A squelch of blood erupted from Sonera's fist, covering her in a sticky mess of black and purple. Her legs buckled and swayed, as her body practically begged her to stop moving. But much to Yrix's delight, it appeared rage was a sufficient motivator for the orphaned girl.
"There! Shoot her!" A small Psion screamed at a pair of Daregen as Sonera leaped towards them, solar energy radiating from her palms.
Sonera landed on top of the smaller Psion, tearing its body through the sand as she slid past the Daregen. Turning to her larger foes, she summoned a smouldering blade to slash at their rifles, throwing them off balance. The knife was rather familiar to the girl, torn straight from her own memories on the streets of Mars. But she hadn't the time nor the heart to notice such a detail as she grappled on top of a Daregen.
Sonera silently screamed in rage, her eyes widening as she tried her best to brandish one of the alien's knives stolen from its holster. For her size, the bladed edge was practically a claymore, allowing her only one good swipe before she lost her balance and fell to the ground. The attack was barely enough to mince one Daregen's throat, leaving her wide open for a kick from the second.
"She doesn't seem to feel it," Yrix noted to herself as she watched Sonera with a tender gaze. "Curious. I do wonder, was I like that when I was a girl?"
Sonera coasted across the floor, her arm leaking as she cupped a fistful of sand in a desperate attempt to pick herself up. Just before the Daregen could slam a bullet into her head, she managed to scavenge the fallen Psion's sidearm, its size far more manageable for the girl's feeble body. Sonera emptied the magazine, ignoring the bullet that grazed her cheek.
She heaved one last breath of air before falling to her knees, her palms pressed against the sand. She wanted to puke, but all she could think about was Three. If only Yrix were smaller. If only the Arch-Flayer were weak like she was.
"Die." The smaller Psion hissed, recovering from its daze before firing a rifle shot at Sonera.
The girl didn't even bother to turn, using her seething rage to catch the bullet with a Psionic wave. She turned to face the Psion, before making a rather cheeky gesture towards it, blowing on her palm before releasing the shell back where it came. Sonera wasn't done.
She stumbled her way over to the Psion's corpse, retrieved its weapon, and began to bludgeon the body with as much force as she could muster. By the time she had finally run out of steam, the barrel of the weapon was soaked in blood, as a droplet of tears fell onto her palm. She still missed him.
"Not even I was aware." Yrix practically smiled. "She had bottled it up well enough. I could feel her vague desire for vengeance. But not this love. Not until now."
Sonera was finally able to rest, collapsing onto the sand in a bloody mess. Unlike Ivy, she hadn't bothered to provide herself with any additional clothing other than a pair of gloves she found near the showers. It was at times like these that Sonera preferred to stare at them - her acing hands peering out from the torn clothing.
"Did you like it?" Sonera hallucinated. "I made it for you."
She hadn't a clue as to how much time had passed before she heard a scream in the distance. It was a human wail, and she knew well enough that it belonged to Lunae. Sonera didn't care.
"Coward." She thought to herself.
But something tugged on Sonera's shoulder, pulling her up off the ground. She tried to fight against it, but before she knew it, the blood-soaked girl was already limping her way towards the direction of the scream. It was an insufferable instinct.
"I don't care." Sonera tried to convince herself. "I've killed at least a hundred of her."
Soft girls had never been an issue for Sonera. They were a walking disguise at worst, and a complete waste of time at best. And in her experience, many of them were merely bullies in disguise, waiting to lash out at her. She remembered waiting for Three to go out on a mission, watching as the sun set before she would antagonize one of them with her mere presence. If Three wasn't there to stop her, then nothing could get in Sonera's way. She reveled in plastering the walls with their pretty faces.
But try as she might, Sonera couldn't imagine Lunae that way. Especially not after spotting her on the far edge of another crater. The girl was on her back, trying desperately to back away from two Psions and a lower-ranking Vesper who seemed genuinely bewildered. They could have minced the girl with ease, but appeared to be waiting for something.
"Fight." The Psions complained, offering Lunae one of their knives. "The Vesper refuses to dishonor himself by slaying a coward."
"I-I can't." Lunae cried, communicating to the Psion fluently.
The aliens kicked the sand near the girl's feet. "You are powerful, we can feel it. Fight."
The Vesper growled angrily, circling around Lunae with visible impatience. It was so distressed, in fact, that it failed to notice Sonera, who had hobbled into view.
"I...don't care," Sonera grumbled.
If she died fighting three more Consortium warriors, she wouldn't be alive to claim vengeance against Yrix. It was an unnecessary risk. All she needed to do was walk away.
A familiar voice rang out in her head, causing her arm to spasm. "Hold on there, I think I've got something."
"Get out of my head." Sonera winced. "I'm not you. I can't Three."
"I said hold on, partner," the man's visage forced its way into her brain, its vivid imagery enhanced by her Psionic powers. "I think someone's in there."
She could remember it like it was yesterday. The way Three fished her out of the collapsed building, cradling her body in his arms. She was just a child then, rescued by a green soldier who didn't need another burden. That memory haunted her, reminding Sonera that she was never comparable to the man she loved.
"You're gone. What difference does it matter?" Sonera cried. "If I let her die...perhaps I'll forget you."
The girl silently turned her gaze towards Lunae. She had already trapped herself with her own thoughts.
*No*
If she fought for that girl and robbed Yrix of another corpse, she would remember Three. It's what he would have done. It's what he did moments before his death.
"If I knew my father, I'd want him to be the kind of guy to sling this around." Three laughed, his voice echoing inside Sonera's mind. "It's one of those Earthling cowboy sidearms."
The armored man brought out a Colt SSA, its polished ivory grip practically shimmering in the martian sunlight. Sonera watched in amazement, balancing silently on a railing with her sharp heels. She knew little about firearms at the time.
"You wouldn't bring that to an assignment." Sonera tilted her head.
She could hear the man chuckle beneath his visor. "Well, no, I'd still bring an APX for that. But this is still fun to look at."
*He's stupid*
Three spun the gun around on his finger, brandishing it like a character from those old movies. "Draw." He spoke in a cartoonishly deep voice.
Sonera's eyes widened as the man handed her the gun, slipping it into her delicate fingers. She thought it was too heavy. She thought it was stupid. And she couldn't stop blushing.
"Mm," the girl muttered, unable to move a muscle. "Thank you."
"Well, come on, try it out."
Sonera put one leg forward, abandoning the past as she pointed towards the Psions with an empty hand. Without even realizing it, she had already begun to churn togethor a swirling storm of flames, solidifying their radiant energy into a black crystal that took the shape of a revolver.
"Draw," Sonera spoke softly with hardly any emotion in her voice.
The moment she pulled the trigger, the firearm was extinguished, collapsing into small fragments of glass that fell to the floor. The Vesper was the first to take notice, realizing the Psion to its left had been completely disintegrated in a flash. Before it could act, Sonera had another construct in her hand, using it to slay the other Psion and disable the Vesper's shields.
*Her hand was on fire*
Sonera ignored the pain, glaring at the Vesper as it looked down at its malfunctioning armor. The hunched creature eventually pulled itself togethor before crawling along the floor towards its prey with blinding speed.
*She didn't blink*
Sonera held out her other arm, using it to construct a much longer blade of energy that resembled something of a bastard's sword from her imagination. She was no bladesmith, but frankly didn't have to be in order to swipe at the Vesper and block its tail. Her sword shattered into pieces, but by then, the enemy was utterly confused.
The Vesper waited patiently for Sonera to craft another weapon, perhaps something new and aggresive to disrupt its footing. She had no such idea in mind. Instead, Sonera feigned an attack, throwing her palms out as if preparing some grand assault.
She chose old reliable.
"Honor." Sonera practically spat as the words came out of her mouth, watching as the Vesper dissapeared into a puff of ash. "Idiot."
The orphaned girl spun her revolver around like a toy, humoring Three one last time before the weapon fell apart. Clenching her fist, she strutted over to Lunae angrily, causing the girl to wince and shut her eyes in fear.
"Here." Sonera held out her hand, her demeanor still trapped in the mood of battle.
"I...I couldn't even watch." Lunae whined, using her bangs to shield one of her eyes. "I'm sorry."
Sonera wanted to roll her eyes. "I don't care."
Lunae brushed aside her blue hair with a trembling hand, staring at Sonera with two wobbly pupils. "You're...not mad? I left you alone to fight."
"It's-." Sonera struggled to put her words togethor, trying her best not to just walk away. "It's alright.
Lunae took Sonera's hand, allowing her savior to lift her off the ground gently. She watched in confusion as Sonera began to leave the room, gesturing for her to follow.
"Where did you get it?" Lunae cocked her head.
"Hm?" Sonera asked inquisitively.
"The memory for your sword."
Lunae knew far more than she was letting on, causing Sonera to feel an overwhelming sense of discomfort. The comment offended her so much, in fact, that she began to imagine striking the girl on the head with the aforementioned sword.
"My memories," Sonera growled, grabbing Lunae by her collar. "Not yours."
"I-I'm sorry!" Lunae yelped, using two hands to protect her face.
"Stop saying that."
Lunae began to speak with her mind, "I didn't mean to peer. But your presence...it's like trying to close your eyes at the sun."
"It doesn't work..." Sonera finished the statement.
Deciding she was not going to smite Lunae, Sonera released her with a shaky hand, turning away from her with a practically simmering head.
"Thank you for saving me," Lunae whispered, her gentle voice soothing her savior's nerves.
"That was it."
Lunae raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"The sword. I made it, thinking of you. A knight comes to save a princess. He uses a sword. Simple." Sonera explained in her most monotone voice yet.
"How flattering," Lunae smirked almost uncharacteristically. "You're quite the character, Sonera."
Sonera ignored the comment, squinting her eyes with visible suspicion. "How come I can't see you?"
"In the Psionic plane?"
"Yes. You said I was like a sun. But...where are you?"
An unsettling rumble interrupted Lunae, causing her to nearly trip. It had to be Yrix. She was accelerating the trial's conclusion.
"You." Sonera hissed as she looked up.
"Few combatants remain," Yrix announced in a bellowing voice. "On both sides. At the center of the arena, which I will guide you to, there will be...an armament."
"I doubt we could even hold it if it's meant for a Consortium soldier." Lunae grimaced.
"Do whatever you'd like at your own peril." Yrix continued. "But be warned. Whoever holds this weapon will be...unavoidable."
Silence filled the room, leaving Sonera and Lunae to ruminate on the announcement. There wasn't much to debate. Yrix's bluntness was rather transparent.
"We go or die." Sonera shrugged.
"If any other student survived, they could aid us," Lunae added.
Sonera almost snapped. "Will you aid us?"
"I...can be of support. If you keep them away from me." Lunae fidgeted with the tips of her fingers.
"Deal."