Sage:
My mind flickered back to the moment she crashed onto my execution stage, my heart skipped a beat. Having her rescue me had been my secret desire, the very moment I pulled off her mask woke up my crush on her. Her mismatched eyes turned me on, her face having hardly changed. Touching my lips, the feeling of her lips on mine caused a rosy pink to rise to my cheeks. Sitting down across from her, she slid me a bowl of soup. Blowing on the steaming spoonful, my breath hitched as she plopped down next to me. Slurping down the carrot soup, a pleasurable sigh escaped my lips. This familiar taste sent me back to the first time we had dinner together at her place, her gentle touch snapped me out of my trance.
"How is it?" She chirped cheerfully, a bunch of roses behind her head. "I hope it is just like how I used to make it." Embarrassment burned my cheeks, goosebumps popping up on my skin. Her finger danced up my arm, her bowl untouched. Whistling for Mouse to come eat, she skipped off with her bowl of soup. Sighing tiredly, the pot seemed empty. Concern flashed in my eyes, her eyes rolling. Making sure Mouse ate matched her heart to a tee, her hand running through her hair.
"I'm not hungry tonight anyways. I am off to bed." She yawned groggily, taking off her boots. "See you at dawn." Her tail swayed with each step towards her room, her ears drooping. Turning back towards me, a growl rumbled in her throat. Wondering what she was whining about, black claws grew from her fingernails. Digging into her palms, blood dripping onto the concrete floor.
"I need to sleep in the same bed as you." She grumbled under her breath, her eyebrow twitching. "We only have two rooms in this bunker, and Mouse has the other one brimming to the surface with computers. On top of that, they keep hissing and beeping all night. The screens are too bright for my one black eye." Leaning her head back, her hand hovered in my direction. Taken aback, my heart skipped a beat. Would we really be sharing a bed together.
"Are you coming or am I going to have to drag you in myself?" She joked lightly, a layer of depression hiding underneath her eyes. "I don't want you to be alone on your first night. Just think of it as the two of us bunking together." A panicked expression dawned on my face, her fingers wrapping around mine. My vision blurred, her medicine kicking in. Guiding me to the bed, another yawn poured from her lips. Her cute fangs glinted in the flickering yellow light, her dainty hands tucking me in. Sliding in next to me, disappointment dimmed my eyes as she turned her back towards me. Sweet slumber swept me off to dreamland, her snores the last thing I heard.
A shrill alarm woke me up, Arty's head resting on my chest. Scarlet burned our cheeks, loud thuds echoing in our tiny room as we crashed to the floor. Popping her head over the bed, alarm rounded her eyes. Mouse skipped in, chewing on a cookie. Tossing me a change of clothes, a mask spun in her palm. Refusing to look at my little sister, this moment was already awkward enough.
"Did you two have fun last night?" She taunted me with a wicked grin, my eyebrow twitching. "I hope I wasn't interrupting anything. This is your mask. You will need it so no one recognizes your face. I chose a black rabbit mask since you like carrots so much. Are you going to stop shivering in the corner? I know you didn't do anything." Arty shivered in the corner, her anxiety getting the best of her at the moment. Hissing like a wild animal, a light chuckle tumbled from my lips.
"That's easy for you to say. You get a whole room to yourself." She retorted bitterly, flipping her off. "Well, you do have your computers. I am getting some more food today. What would you like? Never mind! Your outburst doesn't warrant doesn't your favorite things. Get dressed. It is time to go. Wear the boots we give you. They are loaded with goodies of every type, so you can defend yourself with the best technology that I can come up with." No wonder she placed top of the group of every subject, her biggest achievement was becoming police chief at the young age of seventeen. An odd mix of emotions plagued me that day, my new partner never matching up to her ability.
"So you have created a whole new society on your own." I uttered in pure disbelief, pulling on the black armored pants, and black armored jacket. "How did you make this clothing? The steel is so light, the outfit is easy to move around in." Smiling shyly to herself, her achievements never went to her head.
"I simply picked the most effective but comfortable material." She brushed off casually, pulling on her boots. "We are going underground so we don't get caught. They will be so happy to meet you Onyx Rabbit. Watch out for alligators and rats. They can get nasty on you, and bite your leg off. I don't think I can reconnect nerves. Here take this." Tossing me a black and blue glowing gun, the gears whirred softly.
"That is a gun run by the previous generation of technology, so it will never run out of bullets." She informed me happily, whistling a tune. "It also shifts to any type of gun you desire. You just have to say the words code name blank. Do you understand?" Nodding silently, her chipper attitude tended to be her usual attitude during work. Her intelligence always proved to be her strength when it came to the hardest serial killer cases, the rest of the force always consulting with her. Her intelligence proved to be one of the many things I adored about her, my heart fluttering away. It was hard to believe that my one true love stood in front of me, always grateful to be in her presence.
"Okay, but won't they find you eventually." I voiced oddly, concern dripping in my voice. "Aren't you worried about that?" Clearing her throat, a black steel door loomed in front of us. Snarls and claws dug on the other side, fear rising in me while her face remained calm. Spinning the wheel around, her other hand opened the door cautiously. White lightning crackled around her staff, the tip slamming into the water. Every single creature twitched before passing out, her triumphant grin growing wider. A shrill alarm nearly burst my ear drums, a steady stream of curse words flooding from her lips. Water splashed down a tunnel two inches ahead, snarls and growls growing closer.
"That isn't an alligator, isn't it?" I stammered nervously, an anxious grin twitching on my lips, her staff changing into a pair of curved blades. Tilting her head back, the blades spun in her palms. Splashing into the tunnel, her body smashed into the concrete. A black claws crept around the corner, a monstrosity charging towards her. A lifeless human body dangled off of a spider's inky black body, horror paralyzing me in my place. Was that one of those failed experiments from the first round? Those were supposed to be legends of the night, the blue light on my gun glowed brighter. A hissing noise echoed in the tunnels, Arty struggled to her feet. Groaning bitterly to herself, her staff shifted to a scythe. Launching herself off of the wall, her wicked grin grew on her lips. Touching her black eye, the white electricity darkened to a midnight black. Blood poured from her nose, her other eye dying to an inky blackness.
"Lightning from the depths of Hell, strike down this monster." She chanted confidently, slamming the tip of the scythe into its back. Black electricity crackled around its back, the exoskeleton rejecting her attack. Aiming my gun in its direction, the safety clicked off. Splashing into the water, shock rounded out my eyes, the gun changing into a shotgun. Resting it on my shoulder, the damn thing had to have a weak point. Popping up behind me, Arty fell to her knees. Her staff clattered to the ground, an unnatural amount of blood exploding from her lips.
"You need to aim for the human's head." She wheezed, coughing up more blood. "That is one of the failed experiments. This was the only one that survived but no one ever caught the damn thing. It doesn't matter how I attack it, my attacks are apparently not effective. I will distract this thing and get it where you need it." The creature started crawling down the hall, her boots pounding after the damn monster. Spinning her staff above her head, her teeth gritting in raw pain. Swinging it into the legs, her quick movements dodged each attack The sharp edge of the legs slicing up her arms, blood dripping down. Flipping into the air, the spider turned to the perfect angle. Pulling the trigger, the glowing blue bullet exploded from the muzzle. Landing on the back, she wrapped her arms around the creature's neck. The razor sharp legs tore at her arms, blood pouring down the sleek hourglass figure. Panic gripped my face, the bullet exploded through her chest. Unnatural shrieks burst from the creature, Arty sliding off of the body. Catching her in time, black blood and guts crashed in a wave over us. Nausea wracked my body, the ivory of her bones peeking out of hanging tissue. Selecting the milky white liquid, her teeth popped off the cork. Downing the liquid, howls of pain burst from her lips as the tissue and muscles formed back together. A steady stream of curse words flooded from her lips, blood poured from her chest. Wagging her finger up, hot vomit flew up her throat. Holding her hair back, my hands rubbing her back. Milky vomit pooled over the top of her hands, a boy with shaggy chocolate brown hair running up to us. His emerald eyes shimmered with tears, his white button up shirt fluttering in the breeze, his brown wool pants brushing up against my arms.
"I am Deir Diamond, and your escort to the v-" The ten year old boy muttered awkwardly, his arms swinging limply by his side. "Oh damn! What happened to you?" Her eyes narrowed at Deir, her finger flipping him off. Sitting on her haunches, the hole in her chest seal shut. Cracking all of the joints, her hands grasped his shoulders. Crouching down his level, her twitching brow told me that she was at her limit.
"I will tell your mother about your cussing, and we really wouldn't like that would we?" She threatened icily, her brow cocking. "I was once a police chief, so don't go thinking I don't know how to carry my authority. In fact when I was in charge, we captured the most gang members. You know the ones who kill people and take money from the poor. I am willing to make a deal, but you will have to keep your mouth shut about what I am going to tell you. Just tell them that I killed an alligator. I need to maintain the peace, so I don't cause a panic. Have you seen anything weird in this tunnel?" Shifting uncomfortably in his spot, fright flickered in his eyes.
"I saw a white wolf creature on the surface near our village." He admitted sheepishly, his bangs hiding his eyes. "Well, they were more of a person. The police have been sniffing around lately. She said something about finding the old ball of energy that used to keep the city running." Arty stiffened up, her lips pressing into a thin line.
"Go and gather my food supply. I have something to do." She blurted out awkwardly, "Have no one bother me. I have to throw some dogs off their trail. Now go be a good boy." Deir sprinted off, a plan brewing in her head. Rubbing the bridge of her nose, she pulled a map out from her boot. Pinning it against the wall, her fingers traced the pathways leading to the old energy factory. Snatching my gun from me, another roar echoed down the hall. Aiming towards a twelve foot alligator, the safety clicked off.
"Code name hunting rifle." She snapped venomously, a blue bullet shattered the skull of the alligator. "Now that is done, we have a scent to throw off. Clearly she wants something in there which means my predecessor hid something there. Let's go." Grasping her wrist, a furious look darkened her face. The gun had barely transformed back to normal before I could see its other form, curiosity brimming in my eyes.
"I can't let you go in that condition." I barked venomously, her hand slapping me away. "You will get yourself killed." Cocking her head back, both of her eyes were black. Biting down on her lips, a frightened look haunted her paler face. Had her medicine been falling in keeping her dark side in check? Tying her staff to her back, a quiet rage simmered in her eyes. Pounding further down the tunnel, we skidded to a stop at a rusting ladder. Spinning a black steel wheel, the blue moonlight bathed her ethereal features. A pained groan escaped her lips as she pulled herself out, her eyes scanning the darkness. A flash of white flitted behind us, the heel of her boot slamming into the stranger's jaw. A white wolf man crashed to our feet, his red eyes shooting daggers in her direction.
"Just what are you doing in my territory, Blizzard!" She demanded vehemently, digging her heel into his chest. "What is your sister doing sniffing where she doesn't belong! I thought we came to an agreement. Go back to your part of the Badlands." White claws grew from his fingernails, the muzzle of my gun pressing against his head. The corner of my lips curled into a snarl, clammy sweat dripping off of his brow. No one was going to disrespect my Arty, not a damn soul.
"Tell me your business or I will blow your brains out." I threatened cruelly, unlocking the safety deliberately. "Spill it!" Putting his hands in the air, his answer shocked Arty. The confused look on her face never changed at the sight of a broken Blizzard.
"The damn police killed all of my people in a stupid fucking raid, and I am sick. They dropped that flu on me. The word is that you have the cure to the poison." He pleaded desperately, tears welling up in her eyes. No matter how tough she looked her heart always broke for those less fortunate than her. A gentle smile softening her expression, a thousand thoughts coursing in her head.
"Okay." She agreed warmly, snapping at me to put my gun away. "I will help you, but we need to get them off of my trail. Also my lab is in there. That is what they are after. If they destroy that I will no longer have the tools to make my medicine who need it. I will inject you with the cure or give you the pills, but you work underneath me. No longer will we be rivals. Are you okay not being the boss anymore? I know your type. I just don't want to wake up dead. Take this mask." Sliding on our masks, his fingers wrapped around the white wolf's mask.
"Why are you helping me when we have been at war for our whole lives? I still remember when you were hunting us down." He questioned oddly, tilting his head to the left. "I deserve to be killed by you for all that I did." Clearing her throat, I could almost see her eyebrow twitching.
"I always let you go, didn't I?" She snapped exhaustively, a brisk tone hiding underneath her voice. "If I wanted you dead, then you wouldn't be underneath my boot. I want to destroy the system. You know as well as I do, they are putting people at risk. I want to go back to the old justice system. Sure it had flaws, but at least humanity could flourish as it should. We shouldn't exist as we do, but here we are. We are the second generation of a fucked up experiment. We both know that Steph is a mixture of our DNA. She is a robot running those people's lives and that shit isn't fair. Are you with me?" My jaw dropped to the ground, the news stunning me. Steph wasn't even human, so how could she hold that position?
"I vow to serve you as my boss." He promised honestly, two black pills sitting in her palm. "Are those the cure?" Nodding silently, a deep sigh escaped her lips. Swallowing them dry, all traces of sickness disappeared in a mere seconds. Sliding the mask over his head, she helped him up. Hiding behind the bushes, Steph and three officers crept into view. Their black armor glinted in the moonlight, her fingers wrapping around her staff. Swallowing the lump in my throat, this wasn't going to end well.
"White Wolf and Black Rabbit I need you to distract the cops. I will handle Steph." She ordered sharply, her staff shifting into dual curved blades. "We have some business to discuss. Let's go!" Our lips parted in protest, the leaves ruffling the moment she leapt from the bushes. Landing gracefully in front of Steph, her ruby ponytail danced in the breeze. Raising a sleek white staff, Steph's ivory staff transformed into dual curved blades, black water ribbons dancing up her arm. Charging at each other, sparks drifted violently with each violent clash. Dodging each attack, both of them were equally matched. Blizzard and I charged for the officers, a gurgled cry burst from her lips. Tears welled up in my eyes, a white sword stuck out the other side of her stomach. Choking on blood, her staff transformed into a pistol. Raising it towards her right eye, her finger pulled on the trigger. The pop stunned us all, Steph's right eye darkening to an inky black. Coughing up more blood, her next words broke all of our minds. Black oil poured from her eye, Steph's hand dropping the other sword.
"I refuse to let you crush the little guys." She choked out, marching closer to her. "I am the only thing stopping you from taking over the world. I can die today, but I don't want to! I just want to be happy, but people like you take everything away. Do you think it is okay that all of our officers had our families killed when we were basically orphans because of a damn test!" Steph grabbed Arty's hair, ripping her head back. Attempting to run forward, Blizzard held me back.
"I am doing my services. I am not you." She growled through gritted teeth, pulling out a simple silver blade. "I am a robot, so I don't feel. I know how perfect society can be without emotions. Your race is pathetic, especially your kind. You are just rats begging to be poisoned. All must obey or they die!" Swinging the blade across her neck, Arty's black staff dropped to the ground. Bones cracked, her muscles shifting to white fox the size of a house. My breath hitched, the majestic beauty of her scared me. The blade clattered to the ground, her Panic gripped Steph's face for the first time, a sharp whistle escaping her lips. A black helicopter hovered above us, Arty's white fur dancing in the harsh gust. The four of them clambered into the helicopter, a line of blood cascaded like a waterfall from her throat. The helicopter grew smaller in the distance, the tall grass swaying to a stop. Her body shrank back down to her human form. Scarlet pooled underneath her, the scarlet painting her pale skin. Deir rushed out of the bushes, several simply black masked figures whisking her back into the bunker. My heart was beating out of my chest, the sight of her as a white fox still shocked us all. Deir stood paralyzed in his spot, the two of us staring each other down. Damn, this kid had some nerve.
"She won't die will she?" He asked in a watery voice, his hands quaking violently. "I love her so much. She is like the big sister that I lost to those bastards. They killed my whole family in front of me, and now they've killed her too." Feeling the same fear, silent tears streamed down my cheeks. My heart shattered for him, my boots squealing as I crouched down to his level. Clutching him close to my chest, his tears soaked my shoulders. Seeing him like this reminded me of the day my parents died, the blood still flowing all around me. The image of my light haired father and white haired mother lying in their own pools of blood flashed on the loose dirt, a wail of agony bursting from my lips. My whole life I hadn't had time to mourn my parents, or hell anything really. Lifting up his chin with my finger, he needed to know that everything was going to be okay.
"Come now." I sobbed softly, wiping away his tears. "You can't kill her that easily. She is much too strong for that, right?" Nodding feverishly, his body collapsed into my arms. Gentle snores told me that he was sleeping, a wave of relief crashing over me. Tossing him over my shoulder, empty metallic rings echoed in the tunnels. The abrupt slamming of the hatch caused me to fall on my ass. Blizzard dragged me to the medical room where machines beeped, a couple of doctors worked on her. Taking Deir into his arms, Blizzard bounced off. Her black staff hung lifelessly in my trembling hands, the doctors closing the curtain. Sinking to the floor, the only thing was to wait. Please stay alive for me, Arty. She was the only thing I needed in my life.