John coughed.

“Uh… should it not have happe-”

And then they weren’t in Delruse anymore. They were in the City.

“-ned already.”

While John, Patrick and Angus were still reeling from the sudden transition, Jane had already cast her psychic senses as far as they could reach, and the General was shocked.

She perceived four men, covered in strange armour.

What’s the point in those pipes? And are those tiny, spinning… wheels?

Then she looked at them.

They’re glowing! Why are their eyes glowing?!

Jane’s mental companion, they had agreed that her name was Eleanor, spoke up.

Dear, can you feel their thoughts? Their minds?

No, I can’t feel anything from them. Are they statues? How can there be nothing?!

They aren’t people, Jane! They’re Gearen! You have to run! Get out!

Eleanor had only ever called the General ‘dear’. Hearing her name, Jane knew something was wrong, and she screamed a mental warning to her team-mates the instant Eleanor had warned her.

It was too late.

In the moments it had taken them to finish their conversation, the four men – the Gearen – had already attacked.

Jane only saw a flash of movement and Angus crumpled to the floor, like a puppet with it’s strings cut. She saw the Gearen standing above him, it’s segmented, metal skin parting to reveal whirring parts as it turned towards her brother. It’s blue eyes cold, emotionless.

Jane! You need to run, right now!

I… we, can beat them!

The General focused on pushing as much energy into a psi-bolt as she could, trying not to flinch as she sensed another Gearen pull Patrick out of his stealth. Jane could only ever find her friend if she used her psychic abilities. The Gearen had done with his bare hands.

Jane! Eleanor was shrieking.

And… I’m done!

With a triumphant shout, Jane launched the strongest psi-bolt she had ever created, directly into the chest of John’s attacker.

John hadn’t even had time to draw his sword, but she wasn’t worried about hitting her brother; his intangibility would protect him.

Jane watched as the purple-blue bolt collided with the Gearen. It didn’t even turn to look at her, as it reached for John’s throat.

Ha! You might’ve gotten us, but you’ll never get John!

It’s bronze fist clenched the knight’s throat, lifting him into the air. He clawed at it frantically, but he may as well have been tickling the monster, for all the good it did.

But, how?

Jane… you should have run.

This… this wasn’t supposed to happen! It isn’t meant to be like this!

You had a chance, no more than that, to escape, while there were three other distractions. Now, with their attention focused on you, you have none.

No… no! There’s always a way! This was supposed to be a scouting mission!

Sorry, dearie. I wanted to warn you, but System ru-

A smug voice interrupted Eleanor. “Oh? Now what do we have here?”

A tall, slim woman strutted into the room, her sharp-features, white-blonde hair and pointed ears making her seem foreign to Jane.

One of the Gearen responded – it’s voice the sound of metal grinding. “Four users total, two ability-users, two unconfirmed. It is most likely that they teleported here upon reaching the fifth level, as shown by demonstrated combat-”

“I wasn’t talking to you, clanker.” She spat at him, before turning to Jane. “Who’re you?”

The General said nothing, hiding her fear under a neutral expression.

How do I get out of this, Eleanor? If… if I get enough energy, I think I could take her out! She can’t be as strong as these… Gearen, right?

I don’t think you can, dearie.

The woman scoffed. “So, you’re one of those, huh? It doesn’t matter if you struggle, it’ll just make it worse for you.”

When Jane didn’t rely, the Gearen’s apparent leader turned to the one that spoke.

“So? What can they do?” She asked.

It somehow managed to exude hate, even though the Gearen’s face couldn’t move.

It doesn’t hate us, does it? It hates her…

The lady narrowed her eyes. “Answer my previous question, clanker.”

It pointed towards John, who was unconscious on the floor. “He is some kind of self-augmenter. She is a manipulator. The other two males are unknown.”

Jane could practically hear the woman’s teeth grinding. “Answer the question, explicitly.”

“Which question?” The Gearen was radiating pleasure.

It’s… gloating?

The woman was shouting. “Tell me everything you learnt about their capabilities!”

“She reacted quickly and possesses a manipulation ability. Most likely psi-based, judging by the bolt she fired. No damage was received, but it would have killed a-” It looked at the furious woman. “-lesser being. Her threat level is between three and four.”

Threat level?

Don’t worry about that, dearie. Not important right now.

Gesturing at John, it continued. “This man is most likely related, judging by physical similarities, and contains a self-augmentation ability. He can become incorporeal, but m I lack the data to judge the extent, duration and overall capability of his ability. The ability ceases to function while in contact with magic-infused metal. The third man displayed no ability, but reacted with admirable speed, activating a stealth skill. It was also rendered useless by means of magic. The final of the four was incapacitated too quickly to create any judgement. Overall, the-”

What in Delruse is magic?

Something that really doesn’t matter, at the moment!

The slim woman interrupted, drawing Jane’s attention away from her companion.

“Enough, enough! Too much, clanker!” She turned to Jane, with a smile filled with malice. “I’m keeping this one and I’ll sell the rest.”

By the time Jane registered what the woman had said, cold, metal fingers had already wrapped around her throat.

As her world darkened, the General heard something that terrified her.

“Who knows? Those two aren’t much, but the augmenter… he might even survive for several months!”