The Taq-Law dragged itself forward, one leg scraping across the floor after another. Both its arms were bladed though one was cracked. The other passengers were watching the thing in a terror that came from having seen your nightmare come to life. One woman was fighting the urge to scream and Kathryn could see it on her face.
But she knew this thing was coming for her above all else. Pulling herself to her feet and groaning at the immediate pain she ignored it the best she could. Dropping her book bag, she dug out pencil case and a calculator. Slinging the bag over her shoulder again she sprinted at the machine. Vaguely she could hear Owen shouting at her.
Lunging first she threw the calculator and the machines arm whipped forward cutting the tool in half. She got closer and slid the pencil case at it and it’s head whipped to the side sending a concentrated laser into the case blowing it to hell and filling a chunk of the car with heat. Covering her face, she darted through the smoke ready to take the machine by surprise.
It may have been wounded but the machine wasn’t stupid or slow. As she got close it whirred around and swung a broken bladed arm directly at her neck. She dropped to her knees sliding forward and watched it slash through a few strands of her hair. Another arm came down behind her and she jumped feeling the bladed arm slice cleanly through her book bag straps.
Without the weight on her back she rolled past the Taq-Law and got to her feet. Whirling around she pointed and shouted, “Come on you stupid fucking robot. Come and get me!”
Its head whipped around and sparks flew around its neck and body but the red glow in its face was potent. It fired a beam at her and she barely had time to grasp her stone. Her hand went up and the air shimmered blue creating a barrier before blasting her backward and exploding through the wall of the train.
Flying backwards she stamped her feet against the ground hearing her boots grind into the ground and her back hitting the wall. Taking a breath through her helmet she gasped and looked at hands. It had been so long since she’d seen the blue armor and it felt good to have it on her skin again. Like putting on a favorite outfit before the big interview.
Looking toward the front of the car she’d been in she saw the train had been heavily derailed and crashed into one of the walls of the train. The connector of the train was flickering with open wires. Where the other half of the train was at this point she didn’t know but it couldn’t have been too far.
Looking in the other direction she saw a hole in the ground and the ruptured train tracks and realizing that the machine had been under the ground, long buried into the stone. “Has this thing really been down there for a year?”
She heard rending metal and her attention went back to the train. The Taq-Law jumped out of the train tearing another hole through the side. It’s red light flashed and focused on her. Clasping her hands together she spread them and felt her staff forming between her palms. Spreading them around she spun it around her back and crouched pointing at the train. “Just like Marco says. Time to go to work.”
The Taq-Law leaped at her blades first and she blocked with the staff. Pivoting she turned with her weight and sent it careening over to the opposite side of the tunnel. It stumbled forward and rotated on its joints so that it was facing her again. Its arms moved almost like a blur of sharp edges but she was ready.
Her staff met one blade and then raised her hand catching the other blade against her blue shield. The Taq-Law jumped forward kicking her in the chest hard. She stumbled backwards almost tripping but leaned on her staff for balance. Grunting she pushed forward and spun the staff again.
“Come on Kat. You’re fighting rusty,” she mumbled spinning the staff across her shoulders slowly and lunged at the machine.
It started to moved but sparks flashed and it fell down to it’s knee like a cripple. She almost felt bad for it but flashes of what it did to her friends and her city emptied those emotions entirely. Shoving the staff into the ground she vaulted herself forward and planted both feet into its face kicking it into the wall.
Landing she spun the staff around and shoved it into its arm. With a hard wrench of her arm she broke the arm clean off and sent it flying down the tunnel. It snapped its arm forward and swung its blade at her almost slashing open her throat. Her shield managed to catch it but it sent her stumbling backwards as it regained its footing and focused on her.
It fired a concentrated beam and she got ready to move but realized that if she did the train was going to eat it the blast. Spinning her staff around she broke it into segments turning it into its triangle shape. She blocked the blast feeling the energy radiate within her shield. Grunting she took a step forward and whipped the shield at it like she was Captain America.
It slammed into the Taq-Laws chest pinning it into the wall. The red energy within the shield glowed like a molten pit and exploded outward scattering machine parts in every direction. She brushed aside an arm and a piece of a chest and shook her head. One of its legs was still standing but the explosion had driven it so deep into the ground it was more like a grave stone.
“I guess I can still hang huh?”
She laughed to herself and walked toward the wall. Picking up her staff she rested it against her shoulder. She kicked over the leg of the Taq-Law for good measure and turned freezing in place. An orange light extended forward from the end of the train and then settled down. When it did a humanoid shape appeared in front of her.
They walked forward wearing armor similar to their own except not. It was different. Sleeker, spikes on the arms and knees. Instead of a blank black screen over their face it was bright orange shield. All of her instincts screamed at her to be on edge and she took a step back raising her staff.
“Who are you?” she asked.
They raised their hands slowly, holding them in front of their face and started swaying back and forth slowly. His swaying got faster and faster leaving a soft orange trail behind him and she spun her staff around grasping it in both hands.
“I don’t know who you are but I guess we’re doing this,” she said taking a deep breath. “Looks like I’m not going to make it to work today.”
The Harlequin Library 