31st December 2012
22:34 GMT +1
Yesterday, that would have been a sound move. But right now Guy's down to that stupid Halla pistol and a personal force field while I've actually got some reasonable fire power. No way to stop a boom tube, but if it-
The robot raises its hands, red glow slowly coalescing in its palms.
-actually
attacks-.
"Plot flight path, engage.
"
My armour accelerates, crumbler gauntlets going live as I fly arms-first into its right palm! It-. Ah! That's what happened! It loses containment immediately, the effect feeding back into wherever it's getting this energy from. My armour gets… Ah, not used to reading these alerts, a
little abraded, which suggest that the red stuff needs to be fully 'shaped' in order to have the maximum effect.
And now I'm past the robot, its now limp hand knocked aside and noticeably
not building up the red stuff. The robot turns slowly around to face me, shielding its still-glowing right hand with the mass of its body as it does so. Unfortunately for
it, I still had the design for the smart missile system I designed for Artemis a few years ago in my database and stuck a slightly repurposed version on this armour when I gave it firepower. And since whatever shield it had a minute ago doesn't seem to be working now…
"Fire volley one.
"
The ejection system vomits twelve missiles directly upwards in rapid succession, sending them arcing up over the robot. At the apex of their curve the cases pop open, submunitions deploying, simple guidance systems networking with my armour's computers and aiming themselves
down before activating their boosters. The robot raises its right hand just a little too slowly, the blast of red energy hitting the oncoming swarm only after they spread out from their initial cluster. The rest strike home, destabilising the red energy around the right hand-
There's a small burst of energy as something inside it overloads and the hand goes slack.
-and hitting the face on the off chance that it was planning on using omega beams. No, looks like it wasn't, but the face is more than a little abraded.
My armour's scanners show no Justifiers in the area, and if something's happened to its boom tube system then it can't call more-
Space around its chest
twists, the robot appearing to bend into a spiral for a moment before vanishing.
-in.
My rings light back up-.
"Find Guy.
"
I get a response and
fly, coming to a halt just above him as he awkwardly plays a purple healing ray over his wounds, an empty vial of healing potion on the ground next to him.
"Robot retreated. Need a hand?
"
"Nah, I'm-.
Nearly good.
"
"Healing ray's not great on complex internal injuries.
" I deploy a healing tube flask of my own and offer it to him.
"Here.
"
"Thanks.
"
He takes it with his left hand, screws the cap and downs it.
"You got all the bullet fragments out, right? Because-.
"
He nods his head towards a small pile of brass next to him.
"How long 'till it comes back?
"
"Don't know. Given the way it was healing, it could be back in seconds if it can find some Justifiers to drain to death.
"
He makes an expression of distaste.
"Yeah. Spotted that. Y'got any idea how?
"
"It's higher up the hierarchy than they are. Their lives are lived to serve it. We're basically surrounded by a high-end spell right now, so there's a worldwide conductive medium.
"
He stands, poking his former wounds with his right hand to make sure they're gone.
"We can use that, right?
"
"Bloody hope so. What was that you did to its hand?
"
"Old technique. Supposed to stop th' universe changin' if you've got the will for it. Think I
nearly did.
" He thinks for a moment.
"You
sure we can't use th' embodiments?
"
"'Sure'? No. 'Willing to risk it'..?
"
"Yeah, I getcha.
" He generates a phone construct and holds it to his right ear.
"Hey babe. Yeah, it's gone. Ah…Think so. I'll check, but-.
"
He makes eye contact with me.
"You got those pilots, right?
"
"Lined up on a bench on the shore.
"
"Right. You get that? No, just one. They shot themselves when they were disabled. Yeah, we'll-. 'kay.
I love you. No no, that ain't-. I jus' wanna say it, y'know? 'cause I
do. Okay. Bye.
"
"Are you affected by the Anti-Life broadcast?
"
He nods.
"Yeah. Kinda? I mean, I
hear it, an' it makes me think abowd stuff I don't wanna, but it ain't stoppin' me. You?
"
"I heard the
robot, but apart from that?
" I shake my head.
"If it wasn't for everyone else reacting I wouldn't even know it was happening. I thought it was the enlightenment, but if you're still affected that can't be it.
"
"Yeah. Weird.
" He brings his right hand up to his chest, laying his left hand over it.
"This is gunna feel a little weird.
"
"What else is new?
"
He glows for a moment, not particularly bright but certainly
intense. Then a wave
of green shoots out in all directions and I feel confident, certain, ready to take on a legion of those robots and smash them to pieces.
"Yeah.
" His eyes are glowing green.
"I ain't no Ion, but I'll do fer now.
" He rises into the air.
"I need ta hit th' airbase. You okay tawkin' with th' prisoners?
"
Tracking… The Justifier I freed is now on his feet and sort of wandering around. The pilots on the bench are staying where they were with their heads in their hands.
"Can do.
"
He takes off at speed, heading inland. Right, now to-.
"L-lantern! Lantern!"
I fly over to the liberated Justifier as he waves-.
"Mister Wasem?
"
Recruiter for the Gotham branch of the Congregation. I've spoken to him a couple of times…
"Oh God, Oh God. I…" His right hand clasps the side of his face. "What happened to me?"
"Anti-Life. The Alliance was a cover for an alien take-over. Talk to me. What happened? Tell me everything.
"
