The robotic warrior had no time to react. Despite its initial scan of the apartment's main living space only taking milliseconds, the frame was surprised by the haunting skeleton. As soon as Bush entered, the skeletal warrior turned its hollow eye sockets towards him. His dosimeter spiked as soon as he entered, chirping wildly. The skeleton's long fingers twitched as it clutched a jagged sword made of a blackened, almost obsidian-like material. Blood dripped from its leading edge.
The intrepid frame raised his HR-15 rifle, a heavy .30-06 cartridge slammed into the breach with a cold, metallic click. The frame’s sensors locked onto the target. //kill.exe//. He squeezed the trigger, and a 3-round burst of armor-piercing rounds spat from the barrel, each one screaming through the air with lethal intent.
But the skeleton was fast. Inhumanly fast. It twisted its torso with an impossible contortion, the bullets whizzing past, shattering the wall behind it. With a clattering of bones, it lunged at Bush, its sword slicing through the air in a deadly arc.
Bush sidestepped, his hydraulic servos whining under the strain of the sudden movement. He swung the butt of his rifle at the skeleton, aiming to knock it off balance, but the undead warrior was relentless. The skeleton met the rifle with its sword, and sparks flew as tempered steel clashed with dark stone. Bush’s sensor feed flickered with alerts as the skeleton’s abnormal strength became evident.
Before he could recover, the skeleton closed the distance, using its unnatural agility to press the attack. They met once again. It drove its sword downward with ferocious power, aiming for Bush's shoulder joint. Its deadly tip was being forced downward like an executioner's blade. The frame barely managed to bring up its rifle to block the strike, but the force of the blow drove the Kilo-class back, its actuators groaning under the impact. The blade glanced off the rifle, carving a deep gash into Bush’s shoulder armor, sparks flying as composite alloy and paint sheared away beneath the strange onyx material.
Bush stumbled, his systems compensating for the unexpected, but manageable damage. The rifle was rendered nonfunctional, but it was clear that using it in close quarters would become a liability. With a quick calculation, Bush decided to ditch the rifle, tossing it aside with a metallic clatter. The skeleton’s hollow eyes gleamed with malevolent light as it surged forward, blade held high.
The frame’s reinforced fists came up, servos and motors roaring to life. Bush had some tricks up his sleeves. Short retractable blades emerged from inbetween his knuckles, equipping him with bladed knuckledusters. He aimed a punch at the skeleton’s chest, intending to crumple the undead warrior in one blow to its spine. The strike connected with a sickening crunch, but instead of shattering, the skeleton absorbed the impact and retaliated with an elbow strike to Bush’s sensor pod. The Kilo-class staggered, its internal gyros struggling to keep balance.
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The skeleton followed it up with a flurry of blows, its sword slashing with precision and force. Bush deflected and parried as best as he could, but the frame’s armor was taking a beating. The sword cut deep into the armor plates, sending warnings flashing across Bush’s substrate. Damage indicators lit up as the skeleton’s relentless assault found its mark, scoring hits on Bush’s arms, chest, and legs.
Bush’s systems recalibrated, prioritizing computing power to combat subroutines. The frame ducked under a wide swing from the skeleton, then came up with a powerful uppercut that shattered the undead warrior’s jaw. Bones splintered and flew across the room. The skeleton faltered and spat out a tooth with a dry heave. It responded with a brutal kick to Bush’s midsection, the force of which dented the frame’s abdominal armor and knocked it back against the wall.
Bush’s sensors screamed with damage alerts. He was hemorrhaging hydraulic oil and it splattered to the deck, creating amber puddles beneath his feet, but the Kilo-class wasn’t out of the fight yet. The frame’s tactical algorithms adjusted its approach. Bush surged forward with a shoulder charge, slamming into the skeleton with enough force to crack the wall it was thrown against. The skeleton’s bones creaked under the pressure.
The two combatants grappled, locked in a deadly struggle. Bush’s hydraulic muscles strained as the frame tried to overpower the skeleton. He delivered a series of uppercuts to its ribcage, chipping away at the tough structure. The undead warrior hissed, empowered by an infernal source. Its bony fingers clawing at Bush’s faceplate, trying to gouge out the sensors. Bush responded by grabbing the skeleton’s arm and twisting it with mechanical precision. The bone snapped, but the skeleton didn’t seem to feel pain. It used its other arm to drive the jagged sword into Bush’s side, the blade puncturing his armor like a tin can and cut into vital systems. Sparks erupted from his midsection.
Bush’s internal systems flashed red with critical damage warnings, but the frame’s combat subroutines didn’t falter. In a desperate move, Bush headbutted the skeleton, the impact cracking its skull. Then, with a burst of hydraulic power, Bush tore the skeleton’s damaged arm clean off, tossing it aside like a broken toy.
The skeleton recoiled, disoriented, and Bush seized the opportunity. The battered frame delivered a series of rapid punches, each one with the force of a sledgehammer, shattering the skeleton’s ribs and spine. The undead warrior tried to counterattack, but its movements were sluggish, its body starting to crumble under the relentless assault. It couldn't effectively block while missing an arm.
With a final, bone-crushing blow, Bush smashed the skeleton’s skull against the wall. His metal fist punctured straight through the skeleton's face and followed his fist as it carried into the wall. The head came clean off. The skeleton’s body went limp. His foe was down, but Bush wasn't taking any risks. He picked up the remains and broke the spine over his knee. Methodically and brutally, he tore the skeletal remains apart. He stood over the remains, his armor dented and damaged, but victorious.
Bush’s systems hummed as they ran a quick diagnostic. The frame was battered, but operational. The cascade’s glow dimmed slightly, as if acknowledging the defeat of its guardian. Bush retracted his damaged armor plates, securing systems as he prepared to exit the apartment. The mission wasn’t over yet, but the first obstacle had been removed. He could hear gunfire outside.