I tried to suppress a cough. My repurposed helmet wasn’t standing up to the gas very well and it was worming it’s way into my lungs and eyes. I couldn’t see much from where I was, holed up next to a crate, but before the gas had rolled through I had seen Torrent roll to his feet, wobbling but okay.
[using electric rounds be careful]
Torrent’s message rolled across the inside of my helmet. Our network might be compromised, but we could still reach each other without vocalising anything this way. Less lethal ammunition was what we’d all expected, but it was nice to have it confirmed. Still, we were pinned down and had only our Specials for weapons. Mine, at least, wasn’t designed for hitting armoured targets and doing damage.
I could hear more shots.
I was calm enough, but I could feel that slipping away by the second. It seemed like my heart was getting louder, the urge to cough stronger. The operatives’ footsteps were quiet, but you could just hear them, which somehow made it worse. The gas was thicker and I couldn’t see the others at all now.
[whats the plan]
I didn’t receive a reply.
– – –
Yeong had his hands cuffed behind his back. The spiderbot had already started working through the handcuff chain, but Glass was going through his other pockets, throwing tools and weapons back across the lot. Yeong knew who she was, of course; Raven had passed on that bit of information when they deemed it appropriate. She’d been upgraded to a potential Class One operative when they’d got their hands on the footage of her directing Dog packs.
Matsushima didn’t have any Dogs for her right now, though. Raven had collapsed the leases when their fight over the Runners had started to boil up, citing an anti-Raven activities section of the contract. The Dogs that were able had marched back to Raven, bolstering an already strong force. Any Matsushima had left would be underground, trapped within whatever facilities they had left. Some were still missing.
Instead, Glass had been given an operative unit. Augmented and well-trained, they were usually used when Dogs weren’t deemed hard-hitting enough. Raven had… other contingencies in that event.
The spiderbot had finished with the handcuffs, but Yeong kept his hands behind his back, twisting his wrist and grabbing the spiderbot around the abdomen. Glass was talking occasionally, some snide remarks about his gear. Yeong’s Dog, the one he affectionately thought of as Bella, was creeping across the roof, waiting to drop. Glass hadn’t given any indication that she’d seen it, but from what Yeong knew of her, she wouldn’t. Glass bent over his chest and grabbed his webbing. She glanced at his shoulder, and immediately shifted her grip, starting to pull Yeong over onto his front. He flung the spiderbot at her and at the same time, Bella dropped off the roof.
– – –
A black figure reached for me through the gas, catching my wrist as I scrambled backwards. It pulled me across a gap in the crates. I tried to pull my arm free, but it was held too tightly. They pushed me behind a large packing machine, and hissed next to my helmet.
“It’s me, idiot.”
Oh. Pitch.
“We’re gonna break out the back and hope the Dogs slow them down a little.”
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak without hacking the gas out of my lungs.
[the others?]
Pitch shrugged. I picked myself up, but stayed crouching low, arms resting on my legs.
Oh, I’m an idiot.
I flicked my arms to wide dispersal, gestured to Pitch to get down. I breathed out, trying to calm down.
3…2…1…
I stood up and twisted, flattened my palms out. Almost immediately I could see gunfire starting up, but I’d already trigged my Special. With a whump, the gas was forced back, a widening circle of clear space being pushed open by the compressed air. I heard a window break before diving back into cover. Pitch had her head around the corner, but ducked back. I grabbed her arm and pulled her until she started running on her own, and we crashed through an open door to the loading bay, shots following us through the doorway. There weren’t any trucks left behind, unfortunately. We leant against the wall, breathing heavily.
“They’ve got Torrent cuffed back there. I couldn’t see Tock.”
[still leaving?]
“Damn straight. I like the guy, but let’s not go too far here.”
My turn to shrug. Not much I could do, and the operatives were definitely getting closer. They were being really cautious, but I imagine that was more the threat of the Dogs that had run out here then any concern for our prowess.
The Dogs weren’t there.
– – –
Bella slammed Glass down with a crack. Glass was face-down, spiderbot’s abdomen vanishing over her shoulder. After a second, Bella trying to get a grip on the back of her neck to stun her with the taser, Glass let out a giggle. She folded her arm backwards like a whip, elbow and shoulder hinging in a distinctly inhuman way, and buried a short, clear blade up the the hilt in Bella’s neck. She rolled with the blow until she was on top. Her forearm across Bella’s chest, she reached back to punch, but Yeong hooked her elbow and hauled, pulling her up into a half-crouch. She was lighter than he expected, considering her augments. She chose that moment to release the knife, twisting with Yeong’s movement and delivering a powered knee to his ribs, still laughing.
“Bit attached, are we?”
She was in an awkward position, twisted backwards on one leg, but still there was this unshakeable self-confidence. Bella whipped her tail around her leg and pulled, bringing her down on top of Yeong, almost face to face. He could see her grin through her helmet.
“Intimate.”
She punched him in the face and everything went blurry.
– – –
There wasn’t much we could do when they’d come through to the loading bay, guns up. We’d surrendered. The operative with a shark grin painted on his helmet, who I assumed was some sort of officer, told us to turn around and put our hands up, and so we’d been shepherded into the corner.
“Persons known as Pitch and Horned Queen, you’re under arrest by the order of Matsushima Corporation for trespass, destruction of Matsushima property and suspicion of aiding a criminal.” The gun at my neck was shoved a bit harder. “Saying anything carries the risk of self-indictment. Your right to defence may be waived under certain circumstances. Do you understand?”
I nodded. Pitch grunted something that sounded “yes”, but could equally have been something rude.
“Right, get them in the truck.”
– – –
By the time his eyes had focused again, Glass had ripped Bella’s tail off and shoved it in her mouth, carefully avoiding the taser jaws. She had a hand around Bella’s four forelimbs, but Glass’s legs were scratched and plates of armour were hanging by small twists as Bella scrabbled at them franticly. The spiderbot had fallen next to Yeong, and he threw it at her for the second time that night. It slipped under a damaged leg plate and the leg spasmed, kicking out as the bot snipped wires and applied voltage to soft areas.
Glass flung Bella over her shoulder, dropping it onto Yeong, before reaching into her leg and pulling the bot out, ripping it in half.
“We’re done here, Mr. Raven, but it was nice to meet you.”
She grabbed the windowframe and pulled herself up. She had to limp, but Yeong was in no posistion to stop her leaving.
– – –
Torrent was sprawled over the van floor, but Mr. Tock had somehow managed to evade capture. Pitch and I were shoved in pretty unceremoniously, doors locked behind us.
[everyone awake?]
“Leave me alone.” Torrent muttered, but Pitch punched the door and sat down on the bench lining the wall.
The truck started with a rumble, and we pulled out, accelerating quickly. There was a window in each side, but it was covered in metal mesh and didn’t have a display. A small speaker repeated what we’d been told when we were arrested.
“Persons known as Torrent, Pitch and Horned Queen, you’re under arrest by the order of Matsushima Corporation for trespass, destruction of Matsushima property and suspicion of aiding a criminal. Saying anything carries the risk of self-indictment. Your right to defence may be waived under certain circumstances.”
As we passed the entrance to the warehouse, a thump came from the roof.
Something had landed on us.
Running Silver 