The Frankentank carried all ten or so of us into the cloud layer. We ascended until a road suspended in the air came up next to us, in which case we hovered over and set down. From there we rolled along, a little higher up now, a little more light penetrating to give the air a glow.

"Feel that wind," Anna said.

It has picked up.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

I could feel stuff going on, all around. Noises, sensations, emotions. I had to read into it, to get an idea of what it actually translated to. There were a number of demonic presences on the battlefield, that much I could tell. Strangely, though, there was a quietness surrounding our immediate area.

"We're gonna roll down main street," a girl I didn't know said.

That's a horrible idea. Unless... "You've got a cloaker," I realized.

"Yup. They literally won't know what hit 'em," Guy Fawkes said.

"So, we're setting a snare," Odessa inquired.

"Yuuuup." Slightly annoying. The tank makes up for it.

We rolled along until an alley come up on our right, after about ten minutes. We pulled out into the road and backed in. The Horse Head guy, apparently the cloaker, informed us we could make noise if we wanted, while we waited for the battle to begin.

"You a native?" Anna asked Hasami.

"Not Earth, but yes. My parents were proponents of cultural value. Not a so popular notion, but I love my heritage."

"I think it's nice," Anna said.

"It's divisive," Guy Fawkes said. "Cultures are rarely compatible. Your parents should have been segregated, and unpermitted."

"Orokana inu, insipid opinions are best kept silent," Hasami growled.

"Straight to offense!" he mocked. "No wonder your people's allowance rates are down. You should consider splicing."

Hasami was heading straight for a boiling point, and his hand had found the handle of his sword. Three of the other students were laughing, and the rest looked still and ready for a fight. Anna jumped in. "Stop trolling him. If you're right, then now is not the time to be an asshat about it. So, sh-"

A thundering crack echoed through the city.

I was positive things had started when the cannon was followed up by three much louder explosions. I wished I could be sure, but I felt safe in assuming the strike had been ours.

"Lock and load bitches!"

I switched my rifle on. The gun's nozzle was three prongs, with a small laser light in the center, which emitted a guiding beam. I pressed my comms button.

"Aku, can I get a visual assist?"

The brim of my hood glowed dimly to project a three-dimensional hologram into my field of vision. The images were pale, but the augmented reality helped me to define the shapes of the road outside the alley, and the buildings beyond.

You ask a robot for utilitarian clothing, and you get what you ask for. I was everything from armored to airtight. I reached into my pocket to slip on the suit's accompanying gloves, so the air seal could activate.

Locked and loaded.

Now we wait.

More explosions sounded, far off, and we waited.

And waited. Until finally, one of the students on the tank raised a hand. "Incoming," she said. I could hear the low sound of rapid footsteps.

This is starting. I need to keep my mind present. I felt slightly scattered.

Twenty yards.

The runner closed that distance quickly, and for an instant, I thought he would pass our alleyway.

I was thrown off the top of the tank as it blasted a shell, which I could hear tearing through the buildings across the street. I rolled and landed on my hands and knees, on the ground beside the tank. I recovered and wandered around to the front, to see the building we'd hit crumbling.

The students were laughing. The driver, Guy Fawkes, poked his head out of the hatch. "That was so much better than I'd expected. Set it to autofire and boom!"

"Our cloak didn't cover that," I said. I kept my eyes on the street. Something wasn't right. Something was missing.

"Shit," he swore. "He's right, Mark?... Then we gotta move." He ducked back in and the tank started rolling again. I didn't hop on just yet. I kept staring.

I'm an idiot. It hit me.

There wasn't a body. There wasn't even any blood.

What there was, was a man climbing out of the rubble.

Only one or two people on the tank were reacting, but I'd already leveled my rifle at him. I pulled its trigger. A literal lighting bolt connected me to him, striking and blacking out the surrounding area with the purple and white flare of light.

He fell to his knees and shook, but was already rising. The tank was still rolling away without me, turning right down the road, but with its gun pointed back.

I struck him again, but he was less fazed, this time, stopping only for a twitching fit. Odessa had dismounted the tank and brought up her sword.

Another shell blasted, but the man had seen it coming and leaned out of its way. It smashed through the rubble behind him. He let out a laugh, as Odessa charged forward, slinging her sword back.

He ran at her and she heaved the sword through the air, almost too fast to see.

In its wake, the sword left a path through the fog and smoke of the tank's fire, indicating that the Bruiser had been sent skyward.

I lowered my gun, slowly, surprised at how suddenly she'd handled that.

Huh...

Horse Head nervously laughed. The tank was still rolling, and I heard Guy Fawkes shout from the inside, "we've gotta move!"

Odessa and I caught up, climbing or jumping onto the tank as it went.

I doubted that our cloaker would be able to keep us hidden. We'd broadcast our location, and the battle had begun. It would be direct conflict from now on.

My gun was supposed to have vaporized him. It was the only thing I'd brought to the table really, offensively speaking, and its effect had been disappointing.

I wasn't feeling very good about this.