Recover

“Dude, why did she pass out?” Evan asked Rylan as the two carried an unconscious Maya from the truck to the trailer hideout.

“Because she ran on pure adrenaline that whole fight, and this thing on her wrist took her energy,” said Rylan attempting to read the cryptic words displayed on her wrist gear.

How is it these strangers speak “English” but their alphabet looks like gibberish? Go figure.

Unable to decode Maya's gear, Rylan lay her on a bed while Evan ran to his truck and returned with a six pack of electrolyte water. Rylan raised Maya’s head up, while Evan opened a bottle and gently tapped her face, waking her.

“Eh? Manager Evan?” she whimpered with her eyes half closed.

“Hi Maya, drink this sports water for me, ok?” He held the bottle while she drank all sixteen ounces, “Cool, you’re an awesome girl. I’m gonna let you sleep now, ok?”

Maya nodded her head, and drifted off. Rylan tucked her in and turned to Evan, not smiling.

“Evan..Thank you so much bro.”

“What? Come on Rylan, we been buds since junior high!”

“I know, but Evan..” Rylan paused, “I...I have to get my sister back...right now!”

Rylan stared through Evan.

“Dude...do you mean go through one of those gates?” asked Evan.

“Yes, whatever it takes,” said Rylan, his emotion rising.

Evan paused and nodded.

“Dude...do you need my help?” asked Evan.

Rylan turned and looked at Maya on the bed.

“That girl Maya...her mother, they...” He closed his eyes, “Hey Evan?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you still have your brother’s sniper rifle?”

Evan perked up and stared in Rylan’s eyes. But Rylan never blinked.

“Yeah dude, I still got that rifle,” said Evan, displaying a sinister grin. “Ayup…..and I got a night scope and everything.”

Through The Gate

Dazed, Chloe felt herself carried by Anya into the glowing amber rift. Yellow and green flashes of light surrounded her and Anya, but only for a second. Before Chloe could blink, she and Anya emerged from the rift into a gymnasium sized machine shop, or something. Chloe raised her head and saw the gate, now behind her, remained open in the strange shop.

However this gate appeared different from the one in Chloe’s yard or in the desert. This gate formed inside of a machine in the large room. And as soon they exited, Anya screamed.

“Come on line now, triage kit and a leech immediately!”

Anya put Chloe down on her feet then clutched the lifeless body of Leif Alexander, who lay in his own blood on the ground before them.

“Brute Men! One through six, all you fucking guys get here now!” Anya howled while limping and dragging her son behind a solid partition.

Responding to Anya’s yelling, six giant machine men, armed with tall rectangular force field shields on their left arms, and fearsome striker pistols in their right hands, jumped out of the walls. Chloe jumped back gaping at the metal men.

“They’re Terminators!” she yelped, as the Brute Men ran past her and Anya and opened fire on a force field bubbled projectile leaping out of the amber rift, just as the gate closed.

*A Brute Man

Chloe spun wide eyed as the six Brute Men surrounded and fired on the force field bubble that landed on the middle of the floor. Above the Brute Men, Mr. Sentinel appeared and also fired on the force field bubble. But then the bubble jumped in the sky, exposed herself, and fired back.

“Eh! That’s the pretty lady with the ponytail...why is she here?” yelled Chloe recognizing the baron Sorcia, as the Brute Men attacked her.

“Sorcia’s got plenty of juice, but those Brute Men are tough!” growled Anya behind the partition.

Chloe ran behind the partition wall, joining Anya, and gaped at the ghastly medical scene before her.

On the ground, Leif lay shirtless with his armor sliced open. On the right side of his body, a bug-like machine wedged itself in the hole in his chest and sprouted tiny wires and foam inside his open wound. Another bug crawled in his mouth and appeared to breath for Leif. Anya read the display of a third bug that dug it’s six legs in different parts of Leif’s body, including his heart and skull.

“Oh no, Leif!” cried Chloe as she covered her mouth staring at the grisly scene.

But Anya focused on her son.

“Hurry up, he almost has a pulse!” she screamed at the bug-bots.

squawked the third bug-bot.

“That’s because you’re forcing it in, get his heart going!” she shouted.

But Chloe only viewed this for a moment before an explosion rocked the battle scene on the other side of the room. Chloe peeked out to check the fighting. It wasn’t good.

“Oh no! Ms. Anya, that lady killed three of your terminators!”

The remaining three Brute Men and Mr. Sentinel viciously attacked sorcia with both pistols and swords. They forced Sorcia on the defensive and kept her away from Anya, Leif and Chole. But the Brute Men were losing.

“Rah!” Sorcia howled as she blocked, ran and smashed a Brute Man’s shield, slicing through him from chest to hip.

“Yaah! Ms. Anya, there are only two left!” yelped Chloe.

Anya didn’t answer, her son her only priority.

“Dammit Leif, I need your heart to beat on its own...I need you to breathe for Mommy...please Leif...I’ll do anything...please baby...just breathe for Mommy!”

“Yes, again, because you’re pumping for him! I need him to come back without you!” she yelled at the bug-bot.

On the other side the battle raged. Sorcia feigned an attack on the remaining two Brute Men, leapt up and fired a point blank striker blast at Mr. Sentinel. The veteran sentinel raised his force field in time to deflect, but the impact hurtled him to the floor. He crashed a few feet from Chloe.

“Oh no!” Chloe shouted.

She dashed toward Mr. Sentinel as the barrel shaped robot attempted to start itself and float off the ground. After a few tries it raised itself and assessed the battle.

Chloe stared at him confused.

“What? No, I can’t leave Leif, or Ms. Anya...or you!” cried the nine year old hugging the battered sentinel.

As Chloe said the words, Sorcia destroyed the last two Brute Men. Mr. Sentinel extracted his last working laser cannon from his shell and turned to Chloe.

“Mr. Sentinel?”

The dented machine turned and flew at Sorcia, firing a barrage of laser and force field at the fearsome Sorcia. Chloe, unsure what to do, ran back to Anya.

“Ms. Anya-”

“I know child,” she said with her face touching Leif’s face, “You’re almost there Leif...please I’m begging you..”

She wiped Leif’s face with a wet towel, then pulled a syringe out of the bug-bot. Placing the needle tip on her bad knee, she jammed it in her leg.

“Gaaarrrh,” Anya growled as the syringe chemicals raced through her body.

Anya didn’t stand up right away. She leaned over Leif and lay her face on his, and whispered, “Please baby...please...just breathe for Mommy..”

…..

...And he did..

“Leif!” shouted Chloe, as he took a second breath and his pulse jumped on the bug-bot’s monitor.

But as soon as his heart beat struck a second chord, a crash echoed in the large room.

Chloe peeked from behind the partition, as Mr. Sentinel hit the ground in two pieces..destroyed.

“Mr. Sentinel!” Chloe screamed with tears in her eyes, and Sorcia noticed.

Surrounded by the sliced and smoking corpses of the six mighty Brute Men and Mr. Sentinel, the baroness stared at Chloe with a smirk, but didn’t move. Breathing hard, Sorcia took a moment to rest. Chloe turned back to Anya, who watched Leif’s progress.

“Good, stitch him and wrap his wound, we gotta get him to a friendly hospital!” said Anya. She took a deep breath and picked up her striker. “Chloe, stay here with Leif...talk to him, he’ll hear you.”

“Ok!” she said jumping down next to the now breathing, but comatose, Leif.

Anya, no longer limping, stepped from behind the partition and glared at Sorcia. Sorcia, twenty feet away, glared back. Chloe jumped up and grabbed Anya’s hand.

“Ms. Anya, you have to be careful,” she glanced at the menacing Sorcia, “That lady’s really strong,” she whispered.

Anya’s eyes narrowed as she rubbed Chloe’s head, “I know she’s strong, honey,” Anya turned back to Sorcia, “But so am I!”

Sorcia, now ready, smiled.

“Duchess Anya, your Brute Men were the best sparring partners credits can buy,” said Sorcia, lowering her eyes in a sinister glare, “But in the end that damn flying sentinel proved more trouble than all of them...too bad fo-”

“Are you stalling Sorcia, or do you need more time to rest?” growled Anya. “I’ll wait...baroness.”

Sorcia stopped smiling, and in a blink of an eye, formed a large round force field shield on her left arm. The middle of her shield bore the banner of the clan Brisbane, the Charging Wolf.

Anya formed her own round shield on her left arm. In her shield she bore her family banner. The Black Eagle of the clan Cesar.

Both warriors extended swords and tapped their blades against their shields while circling each other in a ritual display. Each lady pulled their shield in front of their faces with only their eyes visible.

“Why, Sorcia? Why did you betray me and my cause?” Anya abruptly asked.

From behind her shield Sorcia smirked.

“Hmph! My lady I will admit your cause is righteous. Restoring the power of the nobles in the House Trident should be every Kellen’s responsibility!” said Sorcia glaring, “However duchess...the times have changed and Kella has become weak and corrupt since our defeat against the Cambians.”

“Sorcia, I can change that, we can change Kella!”

“With what Anya? Thousand year old noble policies? Look around you, the monarchies of the other nations have fallen-”

“We are not a monarchy, we are republic of-

“Republic of landed gentry? Hmm? Some families more powerful than others. Right, exactly Anya...We Brisbane's are always under the yoke of the Alexanders and the Cesars...the same families who caused the war-”

Anya smashed her shield against Sorcia’s

“And here I offer one solution but all you do is cry. Then what should we Kellan nobles do, baron Sorcia? Resort to piracy and raiding?”

Sorcia backed off and continued to circle Anya.

“My lady, whatever it is I think Kella needs is irrelevant. For I am at peace with my choice,” said Sorcia.

Anya stopped circling and lowered her shield.

“And what choice have you made, dear Sorcia?”

Sorcia’s eyes narrowed.

“To cash your noble head in for the bounty the Trident guard has offered...dear duchess…”

Without another word Sorcia charged Anya’s shield and smashed into her with brute strength.

“Fuck!” yelled Anya.

Pushed back, Anya spun and slashed at Sorcia, halting her charging advance. The two gladiators faced each other again with shields covering all but their eyes.

“Fine Sorcia, you’ve made your choice” Anya narrowed her eyes, “Now we dance.”

Black Eagle vs Charging Wolf

Anya crashed Sorcia’s shield and slashed at her head. The baroness smirked and responded with her own strike as the warriors locked in gladiatorial combat. Chloe, holding Leif’s hand, stretched out to watch the warriors, with her mouth dropped in awe.

“Wow, your mom can fight,” she mumbled to Leif.

The combatants ran throughout the room. They leapt in the air, clashed swords, dropped, and used the elements around them. Anya dashed behind a giant machine and emerged throwing saw blades at an unsuspecting Sorcia. One hit her foot.

“Ow, you bitch! Rahh!” howled Sorcia, slashing at a fleeing Anya, “Why do you run? Do you fear my blade?”

Anya, bolting in front of her, grabbed an iron work stool and flung it behind her at Sorcia’s legs.

“Aaah! Oof!” cried Sorcia as the stool swept her knees and knocked her to the ground. During the fall she dropped her striker.

“Hahahaha, what blade should I fear, baroness?” cried Anya charging at the fallen and disarmed Sorcia.

But Sorcia fought back. Using her considerable strength advantage she blocked Anya’s slashes with her shield and pushed the shorter duchess back far enough to recover her striker.

“Hmph! You were saying, lady Anya,” Sorcia taunted, re-extending her striker blade.

Anya smirked and took a defensive crouch.

“You are strong, Sorcia. But you’re young, and need guidance...and I can provide it!”

Sorcia laughed.

“Guidance from you? If I’m not mistaken your children were trying to capture you and turn you in for the bounty, lady Anya!” she stopped advancing, “Meaning the only thing I need from you is your head.”

The warriors collided again.

Behind the partition Chloe wiped Leif’s face with water and held his hand.

“Leif...your mom is amazing, but if she loses against that lady...that lady will kill you! But don’t worry!” Chloe unbuttoned her jeans pocket and removed a tiny metal marble with little lights. “I still have the magic space marble you gave me, so if anything happens...I’ll throw it at her.”

Still comatose, Leif said nothing. But his vital readings on the bug-bot monitor improved. The bug turned its mechanical head to Chloe.

“Eh?” Chloe looked at the bug-bot perplexed. “Can Leif hear me?”

Out on the floor the noble ladies continued their violent battle. Fighting in intervals, they took simultaneous breaks to catch their breath, and size each other up. Their endgame, victory by attrition.

“Old lady, you’re looking tired, and I see you favoring your knee again!” said Sorcia, pointing her sword at Anya’s limping leg.

Anya pulled her shield in front of her.

“Right, keep worrying about me, baroness. When you should be guarding your head.”

“Eh? You take my head? Ha! how unlikely!” Sorcia barked.

Sizing Sorcia up, Anya crept back for a launching attack. But Sorcia charged first and crashed Anya off balance.

“Shit!” Anya fell back and spun, slashing her blade down at the charging baroness….but that’s exactly what Sorcia wanted.

When Anya’s sword slashed down, Sorcia sliced up with her shield, and shattered Anya’s blade, causing her striker to shut down.

“What the fuc-” Anya belted as she lost balance and crashed into Sorcia’s shield.

Sorcia used the advantage and bashed Anya backward with blow after blow from her sword and her shield. Anya, on the complete defensive, pulled back and hit a wall. While blocking with her shield she struggled to create a new blade with her damaged striker.

“Fuck, fuck!” Anya screamed as Sorcia smashed her shield, depleting her energy. As Anya hit the wall, her knee gave in and she went down exposing her torso, and Sorcia pounced.

“Heh, die duchess!”

Sorcia thrust her sword at Anya’s chest. And just as Sorcia’s sword tip touched Anya’s breast...the duchess, in a blinding maneuver, spun and slashed Sorcia’s neck and shoulder with a hastily formed gladius short sword from her striker.

“Gaaah!” screamed Sorcia as she fell forward and crashed her shield against the wall. She then bounced off the wall and spun back slashing wildly at Anya, “No..no..I had you!..You were..down!” gurgled Sorcia as blood streamed out of the gash in her neck.

Anya spun back into a defensive crouch with her gladius short blade and glared at Sorcia. Sorcia stopped advancing and in moments her shield disappeared and she dropped her striker. Raising her head she locked eyes with Anya.

“You..y-you lured me...you dirty fighting Cesar...you’re all filth!” she gurgled and spit blood at Anya’s feet.

Anya cocked her head at Sorcia and lowered her own shield.

“Well if you knew that, dear baroness…then why did you go against me?”

Sorcia glared at Anya and said nothing. Losing blood, she fought with all of her strength to remain standing. Until her legs wobbled and she fell...on her knees, before Anya. Anya, her face cold, retracted her own sword and shield.

“Too bad, Sorcia,” said Anya with her eyes closed, “I remember you as a child..you were a beautiful girl from a proud family. And although you’re eighteen, I’d hoped to marry you off to my son.”

Sorcia’s red eyes glazed over as Anya spoke. Then Sorcia Brisbane, Baroness of Wulfsend, fell on her face dead...in a pool of blood.

Anya kneeled by Sorcia’s body, and stroked her hair, “Your death won’t be in vain child.”

As Anya stood up a flying table descended from the ceiling toward Sorcia's body. Anya glanced at the floating rectangular robot.

“Ay! Listen up! I want her body stitched and sent back to her family the way a noble should, so don’t fuck around!” said Anya, picking up and examining Sorcia’s striker. “Damn Sorcia, your striker is amazing.”

asked the flying table.

“What do you think? I want to know everything she knew, decipher the memory and send the hardware and the info to me!” said Anya. “And one more thing!” Anya placed Sorcia’s striker on the flying table.

“Wipe that striker clean and recalibrate it,” she said in a hushed tone.

Anya lifted the striker again and admired it, “Calibrate it for a female child.” She placed it on the flying table and walked toward Leif and Chloe.

The flying table fired a force field blast at Sorcia’s body and lifted her corpse inside its frame. In moments three bug-bots scurried from the wall to Sorcia’s blood stain on the floor. They cleaned the mess and wiped the floor dry in under a minute.

Anya, now exhausted, found Chloe holding Leif’s head up and talking to him. And Leif, listening and answering. His wounds now stitched and wrapped and a bug-bot dripping saline in his veins, Leif looked up at his mother and nodded.

Anya said nothing and collapsed on top of him crying uncontrollably.

“Leif, you spiteful son! You’re worse than your father! You want my heart to break because you hate me, yaaah!” she cried on his stomach, avoiding his wound.

Leif smirked.

“Still always about you, eh Mother?” he joked in a whispered raspy voice.

That made Anya's crying worse.

“Leeeif, my beautiful baby!”

She crawled on him and pushed her face on his, kissing him and drenching him in her tears. Leif tried to raise himself up and a bug bot assisted him. Leif stared at the little bot and turned to Anya.

“Mom..why are we on Eres?”

Anya pulled back wiping her tears.

“It was the only way I could save you. However, since we’re here,” she glanced over at Chloe who hugged Leif’s arm, “There are a few things I need to do.”

“What? Mom...They’ll arrest you-”

“Ssssh! baby,” she closed his mouth with her finger, “You need to see a doctor and rest. So stop talking.”

Anya raised herself on one knee. Chloe tugged her hand.

“Ms. Anya...um...everything’s gonna be ok right? We're going back home soon right?” she asked.

Anya reached out and hugged the little girl.

“Of course we are honey,” she cleared Chloe’s bangs and kissed her on her forehead. “So don’t worry, Ms. Anya’s gonna take care of everything.”

...

Proofread by Chiisutofupuru the Yandere Darkling- writer of SASHA