The sound of metal clashing against metal echoed through the alley as I controlled my three Lady of the Night guards and my robotic drones. The clash of blades and sparks illuminated the darkness as I locked eyes with my opponents. They had no idea what they were up against, but their expressions showed surprise. Though, I was having a lot more trouble than I had thought I would.
Each of the men had not only magical shields around their bodies but also an electrical current coating them. It seemed that whoever was in charge was paying attention to my movements and was going to try and deal with me, but I wasn't going to let that happen.
As I moved my consciousness between each of my robots, I could see that they resembled something like robotic maids more than the hooker look I was going for, albeit more advanced mechanical versions. Their frames gleamed in the faint light of the street lamps, their bodies made of titanium-infused steel and a bright blue alloy for extra strength. Each of them was armed with sharp blades on their arms and shoulders, able to tear through even the toughest flesh. As I moved around, one of my robotic arms crashed into an opponent's chest, sending him flying back while a blade cut deep into his shoulder. The Shadow Rat screamed in agony as he hit the ground.
My other two robots moved in formation, using quick jabs and slashes to keep the others at bay. One of them managed to get close enough to decapitate one of the Lady's rights as a gang member tried to grab me from behind, but blades grew out of my back, and I ripped through the person as one of the shiny metal heads rolled across the ground.
The remaining rats tried to regroup, but before they could do so, the last two ladies arrived. The Rats quickly realized that the odds were not in their favor and started to retreat. However, I was determined to send a message to the leader that planned this. After all, these were my streets now, and if anyone wanted to challenge me, they would have to fight for every inch of it, but now it seemed like their own reinforcements had shown up. These ones looked even more battle-hardened than the last, but I was not about to give up ground now.
I switched my focus to the incoming newcomers and increased the speed of the other Lady's around me. We all rushed them faster than they could react, and we seemed to be winning, already killing one of the new reinforcements. My robots seemed unstoppable until a final person appeared and walked into the fray like it wasn't even happening. I could feel the menace coming off this one, and I tried to switch to another Lady that was turning to strike him, but the man's hand was suddenly on the Lady guard's head, chaotic energy rushing to his hand. The Lady took a direct hit as a stream of lava melted most of its body, rendering it useless.
My Lady and the others leaped back, and then other Shadow Rats did the same behind the new man that had just shown up. There was something clearly different about this one, almost sinister in presence with his smirk as he dropped my Lady of the Night, or what was left of her. The magic had completely melted most of her core and chest, so it would take time for the nanobots to be able to get it operational again.
"So, some Numerian scum has crawled out of the cracks?" The man asked as one of the Lady's reattached her head.
"And what are you? Boot scum with a few more miles on you than most?" I retorted, and the man laughed.
"I fought in the war against your kind, so I know how to kill you, and I enjoy watching the light fade from your eyes. Some of you even scream like a human if you start ripping parts off or torturing them in front of each other. A lot of things got ignored back then, and they wonder why we are this way now?" The man asked rhetorically and then looked at the Lady I was in as if he knew which I was inside. "I am here because you killed some of my boss's men, and he isn't happy about that. We already talked to Rick, but the boss fought side by side with me in the war, so he wants no part of any alliance."
"Who said I was offering an alliance? What is your name?" I asked, and then the man smiled.
"Vince, but you're not going to live long enough for it to matter!" The man said and rushed at me with my girls with hands raised and chaotic energy sucking into them, but time was slowing down.
Each Lady spit proximity mines around the approaching man, and he dodged through the center, but he clearly hadn't faced this kind of Numerian before. A four detonated, and the man was staggered as his magical shield broke like I thought it would. Instantly, I closed the distance, along with my three other Lady's, and we all plunged our blades into the man's body, and then we all spun, ripping his body apart and spraying him everywhere.
I looked around, but the remaining men were already gone. There had also been some more gang members moving in only the warehouse, but they retreated with the ones near this location. I had drones following them to get better eyes on their base, but something was bothering me about this. It all seemed to be set up perfectly. Even if they were paying attention to me, to have 4 or possibly more squads of men and then equivalence to a general ready to pounce on me was too much of a coincidence.
"Ha ha!" Vince coughed out, and I looked down at this body to see him still barely alive.
"What is so funny?" I growled and bent down to the man who was clearly dying and should be dead, but I made no move to help him.
"Your man gave you up and told us where to find you! You know who I am talking about! There is only one person that could have known, right?" Vince asked as his smile grew bigger, and I realized the who he was talking about, but I was having trouble processing everything. "That look on your stupid metal face was all that I wanted to see before I died!"
Suddenly, warnings in my mind went off as a rush of chaotic energy surged toward Vince's body, and I couldn't get away fast enough as his body exploded with enough force to shatter my link with all the Lady of the Night guards. A war of emotions ran through my mind as I synced back up with my main body, going over the footage I had of Miles. My heart burned at the thought of him doing this right after we had talked, but maybe he had always hated me.
I walked out into the warehouse as my chamber opened up, just as I located the footage of making brief eye contact with the man I had just killed and had destroyed my Lady's. I hadn't noticed it because I hadn't known what to be looking for, but now I could see a directed beam of chaotic energy passing between them. I hadn't noticed because there was a lot of magic being used in the streets, and even most clothing gave off chaotic energy. Right after, someone slipped some money into his back pocket, but it was barely in sight.
Miles was in his office, and he had his bottle out. From the recordings, he had been drinking here all night, and now I knew why. I found it strange that he was just waiting for me, but I could see the guilty look on his face, but something about him almost seemed relieved. I had been betrayed in my last life by people I had known much longer, but something about this stung worse. The conversation we had just had earlier was nothing but a fabrication, and he was only hoping that I would be killed later so he could go back to his normal life, but I wasn't dead.
As I started to walk down the hallway to his office, I could see his expression start to go from guilt to terror, and the glass started to shake in his hand as I walked up and opened the door without saying a word. The two of us looked at each of only a few seconds before I spoke, but they felt much longer than that.
"I guess you were not expecting to hear my heavy footsteps coming down the hall again?" I asked, and Miles drained his drink before slowly putting the glass down.
"At least you have got things started. Too bad I won't be around to see it all change, but I bet it will be something!" He said, and I closed the door before speaking.
"Why did you do it?" I asked, walking up to the desk and raising my hands in confusion. "You had to know you would get caught and that I had backup plans, yet you still tried to have me killed?"
"Something is just the way they are, son. I don't really know you from a hole in the ground, and you came in here to take my business over. I lost all my business, and everything I was given was taken. I pretty much had no choice in the matter, right?" He asked, sounding more relaxed now. "I had really thought the entire gang would be enough, but you are a tougher cookie than I gave you credit for!"
Something about the way he was so casual about this struck a nerve in me, and like Miles kept that he did, he got a vicious smile on his face. "What is the big bad boss going to do?" Miles taunted me, but I had heard enough.
So I snapped my fingers, and his body exploded.