires, he threw it up and made a clean swipe though the other's cover.
The old masonry fell apart in an instant. Collapsing into scattering rubble, Thresh stuck his head out to make sure he had gotten the job done right this time. To his annoyance, the only thing he found in the rubble was a severed rifle but no sign of a gunman. Was the nest empty from the start? Then where...
His question was answered as the sounds of sprinting boots stomped against the stone tiles. Looking back to where he had originally came from, Thresh watched as the third soldier made his daring reappearance. Sprinting around the corners, he lead with his personal handgun and fired off a few rounds in the mage's direction. A second rifle hitched over his shoulder.
The Ouafian dodged just in time to avoid taking another wound to his shoulder. Reaching up, he pulled himself over the pillar for better cover. Before he could take even a second to collect himself, he heard the sounds of the man's charge continue without any signs of slowing.
Thresh turned around just in time to see the soldier leap over the cover alongside him. As soon as he landed, the mage reached for his knife. He drew it just in time to avoid the swipe of a bayonet an inch away from his face.
Stepping in, the messy headed mage went for a slash just below the soldier's gut. As the knife was about to connect, the other leaned away from it as he took a single step back. Using his greater reach to his advantage, he stepped back in and delivered a rough kick with the sole of his boot to the center of Thresh's chest, knocking him back into the pillar. Without giving him a chance to recover, he charged back in, leading with his bayonet.
The mage snapped back into focus just in time to see the strike heading straight for him. Leaping to the side, the pointed tip of the other's weapon dug into the rock in his place. He was about to run back in but delayed when the soldier dislodged it with ease.
Studying the new distance between them, Thresh grimaced. In his eagerness to dodge the other's attack, he had traveled too much ground. Instead of close-range where he excelled, especially in the situation he found himself, where he wanted to conserve aura, he had wound up in a medium-range.
The longer haired soldier stayed put. The aggressiveness to his earlier attacks seeming to have faded by a noticeable degree. In the downtime, the wire mage glanced down at the new rifle.
Spotting this, the soldier smirked. "Oh this?" Richter asked, turning his body toward the mage. The action alone making the shorter warrior shift into a counter stance with his knife. "You're gonna love this, really. Ya see, when you engaged us in the beginning, you scared one of the men so bad he must'a dropped this. Am I lucky or what?" He goaded.
Thresh inched closer slowly, trying to regain lost ground. Talkative type? Good. Keep blabbing.
Rather than take aim with his rifle, the man simply followed his foe's movements with his head, locking eyes. "I don't think we've been introduced yet. Name's Richter." With a melancholy sigh, he glanced away. "First Sargent of the Deiglyia blah blah, yada yada. You get it."
With a much deeper sigh this time, Richter hung his head. "Look, hear me out." He proposed, his finger easing up on the trigger.
Thresh remained silent, now taking longer but equally slow steps.
"Without givin' too much away, let's just say you and me got this hard time limit." The Sargent revealed, raising his head back up.
Time limit? The mage's head flush with options as to why. Pushing them aside for the time being, he kept inching up.
"The first time I heard the number, it sounded so big, y'know? Kept repeating it to myself until it sounded small." Placing his finger firmly back on the trigger, he halted the mage in his tracks. "So here's my problem..." He began with his usual careless tone. Eyes locking once again, now with a laser focus. "...this guy comes out of nowhere, goes after my men, places a knife against the throat of my lieutenant. Where does he get off?" The easygoing nature of his voice changed halfway through his question. It became rougher, visibly upset.
As Thresh thought back on the soldier's actions up until now, he couldn't help but compare the look he held in his eyes to his superior from before. Her's was steadfast, with an undertow of courageousness guided by foolish prominence. His was different. It was colder with a subdued ire. Thinking on it, he couldn't see a similarity between the two at all.
The car, the mine, the use of his bayonet. The hints slowly piled on before suddenly hitting the mage all at once. Without wasting anymore time, he threw himself forward. This soldier, he was never going non-lethal from the start.
His chain of thought was proved right as the soldier took aim once more with his substitute rifle. Pulling back on the lever, he fired off a shot aimed dead center at the mage's head. Expecting such, he ducked before the man could pull the trigger. The result being a head bob that just barely avoided a head-on collision. The daring act finally closing the two in at close-range once more.
Rather than going for another slash with his knife, Thresh aimed to step in as far as he could. Reversing his grip on the knife, he pressed his opposite palm up against the butt end. One strong motion would be all it would take to pierce clean into a vital.
Watching the other's tactic unfold, the taller man grabbed his now empty rifle with both hands. The tip already pointed downward, he swung it up with all he could. At that range, the bayonet would clip the mage, slicing his face or at the very least pushing him away again.
Expecting the retaliation, Thresh weaved his head to the side, avoiding the attack entire while still gaining ground.
Whiffing his strike, Richter stared down before him. His swing had yet to end, and the other's knife drew closer by the second. He had gotten too worked up, and now, he was staring his end straight in the face.
I order you to survive.
The words bled into his head. The words repeated over and over as his eyes never so much as blinked at the oncoming knife.
His footing strengthened as he widened his stance. Not even halfway through the apex of his swing, he used all of his muscle to halt it early. The demanding, jerking motion, forced a collateral pain to shriek through his body. It felt as though half the muscles in his torso had been ripped in two. The result was an unnatural shortstop that not even Thresh could have foreseen.
Flinging his body and weapon back in the opposite direction, Richter now aimed the bayonet down at the shorter mage once more. He plunged down with all he could. What once was slashing up, was now striking down. With the suddenness and severity of the two strikes delivered so quickly between one another, to an outside observer, it surely would have appeared as a pair of brutal fangs clamping down on a prey.
Thresh was an agile combatant. The second strike was unexpected, but his body dodged to the side instinctively. Just like before, the tip sailed right passed him. This time, he did not manage to get off unscathed as the steel carved against the side of his left cheek. Ignoring the pain, he plunged his weapon inward. Victory, a moment away.
Unlike his first attack, Richter was not left completely defenseless with a miss. Continuing his swing, he used the one last trick he had up his sleeve. While his adversary had put so much focus on avoiding the sharpened point of his rifle, he was left completely unaware as the soldier strengthened his hold on the wooden stock. Slamming it down, he bashed the back end clean into the side of the other's skull, knocking the mage roughly onto the ground.
Thresh laid motionless in the sand, completely susceptible to any type of attack. Before Richter could follow up with anything more however, he was forced to stab his rifle into the ground and lean on it in support. He was hunched over in pain. Clasping onto the side of his ribs, the soldier's face became marred with agony. The suffering that was sure to follow a full-body whiplash already taking its toll on him as his entire muscular system throbbed in pain with every weak breath that escaped him.
Coming back to his senses, Thresh wore a cold fury as he climbed back up into a woozy stand. "I hope that was worth it." He threatened, two more fresh wounds of blood dripping down his face. His knife, still firmly within his grip.
After a second, a weak chuckle escaped the soldier. The anger that previously fit his face fully vented, it was replaced by its usual laid back characteristics. "Physically, not so much." Richter revealed with a sneering smile. "But let me tell you, morale shot way up." He announced in defiant snarky fashion as he pointed up with his thumb.
Seeing that his response looked like it was going to make the other pounce him at any moment, Richter turned away. "Welp, see ya later!" He bid farewell with a pained expression. Hobbling away, he unintentionally zigzagged as he made his sloppy get away toward the next location of the ruin's vestiges, vanishing behind some nearby rocks.
Thresh's eyebrow twitched in aggravation as he pushed himself up and after the man. "I will skin you alive." He intimidatingly announced, chasing after the soldier.
Turning around the corner, the mage saw a pathway leading to another stone intersection of high rock walling. Looking down, he saw a trail of what would normally be considered drunken footsteps leading down to the intersection before swerving heavily to the right.
Staring at the scene, Thresh hugged the leftmost wall. While not wanting to admit it, he was using the wall for far more as a crutch than he would like. The overall blood loss was starting to effect him, a near concussion-level blow to the head wasn't helping either. Slowly making his way down, he wiped the blood off the side of his face with his shoulder.
Almost reaching the intersection, the mage halted himself just before the left corner. Leaning on it to catch his breath, he noticed something odd about the footprints he was following. They came to a clear stop a few steps after leading down right. They stop? I somehow doubt the man grew wings.
Unbeknownst to the hunter, directly on the adjacent side of the stone corner he leaned up against hid the very same sargent he pursued.
Resting in its shadow, he still held a hand around his ribs. His right arm fully extended, his drawn and ready pistol was kept steady at head level. If Thresh took one step out into the stone junction, if he moved up just a little bit to examine the right side, his three-hundred second time limit wouldn't matter, their hard fought night would end then and there.
The mage continued to stare at the footsteps. Examining them more thoroughly, he noticed the last few series of steps were much larger than the ones prior. Wider too. He noted in his head. Almost like he retread the last ones by walking backwards.
His eyes became glued to the broadest of the footprints. It was no longer than a hop's distance away. From there, it wouldn't be impossible to jump backward beyond my left. Slowly and silently, the mage laid his hand flat against the stone surface as he turned to face his corner. Could he really be right here waiting for me?
Richter swallowed a hard gulp. What's takin' the guy so long? He felt every drop of sweat that poured off the side of his head. Go ahead and explore the right side. It's where I ran off to. Isn't it?
Thresh pressed his ear against the rock, listening for the faintest of sounds. A heavy breath, a shifting of footing, anything to confirm his suspicions. Steadying his knife, he held the tool at waist level. If he's using his rifle still, he'd be waiting at a medium distance. He also had a handgun. If he plans of using that, he'd be much closer, wouldn't he?
The soldier couldn't help but glance around with how quiet things had become. Did he leave? Is he trying to flank me? Going after the girls? Should I stay or go? These only a handful of the dozens more questions that plagued the young soldier's head.
The mage reared his teeth silently. I can't waste another wire on a hunch anymore. I still haven't any idea where that soldier woman is. He tightened his grip on his personal knife. Perhaps I should just—
Inching closer, a weak patch of sand gave out under his added weight. The compacting sound of condensed sediment was sent out in no longer than a foot radius. As though a signal had been given, both men reacted simultaneously, each with the intent on throwing themselves around the corner.
Colliding against one another, they pushed each other away. Richter stuck his pistol in the youth's face, fully intent on pulling the trigger. So close, his arm was cast aside at the last second, a bullet instead firing off at dead air.
With the swipe of his knife, Thresh clipped against something on the soldier's waist. Pulling it free, he readied for a followup shank.
Off-put by how enclosed to two were, the Deiglyian pulled his handgun up. He aimed to smack the bottom of the grip against the side of the other's head in hopes of breaking off from one another.
Thresh countered the retaliation by confining himself even closer to his mark. Brushing up against one another, he avoided another blow to the skull. Catching the taller man by surprise, he plunged his short blade into his vulnerable arm. The steel digging into the skin of the bicep as a deep gash was formed.
With an outcry of pain, the soldier struggled and bashed the elbow of his good arm into the side of the other's face, breaking free.
Before their messy bout could commence any further, a cylindrical tube fell off the soldier and rolled gently onto the sand. Both stared at the hand-sized object now planted by their feet. The removed safety pin landing next to it.
The mage squinted at the object from the pale lighting. "That's not a frag." He noted under his breath.
With a long sigh, the soldier's shoulders sank. "Oh boy, here we go."
A flash of light flew out from the device. The sheer force of the powerful gleam lighting up the entirety of their half of the ruins for a split of a second. A sharp disoriented ring accompanying it.
The two blinded men staggered about in varying degrees. Richter groaned, barely avoiding tripping over his own feet from time to time. "Why's it have to ring? Why's it also gotta ring?" His hands awkwardly changing positions between his burning eyes and deafened ear drums.
"You... You bumbling moron!" Thresh criticized backing up into the wall the other previously hid himself behind. Even with something to lean up against, the abrupt loss of two senses threw off his balance all the same.
In his boiling irritation, he summoned another of his fleeting strings. Throwing it out at where he recalled being the soldier's last known position, he blindly threw it out at a higher angle than usual.
Backing up without any grasp on his surroundings, Richter bumped into a waist high stone fence. Tumbling over it disgracefully, the accident unknowingly saved his life as a wire lashed out where he previously stood. The attack severing multiple pillars of stone architecture behind him.
Wandering about further, the two slowed as their vision bleakly returned to them in flashes. As circles and shapes were met by definition and color, so too returned the gift of depth perception. With the ringing coming to a close, the two stared at each other as what originally was blurry silhouettes was revealed to them.
As Thresh gained a grasp on his surroundings, he was surprised to find the two of them had accidentally wandered back to the main pathway leading up to the temple grounds. Looking about, he could see the remnants of his earlier handiwork in the destroyed architecture.
Staring down the soldier, Thresh glared at the man with his now irritated red eyes. "I am mounting you on my wall." He addressed, holding out his knife more affirmed assurance than before.
Richter shook his still hazy head. "Don't even act like that one was on me."
As the fight appeared to be renewed, the unexpected interrupted them once more. Dancing on their way down, light snowflakes rained down around the two of them.
Thresh stared in astonishment at the bizarre sight. Snow? In the middle of a blistering desert? Holding a hand out, he reached out and let one hit his skin to confirm it wasn't a mirage. When a cold wetness hit his palm, his confusion only grew.
Staring at the sight with likewise amazement, Richter let loose a singular laugh. "Finally. I'm no good at this whole bustin' my hump thing." Turning around, he started to run.
"Get back here!" The mage commanded outstretching an arm after him as he was ready to once again give chase.
After taking one step, the storm picked up one-hundred fold. Forced to cover his eyes from the sudden blizzard, he became grounded where he stood. Subsequently, the whirling winds rose up as the harsh temperature inverted itself. Pulling his arm down a moment later, not only had the storm subsided, but a whole foot of snow was left its place, the effects of the freak storm seeming to go on for as far as his eyes could see. The ruins in their entirety had become blanketed in snow.
The mage's head darted left and right as he struggled for any sign of his opposition. When nothing immediately popped out at him, he started moving toward a nearby wall for secondary cover if nothing else.
Trudging through the thick foot of snow, a heavy exhale escaped passed his lips. His frozen breath condensing into a small cloud before his eyes. The cold air nipping at his skin; pinching his exposed wounds.
Reaching to now frigid rock wall, the mage pressed his back against it, ready to take in a more astute guage of the recently reversed tundra battlefield. He tried to focus on the major landmarks in order to regain his bearings. To his displeasure, one of the first things that stuck out to him was the very clear path of footprints in the drifts that lead to his present location.
Looking down at himself, he realized that battle grounds weren't the only thing that had suffered a turnabout. Earlier, his opponent's white military uniforms made them stick out like sore thumbs. Now, it would be difficult to spot them if they were more than a couple dozen feet away. His dark clothing, now too betraying him.
Clinging close to the wall, he started to head Southward in the direction his last foe was heading off to before the storm hit. They're not escaping. Their only vehicle was destroyed. They're here, somewhere. He concluded as he continued pressing on.
His body trembled with each passing step. While his tattered clothes surely were helping, a more troubling thought emerged in his head. How much blood had he lost up until this point? He could no longer tell.
The signs of hemorrhagic shock were already setting in. Fatigue riddled him to the core for a multiple of reasons. He could feel it with every action, there was a slight sluggishness to every movement in his body. Watching his own breath repeatedly, it appeared and disappeared again and again in rapid shallow pools. Despite this, he could feel how slow and weak his pulse had gotten.
It was only a matter of time before nausea and lightheadedness set it. Surely this was the hard time limit the soldier mentioned prior. The longer they waited, the more things would shift into their favor.
Stopping his heavy slog, the mage halted in front of a small hump in his path. It was barely noticeable. Just to verify his eyes weren't playing tricks on him, he knelt down to get a better angle. In his state, he surprised even himself that he saw it, but there it was.
He didn't know why the odd bump in the path stood out to him. Any normal person would have just ignored it, yet something about it irked him for reasons unknown.
In precaution, he took a few steps back. Reaching down into the snow, he felt around until grabbing hold of a small rock within the layer of snow and sand underneath. Bracing himself against the exterior wall, he tossed it underhand.
Almost as soon as the large pebble buried itself anew inside the snowdrift, the hill detonated. When bits of metal rained down around the mage, his gut hunch was proven correct after all. The snowfall was so light that the landmines in the area haven't been triggered yet.
His head whirling around, Thresh tried to look for any more unusual hurdles amidst the plains of white snow drifts. The elevation of the ruins already varied wildly as it was, trying to point out the irregular dunes between the natural seemed near impossible. His eyes strained. Barraged by a sea of white, things all started to blur together. The stress called forth a light headache, another symptom of his bloodloss.
Balling a fist in frustration, the wire mage slammed it up against the stone beside him. He had gotten lucky just now. In his current condition, he didn't trust himself to wander aimlessly amidst what may possibly be a minefield.
With the need to clear ground safely, he was loathful as he summoned a pair of wires. Sending them further out, they wrapped themselves around the tip of a nearby obelisk. No longer trusting his judgment in full, he swung over the desolate snowfield.
From his aerial view, he noticed the snowy plains halted in what seemed to be a mile out of the ruins. Whatever spurred the unnatural weather pattern had localized it to their battle grounds.
Before descending, he spotting a white globe in the middle of the frosty expanse. Even from up above, he recognized its shape and size. It was the soldier's defensive shield spell, dowsed in snow. Hiding in plain sight were you?
Lowering himself slowly, Thresh touched down more clumsily than usual. His knees nearly giving out, he caught himself with his hands, preventing a full collapse.
Disgusted with how meek his body had become, that alone was enough incentive to push himself back up into a stand.
Walking closer to the fortified position, a crooked lone pillar was the only landmark within the vicinity. That, and the hefty snow drift that had settled against it.
Slumping up against the stone column with his shoulder, a bitter glare focused on the half buried dome.
They're laying in wait. In exchange for camouflage, they've chosen to give up visual awareness. Bad decision. Extending his right hand, he held it out, grasping at thin air. The moment their shield would disband, he would strike the unaware group with a summoned wire, finishing things once and for all.
The vicious youth held his eyes glued on the defended position. He had noticed earlier in the evening that the shield seemed to waver and crumble after a set amount of time had been reached. The panic on the officer's face when he had closed in on them after incapacitating her subordinate supported his theory. Holding down his point, successful results. After all, good things came to those who wait.
Without permission, the adolescent's eyes began to blur. The huge influx of white only degrading his weakened vision further. Two steps closer. Not an inch further. Thresh resolved, acting accordingly. In doing so, his objective returned to focus.
Moments later, the hard tip of a handgun barrel was gently pressed against the middle of his back. The lethal teen's stilted eyes shooting out wide.
"I'd stay where you are if I were you." Richter warned, cocking the hammer to his weapon, only making it clearer what was currently jammed against his spine.
When? How? The Ouafian contemplated in partial fury. Both of his hands balling into fists.
The soldier pushed in his pistol even more. "Wanna see?" He asked in a self-assured tone. "Go on. I'll let ya. Just take it slow." He warned at the end, digging the barrel further still.
Calmly, Thresh glimpsed over his shoulder. What he saw made his jaw drop in an unexpected state of surprise. Where the transparent snow drift previously laid against the pillar now held a missing front. A perfect outline of the soldier's body cut out of it. His body coated in the bulk powder.
It was suddenly made clear why the mage could not make any head or hair of the other as he roamed the snow field. The soldier had hidden himself the moment the freak blizzard hit. While Thresh bled out and wrangled with mild paranoia, he battled frostbite while forced to stay perfectly still at the cost of losing his hiding spot.
"What's the matter? Did the bumbling moron pull one over on you?" Richter teased with a growing smirk.
The mage collected himself as he settled down. His tight clenched fist unraveled itself just enough so that if needed, he could manipulate a wire. With a sudden enough movement, he could catch the man off guard, of that he was certain. Let's see if that irksome grin of yours persist beyond a severed neck.
A plot of snow in front of the spell caster began to stir. Upheaving itself from below, the lieutenant reemerged, her automatic weapon in tow. "N-N-Not another m-move." She advised with a trembling lip.
Pincered once again, the mage whipped his head around as it returned to his front.
While seeming to have hidden herself under the same conditions as her subordinate, the commanding officer appeared to be in a far worse state. Her jacket abandoned, far more skin than either of the two men was subjected to the freezing cold. Her skin dyed a white so pale she practically matched the snow, her lips turning blue.
The snow atop the sphere a few feet away began to rattle and shake. Diffusing itself, the snow dropped as its own caster too was revealed. Belle sat in its center in an exasperated state. The high volume of sustained spells mixed in with physical damage had taken its toll. A secondary white coat resting atop her shoulders explaining the lead officer's missing garment.
Thresh dragged his weary eyes across the three abused and exhausted soldiers at a slow pace. Through the many trials and tribulations of the night, he found himself pinned between them, falling into their baited trap perfectly. Slowly dropping his hands to his sides, he released a long disgruntled sigh. Although donning a wretched scowl, he remained silent, accepting his defeat without objection.
. . . . . . . . .
Shielding themselves from the weather, the group had relocated to a small alcove for the time being. Taking refuge by the cliff way, they took the time to regroup.
Standing behind the mage. Talon clasped the man's hands behind his back with a sturdy looking pair of handcuffs. "Titanium. I requisitioned a pair especially for you." She informed, giving them one last look over to make sure they were given snug fitting.
"I'll try to contain my excitement." The mage berated with a lack of diversion.
Watching the two from the side in secure fashion, Richter fiddled with his hand radio. Having been knocked around more than a few times, the device needed to a quick fine-tuning before again becoming fully operable. While doing so, he kept his handgun traced over the mage for security's sake.
In the corner, now wrapped up in two pairs of jackets, rested Belle. Apparently, when stating that she was going to switch to a low-power state, that roughly translated to dozing off into a light sleep.
Still messing with a knob on the side, an emergence of static spat out from the hand-held device flared back to life. "Finally." The man commented, pressing it up to the side of his head.
"This is Sargent Richter, can anyone read me?" He asked in a singsong manner, receiving no response. Maintaining his pleasant appearance, he leaned up leisurely against a pillar by the entrance of their shelter. "Sleepin' on the job again boys?" He joked, recent events improving his mood.
"..Arg..nt!" One of the men responded from through the receiver. His voice was choppy. It was hard to make out, having to compete with the still prominent interference.
Adjusting the dial, Richter continued to play with it until the signal was ringing clear. "Sa..g..nt! D.. yo.. ..opy?" His patience with the gadget failing him, the soldier subtly bumped the bottom against the stone beside him. "I ….peat. Do you copy?" The man asked, finally audible through the now receding static.
"Loud and proud!" The rifleman informed, reclaiming his upbeat attitude as it was joined with an excited smirk. "Glad I got someone. Listen, I have got some good news for you—"
"Dammit!" The man across the line all of a sudden bellowed. Something heavy crashing down from the other side.
Richter's giddy look washed away at once. "What's goin' on?" Urgency taking him over.
Both prisoner and captor now too gave the radio their full attention as well from the sides.
Upon more muffled outcries of bitter swearing came another loud thud. "Sir, I'm sorry. We failed you."
"What are you talkin' about?" The Sargent questioned, pulling the device away from his head. "What happened?" Putting his gun down on the rock beside him, he tried to elevate the volume by adjusting several other switches.
The grunt hesitated to reply immediately, perhaps collecting himself. "It... We brought the prisoner back to base camp. We held him up in a separate room from his brother. Those rooms were locked up tight. I swear they were!" Something about the topic set him off, but following a heavy huff, he continued. "Then... Then these vines just started to sprout up and grow all over the place. I-I don't know how else to explain it."
Thresh's eyes narrowed at that last detail.
The youngest and highest ranked of the group grew a dumbfounded stare. "What is he talking about?" She questioned, not fully able to wrap her mind around what she was hearing.
With a similar mindset, Richter rose the radio back up to his face. "We're gonna need to press you for a few more details there, soldier."
"At first, I didn't really know what was going on. None of us did." The man's voice started to shake, becoming upset again. "The vines all of a sudden kinda... jumped out at some of us. They grabbed a few of us and started pullin' 'em into the desert. We had to go save them Sarge!" This part of the affair was starting to make the man feverish again. "So I... a lot of us, we had to leave our posts to save them." A deep sadness lining his tone by the end.
Richter shook his head, a pit starting to well up inside his stomach. "No... no." He repeated in denial.
"Sir, those doors were locked. I know they were!" The man abruptly shouted. "Even with some of us abandoning our positions, there's no way he should have been able to get in!" Getting so worked up, a light pant had become perceptible. "No one saw that guy come in or out. It was like he was just there. Like he... like he just came outta the shadows or something."
Talon stormed over. Grabbing the radio, she took it from her subordinate and pressed it up to her mouth. "Explain." She ordered. "Soldier, what happened?"
Richter didn't stay to hear it for himself, he already knew in his gut it wasn't going to be good news. Dragging his feet outside, he hung his head as his shoulders sunk.
"L-Lieutenant?" The infantryman stuttered, caught off guard. There was radio silence for a long time. When the other end picked up again an embittered pant was heard. "The mission was a failure." He stated clearly with remorse. "We're... I'm sorry."
Talon froze where she stood. She recalled the moments earlier that night of when she convinced the raider to go along with them. How she had promised to put him and his sibling under her protection. The image she saw when she thought back to his lasting face as he climbed into their military truck wasn't one of a common criminal. It was one of a man whom had been wronged by the system of law and order, but had reluctantly been urged to put his faith in it one more time.
The blonde wanted to fall to her knees and slam her fists to the ground. Who would blame her if she decided to stare up and let out a scream in indignation? Instead, she stood where she was, everything still settling in.
"Jack decided to use me as bait did he?" The mage brought up, his face fully vacant of the strong emotions that tore up the other two. "I think I'll have a long chat with that deplorable man."
Slinging her weapon back into her hands, Talon struggled with her fleeting composure. Understandably riled up, she was quick to point the barrel of her custom machine gun at the detainee. "You're not going any—"
Before the words could pass her lips, a fresh wire was produced in the magic wielder's boney white hand. One of the last few he could generate.
With one slick motion, not only was the chain of his special ordered handcuffs were severed in half, but so too was the soldier's robust firearm. With what could now only be regarded as scrap metal fell to the ground with a hollow clang.
Drawn by the commotion, Richter turned back around and promptly became agape.
Thresh Hunter stood tall in the center of their secluded nook. Hands back at his sides, both halves of his cuffs donned his wrists like bracelets, remnants of the chain dangling from both ends. While wounded and weakened terribly, the same killer intent in his unfeeling gaze remained ever present.
The Sargent gulped. Glancing across, his eyes found their way to his forgotten handgun. The firearm laid barely five steps away, but given the circumstances, it may as well have been miles.
"You're all very fortunate that my disdain toward that oaf of a man surpasses the loathing I have toward all of you." The mage announced, dragging his head between the two. Shuffling his feet, he started a staggering walk back outside. "I'll finish what was started here. Of that, you have my word."
Taking his chances, Richter dashed back inside and dove for his pistol.
Seeing this, the Ouafian went to reach for his knife. Midway thorough the action, the tensing of his worn muscles screamed out at him to stop as a jolt of pain ran through his arm. Offense turning out to be a far less viable option than he anticipated, the mage ran outside.
Fully expecting their shank happy opponent to take full advantage of his unarmed state, Richter threw himself to the floor as soon as he snagged back his weapon. Hitting the floor hard, he rolled over onto his back and took aim at where the man was prior. When he instead caught a glimpse at the man's back as he fled outside and out of view, the sargent scrambled back onto his feet.
Sprinting outside, the soldier saw no signs of the escapee. Before panic could get the best of him, some falling rubble littered a patch of snow beside him.
Eyes shooting upward, they widened seeing the mage scaling the upper half of the ridge that overlooked the ruins. A wire in hand as he used it to scale upward.
Taking a few shots with his handgun, the soldier watched the mage as he swung to the side during his way up, narrowly avoiding another punishing injury. Gritting his teeth, he changed tactics. Instead of aiming at the still surprising agile combatant, he popped off the remainder of his clip at the anchor point.
With the help of his wires, Thresh was able to maintain a steady ascension of what would have taken a normal climber the better half of an hour. Hundreds of feet in less than a minute. Just a little further and he was home free. Bullets scraping the rubble above him, he readied to dodge again. As his feet kicked off, the small out-jutting of rock his string wrapped itself around gave way.
Slipping off the ridge, the mage began his descent of what was surely a fatal height. Reaching out with his arm, he motioned to summon another wire to take the other's place, but nothing happened.
Gravity set in as the short haired teen began his free fall. Reaching for his knife once more, he fought through any and all emerging pain. Unsheathing the steel, he dove it into the rock surface with all he could. Catching himself before it was too late. The hard part still not over, he started to manual claw and scale the surface while he still had the upper body strength to hold himself up.
Loading in a fresh clip, Richter took aim at the now movement crippled foe. Closing an eye, he steadied his breathing. Exhaling, his finger slipped over the trigger.
Thresh's dominant hand reached up and grasped the top of the cliff face.
A thud inside the alcove drew the Sargent's attention as he whipped his head to the side. His commanding officer had fallen onto her knees. Fist clenched, she had slammed trembling hands against the ground in frustration. Her body shook, but not from the cold.
Turning back around, the soldier's target was gone. Lowering his gun which now aimed at nothing, the older man let out a meek sigh. Staring at his defeated leader, he wasn't sure what to do.
Scratching the back of his head, he looked away, sparing himself the sight of her in her current state. "I'll radio for a pick up." He offered, dejectedly heading back inside.
. . . . . . . . .
A few days had passed since their task had come to a close. Honey and Ash sat at opposite ends of a booth table. The two of them along with the rest of the others of a fairly empty tavern bar.
The pair in question were playing cards. Specifically, Old Maid.
"So, yeah." Honey said, wrapping up. "After we found Thresh we came back here."
"Hold on." Ash began with a wry smirk. "Jack actually did something helpful for your job assignment? He assisted you with work? Now I know you're making stuff." He teased with a laugh.
Reaching across from him, the man aimed to take the middle card in the Rockbelle's grasp. As he was about to, the blonde's face scrunched up. With the crinkle of her nose, she let out a series of light sneezes. The act yanking her hands inward as she recovered.
As a result, the metal aligned mage ended up plucking her left most card instead. Revealing it to himself, the man frowned at the joker.
Folding his cards at the unwanted development, Hex held his head in his hand. "I'm kind of impressed." He stated lazily. "I didn't think Jack could hold his breath for so long."
Honey nodded. "I know, right?" She replied a little giddy.
Directly behind them, the conniving mage himself had his back pressed up against a wall. Around his throat, wrapped an ultra thin magically infused wire. As suffocation was its intent, their owner dulled its edges more than usual.
Standing in front of the dark mage, a since fully healed Thresh tightened his strings. The movement forcing a trickle of blood to crawl down before dripping off his Adam's Apple. The man gargled on air, no longer able to form sentences. "Three minutes and counting. Let's aim for five." He declared with a harsh scorn in his eyes.
Jack shook his head, trying to rock free.
Sauntering over, Rosa held a filled jug of liquor. "Thresh, don't over do it so soon." She advised in a tender fashion.
At the suggestion, Jack desperately nodded his head.
Wrapping an arm around her younger sibling's shoulder, the plant mage's sisterly guise was demolished by the sinister sadism that overtook it. "In fact, why don't you let me take over?" A thorny vine growing through a crack in the floor boards, it rose up to her hand as she stroked it gingerly.
At the frightening sight, the hanged man gulped in reflex. Getting stuck halfway down, the now blue faced mage started coughing violently.
"I'm quite content with how things are now." Thresh replied, denying his sister's offer. "Besides..." He started, narrowing his already piercing gaze. "...I want to work on my endurance."
. . . . . . . . .
The platoon boarding a Deiglyian ship earlier that morning, the recovering company of soldiers made themselves useful a top the deck. Joining the ship hands, the able bodied few did all they could to help.
Strolling down the starboard bow, Richter walked casually with his hands in his pockets.
Resting in the shade of the captain's quarters sat a soldier with a resting pair of crutches. Spotting his sargent, he struggled trying to get up for a proper salute. Before he could, the younger man placed a hand on his shoulder, signaling for him to stay put.
"Don't worry about it." Richter excused with a weary smile, giving a quick two fingered salute for the two of them as he kept walking.
Returning the gesture with a weak forced grin, the man sat back down, going back to his sulk.
Out of earshot, the officer sighed to himself. His expression perked up however when he spotted the familiar blonde's back near the front of the deck, her eyes cast out at sea. She seemed alone, absorbed in thought. It was his duty as her subordinate to disturb her.
"Lieutenant." The man greeted pleasantly, walking up next to her.
"Richter?" The younger whispered, more likely noting his prescience to herself than actually returning the greeting. Realizing her slip of the tongue in her moment of misspeak, she straightened up before clearing her throat. "I mean, Sargent."
Laughing, the man leaned his arms on the guard rail. "Careful, that was almost human." Leaning in, his expression took a more serious turn in jest. "We can't let the men know."
"I suppose not." The usually strong willed girl replied, sounding more fragile than the other ever recognized. Turning her body back to the ocean, she watched the countless waves sporadically crash into one another.
"Don't tell me you're always gonna get this way when the tin can runs low on batteries." He joked again, this time intentionally trying to get a rise out of the girl.
"Behave." She commanded much more vigorously this time.
Put more at ease by this, Richter stared at his superior. She held a confident look about her. Her hair a little tussled from the breezy salt coated air.
The Sargent's face sobered up more than usual. "Hey, you gonna be okay?" He asked, direct in his inquiry.
"No." The tenacious woman admitted in a straightforward manner. "But I'll get there." She followed up.
Turning her body, the soldier met the man's gaze in full. "I'll do everything I can to become a more reliable leader. One that won't let down her comrades." Her adamant nature shining through her words. "Please continue to give me your support for the time being."
Shooting back a renewed smile, the man replied with a full salute. "Sir, yes sir."
. . . . . . . . .
Some time later, in a far off town...
Roaming the streets of a Deiglyian controlled trading town, Ryuk and Alice walked about. They stuck close together as they often did, taking in the sights before getting down to business as usual.
During one such trek down a particularly busy street, the adolescent youth stopped himself in front of the town bulletin board. The right half held a list of town events and socials. The left, a series of paper wanted posters for those who had been deemed enemies of the state.
Normally, the knight-to-be ignored such listings, but one picture in the top corner caught his attention instantly.
Noticing her partner's blunt focus, she turned to see exactly what held his attention. Her jaw dropped immediately. "Isn't— Isn't that...!" She gawked, pointing up.
Staring up at the hand drawn sketch of the familiar wire mage's face, the gun-slinging troublemaker snickered to himself. "Ok. I'm still mad at him, but I can see he's trying to win me back." With an eager smirk, the teen turned away and started heading off once more. "Come on Alice. We can't get outdone just yet."
Author Notes:
Military tactics vs Magic was a core idea behind TEAS that I didn't get a real chance to play around with much. Thanks to my friend loaning me their characters, it was a concept that I was able to fully indulge myself in.
