06.3502, 11:00, in the training room of the AOs hideout in Stean.
“Very well then” I heard Blur's student respond and before I even made a move he had already cleared the distance between us, forcing me to block his dagger with my own.
I hurriedly dashed back to create more room between him and I, but he didn't give me any time to breathe. Bombarding me with a flurry of rapid stabs, he never left any gaps for me to counterattack. Any opening I saw disappeared as fast as it came.
Then I suddenly felt something push me from behind and right into his swing. Only having a split second to react accordingly, I turned my body to the side, focused all my strength into my calves and sent myself into a roll which catapulted me past Mimicry.
Who just pushed me? I wondered and scanned the room, but besides my opponent and Twin at the medical station, there was no one here.
Must be an ability of his. I concluded and parried a blow, which would otherwise have pierced my stomach.
Studying my opponent’s movements more closely, I noticed that the air around him seemed to sway, and when he went for another stab the air rippled violently.
When I tried to parry his strike, the power of his attack swept me off my feet. My teeth gritted as I felt a sense of helplessness creeping in, reminding me of the many nights my parents fought, their cries ringing in my ears as I tried to cover them.
With a grunt, I shook those memories away. Using the momentum for a back roll, I activated my ability, Trail, to see the area I had just passed.
Instantly, my point of view shifted and second, dreamlike pair of eyes caught sight of my opponent. He was behind me, dashing after my tumbling body and lifting his dagger, ready to strike once more.
I quickly swapped back to my real pair of eyes, fiercely twisting my body to meet the incoming blade with my own.
There was a metallic shriek as our daggers collided and I saw surprise on Mimicry's face. Taking advantage of his momentary confusion, I didn't hesistate and launched an attack of my own with great speed.
My arm extended rapidly, slicing his left shoulder open and making blood spurt out the fresh wound, coating my dagger in red. "This would be my win!" I thought with a rush of excitement.
Then I heard a squelching thud and my left leg gave in. I fell down on one knee and looked down in bewilderment. A dagger was embedded into my thigh and crimson liquid was oozing out.
“Looks like this is my win.”
The voice barely reached my ears as I looked at my wound in shock.
How? I tried my hardest to understand what had happened, but I still couldn’t fathom how Mimicry had done this.
The blood loss quickly made my thoughts sluggish and before I knew it, I was picked up by Twin and placed on a medical flatbed.
By then the adrenaline had worn off and my leg pulsated with pain. A groan sounded, my body protesting from the pain. I lifted my gaze and saw Twin standing over me, his face a frustrated grimace.
Slowly, I felt my consciousness fading and my vision darkened. “I'll be fine.” That was my last thought before my world went black.
Mimicry: Adjusting the bandage on my shoulder, I turned and found that Trail had fainted. Her black pants had taken on a red hue and blood was streaming onto the bed. Trail’s breathing had grown strained and her chest was lifting at irregular intervals.
“Will she be okay?” I stepped closer to her, worriedly asking Twin as he tightened a belt around the injured leg to stop the blood flow.
Instead of answering my question, the man procured a small metal canister out of a bag, unsealed it, and placed it on a small table besides the unconscious Trail.
A stinging smell reached my nose and I nearly sneezed. Must be disinfectant. And judging by the horrible odor, it’s pretty potent. I kept my eyes locked on Twin to see what he would do next.
He turned his head towards me, the tension in his voice evident when he shouted at me. “Quit staring and get over here! I want you to pull the dagger out when I tell you to.” After he had finished his instructions, he collected a few other tools, a needle, thread, and bandage scissors.
I heard him take a deep breath before he picked up the the pair of scissors and began removing the fabric around the wound with quick, efficient cuts.
Inching closer, I carefully gripped the hilt of the embedded dagger, determined to pull it out in one swift motion once Twin told me to. Just then I saw him finish removing the blood-soaked cloth and picking up the metal canister which he had placed earlier on the small wooden table.
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He shot me a glance as if he wanted to ask if I was ready. “After you have removed the dagger and I have poured the disinfectant over the wound, you need to press it together so I can stitch it up”.
I nodded, signaling that I had understood what he said and readied to extract the blade.
“Now!” I pulled the moment the command reached my ears. A sickening sound of squelching flesh was emitted, making my body cringe.
I don’t have time for this right now! With that, I shook off my disgust, threw the dagger to the floor, and bent over to press the edges of the wound together, nearly obstructing Twin, who swiftly emptied the metal canister’s contents into and around the fleshy rift.
As I forcefully compressed Trail’s thigh, I saw him picking up the needle and thread he had prepared earlier. Once again the sickening sound reached my ears and I did my best to not look at the oozing hole. Suddenly, all the hair on my body stood on end and I heard an eerily calm voice behind me.
“I could lend a hand with that, if you want me to.” It was Blur. I didn’t even dare to move my head to look at her. In stark contrast to my tenseness, Twin’s body clearly relaxed and he made way for my master.
I saw the blue and black lab coat sway past me, two glove-clad hands clasped together behind it. Not daring to make eye contact I just watched as her palm inched towards Trail’s wound, the knuckles still having a slightly red hue.
The black leather of her glove touched bloody skin and flesh began to move. I heard a pained gasp and then Trail began to fight against my grip.
Despite her body's struggle, I held her thigh down firmly, preventing it from moving. A few stressful seconds later, my master lifted her hand up and I could clearly see the spot where the wound had been, fresh skin stood in contrast to the blood around it.
“I didn’t heal it, I just moved your flesh and skin around to fill the gaps. So the area is prone to damage right now, which means you need to be careful not to reopen it. This will speed your healing, although you would have been fine with just stitches, thanks to our regeneration being strengthened by Terex.” My master told the laying Trail and turned to face Twin, who was waiting a few steps away.
“Take it from here. I will continue my student's training now. I need to prepare him appropriately for the upcoming mission.”
My master turned her head towards me and I felt an overwhelming sense of danger radiate throughout my body. I readied to dodge to the right if I saw as much as a hint of an attack.
As I watched the pale scientist’s body fully turn in my direction, I didn’t dare to even blink, her demeanor told me that, right now, such a blunder could prove fatal.
She drew two throwing knives out of one of her pockets with her left hand and my pupils dilated in surprise. I grasped just what my master has meant with the word appropriate. She had never used anything but her fists against me! I acted on instinct and jumped back to gain more distance, hoping this would give me some time to react once she made her move.
In reaction to me backing away, my master tilted her head and scrutinized me with amusement. “You're running away? If you fear injury, I can just heal you, no worries”.
Yep, I'm in deep shit. With this conclusion I bolstered myself for the incoming attack. Beads of sweat ran down my back while Blur took her sweet time, making me begin to wonder what was taking her so long.
“Isn't she going to attack?” I heard my own voice ask from behind me. My heart nearly skipped a beat and just in the nick of time I started a somersault. Even though the kick aimed for my lower back missed, I still felt a considerable force from the brushed aside air.
Fuck, is she trying to kill me? I quickly exited my roll and regained my footing. Concurrently reaching for one of my daggers I grasped into nothingness and cursed inwardly. The dagger which was supposed to be in that sheath was on the ground next to Trail!
Blur however, didn’t give me the time to reach for another and I was forced into an awkward pivot in order to avoid the two knives flying my way. Taking advantage of my unstable stance, she rushed up to me and unleashed a barrage of vicious punches, gradually forcing me to fall back.
Using my arms to guard most of the attacks, I still felt my body ache at numerous spots, where she had been able to pierce my defense. It was obvious that I had to break out of her continues assault or I would inevitably face defeat, but there seemed to be no room for escape in her brutal onslaught. Despite the slim chances, I endured the pain.
My determination finally paid of, when she took extra time to charge a swing. This short relief was just enough for me to create distance and draw a dagger.
Suddenly I saw fanaticism fill my master's eyes and a precarious premonition made me instinctively lift my arms up to guard. The kick connected right above my elbows and my arms throbbed in protest, as it felt like the mass of a house was hitting me.
I was swept of my feet and sent hurtling across the room by the sheer force of the attack. I heard my master curse loudly, as the room began to violently ripple, like it was about to crack and open rifts in reality. Wind was pushing fiercely against my back, giving me the feeling of being in the center of a tornado. The air rapidly passing around my ears resulted in a deafening sound. One of the hip-high stone walls which separated the training grounds flew by under me and I witnessed a blurry figure with multiple pairs of brilliant blue and black wings soar past me, leaving afterimages in its wake. It all felt surreal. How could so much power be generated from one impact?
The strong gusts ruffled my hair and clothes, but also slowed me down. Still at breakneck speed, I figured that the collision that would soon come would be brutal, even with the deceleration provided by the wind currents.
A resounding thud rang out and I felt multiple ribs breaking on impact. In my dazed state, I noticed something strange. I hadn’t collided with cold hard stone, but with something softer and warmer. As I was trying to cling onto my consciousness I felt a strong grip holding me and a soothing breeze caressed my face, then the pain overwhelmed me.
Carrying her injured student, Blur, having received nothing more than a slight bruise from playing human cushion, was distraught.
Her body had suddenly acted on its own. Wounding her student this badly hadn’t been her intention in the slightest, but to her dismay it appeared that the past was catching up with her.
Is that the price one pays for power or is it simply unfortunate circumstance? She wondered and sighed.
Slowly levitating towards the baffled Twin and Trail, she prepared to treat her student’s injuries as fast as possible.