…
You are back
Yes
Why
I have to do my job
Why
Because other wise i will die
Didn’t we want to die at first
That's not true
You are lying
No
Death
Death
The end of a life
A life ending
Do you think yourself someone worthy of deciding that
Yes
Why
Because otherwise i will die
So you think your life more valuable than others
No
Correct, so why do you kill
Because it is my job
Was it your job when she died
No
So why did you kill her
She asked for it
Do the others you kill ask to be killed
No
So why do kill
Because it is my job
Disgusting
Another shell hit the side of the vehicle shredding the final plates that held back the dust and grime of the road. Archam, fighting the controls of the vehicle to prevent crashing, hurriedly looked back at the still unmoving Argonaut under the tarp. He opened the comms channel and screamed; “WEAPON IF YOU DON’T WAKE THE FUCK UP AND KILL THOSE BASTARDS WE ARE ALL GOING TO DIE! DO YOU FUCKING UNDERSTAAND ME!? DIE!!” Just then another shell hit the side. The internal mechanics sputtered shortly before breaking down in a violent shred of metal on metal. Shrapnel went into the tires, motors struggled before exploding violently. And the whole thing swerved and tipped before crashing onto its side. The whole thing slid across the tarmac before slamming into a building. The construction cracked and crumbled before it collapsed onto the vehicle, engulfing it in debris and dust. The pursuing Argonauts, of which there were 4, slowly came to a stop. Their weapons trained on the dust cloud. One Argonaut, a leader type figure, slowly approached. Signaling to his squadmates to stay behind.
Winding
The mass of broken machinery and crushed concrete began to shift. Slightly starling the guard.
Winding
The sound of shifting rubble and strained machinery was heard. The rubble sliding off of a slowly revealed humanoid figure.
Winding
The squad leader took a step back, their hands shaking as something rose from the debris. The other squadmates remained in position, their fear palpable even through the steel visage of their Argonauts.
Winding
The figure finally stood. Its silhouette was tall, with long forearms and shins and overall skinny and narrow proportions. Its head was the final piece to rise, narrow and blade-like.
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Winding
The silhouette stood there, unmoving. Not even the slightest itch. The guard waited patiently for orders as they stared down this machine. Then, like a pair of blood soaked flood lights. A pair of eyes flashed to life. Startling the guard. The leader raised his hand, ready to give the order to fire when-
Release
In a blur of white, trailed by blood red eyes. The machine crashed into the leader. Its feet braced against its shoulders, the whole thing crouched over like an animal that just caught its prey. His thumbs were jammed into the eye sockets. Time seemed to stop. As the leader slowly collapsed onto its back when.
Winding
Release
The white Argonaut leapt from the leader, sending them crashing to the ground and colliding with another Argonaut. Gripping its head as it landed on the ground before slammed it into the dirt. The collision was so violent the tarmac fractured and splintered. The remaining two opened fire, bullets ripping through the air, but the white Argonaut was still faster. In the blink of an eye it dashed forward plunging its fingers into the gut of one of the guards and hurling it away. The final guard drew their combat, but the white Argonaut was already behind them, gripping their head and, bracing its foot on the guard's back, ripping the head off in one clean motion. The final sputters of the guard were washed away when, as a final act. The white Argonaut threw its head back, as a mechanical jaw unhinged revealing a settled grate expelling smoke followed by an ear piercing scream. The sound was akin to metal scraping against metal but just human enough to give it an eerie tone as smoke billowed from the “mouth” amidst the mechanical carnage around it.
From the rubble, Archam slowly clawed out. Shoving small rocks and debris from his path. Once he emerged he finally saw the origin of that ear deafening screech. The white Argonaut. He opened the channel, tapping the small device on his wrist, a task made harder by his hands clutching his ears. As he opened it his senses were once again assaulted by even more screaming, this time, Jax’s voice. A guttural, fearful and savage scratch emanating in Archam’s head. The sound of a human in true anguish. Archam tried to reach out “Weapon- Jackson- whatever, what the hell is going on in there!?” But there was no response. Archam struggled out of the rubble, freeing his feet and opened another channel to the robot, Eighteen. “Hey bot shit’s gone tits up! The pilot is in that weirdo Argonaut but he’s gone cuckoo bananas! Please for the love of god tell me that your exfil is on its way!” Eighteen replied, saying
“Our extract is currently entering the blockade, it may take a short while before it arrives.”
“Oh geez, godammit! What's the ETA?”
“30 minutes.”
“30!? We’re dead in thirty minutes. The rest of the guard is gonna show up and clobber his ass! I get that thing is pretty tuned, I mean I saw it take out 4 dudes but like 15!? Hell 20?! I don’t know man…”
“Trust me. We have won.”
The ear deafening scream slowly came to a close as the white Argonaut slumped over again, in its usual posture. The screaming over the comms also ended, replaced with a low and husky breath. Archam snapped his head back to the Argonaut and radioed “Hey, what the hell happened. You good?!”
The white Argonaut stumbled around for a short while gripping its head. Jax responded, in a low and stammering voice “I-It hurts… g-get me out…” Jax’s pleas were interrupted however by the thunderous roar of thrusters as the rest of the guard sped towards him. “Just hold on there, big guy. Helps on the way. Don’t die just yet!” Archam then turned tail and ran off, hoping he wouldn’t be caught in the cross fire.
The white Argonaut then slowly turned to meet the oncoming assailants. As Archam ran he heard a certain sound coming from the white Argonaut. It sounded like a coil winding and straining. The Argonauts movements became strained and forced, like its tendons were being pulled and strained.
Winding
Then suddenly, two Argonauts, armed with high power shotguns round the corner facing the white Argonaut as well as behind him but before they are able to fire
Release
In a second, the white Argonaut crashes into the first two front facing machines. Its feet impact with such force that its target is sent flying back, demolishing the building behind it. The guard however doesn't give a second to spare as they open fire with volleys of armor piercing flechettes. However, emerging from the dust, the white Argonaut sprints forward using the discarded corpse as a makeshift shield. Flechettes embed themselves in the chassis, causing micro detonations. And as the shield is all but destroyed, the white Argonaut hurls it at one of the guards before dashing forward and crushing another guard's head with its hand. Then, ear deafening rifle fire rips through the air, chipping away at the white Argonauts weak armor. It dashes to the side, behind a building. It had a split second to see the new assailants, two regular guards with rifles and missiles and one with a large cannon of sorts. Missiles ignite and begin to fly towards the white Argonaut who, sprinting through the serpentine path of the streets, closes the distance. First plunging it hand into the gut of one target, before tossing it aside and striking another in the face. The larger Argonaut tries to get the cannon into place but the white Argonaut lifts it up and kicks the large Argonaut in the chest. From behind a combat knife speeds towards the rear but it's caught. Changing the grip, the white Argonaut breaks the wrists and tugs the guard towards it, head butting them before sweeping the legs and plunging its hand into the gut.
From the distance Archam watches the battle unfold. Guard after guard came after it but, time after time they were destroyed. Archam hesitantly opened the comms channel again. On the other end was Jax’s ragged breathing, broken up by occasional grunts as the white Argonaut exerted itself. “Hey! Hey, can you hear me?!” Archam shouted. The white Argonaut tore the head off of a guard before slowly turning to Archam. “I… you… what's going on?” Jax said.
Archam’s eyes widened as Jax responded, like he was talking to the violent behemoth in front of him.
“Extration is almost here… Are you ok?”
“I’m… I feel strange.”
“Good-good, cool.”
“It's like my entire body is dipped in a bath of pins and needles.”
“That's…normal…I guess. Just focus on staying alive, alright?”
“Right… alive.” Jax replied.
Slowly he turned his head, or rather the head of the machine body he was operating in. The longer he stayed the more accustomed he became to it. The sensation of inhabiting the white Argonaut growing more and more familiar. His vision cleared, the sense of touch returned to his fingers and legs. The sensation of… breathing.
The white Argonaut opened its jaw once more, smoke billowing from its mouth
The systems, the hud, everything slowly came into focus. The reticles in the centre of his sight, a deep crimson red appeared. Statistics, values and other information clouding the edge of his sightline. He looked down to his body, the white armor, the strange muscle-like understructure. It all felt so… real, like this body was his own. His previous Argonauts that were issued to him were all shells, boxes with limbs that could shoot a gun. This machine however was agile, flexible. Like a real human body that could move at incredible speeds. For once he felt like the hollow void in his body, the holes in his flesh and the empty ports that dotted his body were filled. Like this machine was his own flesh and blood.
[debt remaining: 999,120,003 V]
