Rafferty held herself as still as she could. It wasn't easy when her back was arched like this, and she could feel the Zero's metal legs tugging at her hair.

She was half turned toward Blaspheme, and spoke to her without moving her lips.

"Eww anna urry up?"

"Give me a clean shooting background, will you?" Blaspheme said.

That's not exactly easy to do while staying perfectly still, either.

Moving as little possible, Rafferty switched her hair from its current emerald color to the brightest white she could manage.

"Ike hat?"

"Perfect. Stay still," said Blaspheme.

"Ust hoot ta ittle eedle ting. Uh doan anna urn i ace hoff," Rafferty forced through her unmoving lips. She hoped Blaspheme got the message.

"I got it. I got it," Blaspheme said impatiently, and pulled the trigger.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Rafferty's whole world went blue for an instant, and she heard the metal ping as the Zero's injector was separated from its body. Blaspheme had shot off the little God's needle, rather than aim for the body, which would have destroyed the thing, but sprayed Rafferty's face and neck with poison in the process.

She grabbed at the Zero on her back, and hurled it away from her. As she did this, a few drops of the inky black liquid inside sloshed out of the hole where the needle had been. When she released the Zero, the right side of her face erupted in agony. Rafferty frantically wiped at her cheek, wicking away most of the poison, but managing to grind a little of it into the skin beneath her eye. She screamed as it ate all the way to the bone.

Tears streamed from her eyes as she sank to her knees. This was the most pain she had felt in a long time, which was something, considering, you know, Rafferty.

She felt a hand on her shoulder, and looked up at a blurry version of Blaspheme, who looked more concerned than Rafferty could remember seeing her. Rafferty managed a little nod. I'm ok, the nod said.

You have to be, at least for a few minutes. Then you can scream all you want. Promise.

Blaspheme nodded back, and both girls looked up to examine the situation.

Lena had grabbed Cody under one arm and was shepherding her back toward them. slashing at the snapping machines with the knife in her other hand. Colin, out of shells, walked backwards after them, swinging his shotgun like a club. Cody's Jack wasn't much bigger than Cody himself, but wielded the shotgun with a protective ferocity, determined to keep the Zeroes off off his still wobbly Hunter. Rafferty saw that he was already bleeding from both arms. Badly.

Sheridan was working back toward them as well. Rafferty watched as she took out another small group of the things with a well placed shot, but she was running out of arrows. As she joined her friends, Sheridan glanced at Rafferty's face with alarm, but Rafferty waved her off.

The horde was starting to reform. It was much smaller than before, but still too large to deal with easily.

Blaspheme had essentially unlimited ammo, but couldn't shoot fast enough to handle it herself. Rafferty counted five arrows in Sheridan's quiver. She figured Lena might be holding a few more for her. She stepped up between Sheridan and Blaspheme, and gripped her sword tightly. She'd keep the Zeros off of them as long as she could, giving them time and space to shoot.

This thing was going to be very, very close.

She looked at the mob of Zeros, and at the broken husk of the Factory beyond them. She had an idea.

It was either a very good one or a very bad one.

"Hey guys, do you remember that time in Brant?"