Heroes of Mavia: Infiltration
Phoenixfire083 — BOGG
Mira leaned back in her chair, impatiently tapping her foot against a desk as she watched the monitor. A drone tracked Diamond Hands signature, but he was unseen through the tangled mass of trees. The chair groaned in protest as she anxiously shifted again, unable to get comfortable. Time stalled as she waited for a visual sign of DH. It was the right choice for her to stay behind, she knew. The bases morale was important to ensure the daily tasks stayed up to par. The statue the soldiers had erected in her honor was a reminder of how important she was in the eyes of her troops. Even if she would stare at it and pick apart every flaw in its façade. Was she truly worthy of this honor? She wanted to believe so, but here she was watching with jealous eyes as DH marched to get the first member of their alliance.
The days after DH left, Mira walked the base to ensure everything was running smoothly. DH wasn’t around to challenge her decisions, so she was able to prioritize the upgrades she felt were important. Everyone was optimistic, resources were plentiful. Mira trained daily, pushing her infused body to the brink of collapse. Still, she wished there was more she could do, so she found herself scrolling through scouting footage. It became an obsessive distraction now that she knew which bases were allied with the Big Hammer King. DH may be better suited for negotiations, but Mira knew she had a knack for details, and she wanted to ensure they were ready when it came time to fight.
When Mira was finally notified that DH reached his destination, she felt a rush of excitement. After anxiously watching him meet the occupants, and then walk into the base, she was eager to send over their data. She grinned when sending the information of the base she felt best suited to be raided by Axel’s forces. Happy to be finally taking the fight to their enemy, but the wave of elation ended quickly as the maddening thoughts of complacency filled her mind. But the elation abated quickly after.
So, Mira continued her arduous journey going through scouting footage to stay focused. As a designated leader of a base on Mavia she could view any scouting report uploaded to RHDI servers. Selecting only reports from the region of the giant ruby at the centre of the island. Giant bases in the shapes of squares, crosses, or other patterns to best utilize their defenses left her in awe. Most were fully upgraded with laser fencing, top tier defensive turrets, and highly upgraded vehicles and units. They had multiple statues built within. Builders, and resources gatherers increased their productivity when in proximity of these intricately carved effigies. To ease her boredom, Mira would playout raids in her head. How she would approach. How many troops to send at a time. Watching as imaginary troops crashed against the walls like waves against a cliff. Heavily armored troops taking the brunt of the attacks, while other troops swooped in to target the defenses. Of course, she won every time, it was impossible to imagine losing. It was all a distraction of course. The truth of why she obsessed over the reports was in hopes of seeing the mysterious figure known as the Big Hammer King.
Mira didn’t know what she expected to look for when trying to identify someone no one had ever seen before. What would she even do if she saw him? March her entire force against the might of these bases? They would be decimated before reaching the outer walls. So, she dismissed the thoughts and mindlessly scrolled through the data. There were some gems amongst the footage, as she got to witness attacks between other bases. Watching the tactics of these behemoth bases who had more resources from the RHDI, due to their success. Some using medical drones to buff and heal heavily defended troops. Others using squads of AI choppers paired with whale blimps. It fascinated her to watch how some worked, and others failed. When she came across any bases that successfully defended against an attack from the Big Hammer King’s forces, she marked it as a possible alliance opportunity. It was also a reminder on how under powered her own base was. Meaning, they needed more resources, and more Ruby.
Time lost its meaning as her finger tapped unceremoniously on the keyboard scrolling through the list. Eyes burned as her unblinking stare attempted to find the next target for their forces to raid. Report after report melded into one another. Realizing that the time of DH’s attack had come and gone. Like an itch that needed to be scratched, she pulled up the recording. Watched as Axel’s forces were baited into a trap, and how DH, with the help of his Ruby infusion, helped breach the outer walls. They swept inside and took out the defenses. It was close, but in the end, they were victorious. Mira knew it wouldn’t be long until DH returned, and they could finally do more. She caught herself impatiently tapping her foot again, so she decided to go get some air. Climbing to her favorite spot on the top of the air control tower, she watched unimpressed as clouds drifted lazily through the blue sky. She couldn’t appreciate the beauty before her. Shuffling constantly with an irate growl as she couldn’t get comfortable. The sun felt too hot against her skin, the noises of the base began to aggravate her. Her eyes constantly darting to the closed hatch, waiting for DH to interrupt her, or so she rationalized. In truth, she wanted to go back to the monitor.
Night settled in onto the quiet hills. Mira was unmotivated to train and found herself back at her station. This time she activated a series of filters of the search log. Choosing bases that were heavily defended, with high level research facilities. A few breaths later, she found herself looking at a base located east of the Marshlands. It was situated in a region of natural springs. Tall spires of pale white rocks jutted out of the ground like fingers, water spewed out of their peaks. Crystalline streams snaked through the winding waterways and flowed into a large river that would inevitably flow into the sea. Her admiration of the land halted when she started to inspect the layout of the base. It was tagged because it had the retrofitted exhaust on the research facility. Zooming in as close as she could, her heart stopped when someone walked out.
He had a unique hobble to his step, a tangled mass of black hair, and wore a white lab coat. In her mind she knew it was the Mad Engineer, the man responsible for the Ruby infusion tech. He disappeared into another building, so she replayed the footage over again, and it was undeniable to her, he was here. Looking at the videos timestamp, it was only a few hours old. How long would he be there? The base was well defended, and she knew before she pulled up the bases data, that her forces wouldn’t be able to take it on. But the importance of that man and his influence on what had happened to her, and DH was indisputable. If she could capture him, he could help them piece together whatever they were missing to be able to harvest Ruby properly for infusion. Also, how much would it cripple the Big Hammer King’s plans if he was out of the picture. They could use the Engineer’s testimony to expose the menace to the RHDI, and have them mobilize a proper response, and end his threat before it grew out of control.
This was an opportunity she had to take, she decided. But a conflicting sense of hesitation filled her mind warning her not to proceed. Diamond Hand’s stern voice echoed in her mind, to remain patient, not to do anything rash that she may regret later. With a shake of her head, it faded like a morning fog. No, this had to happen now, who knew how long he would be there. She promised DH that she wouldn’t do anything dishonorable, but she knew he trusted her to make the right decisions in his absence. They both led the base; she was not just his subordinate. Knowing that DH would be heading home from Axel’s base gave her a timeline that he would be back within a few days. Her absence in that time would barely be missed or noticed with how well things were operating. She left the HQ knowing that she couldn’t just leave. Finding her way to the base of one of their sniper towers, she climbed to the top and found three snipers chatting idly.
“Mira?” One of the snipers gasped jumping to salute her.
“At ease,” Mira responded softly, “Daphne, I need to speak to you alone.”
Daphne’s blue eyes widened in shock as she nervously tugged on her blonde ponytail. She wore a skin-tight black outfit, accented with pink straps around her boots, belt and shoulders. Daphne was loyal, reliable, and showed her resourcefulness many times. Her eagle like attention to detail was the reason they weren’t ambushed and overwhelmed by the Doge’s forces.
“So, what’s this about boss?” Daphne asked crossing her arms nervously after they descended the tower.
“Daphne, I need you do something for me,” Mira answered honestly.
Mira saw the reluctance in Daphne’s face as she told her of the plan to leave the base. That she had located the man responsible for giving the Big Hammer King the power of Ruby. Emphasizing the importance of the situation, and the little time she had to act. Mira watched as Daphne stared at her with suspicion.
“I should come with you to give you cover,” Daphne suggested.
Mira felt guilty at first, hearing Daphne’s suggestion and how it mirrored her thoughts when DH suggested leaving her behind. Instead, Mira explained how much DH and her appreciated Daphne’s hard work, and the growing trust they had in her leadership. That there was no one else in the base that they would want to leave in control if they were both absent. Then Mira said that she had already discussed with DH her plans, and that he would be back in a couple days. That lie felt like a dry lump in her throat, but she spoke it without hesitation.
“Trust me Daphne, DH wasn’t happy either, but he understands the importance” Mira maintained the lie, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder, “I am taking full responsibility of my actions. We agreed that if the risk is too substantial, I will turn back immediately.”
Mira waited patiently as Daphne contemplated the information. Weighing the responsibilities thrust suddenly upon her shoulders. It was something Mira could relate to, the nerves, anxiousness, and doubt.
“Okay Mira, I trust you,” Daphne broke the silence with a smile, and Mira felt another stab of guilt.
“Thank you, Daphne,” Mira replied, “I know it’s a lot of responsibility, but I know you are more than capable of handling things.”
“Thanks boss, I appreciate that,” Daphne replied with a prideful smile.
“I will put in a temporary notice of your leadership until DH returns. Don’t burn the place down while I’m gone, okay,” Mira added with a sarcastic wink, and Daphne chuckled nervously in response.
Mira quickly stocked up on supplies, and updated Daphne’s temporary promotion. Turning off her comms and with the help of her grappling hook, she snuck out of the base. Mira knew that her actions would come back to bite her, but her success would outweigh the lie, they would see. She felt the cool night air brush against her skin as she ran through the night. Her purple hair dancing wildly as she bounded forth. Her thoughts a constant tug of war of guilt against responsibility. She couldn’t sit idly by and wait for something to happen, so she rationalized.
It had happened to her once before. As she remembered her time in Agartha. The sprawling city of glass towers, sky trains, and gardens that lined every walkway, waterway, and rooftop. It was called the “Sapphire Jewel”, a utopia of abundance. She couldn’t recognize who she once was. An idealist, a passionate tinkerer, one who always fought for those whose voices could not be heard. Then the war began. At first people lived like nothing was wrong, bombarded only by the information given on plentiful news streams. Reports showing the horrors of war, and reporters pleading to help donate to the cause of those fighting for good. Endless propaganda about the vileness of the aggressors and the atrocities of their actions as they showed footage of areas decimated by bombings. Ash caked faces of victims flooded every news outlet and were always in the hearts of those within the city, Mira’s included. She joined the masses in protests, speaking out against the war, and to open the city to refugees. It was how the people felt they helped as they went about their normal routines.
Reality slapped everyone in the face as time passed, and the resulting war affected Agarthan’s ways of life. Supply lines around the world became disrupted, and food suddenly became scarce and expensive. Fights broke out in supermarkets over what little food was available. Friends and family turned on each other when opinions began to differentiate, and fear spread. It wasn’t until the rolling blackouts began to plague the city to conserve energy when the madness of the citizens boiled over. Protests spread throughout the streets and were met with resistance from authorities. Leaders implemented curfews to try and mitigate the gatherings, but they were ignored. People rushed to hide when night descended as the streets became a circus of desperation. It was surreal to see the pristine gem of Agartha degrade quickly into a cesspool of violence and hatred. Fear was virus that infected the hearts of the purest of individuals and rotted the city from inside out. Streets once full of life, became barren and strewn with garbage and refuse. Smoke lingered from the destruction of the previous night’s revelries. The once pristine canals became brackish and murky. The cries of those who suffered were drowned out by the gunfire, and screams of anger of those who stole, fought, and killed to survive.
The people pleaded to those in charge to do something, but they fell on deaf ears. As their leaders cowered behind the walls of their massive estates, protected by private security. They asked for everyone to be brave, and to do their part, while they gorged on their luxury. Mira did what she had to do during this tumultuous time to help those in need. Going out in the shadow of the night to steal supplies for those in need. Using her gadgets to thwart arson and protect those in danger. Mira vowed to never stop fighting for those whose voices were ignored.
Her thoughts raced in a flurry of memories, just as the land around her was a blur from her feverish pace. So lost in the past, that she wasn’t aware of where she was until she reached her destination. Mira was shocked at the beauty before her, the footage she studied didn’t give the land justice. Towering white stone towers sparkling in the sun as water coiled down their surface. Prismatic pools radiating as streams flowed steadily down hill towards the massive river below. Thick, vibrant green moss clung to smooth stone, and flocks of multicolored birds flew overhead.
Mira checked her coordinates, and noticed the many notifications sent from Diamond Hands. Deleting them instantly, as she didn’t want to waste time listening to his disapproving tone. It wasn’t worth the argument, or the energy to try and explain her choice. Whispering an apology, she quickly moved to find the base. The base was an unnatural stain of metal upon a pristine canvas. Mira climbed one of the rocky spires that overlooked the base to get a vantage point. She studied the base through the lenses of her binoculars. The base was shaped like a cross, with thick metal walls. Twin barrelled turrets protected the corners of the base, and even near the base’s central HQ. Flamethrower turrets protected the main gates, as well as a narrow corridor that ran the length of the interior of the base. Numerous troops, and highly upgraded vehicles could be spotted within. It was a fortress, and Mira started to doubt herself on why she had come on her own.
“This is going to be a piece of cake,” she reassured herself to calm her nerves.
Continuing her scan of the base, she memorized troop patrol routes, and where workers gathered, so she could find the safest route to avoid detection. Waiting for the darkness of night to descend upon the base to see its spotlights activate. Noting their predetermined patterns as they scanned outside of the base. The information she gained was more than any scouting drone could have ever gathered. Mira let another day pass, as she weighed the information and made the decision whether to proceed or not. As the second night arrived, she felt it was time to proceed with her plan. Descending from her hiding spot, she sprinted across the landscape towards the base.
They’d cleared most of the debris around the base, but there was an old decaying log that they had yet to remove. Mira moved to the edge of one of the stone spires and peeked out. She wore a black hoody to cover her purple hair, and to blend into the shadows better. Waiting patiently for the circles of light to drift over the dark ground to time her next move. Her mind had traced the path of light from her memory, and as soon as the lights crossed in front of her, she began to count down. The beams of light turned back and crossed once again and that’s when she darted forward. Timing it perfectly, she slid along the pebbles and rocks and pressed her body against the log to conceal as much of her body as she could. The spotlights passing overhead moments after. Mira closed her eyes and held her breath as she felt the warmth of the concentrated beam of light pass over her position. It was a risky spot to be in, but it was the only source of cover this close to the base. Her heart raced as the sound of voices erupted from above the wall when they heard suspicious sounds of the displaced rocks. Cursing to herself, she tried to press her body as close as she could to the log. Her body tingled with anxiety, knowing full well that if she were discovered that all hell would be rained down upon her. One of the spotlights stopped and was directed closer to Mira’s position.
“They can’t see me,” Mira whispered to herself repeatedly, willing every facet of her being to believe that she was safe from discovery.
The spotlight hovered over the log, and Mira could feel the heat of the light again. She tensed as she waited for those to scream at her discovery. Muscles tensed as she felt the reflex to jump up and run, but nothing happened. The spotlight moved on, and silence returned. She sighed in disbelief, looking downward she was shocked to see her body blurred but materializing back into solid form. Did she just cloak herself? Did her Ruby infusion give her such abilities? Pushing the questions from her mind, and back to the task at hand, she carefully peaked from cover and saw a clear path to the base of the wall. Silently walking around the base, she found a metal grate, and a shallow trickling stream of water. The base was built up on a metal platform, just like the Marshland base, to help mitigate flooding during heavy rains. Taking out a small blow torch from her utility belt, she started to methodically cut the thick bars, creating a small opening for her to crawl within.
When she finished, she paused to see if her presence was noticed, but again, no alarms sounded. Carefully setting the metal grate to the ground, she proceeded within the tunnel. Crawling through the thin stream she felt her clothes soaking up the water with every shuffle. The discomfort didn’t deter her, getting the Mad Engineer was worth every moment. After a few minutes, the small tunnel opened to a cylindrical tube that ran vertically from the ground to the base above. Metal rungs anchored into the cement walls that were stained with dark watermarks. Climbing the ladder, she found herself at the metal sewer cover. Anchoring her feet against the rungs she pressed her back against it, carefully dislodging the lid slowly to peer through the narrow gap. The sewer was in the middle of one of the laneways of the base, but luckily the exit was near an alleyway. Two soldiers stood casually near the entrance of one of the buildings, one in full view of where she wanted to emerge from. The ground rumbled suddenly, and Mira ducked back into the sewer just before a tank rolled overhead.
“It’s supposed to rain again,” one of the soldiers stated with a sigh of annoyance.
“Of course, it is,” the other replied before clearing his throat and spitting on the ground, “I’m still trying to dry out what socks I have from the last downpour we got.”
“You’d think with how much we are getting paid, that they could afford more waterproof gear,” the first soldier griped as he leaned against the building.
“At least we aren’t stuck in the desert,” the second soldier added with appreciation, “I hear the scorpions find their way into your boots if you aren’t careful.”
“Yea,” the first soldier acknowledged, “I have a buddy in one of the bases in the volcanic region. Says it only smells of sulfur all day.”
“Not much better in the barracks after chili night,” the second soldier replied with a chuckle, the other soldier joined in.
A sudden clanking sound echoed from the alley causing one soldier to jump and turn to look towards the dark corridor.
“What was that?” the first soldier gasped nervously holding up his gun in defense.
“What do you mean, what was that? It’s probably a rat nothing more,” the second soldier reasoned calmly.
The first soldier looked at his companion with a skeptical gaze before walking past him and slowly started to creep towards the entrance of the alley.
“Don’t be so paranoid,” the second soldier cried out after him as he watched him disappear into the alleyway.
The remaining soldier tried his best to find a comfortable spot to lean but couldn’t help looking towards the alley. His gaze increased in frequency with each passing second. “Hey,” he yelled out, “what’s taking so long?” He smiled to try and hide his concern, but when his comments went unanswered, he slowly started to walk towards the alley. No answers emerged out of the darkness.
“This isn’t funny man,” the soldier added as he inched closer to the entrance, nervously gripping his gun.
Just before he reached the entrance of the alleyway, Mira aimed her grappling gun from the opening of the sewer and shot. The grappled wrapped around the soldier’s foot, and as he looked down to see what it was, she reeled in the metal cord. Before the soldier could cry out, his feet pulled out from under him, cracking his face against the ground with a loud crack. His unconscious body dragged limply towards the sewer where Mira carefully pulled him inside, slowly lowering his body to the ground below.
“You were right,” The voice of the first soldier said minutes later, “there is nothing here man, I must be losing my mind…” his voice trailed off as he realized his partner was gone.
“Or just leave your post,” the soldier grumbled as he made his way back to his post.
The soldier sighed in frustration as he leaned against the wall. His eyes shifted around as he kept an eye out for his partner, then narrowing when he saw something odd on the ground. Stepping forward, he knelt and touched two fingers to the ground into a splotch of dark liquid. His eyes widened in shock when he realized it was blood, but before he could act Mira knocked him out. Hiding his body in the sewer, and quickly looked around to make sure no one else was around. Happy to know she had gone unnoticed, she disappeared into the shadows.
Mira moved silently to the alleys edge. Peering out she found herself looking at another laneway flanked by vehicle factories, and barracks. A soft yellow light radiated from lamp posts that were spaced evenly down the road. A group of soldiers loitered off duty in front of a barracks, laughing and chatting inaudibly. Over the rooftops she spotted the peak of the research facility, and she started to think how she would make it across without being seen. Another group of soldiers appeared from down the street, ending their shift, and greeted with celebratory shouts from the idle group. Mira gritted her teeth in frustration at how happy these soldiers seemed. How could they be so content to follow someone so evil? Deep down she knew the truth, they had no idea. They were here like many other soldiers, looking for pay, and a place to find acceptance after being unable to integrate back into society after the war. She hoped that when the time was right, that they would see the folly of their alliance, and walk away.
Mira didn’t know how she would cross without being seen, contemplating climbing to the rooftops to traverse the base, but knew that she would be spotted. Could she cloak herself again? Closing her eyes, she focused within herself and felt the growing intensity of the Ruby power. Her skin started to tingle as the energy flowed to the pores of her skin. Opening her eyes, she looked at her hands. Turning them over and back again, she watched in amazement as they seemed transparent, and blurred with each movement. She was dumbfounded at the revelation, knowing now that she could do this, would make it easier to infiltrate future bases. Not wanting to waste the effect, she moved quickly across the lighted laneway. She caught the gaze of a soldier, but he saw nothing but darkness.
The cloaking ability faded as she neared the research facility. Luckily the area outside the building was quiet and devoid of soldiers. Mira’s anticipation of capturing the Mad Engineer intensified, but she stayed focus knowing he wouldn’t go down easily. She had only one shot, and if it failed, then she would be lucky to be captured, and more likely killed. A bright white light poured out of the glass entryway as she approached the entrance, the sliding doors opened with a soft hiss. Mira cautiously walked into the bland white main hall. No researchers could be seen in the labs that flanked the hall, so she stayed vigilant as she approached the far door.
Mira entered the main lab, the door closing behind her. Standing alone at the main console, and oblivious to her presence was the familiar hunched over form of the Mad Engineer. Mira sprang forth, throwing a stun grenade ahead of her towards the man’s exposed back. The grenade passed through the body; the image flickered as the projection distorted. Mira forced herself to stop with a screeching skid, her eyes widened in shock when the grenade went off sending blue arcs of energy throughout the computer equipment, and the image disappeared. Sparks fell like rain, and screens flickered and went dead. The lights went dark. The emergency lights activated bathing the room in a dreary red light. Mira turned around just in time to watch thick blast doors seal her only exit.
“Brilliant,” A voice cackled maniacally over the intercom, “I almost doubted that you wouldn’t have fallen for this trap, but I was wrong.”
Mira’s heart sank, how could she have been so stupid to think she could infiltrate a base of this magnitude to capture this engineer so easily. Where did she go wrong? She thought to herself, no alarms triggered when she breached the base, no one cried out.
“Technically, I’m not captured yet,” Mira admitted loudly as she scanned the room for an idea.
“The cat didn’t think she would be caught by the mouse. Hehe, oh you almost got me once, purple haired woman,” the Mad Engineer replied, Mira could sense a dwindling sense of sanity, “I learned to detect Ruby infusion long ago, and knew you were here as soon as you entered the base.”
Mira cursed herself, he was a mad genius. Thoughts raced through her mind, as panic started to seep into her when she realized that there were no means of escape. She caught glimpse of a camera, and she knew he was watching her from somewhere close, and Mira was confident that he was in the hidden lab. Turning towards the damaged console, she sighed realizing she couldn’t hack the system to open the door.
“If that’s true, why go through all these theatrics?” Mira asked feigning interest to keep him talking, and to think of what to do next.
“Details are not necessary my dear,” the man’s voice purred over the intercom, “The point is you are here, and you can help me with my research,” he explained calmly. “I like to see how Ruby infused individuals evolve their power.”
“Glad I could help,” Mira answered sarcastically with a roll of her eyes.
“Now we will see how you fare with a test,” he added, his voice drowned out by a loud hissing of a hidden door opening against the far wall, exposing a large automaton.
It looked identical to the one she fought before, but instead of an exposed core, the chest had a large display on it. The face mimicked a yawn, before frowning when its sensors picked up Mira. It rolled forward with wheels on its heels, stretching out its arms as it reached the centre of the room. Each hand had robotic fingers that split in twine, revealing a hidden sword on the left hand, and an energy whip on the right.
Mira unsheathed her sword with a sigh and activated the energy edge which hummed to life. The machine launched forward, snapping the whip towards her. Mira slid down on her knees and felt the air displace above her as the whip cracked. Before she could strike, she had to roll to avoid the downward thrust of the sword which pierced the metal floor. Mira swung with a backhand as she came out of the roll. Expecting the feeling of her sword against metal joint, instead all she felt was air, as the automaton lifted its leg, and jumped over her to avoid the attack. The metal body slamming against the floor with a thunderous bang as it rolled to its feet. Mira’s eyes widened as in the same movement the machine moved its arm backwards to send the whip her way. Bringing up her blade at the last minute, the whip deflected off the blade and pushed her backwards.
“Upgrades, huh?” Mira acknowledged with an impressive nod as the machine’s torso rotated at the hips to face her, “Let’s dance, big boy.”
Mira reversed her grip on her sword, so the blade pointed backwards. Springing forward with leaping strides, she charged forward. The large machine bent its knees in anticipation of the oncoming attack, spreading its arms wide as if inviting her to attack. Her strides morphed into large bounding leaps and after the third step, she jumped. The automaton thrust its sword forward, while the whip quickly retracted back to a normal hand. Mira timed the thrust of the sword and landed back first on the flat surface sliding down its length. Mira’s feet planted on the hilt of the blade, and she jumped before the other hand swatted down to crush her. Mira thrust her sword in the right shoulder of the machine, and as she descended, it tore a massive gash in its back. The large machine reared back as if in agony. Mira landed behind the machine and sliced the back of its left knee causing it to topple over. The body twisted quickly on its hips left hand stopping its fall. Blue hydraulic fluid poured out of the torn shoulder, as it shifted its only working leg to stand up. Its right arm hung uselessly at its side, but the left hand morphed into a multi-barrelled gun that started to glow red, humming as it charged to fire. Mira sprung into a back handspring as pulses of red lasers charred the metal ground just behind her. Mira acted on pure reflex, jumping, rolling, and spinning to barely avoid the blasts. Thinking quickly, she took out her grappling gun, and aimed it at the metal beams on the ceiling. It pulled her off her feet and towards the mech. The display’s grin switched to shock as she shot towards it, sword first. The blade piercing the display causing it to turn to static. The machine fell back, and Mira stood atop it as the machine twitched in its death throws.
“Well, that was fun, not much of an upgrade though,” Mira commented arrogantly. “So, how about you open the door, and we have a little chat?”
“Mwahaha, you are not just beautiful and deadly, but you have a great sense of humor,” the Mad Engineer cackled, “But I know you aren’t stupid. You know you aren’t leaving here.”
Mira kept her face calm as she stared at the blank wall ahead of her, knowing that the hidden entrance lay beyond. The blast door sealing the main entrance opened to the sounds of shouts and footsteps. She didn’t have much time, so she started to cut into the torso of the fallen automaton. Soldiers started to filter into the room, shouting for her to stand down. Crimson light spewed from the hole, bathing Mira in its glow. Soldiers parted suddenly and a heavily armored woman walked in. Her light brown hair was cut short, buzzed on the sides and she carried a thick bladed sword and heavy shield. Soldiers started to chant “Viking” repeatedly as she stood in front of Mira.
“That’s quite enough Engineer,” The woman yelled, “You, throw down your weapon now, or else,” she ordered with a threatening malice.
“I’m sorry,” Mira said with a slight tilt her of head, “I don’t listen to people with bad haircuts.” Mira stabbed her sword into the exposed ruby core of the machine.
Mira felt the familiar rush of the Ruby power as it coursed through her whole body. Arcs of red energy wrapped around her body before displacing, muscles tensed, but the intensity faded quickly. The Viking rushed forward with a tremendous battle cry. Mira jumped off the machine, using her feet to stomp down onto the shield. The Viking pressed forward, and Mira felt as if she was kicking a tank as her body was propelled backwards. Tucking into a roll, she landed hard on the ground, but quickly bounced back to her feet. The Viking didn’t give her a chance to breath and was already upon her with furious swings of her sword. Mira dodged the first couple attacks before she was able to bring her sword up to attempt to deflect the powerful attacks. The Viking screamed defiantly as she combined attacks with her sword and using her shield to push Mira back.
Cutting downwards, Mira sidestepped another attack. Twirling, she thrust her sword and felt the dull clang as it contacted the heavy shield. The force of her thrust pushed her backwards from the barbarian. Mira realized the strength of this elite warrior. Her admiration faded quickly as the barbarian attacked with a furious series of slashes. Mira moved with perfect harmony, dodging, deflecting, and parrying every attack, feeling as if she could almost sense each attack before it arrived. The ferocity of the elite was beyond anything Mira could anticipate. Mira was given little time to counter, so she maintained a defensive stance. The room continued to fill up with more troops, all cheering for their champion, and mocking Mira from the side. Even if Mira was victorious, she wouldn’t likely get out of this.
The two opponents circled each other, Mira knew this Viking was infused. No sweat beaded on her brow, and her breath was calm. Mira’s heart pumped wildly as she felt the Ruby and adrenaline course through her. She knew she could go a while before tiring, but what then? She had to end this quickly, so she went on the offensive. Every attack was blocked by the massive shield, and she couldn’t get around it, her arm felt numb from the vibration, so she quickly stepped away.
“Not so strong, disappointing,” the elite barbarian mocked with a disappointing sigh before launching into another barrage of attacks.
Mira deflected the first few, before the elite connected with a solid backhand. Stumbling backwards, Mira jumped into a backhand spring, but was nicked by a thrust of her opponent’s sword. Mira’s vision blurred but came back into focus. She was outmatched, and she knew it, she felt warm blood trickling down her cheek. The Viking braced herself for another attack as Mira charged forward. Mira jumped and clung to the shield, shooting her grappling gun to the rafters above. The elite tried to sway her shield to knock Mira free, but to no avail. In the distraction, Mira wrapped the wire of the grapple around the shield, and the woman’s arm, then started retracting the grapple. The woman launched off her feet as the line grew taught. Her body dragged helplessly along the metal floor, as she desperately tried to get her arm free from her shield. The soldiers went silent at the twist of events.
“I won, so I get to leave right?” Mira said with a wry grin as the Viking dangled helplessly behind her.
A loud bang sounded from behind Mira as the warrior freed herself and fell to the floor. Mira’s reflexes activated as the Viking attacked, her sword in both hands. The two moved in a deadly dance of finesse and ferocity. Sparks ignited when swords connected. The combatants locked blades, faces only inches apart. Both grimaced as they struggled, but it was Mira who fell to one knee, slowly being overpowered. With a glance, Mira saw the Mad Engineer standing in the doorway of the hidden lab grinning in glee. If only she could get into the lab. Then the Ruby power blossomed within her, time seemed to stop, and the room went silent as the Viking woman fell forward to the floor. A faint tracer of ruby light flickered between two soldiers, and everyone looked around wondering what had happened.
“Don’t move, or I will skewer you where you stand,” Mira threatened suddenly with a whisper into the ear of the Mad Engineer.
“What!?…How?” the man stammered as he felt the tip of her sword poking into the small of his lower back.
Mira’s hand grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him backwards into the lab. Bowing slightly as the Viking made eye contact with her. Screams of protest were muffled as Mira closed the door, disabling the controls to seal it shut. The Mad Engineer whimpered and grovelled at her feet.
“Please, don’t hurt me,” the man begged, lifting his hands up in mercy.
“That will depend on how well you cooperate,” Mira threatened, pulling him to his feet and pushing him against the lab equipment.
“You can’t get out of here you know,” the engineer warned as he faced her, as the heavy sound of pounding reverberated against the sealed door.
“One problem at a time,” she answered calmly as she connected a USB to the computer, the display showing a transfer program, “enter your password now.”
The engineer looked at her with wide eyes between the looming sword pointed at his face, and the computer. Nodding frantically, he entered the code. Mira watched as the data transfer began. While she waited, she tied the engineer’s hands behind his back. Once the transfer was complete, she pocked the USB, and to the black box that usually housed Ruby. It sat quietly, so when she opened it, she was disappointed to find it empty.
“Under the table,” the engineer sighed, knowing full well what she was looking for.
Mira pulled out a crate from under the lab table. Lifting the lid, she saw more Ruby within. She filled her pack with as much Ruby it could hold, crushing another one in the process. Her jaw clenched, feeling as if she would shatter her own teeth. Her eyes felt as if they were about to pop out of her head. It felt more agonizingly pleasurable than any other infusion before. When it ended, the room filled with sparks as the crimson energy lanced around the light fixtures.
“Addicting isn’t it?” the engineer said with a leering smile as she regained her senses.
“It’s necessary to get me out of here safely,” Mira warned as she shook her limbs to get the tingling feeling out of them, “Now how do we get out of here?”
The Engineer pointed at the sealed door, but quickly cowered as Mira picked him up by the collar of his lab coat and pinning him against the wall, his toes barely scraping against the floor.
“I’m done playing around engineer, I know you aren’t stupid enough to create a hidden lab and not have a way out.” She tightened her grip, and he gasped for air as she choked him.
“There,” he gasped while pointing towards the lab table, “Underneath, there is a hidden latch.”
“Open it now,” Mira demanded, throwing him to the floor.
He landed hard with hands tied behind his back and started wiggling his body towards the wall, Mira pushed him with her foot. As he got close to the wall, a hidden display revealed an optical scanner. It beeped when it approved his clearance, and a latch popped up on the floor. Mira looked inside and saw lines of LED lights pulsing slowly directing them to the way out. Pushing the engineer with her foot, he gasped with surprise as he tumbled into the tunnel headfirst, Mira jumped in after, closing the latch behind. She pushed them quickly, always looking over her back. The tunnel ended and they entered a large cave. The cave entrance framed a beautiful view of the ocean sparkling from the morning sun. A small transport blimp sat in the center of the cave, its systems springing to life as they entered.
Mira carefully flew the blimp out into the skies above the majestic lands of springs and stone towers. Keeping her altitude low to avoid radar, she turned the craft south and started her journey home. The engineer sat cowering on the floor of the ships hold, mumbling to himself inaudibly. She felt relieved when the familiar, fog filled marshlands flew underneath in a blur. The adrenaline faded from her body, and she suddenly felt how sore she was from her fight. A growing pit in her stomach formed when she realized Diamond Hands would be waiting to confront her when she returned. However, she had the Engineer, and a bag full of Ruby, he wouldn’t be mad for long, or so she rationalized.
Green hills rolled like waves beneath her as her base appeared at the edge of the horizon. Turning on her comms, she contacted the base and relayed her information, so they didn’t shoot her down. Circling the base, she saw soldiers running towards the landing pad where she was directed to land. The ship hissed as the landing gear activated, the door lowered down to reveal Diamond Hands, both arms crossed with a serious scowl on his face.
“Do you care to explain yourself?” Diamond Hands growled as Mira appeared before him, his voice trailing off when she pushed the Mad Engineer down the ramp, followed by the bag full of Ruby.
“I saw an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up,” Mira countered as a couple soldiers picked the engineer off the ground and dragged him away.
“So that justifies you running off without telling your partner? And lying to Daphne?” DH said with a quiet growl, as Mira walked right up to him, staring up at his scowling face. Smiling as soldiers cheered her on.
“I weighed the options DH and knew the consequences. In the end, I made the right choice.” Mira argued confidently.
Diamond Hands looked down at her, saw her exhaustion and gash on her upper cheek, but also saw a glint of crimson light her eyes. He knew that she infused with more Ruby, and he also felt that even with the enhanced power that she had barely escaped. Shaking his head in disappointment, it took all his power not to yell in frustration.
“You must understand my disappointment, Mira. I thought you wanted me to trust you,” he explained with a growl, a few soldiers stopped celebrating when they saw his anger.
“I get it,” Mira answered, “I disappointed you, but it had to be done this way,” Mira added as she walked past him, his hand grabbing her arm. She stopped and glared at her mentor, pulling free of his grip with surprising strength, “Don’t grab me,” she threatened, “We have the mad engineer, your welcome.”
“We are supposed to be a team. Before I left, you preached about trust, and you impatiently run off? There are consequences, Mira,” DH argued with a shake of his head.
Mira’s eyes lowered, a build up of anger brewing within. Before she could answer the bases alarms started to blare. The two looked at each other and ran to the central room of the HQ.
“Report,” Diamond Hands ordered as soon as he entered the room.
“Sir, a massive force is on a direct approach to us from the north,” a soldier answered from a security monitor.
Diamond Hands brought up the feed of a drone scouting the area. A massive force marched through the Marshland. Mira saw at the head of the column was the barbarian woman she had fought.
“Get all troops in defensive positions and work double time to finish whatever upgrades are in progress,” DH commanded, as he looked over everyone in the room, “Now!”
Everyone jumped at the command. Diamond Hands looked to Mira, who stood shaking her head with sunken shoulders. “Consequences, Mira,” DH said as he pointed at the screen showing the approaching forces, then he walked out of the HQ to help coordinate the defenses. The Big Hammer King’s forces were coming to reclaim his prize, and Mira realized she was the one responsible.
