Timeline: Present
Point of View: Claudia
Location: Red Planet
It happened faster than Claudia was able to pick up. One second she stood there with Ralph, and the next he was gone. Instead she counted six buzzsaws, with three in the front approaching her. Their teeth spun in their maw, their weapons raised, eyes staring her down.
She remembered the first time she'd laid eyes on one of these creatures. It felt so long ago, but was only a couple months. It had been a different time. She'd been a different person. Back then, she'd been weak.
Assessment?
The three approaching you are the weakest, with the largest one in the back being the strongest. These three will attempt to pin you in an awkward position, and then you can expect the two others to attack. They won’t kill you, as the largest will want to have the opportunity to kill you for itself.
Do you know where these ones came from? I’d thought we’d killed them all.
It’s possible there are more villages in the trees besides the one you and Lisa decimated. Perhaps you missed some of them in the slaughter.
Do you have an idea for tactics here?
Without assistance in this fight, I think your best approach is to take them out one by one as quickly as possible. Obviously. Of the three approaching, the one on the right appears smallest and weakest. Wait until the group is nearly upon you, then rush the one right and get some distance by tackling and rolling with it. Hopefully this gives you a little more time and space to…
Claudia leapt directly at the buzzsaw to the right, rushing at it before the three could come at her with their joint attack. The one on the right seemed surprised to be targeted in isolation, and immediately fell back to a defensive stance. Claudia didn’t have much essence to use an attack that would dispatch the creature in one hit, but she agreed that the use of momentum to gain distance was the best approach to get some distance.
The buzzsaw held one of their spear-weapons out, preparing to deflect any attack Claudia presented. The spears the buzzsaws used were similar to spears from Earth, but with the stone at the end etched into a barbed point. It was meant for spearing and retrieving, not for a swift removal of the weapon post stabbing. It would flay her skin wide open if the creature was able to make contact.
By holding the spear out defensively, Claud knew it thought she was at full power, and so was scared of her. Claudia took advantage of its timidness and dove under the weapon at the last second, then thrust upward and out with all of her momentum and what little essence she had at her disposal. The duo flew through the air and landed a short distance away, Claudia on top.
Using the little time she had, Claudia placed her hand at the creatures throat and focused her essence into her palm. She felt the essence immediately, and the energy allowed her hand to cut through the throat of the creature as if her fingers were made of searing metal. The creature gurgled as its throat was severed, its black blood bubbling up and out of the cut. Claudia, having been through many of these battles by this point, absorbed its dying essence as it faded from the world of the living, then rolled forward away from the broken corpse.
You’re a little over half power now. You’ll need to take out another before you can begin tethering. Don't attempt it yet.
Claudia turned and the other two already stood before her, weapons slicing in. She dodged the first one’s spear, then caught the next one’s ax just before it cleaved her head in half. She looked up at the creature in shock, the ax caught in her hand.
They don’t usually try to kill. They used to maim in order to return to camp with a captor. What's changed?
I bet it's because we destroyed their camp. I think we’ve established a new relationship with these creatures, one where they don't care to see us living, even in captivity.
Fair enough, but I thought you said they intended to save me for their leader.
It appears that assessment was wrong. I'm not infallible.
Claudia used a small amount of her build up essence to quickly snap the ax in half. The creature retracted the broken stick, then used its splintered point to jab at her. She easily sidestepped the attempt and then leapt backward. The two creatures immediately approached again, their spear weapons raised.
The stronger two will join the fight soon. They have the chain-whip weapons.
Fuck.
It would be best to dispatch these two soon. Save as much essence as possible so you can tether the strong ones.
Claudia feinted a move backwards, and the creatures bit, thinking she was attempting retreat. Instead she spun on her heel, rolled to the side with the ax head tucked close to her chest, and popped up to the right side of the creature that held the spear. She quickly drove the ax into one of its arms, and pushed as hard as she could. The creatures squealed, and still she pushed until the ax wedge was stuck firmly in the flesh of its arm. The creature's sharp sounds of its grinding teeth rang out into the night.
A few more seconds and the other two will be at your position.
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Fuck fuck fuck...
The creature jabbed its spear upward at Claudia with its free arm, and she just barely sidestepped the swift attack.
The other buzzsaw had maneuvered behind her now, its broken weapon dropped to the floor. It intended to grab her from the back. Before it could, she wrapped around and onto the back of the wounded buzzsaw, which quickly began bucking its long worm-like body in an attempt to throw her off. Before it could, Claudia wrapped her arms around its neck, leapt forward into the air, and let gravity do the rest. The neck snapped upon impact to the ground, and her battery collected its essence.
Nearly full now. Use some of you must, but try to save it.
Claudia looked up to see one of the weapon-less buzzsaws thick feet above her face, and the creature dropped the foot before she could dodge it. Her head seemed to bounce against the red dirt. The impact of the kick rocked her mind, and she collapsed to the ground, shook. Before she could regain composure, she was lifted into the air, now in the grasp of the weapon-less buzzsaw.
Searing Touch. Now. You don’t have a choice, you must use essence.
I need more. We must find more pylons. I’m still not strong enough yet.
Focus on the battle. We’ll worry about that later.
The creature pulled Claudia out wide, stretching her back, and she cried out in pain. In front of her, she saw the other two buzzsaws. Seeing her in the firm hold of their weapon-less counterpart, they seemed less inclined to use their weapons, waiting to see how this played out. They were approaching to finish restraining her, then would bring her to their leader.
Instead of letting them do that, Claudia lifted her feet into the air, feeling her core muscles flex, and focused some of her essence into her feet. Normally she completed this attack with her hands, but with them locked up by her captor, she didn’t have much of a choice. She hoped the attack worked as well through a kick as it did with her hands. If anything, it might offer enough of a distraction to twist around and complete the attack correctly.
She thrust her feet down and felt the impact like a sledgehammer against the buzzsaws gut. She felt her feet enter its warm insides, and she was dropped to the ground. She landed on her palms, pulled her feet out of the creatures body, and spun around to finish the impact. Instead she found she didn’t have to. There was a hole in the creature’s body large enough to almost step inside, and its black insides flowed out onto the dirt. Claudia touched the corpse, sapping the essence, and turned around to face the next two attackers.
The chain-whips flew out from each of the buzzsaws at nearly the same time, each grabbing hold of one of her shoulders. She yelled out in surprise and pain as the buzzsaws yanked on the chains, tightening them, crushing bone. If they did that a few more times, they may rip her arms right off. She could heal small wounds, but heal entirely missing appendages? She didn’t think it possible.
It’s not. You’re not strong enough for that. If you lose your arms, you’ll bleed to death.
Encouraging. Which one should I tether?
I don’t see a disadvantage either way. These are equally strong. Just choose one…
Claudia focused all of her obtained essence into her mind this time. It burned to have this much inside her mind at once, and the world glowed around her with near blinding light. Mentally, as if she were firing a gun with her head, she sent the essence out at the buzzsaw to her right, and the essence went end over end like a dagger on a rope. If she were touching the creature, it would have taken less power, but they were close enough to where she was able to send the raw essence through air itself.
The tether latched onto the creature’s mind and the battle begun. She could feel the creature pulling at her, trying to suck her life force out her mind like a straw once they were tethered. This one was smart and strong, but Claudia knew she’d win. She fought a stronger creature than this one in the past. Normally she'd play with such a weak creature, savor the fight, but she didn't have time. She calmed her mind, tried to ignore the pain of the tightening chain-whips cutting into her arms.
When she felt the creature's willpower weakening she sent out her full essence in a rush, and the creature’s brain exploded in a shower of black goo that rained upon both her and the surviving buzzsaw. The creature's counterpart squealed in surprise, unaware of the internal battle that had been taking place.
Claudia took advantage of its confusion by yanking its chain in her direction. As the buzzsaw stumbled towards her, she lifted her palm to its throat and sent her remaining essence through her palm. The head severed and bounced onto the red ground with a wet squelch.
She collapsed to the ground. Not because she was tired (though she was) but to touch the creatures' bodies. She felt renewed strength as her battery returned to full strength. She pulled the chains off her arms, using some of her essence to heal the red, inflamed skin of her shoulders.
The other one looks like it might try to flee.
Let it. I’ll find it later.
Claudia assessed her current power.
Name Claudia B. Lafleur Base Ability Mental Manipulation Essence Current: 93 | Max: 100 Tiers Achieved 1: Energy Awareness
2: Super Human Learned Abilities • Astral Vision
• Enhanced Strength, Agility, and Hand-to-hand Combat
• Minor Astral Vision
• Healing Touch
• Searing Touch
• Tether Bomb Pylons Located 2
How much essence did I use for that last tether?
You sent about 80 and retained 5. If you’re not at full strength when using that, I worry that it would kill you.
How much will my max increase with the next pylon?
I do not know. The increases aren’t consistent. Could be a few hundred. Could be in the thousands.
Either way, after the next pylon, I should have a couple tethers available for the start of each battle. If at full strength.
Yes, if you are fully prepared. You entered this battle in a weakened state, as you weren’t at full power from your return to Earth.
Did I lose essence when I returned to Earth?
It did seem to decay faster the longer you were there, but that may be from lack of training.
Claudia looked ahead for the last buzzsaw, but couldn’t see it. She considered going after it, but didn’t feel it necessary to do so. She was at near full strength, and until she found another pylon, there’s wasn’t enough reason to stockpile more essence. It would evaporate off of her if her body couldn’t contain it. Let the creature flee. Better to save it for a time when she needed its essence.
She focused her essence now into her eyes to use her Astral Vision. She hoped Ralph had survived and returned to the Red Planet, or she’d be stuck until she found another human with his abilities. Fuck that’s annoying, she thought, frustrated that she couldn’t have or train for those abilities.
I see him. Turn to your right. He’s here, on the red planet.
His projection?
No. He’s actually here. On the planet. It seems he’s learned a new ability.
Interesting, Claudia thought, and began to walk in his direction.