[Whirr…]
The sudden activation pulled Diamondheart from her fight against gravity, as Tetrax caught her. The hoverboard beneath his feet stabilized, carrying them both away from the chaos of the mine. They flew through the tunnel, Tetrax expertly navigating the twists and turns.
[Whump!]
Tetrax landed in an open area, a cavern lit by the soft glow of phosphorescent fungi clinging to the walls. He gently set Diamondheart on her feet.
She stumbled slightly, regaining her balance. Caution etched across her crystalline features, Diamondheart sized up Tetrax, her eyes narrowed. Suspicion emanated from her. Her hands morphed into sharp blades, ready to strike.
Without warning, she attacked. Her movements were quick, but Tetrax sidestepped each strike with practiced ease. Diamondheart slashed, thrusted, and kicked, but Tetrax blocked every blow, his movements fluid and precise. He seemed intent on defense, never retaliating, always keeping his own body in the way to avoid hitting her.
"I won't harm you," Tetrax said, his voice calm, a stark contrast to the intensity of the fight.
Diamondheart didn't falter, her expression resolute, her movements continued, an onslaught of strikes and slashes. "I find that hard to believe."
Tetrax sighed, deflecting another blow. "I am here to safeguard the Chaquetrix."
Diamondheart paused, her blades wavering. "The… what?" She lowered her hands, confused.
Her gaze traveled over Tetrax, a question forming in her mind. His green eyes seemed to be examining her, not with malice, but with a strange intensity. A shiver ran down her crystalline spine.
"Why are you staring at me like that? What's wrong?" Diamondheart asked, her voice laced with apprehension.
Tetrax blinked, a flicker of regret crossing his face. "I apologize. It's just… I haven't seen another Petrosapien in a long time."
Diamondheart's head tilted to the side, a puzzled expression forming. "Petro… what?"
Tetrax's eyes widened slightly. "I… forgive me. I forgot." He seemed to realize something, his face turning grim. "You are an artificial creation. Not… real."
Diamondheart bristled, her fists clenching. "What did you say?" Her voice rose, anger coloring her tone. "That's rude! You have no right to insult me like that! Who do you think you are?!"
A mechanical hiss echoed through the cavern. Tetrax's helmet retracted, sliding into his armor. The transformation revealed a face hardened by years of hardship. A jagged, crack-like scar bisected his right eye, rendering it milky and blind. The other eye, a vibrant green, burned with a sorrowful intensity.
"I'm the last Petrosapien alive," he said, his voice heavy with the weight of his words.
The statement punched through Diamondheart's anger. She looked at the revealed Petrosapien face, a species she'd never known existed. It was like looking in a mirror, if her reflection was worn by time. The crystalline structure, the vibrant eyes... Could it be true?
A sudden, guttural snarl filled the mine shaft. Laura moved with the ferocity of a cornered animal, her claws extended. Kraab barely had time to react.
[Shink! Shink! Shink! Shink!]
Four adamantium blades tore through Kraab's armor, slicing deep into the metal. Sparks flew as metal rent against metal. The bounty hunter staggered backward, surprise contorting his face. He looked down at the wounds, his yellow eyes widening in disbelief. This…this wasn't supposed to happen.
His programming, his enhancements, his reputation—all screamed that no mere "earthling" should be able to inflict such damage. A cold fury simmered beneath his metallic exterior. This prey was proving far more troublesome than anticipated.
"Insolent little…" he growled, his voice a distorted rasp.
Kraab lunged, his massive pincer snapping shut around Laura's torso. Before she could react, a searing beam of energy erupted from within the claw, slamming into her at point-blank range.
[KRA-KOOOM!]
The force of the blast hurled Laura through the air, sending her crashing against the mine wall. Dust and debris rained down as she hit the ground hard. Pain shot through her body, but she pushed herself up, her healing factor already knitting bone and muscle back together.
She spat on the cavern floor, glaring at Kraab. He stood tall, his pincer glowing menacingly. Arrogance dripped from his tone.
"Did you really think you could stand against me, Earthling? I am Kraab, and I do not fail. I will not be defeated by the likes of you!" He gestured with his pincer, a cold, cruel smile spreading across his face. "Now, where is the Chaquetrix?"
A low, feral growl rumbled in Laura's chest. Her eyes narrowed, pupils constricting as she processed Kraab's mocking words. Each syllable only fueled the rage burning within her. The scientist…the facility…her mother…all their faces flashed through her mind, superimposing themselves on Kraab's sneering visage.
She lunged, a blur of motion fueled by pure, unadulterated wrath. Kraab, overconfident, moved to intercept her with his power blaster.
Laura anticipated the maneuver, and twisted in mid-air. The pincer snapped shut where she had been moments before. Momentum carried her forward, and she sprinted up Kraab's massive arm.
Her claws dug deep into the metallic surface, finding purchase as she scrambled towards his head. Kraab bellowed in surprise, attempting to swat her away with his free hand. Laura was too quick, leaping onto his neck, her claws finding their mark.
[SCHLICK!]
She buried the adamantium blades deep into the point where his head joined with his body. Kraab howled, a screech of pain and fury echoing through the mine. His hands flailed wildly, trying to grasp her, to rip her away, but Laura was a limpet, clinging with inhuman strength. She drove her foot claws into his armor, anchoring herself.
Again, and again, she stabbed. A frenzied assault, each strike a hammer blow driven by years of repressed rage. Sparks flew, metal groaned, and a viscous fluid began to leak from the rapidly widening wounds. Kraab thrashed, his mechanical limbs spasming. But Laura held on, a relentless storm of adamantium, determined to deliver final punishment.
With a final, desperate attack, Laura ripped her claws free. She leapt from Kraab's back, landing lightly on the cavern floor. Every muscle screamed in protest, a symphony of agony echoing throughout her body. But pain was a familiar companion, a constant reminder of who and what they had made her.
Her gaze, however, remained fixed on Kraab. The bounty hunter continued to thrash, his movements growing weaker, his metallic body sputtering and sparking. A pool of crimson liquid spread beneath him, staining the cavern floor.
Laura's senses sharpened, hyper-aware of every detail in the mine. And she saw it: above Kraab, perched precariously on rotting support beams, sat a minecart overflowing with loose rocks. A grim satisfaction flickered in her eyes. It was an opportunity she could not ignore.
Without hesitation, Laura charged towards the nearest support beam, her claws extended. With a savage snarl, she slammed into the wood, adamantium tearing through the aged timbers.
[Crack!]
The beam splintered, groaning under the force of her assault. Laura moved to the next beam, her strikes precise and merciless. Each blow weakened the structure, hastening its demise.
[Crack! Crack! Crack!]
With a final, deafening splinter, the last support gave way. The minecart, no longer restrained, tilted forward. A cascade of rocks poured down, burying Kraab beneath a crushing avalanche.
[Rumble…CRASH!]
Dust filled the air, obscuring everything in a gray haze. Laura stood motionless, her chest heaving, her body trembling. She watched as the cloud slowly dissipated, revealing the mangled remains of the minecart and a mountain of rocks.
From beneath the rubble, a distorted voice, laced with pain and disbelief, groaned: "I hate this planet."
Below, Ben faced off against EightEight. The narrow cavern offered little room to maneuver. He needed an edge, something to exploit her agility. Thank you, Greymatter, he thought.
His gauntlets opened, revealing a small compartment. Inside, nestled like precious gems, were the marble-sized explosives Greymatter had whipped up, just hours before. He tossed one at EightEight's feet. The bounty hunter watched it scatter, her expression unreadable behind the X-shaped visor.
He hurled another, and another. They landed close, but EightEight didn't react. Too slow, Ben thought.
[Crack-thoom!]
One of the marbles detonated. Not with a shattering explosion, but with a focused concussive blast. The cavern floor beneath EightEight gave way. The Sotoraggian bounty hunter struggled for purchase as the ground crumbled beneath her feet. Gravity took hold, and she plunged downwards into the pit.
Ben didn't hesitate. His Omni-Exo gauntlets shifted, panels sliding aside. Energy pulsed from his wrist as the weapon Greymatter had designed manifested in his hand. A sword formed of pure light, its blade humming with barely contained power. She really went all out, Ben mused.
He leapt into the pit after EightEight, descending swiftly. As he fell, he swung the energy sword in a wide arc, the blade whistling through the air. EightEight, though disoriented, reacted with inhuman speed. She drew her twin power swords, their edges glowing with their own energy.
[Clang!]
Energy met energy. Ben's strike met EightEight's parry. The cavern rang with the sound of clashing blades. Sparks flew as the two weapons met, each blow echoing the stakes of their encounter. The fight had only just begun, but the pressure was on.
Ben adjusted his grip on the energy sword, a playful grin spreading across his face beneath the Omni-Exo helmet. "You wouldn't happen to be related to a certain bug-eyed bounty hunter, would you? Name of SixSix? You look kinda familiar."
The bounty hunter paused, her X-shaped eyes narrowing behind her visor. "SixSix," she stated, her voice a surprising alto. "Is my brother."
Ben's grin widened. "No way! You speak English? I thought you guys only spoke alien gibberish." He'd always wondered what SixSix had been saying back in the day. This just got a whole lot more interesting.
He barely finished the sentence when EightEight lunged again, her blades flashing. Ben dodged, twisting in mid-air. "So, if you're SixSix's sister, what does that make you? SevenSeven?"
"EightEight," she responded, her voice clipped. "And I do not appreciate sibling comparisons."
Suddenly, twin circular saws appeared on her back, whirring to life with a high-pitched whine. With a burst of speed that surprised Ben, she rocketed toward him, the buzzsaws spinning. He barely had time to raise his energy sword before she tackled him, sending them both tumbling.
The buzzsaws whirred inches from his face. Okay, maybe this wasn't the best time for a family reunion, he thought. Ben reached out, grabbing the arms holding the deadly discs. The metal was cold, and he felt the vibration as the blades edged closer. The buzzsaws grinded against his helmet. Sparks flew, and with a sickening crack, his Omni-Exo helmet split in half.
"Alright, alright," Ben gasped, struggling against her relentless pressure. "Can't we just, you know, TALK this out? Maybe grab a smoothie? Killing each other seems a little extreme."
EightEight pressed closer, the buzzsaws still whining. "Hand over the Chaquetrix, and I will consider it."
Ben smirked, despite the precarious situation. "Consider it? Wow, you drive a hard bargain." He focused, summoning the heat he now wielded, thanks to his new…connection…with Heartblast. Fire erupted from his hands, washing over the buzzsaws. The metal glowed red, then orange, and finally began to melt.
EightEight hissed, disengaging the now useless weapons. With a grunt, Ben shoved her off, scrambling to his feet. He balled his fist, focusing all his frustration into a single, powerful blow. He swung, connecting with EightEight's helmet.
[Crack!]
The helmet shattered, spiderweb cracks spreading across the visor. They crashed to the cavern floor, a heap of tangled limbs and broken armor.
They slid to a stop just inches from a very long drop. Below was an abyss that looked darker than his chances of ever getting a decent night's sleep. Ben groaned, pushing himself up. He looked down and saw EightEight beside him, also groaning. A quick glance revealed her jetpack sputtering uselessly; those aerial acrobatics were officially grounded.
But it was her face that snagged his attention. Or, rather, half her face. The helmet, once a symbol of intimidating otherworldliness, now sported a web of cracks. Through the fissures, Ben glimpsed smooth grey skin, framed by strands of shockingly white hair, and one startlingly purple eye. "Whoa," he blurted out before he could stop himself. "You're actually kinda pretty." Smooth, he mentally chided himself.
EightEight, looking less than thrilled with his observation, scowled. She raised her arm, firing energy beams from her wrist gauntlet. Guess compliments aren't her thing, Ben noted, dodging. The beams sizzled past him, slamming into the rickety wooden support beams overhead. He heard a groan.
Suddenly, above them, disaster struck. The support beams, already weakened, gave way completely. A fully loaded minecart hurtled downwards, a metal avalanche waiting to happen.
"Oh, come on!" Ben yelled, throwing his arms up. It felt like the universe was actively trying to kill him.
The vibrations from the impact were too much. The cavern floor beneath EightEight crumbled. She scrambled for purchase, but it was no use. She was going down.
Without thinking, Ben lunged forward, reaching for her. He grabbed her hand and pulled her in close.
Then, they were falling.
Adrenaline kicked in. Ben yanked his Omni-Exo gauntlet, firing a grappling hook. It snagged onto a distant support beam, the cable whirring taut. Ben swung, holding EightEight tight. They swung through the air, a chaotic mess of limbs and barely-contained panic. Finally, they tumbled onto solid ground, rolling until they came to a stop.
The world spun. Ben blinked, trying to regain his bearings. He felt something soft pressed against his lips.
EightEight.
Their faces were inches apart, lips touching. He could feel her heart racing, a frantic drumbeat against his chest. His own heart hammered in response, a feeling of fear and something…else.
***
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Advance chapters are in my P@|r3on - Najicablitz