12 Miles Below

To’Wrathh watched the enemy from a distance, hands at the hilt of her blades. She’d brought several for this fight. Both her traditional weapons, along with three of Keith’s custom blades. The other projects he’d been working on had proven incompatible with her own combat style. She lacked the fractal uses he had practiced with.

At the small of her back was the Knightbreaker, ready to use in case everything failed. Even if To’Wrathh won the fight, To’Sefit would return inevitably, with a better idea of what to expect. If To’Wrathh used the her trump card early, landing another shot with it in the future would become that much harder.

She had to dismantle To’Sefit with her blades.

“That looks to be a fair distance.” To’Sefit said. “Most enemies I would have dispatched before they’d gotten this close.”

“And if something gets too close to you?” To’Wrathh asked, breath held.

“I’m not quite sure.” To’Sefit laughed, “I suppose one day I might find out. There’s a first time for everything. Do you believe you’re fast enough to close the distance?”

“Training to speed past a ranged defense is something I will need to learn how to handle in the future.” To’Wrathh said, drawing out her primary blades.

The Feather laughed. “That’s one way to see it. In the future, I recommend having more than yourself. You’ll see for yourself soon enough. A large enough army would break past opponents like me. Keep that in mind. Now then, come here.” She said, lifting her staff up and pointing it at To’Wrathh.

On the other end of the battlefield, To’Wrathh flared out her wings and leaped forward, rock crushing under her as she kicked off. Her wings took on the rest of the power, letting her skim over the surface of the field, dust and rocks buffeted behind her.

Systems showed full green. Estimated time until strike distance at two point three seconds. She’d do a slice through, then pivot to bleed off excess speed once she’d passed by To’Sefit.

Her enemy remained stationary, staff still pointed directly at To’Wrathh. The metal plates around her spun faster and faster, then instantly froze in the air, twisting on themselves until the fractal pattern etched on each was clearly visible to To’Wrathh.

They began to glow.

A sonic boom expanded around To’Wrathh as she ripped through the sound barrier. Inertia crashed against her system, but she was a Feather and her shell resisted the forces of physics with little trouble.

One point nine seconds until target in range.

To’Sefit smiled. Plates rotated once more, pointing directly at the speeding Feather.

To’Wrathh’s vision sharpened, magnified forward to view what was approaching. There she saw three of the plates open a tear into reality, a portal of some kind.

On the other side was... something. She couldn't tell what it was other than it being filled with machinery. The hollow of a cannon barrel? It began to glow.

Instinct screamed into To’Wrathh’s mind and she aborted her direct assault, kicking hard against the ground and leaping up.

With To’Wrathh’s systems at full power, she saw the destruction in slow motion.

Three blue beams lanced out of each portal on To’Sefit’s plates. They expanded into existence with a deafening roar, cutting directly through the air far faster than matter could move. The very ground under it instantly blackened, burned from the expanding heat from each beam. A moment later, the rock bent as the superheated air caused a shockwave outward, crushing itself against the ground. Air surrounding each beam combusted next, obscuring the entire battlefield in flames trailing behind each beam.

Rock broke apart, the heat differential too much for the granite. The result tore apart the ground under the beams not even a moment after the initial shockwave radiated out of the beam paths, leaving a trail of destruction under each beam.

At the center of the maelstrom, To’Sefit’s staff hummed and glowed. A massive occult semi-shield leaped into existence, intercepting the heatwaves generated by the firing beams so close to the Feather’s shell.

Where To’Sefit stood, a semicircle etched on the ground divided the world between blackened broken shale and untouched land.

Nice dodge. To’Sefit sent in an instant communication. But do note I have twenty four plates.

Even as the message was sent, To’Sefit’s staff once more lifted, tracking To’Wrathh in the air while three different plates twisted on themselves, pointing at To’Wrathh.

Combat systems within the Feather lit up, already creating algorithms to predict and warn her of danger. Lock on triggers flashed red across her vision. All three new plates were now facing directly where she’d be.

To’Wrathh sent out more commands to her wing system, relying on it’s agility to dodge against the beams.

Three more lances of bright blue shot out from To’Sefit’s position, racing straight at To’Wrathh, and each she narrowly ducked and wove inbetween.

It worked. But it hadn’t mattered. The residual heat from each beam had been massive, enough to burn the very air, leaving behind a shockwave of superheated air crashing against her shields and throwing her around like a puppet cut from her strings.

Shields down to seventy percent. Given the estimated energy of the beams, a direct hit would slice through To’Wrathh’s shields as if they weren’t there.

In the air, she re-oriented herself, and forced her system forward, blades ready.

To’Sefit refused to move, eyebrow raised as if curious. Her staff twisted into a defensive position, the metal slivers lighting up with occult edges. More red warning signals blared out in To’Wrathh’s mind, showing more plates had locked onto her position.

They didn’t fire, instead remaining on standby, the occult fractals glowing on each. To’Wrathh took the chance and dove for her enemy.

The two Feathers crossed paths. With both blades, To’Wrathh sliced forward, a quick combo of attacks that maximized the time she had before inertia of her speed ripped her away from melee distance.

The attack was repelled by To’Sefit’s staff, parts of the occult slivers moving to block To’Wrathh’s swords. They failed to hold off To’Wrathh’s swords for long, pushed back against the Feather’s staff. A standard shield lit up, taking the hits.

And To’Wrathh was speeding past the Feather, momentum forcing her onwards. Her leg hit the ground, crushing it in a line as she tried to slow herself down to strike again.

Target locks blared in her mind again, and she heard the sound of charging energy behind her.

Instantly, To’Wrathh leaped forward into the air again, aborting her attempt to force To’Sefit into melee. Her reaction was too delayed, and too predictable.

Three more beams howled into existence, two striking where To’Wrathh had stood. The third had been aimed upwards, where To’Sefit predicted To’Wrathh would leap.

Desperate, To’Wrathh twisted on herself as fast as she could, watching in mute horror as a blue beam bisected part of her torso, and nicked her arm. Her shield hadn't been triggered to mitigate that damage, damage control systems knowing power needed to be reserved for the approaching heatwave that would hit next.

Not a moment too soon. The blastwave of the beam smashed into her, shields flaring out to prevent the destruction. The parts where the beam had cut through were a different story, that close to her chassis, the damage was behind her shield’s range. Heat and crushing pressure differentials ripped through her shell, breaking far more inside her than the beam had cut.

Redundant systems took over command, keeping her still in operation. Speed and combat efficiency recalculated in her mind to show she’d lost a massive fifty seven percent efficiency. The heatwave flowed through her veins, melting parts of her system and infecting others with cascading damages.

She needed to win, right now.

To’Wrathh ignored the damage report, twisted further on herself and made a swift swing downwards on her enemy. Her right hand tossed her blade directly at To’Sefit in a gamble to blind her eyes for a moment.

The Feather scoffed, flicking her extended staff and swatting the thrown weapon out of the way.

To’Wrathh landed a moment later, right hand drawing out one of Keith’s strange swords. The first two hook swords she’d brought with her weren’t the right choice for this opponent. To’Sefit’s staff moves and swayed with blows, she couldn’t pin down and trap the occult edges with Keith’s hook swords.

But the third weapon she’d brought might have more potential.

It was a thin rod, hardly stable, outright jiggling. A lighter version of a fencing foil, according to To’Wrathh’s database of swords. The whipping rod lit up bright occult blue as the thin edge etched into it complied with the fractal of division engraved into the hilt.

To’Wrathh struck with the weapon in a direct thrust. To’Sefit brought her staff once more to parry the strike, except that To’Wrathh flicked the hilt of her new weapon at the last moment.

The rod bent, curving around To’Sefit’s staff, and digging directly into the Feather’s personal shields. To’Sefit had no choice, the attack would have otherwise cut directly into her forehead.

Interesting weapon. The Feather sent. Now it's this elder sister's turn to show off.

Occult pulsed around the Feather and a massive spherical shield burst into existence. It hit against To’Wrathh like a metal wall, bouncing her and her weapon backwards.

To’Sefit’s staff moved, twirling around into an uppercut. Wind flowed behind it, unnaturally strong, lifting To’Wrathh and hundreds of broken rock chunks under them far into the air, some of which had to weigh more than a few hundred pounds.

More target locks lit up in To’Wrathh’s mind. She hardly had time to trigger her wings before three more beams launched out, in staggered attacks.

The first she dodged, tanking the shockwave with what was left of her shield.

The second was more narrowly dodged as To’Wrathh collided against one of the larger rocks, preventing her full escape.

Her shield fractured against the heatwave of this one, override systems showing red in half her shell’s systems. Redundant systems were being burned out one at a time, until none were left.

Somehow, she was still functioning despite that.

The third beam cut directly through her stomach, the shockwave expanding out inside and ripping her apart from the inside out. Wing systems failed, decohesion imminent as the metal feathers disconnected from her broken systems. Everything under her torso turned into a black void from her diagnostics. Still attached, but the connections far too severed to continue working.

It was fun. To’Sefit said. And I haven’t had to use my full occult shield against a melee opponent before, you’re quite quick.

Not quick… enough. To’Wrathh sent back, systems fighting against her control. Everything wanted to shut down for repairs, although she could already tell those repairs would never come. Her nanite swarms were all showing heavy damage. She knew if she allowed her shell to attempt a reboot, she wouldn’t wake up in the same body.

If she ever woke up again.

No, not quite quick enough. The enemy agreed, a sad smile on her features.

To’Wrathh raged, fighting against her own shell. She couldn’t let herself die here. Leaving the city to To’Sefit would see thousands die, both humans and machine. Faces and names flashed through her mind.

It can’t end like this.

Not… done…. yet. To’Wrathh sent back, grabbing hold of her override systems and freezing it in place, feeling a surge of anger and spite keep her awake as she tumbled out of the sky.

There was still one more thing she could do. One last hope.

You really should know when to give up. To’Sefit tutted. As you are now, it’ll take a few hour at a mite forge to fix you up. If you keep going, I really will end up destroying your shell.

I refuse to die. To'Wrathh sent back.

If I hit anywhere near your chest, the shockwave will break your fractals, you know? This fight is quite over. You'll be automatically thrown into the reserve fractals down below one way or another.

To’Wrathh didn’t answer. Instead, her shaking hand reached for the weapon still tucked away behind the small of her back. Parts of the grenade launcher had melted off, but the weapon still showed yellow. Serviceable.

Time froze like amber as To’Wrathh flared out her overrides, letting the heat assault her shell in full. Her body fell down softly in the slowed time, wing parts straining against their damage, twisting and orienting her fall.

To’Wrathh unlocked the safety trigger on the knightbreaker round. The weapon’s internal mechanics groaned as parts of it were twisted in the heatwaves, but To’Wrathh was a Feather and her fingers were strong enough to bend metal. The safety correctly clicked off.

Her fall straightened, no longer a tumble downwards.

Green lit up on her fire control systems as her aim locked onto target. Her hand steadied.

To’Sefit looked calmly on, aware of the ringing lock-on within her own systems. A human weapon of some kind, she identified. That wouldn’t pose a threat, except To’Wrathh seemed ready to gamble it all on this.

Experience whispered in To’Sefit’s ears to take the threat seriously. Four plates behind her began humming again, aimed directly at To’Wrathh. She wouldn’t allow for half-measures this time. Her staff moved forward, the wide occult shield appearing at the tip to protect her body from the terrible destruction about to be unleashed.

I warned you little sister. Nothing remains behind. The message sent out. There wasn’t a sign of mercy in To’Sefit’s eyes.

I will. To’Wrathh sent back. One shot was all she had. She thought of Keith, and put her faith into his creation.

The trigger clicked in her hand.

The deadly round exploded out of the barrel, crawling forward in both their perception, as if struggling through dense water.

Too slow. Far too slow.

But Keith had learned from his last shot. He’d improved the weapon.

Behind the round, a smaller explosion occurred a half second after the round cleared the barrel.

Fire ripped the panels behind the round, sputtered for a half moment and then roared forward, turning the round into a small rocket. It raced forward, cutting against the air. Trailing flame and smoke behind it like a vengeful phoenix, barreling down at the enemy Feather.

The plates on To’Sefit rearranged, locking onto To’Wrathh’s falling shell, while the knightbreaker continued past the halfway point between them. She aimed her staff directly at the incoming round, the domed occult shield crackling with power.

The round collided a moment later against To’Sefit’s shied, the front section crushing itself against the unyielding occult wall. Glowing chains erupted from all sides as the round triggered its deadly payload. The chains whipped out in the air, before descending down against the shield, wrapping around while the central round chamber stubbornly continued pushing against the barrier, fuel still not completely spent.

The chains connected. The shield flickered, resisting the onslaught with a screech while To’Sefit’s arm held the staff still.

The feather remained rooted in place, occult pulsing around her while the shield held off Keith’s weapon. Portals appeared on the plates, behind To’Wrathh saw the maw of destruction in each. Expertly aimed.

The target alert systems within To'Wrathh's system were still somehow active, barking out warnings, lock on signs painting her vision red. But the enemy shield hadn’t broken yet.

It glowed brighter, occult lighting crackling against the destructive chains whipping and sliding across the surface. A half second passed. To’Wrathh watched, helpless. There was nothing else she could do now but pray.

The shield flickered, occult pulsing brighter. The round sliding off tilt, parts of it crushing a second time as the backup material’s integrity failed inside the round. Trapped between an unbreakable shield and a micro-rocket still raging forward.

Plates floating by To’Sefits side opened up, four grinning maws, destruction hiding behind each. To’Wrathh wasn’t going to make it.

To’Sefit’s shield broke all at once, shattering into pieces. The Feather’s eyes widened in utter shock.

The knightbreaker round dove freely forward like a hungry predator, screeching a cry of vengeance, half crushed yet still alive enough to seek its original target, if not quite on the same exact trajectory. But it didn't need to be accurate at this range.

The enemy Feather’s eyes continued to widen, combat routines letting her view the destruction in slow motion. Those chains had cut apart an occult shield made to protect her from the backlash of her beams, her personal shields would stand absolutely no chance against something like this.

She took a half step back, too little and far too late. Violet eyes locked back up on To’Wrathh’s tumbling shell.

My, how curious. Seems I was the one learning a lesson today. To’Sefit sent, emotions inscribed in the message reading as oddly bemused. Well done little sister. Well done indeed. I see why the lady picked up a stray like you.

The round struck the side of her chest. A standard full body shield triggered on impact, holding the round off easily. Up until all four chains lovingly wrapped around her. They curled around in a deadly embrace, held for only a microsecond before the personal shield utterly failed. And then those chains cut right through her chassis, ripping it into pieces.

She didn’t utter a word as the occult edges sliced through, the IFF signal instantly going silent as all her subsystems failed catastrophically. Inside, To’Sefit’s unity fractal lit up and the connected soul fled through it back into the safety of a faraway backup. Her empty shell was left behind, shutting down. A moment latter, a loose chain whipped through the soul fractal that had once housed To’Sefit.

The occult plates around the dead Feather trembled, completely unmoored from any commands, but still powered and active. Decohesion began to take hold, gravity wrapping around the plates and forcing them back down to the earth.

Target locks lifted off To’Wrathh’s vision. And then the plates followed their last given command, and opened fire, blindly.

Four beams lit up and launched out of each, ripping apart the air and anything in the way. One still too close to To’Wrathh’s falling shell, cutting another hole into her broken wing, the following shockwave shredding the wing into pieces. The other three missed her entirely, the heat still close enough to burn and melt parts of her artificial skin as she tumbled out of the sky.

A moment passed as the portals on each plate powered off, the beams closing off, and the air was still again save for the sound of plates falling onto the ground, automatic counterintelligence systems triggering meltdowns on each.

Diagnostic systems ran amok through To’Wrathh’s systems. Red returned near everywhere. Leg, arm, torso, chest, and wing systems all eliminated out of existence. Her neuromorphic system was overheating beyond the safety region, especially with the last four beams having come far too close. All nanite command and control nodes were in states of red and orange. Most of her backup systems had been obliterated already. One eye had melted along with a majority of subcutical muscles within that side of her face.

Her neck couldn’t move anymore, the artificial muscles within all showing red. But one eye still functioned. She moved it, searching for To’Sefit’s empty shell. She could see her. A stunned expression stretched frozen on To’Sefit’s half-severed head. The Feather collapsed on her knees, remaining still for a moment before she fell apart.

Keith’s knightbreaker round had sliced through her torso in a deadly hug, striking into the ground under her right after, and crushing itself for good against it. Occult chain moorings had been shattered as well from the impact, instantly turning off the power, leaving the chains to fly off, still bouncing all over the battlefield.

But it had worked.

To’Sefit had been stopped, and To’Wrathh was still alive.

She continued falling down, time returning back to normal as her systems began the process of a full shutdown in a desperate attempt to stop the damage from piling up further.

It didn’t matter - she’d done it. She’d won.

A distress signal was sent to Yrob, and acknowledged a fraction of a moment later. Only then did she dare let go. Her system flatlined, crashing like plates down against her mind, an angry wave of cool blue washing over the raging inferno inside her mind, submerging everything in the way, leaving steam and bubbles behind.

There was no pain. No senses. Everything turned dark. By the time her shell hit the ground, To’Wrathh had been whisked into the depths of her soul fractal, the only thing remaining powered, while her systems failed to reboot. Error messages showcasing too much damage, but still trying to restart despite it all. One by one, they shut down, as more and more nodes went dark, capacitors discharged completely. Soon, there was nothing left to even send a reboot signal.

This is fine. Help is on the way. To’Wrathh thought at the edge of the abyss, holding onto hope.

I can trust them.

Darkness loomed around her, she fell into its open jaws.

Next chapter - Run with the winnings

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