Zoey caught up with the Mantis, her breaths coming in sharp, controlled bursts as she clambered up the side and slipped back inside the rear compartment. The air was thick with tension as she powered down the Vulpes Titan suit, the servos and hydraulics whining softly as the armor released her. Etrius was waiting for her in the cabin, his expression shifting from relief to concern the moment he laid eyes on her.
He stepped closer, his brows knitting together as he examined her face. The dark, metallic scales that had begun appearing days earlier had spread—now covering her entire face, glinting with an unnatural sheen in the low light. They were creeping up the sides of her neck as well, spreading like a sinister latticework over her skin.
“Zoey...” Etrius said, his voice firm but carrying a note of urgency. He gestured sharply toward the back of the Mantis. “Take your clothes off. All of it. Now.”
Zoey shot him a glare, her lips pulling back in a snarl. “The fuck are you on about, Etrius?” Her tail lashed behind her, thudding against the side of the cabin.
“Just do it, Zoey,” he insisted, his tone leaving no room for argument. “I need to see how far it’s spread.”
Zoey huffed, clearly bristling at being ordered around, but she yanked off her kevlar suit, tossing it to the side with a frustrated growl. Her movements were stiff, the anger bubbling just beneath her skin, but she continued until she’d stripped down entirely, her hands clenching into fists as she stood before him.
Etrius took in the sight with a mixture of shock and curiosity. The scales weren’t confined to just her face. They stretched across her entire back, the dark, metallic surface running down from her shoulders and spine to her tail, merging seamlessly with the lizard-like appendage. Around her inner thighs, the scales transitioned to a pale, silvery-white, matching the fur that had once covered those areas. Her lower body, including her genitals, had taken on a more reptilian shape, the changes both subtle and unmistakable.
Zoey’s face was twisted in a scowl, her teeth bared in frustration. She could feel his gaze on her, analyzing the transformation that had taken place without her consent. “Satisfied, asshole?” she spat, her voice rough and edged with bitterness. “I never asked for this shit. Not one fucking time in my life.”
Etrius stayed silent for a moment, taking in the full extent of the changes. “If this was from that treatment you got to regrow your tail, it would have happened years ago,” he said quietly, shaking his head. “This is something new, Zoey. Something... different.”
Zoey's shoulders tensed, her tail flicking behind her as she turned away from him, hastily pulling her kevlar exploration suit back on. “Yeah, well, fuck ‘different.’ Feels just like the same old uncontrollable bullshit to me,” she muttered under her breath, her voice thick with anger and shame. As she zipped up the suit, she glanced back at Etrius, her expression darkening further.
“I ran into something at the walker wreckage,” she said, her voice hardening. “Looked like it came out of some twisted mirror—scales, horns, tail, the whole package. Called me a thief. Like they own me.”
Etrius frowned, rubbing his chin thoughtfully as he processed the information. “There might be more data in the walker’s computers—information that could give us some answers about what’s happening to you.”
Zoey’s eyes flashed with anger, and she rounded on him, her voice rising. “It’s always the damn computers with you! Always looking for data, for answers, while I’m out there bleeding, fighting for my life!” Her hands shook as she gestured toward the direction of the wreckage, her breaths coming in furious bursts. “I’m always the one in the crosshairs, and you’re safe behind your damn screens!”
Etrius held up his hands, giving her space as he absorbed the verbal assault. He didn’t respond right away, letting the silence settle between them as Zoey’s shoulders heaved with anger. After a long moment, she took a shuddering breath, the fire in her eyes dimming slightly.
“Sorry. I don’t know what I'm saying,” she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper. Her tail coiled tightly against her legs, betraying the turmoil she felt. “It’s just... I’m tired, Etrius. Tired of this bullshit.”
Etrius studied her for a moment, then gave a slow, understanding nod. “We need to figure this out, Zoey. Before it gets worse.” He paused, then added, “I looked up some of the coordinates we pulled from that old military base. One of them is an airfield on the East Coast.”
Zoey’s expression twisted with frustration, and she clenched her fists tightly, her nails digging into her palms. “Goddamn it, Etrius, more running around? I just want to go home, not chase after every lead like some fucking scavenger hunt.”
“I get it,” he replied, keeping his tone even. “But we don’t have a choice. If there’s any chance we can find answers about what’s happening to you, we have to take it. I know it’s not ideal, but it’s better than stumbling in the dark.”
Zoey let out a long, weary sigh, rubbing a hand over her face. “This had better not be another dead end. I’ve had enough of those to last a lifetime.” She shot him a sharp look. “If we’re going to do this, we do it fast, and we get out.”
Etrius nodded, and together they turned to the task of securing their gear. Zoey packed the Vulpes Titan suit back into its locker, her movements precise but tense, as if she was holding back a wave of pent-up anger. She reconnected the jury-rigged power harness to the Mantis’s battery pack, switching the vehicle over to its electric drive. The hum of the diesel engine faded, replaced by the low whir of the electric motors.
As Zoey slid back into the driver’s seat, Etrius took a position next to her, keeping an eye on the radar as she started up the Mantis. The KKP-42 trailed behind them, the tankette secured with the tow cables. They set off once more, the landscape slipping by in a blur as they made their way east, toward the unknown.
Zoey and Etrius made their way eastward, driving through the broken and desolate landscape. The Mantis hummed softly on its electric drive, pulling the KKP-42 behind them as the miles stretched on. The landscape shifted from arid wastelands to overgrown stretches of forest, remnants of the old world reclaiming the land. The journey was long, but uneventful, the silence between them heavy with unspoken thoughts.
They traveled for hours, the only sound the low hum of the Mantis’s motors and the occasional click of Zoey adjusting their route on the navigation system. Etrius kept watch, his eyes scanning the horizon for any signs of movement, but the roads remained empty. Whatever pursuers they had shaken off earlier had not yet caught up to them, and the stillness of the ruined landscape gave them a reprieve.
Eventually, as night began to fall, Zoey spotted an old rest stop on the side of the cracked highway—little more than a crumbling building half-swallowed by the forest. She pulled the Mantis off the road, rolling to a stop beneath the cover of the trees. “We’ll camp here. Need to catch some rest before we push on.”
Etrius nodded, glancing at the radar one last time. They set up a quick perimeter, securing the Mantis and the KKP-42 before settling inside the vehicle’s cabin. Zoey’s shoulders sagged as she lay down on the cot in the aft cabin, the tension of the past days weighing heavily on her. Etrius lay beside her, their shoulders brushing in the confined space, the warmth of his presence a small comfort.
The exhaustion of the past days caught up with them, and soon they drifted off to sleep, lulled by the quiet hum of the Mantis’s computer systems. When they awoke hours later, the air between them had changed, thick with an almost palpable heat that hadn’t been there before. Zoey’s anger still simmered beneath the surface, her body thrumming with restless energy, and she saw that same tension mirrored in Etrius’s eyes.
Their movements became a wordless exchange, a silent understanding passing between them. The heat of Zoey’s anger and the intensity of the changes coursing through her body seemed to drive them closer, drawing out something raw and unrestrained. Etrius’s hand found her shoulder, tracing the edge of the scales that had spread further across her neck, and she shuddered under his touch, her breath catching.
Without another word, they closed the distance between them, their need for one another taking over as they lost themselves in each other. The small space of the Mantis was filled with the sounds of their passion, the raw energy burning away the tension that had lingered. For a time, they were able to forget about the danger, the changes, and the uncertainty of what lay ahead.
Afterward, they lay together in the dark, the air cooling around them as the haze of desire faded. Zoey’s anger had not completely subsided, but it was a quieter, smoldering thing now, tempered by the release. Etrius held her close, his hand idly tracing the patterns of the scales that had spread further across her skin. He could feel the subtle changes in her body, the way her muscles had grown and tightened and shifted beneath the surface, becoming something new.
As they continued their journey through the night, the Mantis cutting through the shadowed roads, Zoey remained silent, her thoughts turning inward. The scales continued to spread, inching further along her body with each passing hour. She caught glimpses of herself in the reflection of the Mantis’s windows, seeing the way her face had changed—still her, but with sharper edges, more angular lines that hinted at the reptilian features taking shape.
In those quiet hours, Zoey found herself talking to no one in particular, her voice low and rough in the darkness. She bounced between English and German, muttering half-formed thoughts and curses as she tried to come to terms with the changes overtaking her body. “Scheisse... it’s never enough, is it?” she muttered, her fingers brushing over the scaled patches on her arms. “Always something else, always changing... never fucking stopping.”
Etrius listened in silence as he drove, respecting her need for space even as he kept an eye on her condition. He could see the struggle in her eyes, the way she was trying to accept the changes that might soon become permanent. He wanted to comfort her, but he knew better than to offer empty reassurances when they both understood how uncertain the future was.
The hours stretched on, the landscape changing around them as they drew closer to the East Coast. By the time dawn broke, they had crossed the border into what used to be West Virginia, the ruins of old cities looming in the distance like ghosts. Zoey’s jaw tightened as she stared out at the crumbling skyline, her mind already focused on what they might find at the airfield.
Zoey climbed out of the Mantis, her boots crunching on the gravel as she surveyed the vehicle’s exterior for the first time since their clash with the walker. The doubled-up armor panels bore the scars of battle—dings, dents, and scratches marred the reinforced plating, along with scorch marks from glancing energy blasts. She traced a hand over one of the deeper marks, feeling the rough edges where something had attempted to burn through. But the armor had held firm.
She circled the vehicle slowly, taking stock of the damage. The Mantis’s reinforced panels, bolstered by the additional plating she had scavenged earlier, had done their job well. Despite the barrage of enemy fire, none of the damage was deep enough to threaten the core structure. Even the KKP-42 towed behind had come through relatively unscathed, its sloped armor deflecting the brunt of the walker’s attacks.
As she moved, Zoey’s mind turned over what she had learned during the fight. These creatures—whatever they were—seemed to rely heavily on energy weapons. The walker’s primary arsenal had been lasers, railguns, and other high-tech energy-based systems. But Zoey’s own weapons were purely kinetic, designed to punch through armor rather than burn through it. Against the thick, tempered steel of the Mantis, the enemy’s energy blasts had proven less effective than they might have anticipated.
She paused beside one of the larger scorch marks, frowning as she remembered the walker’s strange hexagonal plating. It had shattered under sustained fire from the KKP-42, its thin, brittle design poorly matched against the heavy slugs of her 40mm gun. She shook her head slightly, a puzzled expression crossing her face. “Why the hell would they build something so fragile?” she muttered under her breath.
And then there was the dropship from earlier, armed with conventional guns instead of the advanced energy weapons. It didn’t quite add up. Maybe it was meant to blend in, to look more like the human aircraft that had once dominated these skies. Or maybe it had been an intentional deception, a way to keep them guessing. Either way, she couldn’t be sure, and that uncertainty gnawed at her.
Zoey sighed, brushing a lock of hair out of her face, feeling the cool air against the scales that had spread further across her neck. As she climbed back into the Mantis, Etrius continued driving, the silence between them growing thick with unspoken thoughts. Outside of the earlier meal and the raw exchange they’d shared, they hadn’t really talked since. But as the miles rolled by, Zoey found herself glancing at him out of the corner of her eye, a question forming on her lips.
After a long pause, she finally broke the silence. “Etrius... Why do you... Why do you still want me? Even with... all this?” She gestured at the scales that marred her face, her voice uncharacteristically hesitant.
Etrius kept his eyes on the road, but his expression softened, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Julia used to tell me... it doesn’t matter what a person goes through, or how they change on the outside. Who they are inside doesn’t just vanish because their body’s different.”
Zoey fell silent, processing his words, but Etrius continued after a moment, his voice quieter, more reflective. “Back when I was... changed, forced into a woman’s body to save my life, I thought everything about me was different. I felt like I’d lost myself. But Julia made me see that I was still me, even if I didn’t look like I used to. She had this way of making sense out of everything, you know?”
Zoey glanced down, guilt flickering across her face. “I'm...I'm sorry. I shouldn’t have brought it up. I know those memories hurt.”
Etrius shook his head, glancing over at her briefly. “It’s fine, Zo. I think... even if that hadn’t happened, even if I stayed a woman, it wouldn’t have lasted. Sometimes things fall apart, and you just have to accept it. I told you what happened to her...”
The Mantis rumbled on, the conversation fading back into the low drone of the electric motors. Zoey sat back, a thoughtful frown crossing her face. She had always seen Etrius as this unshakable rock, but now she understood that he had his own scars, just as deep as hers. And maybe, in some strange way, that made her feel a little less alone.
Hours later, they pulled up to the shattered gates of the airfield, the rusted remains of the fence creaking in the wind. A faded sign hung crookedly above the entrance, the letters barely legible through the years of decay: Charleston International Airport. Etrius brought the Mantis to a slow crawl, guiding it through the broken gates as Zoey manned the automated turret, scanning the surroundings for any sign of movement.
The airfield was a graveyard of ruined aircraft and rusting vehicles, the runways cracked and overgrown with weeds. The main hangar loomed in the distance, a massive structure surrounded by the remnants of old defensive positions—sandbags and shattered H-barriers, long since abandoned.
As they approached, something caught Zoey’s eye. Sitting outside the hangar, half-hidden among the debris, was a hulking shape that dwarfed the rusting planes around it. A sleek, predatory silhouette, the faint sunlight glinting off its dark, angular hull. A massive VTOL, its engines still gleaming despite the years of neglect, surrounded by the remnants of old firefights.
Etrius pulled the Mantis to a stop, nodding toward the aircraft. “That’s what we came here for. This is how we’re going to get to Germany, Zoey. Safely, and a hell of a lot faster than the Mantis.”
Zoey stared at the VTOL, a skeptical frown creasing her features as she sized up the machine. “You really think that thing’s still got some life in it?”
Etrius chuckled, the sound low and rough in the quiet air. “Only one way to find out. Let’s see what she’s made of.”
Zoey crouched behind a rusting container, scanning the airfield for any signs of movement. Her ears twitched, straining for sounds beyond the faint whistle of the wind. She tightened her grip on her PTRS-41, the weight familiar in her hands. Etrius moved ahead of her, slipping through the shadows of the dilapidated buildings, his black cloak trailing behind him like a specter.
A sudden movement caught her eye—a shadow slipping between the wreckage. Zoey swung her rifle up, but before she could line up the shot, something slammed into her from the side. She hit the ground hard, her rifle skidding away. The reptilian, covered in dark green scales—was on her in an instant, claws digging into her shoulder, pinning her down. Zoey thrashed beneath its grip, her prosthetic arms straining against its grip on her.
The lizard’s fangs flashed as it hissed down at her, one clawed hand wrapping around her throat and squeezing. Zoey gasped, her vision blurring, but she brought her legs up and kicked hard, throwing it off balance for a moment. She rolled, trying to push herself up, but the alien recovered too quickly, driving a knee into her back and slamming her into the dirt. Pain flared through her ribs, her breath driven from her lungs.
Etrius was already moving, his body a blur of motion as he closed the distance between them. He tore his hood back, revealing his striped face, green eyes blazing with cold focus. But before he could reach her, a second lizard leapt from the shadows, claws flashing as it swung at him. Etrius ducked low, the strike slicing through empty air above him. He twisted, his movements sharp and precise, delivering a powerful kick to the creature’s side that sent it stumbling.
Zoey struggled beneath the weight of the first creature, her vision swimming as she gasped for air. She tried to reach for the combat knife at her side, but the alien’s claws raked across her back, tearing through her kevlar suit. Blood welled from the wounds, hot and wet against her now scaled skin. The pain sent a jolt through her, but she forced herself to focus, to keep moving.
The lizard snarled, leaning closer, its breath hot against her face. It drove a fist into her gut, the impact sending fresh waves of agony through her body. Zoey’s grip faltered, her prosthetic arms spasming as they struggled to respond amidst the pain. She fell back, barely able to keep her eyes open, her vision fading at the edges.
The reptile creature seemed to decide she was no longer a threat. It released her, turning to join its companion against Etrius. Zoey gritted her teeth, forcing herself to stay conscious. She watched as Etrius faced both attackers, his movements a deadly dance of speed and precision. He ducked under their claws, weaving through their strikes with an agility that matched—if not surpassed—theirs.
The aliens fought with a predatory grace, each strike quick and vicious, but Etrius moved with the fluidity of a seasoned fighter. He parried a blow from one with his cybernetic arm, using the momentum to drive an elbow into the other’s jaw. It reeled back, but the first reptile lunged at him, forcing him to backpedal, keeping both opponents at bay.
Zoey pressed a hand to her bleeding side, her breaths coming in painful, shuddering rasps. She forced herself to crawl, dragging herself inch by agonizing inch toward the Mantis. Every movement sent pain lancing through her body, but she ignored it, focusing on the goal. Blood dripped onto the ground behind her, leaving a dark trail as she pulled herself up the side of the vehicle and managed to haul open the rear hatch.
She fumbled with the interface on the Vulpes Titan suit, her hands shaking. It took everything she had left to climb into the armor, the suit sealing around her with a hiss. The moment the systems activated, power surged through her limbs, the pain receding into a dull throb as the suit’s systems compensated. Zoey clenched her fists, feeling the servos whir to life, and she stepped out of the Mantis, her movements now amplified by the Titan suit’s strength.
Etrius saw her approach, barely managing to block a swipe aimed at his head. He twisted, but one of the lizards knocked the plasma sword from his hand, sending it skidding across the ground. Zoey wasted no time—she lunged forward, the suit’s boot thrusters firing for a brief burst that sent her barreling into the alien closest to Etrius.
She caught it in a bear hug, crushing it against her chest, and drove her knee repeatedly into its gut. It howled in pain, struggling in her grip, but Zoey swung it around and slammed it into the ground with bone-shattering force. She grabbed the plasma sword from where it lay, the blade humming to life.
The second alien leapt at her, claws outstretched, but she swung the sword in a wide arc, the blade slicing through one of its legs. The lizard alien shrieked, collapsing onto its remaining limb, but it managed to roll clear, leaving a dark trail of bluish-grey blood in its wake. Zoey pressed the attack, the plasma blade carving through the air with lethal precision.
Etrius took advantage of the distraction, catching the disoriented reptilian with a roundhouse kick to the jaw, sending it sprawling. Zoey closed the distance, her armored boots thudding against the ground as she swung the plasma sword again, catching the downed creature across the neck. Its head separated from its shoulders with a hiss of searing flesh, the body crumpling to the ground.
She turned back toward the last alien, which bared its fangs in a final, desperate snarl. It charged her, even as it bled heavily from its severed leg. Zoey met its charge head-on, slamming the plasma blade into its chest, driving the energy weapon through flesh and bone. It convulsed, letting out a wet gurgle as its body slumped against the blade.
Zoey held it there for a moment, the heat from the plasma blade searing the air, before she yanked the sword free, letting the body fall lifelessly to the ground.
She turned back to Etrius, breathing heavily, the adrenaline still coursing through her veins. Blood seeped from the wounds beneath her armor, but she forced herself to stand straight, the rage in her chest still burning hot.
Etrius picked up his plasma sword, offering her a brief, appreciative nod as he caught his breath. “Nice timing.”
Zoey didn’t respond, but she gave a sharp nod in return, the glow of the plasma blade casting shadows across her bloodstained face.
Zoey slumped back against the side of the Mantis, her breath coming in ragged gasps as the adrenaline finally began to ebb away, leaving the searing pain of her injuries in its place. Blood seeped from the gashes in her side, staining the ground beneath her with dark, spreading pools. Etrius moved quickly, his hands steady as he activated the automated turret, setting it to scan for any more attackers.
The turret’s hum was a low, constant presence in the background, a mechanical sentinel watching over them as Etrius knelt beside Zoey. He dug through the Mantis’s medical kit, his brow furrowed with concentration. The hangar around them was silent, save for the distant creak of old metal and the soft rustle of wind through the shattered windows.
Zoey winced as he started cutting away the remains of her torn suit, exposing the deep gashes in her side and back. Her fur was matted with blood, and where the wounds gaped open, dark scales gleamed beneath the ruined hide. Etrius’s eyes flicked over the transformation, but he kept his focus on treating her injuries, applying pressure to the worst of the bleeding.
“Those things… What the hell were they, Zoey?” he asked, his voice low but edged with tension. He reached for a roll of gauze, starting to wrap it tightly around her torso.
Zoey clenched her jaw, fighting back the urge to snap at him. The pain and the lingering fury from the battle gnawed at her, making every word feel like an effort. “More of these alien assholes,” she muttered through gritted teeth. “but they're after me, my armor, and now probably you…”
Etrius nodded, pulling the gauze tighter until Zoey hissed with pain. “And your scales… they’ve spread even more since the last time I checked,” he observed, glancing at her face. Her once-rounded snout had become narrower, more angular, almost lizardlike. Her eyes, too, had changed—sharper, their pupils slitted like a predator’s.
Zoey barked out a harsh laugh that turned into a groan as the movement sent a fresh wave of pain through her ribs. “Yeah, no shit, Sherlock. I look like a damn monster.” She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to focus on the sound of the turret whirring back and forth. “And I can’t… I can’t control this anger. It’s like everything inside me is screaming, all the fucking time.”
Etrius finished wrapping the bandages, his expression softening as he listened to the raw frustration in her voice. He reached into one of the Mantis’s storage compartments, pulling out a vial of Elysium Green. “This should help take the edge off,” he said, injecting a dose into her neck with a steady hand. “Just hold on, Zo. We’ll get through this.”
Zoey felt the familiar, soothing numbness of the Elysium Green spread through her veins, dulling the worst of the pain. It didn’t make the anger go away, but it made it easier to push down, to keep from lashing out. She exhaled shakily, leaning her head back against the cool metal of the Mantis. “Thanks, E. I… I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
Etrius’s lips curled into a small, tired smile as he packed up the medical supplies. “You’d probably punch your way through the rest of these bastards and keep on going. But it’s easier if you don’t have to do it alone.”
Zoey managed a faint smirk at that, though her expression quickly twisted into a grimace as she tried to shift her position. Etrius’s smile faded as he watched her, concern deepening in his eyes. He pulled out a small scanner from the Mantis’s medkit, passing it over her injuries. “Hold still. I need to see how bad the damage is.”
The scanner hummed softly, displaying a detailed readout of Zoey’s injuries. Etrius’s frown deepened as he read the results. “Two vertebrae are fractured, along with your left femur and two ribs. You’re in worse shape than I thought.”
Zoey let out a bitter laugh, her hands gripping the edge of the Mantis’s hatch as she forced herself to sit up straighter. “Yeah, well, everything fucking hurts, in case that wasn’t obvious.” She let out a shaky breath, her expression hardening. “I’ll stay in the Vulpes Titan. The suit’ll keep me moving. Only way I’m going to be able to do fuck-all.”
Etrius hesitated for a moment, his eyes searching her face, but he nodded. “Only until we can get you somewhere safe. This isn’t a permanent solution, Zosh.”
Zoey grunted in response, already hauling herself back into the suit with a grimace. She reached up and unlocked the Titan suit’s helmet, pulling it free with a hiss of depressurized air. She allowed herself to breathe the outside air, feeling the cool breeze against her face. It brought a fleeting moment of relief before the throbbing pain in her ribs reminded her of just how broken she was, inside and out.
She settled back inside the Mantis as Etrius drove them into the relative shelter of the hangar, parking the vehicle behind the massive VTOL. The old aircraft loomed over them, its dark frame casting long shadows across the cracked concrete. Zoey closed her eyes, listening to the echo of the wind through the hangar’s broken walls, trying to hold onto the small moments of calm between the pulses of pain.
Etrius joined her inside, his movements slow and deliberate as he settled into the cramped space beside her. “I’ll keep an eye on the perimeter. Look up what you can about this thing,” he said, nodding toward the VTOL.
Zoey muttered an acknowledgment, booting up the Mantis’s satellite connection. It sucked the life out of the batteries, but they needed it right now. She stared at the screen, her hands trembling slightly as she typed in search queries, the painkillers dulling the edge of her thoughts. After a few minutes, she found what she was looking for. “GHI VTOL-G7... Thunder Dragon,” she read aloud, her voice flat with exhaustion. “Looks like this is our ride.”
Etrius glanced over at her, a small glimmer of hope in his eyes. “And if it still works, it’ll get us where we need to go.”
Zoey didn’t respond right away, her eyes fixed on the faded insignia painted on the side of the VTOL. Her fingers curled into fists, the scales along her knuckles glinting dully in the light from the Mantis’s console. “Yeah. Let’s hope it’s enough.”
Zoey stepped out of the Mantis, the Titan's boots crunching on the cracked concrete floor of the hangar as she approached the G7 "Donnerdrache." The massive aircraft loomed above her, its dark frame casting long shadows in the dim light filtering through the broken windows. She limped slightly as she walked, her ribs flaring with pain despite the dulling effect of the suit’s painkillers. Her gaze swept over the VTOL’s battered exterior—scorched paint, rusting panels, and wear from long years of disuse. It was a far cry from the powerful machine it must have once been.
When she reached the VTOL’s maintenance hatch, she connected a power line from the Mantis to the aircraft, wincing as the motion pulled at the injuries along her side. She forced herself to focus on the task, her mind slipping into the familiar rhythm of diagnostics and repairs. The Mantis hummed to life, its battery feeding into the VTOL’s system. Inside the VTOL, dim lights flickered on, casting a pale glow over the control panels.
Zoey tapped through the screens, bringing up the system diagnostics. As she worked, Etrius’s voice crackled through the comms from inside the Mantis. “How’s it looking?”
She gritted her teeth, feeling the frustration already bubbling up. “It’s dead, Etrius. No fuel, no battery charge for the base systems. And one of the damn engines is shot to hell. Whole damn thing’s a wreck.”
Etrius’s voice was calm, measured. “We’ll figure it out, Zo. We always do.”
But his reassurance only served to irritate her further, the anger gnawing at the back of her mind. “Yeah? Well, it doesn’t feel like we’re figuring shit out right now,” she snapped, slamming her fist against the side of the console. The metal groaned under the impact, and she winced as the movement sent a flare of pain through her ribs. “Just—just leave me alone for a while, alright? I need to fucking think.”
There was a pause on the other end of the line, but then Etrius spoke softly. “No worries, Zo. I’ll give you some space. Take your time.”
Zoey didn’t respond, cutting the comms with a frustrated jab at the controls. She turned back to the diagnostics screen, the faint whir of the Mantis’s power feed the only sound in the hangar. The painkillers from the suit dulled the sharp edge of her injuries, but the deeper ache of her frustration remained. She threw herself into the work, trying to lose herself in the familiar routine of repairs, even as her mind churned with thoughts of the attackers, of the scales creeping over her skin, of the anger that wouldn’t let her rest.
Etrius stepped out of the Mantis, slinging one of the Rexor rifles over his shoulder. He took a moment to adjust the strap, the familiar weight settling against his side, and then drew his plasma sword. The blade ignited with a low hum, casting a pale blue glow over the darkened hangar. He glanced back at the Mantis, his gaze lingering on the faint silhouette of Zoey inside the VTOL, then turned and made his way out into the night.
The airfield stretched out before him, a sea of shadows and rusting wreckage. The skeletal remains of old aircraft loomed like sentinels, their broken wings jutting out of the cracked tarmac. Etrius moved silently through the darkness, his senses on high alert, but the only sounds were the whispers of the wind and the occasional creak of old metal. He let his mind wander as he walked, his thoughts drifting back to the past.
It had been a long time since he’d been surrounded by other soldiers, back when he still wore a uniform, back when he thought he had a place among the ranks. But even then, he had always preferred being alone. He signed up for assignments that took him away from the others, from the barracks and the noise, out into the wild where he could hear himself think.
He remembered the long nights spent on solitary patrols, keeping watch over hostile territory in places like the mountain ranges of Iraq or the dense forests near the Arctic Circle. The quiet had suited him, the isolation. There were no expectations, no one to judge him if he made a mistake. He’d survived by honing his instincts, his movements, his awareness of the world around him—skills that served him just as well now, in this broken world, as they had back then.
He moved through the ruins of the airfield, sweeping his rifle over old bunkers and forgotten hangars, the beam of his plasma sword cutting through the dark. Occasionally, he thought he caught glimpses of movement in the shadows, but they always turned out to be tricks of the light, the restless wind stirring old debris. Still, he kept his guard up, his mind focused on the task of securing the area around them.
After nearly six hours of mindless patrolling, Etrius paused beside an old control tower, leaning against the rusted and cracking wall as he spoke into his comms. “Zoey, you doing okay in there?”
The reply came back almost immediately, her voice tight with concentration. “Yeah, yeah. Just—just busy, alright? I’m elbow-deep in this engine, trying to get the fucking thing to work. Compression chamber is fucked, injectors are fucked, fuel lines are fucked, everything is fucked. Gonna take a week to fix.”
Etrius chuckled softly, shaking his head. “I can't even comprehend how you even know how to fix this kind of thing, but... well, I’m glad you do. Keep at it, Zosh. I’ll be back soon.”
There was a pause on the line, and then Zoey’s voice came through, softer than before. “Yeah. Thanks, Kitty.”
Etrius let the comms go silent again, slipping the plasma sword back into its sheath as he made his way back toward the hangar. The night was still, the ruins of the airfield settling into a deeper quiet as dawn began to creep over the horizon. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was lurking beyond the edges of his awareness, but for now, he allowed himself a moment to appreciate the peace, however temporary it might be.
No comments:
Post a Comment