Taran E65 looked at the two warders demanding answers from him and felt a bit self conscious. As their look went from inquisitive to a bull bore glare he began to fidget. He scratched his neck and looked everywhere but at the two pairs of annoyed eyes glaring at him now.
“I need a moment.” E65 held up a finger.
Sheetal folded her hands over her chest “Well go on then.”
Taran E65 took in a deep breath. It didn’t help. So, he tried to walk away to gain some space. Sheetal watched the continuum soldier take a few steps away and then followed him to the gate. The man was being evasive, and she wasn’t going to allow that. She looked back and saw Ash following them both with a grin on his face. She decided to deal with him later. Right now, she needed to deal with the man in the futuristic armour.
Taran E65 turned around and asked “Can you give me some space please?”
“You’ve had a moment, T. Now I need answers.”
“My name is…”
Taran began but was immediately cut off by Sheetal.
“I don’t care. Why did you follow us? Why are you asking us to come with you? And why are your people pointing their guns at us?” Sheetal shot out her questions in a rapid fire.
Taran E65 frowned “Is that all? Or do you want to add another question or two?”
Sheetal thought about it and responded “Yes, and why are you being so evasive?”
Ash giggled behind her and Sheetal shot him a look and pointed a finger at her partner “Shut up, you.”
Ash held up his hands while trying to control his laughter.
E65 sighed “Fine. I followed you because you are warders. I don’t exactly know what is so special about you but, General Athena 8, the leader I have chosen to follow, thinks you can get out of this prison we are stuck in.”
Taran waved to the world around them.
“Prison?” Sheetal squinted.
“Yes, prison. The trials are a prison. At least for people like you and us. You haven’t been here long. You don’t know what it is like. We have seen people come and go. Heck some even return from Reir but we, the continuum, are stuck here.”
Sheetal frowned “Elaborate.”
T sighed and began “Unlike you, we have no world to go back to. Our world is dead. We killed it. We treated it like a large industrial hub to fuel the empire. We polluted it beyond anything you could imagine. When we ran out of resources, we brought down asteroids to mine. Then we went to war. And we destroyed everything.”
“Frick. You mined asteroids? How did you do that? I understand how you would go to space with chemical propulsion. But descending back with payloads of tons, that is another matter altogether.” Sheetal asked in a whisper.
Ash gave Sheetal a look and shook his head “We’ll circle back to that. Actually, I won’t, but crazy here, most probably will. Right now, tell me, you aren’t painting a very good picture of your people so why should we come to your base?”
E65’s shoulders slumped “Originally, I wanted to take you to the fire city. That’s where General Athena is but that place is being invaded by the Nishachars and Vetaals. It is not safe for you, and we can’t let them get their hand on you.”
“Why?” Ash pushed.
T turned to look at Ash and pointed at his chest “The shard you took to become a warder is important. Don’t ask me why. I don’t know. The raks would want those shards if they found about you. There is only one place we can keep you safe for now. The FOB.”
“F.O.B?” Sheetal asked.
“Forward operating base.” Ash explained,
E65 nodded “Yes. Look, the fire city would have been our first choice, but we are already having a hard time keeping your people safe over there. If you end up there, the raks will increase their assault and try to capture you. Best case scenario, they will hold you hostage. Worst case scenario… They will kill you for the warder shard and use it to increase their assault on us.”
“Our people? You found our people?” Sheetal asked in a hopeful voice.
Ash gave Sheetal a complicated look and then turned back to Taran E65 “So, why are you spying on your own people?”
Taran visibly flinched “That… That is a complicated question.”
Ash smiled “Yeah, I am sure it is. But now we are here alone in the desert without that glowing light recording everything we are saying. So, spill it.”
T licked his lips and then began “Basically the continuum has split into two parts. The augs or the augmented. They are supremacists who think that if you are not augmented you are not equal to them. That’s the faction Parvati 333 belongs to. The second ones are the ones in power. The thrivers. They believe that continuum if it comes together as a whole will thrive once again.”
“By the look on your face T and your actions, I don’t think you belong to either one of those. So, what about your group?” Ash asked with quirked lips.
T squinted at Ash “How did you…” E65 shook his head and continued “It’s not my group. It’s one I belong to. The perseverance. It is operating in the shadows for now. But we are close to declaring ourselves. We believe we need to fight and persevere against all odds to gain back our honour and freedom. And that’s where you both come in.”
Ash grimaced “Honour? Seriously? That makes no sense.”
“Of course it does. Just because you don’t understand the concept doesn’t mean it does not make any sense.” Sheetal chided Ash and then looked back to E65
“So, T, why are you friends pointing their guns at us?”
“My name is…”
“T! Tee.” Ash quickly interjected.
E65 looked at the two warders giving him challenging looks. He shook his head and started “My name is...”
Sheetal shook her head “There is no way we are calling you by an alpha numeric name.”
“Yeah, who the heck do you think you are Musk’s son?” Ash added.
“Uh…” T blinked.
“What is with you names anyway? Why are you all Taran, Jays, and Parvatis.” Sheetal asked.
T sighed “Well we are clones.”
“What?” Sheetal blinked
“Yeah, I thought as much.” Ash exhaled.
“You did?” Sheetal turned to Ash.
“They have the same bone structure, basic musculature and micro gestures. Sure, they don’t think like each other, but their traits are quite similar to one another.” Ash explained.
This time both Sheetal and E65 looked at him.
Finally E65 opened his mouth and muttered “Dang! You are a spy aren’t you. Maybe as good as the Adityas.”
“No, he’s better.” Sheetal said emphatically and then continued “Now, you didn’t answer me. Why are your people threatening us with their weapons?”
Taran grimaced “It’s because…”
Flash!
A blinding light momentarily blinded everyone but Sheetal. Sheetal turned to look behind and saw Taran A197 stumbling out of the gate. Half of his helmet was gone. The other half sparked and was burning his face.
“Tar?” E65 blinked his eyes rapidly and in a shocked voice asked “What’s going on?”
Taran A197 looked around and replied curtly “Ambush.”
“Is everyone okay?” E65 asked.
A197 shook his head and pointed to Taran E65 thigh “E65, I need that.”
Everyone turned to look at the spot A197 was pointing at. Suddenly A197 grabbed Sheetal by the throat and pressed her back to his chest. Ash whirled and saw A197 point his gun at him. Ash’s eyes widened. Before he could move A197 pressed the trigger. Ash used his speed and threw himself to the side.
A flashing hot beam crossed the distance in between him in an instant. The beam still caught him. A lance of fire cut across the side of his face. The hair from the top of his left eyebrow to the back burnt. And Ash screamed and rolled off into the sand.
“ASH!” Sheetal screamed.
“Shut up or I will turn you into a charcoal, cow.” A197 growled.
E65 reached for his rifle and A197 pointed his gun at T and shook his head “Don’t E65.”
“Tar…”
Taran A197 didn’t wait to hear T’s words. He jumped back and pulled Sheetal in with him. The flash momentarily blinded Sheetal. She blinked to clear her eyes. She began to use her powers to free herself
Sheetal croaked “Get off me.”
Suddenly something hard and cold pressed into her neck. She tried to turn her neck to look at the spot. Before she could manage that her muscles spasmed and her body stiffened. Her teeth bit into her tongue and she landed on the ground with a thud.
Sheetal with tear filled eyes looked up and saw a taser crackling in the hands of Ruby F435 hands.
“Why did you do that Rub?” Taran asked Ruby F435.
“We can’t have her flying off, Tar.”
“By ash and sand, no we’ll have to carry her.”
“What do you mean we? You will carry her.”
Taran A197 gave her a look. Ruby F435 huffed and hurried him up.
“Hurry up. She is already healing. And this thing doesn’t go any higher in settings.” Ruby gave her taser a disgruntled look.
The woman was right. Sheetal on her could see her potentiality dropping as she healed. Taran A197 picked her up and threw her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Sheetal raised her head to glare at the Ruby woman. In response Ruby tazed her again. This time in her throat. Sheetal choked and went limp.
This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
F435 cracked her neck “Did you get the other one?”
A197 shook his head “The Jays were right. That boy is fast.”
Ruby F435 sighed while walking besides A197 “That’s for the good anyways. We can’t kill warders Tar.”
A197 growled “I don’t understand that. We should just kill them and get it over with.”
F435 grimaced “No. Kill one warder and you will have to deal with ten more.”
A 197 grunted and looked at Ruby F435 “There are nothing special. We got them pretty easily.”
“Yeah, because we surprised them.”
“Whatever. Now let’s pick up the pace before those raks do anything stupid to the major.”
Ruby nodded and then her eyes widened. She yelled “Tar watch out.”
Plasma shots zinged next to Taran A197’s feet. He looked back and saw Parvati M and the two Jay’s pointing their weapons at him and Ruby.
Parvati M141 shouted across the distance and the crowd of Nishachars looking at both the parties “Tar, put the warder down.”
Taran A197 looked across to the corner where Parvati M and the two Jays were hiding behind their light shields with their backs to a rocky outcrop next to the water. The nishachars didn’t seem to care. They had their enemies cornered and they had outnumbered them.
A197 sighed “Don’t do this Parvati M.”
“Tar, if the Raks want something then we should be trying our level best to deny them. We shouldn’t be handing them strategic assets.”
A197 clenched his jaw “83, 84 stop Parvati M.”
When the Jays didn’t do anything Ruby F435 snarled “You musclehead morons. Don’t you want to keep our squid together? Kill her and come with us.”
In response to her words both the Jays raised their gun not at Parvati M but at them.
84 shook his head “Warders are special. You cannot harm them.”
83 nodded “If you do. Not just you but all of the continuum will have to pay for your actions with our lives.”
Taran snarled “I am not afraid of some implausible threat from some mythical silver city. And not afraid of some Kel that we haven’t seen ever since I first opened my eyes.”
Behind him Ruby raised her rifle and pointed at Sheetal “Stand down 83 and 84. Or I will shoot her.”
Bang!”
Taran A197 flinched. He looked down at himself and then at the smoking barrel of Parvati M141. He heard a thud behind him and turned to look at Ruby F435. She had a hole in her throat. Her gun had fallen from her hands, and she raised them to her throat. With a horrified look Ryby blinked at Tar and tried to say something.
“F…” Taran A197’s words were cut short when Ruby fell and the damn fire lit her up from inside, turning both her and everything she was holding into ash and slag.
Taran A197 turned back around and screamed at the nishachars and vetaals “You want me to get the warder to your boss? Then stop them.”
The raks looked at each and then all hell broke loose between the three stranded soldiers and the Rakshasa soldiers.
Back in the desert, Ash shot back up to his feet. He felt Sheetal’s fear run through his veins. He snarled in pain and fear.
E65 rushed to Ash and helped him up and Ash took a moment to control his urge to bash E65’s face in. He looked so much like A197 that it was a struggle to remind himself that they both were not the same person.
“Hold still.” T took out a tube from his belt and squirted some gel like liquid on Ash’s face.
Wherever the liquid touched an ivy feeling replaced the burning sensation. Even so, Ash didn’t stop snarling until he looked at the confused look on E65’s face.
Ash took in a deep breath and withdrew his tonfas from his belt and growled “T? Are you with me or against me?”
“What?”
Ash gave T a look “Your friend just tried to kill me and kidnapped my sister T. Are you with me or against me?”
E65 shook and his voice came out trembling with anger “That bastard. What was he thinking?”
“T? Make up your mind. Right now.” Ash’s voice was flat.
E65 looked at the warder and took a short step back. His grey eyes held no humour. His face had turned angular with barely held fury and his tonfas were glowing a pale yellow. And they looked hungry.
Taran E65 licked his lips “Warder, your weapons are…”
Weapon - Tonfas Left
Type - Souldrinker
Souls Consumed - 1/5
Weapon - Tonfa Right
Type - Souleater
Souls Consumed - 1/5
Ash held them up and looked at them. He nodded “Yeah. No more mister nice guy.”
E65 gulped and unhooked the rifle from his back and unholstered his wide barreled side arm “Do you even know what having those weapons means?”
“They eat souls?”
E65 exhaled “No, but we can discuss that later. But right now…” T nodded “I am with you, my warder. Lead us to battle.”
Ash’s hud came to life.
Party formed.
Member Added
Taran E65
Affiliation - Continuum - Perseverance Faction (Hidden)
Call Sign Assigned - T
Note - All potentiality gained will be divided between you and your partner. Party members will gain potentiality from your share.
Ash did not know what that meant and he didn’t care. He just wanted to… No, he needed to go and save Sheetal. He grimaced and was about to hit the ball on his hud when his hud disappeared.
Instead of the boxes one line of text appeared at the bottom of his vision. Quickly replaced with another.
Shard Detected - Sense
Creating a new overlay.
Transferring overlay to Party members.
Entering Battle Mode
Fight on warder.
“What the…” E65 blinked.
“Later T. We are going in.”
E65 nodded and walked next to Ash “Yes, of course.”
Ash took a breath and walked in.
Flash.
Ash landed wet squishy mud. His eyes caught a pile of ash a few metres away with glowing pile of shards in the pile. He ignored them. He looked around and scanned his surroundings. Just like his instructors had taught him. One by one he broke everything into a three dimensional, three hundred a sixty-degree grid and memorised everything in an instant. He closed his eyes and pictured everything.
Behind him was a tear in reality growing in its mercurial colours. Thirty metres ahead, at two o'clock was a riverbank. Beyond it was a raging river that disappeared into the distance. On top of the water were platforms that floated in the air. Standing on those were strange lizard bodied humanoids that growled and hissed down.
Straight ahead was a road weaved to the right and led to a massive waterfall that flowed into the river whose loud noise muffled every sound in the area. Ten metres at eleven o'clock rocky outcrops started. Their sharp rocks would make traversing hard.
On the bank of the river and close to ten metres away were barrels. Most probably holding water. Infact, the whole trial was filled with those. They would provide decent cover if they got into a firefight.
Ash opened his eyes and looked at the enemy he was facing. His eyes landed on one of the nearest platforms. He saw a man pointing at the three lizard-like people. They all turned and jumped down to a lower platform.
New Enemy Identified
Vetaals.
Type - Class 0
Affiliation - Rakshasa Empire
Faction - Kapasura
Ash watched the three enemies turned red in his vision. That made spotting them and their actions easier in his vision. He watched them kneel, bunch up their legs and jump again. This time they were heading towards a platform that was almost at the ground level. Two of them made it. The third took a glowing blue ball of energy to his chest and splash into the water.
He traced the line of fire and spotted the two Jays. They had their backs to a large rock and had taken cover behind yellowish transparent shields that projected out from their fingers. As he watched one of them lowered his shield that protected them from head to toe and emptied his rifler into the tens of enemies harassing them.
Something about the ongoing action made Ash focus on the combat. The world blurred in his vision and the shards inside Jay 83 body flared. He saw potentiality seep into them from his blood, travel through his shards, back into his arteries and into his rifle that spewed out round after round into the nishachar.
The enemy dropped in front of him but the line of people behind the first ranks quickly reached out and pulled their dropped comrades behind them. Ash watched the injured nishachars, their howls of pain and writing stopped. Their shards flared and soon, one by one they got back to their feet madder than before.
Ash heard a thump next to him and saw E65 land beside him. He turned his gaze from him back to the front. He watched one of the injured vetaals rushed back with a glowing dagger. The blue skinned nishachars holding crossbows and swords parted for the mad creature. Suddenly, Parvati M141 stepped in front of Jay 83 and shot the rampaging creature in the head.
To Ash’s surprise, the vetaal still didn’t die instantly. She crawled back and started getting up. Then another glowing blue ball from Parvati M141 blew her brain out.
There was a moment of silence on the battlefield. Then a ripple went through the rakshasa soldiers. And then, their crossbow bolts and swords started glowing a sickly green. And there were hundreds of them. They all were highlighted red. Thankfully none of them were looking at them.
Taran E65 took in a sharp breath beside him and muttered “Those are soul bolts and soul edges on the swords.”
Ash felt a pang of pain and turned to the source. Strangely it was not from his body or the weapons. It was distant. He turned to look in the direction and saw A197 in the middle of the horde. They parted to let him through and then closed ranks behind with their eyes trained towards the isolated continuum soldiers. Ash watched Sheetal buck on A197’s shoulders. The man dropped Sheetal and kicked her prone figure in the stomach.
Air rushed out of Sheetal and she doubled over.
A197 shouted “Get up you worthless cripple.”
When Sheetal couldn’t, Taran A197 grabbed her by her hair and began dragging her.
In Ash’s new hud, A197 turned from a red to a blazing red. Even deeper than the shade of red the nishachars and the vetaals were painted. It was like the system itself had categorised A197 to death and he was happy to comply with it.
Ash snarled “I am going to kill that guy.”
T suddenly turned to Ash’s right, pointed his rifle past him and shot towards an unseen enemy. Ash heard a pained hiss and a thump of a body hitting the squelching ground. Ash turned to see two vetaals charging at him with their claws extended.
Ash took a step to the side. Putting one in front of the other and blocking the other. He heard two quick hisses behind him. He smelt the sharp smell of E65 weapons discharging behind him. It smelt like vinegar and iron. He put that out of his mind and concentrated on the vetaals.
The vetaals had a strange way of walking. They could be bipedal one moment and then transition into a four-legged lizard form. Even so, footwork always gave away an enemy’s reaction. He looked at the first vetaal. He saw how the first one bent his knee and land on his arms. He retracted his right arm. The second one sidestep the first one with his claws held high menacingly. That was a faint. Ash didn’t react.
Ash turned his gaze back to the first one just as he slashed. Ash leaned back and sent a pulse of potentiality into his shards. His hands blurred. Instead of blocking the blow he twirled his left tonfa under the slash. Then with a slightest of effort he pushed the hyperextended hand past his body. In the same moment. he took a step and thrust with his right tonfa. Right into the open mouth of the second vetaal. He felt a bit of resistance. With a jerk straightened his elbow. The tonfa dug into the vetaals throat.
The vetaal tried to slash his claws downwards. Ash moved to the left. Twisting the neck of the vetaal with his soul eater. He felt something pop. Ash grinned and rushed in. Ash with his new and improved sight saw the tonfa hum to life and with a pulse suck at the strange creatures being. The vetaal’s eyes glazed over. And with a crunch the souleater ate the hideous creature’s being.
Souleater - Souls Consumed 2/5
Ash glanced at the simple message and then flipped his left tonfa. He grabbed it from the air. Just as his speed normalised. Instead of holding it from the handle, he was grabbing it by its point. He grunted and swung. The first vetaal whirled and brought his hand up to slash. Before it could complete its movement. Ash completed his strike. The tonfa’s handle made contact with the creature’s temple like a hammer.
Thwack..
The vetaal stumbled to his knees. Ash looked at the creature’s dazed eyes. He flipped the tonfa again. Grabbed it by the hand and dug it into the vetaal’s broken skull.
Gulp.
Souleater Left - Souls Consumed 2/5
Ash turned back to look at E65 and saw him shooting at a platform with three nishachar. They ducked and took cover behind leaking wooden barrels. He turned his eyes downwards. Back to the path. Two nishachars caught his eyes. They unsheathed their swords. Their shards flared momentarily, and their weapons began to glow a sickly green. With nods to each other they began walking towards him.
Ash cracked his neck and muttered “T? We need to go.”
“One moment please.”
Ash glanced back and saw E65 lower his rifle. He raised his wide barreled side arm and pressed the trigger.
“Seriously? You put away your rifle for a gun?”
T ignored him and pressed the trigger.
Whump.
Ash blinked as a glowing pulsing white ball flew out of the barrel of the gun. In a parabolic arc it flew to the platform. And in a blinding flash made contact with the floating platform.
A blinding white flash momentarily blinded everyone in the battlefield.
The strangest thing was that the impact of the ball made no sound. A moment later the platform crumbled and pieces of it fell into the water with splashes.
E65 nodded “We can go now.”
Ash looked at T with an open mouth. And then hesitantly turned back to face the nishachars. They were looking at the devastation.
Ash nodded “Have anything for them?”
T nodded “Hold on a minute.”
He began to load his gun with a pulse of dark blackish purple energy.
Ash took the moment to look at the man and then at the smallish gun “Is that a grenade launcher?”
E65 smiled “Yes! Yes, it is. Do you have these wherever you come from?”
“Ye..Yeah. But not small ones with blinding lights.”
E65 nodded “Mine are special.”
“How?”
“They use antimatter rounds.”
Ash took a small step away from E65 “Geez man holster that gun. I don’t want to get vaporised.”
They both heard a yell from the Raks and then there was no time to talk. E65 took a knee and opened up on the horde harassing the isolated Jays and Parvati.
The two blue swordsmen rushed Ash.
The first swordsman pointed his blade and thrust. He did not react. It was a faint. The man’s footwork gave the ploy away. The second one on the other hand came in low to high with a slash. Ash sent a pulse of potentiality to his shards and parried. The blade moved off its line and he stepped closer. Then blue men had watched him fight earlier and expected his speed. They took a step back together. Away from his weapons. That was okay, he had eight limbs and two weapons.
Ash spun. He used his speed to bring up his leg. In a whirl of speed, he heel kicked the first swordsman on his head. The man stumbled and Ash used the momentum to propel him towards the second man. He closed with the man. Ran inside the guard of the swordsman. And jabbed his souleater towards his throat. The man, at the last moment, brought his weapon up to block his tonfa. Ash watched as the man parried and in disgust kicked his enemy in the jewels. The man opened his mouth to take in a breath. Ash jabbed his tonfa outwards. The blue man jerked his head away, stumbled back and avoided the blow.
Ash snarled.
These people were good. Better than anyone he had faced yet. And he did not have time to fence with them. He could feel Sheetal being dragged through the mud and her pain. He needed to finish this quickly.
Ash cracked his neck. With a grunt he sent a trickle of his potentiality into all his speed shard. In a blink of an eye, he was faster. He blurred towards his enemies and shot his arm out and this time dug his tonfa into the blue man’s blue eyes.
Squelch.
The man opened his mouth to scream but nothing came out. His tonfa drank the man’s essence instantly. Ash turned to look at the first man. He was back up and upright. Still turning to look at him. Ash dragged his tonfas out with a spin. Kicked the dead man’s falling body to gain some momentum and Rushed towards the other swordsman.
The blue man finally ended his turn. His eyes widened. Hi jaw slightly opened to scream. Then souleater tore into the man’s throat.
Ash watched his blunt weapon make contact with the man’s blue skin. Sent a ripple through his flab. And then use his speed and the thrust of his momentum to dig in. Ash’s speed faded and he used his lodged tonfa to roll himself away from the line of sight of the horde taking pot shots at him and T.
Souldrinker - Souls consumed 3/5
Souleater - Souls Consumed 3/5
Ash tried to get up. He stumbled. His hand spasmed and grabbed his chest. Right where his hear was thumping painfully. A moment later potentiality from the two kills rushed into him and his chest under his palm began to glow. He took a deep breath as the pain faded and noticed T dragging him to the side.
He looked up and saw E65 armour take a few sickly green bolts. They recoiled of him and then he opened fire. Ash saw a few Nishachars go down, but they stumbled back up to their feet and screamed their challenges.
T steadied Ash behind a few barrels and looked at the warder.
“Ash, are you okay.”
Ash grunted “Yeah. Just wasn’t expecting the pain.”
“The pain?”
“Later.” Ash shook his head and looked up as T shot into the enemy.
“What the heck? Why aren’t these guys dying?” Ash asked.
E65 gave Ash a blank look “They are not that easy to kill a fully ascended being Warder.”
Ash looked at the people turning to, well, ash behind him and asked “Really?”
E65 screamed back “Yeah. Not without armour piercing rounds or soul weapons like yours.”
“And you don’t have any?”
“I do, but they are in my trike.”
Ash looked at the horde dispassionately and announced “Well, I am going in then.”
“Wait!” E65 stopped Ash and took out his grenade launcher.
Ash took a weary step away from T and watched as he shot a glowing ball of white death into the horde. The horde scrambled away from the point of impact. When the ball was at its apex a greenish light shot at it and with a puff the grenade fizzled out.
E65 blinked “Oh great. They have a mage.”
Ash looked back at Taran E65 “That’s bad?”
“What do you think?” E65 snapped back.
Ash took a step to the side to evade a glowing green bolt. One bolt turned to tens and the next moments were hectic. Both Ash and E65 scrambled, dodged and somehow evaded the bolts. When they stopped, they were behind leaking barrels of fizzling water.
E65 looked up at Ash “So, what’s our next move?”
Ash gave the man an incredulous look “Why are you asking me?”
“What? What do you mean why am I asking you? You are the warder.”
Ash gave T a blank look.
“It’s in your name, warder. War” E65 paused and continued “Der.”
“Uh…”
“You have no idea what I am talking about do you?” E65 yelled.
“Ummm… No?”
“Warders are the ones who lead their troops. They are like weapons of mass destruction. Why do you think that A197 is keeping your sister incapacitated?” E65 yelled.
“She is not my sister.” Ash muttered.
“By ash and sand. That’s what you want to talk about right now?”
Ash heard the hysteria in T’s voice and took in a breath “Bud. You need to…”
“E65! E65! Party with us and follow my instructions.” E65 looked up to see Parvati waving at him from behind the shields of the two Jays.
Ash looked at them. He hadn’t realised when they had reached them. But there they were. In the same spot he had seen them when they had entered. Had he moved that fast? Or were these guys hopeless? His thoughts were broken by E65.
T shook his head “No thank you. I am partying with the warder.”
There was silence for a moment and then Parvati M something screamed “Warder, accept our request.”
You have received party requests from…
Parvati M141
Call Sign - Needles
Affiliation - Continuum
Faction - Thrive
Jay 83
Affiliation - Continuum
Faction - Undecided
Jay 84
Affiliation - Continuum
Faction - Undecided
Accept?
Yes/No.
Ash grimaced as the text started shooting up from the bottom of his vision. He hit yes to clear it only to be replaced with another line of text.
Party channel opened.
“What?” Parvat M142 started and then continued “What happened to my hud?”
E65 sighed “This is better. It outlines all our enemies in red.”
“Well, I hope it outlines those traitorous augs in red.” Needles grumbled.
“Yes, it does.” Ash answered “It highlights them in a deeper shade of red. That means I am going to kill that…”
“Not the time warder.” Jay 84 said in his bassy voice.
“Sorry 84. Okay warder. What’s the plan?” Needles asked.
Ash rolled his eyes before he could say anything T shot out.
“He doesn’t have one.”
Ash shot the man a sharp look “Of course I have one. I have already told you, my plan.”
“Okay, what is it?” Needles asked.
“I am going to run into the enemy and kill them all. You with your pee shooters are going to help me.”
“That’s not a plan.” Needles muttered.
“See I told you.” E65 spat out.
“Oh, for fricks sake.” Ash scooted back from the barrels while hugging the floor. He looked up and took a runner’s stance.
“What is he doing?” Needles asked and then turned to look at Ash “What are you doing?”
He glanced at her and then at all the continuum soldiers and muttered “You all, just do as I say and I will kick some blue butt. No matter how cute it is.”
“What? No. You can’t just go in there. There are hundreds of them.” Taran 65 said in a rush.
Ash grinned “Yeah, watch me.”
The continuum people gave him a startled look and then T screamed
“Ho…Ho…ld Oooon….”
T’s voice lengthened as Ash shot potentiality into all his speed shards. As the potentiality reached his shards a zing ran through his body and goosebumps pickled his skin. And he felt his heart stutter and pain reach his extremities.
Even so Ash laughed maniacally and yelled “Let’s freaking goooo!!!”