Aubrey darted down an alley, her boots slipping on the slick cobblestones. The projector was a cumbersome burden, but losing it was not an option.

The alley opened up into a small courtyard, enclosed by towering factories on all sides. A dead end. Dozens of curious faces peered through the windows.

She cursed under her breath, scanning her surroundings for an escape route. Above her, the smokestacks of the factories belched forth their unending plumes, casting the courtyard in an industrial twilight.

Dammit. Her options were quickly dwindling.

Then, she saw them—three Gearbound Constables, emerging from the mist like specters of iron and steam.

"Stop in the name of the law!" a Gearbound Constable's voice bellowed behind her.

Aubrey's Harmonic Synesthesia flared to life, the musical accompaniment sounding like a Victorian-themed EDM track mixed with industrial noise. Glowing lines and notes swarmed her vision as the automatons stalked closer.

"Drop the stolen property and surrender peacefully," a Gearbound Constable ordered in a monotone voice, raising its extendable baton.

Like hell.

Aubrey summoned her resolve and belted a fierce note. The dissonant vibrato resonated through the courtyard, rippling through the Gearbound Constables and sending them staggering back.

[Ability: "Dissonant Chord" activated! No effect. Cooldown: 18 seconds]

[Ability is ineffective against constructs]

Shit!

Red lines and beats surged and pulsed. Glowing arrows indicated the constables' trajectories. Aubrey evaded their heavy mechanical limbs as they lunged and swung.

Blow after blow narrowly missed her head and body, her Harmonic Synesthesia's patterns helping her anticipate and dodge the automatons' attacks.

Then she heard the telltale click of the Constable's extendable batons extending and locking into place.

Oh, shit. Aubrey ducked just as the Gearbound Constables unleashed a barrage of electrically-charged blows. Sparks and flashes of white arced through the air, narrowly missing her and scorching the courtyard's stone walls.

She ducked and evaded their swings. Aubrey couldn't hold up forever; her stamina would give way eventually. And the damn Luminal Projector didn't help. Heavy-ass piece of crap.

Desperate and cornered, Aubrey's only chance was to escape.

She sprinted towards a refuse bin. Grabbing a hefty brick discarded nearby, Aubrey hurled it at one Gearbound Constable. The improvised projectile struck true, denting the construct's head.

The automaton recoiled as cracks spiderwebbed across its lenses.

"Cease evasive behavior and comply!" the other Gearbound Constable warned, its tone growing irritated.

Aubrey dove behind the bin, using it as a makeshift barricade as she searched frantically for anything else that could be used as a weapon.

Her hands closed around a length of pipe, cold and solid. Not much, but it would have to do.

The first Constable recovered, its baton swinging down towards her hiding spot. Aubrey rolled out of the way, the pipe clutched tightly in her hands. She swung with all her might, connecting with the construct's arm. The impact sent vibrations up her arms, but the Constable merely recalibrated, unaffected by the blow.

Aubrey danced back, dodging another strike. She needed to get past them, to find a way out of this dead end and lose them in the alleys.

Then, she saw it—a narrow passage between two factories, obscured by hanging laundry and debris. It was a tight squeeze, but it might just work.

The Gearbound Constables advanced, their movements synchronized and relentless. Aubrey waited for her moment, her Synesthesia painting the path to survival in glowing hues.

As the constructs converged, Aubrey feinted left, then darted right, slipping through the narrow passage with centimeters to spare.

She emerged on the other side and dashed down a maze of winding alleyways. Aubrey hazarded a glance behind her and saw the Gearbound Constables lumbering through the passage.

Their bulky forms struggled to navigate the narrow confines. Aubrey seized the chance and put as much distance as she could between her and her pursuers.

With the Luminal Projector securely tucked under her arm, Aubrey ran until her legs burned and her lungs ached.

The combat music hadn't stopped. Uh-oh.

She glanced back and spotted the Gearbound Constables already gaining ground. Shit. Those bastards were fast. It looked like she needed to fight them after all. She needed a weapon though. Anything.

Turning a corner, she spotted a smithy's workshop ahead.

Perfect.

She bolted towards the workshop, ignoring the incredulous looks from passersby. Aubrey burst through the door, to the surprise of the smiths working within. She set the projector down on a table and scanned the cluttered workshop for a suitable weapon.

"Oi! What in the hell are ya doing?! Out with ye! Store's closed!" one of the smiths exclaimed.

Ignoring his protests, Aubrey spotted a maul resting against the wall. Its head gleamed with a dull sheen, the haft sturdy and solid. Perfect.

Grabbing the maul, Aubrey hefted the heavy weapon and tested its weight. It wasn't Hellion's Cry, but it would have to do.

"Oi! Ye deaf, woman?!" The smith lunged for her, indignant and furious. Aubrey pivoted and delivered a swift kick to his torso. The smith crumpled with a grunt and collapsed in a heap. His colleagues erupted into a clamor of shouts and jeers.

Aubrey paid them no heed and waited for the automatons inside.

Within seconds, the Gearbound Constables stomped into the workshop, the door splintering to pieces. She braced herself and readied the maul.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"Surrender yourself for arrest," a Constable ordered.

Aubrey didn't respond. She swung her maul with all her might.

Metal collided with metal, the impact reverberating up her arms. The Gearbound Constable reeled, the force of the blow denting its chassis.

Aubrey didn't relent. She unleashed a flurry of blows, her Harmonic Synesthesia aiding her accuracy and precision. Cracks formed in the automaton's armor, its runes and circuitry flickering and sparking.

The other two automatons attempted to circle her position. Aubrey feinted and retreated, keeping the workshop's furniture and equipment as obstacles to prevent them from ganging up on her.

It wasn't much, but it would have to do.

Meanwhile, the smiths scattered, fleeing the workshop in a panic.

Good. Less civilians to worry about.

The second Constable charged, its baton crackling with electrical energy, the charge audible as bolts of electricity arced between the prongs.

Aubrey ducked under the baton's arc, the Synesthesia's cues shimmering in warning. She countered with an upward swing, aiming for the Constable's midsection. The maul connected with a satisfying thud, denting its armor. Sparks erupted from the damaged area, causing the automaton's movements to falter.

The third Gearbound Constable approached and lashed out with a series of quick blows. Aubrey parried and blocked the strikes with the maul's haft, the impact reverberating through the weapon.

Fuck, her arms and shoulders hurt. Aubrey winced as the automatons intensified their attacks, their movements a whirlwind of blows and sparks.

If Aubrey couldn't find a way to deal sustained damage, she wouldn't last. Her stamina wouldn't hold up.

Think!

She analyzed her options, her Synesthesia guiding her steps, parries, and counters. Somehow, even though they were relentless, the cues and beats were easier to decipher compared to fighting other humans.

Same timing. Same sequence. Same predictable patterns. Maybe these automatons relied more on pre-programmed algorithms.

As a Gearbound Constable swung its baton at her, Aubrey ducked and pivoted, the maul's head dragging a heavy arc through the air, aiming for the third constable's knee joint.

[Skill: “Sonorious Counterpoint” Activated! Cooldown: 10 seconds]

The metal groaned under the impact, and for a moment, the construct stumbled, its leg buckling. It wasn't enough to bring the automaton down, but it gave her an opening.

But as she was about to follow through with another swing, another Constable launched a net at her from a short range. It engulfed her upper body, the mesh's weight and size catching her off guard. The tangle of the net and its accompanying metal weights sent Aubrey sprawling to the ground.

Dammit! Aubrey struggled in the net's confines as they approached her prone form.

"Cease resistance or suffer lethal retaliation."

Fuck that.

She wriggled and tugged at the net. No dice.

Desperate, Aubrey did the only thing she could. Summoning her voice, she belted a piercing note, the dissonance rattling the workshop's foundations.

[Ability: "Warrior's Hymn" activated! Duration: 40 seconds; Cooldown: 90 seconds]

Immediately, her strength surged, and her fatigue faded. Aubrey slowly tore through the net's confines and freed herself, but not before weathering through a barrage of painful blows from their electrified batons.

Son. Of. A. Bitch!

White-hot pain seared through her nerves, her muscles stiff and trembling.

Aubrey channeled the hurt and converted it into sheer resolve. Gritting her teeth, she hauled herself upright.

"Final warning. Submission is the only logical course of action."

Aubrey spat a stream of colorful profanity at the automatons.

The Gearbound Constables closed in and attacked again. Aubrey evaded their swings and delivered a retaliatory swing.

The maul's head connected with the automatons' armored bodies, sending fragments of metal and sparks flying. Aubrey's stamina ebbed and weakened as the Warrior's Hymn's duration tapered.

She sang again, this time in a lower and steadier octave.

[Ability "Echo of Vitality" activated! Duration: 120 seconds; Cooldown: 240 seconds]

Instantly, a soothing wave of energy washed over her. Aubrey felt the vitality empower her resolve and reinvigorate her flagging stamina.

She had less than two minutes to end this.

Adrenaline surging, Aubrey fought through the automatons' coordinated offensive, trading swings and blunt impacts.

Seizing a brief advantage, Aubrey scanned the workshop for her next move. Her eyes caught on a chain hanging from the ceiling, attached to a heavy metal beam. A plan formed in her mind, the rhythm of the fight dictating her steps.

She feinted another swing at the first constable, leading it on a chase around the forge's fiery heart. The glow from the furnace illuminated the workshop with a warm, flickering light, casting everything in an eerie orange hue.

As she circled back towards the chain, Aubrey grabbed it and pulled with all her strength. The beam, dislodged from its precarious balance, swung down like a pendulum.

She dove to the ground, rolling out of its path as it crashed into first constable, pinning it beneath its weight.

The automaton struggled against the crushing blow but remained trapped.

One down. Two left.

Aubrey didn't celebrate the minor victory. Instead, she spun and swung the maul at the remaining Gearbound Constable with a mighty yell. The weapon's momentum carried Aubrey with such force that her entire upper body rotated with the blow.

Crunch!

The maul connected with the automaton's chassis. Cracks spread across its armor like veins of a lightning storm, its arcane circuits and runes flickering. Its hydraulics hissed and spurted a jet of steam.

Aubrey retreated, leading them on a chase through the workshop. She ducked under a suspended chain, weaving through the tight spaces between workbenches and equipment. The Gearbound Constables, less agile, followed doggedly, their bulk causing them to knock tools and materials aside in their pursuit.

The chase led them to the back of the workshop, where finished projects and large pieces of scrap metal were stored. Aubrey's eyes quickly scanned the room, her mind racing to compose a plan.

There!

She spotted a heavy tarp covering a contraption resembling a mining drill. Casting the maul aside, Aubrey threw the tarp aside and gripped the drill's handle, activating its motor. The machine's engine roared to life, its drill bits spinning at an ear-piercing rate.

Showtime. Aubrey braced and revved the engine.

With a primal scream, she barreled the drill into the closest Constable. Metal screeched and sparked as the drill's bit tore through the automaton's armor, the Constable's mechanisms and innards spraying shrapnel and sparks.

Aubrey continued her charge, driving into the last Gearbound Constable and pinning both against the workshop's stone wall. With a final surge of strength, Aubrey pressed the drill's bit against the automaton's chassis and leaned her weight against the handle, the Constable's futile struggle muffled by the din.

Click!

Their chassis gave way and ruptured. Aubrey released the drill and scrambled back. Flames and sparks erupted from their ruined chests. Mechanisms and broken parts rained onto the workshop's floor. Aubrey backed away, her Synesthesia's rhythm fading into silence.

The Constables slumped in a charred, sparking heap, their lights and runes extinguished.

"Holy shit. I actually did it," Aubrey panted.

That was intense.

But there was no time to celebrate. Guards were likely still combing the streets in search of her.

As she made her way to the projector, the smith she kicked earlier groggily rose and snarled.

"Ya bloody bint! Ya wrecked me workshop! Yer gonna pay fer this! Yer—"

Aubrey punched him square in the jaw. He crumpled once again and landed in an unconscious heap.

Good thing her face was still altered by the mask.

"Sorry. Not sorry." Aubrey didn't waste time and grabbed the Luminal Projector. Not sticking around to wait for more guards, she bolted out the back door.

She ran until her legs ached and her lungs burned.

Eventually, she slowed her pace and hailed a carriage, her adrenaline fading and the fatigue setting in. She directed the driver to an agreed-upon location and collapsed in the worn seat.

Aubrey heaved a sigh of relief as the carriage rattled down the cobbled streets.

Mission accomplished.

She rested her head against the tattered cushions and closed her eyes.

[You’ve acquired a small amount of experience.]