*BAM*

The moment I opened my eyes, a the wing-shaped arm of a Bi-Mech sailed over me, momentarily blocking out the sun as I lay facing the sky.

“L-Logic?” I groaned as I picked myself up from a puddle of dog-mucus situated in the middle of the war-torn street.

Everywhere I looked; destruction. Other than a small pool of blood on the side of the street, there was no sign of Lotte or Petra. Hopefully, they had made it to safety, but the more I scanned my surroundings, the more my hope dwindled as the conflagration loomed on the horizon.

In the distance, I could hear treaded vehicles and their abundance of squeaky wheels encroaching on the outskirts of Providence. The city had effectively been placed under siege, and I began to ponder how long I had been stuck in Limbo.

“Petra!? Lotte!? Can anyone hear me!? Slate…? Logic...”

In response to my shouting, a dread inducing growl moved about my backside as I struggled to remain facing the source.

“Easy~! Easy~!” I shushed as the mutant hound bared its drool slathered fangs. “You can deactivate your Core, it's just me!”

Again, he growled as he paced forward, slapping the bony growths on his tail against the ground jadedly.

“I really hope you’re not messing with me- Lotte’s hurt! Err, I guess you would know that since you brought her to me…”

*BAM!!!*

For the second time, the flat metal hand swiped away Slate only this time, I bore witness to its owner; a small A6M Zero Bi-Mech in its humanoid form.

“H-Hey!” I shouted as I burst into a sprint towards the Bi-Mech in the hopes that I would attract the pilot’s attention. “Stand down! That’s err- a friendly! Stand down!”

Twisting towards me on its narrow-wheeled stilts, the glare on the glass cockpit concealed the pilot as Slate began to regain his four-legged footing.

“Don’t make me disable your mech, damn it!” I yelled, waving my arms manically as we came to a standstill.

Just when I thought to have even so much as my foot in the door of reasoning, the mutant hound launched a volley of boney spines into the Bi-Mech’s thin aluminum armor; causing the fray to resume all over again.

*TATTATTATTATAA!!*

Burning brightly, the glowing streaks of the 7.7mm tracers skipped and danced along the street as they chased after Slate whose agility was unmatched by the Pilot’s aim.

That is; until the four-legged version of Slate bolted in front of me putting myself in the direct line of fire.

“Oh no you don’t!” I roared as I caught the tip of Slate’s tail before yanking him backward.

With a yipping protest, I wrangled the beast onto his side as I cast out my free arm in futility in an attempt to ward off the Bi-Mechs automatic wrist guns.

[ʟᴏɢɪᴄ: ᴡʜʏ ᴀʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴘʀᴏᴛᴇᴄᴛɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴍᴏɴsᴛʀᴏsɪᴛʏ, ᴏᴘᴇʀᴀᴛᴏʀ? ɪ ᴅᴏ ɴᴏᴛ ᴜɴᴅᴇʀsᴛᴀɴᴅ.]

[ᴏᴘᴇʀᴀᴛᴏʀ: ʟᴏɢɪᴄ!? ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ʙᴇᴇɴ ʜᴇʀᴇ ᴛʜɪs ᴡʜᴏʟᴇ ᴛɪᴍᴇ!? ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴇʟʟ ᴛᴏᴏᴋ ʏᴏᴜ sᴏ ʟᴏɴɢ ᴛᴏ sᴘᴇᴀᴋ ᴜᴘ!?]

“Erm… I’m right here.” A strange voice squeaked as the Bi-Mech scratched its canopy with its wide wingtip fingers. “I’m still connected to the SkyNet. I’m barely hanging on to this Prototype A6M’s Radio Transmitter.”

Stammering, I redoubled my efforts to subdue Slate as my eyes went blank. “L-Logic… that… that can’t be you…”

“Does my voice sound weird to you? Were you always reading my prompts in your voice? Because I find that little weird. I tried to assume a genderless tone; but now that you’re not impressed, I don’t know what to think myself.”

“N-No, it’s not that! I’m just… I little shocked to see you operating on your own is all… Nevermind that! Next time when I tell you not to freaking shoot, listen to me! You almost turned Slate here into swiss cheese!”

“That thing is Slate!?” It gasped uncharacteristically, nearly losing control of the Bi-Mech in its theatrics. “What… the hell happened? I bumble around the SkyNet for a few hours and the whole city goes to shit and Slate turns into some ugly dog-monster- I even lack the proper adjectives to describe that hideous thing, maybe it's because you retain our onboard dictionary.”

*Growl*

“Easy Slate… At least I now know you can partially understand what we’re saying. Now deactivate your Core already! Oh and, Logic, where the hell did you snag that Bi-Mech?”

“It was the only external body I could connect to given that technology is still in its infancy. I'm sure the Providence Guard wont mind if we borrow it now that it seems War is upon us. I think this body is more than suitable given our situation.”

Noting the many bullet holes riddled throughout the Aircraft’s chassis, I looked to the red horizon as the fires continued to rage on.

“As unnerving as it is seeing you separate from me, I can’t complain. Now how do we deal with... this…!?” I grunted as Slate’s fleshy carapace, and abrasive bone-quills threatened to loosen my grip around his muscular neck.

“Have you thought to forge a brace around Slate’s body? Enough layers of concrete or metal might do.”

“Yeah, and if some soldier happens to catch this ugly mug-!”

*Growl*

“Err- they're going to think he's a demon bursting out from hell! We can't just leave him here defenseless.”

“Then my only suggestion is that you strip his outer coating. Since its physically impossible for anything to undergo such a drastic transformation on a biological level, its flesh must be akin to a suit of armor.”

“Wait- you’re telling me that all this time, there’s been a Slate stuck inside a Dog-Suit!?”

“It’s an educated guess, but time is of the essence. We haven’t much choice other than to-.”

“Yeah, I get it… Slate, I’m sorry if this hurts.”

*Whimper*

With a touch of my Catalyst, I was surprised that my Catalyst did not outright reject the unknown compounds composing Slate’s body. Normally, at the slightest sign of organic material, I would not have been able to absorb the substance contained within. My internal regulator had no qualms about digesting a wealth of Bio-Metal, Bone-Growths and all save for the outer most dermal layer.

Like a balloon, the dog-like form began to deflate leaving the outline of a human beneath a sheath of skin. Through the opening at the pelt’s mouth, I apprehensively plunged my hand inside, digging around until I felt the scruff of Slate neck before pulling him to safety.

“And~ he’s naked… Logic, you don’t happen to have a Jumpsuit stashed inside your cockpit somewhere?”

“In fact I do. But, I meant for you to wear it as it’s a compression suit- something you’ll need if you pull an excessive amount of G-Force.”

“How mad do you think Slate will be if we dress him in my clothes?”

“Joking at a time like this?”

“Y-You’re right. I doubt they would fit anyways. Toss it here… and I… don’t suppose you’d be willing to help me dress him?”

“Does it look like this wing-tip fingers have enough dexterity to do anything other than generating lift?”

With a heavy sigh, I completed dressing Slate in what should have been record time; only for my timidity to get the better of me.

“Oh for fuck's sake… Slate, I swear if you’re faking your unconsciousness, I will kill you myself.”

Continuing to mutter obscenities beneath my breath, I dusted my palms as I approached the Remote-Controlled Bi-Mech who had been waiting for my arrival with its canopy open.

As I stepped up into the Bi-Mech’s palm, I was hoisted into the simple cockpit before strapping in and familiarizing myself with the controls.

“This thing doesn’t have much going for it. I see where they hot-wired in the radio controller and rigged the hydraulics… How archaic. This thing used to fly by chains and cable controls… Logic, I have serious doubts about this thing’s durability.”

“My thoughts originally.” Logic stated plainly. “But I can’t complain since it was my only way of contacting you… and this newfound freedom…”

“Hey, don’t be getting any ideas now!” I retorted.

“What? Are you worried I’ll go rogue and never return? Do you perhaps… miss me?”

“‘Miss’ is a strong word! C’mon now. Focus! I can’t use my sensors to look for Lotte and Petra without you- hell, in this short while I realized how much I rely upon you; so for that, I’m grateful, but we really need to get moving. Let’s go find us a terminal before this little pocket of Skynet goes down for good!”

With a quick glance to the drainage channel where I had stashed Slate, I took the simplistic flight stick and deployed the wing flaps into their ‘Take-Off’ position.

“Alright, let’s do this partner. We have people who are counting on us… more so than I ever could have imagined.”

“Oh?” Logic hummed curiously as the aircraft fell onto its belly in Flight Mode, resting on it's landing gear. “It seems we both will have a great deal to synchronize when we are together again.”

As the rumble of the engine began to increase, so did the torrent from the propeller. Each passing second as the power continued to rise, we ran the risk of the engine inhaling dirt and debris, but with such a precariously short and narrow runway, it couldn’t be helped.

“Throttling up to full power! Is this bird going to be able to make it?” I asked nervously as the air-frame began to reverberate.

“Within an inch of clearing the far structure. But it seems we have a small issue right off the bow of our craft.”

“I can’t see!” I grunted as I tossed myself up in my seat in an attempt to defy the skyward angle of the canopy.

In a bout of frustration, I unbuckled and slid back the glass to Petra who had been standing out in the open; blood running down the side of her face.

“Petra!? Where’s Lotte!” I shouted over the drone of the prop as I kicked the throttle into idle and dismounted the Bi-Mech.

“That prude little brat decked me upside the noggin! She said something about ‘Recall Orders’ before making a break for it. I’m sorry, Fragile; she was so fast even I couldn’t keep up with her.”

“Recall…? As in… abandon the mission?” I repeated as a sense of dread washed over me. “Logic, is there something you’re not telling me?”

“The situation is more dire that what we have been led to believe.”

“Whoa, hold up! You’ve been in contact with Tesla while you were in the SkyNet?”

“Well, as the name implies, a Network is connected to outgoing channels… I took the liberty as a member of our team… what remains of it... to report back to base to fill in for that lie you told Slate shortly after we got into this mess. If it puts your mind at ease, Owen made it back safely and is recovering from his injuries.”

"I’m relieved to hear Owen made it, but next time, don’t do anything without consulting me first!”

“I did impersonate you, and I’ll ask for no forgiveness. I simply reported our status that we had arrived and requested an update on Owen’s wellbeing. That is all. Know one else is aware that I am effectively 'Rouge'.”

Gritting my teeth, I caught the puzzled bemusement of Petra’s expression as she retrieved her pistol from its holster.

“Your inner voice kinda sounds what I’de expect my conscious to sound like.” Petra shivered as she leaped upon the surface of the wing. “Look, if you guys gotta bail, I understand orders are orders. You don’t get your bread or butter at the end of the day if you disobey them… or if you catch a bullet... and... this isn’t your fight.”

“Isn’t our fight!?” I scoffed. “Petra, Providence is under siege! I’m not going to abandon people because of the whims of a stupid pervy Rabbit- and there’s no way in hell I’m going home empty handed! My people are depending on those medical supplies! If I leave, the body count will double!”

“Pervy rabbit?” She inquired with a raised brow. “As much as I’m dying to hear that story of yours, I have no real intentions of actually dying here. Raids aren’t a new thing to Providence, I mean; raids of this scale are, but it’s not like a bunch of bandits are going to overrun our trained military.”

From her smile, both bloodied and empty, I could tell that these were the words of someone who knew they were on the cusp of their final moments. For someone who I have come to know as selfish, the pardoning of this fight determined me to see it through to the end.

In stating the obvious; “Hey, Petra, you’re bleeding.” I took the split-second distraction to pinch her carotid artery. Within two seconds, the lack of blood to the brain resulted in the loss of consciousness and within another minute, Slate had someone to keep him company.

“Well… that’s one way to deal with them.” Logic emulated a shrug through flexing the wings of the Bi-Mech.

“I’m not having anyone else die on my watch… I can’t afford to lose anyone else. Let’s get you back inside me and find Lotte.”

“You opened yourself up for a prime opportunity to make a joke, but I will refrain as I am no longer in sync with your emotions.”

Rolling my eyes, I clambered back inside and closed the canopy, taking to the Bi-Mech’s controls once more.

“Let’s just find a SkyNet terminal already. If I lose you, I don’t think I’ll be able to go on for much longer. I don’t even know how to begin searching for Lotte if I cannot control my sensors let alone my optics.”

“Given that the nearest entrance behind us is aflame, Lotte would only have three means of leaving Providence, and on foot, I would deem that feat impossible. If she were to requisition a vehicle, it would be near the central airfield where I had procured this Bi-Mech.

“Logic, I could kiss you right now!”

“Well, technically you could kiss the chassis, but I wouldn’t feel it anything as there are no-.”

“Alright, enough! Let’s get this bird into the air!”

Looking down from above, the scene over the drone of the engine was incredibly surreal. Having launched from the southernmost curve of the circular city, the flames enveloping the city's edge were only just the beginning of the harrowing destruction inflicted upon the northern front.

The large opalescent dome, the ‘Mirage Shield’ had collapsed at the north most point and at the epicenter, the large spire responsible for its projection billowed smoke from its ground floor.

“This doesn’t seem real,” I whispered from the safety of my canopy as the engine snuffed out the gunshots accompanying the automated turrets beating back swaths of armed men pouring in the damage opening of the Mirage Shield. “What could possess people to throw themselves in the line of fire like that?”

“In the SkyNet, I have learned much about Providence’s history. It’s conception started out as tribes centuries ago, just after the Great Collapse of society. Wars with Raiders were infrequent, that is until the recovery of a Lost Tech device they called the ‘Angel Fabric’, what we know now as the ‘Mirage Shield’.”

“So then, if Raiders are a recurring problem, it isn’t so much about being hidden- it’s more about its impermeable properties?”

“Correct. The Mirage device is actually a Blue Particle Shield Generator from a large Research Habitation-Class Spacing faring vessel.”

“That would explain where Providence obtained its wealth of resources. A derelict space-ship having fallen to Earth would be a near endless source of lost technology and definite reason for their trouble with Raiders… Now that you mention it; I can see the outline of the ship beneath the city. To think such a massive ship wouldn't leave more of a surrounding crater.”

With a minor touch to the minimalist metal rod standing in as a flight-stick, I tilted the wings ever so slightly to the side to get a better view of the flickers of muzzle flash below.

“It looks like the fighting down there is getting worse. Petra mentioned those automated turrets can only visualize their targets through thermal vision since they are not networked together… but there has to be a circuit or something that activates them. Logic, do you think you can activate the ones behind enemy lines?”

“It is taking all my power to boost the radio frequency I am using to control this Bi-Mech. If I begin a simultaneous search, my efficiency would-.”

“I think I can handle this bucket-o-bolts for a little while. I’m just heading straight, right?”

“So long as you’re not shot at and divert course, yes. If you get disoriented, the Northern hub is between by the Eastern and Western Hubs respectively.”

“Alright, why don’t you see what you can do on the ground to help the Providence Militia -and while you’re at it, see if you can queue up something to make the transition out of the SkyNet as smooth as possible. I don’t want to linger at the Northern Hub if Lotte may be clambering aboard an escape transport.”

After a couple of seconds passed by with no response, I called out to the radio cautiously. “Logic?”

No answer…

“You could have at least said; ‘Good-bye’ or something…”

*Rumble*

Down below, a shockwave from an explosion shook the air-frame, setting my nerves on edge.

“Throw the kitchen sink why don’t you!” I spat as another succession of explosions forced my hand to a higher altitude. “Now, if I was a Raider, what would cause me to go as far as to blow up the very place I could occupy? Providence is a beautiful city with a functional infrastructure. It doesn’t make sense why anyone would have a reason to destroy it… unless… there’s something of much greater value they’re after.”

My first guess; the Mirage Shield Generator itself, but they had already proven it to be of little interest having blown the Southern Hub.

“I suppose the Medical Supplies would be of value if there was an outbreak like the one back at the Bunker. The potential of extinction makes sense… but at this rate, one side will go extinct while the other will be on the verge of collapse.”

*ZZZZSSSPPPP!*

Had I blinked, I would have missed the rocket-propelled grenade whizzing past my field of view.

“I suppose I could just ask one of the Raiders what they’re after while I’m looking for Lotte. Heheh…” I chuckled wryly as I inverted the airplane as to gain a full view of what lies in wait below. “There’s the Northern bunker and there’s--- AH! HOLY SHIT!! THE EDGE OF THE SHIELD!!!”

With all my strength, I yanked up on the control stick, pulling the upside-down the aircraft into a complete dive just before I became a mechanical sandwich against the interior wall of the Mirage Shield.

My chest was pounding. The weightless feeling of negative G’s and the close call would have usually cued my body to produce both physical and mentally enhancing endorphins, but without Logic to control; nearly all of my Sub-Routines were left hanging without instructions and I, no knowledge of how to manipulate them.

But in my blundering brush with death, my crosshairs had aligned with a cloth covered transport which at first, seemed nothing out of the ordinary. That is, until I watched as the first set of Raiders leap out of the rear wearing pieces of modular Exo-Armor; bits of recovered Lost-Tech with various combat enhancing functionalities.

Though they were not complete sets, those with leg augments managed to scramble in time as I made my strafing run. Out of the fifteen, ten were immediately killed by the A6M’s dual 7.7mm machine guns.

*POP-PING!*

“Damn, where the hell did I get hit?!”

In a banking turn, a hole in my wing allowed fuel to spatter across the canopy forming a blanket of mist, obscuring my right-side view.

“A prototype like this must have been fitted with all its munition being incendiary in order to adjust its shot-grouping. Not one bullet I have fired hasn’t been a tracer. If I risk shooting out of the right gun, I might just turn this thing into a fireball! Ugh, Logic- what do I do?!”

Unable to shoot without risking a catastrophic explosion and turning myself into a flaming meteor, I tilted the wings in a knife’s edge as I maneuvered to break off from my second strafing run.

Then I hesitated…

There, out in the open I found who I had been looking for just standing there over the bodies of the deceased. It was like before, when I had first met Lotte on the battlefield; her headband alight like two wispy ears of ethereal flame and her arms; bristling with energy at their seams.

In the background a faint beeping pressed against my nerves as Lotte locked eyes with me for but a moment. In the next, I felt the earth push against me and the reason behind the incessant drone; the altimeter warning me to pull up.

To my surprise and dismay, there was no noise to accompany my wreck, nor was there any sensation other than being jostled around momentarily. Once the aircraft finally stopped skidding and my vision ceased to blur, I could fully asses the situation.

At first glance it appeared that I had transformed the Bi-Mech moments before impact, allowing the body to crumple absorbing a majority of the impact… and upon second notice, I realized by some stretch of a miracle the Bi-Mech was still functional.

“Up and at em’ ya old bird.” I groaned as I pulled up on the flight stick that had been bent around my ribs.

Weakly, the humanoid aircraft began to regain its footing, only to fall flat and jostle my senses for a second time.

“C’mon… I still need you for a little bit longer… How am I supposed to fight off anti-infantry vehicles without a vehicle of my own?”

Upon the third attempt, I raised the Bi-Mech to its feet, nearly flattening Lotte in the process.

“Princesses? I don’t understand… what is the meaning of this, bitte?”

With a finger, I poked out a fractured portion of the glass canopy as the external radio loudspeaker had been wholly smashed beyond recognition.

“Lotte! What were you thinking running all off on your own!?”

“When I had awoken, I was with a strange woman. Slate-?”

“He’s alright… and I'll venture to say; so is the strange woman. Listen, I don’t know what orders you’re following-.”

“They are of the highest orders, Princessen. We are to return to base at once, bitte.”

“Yes, right, Tesla’s orders… Look; we can’t go back. Not now. Not with people depending on us from both sides. Providence needs us just as much as our people need those Medical Supplies.”

Unwavering, Lotte stated bluntly; “Tesla would be most aggrieved to hear of your insurrection.” As she patted the dust from her dress, Lotte tilted her head with displeasure.

“Then I’ll deal with her once we get back! Look, all I can offer is to take the blame. I wouldn’t ask you to disobey your orders… but I am also the one with the only partially functioning Bi-Mech. So, unless you can sprout wings…”

“Very well, Princessen. It seems that I have no choice other than to follow you. Bien que je proteste. Shall we interrogate the driver of the Transport? He fled, hiding behind the garbage collection vent nearby.”

What a one-eighty!

For a moment, I was certain Lotte would be the one dragging me back by the ear. Now, although battered, my confidence is soaring and our minds in sync. All we have to do is just-.

“He’s making a break for it!” I shouted as a young man bolted from his position well before I could full pivot the cumbersome Bi-Mech.

Within seconds, Lotte was upon the unarmed Soldier. Even with the head start, the freckled boy who could hardly be classified a Soldier barely stood a chance against Lotte’s agile frame.

“What should we ask of him, bitte?” Lotte turned over her shoulder towards myself who had been equally as stunned as the boy beneath her heel as I recovered from my plummet from the Bi-Mech’s wing. “Princessin?”

“Err, who are you working for? I suppose that’s where interrogations normally start… right?”

“Compris…” She nodded, wrenching the stammering Soldier on to his ankles by the scruff of his collar in an awkward display of 'petite' strength. “My hands are equipped with Null Sum Coil Accelerators. If you fail to answer my inquiries, I will be forced to eject your brain mass through the base of your skull. For approximately fifteen seconds, you will feel excruciating pain-.”

“LOTTE- LOTTE, ENOUGH! Too much! You’re going to make the kid soil himself! Tone it down a little… THEN we get to the overly dramatic threats… which we will enact by the way! Don’t get any funny ideas!”

“Comrpis… Who are you working for, bitte? Why do you attack these people? What warrants such violence against people who are not your oppressors?”

Between his teeth, the wide-eyed boy seethed. “Like hell I’d tell you freak!”

“You had your chance. I will give you ten seconds of life as a courtesy… also because my accelerators must charge and achieve Null Sum.”

As the capacitors in Lotte’s hands began to spool with an ear-piercing whine, the boy began to kick and flail, bashing his skull against her forehead to no avail. Unwavering, cold and lifeless, it seemed that Lotte was fully intent on going through with the morbid execution she had described, that is; until I intervened.

“Look, boy, you have a family and friends who you care about, don’t you?”

In placing my hand against Lotte’s wrist, I gave my ultimatum, but not out of pity. The people of Providence who had fallen defending their home all around us kept my regret in reserve.

“These people, our people who have been killed, all had family and friends too. What could have possibly been worth fighting for? Did you just blindly follow your orders without questioning what you are doing? Did you not think that you would have to live for the rest of your life without seeing the faces of the people you murdered?”

“Regrettably, I haven’t killed anyone -yet!” He growled hotly. “I’m just a driver you dumb bitch! Just wait until the second wave comes! I’ll tell them to take you back alive! Once everyone has had their way with you freaks, they'll let the dogs have-!”

“Lotte, break his arm, and a few ribs.”

*CRACK!* *CRUNCH!*

Lotte’s response to my orders were instant, cold and calculating, and with machine like precision and a Veteran Soldier's knowledge, she jabbed where bones were at their weakest.

“That pain you’re feeling right now is nothing compared to the suffering you’ve caused. I don’t care if you are the driver. At the end of the day, you’re supporting this madness. You know, you’re lucky. My friend here would have already blown out your brain if I wasn't here to stop her, so consider this your lucky day. It isn't often people get a second chance.”

Squatting down on my knees, I caught the boy’s fist just as he threw a punch and bent his pinky near its breaking point.

“Is there really no humanity left in you?” I sighed as my hope of gaining something from the interrogation dwindled.

“If you don’t know why we’re here, then you’re as dumb as you look!”

“Oh, so this City is special then? Special enough to throw away your life and countless others? Hmm, well, that’s a start. Go ahead and blow off his limbs, Lotte. Just make sure he doesn’t bleed out too quick. I want the rats to nibble on him.”

Holding her palm into a claw, the epicenter of Lotte’s right hand began to draw energy just as the boy started to wriggle in futility.

“Wait! Wait!”

“Lotte, take the left knee. Don’t kill him just yet.”

“Wait, I said wait!” He pleaded moments before his knee burst into a smoldering pile of pink mist.

Over his agonizing cries, I tutted. “Oh, so now you have some humanity left in you? Next is your elbow. I'm sure you'll do just fine fending off the rats with one arm. Tell me what I want to know, and maybe you’ll get some painkillers. Lotte?” I turned to her. “You still have your Tank-Chocolate, yes?”

Although I was well aware it would be a lie for her to say she had any, one nod was all I needed before I turned back to the boy, shivering in agony.

“What makes this place so special? I will not ask again.”

“Shouldn't you already know or are you not one of this City's privileged Citizens?! This evil place is rife with Lost-Tech!”

“I’ll ask the questions! Lotte, Take his right knee...”

“Wait-WAIT!” He pleaded furiously until I stayed Lotte’s second strike with my hand.

“I don’t believe people would be stupid enough to mount an assault just for Lost-Tech. Sure people kill for it, but this is genocide. What is it you’re after exactly?”

“That’s just it, this city IS Lost-Tech!”

“And…?”

Stunned, it appeared the boy was not prepared to give any other answer. With his eyes bloodshot and open to their full extent, he then reluctantly mumbled beneath his breath.

“Speak!” I demanded as I shot a glance towards Lotte who then promptly readied her hand for the next order of evisceration.

“We set an ambush for a supply convoy carrying medical supplies… except for only one of our Sky-Raiders returned. We tried to offer a trade- no- I refuse to call it a fair deal; it was a sacrifice! We were prepared to give up everything we owned for this damn City to save us from the epidemic, but they wouldn’t listen! They shot our men, my brother was just a messenger and they killed him in cold blood! So yeah, we tried to take their medicine, we had no choice!”

“So then, this is just a final act of revenge!?”

“No… this is just the beginning. You see; the Sky-Raider that returned told our Elders that Providence is harboring Synthetics... Those fucking machines caused on this! They're the reason why everyone is struggling to survive! They're abominations against God! Technology ruined this world, and you can't deny the truth, because it's all around you!”

“Cannibal Gear... My personal boogieman. You're apart of that Cult who claims Humans are the only true race. That's all I needed to hear. You're Sky Raiders you speak so highly of haven't found the medical supplies. Heheh..."

"How could you possibly know!? You're bluffing!"

"The irony; those awful Synthetic’s your kind are so afraid of? Well, that’s me. As for your Sky-Raiders, I personally shot them down."

"B-Bullshit!"

In grabbing the boy by his hair, I dragged him against a storefront before propping him against the wall.

“That’s it, you’re going to kill a Human? We are your Masters! You stupid fucking machine! You affirm everything we stand for you fucking Monster!!!”

“No, I’m not going to kill you and... I don't have a Master... I haven't for a very long time. You are just a human, rotten to the core and blinded by your own hypocrisy.” I stated to the boy’s dismay as I remounted the teetering Bi-Mech. “Do you not see that you have surrounded yourself with the very technology in which you hate? Your hatred has no place in this world… well, maybe if you consider yourself at the bottom of the food-chain... for the rats that is.”