Amos leaned against a wall with his arms crossed. The suit’s faceplate was open—hinged at the mouth—revealing quiet eyes. The wall was unnaturally smooth, the rock’s natural cragginess worn down by heat. It abutted a wide cave that had melted into the mountain, the entrance sporting edges twisted into spiraling features.
Moira sat beside him on a crate. Her expression is a mix of worry and confusion.
His eyes met hers, posing a silent question.
“Something’s wrong,” she started, her voice shaky, “it doesn’t make sense.”
She paused before adding:
“I know Manzar soldiers are treated as expendable drones. But it just doesn’t make sense.”
“Why throw away that many soldiers just no achieve nothing. Unless…”
Amos’ leisurely expression warped with panic as his entire being instinctively flinched in recognition of a higher being. The mask shut with a mechanical snap, and as he dashed forward, a modulate voice rang out. “Moira! Leave. Now.”
“What-” she began to say, her face dazed, before Amos appeared beside her, unceremoniously tossing her aside.
“-NOW!” he bellowed as he turned to face what was coming, Jians’ drawn.
Everything seemed to pause momentarily before his watery eyes drew to a pinprick.
Nothing. And then something, as a clawed hand materialized, draped in violet flames.
Amos clasped both hands, the swords melting into each other, fusing into a broadsword. He roared internally, forcing his seemingly frozen body to move, raising the blade upwards. ‘Come on,’ he jeered as his mind focused to an unprecedented degree.
He predicted the trajectory. Barely.
Weapon aloft in front of his face. Just as.
Parrying the blow by the skin of his teeth.
A thunderous boom was heard, accompanied by the sound of tearing metal. Amos slid back ten meters, his boots digging deep grooves into the glassy rock. His blade shook furiously as shards of metal fell from the chipped top edge—the damage reminiscent of a bite mark. His eyes, however, were glued forward with fear.
The figure stepped out from the cloud of dust. It was a Manzar female sporting a bone-white combat suit. Her four arms were coated with purple remnants—ghostly fire growing ever more translucent before disappearing.
She paused for a moment, seemingly studying him before speaking.
“Not bad,” Kafri commented earnestly in basic…
…before sneering, swearing in her native tongue: “So this is where the rats where hiding.”
Kafri surveyed the area, glimpsing Moira’s shadow as she scrambled towards the cave.
‘I’ll deal with you later,’ she thought before turning to face far more interesting prey.
Amos was tense, his ready stance prone, as the predatory eyes fell back on him.
The Manzar’s lip curled slightly into a smile. She cracked her knuckles with anticipation.
Kafri jumped a few times - bouncing on the soles of her feet. She descended for the third time, and just as she contacted the ground, she vanished. ‘Boom,’ she reappeared, the sheer force of her step sending fissures sprawling across the stone as the wind howled in her wake. She threw a simple, unadorned right jab…
To Amos, the fist seemed to shroud the world, blotting out everything else in his vision. It took everything he had to unwrench his petrified legs and fall sideways. He swayed just out of the way as the punch collided with the boulder behind. The wave of force shattered the rock, sending pieces of debris flying away.
Kafri laughed. “Good. Now let’s see if you can dodge this one,” she shouted playfully with a grin. Her other upper arm shot downwards as the purple fire continued to blaze. She watched the warrior sprawled beneath respond again, somehow. His boots glowed with light before a field of some sort sent him skidding away. ‘How fun.’
Amos gritted his teeth as he activated the repulsion function in the nick of time. He slid across the cracked black rock – his suit grinding against the surface, jettisoning sparks. He cocked his rifle spraying ammo widely at the Manzar Awakened. ‘Fuck’ he cursed as he watched her effortlessly block his burst of fire.
Kafri raised both her left arms, covering her torso and face. Several blue bolts struck the impact, sending her stumbling back, but the thick armor plating held firm. Her grin grew wider as the flames grew larger and deeper. The warrior had flipped upright and had sighted his weapon again. A wrist weapon burst out from her vambrace. ‘Bring it.’
Amos steadied his weapon before taking a shot. The bolt of energy streaked across the point-blank range…the Manzar warrior parrying it, sending an azure light deviated with a curved trajectory. She lunged forward as Amos barely sidestepped his gun being cleaved apart in his place. He unslung a shifting broadsword, holding his ground.
Kafri burst through the cloud of metal parts before awkwardly parrying a thrust to the head. She reached forward, trying to crush the warrior to death. But he unexpectedly let himself be dragged along by the momentum of the deflected blade. He slipped her grasp before flipping over as the sword appeared to split in two.
Amos swung the two newly formed Jians desperately as she fenced backwards, flashing across the landscape, sluing behind obstacles. The Manzar simply broke through everything as the two exchanged a flurry of blows. Flashes of mechanical blue and violet flame collided into a constellation of stars swept in wind and dust.
“HUUUUH” Amos unleashed a final frenzied attack as both swords swung from the side, ready to sever her neck. Blood spewed out.
Kafri grimaced as both blades were firmly caught—pinched between her palms. Droplets of indigo drizzled across the floor, her hands worn to the bone.
Amos floated just barely above the ground, his chest cleanly pierced through by the monstrous fist. His throat choked on a word. ‘Run’
Kafri dislodged her fist, letting the warrior fall to the ground. She looked away, satisfied but disappointed that he hadn’t endured for longer.
Suddenly, a black figure crowned in green light flickered into view. Kafri was sent flying.
Indiscernible over the thundering of the impact, a synthesized voice rang out:
“Damn, you really are on that last minute hero type-shit.”
