"What can we do to convince you nutjobs to work with us?"
Donovan, Carmilo, and Enzo had managed to enter their room. Which led to a ginormous area of pure ideas, inventions, weapons, armors, and failed creations. The orange light lit up the way to reveal the copper or bronze pipes that stretch all the way across the room. Leading to different furnaces, and other machines.
Anvils were the second most common item in the room, right under hammers. As over thirteen people worked by their onward stations to finish commissions. And having fun with creating what they call metal amalgamations weapons.
The three had entered the blacksmith section. One out of three with the second being the engineer area. Where they use more modern techniques in manufacturing devices and tools. With the third being the Imbuer room. Where they imbue the creations of the blacksmiths and Engineers with Magic to perform certain objectives if needed.
In total, there are about thirty-one people in the Smithers class. And they had some form of hierarchy. Their leader was a third-year student, Leonardo Phillips.
"First, you can start by NOT calling us nutjobs. Second, have some respect, and third...Not decided yet." Leonardo stood in front of the three. His arms crossed over a leather apron with tools hanging on it. His face was dirty with soot. His goggles resting on his messy black hair. He took off his gloves to reveal a calloused hand from years of smithing.
"Alright. The first two can be easy." Donovan spoke instead of Carmilo, "But what's the third point?"
Most of the blacksmiths had halted their work momentarily to watch the conversation. The smell of sweat and metal struck the three nostrils the moment they had entered. And it still lingered in the air.
"Eager one aren't ya? Donovan isn't it?" Leonardo asked.
"That is me."
"I'm Leonardo." He held out his calloused hand, "Pleasure to finally meet you."
Donovan firmly grabbed his hand. Shocking Leonardo on how much rougher the texture of his hand was, and how surprisingly strong his grip was, "Same to you."
"So let me get this straight, you want the WHOLE of the Smithers, all three groups, to work with your security force? In what?" Leonardo let go of his hand.
"Simple, create weapons for us. We are in the process of finding out what weapon suits who. And we request your aid in the said process." Donovan spoke.
Leonardo thought over it for a second, "And what do we get in return? Can we even trust the security force? Wasn't there only four or seven people?"
"Nineteen actually. Yesterday, we had a large batch of new members arrive. Including these two." Donovan said.
"So I see..." Leonardo nodded, "But still, what can you give us in return?"
Donovan thought for a second. What can the force really give in return? It's better to bullshit his way through, "Well...You'll have a group of individuals that would be eager to test out your inventions. See what can be improved and everything."
"That's something..." Leonardo jotted it down inside his head.
That's definitely not enough however. Donovan knew that, "What else do you want?"
Leonardo turned to the others behind them. They all gave him a nod. Telling him to go ahead, "Two things. We have some creations that we all want to show to the headmaster. We want your help to form an audience with him to present it."
"And what will that be?"
"A surprise. After the incident, there's more incentive to push this to the commission and use it as another layer of protection for the school, no?"
Carmilo and Enzo watched Donovan do the talking. The two of them were quite surprised with how well he was with his words, "What's the second?"
Leonardo turned around, "Come. All three of you."
The three shared concerned looks with each other. Before Donovan had to nod his head towards Leonardo. They gotta follow him. As they relent, Leonardo guides them through the sweat and bolstering heat of the blacksmith area. The ventilation in this room is functioning but questionable. Where does the smoke go during their activities?
Donovan couldn't help but ask, "Where does the smoke go?"
"Hm?"
"When you're doing your activities, where does the smoke go? I'm surprised you all don't have carbon monoxide poisoning."
Leonardo chuckled as he kept going forward, "Believe it or not. Even we don't know. But the headmaster did tell us that the smoke is collected and used to create materials. Somehow." He said before stopping in his tracks.
"I can believe that." Donovan said.
"You won't believe this however."
Donovan caught something moving in the corner of his eye. As he quickly turned around, Carmilo and Enzo were grabbed by a few students from behind, "The fuck?!" Enzo shouted out as he struggled under their grasp.
Donovan tried to help, but Leonardo pointed what looked to be a Smith and Wesson revolver towards him, "Back off mate."
"Cheeky bastard..." Donovan gritted his teeth, if his body was returned to his strongest, he would have them on the ground in a matter of seconds. Yet, he still has a few more days before he fully recovers.
"Let go of me you dirty bitch-!" Carmilo grunted as he and Enzo were thrown into a pit in front of Leonardo. They fell down a fifteen-foot drop. Before landing on a sand-like texture that somehow cushioned their fall as they rolled towards the middle of it.
Leonardo whistled to the others to activate their request, the six Smithers nodded and ran towards a wall. Pulling levers and pressing a few buttons.
"Guess it's time to tell you what we want." Leonardo turned towards Donovan.
"Fucking hell man. You all are some real nutters." Donovan looked around, trying to find an opening or something to help Carmilo and Enzo out.
"That we are. It's simple really." Carmilo and Enzo slowly helped each other stand up, after a few more seconds, a gate on the far side of the pit slowly pulled itself up and a metallic tearing sound, "See, we still want to perform a test on our... invention. And it's the perfect opportunity to do so right now."
Something slowly crawled itself out from the darkness of the gate. A horrid amalgamation of metal tearing and whirring emerged from its home. Enzo and Carmilo stared in horror as the being came to light. A humanoid figure consisting of Bronze and copper plates and slabs stood around nine-feet tall. Its body is covered head-to-toe with the same plates and slabs. With a few gears visible on its chest and where the ligaments of a human body should be. A humanoid-shaped head with no mouth and ears. But two glowing blue eyes socketed in the upper regions of the head as it stared at the two testers.
"Oh, you are batshit insane...!" Enzo slowly took a step back, "How the hell are we supposed to fight this?! We got no weapons!"
"Did the two of you really leave them back at the security room?!" Donovan yelled from above.
"Yes!" Both of them answered.
"Idiots! First rule, never go anywhere without your weapon!"
Leonardo took a seat next to Donovan, "You're injured. I can see that clearly. So that's why I threw the two of them into the pit instead. Throw it in!"
His assistants threw in a random rapier, and then a rifle, "It's not your weapons exactly! But it'll do for now!"
Donovan looked around for anything, or any methods for him to help the two. That was until he received a lit lightbulb above his head, he still had a few amounts of magic. Should be enough for this, "Listen and fly."
A small black orb, the size of a fingernail emerged from Donovan's hand. It split into three and one went inside Donovan's ear. While the other two flew down to the pit and inserted themselves inside Enzo's and Carmilo's ear. Eliciting no reactions from both of them.
As the two of them grabbed their weapons, Donovan spoke from within their minds, 'Hey. You two, do you come in?'
"Huh?" Enzo looked around.
'It's me. Donovan. I'm talking to you from within your head. Let's just communicate telepathically. This thing's quite dangerous for your level. So I'll try and guide you through it as best as I can.' Donovan spoke in the back of their head.
"Is there a problem?" Leonardo called out to the two subjects.
"No! Not yet atleast!" Carmilo readied a stance with his rapier.
"Good! Well now..." A ringing sound erupted in Enzo's and Carmilo's head, 'Watch out! Incoming!' Leonardo settled back as he activated some recordings, "Heads up!"
Enzo and Carmilo turned around to the said amalgamation charging toward them in an instant, raising its hand high in the air before slamming it down. Enzo and Carmilo leaped to the side just in time as the sand-like texture flew everywhere.
'Try attacking the crevices of the limbs.' Donovan spoke in their head, 'Aim for the joints.'
'Got it!' The two of the ran in from the sides. As they approached, the amalgamation activated a gear and readied a stance.
'It's gonna spin its chest and swing wildly horizontally. Duck!'
Carmilo and Enzo took the warning and did as they were told. Soon enough, Donovan was right. It spun around and swung its arms around. But ended up missing both of them. Without needing to be told to, Carmilo plunged his rapier directly into the back of the inventions knee. Surprisingly, the thin blade didn't shatter. And to add on his shock, the amalgamation bent a knee down after being stabbed.
Enzo followed through by aiming the barrle of his rifle down towards the other knee, and shot a round inside it. It ricoheted inside the plates, emitting clanging sounds as it did. Ending up causing the amalgamation to bend its knee yet again. Leonardo called out to them, "Be careful!"
'Disengage! It's gonna do something!' Donovan yelled in their head.
The two took his warning seriously and pulled back just in time. Right before the amalgamation spun around yet again. Swinging its arm as its hand was replaced by a bladed weapon. That failed to even nick the two of them. Enzo aimed right in between the armpits of the amalgamation. Just as he shot out a round, the amalgamation surprisingly deflected the bullet with its blade.
The assistants cheered as it did that, "Ha! So the defense system work's perfectly!" Leonardo cheered as well.
"Great. Now call it off." Donovan said.
"No can do! Not until it's decomissioned by the two of them!"
Enzo gripped his rifle tighter as he cursed the amalgamation, "Annoying fucking shit!" Enzo leaped away yet again as it swung its blade down towards Enzo, "Is it trying to kill me or something?!"
"Maybe! Just stay on your toes!" Leonardo yelled.
"Asshole!"
The Amalgamation attempted to chase after Enzo. But he imbued his legs with magic, managing to run away from it with his incredible speed. Enzo continued to imbue more magic into the conductive rifle as Carmilo chased the amalgamation from behind. He quickly came closer to their enemy. Almost gliding through the ground with how fast he moved before attempting to stab the back of the knee again.
'Carmilo! From above!' Donovan warned him.
He turned his head upwards, only to find a blade descending upon him with immense power, "Shit-!" Carmilo yanked the rapier out the knee and dodged backwards. Barely avoiding the blade of their opponent.
"Ohh! Just barely made it!" Leonardo cheered on.
Donovan took a deep breath. And be better with his callouts. He's no expert like Samuel or Sultan in being the call out. But he's trying his best. He tensed his face and focused on the fight even harder. Blocking out all sounds aexcept the clash of metal in the pit.
'Enzo. Aim for the hips.'
'Got it!' Enzo shot out a round of an imbued bullet straight into the hips, but it was deflected yet again, 'Shit!'
'Carmilo, go in. It will swing horizontally from the left to your right. Your blade should be made of a strong material. It won't shatter if you block the attacks with it. Try and block the attack and stop it.' Donovan said.
Carmilo couldn't believe it, 'What?! That's suicide!'
'DO you wanna win? Listen to me. Just do it.'
Carmilo gritted his teeth and charged forwards, just as Donovan warned, the blade of its left hand swung horizontally from the left to the right. Carmilo prayed quietly before holding his rapier up, and pushing his palm against the top side of the blade. Imbuing magic onto his palms to avoid nicking his hand. As the wide blade clashed against the rapier, Donovan was right. It didn't shatter. Carmilo used all of his strength to hold his ground and avoid being sent away flying.
'Enzo. Delayed exploding bullet. Imbue more magic into the tip of the bullet for more piercing.' Donovan said, 'Aim for right below the chest piece.'
Enzo did as he was told, 'I'm surprised you know what a DEB is!' As he shot off the bullet, it was blocked instead by the amalgamation. Instead of going all the way through, it was lodged into the blade.
'Don't question it. Now explode it.' Donovan ordered.
Enzo's eyes glew a blue-ish white color for a second, the bullet glew the same color, right before emitting a bright light that blinded the spectators. Jolts of electricity flowed through the conductive metal and went straight to the inner core in the chest. Paralyzing it from the excess and large amount of voltage being administed through the body. Carmilo ducked under and pulled his blade away just as the voltage rummaged through the body.
'Carmilo. Use a protective aura of magic around your blade and body. Jump ontop of the blade and sever it from the wrist.' Donovan spoke.
Carmilo nodded and exhuded his magic all around his body and weapon, 'Make it more thinner, don't overuse too much magic for this.' He did as he was told and lowered the amount of magic he was exhuding. Before grabbing the blade safely and jumping ontop of the weapon. he realized that the other hand of the amalgamation was blown off from the wrist.
Carmilo turned his focus to the wrist of the hand he's on. Before plunging his rapier deep into the crevice of the hand. Yoinking it around. Loosening a few parts and cutting apart some pieces. Before jumping off and spinning in the air, his rapier effortlessly cut through the metal of the wrist. Severing it entirely.
"Damn?!" Leonardo couldn't believe what he was seeing. Like his assitance as well.
'Disable the knees you two.' The next command was issued out.
Enzo ran in, just as the amalgamation tried to swing its empty hand towards Enzo, who promptly pushed it away with his rifle, "No you don't!" He dodged to the side and plunged his barrel into the crevices of the knee. Before shooting out a round of DEB.
Carmilo ran in and ducked under the flaling hand of the amalgamation. And plunged his rapier inside the crevice of the other knee. Twisting and pulling again like what he did before, "Oh shit?" Leonardo checked to see if his video was recording this.
Just as Carmilo pulled his rapier out, he imbued magic into his blade, he swung horizontally through the knee. Severing multiple cables, metals, and bolts with his swing. Just as this occured, Enzo activated the bullet, emitting yet another bright light, before showing the remnants of the broken knee.
'Kill the core.'
The amalgamation fell forwards and rolled onto its back, Carmilo ran up to its chest and began stabbing, cutting, and ripping open the metal. Eventually revealing the core of the machine. It tried to stop them. But Enzo stood ontop of the chest and pushed his leg on the face of the machine, "Yeah no, fuck you." He aimed right at the core with his rifle, with his last bullet he shot out one final round. One final DEB.
As it penetrated the core, Leonardo called out to them, "Stop! Stop! You win! Don't damage it further! We got our research!"
'Fuck them. Destroy the core.'
Carmilo and Enzo hopped off the chest before slowly walking towards the crowd that had formed when the two of them were fighting the machine, they stared upward towards them as Enzo raised his hand, before snapping his finger. His eyes glew one last time as one final flash illuminated from behind them. A large beam of magical energy erupted from the chest. After a short two seconds, the remnants of the amalgamation laid lifelessly, with its chest ripped open and the components inside fried and melted, "Woops." Enzo had his last laugh.
Leonardo lowered his head, "I WAS trying to save the core, but nevermind. You proved to us that it was too weak."
"There. We did what you wanted." Donovan cleared his throat, "Now get them up here and answer my question."
Leonardo signaled to his assistants to send the ladder out for them as he turned towards Donovan, "And what is your question?"
"Will you work with us?"
Leonardo stared at him for a few seconds before sighing, "I'm guessing you wanted an abundance of standard weapons for your force to try out?"
"Yes."
Just as the two of the new members got up to the main floor, Leonardo stood up, "Follow me."
Everyone, including the assitance followed Leonardo back to the main door. And out the blacksmith room. Multiple people were loading carts with boxes of weapons and more, "We got mostly everything sir. Every weapon we have in store." A girl spoke up.
"There. Are you happy?" Leonardo asked.
"For now...What about that metal bo-staff?" Donovan pointed at a meticolous and gorgeous bo-staff in the corner. It had a black wrap with golden engravings. Alongside extra armor on each end of the staff.
"That was a commission." Someone answered.
"Really? For who?"
Leonardo ordered his members to deliver it to the Security force room, as they followed each other out, he cleared his throat, "It was for a person named Dani. All I heard was that they were mostly absent for most of the previous semester. And didn't participate in the tournament."
"Huh...Alrighty then." Donovan turned to Leonardo, "So. Do we have an alliance or not?"
Leonardo chuckled and held his hand out, just as Donovan grabbed it into a firm handshake, "Consider it official. I'm slowly starting to trust the security force."