Anya's heart hammered against her ribs as the gears in the guard's mechanical arm whirred to life. She braced herself for the inevitable fight, her hand instinctively reaching for the dagger strapped to her thigh. But before she could draw it, Kiva sprang into action.
With a battle cry that echoed through the corridor, Kiva charged at the guard, her massive fists pummeling its metallic chest. The guard stumbled back, momentarily stunned by the force of the blow. Anya seized the opportunity, darting past the hulking automaton and towards the crate.
She threw open the lid, revealing a nest of gleaming aetherium regulators. Relief washed over her, quickly replaced by a surge of urgency. They needed to get out of there, fast.
"Grab what you can!" she yelled over her shoulder, already shoving the regulators into her satchel. Kiva, having disoriented the guard with a flurry of punches, followed suit, scooping up a handful of regulators before retreating back to Anya's side.
Just as they were about to turn and flee, the guard lunged, its steam-powered arm slashing through the air. Kiva roared in defiance, raising her arm to block the blow. The impact sent a shockwave through the corridor, and Kiva stumbled back a few paces, her arm visibly shaking.
Anya knew they couldn't hold out for much longer. She needed to think fast. Glancing around the room, her eyes landed on a shelf overflowing with spare canisters of oil. An idea sparked in her mind.
"Move aside!" she shouted at Kiva, shoving her towards the back of the room.
Confused but trusting, Kiva obeyed. Anya sprinted towards the shelf, grabbing a canister in each hand. With a heave, she hurled them at the clockwork guard. The canisters smashed against its metallic frame, spraying oil everywhere.
The guard sputtered and hissed, its movements becoming sluggish. Anya grinned. It was a gamble, but it seemed to be working.
"Now!" she yelled, beckoning Kiva to follow.
Together, they sprinted out of the storage room and back down the corridor. The metallic shrieks of the malfunctioning guard echoed behind them, urging them on. They didn't dare slow down until they reached the ventilation grate they had used to enter.
Anya squeezed through the opening first, followed closely by Kiva. They scrambled through the narrow shafts, their lungs burning and muscles screaming. Finally, they emerged into the workshop above, collapsing onto the dusty floor in a heap.
They lay there for a moment, catching their breath and listening for any sign of pursuit. Silence. Anya let out a shaky sigh of relief.
"We did it," she whispered, a smile spreading across her soot-stained face.
Kiva nodded, her chest heaving. "We got the regulators."
Anya reached into her satchel, her fingers brushing against the cool metal of the aetherium devices. A wave of satisfaction washed over her. They had accomplished their mission, against all odds.
Suddenly, the workshop door burst open, and Finn stumbled in, his face pale and his clothes disheveled.
"What happened?" he gasped, his voice laced with worry. "I heard explosions!"
Anya and Kiva exchanged a glance, then burst into laughter. Relief and adrenaline had finally caught up to them, and the tension of the past few hours dissolved.
"Long story," Anya said between laughs, wiping tears from her eyes. "But let's just say we had a little… disagreement with the Ministry guards."
Over the next few hours, they recounted their adventure to Finn, embellishing the details for comedic effect. As they spoke, a sense of camaraderie filled the workshop, a bond forged in the fires of danger and shared purpose.
Finally, with the first rays of dawn peeking through the smog-filled sky, they decided to call it a night. Anya and Kiva were exhausted, their bodies aching from the exertion. Finn, ever the tinkerer, busied himself repairing the damage caused by their escape from the Ministry.
As Anya drifted off to sleep, curled up on a pile of rags in a corner of the workshop, she couldn't help but feel a flicker of hope. They had the aetherium regulators. Now, all they had to do was figure out how to use them to contact the rebellion and spark a revolution. The fight for a better tomorrow had just begun.
Anya and Kiva exchanged a glance, then burst into laughter. Relief and adrenaline had finally caught up to them, and the tension of the past few hours dissolved.
"Long story," Anya said between laughs, wiping tears from her eyes. "But let's just say we had a little… disagreement with the Ministry guards."
Over the next few hours, they recounted their adventure to Finn, embellishing the details for comedic effect. As they spoke, a sense of camaraderie filled the workshop, a bond forged in the fires of danger and shared purpose.
Finally, with the first rays of dawn peeking through the smog-filled sky, they decided to call it a night. Anya and Kiva were exhausted, their bodies aching from the exertion. Finn, ever the tinkerer, busied himself repairing the damage caused by their escape from the Ministry.
As Anya drifted off to sleep, curled up on a pile of rags in a corner of the workshop, she couldn't help but feel a flicker of hope. They had the aetherium regulators. Now, all they had to do was figure out how to use them to contact the rebellion and spark a revolution. The fight for a better tomorrow had just begun.