One month later...
The well paved concrete shook with constant, heavy thumps as hundreds of people bustled about. A mech cleared a path through the crowd, the Enforcer inside scanning the various screens displayed to him as the mech's systems analyzed every single civilian he passed.
Personal identification numbers, past criminal records, awakening status, all of this was projected onto the holographic screen in front of the Enforcer's eyes.
The rugged man glanced at the bottom right of his vision. Fifteen minutes before noon, meaning his patrol shift was about to be over.
Gears clicked and shifted as he turned the mech around, preparing to head back to the station for his daily report.
A dull thud shook the mech with such suddenness and intensity that the man nearly jumped, before recalling that he was firmly secured within the mech and had little free movement.
His screen flashed red without warning, a stark contrast to the soft blue glow of the screen before. A picture of a person came into his vision, a tall and thin man with pale, stretched out skin, and closed eyes.
Heart thumping, he swept the picture out of his vision and looked down outside the visor.
Standing tall right under the mech was that same man, his eyes still closed just like his picture, but curled upwards slightly as if smiling. The Enforcer's gaze locked onto his white priest's robes, sweat beginning to bead his forehead.
"White robe... Ascendant..."
He shifted slightly, making the mech take a small step back.
While turning, the mech's mechanical arm made contact with the priest's pristine white robes. Now backing up, a streak of dirt and dust that had coated the surface of the mech transferred over to the white robes.
The slit eyed man turned his head towards the dust coating his pristine white robes. With a slight shake of his arm, the dirt was swept away into the wind.
The Enforcer tensed slightly at the man's actions, silently flicking a red lever that was placed under his seat.
"Seriously," the priest's nasally voice cut through the tense silence inside the Enforcer's mech as civilians walked all around them, "The city's Enforcers sure are uncivilized"
Despite the mocking, the Enforcer dared not to retort, for the white robes of the Holy Sanctuary corresponded with an Ascendant level Awakener, something their current technology had no way of dealing with.
"I... I apologize," said the Enforcer, his rough voice shaky but firm, "I didn't see you there"
"Is this how the Union educates their people?" the man shot back, "You think being inside this hunk of metal makes you special?"
He lifted his hand, causing the mech to raise involuntarily into the air. The surrounding people gasped with horror etched into their faces as they witnessed the confrontation. Within seconds, screams echoed across the street, prompting swaths of civilians to run from the scene.
No matter how curious humans were, no one was stupid enough to watch the wrath of any Awakener, much less one at the Ascendant level.
The Enforcer felt a lump in his throat as his mech drifted weightlessly in the air, yet he dared not to make any sudden moves.
"Sir," he managed to squeeze out, "Please, the Sanctuary and the Union have an agreement-"
"Agreement huh?" the priest sneered, "You humans have gotten much too full of yourselves haven't you?"
The man slowly curled the fingers on his raised hand as if crushing something within his fist. The mech, which had displayed incredible durability during various tests and public displays, began to crumple like paper.
The thick metal plates bent and folded like origami paper, twisting and folding in around the trapped Enforcer as easily as crushing paper.
"Stop!"
A voice cut through the crunch of metal and snapping of wires, followed by a shrill whistle. His brow furrowed at the sound as he raised his free hand behind him.
BOOM!
An explosion resounded a few meters behind the priest, cracking the pavement and kicking up a dust cloud. He for a moment before turning his thin eyes towards a tall building across the street.
On the rooftop was Marie in a simple grey blazer and knee length skirt. A small slit on the side of her skirt allowed her to prop one leg up on the ledge as she balanced a matte black RPG on her shoulder.
She slammed the launcher onto the ground, its barrel smoking as she tucked a strand of loose blonde hair behind her ear.
"I suggest you unhand our people"
"Oh?" he raised an eyebrow, "Or else? No technology of yours will be able to affect me"
She glared at him with her emerald green eyes that shone beneath her thick glasses, "You are only a white robed priest, I don't think you are able to afford the consequences of your actions"
The priest flicked his hand, tossing the Enforcer trapped inside a cube made of his own mech aside. The man braced for impact as his scrap of a mech tumbled against the pavement.
Spreading out his arms, the priest sneered at Marie, "Throw everything you got at me, because it will be the last struggle of your pitiful life"
Marie glowered and slung her RPG back onto her shoulder. Reaching down, she produced an egg shaped rocket that was bigger than her forearm. She then slid it down the muzzle until a faint click was heard from within.
The priest raised a finger and ripped up the rebar cementing the pavement, shaping the thick metal bars into sharp spears.
"Repent, sinner"
Marie snorted and pressed the trigger. The rocket flew with a loud boom followed by a sharp whistle as it cut through the wind.
The priest curled his fingers, prompting the metal spears to shoot forward like ballista bolts towards the rocket.
Before they could come into contact however, the rocket emitted an electrical pulse. The wave of energy struck the rebar spears, causing them to fall lifelessly onto the pavement.
The priest frowned at the sight and stretched his palm towards the incoming rocket.
"Polar Field: Reverse!"