The War Frame was easy enough to get into, all I had to do was back into it, step up and let the cinches and frame locks blend flesh and iron. Easy, unless you are an uncoordinated flesh bag.

Attempting to catch up to Rooker was a mistake. In my haste, I stumbled over Eunjoo’s telemetry workstation and sent it to the ground with a crash.

“Watch it!” Eunjoo yelled, but I was already falling, my legs crossed at the ankles from when I was sitting down. Slamming tits first into the machine did little to make me feel like a war fighter, but it made the machine flash with a notice.

[Falling injury sustained for .5% damage.]

“For freaking sakes,” I muttered and pushed myself up to my feet and then made it to the door.

Bouncing off only a few more door frames and walls in much rush, I managed to make it my War Frame managed to back into it with little more effort.

[System detects new hardware]

[System detects new software]

[Do you wish to begin diagnostic? Y/N]

Growling in frustration, I blinked the [N] icon, but the system wasn’t done with me yet.

Gun blasts echoed from somewhere outside, and felt my adrenaline kick in. “Careful, I can’t let it fog my thinking,” I warned myself as the new HUD screen popped up.

[Short sword detected: Insufficient Dexterity]

[Please review your attributes to ensure compatible weapons.]

[Strength: 7] + [Aug Str: 10]

[Total STR 17]

[Dexterity 5] + [Aug Dex: -2]

[Total Dex: 3]

[Stamina: 9] + [Aug Stm: 10]

[Total STM 19]

[Intelligence: 5] + [Ancillary Intelligence: X]

[Technology: X] + [Sync Rate: 6%]

[Tech mastery: 2]

[Charisma: 6]

[Weapon Suggestion: Fisticuffs.]

“I need to get out there and help Rooker, not fight with a smart ass computer,” I complained, and started to walk forward, once more sounding like a construction frame more than a War Fighter all geared up for combat.

“Use your Sapho Boost, Kate,” Abby’s girlish voice called and frowning looked for the icon blinked it to active status.

[Sapho Boost detected]

[Strength: 7] + [Aug Str: 10]

[Total STR 17]

[Dexterity 5] + [Aug Dex: -2] [Sapho boost + 10]

[Total Dex: 13]

[Stamina: 9] + [Aug Stm: 10]

[Total STM 19]

[Intelligence: 5] + [Ancillary Intelligence: X]

[Technology: X] + [Sync Rate: 33.333%]

[Tech mastery: 5]

[Charisma: 6]

My frame suddenly went from feeling like I was locked into an old deep water diving suit to a natural part of my body. For a brief minute, I was reminded of being a thirteen-year-old athlete again, swift, confident, and ready to kick some ass!

On the streets, people were screaming. With the smoke and vapor in the air, vision was limited, but shadows cast by fires set in the battle were everywhere.

“Come back! Kate, there’s nothing you can do out there,” Eunjoo called, but it wasn’t in my nature to stand around waiting.

In my hand, I held the short sword. By rights, it was actually patterned after a Viking sword called a Maldon Seax. I hadn’t even realized I still had it in my hand as I rushed out the door.

It was not classic beauty, that was for sure. It was a utilitarian one-handed weapon with a dull, dark gray finish. Measuring 22 inches long, it looked like someone broke a sword in half, leaving a jutting point at the end.

It was only interesting because of the slight glow at the edge of energy waiting to be released.

Waving at her to get back inside, I slowly crept forward, my HUD actively scanning for threats as I moved. Around me I could hear the sounds of people, a whimper here or there, but no one stood out, until from behind a transport shuttle a lean figure dashed from one shadow to another.

My HUD immediately started to track the movement. The figure was small and childlike, but quick, with short brown hair. Bullets slammed into the transport near her, and she crouched down, shielding her eyes from the sparks.

[Creedmore 6.8 caliber: Ball Ammo. Use extreme caution.]

“duh, bullets are dangerous,” Abby said.

I knew that face, but it was no child!

“Mingyu?” I gasped in surprised, but as I spoke the image distorted and broke up in the haze.

“Get down!” I heard Rooker bellow, and I didn’t need to be told twice.

Out of the darkness, a lurching monstrosity lurched toward me. As I ducked, rounds of Rooker’s Nail Gun slammed into the creature’s chest. It stumbled, but remarkably didn’t fall.

Once down, I scrambled to the side, not even trying to control the frame. I found myself in a crouched position, sliding backward with both feet down and one hand on the soil. The other held the gleaming Seax in a ready position.

“Well, that looked better than it had any right to.” I thought absently and gazed at the thing that was regaining its footing.

[Warning: Melee Combatant Detected]

From the warning box, a line appeared and a new read out scrolled into vision.

[Corrupted Armor 65%]

He was human. Well, mostly human any way. Fitted with an ill-fitting Combat Frame, the man was dressed in standard overalls and in every way looked like those all the civilians wore. His only armor was on his shoulders aside from some light ballistic shields on both arms, unless I counted all the facial piercings as armor.

What impressed me though was his weapon. Nearly as tall as he was, the massive battle axe glowed along the edge in a sinister red. I was sure even one hit would kill me.

[Weapon type: Surge Hammer. Its primary damage is blunt force damage/ crushing]

[Weapon type: Surge War-Hammer. Its secondary damage is Burn damage/ electrical]

“Well, the fucking sucks,” I muttered.

I tried to get the jump on him and lunged forward before he could get that massive thing moving. Slashing toward his middle, I was surprised to find that with a slight move he blocked with his handle. Then, in a smooth motion, he carried my blade and around before spinning and swinging that massive blade right at me.

[Attack blocked: zero damage delivered.]

Skipping back, I dodged the blow and intending to take advantage of him being off balance. I struck again. Once more I was surprised as he used his own momentum to bring his axe around again, this time catching me with the broad head, but not before I could bring up the ballistic shield.

[Attack blocked: no damage delivered.]

[Shield absorbs damage: Shield damage at 3%]

On contact, the two flared and my arm slammed back into my chest, sending me once more to the ground.

[Blunt force impact detected: 9% damage received.]

The Monster roared with excitement and rushed toward me, the war hammer high, ready to drive it down onto me. I knew I couldn’t block that strike with the Seax. That was madness. Instead, I rolled and narrowly avoided the strike that sent sparks flying.

An explosion split the night, and suddenly the scavenger was stumbling back, blood flying everywhere.

[Enemy eliminated: no experience gained]

“Thats fair, you didn’t kill him, Rooker got that one,” Abby said sounding very reasonable.

“Are you out of your mind, Bro? What do you think this is, Dungeons and Dragons?” Looking up, I saw Rooker holding his ‘nail gun’ and looking at me like I’d just intentionally grabbed a skunk by the tail.

“Move off the round table, Mordred, join the future,” he mocked.

“He said and tossed me a large bore gun that looked big enough to take down a rhino.

“Mordred was the bastard son of the king,” I said to correct him as I tucked the Seax to my waist like a Japanese tanto.

“Shut off notifications,” I demanded, and watched as the HUD dropped into a subdued outline.

Easy for you to say there Rambo,” I snarked.

Rooker just shrugged, “It’s a 20mm N14 with flachette rounds. Who’s the king now baby?” He said and grinned one of his best red-neck grins, and glanced out to where the sounds of war could be heard in the mists.

Unless you’ve got something for me, shut the hell up,” I growled, but even as I did, he pulled a sub-gun off his frame and tossed it to me.

“You ready to pwn these mother fucking Scavengers?” He laughed as I quickly familiarized myself with the weapon.

“Where are they coming from, what’s their strength?” I asked instead of indulging him.

We wasted no more time and raced back toward the compound. “This was a diversion. The main effort was inside the compound, I don’t know what they were after.”

“Isn’t kind of brave for them to attack here?” I asked just as Rooker lifted his N14 and let burst fly into a hulking figure. The creature staggard, but my shot slammed into him moments later and took it down.

In seconds, we were in the middle of the fight. Around us, flashes of light pulsed in the shadows, and the screams of the wounded pierce the gloom.

“How did so many get in?” I yelled and fired another blast into a lumbering figure. But Rooker was too busy driving his butt stock into the face of another to answer. On his face I could see blood from a freshly opened cut. In his eyes, I could see the rage of a war fighter. A look I knew was echoed in my own visage.

The N14 was large, too large to wield in close quarters combat as a firearm. After firing a blast at a more distant target, I changed grips and slammed the barrel of the weapon into a figure that was drawing a bead on Rooker.

His blast went wide, but with the time to adjust my aim I put a flight of flachette through his skull.

Almost before I recovered from the blast, something slammed into my back, a pain that buckled my knees and stole my breath. Falling to the side, I looked up to see a woman dressed like Rooker. She was holding an N14 of her own, and from the way she was holding it, I could tell she slammed the buttstock into my spine.

“Not my back!” My mind roared and a rage hotter than the sun swelled up inside me. With a roll and a spin, I was back on my feet. The woman grinned widely and swung her barrel toward me. But not before I could bring up my left arm.

The blast went off and the ballistic shield flare blue, and suddenly we were both off our feet. Yet, somehow, the angry spirit of rage was still riding me and I drew the Seax and lunged for her.

“Kate, no!” Rooker screamed, but his voice was an echo from a long away. In that moment, nothing could forestall my rage.

That woman had tried to take my legs! I would never allow myself to be put back in that chair. I’d never be made so vulnerable again.

In my madness, this woman suddenly became the cause of all my pain, of all my humiliation. She was the monster who deserved no mercy! Nothing would keep me from the retribution I would deal. Nothing except what stopped me cold.

Laying on the ground before me was a dark-skinned woman. Her handsome face was shredded on one side, exposing the gleaming metal beneath. Metal and a red, glowing prosthetic eye.

“Kate, that’s Major Keen,” Abby informed me.

“Kate, Bro, she’s one of ours!” Rooker’s voice cut through the fog in my head, and I lowered my weapon.

The woman held a hand over the wounded side of her face, but I could see she was no weeping flower. She was pissed. “Rooker, who is this person? And why isn’t she wearing her reflective belt? I could have killed her!”

“Oh, yeah, sorry, Major Keen.” Rooker started scratching the side of his neck and looking around at the remnants of the battle. “This is LT Emerson, the new-”

“Are you telling me Beretta Barbie, here is an officer?” Major Keen said. She was staring daggers at me with her one good eye, and I could nearly see the waves of hot rage bubbling off her.

“Why the hell doesn’t she had a Friend, or Foe identifier on her?” She demanded.

She was leaking blood from her hands and instinctively my hand went to my pocket and pulled out the only thing I had. “Ma`am here let me-”

We both looked at the oil-stained napkin I was holding limply in one hand, then into each other’s eyes.

Rooker cut in, “Um, yes, Ma’am. Coronal Garshack wanted her Yōkai-Tech sync checked before the-”

“I don’t want to hear it! Get her a reflective belt, and both of you will meet me in my office once we re-consolidate and reorganize,” she bark and picked up her file before stalking off toward the compound medical center.

“Sure thing, XO!” Rooker called, then once the officer was out of range.

“Beretta Barbie,” he said, then laughed again. “Burn, that was a sick ass burn, Bro,” Rooker laughed, pulling his hand back like he scorched his fingers and waved his hand as if to cool it.

“Fuck you, Rooker.” I panted and picked up my Seax and tossed the napkin into a nearby fire.